Friaries: Friaries in Scarborough

93. THE GREY FRIARS, SCARBOROUGH

The Franciscans settled in Scarborough as early as 1239, for on 5 February 1239-40 Henry III ordered the Sheriff of Yorkshire 'to provide food for the Friars Minors of Scarborough one day every week.' (fn. 1) The Cistercians, to whom the church of St. Mary was appropriated, strongly resisted the establishment of rivals in their territory, and appealed to Rome for support. The pope, probably Innocent IV, instructed the Bishop of Lincoln to cause the buildings of the friars to be demolished if things were as described in the apostolic letter. Grosteste having summoned the friars to appear before his official, their proctor argued that the summons involved a breach of a papal privilege granted to the friars by Gregory IX (fn. 2) and was consequently invalid. But on the third day a friar waived all these arguments aside, maintaining that their profession was the Gospel, which said 'If any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also'; he declared on behalf of his brethren that they would give up the place, and falling on his knees before the monks prayed pardon for the offence. This produced a great effect. The monks present realized that their reputation would suffer if the friars left Scarborough in these circumstances, and agreed with Grosteste to suspend operations till they had consulted the Abbot and convent of Cîteaux. (fn. 3)

The monks however insisted on the site being given up, and the friars had to quit the town. On 11 August 1245 the king gave licence 'to the Friars Minors who used to dwell in Scarborough to erect their buildings in the area lying between "Cukewaldhull" and the water-course called Milnebec on the east side, which William son of Robert de Morpath has surrendered and quitclaimed to the king, of the land which he held in chief in "Haterberg," in the parish of Scalby.' (fn. 4) On 12 August the bailiffs were ordered to assist the friars in removing their church and buildings to the new site, (fn. 5) which contained 1½ acres. (fn. 6) Some twenty-five years later (fn. 7) they returned again to Scarborough, and settled in the old town, perhaps on land granted by Reginald the miller, who was honoured as the founder and buried in the middle of the quire before the high altar. (fn. 8) This land is described in a charter of 1315 as 'the land in the old town of Scarborough, abutting on the cemetery of St. Sepulchre, and the gutter called Damyet, all the land abutting on the lands formerly of Adam Ughtred and Walter de Collum, and the land formerly of John de Nessyngwyk, and land abutting on the land formerly of Henry de Roston.' (fn. 9) They also received from Sir Robert Ughtred, kt., before the end of the century, some land abutting on the well called 'Burghwell,' and the wall of the old town, and the gutter called 'Damyeth.' (fn. 10)

It does not appear whether the Cistercians offered opposition to this second settlement of the Friars Minors in the town. The quarrel however broke out again in 1281, probably in connexion with the rebuilding or enlargement of the friars' church. (fn. 11) The Abbot of St. Albans, as 'conservator of the rights of the Cistercians,' issued a sentence ordering the friars to leave the place, and subsequently excommunicated all who celebrated or heard divine service in their church. Archbishop Peckham, after vainly requesting the abbot to revoke or suspend his judgement (August 1281), ordered the Deans of Pickering and Ryedale and the vicar of Scarborough publicly to declare the sentence null and void, on pain of excommunication (November 1281): he further informed the Mayor and burgesses of Scarborough that the conservators of the Cistercians had no power over the Franciscans, who were allowed by the pope 'to build churches and oratories wherever it seems to them expedient'; and he urged the proctor of the Minorite Order at Rome to resist the oppression of the friars by the 'demoniac monks' (January 1281-2). (fn. 12) The Bishop of Worcester, who was appointed 'special conservator' of the friars in this case, also intervened on their behalf (August 1281), (fn. 13) and Archbishop Wickwane, July 1284, addressed a dignified rebuke to the proctors of the Abbot of Cîteaux, at Scarborough, on their attempts to prevent the friars celebrating divine service at suitable hours and in fitting places. (fn. 14) The Cistercians in their general chapter, 1285, protested against the intrusion of the friars. (fn. 15) The result seems to have been favourable to the friars, though their claims to hear confessions may have been restricted. (fn. 16) On 15 October 1290 Nicholas IV granted an indulgence to penitents visiting the church of the Friars Minors of Scarborough on the four feasts of the Virgin, and those of St. Francis, St. Anthony, and St. Clare. (fn. 17) In 1291 Archbishop Romanus, when organizing the preaching of the Crusade, instructed these friars to send one preacher to Bridlington and another to Whitby. (fn. 18) The warden was authorized 27 August 1293 to release Henry de Brumpton of Scarborough from his vow of pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James of Compostella on payment of 100s. (fn. 19)

