ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 



Dominican or Black friars, who planted themselves within the walls of 

 Winchester, on the north side of the city, about 1230. Winchester was 

 one of the twelve places in the kingdom that had all the four chief 

 orders of these town missionaries established in its midst. The Fran- 

 ciscans or Grey friars were placed here, near the east gate, by Henry 

 III. about the same period. The Carmelites or White friars had a 

 house found for them in 1278 opposite the church of St. Michael by 

 Peter, the parish priest of St. Helen's, Winchester. The Austin friars 

 also had a house near the south gate, founded in the time of Edward I. 

 Hampshire possessed one other friary, namely a house of Franciscans, 

 founded at Southampton in 1240. 



It may be well here to give a few further particulars relative to the 

 friars of Hampshire gleaned from subsequent episcopal registers. The 

 common notion prevalent as to the friars is that they were one and all 

 armed with power to oust the secular beneficed priest from his pulpit 

 and to hear confessions just as they listed. But the Winchester registers, 

 as well as like episcopal records show that they were often under the direct 

 control of the diocesan. In the register of Bishop Pontoise (128213 4) 

 towards the end of the book, is an undated entry, but apparently per- 

 taining to the beginning of his episcopacy, which gives the names of 

 fifteen Dominican friars licensed to preach in the diocese. 1 



On 8 March, 1318, Bishop Sandale directed his mandate to Robert 

 de Wamberge, commissary of the bishop's official, to license the warden 

 of the Franciscans of Winchester and eight other of the friars, together 

 with six Franciscan friars of the Southampton convent to preach and 

 hear confessions, who had been duly presented by their wardens ; but as 

 the three friars last named on the list, from the Winchester convent, 

 were unable through age and infirmity to go outside the doors of their 

 house, they were licensed to preach and hear confessions within the 

 priory precincts. 2 



In May, 1318, the bishop gave leave to the prior and convent of the 

 Austin friars at Winchester for the consecration of the site, upon which 

 their church was to be built, by any bishop of the Catholic Church. 

 Immediately after its consecration, and before the church could possibly 

 have been built, the friars began to use the ground for burial. As the 

 site was adjacent to the most crowded and poorest part of the city, this 

 action would doubtless interfere with the burial fees of the secular clergy 

 of the adjacent parishes. On remonstrance, the bishop directed his 

 official to inhibit the Austin friars from using this cemetery, contrary to 

 his intention, as a common burial-place for those who wished to be there 

 interred. The bishop directed that the ground was only to be used for 

 the burial of friars and their servants. A month, however, had only 

 elapsed when the bishop found himself obliged to remove the interdict 



1 Winton. Epis. Reg., John of Pontoise, f. zo6b. The names are Robert de Bromhierd, Stephen de 

 Winton, Robert de Forton, John de Hursley, Henry de Weston, Adam de Winton, Robert de Nomes, 

 Walter de Overton, William de Woxebrigg, Henry Trenchard, Reginald de Stackton, Richard de Basing, 

 John de Chireton, and Thomas de Basing. * Winton. Epis. Reg., Sandale, f. 26. 



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