CITY OF DURHAM 



Some of the references in the lines above have 

 to do with the episcopate of Skirlaw (1388- 

 1405). A year before his consecration trouble 

 was occasioned by some men who broke prison. 

 Possibly this indicates that the building, which 

 was then on the west side of Palace Green, was 

 ruinous. At all events, Skirlaw made it his 

 business to build a new gaol, which was after- 

 wards completed by Langley, and continued to 

 be the ordinary gaol of the city until 1820. An 

 important little valor of Skirlaw's first year 

 informs us not only as to the building of the 

 prison, but as to other matters connected with 

 its immediate neighbourhood. 



This interesting document states that the 

 castle with all houses and rooms was in good and 

 thorough repair. Within its walls stood the 

 abbey and two parish churches and between the 

 lower gates of the castle and the graveyard of the 

 abbey was a space called ' le Place ' containing 

 by estimation 2 acres with the houses intended 

 for the offices of the Chancery, Exchequer and 

 Receipt ; a hall for the Pleas of Justice ; a 

 granary ; a large grange ; and various other 

 rooms on the west side of the said space pertain- 

 ing to the old gaol before the lord built anew 

 the tower called ' le Northgate ' at the entrance 

 to the castle where his gaols now are by his 

 ordinance ; and a house for coining money 

 built on the east side of the said space. These 

 buildings returned nothing because they were 

 occupied by the constable, chancellor and 

 moneyer. The mint, which was held by Alulkus 

 of Florence, the lord's moneyer, was then worth 

 40J. a year, but at the time of the change of the 

 coinage of the money of England brought in 

 20 marks. The city of Durham with its rents, 

 services, courts, customs, fines on the citizens, 

 proceeds of two water-mills, ovens, fair and 

 market tolls and all other profits and com- 

 modities belonging to the said city, escheats, 

 forfeitures of lands and houses, if any, was let 

 to farm to Nicholas Hayford and his fellows at a 

 term of six years for no marks a year. The 

 constable had a parcel of land called Harden- 

 fcld, lying near Washington, to support a 

 chaplain celebrating within the chapel of the 

 same castle. There was there also a [wood] 

 called Franklyn, full of great oaks, containing 

 by estimation 300 acres. A certain meadow 

 called Le Bishopmeadow containing by estima- 

 tion 27 [acres] was let for 106/. Sd. a year. 

 John Cook held a house once belonging to John 

 Morpathe. John Runkhorn, chaplain of the 

 chantry of St. James upon the new bridge of 

 Durham, held a house and a . . . . with a meadow 

 called Millmeadow. Margaret Corbridge held a 

 tenement in the Bailey near Owengate, once 

 belonging to Hugh Cor[bridge]. The com- 

 moner of Durham held a tenement in the bailey, 

 once belonging to Robert of Leicester. John 



Dighton held a tenement in the North Bailey 

 once belonging to Peter Mainsforth and ren- 

 dered 3/. John Arceys, chaplain, holds a 

 tenement, newly approved, on the Place near the 

 inn of the Archdeacon of Durham, once the 

 property of William Orchard and rendered ijs. 

 The same chaplain held a place there newly 

 approved, once belonging to Master John Hag- 

 thorp, and rendered izd. Geoffrey Langton, 

 rector of the Church of St. Mary in the North 

 Bailey, held a tenement without the North Gate, 

 near a vennel there and rendered 5/. a year. 

 The Almoner of Durham held within the Bailey 

 aforesaid a tenement with a garden formerly 

 Lightfoot's, and rendered 3/. a year. John 

 Aslacby held a certain stage adjoining the tene- 

 ment of Ralph Warshop before his door and 

 rendered id. The heir of John Lumley held a 

 tenement formerly belonging to Alan Goldsmith 

 in Saddlergate in Durham, and rendered i6d. 

 WiUiam Werdall held a tenement in Saddlergate, 

 once belonging to the said Alan, and rendered 

 4£/. a year. Thomas Colvell held one place 

 upon the moat, on the western side of the 

 tenement once belonging to John Malleson, 

 which used to render 14^. but was then occupied 

 by those employed by the lord on building of the 

 new tower 4^. . . . held a garden on the eastern 

 part of the same bridge once belonging to 

 Robert Herlesey and before that to Agnes 

 Brown and rendered ^d. a year. Thomas Clerk 

 held a tenement formerly belonging to John 

 Marshall within the North Gate near the tene- 

 ment of Thomas Smith. Thomas Gray, knight, 

 of Houghton, held a tenement in Owengate, and 

 rendered 3d. a year. The Prior of Durham 

 held a tenement in Saddlergate, once belonging 

 to John Appleton. He also held a tenement 

 called Wearmouthplace within the North Bailey 

 once belonging to Robert Greenwich. The heir 

 of William Catterick held a tenement formerly 

 William Fleshcwer's under the moat towards the 

 old bridge and rendered 6d. John Wyrethorp 

 held a garden under the Castle Moat formerly 

 John Woodcock's and rendered izd. John 

 Killinghall held a garden outside Kingsgate 

 once Henry Klidrow's and renders 2/. There 

 is in the same place a garden lately in the occupa- 

 tion of William Auckland, lying waste and 

 unoccupied. William Huddlestone held in right 

 of his wife, a tenement near Owengate on the 

 south side and formerly John Cutler's and ren- 

 dered at St. Cuthbert's Feast and in Septem- 

 ber one pound of pepper. John Runkhorn 

 held two waste places under the arches of 

 Elvet Bridge, and a parcel of ground, and 

 rendered lod. John Dighton held a tenement, 

 formerly Robert Walton's, and previously 

 William Lanchester's, in the North Bailey, and 

 rendered 6d. a year. Thomas Goldsmith held 

 a shop under the Tolbooth once J. Cusson's 



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