In or before 1283 the burgesses granted a spring at 'Gildhuscliff,' on Falsgrave Moor, to Robert of Scarborough, Dean of York, that he might make at his own expense a conduit for the benefit of the Friars Minors and the borough. (fn. 20) The scheme had not been carried out when the dean died in 1290, but he left to the friars 100 marks in his will for this purpose. To pay the legacy his executor, Sir John Ughtred, called in a debt owing from Roger, Abbot of Meaux, and the monks found it necessary to strip the lead from the dormitory of their lay brethren and give it to the friars in lieu of 78 marks which they had failed to pay. 'With this lead, their church or the greater part of it, is said to have been covered.' (fn. 21) It was not until 1319 that the friars had licence to make an underground conduit from 'Gildhuscliff' to their house, to lay pipes under the streets of the town and repair them when necessary. (fn. 22)

Meanwhile, in 1297, the friars petitioned for leave from the Crown to appropriate a piece of land 117 ft. by 80 ft. for the enlargement of their church: the land had belonged to Adam Gumer, and had come into the king's hands owing to Adam's execution as a felon. (fn. 23) The jury of inquest opposed the grant, which was not made: but in 1299 Simon son of Simon Gumer conferred on the friars a messuage adjoining their church for the enlargement of their area and cemetery. (fn. 24) In 1300 the Knights Hospitallers granted them a messuage lying between the land which William de Harun held of John de Blake on the south and the lane called Dumple on the north, and abutting on the said lane and the wall of the borough. (fn. 25) About the same time Sir John Hudred or Ughtred, kt., gave them an annual rent of 20s. in Scarborough, 'to find two great wax candles burning daily at the elevation of the host in the quire of the said brethren, and to find oil in a lamp burning before the host in the same quire, and bread and wine for celebration in the church and quire, with power for the bailiff of Scarborough to distrain for the rent if unpaid.' (fn. 26) All these grants were confirmed by Edward II in 1315. (fn. 27)

In 1322 these friars had licence to inclose the lane called 'le Dumple' on condition that they made on their own ground another way as large and convenient for the king, the commonalty, and for the Friars Preachers, to whom permission had previously been granted to pave the lane. (fn. 28)

The three orders of friars in Scarborough were accustomed to send an officer round the town with a hand-bell on the days of the funeral obsequies of those buried in their churches and cemeteries and on the anniversaries of their founders and benefactors. They procured a royal licence for this custom in 1388, but it was withdrawn the next year as being an infringement of the rights of the church of St. Mary. (fn. 29) The practice, however, continued, and is mentioned in 1522. (fn. 30)

Among those buried in the Grey Friars' church were several members of the families of Ughtred, Stacy, and Hastings, and the Lady Elizabeth Gubiun, nun of Little Mareis, near Yedingham. (fn. 31) Sir Gilbert de Ayton, kt., left 20 marks to these friars in 1350. (fn. 32) Sir Marmaduke Constable in 1518 left to the White and Grey Friars of Scarborough, the Black Friars of Beverley, and the Austin Friars of Grimsby, 3d. a day for three years, 2d. being assigned to the priest saying mass for the souls of those to whom the testator had done any wrong, and 1d. 'to amend the pittance' of the friars in each house. (fn. 33) Robert Skirley in 1522 left to the Grey Friars 'the keitzen and the garth that is by their house that I woyn in, up to the town wall, paying to Master Whittes 2s. 4d. a year'; if his son died without issue, the same friars were to have 'that house by the Leide Stowpe that Alyson Gilson wonys in, and they to do a dirige and mass for our souls with the belman about the town.' He also bequeathed to them 2s. quit-rent that he had bought of Henry Carthope and Robert Clarke 'ankarsmith.' (fn. 34) Richard Chapman, warden of the Grey Friars, was in sympathy with the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, and the officers of the town were summoned by Sir Francis Bigod to the Grey Friars to take an oath to support the rebellion. (fn. 35)

