1257/58, Pope Alexander IV had to give permission for the monks to wear caps during church services due to the "vehement cold". By 1262 the priory was considerably in debt. The priory's accounts were inspected by Henry, Prior of Bermondsey, and John, Prior of the French house of Gassicourt, on behalf of the Abbot of Cluny. Their inspection reveal the priory was home to twenty-two monks and that the priory was about £1,000 () in debt. This amount was a substantial: around three times the priory's gross annual income, as demonstrated by the 1291 tax records of Pope Nicholas IV, which record the priory as having an annual income of only £339 1s. 2½d. (). As an alien priory owing allegiance to a mother-house in France, during wars with France the priory's income was seized by the Crown. This happened repeatedly in the 14th century, until in 1392 the priory was removed from the control of its mother-house (i.e. made denizen). The priory is believed to have had the finest set of guest-chambers in the region and received several royal visits, including by Henry III in 1230, Edward I in 1302 and 1303, Edward II in 1307 and 1323, and Edward III in 1336. The priory had not solved its debt problems by the beginning of the 14th century. By May 1313 the priory was noted for "its poverty and indebtedness". King Edward II placed the priory under his protection and appointed a keeper to oversee the priory's affairs. Lenton Priory had previously controlled the Chapel of Saint James (located on St James Street, Nottingham). However in 1316 whilst visiting Clipston, Nottinghamshire, King Edward II took the chapel from Lenton and gave it to the Nottingham Whitefriars, of whom he was very fond. Dissolution The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1534 records the priory as having a gross income of £387 10s. 10½d., together with "considerable" outgoings. Lenton's last prior was Nicholas Heath (or Hethe). He was appointed in 1535, having gained the position due to his connection to Thomas Cromwell. Numerous letters to Cromwell exist, from Heath's time as prior. Prior Heath was thrown into prison in February 1538, along with many of his monks. They were accused of high treason, most likely under the Verbal Treasons Act of December 1534. In March, the prior with eight of his monks (Ralph Swenson, Richard Bower, Richard Atkinson, Christopher Browne, John Trewruan, John