to their rites. As their wealth increased, they relaxed in discipline, and became odious in many of the Catholic states. Thomas de Brotherton was one of the brethren of this priory. He wrote of their institution, with the other religious houses of this place; as well as of all the Saxon owners from Aske to Hyldebert de Lascy. Leland on perusing his history, confessed that he found more in it than he expected, and promised to give a large account of it in his intended work on civil history; but death prevented this desirable object from being carried into effect. Thomas flourished about the year 1326:* Edmund de Lascy, constable of Chester, granted to the priory certain lands called East-crofts, adjoining to the mansion; as well as a cart load of dead wood daily, from his park at Pontefract, in recompense of the tithes of the said lands.+ A license was granted 6 Edward III. to Symon Pyper, chaplain to the priory, to endow them with another portion of land, as is thus noted: A license is granted 6 Ed. III. parte 2. m. 4. to Symon Pyper, chaplain, that he may give to the prior and brothers of the order of Fryer Prodicants of Pontfract, one perch of land, lying contiguous to their mansion.'‡ Some of the rules of this order were, after a short time from their institution, deemed remiss; and Bernon, abbot of Gigny, in Burgundy, commenced their reformation, which was completed by Odo, abbot of Cluni, A.D. 912. This reformation gave rise to a new branch, called Cluniac monks, the first and principal sect of the Benedictines. There were nuns as well as monks of this order; but the era of their institution is uncertain. Their habit was a black robe, and scapulary, with an under garment, or tunic of undyed wool; and on their journey they wore a cowl similar to that of the monks. Agnes de Pontefract, one of these nuns, was elected second prioress of the order of St. Benedict, at Arthington, in the deanery of the Ainsty, and archdeaconry of the West-Riding, 14 K. Oc. (18 Sep.) 1302, at the decease of Agnes de Screvin.§ She was afterwards elected first prioress of Hampole, in the deanery of Doncaster, and archdeaconry of the WestRiding, on 2 K. March, (28th Feb.) 1312. Agnes de Pontefracto commonialis domus,'¶ but it is not stated how she vacated the office.** In the priory was interred Roger de Mowbray, who died in the 51st year of the reign of Henry III.†† Camden's Britannia, iii. 238. Charter to St. Mary, and the prioy of St. John the Evangelist of Pontefract, dated 42 Henry III. Stevens, i. 169. Stowe's MSS. **Burton's Mon, Eb. 265. Reg. Tho. Corbridge, Archiep. Ebor. 16. Thomas Box, gent. was also interred here, as will be seen by the testamentary burial: 10th March, 1448.-Thomas Box, gentleman, made his will, proved 6th May, 1449, giving his soul to God Almighty, St. Mary, and All Saints; and his body to be buried within the house of the friars preachers of Pontefract.'* Henry VIII. had various reasons for disliking all denominations of monks. He was provoked by their public and private declamations against his divorce with Catherine, his first queen; as well as suspecting them of being spies, and conveying intelligence of every transaction to his greatest enemy, the pope of Rome. Visitors were therefore suddenly sent into the different parts of the kingdom, who transmitted all the proceedings of monasteries to parliament, and an act was immediately passed for the dissolution of all houses containing less than 12 members, and not having a yearly revenue of 2001. Amongst these, this place was surrendered 26th November, 30th Henry VIII. 1539, by the last warden, Robert Day, seven friars, and one novice,† and the house and lands granted to William Clifford and Michael Wildbore, 36th Henry VIII. Thomas, the son and heir of Michael Wildbore, held the lands of the friars preachers, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in socage; as` well as lands in Knottingley. Dated 18th Elizabeth. 7641 Thomas Austwicke, mayor of Pontefract, in the year 1601 purchased the site of the priory for the sum of 2501., and had 10007. offered to him for it, previously to the war; but after his demise, Alan his son, being a very active person in the king's interest, and one of the persons excepted from quarter, at the rendition of the fortress of Pontefract was constrained to dispose of these lands, by trustees, in the month of May, 1656, in order to redeem some other possessions, for the subsistence of himself and his brother Richard Austwicke. GREY FRIARS. but as he does not Leland mentions a house of grey friars here, notice the dominicans or black friars, it is possible that he has erred in this instance, as there is no mention of it under the seven custodies, into which the houses of this order in England and Scotland were allotted them.§ Dods. Coll. 196. + Burnett's history of Reform. i. 145. Collec. of Records, 142 et seq. In the Augmentation office, is a book containing the account of the resignation and suppression of monasteries, and amongst them the deed of the monastery of Pomfret is enrolled on the 23rd November, 31st Henry VIII. + Vide pat. 3, Ed. II. m. 27, v. 28, Pat 16, Ed. III. p. 2 m. Stevens' Supp. i. 95. et seq. Gough's Camden, iii. 286. purchased for thispurpose. Another part consisted in their hospitality and charity. As such houses were furnished with provisions of all kinds from the produce of their lands, herds and flocks, it was as usual then for gentlemen and travellers to go to such houses as it is now for them to go to an inn. Here also the poor, the sick, the aged and infirm resorted, and their wants were regularly supplied. Adam Fitz-Swain, the founder of Lund or Monk-bretton priory, was a special benefactor to this priory. He made Lund priory dependent upon it, and ordained that as an acknowledgment of their dependency its monks should pay one mark of silver annually, to the brethren of the priory of St. John the evangelist.* He endowed it with all his lands in Bretton, the mills of Derne and Lund, and Meresbruck, (Masbrough) in Brampton, the churches of Newhall (Newhill), Raynbergh and Lyntwayte. Also, he gave the chapel of St. Andrew, near Culcoit (in Cumberland); and appointed Adam prior of Pontefract, once prior of Arden, in the deanery and archdeaconry of Cleveland, to be custos thereof; after whose decease, the prior and monks of Pontefract were to appoint other fit persons to the governance. By the liberality of several individuals the revenues of this cell increased; and the brethren began to feel their subjection galling. On the demise of their superior, a contest arose between them and the monks of Pontefract. They stated their grievances and applied for redress to pope Alexander IV, and he, in the first year of his Pontificate, A.D. 1255, 39 Henry III. commissioned the dean and archdeacon of Lincoln to decide between the parties. The decision, however, not being satisfactory to the monks of Bretton, they again applied to the prior of La Charite, in France, who finally ordered, 'that the monks of Monk Bretton should pay annually nine marks to the priory of Pontefract, and 20s. as an acknowledgement of their subjection;' and, returning his thanks to the founder for his affection to the order, gives him leave to choose brethren from any house in England for his priory. He ordained that the monks of Bretton, should hereafter enjoy the right of choosing their own superior, the prior of Pontefract being present at the election; and that the prior so chosen should be installed by the said prior of Pontefract, within three days after the election. It was also agreed, that the brethren detained in the foreign abbies as prisoners, should be liberated. The prior of Pontefract had a privilege granted him to sit in the chapter of Bretton, whenever he Mon. Ang. tom i. p 652.-663. Cop. cart. i. app. no. 5. De lite inter priores et conventum de Pontfracto ct Bretton'; super electione prioris de Bretton sententia definitiva papæ terminata, 4 Ed. i. Prynne's Records m. 12. v. 2. p. 1215, Year Books 1, Ed. III, f: 42. |