The friary was surrendered 9 March 1538-9 to the Bishop of Dover, who described the three friaries as 'so poor that they have sold the stalls and screens in the church, so that nothing is left but stone and glass, yet there is metely good lead,' about 40 fother. There were also bells and chalices. (fn. 36) The property included, besides the site, a number of cottages and a tavern. (fn. 37)

Wardens

Lawrence de Wetwang, 1293 (fn. 38)

Ralph de Hertilburg, 1350 (fn. 39)

George Danby, 1476 (fn. 40)

Richard Chapman, 1536, 1538-9 (fn. 41)

94. THE BLACK FRIARS, SCARBOROUGH (fn. 42)

The Dominicans were established in Scarborough before 1252, when they levied a fine for a house and messuage held by them in the town, and the community of Scarborough granted that their goods and those of their men should be free of toll in the borough. (fn. 43) The friars' right to settle here was disputed, probably by the Cistercians, and the Bishop of Worcester as conservator of the privileges of the Friars Preachers in England was called upon to protect them in 1279 and 1280. (fn. 44)

About the end of 1283 the friars applied to the king for a licence to pull down the ruinous wall between the new and the old town and use the stone for building their church, and also requested that they might have a spring at 'Gildhuscliff,' as they were in want of water. An inquiry being held, the jurors found it stated in the annals that in the time of King John's troubles this wall had stopped the king's enemies from taking the castle, and also in the time of Henry III the same wall, though old and partly ruinous, and the moat surrounding the new borough had been the means of repulsing the rebels. If the wall were removed, there would be nothing to prevent an enemy from marching straight up to the castle and besieging it; and besides, a new wall ought to be built out of the materials of the old. The spring had already been granted by the burgesses to the Dean of York that he might make a conduit for the benefit of the Friars Minors and the borough. (fn. 45) The petition was therefore refused, but the friars at the request of the burgesses about a year later obtained a new site or an addition to their old one. (fn. 46) This grant was not made without a protest on the part of the Cistercians, who held the advowson of the parish church and applied the revenues to the expenses of their general chapter. The monks assembled in general chapter at Cîteaux, 14 September 1285, complained to the king of the entrance of the Friars Preachers and Friars Minors into Scarborough, and asserted that the revenues of the church had through their presence been so diminished that instead of supplying the chapter for three days they sufficed now only for one. (fn. 47)

This priory was one of the thirty-three Dominican houses to which the executors of Queen Eleanor of Castile gave 100s. in alms in 1291. (fn. 48) The queen's kinswoman, Isabel de Beaumont, second wife of John de Vescy, sometime Governor of Scarborough Castle, was one of the greatest benefactors of the friars. She built the nave of the church, the cloister and dormitory at her own cost, and bestowed on them many other benefits. (fn. 49)

In 1291 Archbishop Romanus when organizing the preaching of the crusade instructed these friars to appoint one of their number to preach at Scarborough and another at Pickering. (fn. 50) He interposed in 1293 on behalf of the parish priests to restrict the claims of the friars as to hearing confessions. (fn. 51) In 1305 William Gainsborough, Bishop of Worcester, ordered the excommunication of 'certain sons of iniquity who had taken away the candles and funeral ornaments of Henry de Haterborgh, chaplain, who chose to be buried at the house' of these friars. (fn. 52)

In 1312, when Piers Gaveston was besieged in the castle, the Earls of Pembroke and Warren and Henry Percy persuaded him to come out and confer with them in the church of the Friars Preachers; 'there in the presence of the Body of Christ, with their hands upon the Gospels, they swore that if the Lord Peter would go home with them they would either make peace between him and the magnates or bring him back safe and sound to the castle.' Gaveston agreed to go with them, and was then seized and executed by the Earl of Warwick. (fn. 53)

The site was made up of many small plots granted by various donors—namely, Adam Sage; (fn. 54) Patrick, Prior, and the convent of St. Mary, Watton; William Broun of Scarborough and Margaret his wife, daughter of Richard de Brumpton; Emma daughter of Henry de Cotom of Scalby; James de Tunes and Margaret his wife, daughter of Roger Farmatin; Gomer of Norfolk and Alice his wife; Maud daughter of Simon Ughtred, and granddaughter of Roger Ughtred; (fn. 55) and Robert Maurice. Further, Roger son of Roger Ughtred released the friars from a rent of 2s. which they used to pay him for the land which they held of the gift of William Broun and Margaret his wife; and Sir Robert Ughtred, kt., granted them land for a chantry for two friars to celebrate daily in the church. All these grants were confirmed by Edward II, 2 January 1318-19. (fn. 56)

