In the seventh century, Sutton was gifted by King Ine of Wessex to Abingdon Abbey, a Benedictine monastery which had a strong local influence and extensive property in this area at the time, supposedly founded in 675.
In the eleventh century, William the Conquerer granted the estate of Sutton to the House of Courtenay, and the village became Sutton Courtenay.
In 1090, King William II of England granted the church of Sutton and its lands and tithes to the monks of Abingdon Abbey.

Abingdon Abbey constructed The Abbey as a monastic grange, used as an administrative centre for the abbey's land and tithe holdings.
However, the owner of the hide of land, Alwi the priest (whose father owned the land before him according to the Domesday Book), agreed with the abbot that he should retain Sutton with reversion first to his son and thereafter to the abbey, on condition of giving in Milton chapelry immediately.
Almost certainly in the late twelfth century, Abingdon Abbey took two thirds of the tithes and the rector the remaining third.
In 1258, following a dispute, the land was formally appropriated to the abbey and a vicarage was ordained.
As it was close to Abingdon Abbey, it was probably run by the monks themselves rather than being left to a steward.
In 1278, however, Hugh de Courtenay, Lord of the Manor of Sutton, sued the abbey for advowson.
An allegedly biased jury was impaneled and in 1284 it found unexpectedly for Courtenay.
Solomon of Rochester, the chief justice of the eyre, who presided over the jury, was the first to be partonised by the Courtenays.
The abbot of Abingdon Abbey alleged that in 1290, Solomon of Rochester had seized goods in it belonging to Abingdon Abbey.
He also claimed that Solomon had extorted 40 marks from the abbey for alleged dilapidations to the rectory house.
He was not convicted of any offence.

It is not clear how many of Solomon's successors actually used the house as a residence.
Many of these men rarely visited Sutton, leaving the running of The Abbey to various underlings.
William Steele, rector in 1371, left money to each of his four servants in Sutton.
Robert of Walsham, rector from 1372 to 1384 and Dean of Wallingford, may have resided intermittently.
His successor John Yernemouth was rector from 1384 to 1397 and did not reside but hired a chaplain to perform his duties.
John Yernemouth was the chaplain of Prince John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III of England.
He left the rectory to William Brouns, father of Bishop Thomas Brouns, and two others sometime before 1394.
By then, the building had become ruinous and badly roofed.
Walter Medford, later Archdeacon of Berkshire, was rector from 1397 to 1413 and may well have used the house.
His successor, Nicholas Colnet, also may have resided at the rectory.
Colnet was the doctor of King Henry V of England and was rector until 1420.
He left money to the church and poor of Sutton.
Thomas Beckington, rector since 1420 and secretary of King Henry VI of England, stayed at Sutton twice in 1442 and perhaps on other occasions.
The ceiling of the solar is attributed to Beckington.
In 1442, he was accompanied by William Say, who succeeded him as rector when Beckington became Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1443.
In 1444, Say obtained license to celebrate Divine Office in the house.
The chapel was presumably new, and not used for long, since no other license is recorded.

The south and east ranges at The Abbey were completed around the middle of the fifteenth century, just before Thomas Courtenay, 6th/14th Earl of Devon, who was involved in the Wars of the Roses, was beheaded in 1461 and had his lands confiscated.
Reginald Nutt, lessee in 1472 and chaplain of Sutton, was obliged to repair all thatched roofs and mud walls on the site, the repair of tiled and slated roofs and the provision of timber being the rector's responsibility.

Some works survive from the period of Abingdon Abbey's control of the rectory before 1284.
Since 1284 there are three medieval phases that can be closely dated.
The first one can be attributed to Solomon of Rochester between 1284 an
In the seventh century, Sutton was gifted by King Ine of Wessex to Abingdon Abbey, a Benedictine monastery which had a strong local influence and extensive property in this area at the time, supposedly founded in 675. In the eleventh century, William the Conquerer granted the estate of Sutton to the House of Courtenay, and the village became Sutton Courtenay. In 1090, King William II of England granted the church of Sutton and its lands and tithes to the monks of Abingdon Abbey.
Abingdon Abbey constructed The Abbey as a monastic grange, used as an administrative centre for the abbey's land and tithe holdings. However, the owner of the hide of land, Alwi the priest (whose father owned the land before him according to the Domesday Book), agreed with the abbot that he should retain Sutton with reversion first to his son and thereafter to the abbey, on condition of giving in Milton chapelry immediately. Almost certainly in the late twelfth century, Abingdon Abbey took two thirds of the tithes and the rector the remaining third. In 1258, following a dispute, the land was formally appropriated to the abbey and a vicarage was ordained. As it was close to Abingdon Abbey, it was probably run by the monks themselves rather than being left to a steward. In 1278, however, Hugh de Courtenay, Lord of the Manor of Sutton, sued the abbey for advowson. An allegedly biased jury was impaneled and in 1284 it found unexpectedly for Courtenay. Solomon of Rochester, the chief justice of the eyre, who presided over the jury, was the first to be partonised by the Courtenays. The abbot of Abingdon Abbey alleged that in 1290, Solomon of Rochester had seized goods in it belonging to Abingdon Abbey. He also claimed that Solomon had extorted 40 marks from the abbey for alleged dilapidations to the rectory house. He was not convicted of any offence.
It is not clear how many of Solomon's successors actually used the house as a residence. Many of these men rarely visited Sutton, leaving the running of The Abbey to various underlings. William Steele, rector in 1371, left money to each of his four servants in Sutton. Robert of Walsham, rector from 1372 to 1384 and Dean of Wallingford, may have resided intermittently. His successor John Yernemouth was rector from 1384 to 1397 and did not reside but hired a chaplain to perform his duties. John Yernemouth was the chaplain of Prince John of Gaunt, son of King Edward III of England. He left the rectory to William Brouns, father of Bishop Thomas Brouns, and two others sometime before 1394. By then, the building had become ruinous and badly roofed. Walter Medford, later Archdeacon of Berkshire, was rector from 1397 to 1413 and may well have used the house. His successor, Nicholas Colnet, also may have resided at the rectory. Colnet was the doctor of King Henry V of England and was rector until 1420. He left money to the church and poor of Sutton. Thomas Beckington, rector since 1420 and secretary of King Henry VI of England, stayed at Sutton twice in 1442 and perhaps on other occasions. The ceiling of the solar is attributed to Beckington. In 1442, he was accompanied by William Say, who succeeded him as rector when Beckington became Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1443. In 1444, Say obtained license to celebrate Divine Office in the house. The chapel was presumably new, and not used for long, since no other license is recorded.
The south and east ranges at The Abbey were completed around the middle of the fifteenth century, just before Thomas Courtenay, 6th/14th Earl of Devon, who was involved in the Wars of the Roses, was beheaded in 1461 and had his lands confiscated. Reginald Nutt, lessee in 1472 and chaplain of Sutton, was obliged to repair all thatched roofs and mud walls on the site, the repair of tiled and slated roofs and the provision of timber being the rector's responsibility.
Some works survive from the period of Abingdon Abbey's control of the rectory before 1284. Since 1284 there are three medieval phases that can be closely dated. The first one can be attributed to Solomon of Rochester between 1284 an
The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay