A History of the County of Suffolk: Volume 2. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1975.
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4. THE PRIORY OF EDWARDSTONE
The story of the small short-lived priory of Edwardstone can soon be told. Hubert de Monchesney, lord of the manor, gave the church of Edwardstone, in the year 1114, with all its appurtenances, to the abbot and monks of Abingdon, Berks. In the following year this grant was confirmed by Henry I, in whose charter mention is also made of two parts of the tithes of 'Stanetona' and 'Stanesteda', of the tithes of mills and underwood, and of pannage for pigs, &c. A further confirmation was granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. (fn. 1)
Hence it came to pass that two or more Benedictine monks were placed at Edwardstone to hold it as a priory or cell of Abingdon. This arrangement, however, only lasted until 1160. In that year Hugh de Monchesney, the son of the founder, with the assent of his own son and heir Stephen, allowed the removal of these two monks, at the wish of Abbot Wathelin, to the larger priory or cell of Colne in Essex. (fn. 2) Colne itself became an independent priory in 1311.