In 1298 the friars asked permission to pave a street within the town wall towards the east extending from the house of John Pycheford to that of John le Blake towards their church, a distance of 39 perches. On inquisition the jurors found that the paving would be an improvement to the town and an advantage to the inhabitants, and the royal licence was accordingly issued, 1299. The lane ran part of the way under the wall of the Friars Minors and was some years later inclosed by them with the consent of the Friars Preachers, on condition that they made another lane equally convenient. (fn. 57) During the next few years the friars made several additions to their area. In January 1319-20 the Prior and convent of Watton granted to the friars another messuage, lying to the south of Maud Ughtred's tenement, in exchange for a place which the king had of the gift of William son of William de Wispedale and which he now conferred on the priory. (fn. 58) In July 1321 the king further gave them all the land with the buildings on it adjacent to their area which he had of the feoffment of William de Wessington, tenant in chief. (fn. 59) In August 1323 Maud Brus, i.e., Maud Ughtred, gave them a small plot lying next the land she had already given them, and held by Henry le Barker and Agnes his wife for the life of the latter. (fn. 60) Isabel de Vescy, whose benefactions have been mentioned, gave them a plot of land, 200 ft. by 50 ft., worth 25. a year, in 1326. (fn. 61) She was buried in the quire of the church about 1335, (fn. 62) and finally in 1337 her executors conveyed to them two plots containing 100 ft. by 60 ft. and John de Malton granted them another small plot measuring 100 ft. by 30 ft.; the three plots were held of the Crown in burgage and were valued at 3s. a year. (fn. 63) The site and demesne lands contained about 3 acres. The number of the friars in the house at this time is not known. (fn. 64) About the end of the 15th century there were fifteen. (fn. 65)

In November 1327 two Friars Preachers from Scotland, being wrecked here, took refuge in the Dominican friary; the king ordered the bailiffs of Scarborough to keep careful watch over them. (fn. 66)

In 1367 the prior, Robert, sued William de Naseby, 'sherman,' for an account as receiver of the prior's moneys. (fn. 67)

The earliest bequest recorded is one of 40s. by Sir William de Vavasour, kt., in 1311, (fn. 68) Sir Thomas Ughtred, kt., in 1398 left the Friars Preachers, for the augmentation of two chantries founded in the church by his ancestors, 40s. a year to celebrate masses and obits for the souls of himself, Catherine his wife, and William his son, till he or his executors endowed them with 40s. annual rent. (fn. 69) Maud widow of Peter Lord Mauley and daughter of Ralph Nevill Earl of Westmorland, in 1438 desired to be buried in this church 'at the south end (fn. 70) of the high altar where they read the Gospels'; she bequeathed 20 marks for a marble stone with a plate of copper or latten gilt to lay over her sepulchre; 100 marks for covering the roof of the church with lead; a pair of thuribles silver-gilt; a pair of phials of silver; two silver candlesticks; one silver-gilt 'paxbrede' for divine service at the high altar; 5 marks a year to Friar John Chatburn to celebrate for her soul for five years; two single gowns of black velvet without fur to the friars, and her best horse with saddle as mortuary. (fn. 71) Alice widow of Peter Percy of Scarborough, merchant, in 1505 left to William Tailyor, Prior of the Black Friars, £7 to celebrate for her soul and the soul of her husband for one year. (fn. 72) Thomas Percy, in October, 1536, left the friars half a close and half an acre of land. (fn. 73)

The house was surrendered on 10 March 1538-9 by John Newton, prior, and the friars to Richard, Bishop of Dover, who apologized to Cromwell for being able to 'bring no more substance to the king' owing to the poverty of the friary. (fn. 74) The site, containing 1½ acres, together with a plot called 'le Courte garth,' was let to Robert Gray for 5s. 8d. a year. The churchyard itself, with some gardens and orchards extending from the wall of the site on the east to another wall next the highway on the west, 75 yds. long and 57 yds. wide, had already been leased 23 March 1536-7 to John Harwoode under the convent seal for sixty-one years at a rent of 6s. 8d. 'Le ponde garth' and a garden between the site and the wall of the Carmelites had likewise been leased to John Barwick, 3 November 1537, at a rent of 3s. The friars also owned several cottages and tenements in other parts of the town. (fn. 75)

