Tupholme Abbey.

Tupholme Abbey was a Premonstratensian abbey close to the River Witham some 17 km east of Lincoln. It was founded between 1155 and 1165 by Gilbert and Alan de Neville. The Witham valley is notable for its high concentration of monasteries—there were six on the east bank and three on the west—all presumably drawn to the area by the usefulness of the River Witham for transport and by the wealth (in wool) that it transported. Tupholme was never a prosperous house—in 1347, when the abbey was heavily in debt, an enterprising abbot was accused of "forgery and counterfeiting of coin of the realm", apparently using the proceeds to buy corn and wine, which he sold for a profit. Records of visitations in the later years of the abbey also show some misdemeanours—in 1497 Thomas Pynderwelle was banished to Croxton Abbey in Leicestershire as he had become involved with a local woman called Philippa and fathered her a child. In 1482 the behaviour of the canons had evidently been unruly, as they were forbidden to leave the precincts of the abbey without prior permission, or to sit up drinking after Compline. The penalty for such crimes was to be three days on bread and water.