RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



Hugh de Darlington, app, ii January, 1285-6, 



res. II March, 1289-90 "* 

 Richard de Hoton, elected 24 March, 1 289-90; 



ejected by Bishop Bek, and replaced by 



Henry de Luceby ; but re-instated 29 No- 

 vember, 1301^*°; d. January, 1307-8^^^ 

 William de Tanfield, app. 24 February, 



1308-9,^^' res. 1313 ^'* 

 ■Geoffrey de Burdon, app. June, 1313, res. 



January, 1322—3'*' 

 William de Conton, or Couton, app. 1323, 



d. February, 1342-3''" 

 John Fossour, or Forcer, app. March, 1342-3, 



d. November, 1374''' 

 Robert Benington, alias Walworth, app. 



December, 1374, d. 1 391 "' 

 John deHemingbrough, app. 1 391, d. 141 6''' 

 John de Washington (Wessington), app. 141 6, 



d. 1446"^ 

 William Ebchester, app. June, 1446, res. 



1456"' 

 John Burnby, alias Burnley, app. 1456, 



d. 1464"^ 

 Richard Bell, app. 1464, res. March, 1478-9"' 

 Robert Ebchester, app. November, 1 47 9, 



d. 1484 "8 

 John Auckland, app. July, 1484, d. 1494"' 

 Thomas Castell, app. May, 1494, d. 1 519'''"' 

 Hugh Whitehead, app. 3 January, 1 5 1 9-20 ; ^°' 



first dean of Durham, 1 540 ; d. 1548^°^ 



The seal used by the convent from its founda- 

 tion to its dissolution w^as one of the greatest 

 simplicity : a circle containing a cross surrounded 

 by a legend in letters almost Saxon, and evidently 

 not later than the foundation. Legend — 



+ SIGILLVM . CVDBERHTI . PR^SVLIS . SCTI. 



The cross is closely similar in form to that found 

 on the body of the saint.^"^ 



The arms of the monastery, as given in the 

 Heralds' Visitation of 1530, were, 'Azure, a 

 cross fiory Or between four lions rampant 

 Argent.' The lions have in modern times been 

 altered from silver to gold.^** 



'" Dugdale, ut supra. 



"** Ibid. 



"* Sim. ut supra. (Dugdale, incorrectly, ' i 309-10.') 



"' Hutchinson, Hist. Dur. ii, 86. (Dugdale, 

 ■* 1309-10.') 



"^ Dugdale, ut supra. 



"' Ibid. 



'* Ibid. (Sim. 'd. z6 Feb. 1 340-1.') 



"' Dugdzle, ut supra. (Sim. 'app. Mar. 1 340-1.') 



'" Ibid. '" Ibid. "* Ibid. 



■« Ibid. ■'« Ibid. ' '" Ibid. 



"» Ibid. •'' Ibid. "" Ibid. 



""Ibid. (Hutchinson, 'app. 1524.') "'Ibid. 



"" Jrci. Aeliana (New Ser.), ii, 55-6 ; engraving 

 to face p. 56. 



»" Ibid. S3. 



I 



8. THE PRIORY OF ST. JOHN THE 



BAPTIST AND ST. GODRIC, 



FINCHALE 



Early in the twelfth century the hermit 

 Godric settled at Finchale under the auspices of 

 Bishop Flambard. The place was then exceed- 

 ingly wild, overrun with snakes, and used by the 

 bishop merely as a hunting-ground.' Here 

 St. Godric lived for half a century, accompanied 

 at first by a poor sister, but after her death en- 

 tirely alone ; and here he cultivated the ground 

 and erected a chapel which he dedicated to 

 St. John the Baptist, an oratory of St. Mary, and 

 other buildings,^ and when this had been done 

 Bishop Flambard granted the reversion of the 

 hermitage, its fishery, and its possessions to the 

 prior and convent of Durham.' Godric died in 

 1 170,* and soon afterwards Bishop Pudsey con- 

 firmed to the monks the gift of his predecessor,' 

 and conferred upon Reginald ^ and Henry, the 

 two Durham monks in possession, and their 

 successors, the tract of land near the hermit- 

 age which now chiefly constitutes the Finchale 

 farm.' 



Such was the state of Finchale when in 1196 

 Henry Pudsey, son of the bishop, was compelled 

 by the jealous monks to transfer to it the posses- 

 sions of the New Place at Baxterwood.* There 

 was a small church, a salmon fishery in the Wear, 

 dwelling-rooms for two monks and their atten- 

 dants, and nearly the whole of the present Finchale 

 farm, 3 acres of land at Bradley,' and 2 bovates 

 at Sadberge,'" for their maintenance," Henry 

 Pudsey reserved to himself and his heirs the 

 privilege of appointing the prior, and chose 

 Thomas, sacrist of Durham, to be the first 

 to hold that office ; ^ but he afterwards con- 

 ceded the right to the prior and convent of 

 Durham." Bishop Kellaw conferred upon the 

 house land on Finchale Moor." Other donations 

 included the advowson and impropriation of the 

 churches of Wicton [? Wigton] and Giggleswick,'* 

 and land at Yokefleet '^ and Hetton" (Heppedun), 



' Vita Sti. Godrici (Surt. Soc), 62-7. 



' Ibid. 126, 152. 



•MS. Treas. Dur. Cart, iii, 274; Orig. 2, i; 

 Pont, i, I. 



* Fita Sti. Godrici (Surt. Soc), 326, 330. 



' Priory of Finchale (Surt. Soc), 21. 



° Probably Reginald the historian. 



' MS. Treas. Dur. Cart. 3, f% H. I. 



' Wharton, Angl. Sacr. i, 727. See below, Baxter- 

 wood. 



^ MS. Treas. Dur. i% l'", T. 



'° Collect. Topograph, pp. xiii, 79. 



" Priory of Finchale (Surt. Soc), pref. p. xiv. 



" Jtigl. Sacr. i, 727. 



" MS. Treas. Dur. 3% 6", Spec. M.I. 



" Reg. Palat. Dun. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 11 44. 



" Priory of Finchale (Surt. Soc), 61. 



'«MS. Treas. Dur. 2% 2'% 16. 



'' Priory of Finchale (Surt. Soc), 54. 



03 