Priors

Robert, 1367

William Tailyor, 1505

John Newton, 1536-9

95. THE WHITE FRIARS, SCARBOROUGH

Edward II on 19 October 1319 granted to the Carmelites two houses in Scarborough which he held of the gift of Robert Wauwayn or Walweyn, to build there an oratory and dwelling-place. (fn. 76) He secured the consent of the Cistercians to the foundation within the parish of St. Mary by giving them licence to acquire land in Scarborough to the value of 60s. a year; (fn. 77) and the archbishop's licence to the friars to build a chapel and bell-tower was granted 24 March 1320-1. (fn. 78) But difficulties arose with Thomas de la Rivere and Joan his wife, who maintained that they had let this land to Robert Wauwayn and his heirs at a rent of 60s. a year: that, Robert having ceased to pay the rent, they had obtained judgement against him: and that he had then handed over the property to the king. Edward II forbade the judges to proceed further in the matter, and they dared not disobey. On the accession of Edward III the aggrieved parties petitioned for redress. (fn. 79) But on 18 April 1341, at York, Joan, now a widow, surrendered to the Carmelites all her right to the tenement, which is described as 'extending in length and breadth between the capital house formerly belonging to John Ughtred, now a brother of the aforesaid order, and the house of John son of Robert at Cross, and from the highway to the house of the late Roger Ughtred. (fn. 80)

Meanwhile, in the time of Edward II the friars acquired a plot adjoining their house, measuring 140 ft. by 30 ft., and worth 18d. a year, from Henry Paa of Scarborough: they received pardon on the accession of Edward III for taking possession of it without royal licence. (fn. 81) Another small plot was granted to them by Ralph de Nevill, lord of Raby, in 1330. (fn. 82) William Kempe and Adam Dyotsone gave them a messuage, held of the king for 6d. a year as 'house-gabel,' in 1350; Robert de Nuby and William de Nuby, chaplains, gave them a similar messuage adjoining the friary in 1358; (fn. 83) and Sir Robert de Roucliff, kt., gave them some land in 1362. (fn. 84) Sir Robert was buried in the church. (fn. 85)

The prior, Mauger de Baildon, in 1369 sued Thomas Webster of Riccall, and Maud widow of John de Caleys of Tadcaster, for debts of 10 marks each; and Thomas son of Henry of Grimston for a debt of 6 marks. In the same year he and Friar John Eryll brought an action against John Bendebowe, John Goldyng, and Simon de Lesam, all chaplains, for assaulting Friar Eryll, and ill-treating him so that he despaired of his life. In 1370 the same prior sued John Motsom, carpenter, to keep the agreement made between them to the effect that John should, at his own expense, build in the friary a hall, with chamber, study, and chapel, and with a cellar, doors and windows, two hearths, and two sinks. (fn. 86)

Till the eve of the Dissolution there is little to record of the house, save a number of bequests, the largest being 5 marks from William, Lord Latimer, 1381, and 3d. a day for three years from Sir Marmaduke Constable, kt., in 1518. (fn. 87)

Before the rebellions of 1536, John Boroby, Prior of the White Friars, (fn. 88) helped to encourage the discontent by collecting and disseminating seditious prophecies. In May 1536 he met a priest at Beverley who showed him some prophecies beginning 'France and Flanders shall arise.' These he copied and showed to the warden of the Grey Friars and the vicar of Muston. The vicar gave him another collection beginning 'When the cock of the north had builded his nest.' (fn. 89) Boroby was examined at York, 5 December 1537, but was not removed from office. He surrendered the house on 9 March 1538-9 (fn. 90) to the Bishop of Dover, who remarked on the poverty of the place. (fn. 91) The friars owned, besides the site, several messuages which had been let on lease. (fn. 92)

Priors

Robert Baston (?), 1319 (fn. 93)

Robert, 1327 (fn. 94)

Robert Morpath, February 1347-8 (fn. 95)

Mauger de Baildon, 1369, 1371 (fn. 96)

Robert Lylborne, 1476 (fn. 97)

Laurence Cooke, 1527 (fn. 98)

John Boroby, 1531, 1538-9 (fn. 99)