RELIGIOUS HOUSES 





then made with side aisles or chapels, for 

 another commission was granted in 1310 to 

 any Catholic bishop to dedicate the altars of 

 these friars. 19 



Mention is made in a deed of 1359 of the 

 cross (exterior) of the Friars Minor in Notting- 

 ham. 20 This cross, which stood on the Marsh 

 in Greyfriars Gate, is again referred to in a 

 document of I365. 21 



The first entry relative to these Franciscans 

 among the town records is a bequest of 40^. 

 made to them in 1382 by John de Wolaton. 23 



In 1393 one John Leveret of Pinchbeck 

 fled to the church of the Friars Minor for 

 sanctuary the offence he had committed is not 

 stated, but he broke sanctuary and was seized at 

 Coddington, near Newark, and committed to 

 the king's gaol at Nottingham. 23 



The Franciscan rule, like that of the other 

 mendicant orders, did not permit of the accepting 

 of any grant of land save that of the site of their 

 house and of adjoining plots used for the purpose 

 of extension ; but the acceptance of small testa- 

 mentary bequests of money for masses was not 

 forbidden. Among such bequests to the Notting- 

 ham Franciscans may be mentioned : Simon de 

 Staunton, rector of Staunton, 40*. in 1346; 

 Richard Collin, 2OS. in 1368 ; Robert de Mor- 

 ton, 5 marks in 1396 ; John Taunesley, 5 marks 

 in 1413; John Pool, 35. 4^. in 1479; Sir Henry 

 Pierrepont, 40*. in 1489 ; Sir Gervase Clifton, 

 22s. in 1508 ; Robert Batemanson, lOs. in 1512 ; 

 Sir R. Basset, 6s. Sd. in 1522 ; Thomas Wil- 

 loughby, alderman of Nottingham, los. in 1524; 

 and John Rose, alderman of Nottingham, 5 in 

 I528. 24 



Among the presentments at the Nottingham 

 sessions of July 1500 is that of Friar William 

 Bell, warden of the Friars Minor, who was 

 accused of being an accomplice in a charge of 

 incontinence against another man. 25 



In January 1521-2 'the Warden oth Gray- 

 fres' was presented for ' baudre.' 26 



The surrender of this friary was made to the 

 king's commissioner, Dr. London, on 5 February 

 1 539, being the same day as that of the White 

 Friars of this town. It was signed by Thomas 

 Basford, warden, and seven other friars, namely 

 Thomas Ryppon, Francis Bryce, Robert Hamp- 

 ton, Robert Alyne, John Chester, Robert Mor- 

 ton, and Roger Stanley. 27 



After remaining in the hands of the Crown 

 for nine years, the house and site of the Grey 



18 Harl. MS. 6970, fol. 238. 



M Anct. D. (P.R.O.) C. 3236. 



11 Nott. Bor. Rec. i, 432. 



"Ibid, i, 218. 



Ibid, i, 256. 



" Test. Ebor. (Surtees Soc.) ; Nott, Bor. Rec.panim. 



K Nott. Bor. Rec iii, 74. 



w Ibid, iii, 355. 



" Dtp. Keeper's Rep. viii, App. ii, 35. 



Friars was granted in 1548 to Thomas Hene- 

 age. 28 



There is a cast of the 1 5th-century seal of 

 this friary at the British Museum. 29 It bears 

 St. Francis, three-quarter length, praying be- 

 neath a rich canopied niche ; the inner border is 

 engrailed. Legend : 



SIGILLU ' CONVENTUS FRATRUM ' MINOR 

 NOTINGHAMIE ' 



There is also at the Museum an imperfect 

 impression of the seal of Thomas the warden, 

 attached to a charter of I52O. 30 The Virgin 

 and Child are shown in a canopied niche, with 

 tabernacled sides. There is a smaller niche 

 above with an imperfect subject. The legend 

 is broken away excepting the four first letters of 



SIGILLUM. 



1 6. THE CARMELITE FRIARS OF 

 NOTTINGHAM 



The house of the White Friars or Carmelites 

 of Nottingham was situated between Moothall 

 Gate and St. James's Lane in the parish of St. 

 Nicholas. It is generally reputed to have been 

 founded about 1276, by Reginald, Lord Grey of 

 Wilton, and Sir John Shirley, kt. ; 31 but all the 

 foundation that was permissible for a friary of the 

 mendicant orders was the gift of a site. There 

 is, however, an entry on the Close Rolls at 

 the end of the reign of Henry III which shows 

 that the Carmelites had been established here 

 at a far earlier date. In 1272 they obtained a 

 grant from the king of ten oaks to repair their 

 church. 32 That Reginald de Grey was the donor 

 of a site is, however, established by a confirma- 

 tion charter granted by Edward II in March 

 I 3 I 9> wherein he is mentioned as granting to 

 the brethren of Mount Carmel two (adjacent) 

 plots of land, the one described as being in the 

 French borough of Nottingham and the other in 

 St. James's Lane. The same charter mentions 

 a variety of subsequent grants of adjoining plots 

 of land for the extension of their site, which were 

 the only gifts of land permissible to be held by 

 friars, by William de Crophill and Agnes his wife, 

 John de Wymondswold, William le Chaundeler, 

 William de Watton, Henry Putrel, William de 

 Lonnesdale, Ralph de Lokynton, Alice widow of 

 John le Palmere, Henry Curtyse and Agnes his 

 wife, Nicholas de Shelford, William de Strelley, 

 John le Collier, William de Chesterfield and 

 Claricia his wife with their sons and daughters, 

 John le Netherd and Sarah his wife, Robert le 

 Carter, Ranulph le Leper, John son of Walter 



*" Deering, Nott. 52. 

 19 Seal Casts, Ixx, 51. 

 M Add. Chart. 5838. 

 "Deering, Nott. 53. 

 "Close, 56 Hen. Ill, m. 5. 



