Earl Alfric, who lived in the reigns of Kings Cnut (Canute), Harold Harefoot, Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor (1016-1066), founded the church or chapel of St. John Baptist in or at Clare Castle and established there seven secular canons.
This earlier church, with all its endowments, was given in 1090 by Gilbert Fitz Richard de Clare[1] to the Benedictine Bec Abbey in Normandy, of which it became a cell.
Founded in 1034, it became through the magnetic presence of the erudite Lanfranc of Pavia a focus of 11th century intellectual life, which developed further under its second abbot, Anselm.
Among other grants, the priory received the right to hold a Thursday market at Stoke, and a yearly fair of three days at the feast of St John the Baptist.
From the founding family, the monks had received, in addition to lands, mills, fishing, and pasturing rights, and the advowsons of over ten churches.
Upon the death of Prior John Huditot in 1391, Robert Braybrooke (Bishop of London) and William (prior of Ogbourne, who had been authorized by Pope Boniface IX to act for the abbot of Bec in the case of dependent English houses) presented Richard de Cotesford, an English monk of the house, to the Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich, to succeed as prior, with the assent of the king, who was acting patron since the heir of the Earl of March was at the time a minor.