A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



house. 1 He took the surrender, which was signed 

 by the prior and four others on 10 September. 2 



The seal represents St. Paul, a tall, bearded 

 figure with nimbus, and loosely robed, in his 

 right hand a sword, in his left a scroll. 3 The 

 legend is : 



SIGILL ' CONVENTVS ' FRAT ' PREDICATM 

 BRISTOLL. 



21. THE GREY FRIARS, BRISTOL 



The house of the Grey Friars of Bristol in 

 Lewensmead was founded before 1234.* In 

 1538 the mayor stated that the house was of the 

 foundation and purchasing of the town, and was 

 built by ancient burgesses at their own cost. 6 

 In 1236 Henry III gave fifteen oaks from the 

 wood of Furches, 6 and afterwards he granted in 

 perpetuity a moiety of the prisage of fresh fish 

 which came into the port of Bristol. 7 The 

 Franciscans were popular with the citizens of 

 Bristol, and were often remembered in their 

 wills. 8 



After a visit to Bristol in 1538 Richard Ing- 

 worth wrote, on 27 August, to tell Cromwell 

 that the warden of the Grey Friars was c stiff' ; 

 he was also warden of Richmond, ' yet for all his 

 great port,' added Ingworth, ' I think him twenty 

 marks in debt, and not able to pay it.' 9 There 

 were clamorous creditors, but as the warden 

 was absent they could not get payment. 10 On 

 10 September six friars surrendered the house 

 to Ingworth. 11 



22. THE AUGUSTINIAN FRIARS, 

 BRISTOL 



The house of the Augustinian Friars of Bristol 

 was founded in 1313 by Simon de Montacute, 

 who gave them a piece of land 100 ft. square 

 hard by the Temple Gate of the town. 1 * In 

 1317 William de Montacute gave them an 



1 Wright, op. cit. 211. 



' L. and P. Hen. nil, xiii, pt. ii, No. 320. The 

 inventory of the property (Reliquary, 1888, p. 80-2) 

 shows that the Black Friars of Bristol were not 

 reduced to such extreme poverty as many other houses. 



* Clifton Antiq. Club Prof, iii, 159. 



4 In 1234 Henry III granted wood for fuel to the 

 Friars Minor of Bristol ; Close, 19 Hen. Ill, m. 36. 



6 L. and P. Hen. rill, xiii, pt. ii, No. 322. 



6 Close, 20 Hen. Ill, m. 9. 



7 Bickley, Little Red Book of Bristol, i, 89. 



8 Weare, Collectanea relating to the Friars Minor of 

 Bristol, 58-66. 



9 Wright, Suppression of the Monasteries (Camd. 



SOC.), 211. 



10 L. and P. Hen. nil, xiii, pt. ii, No. 321. 



11 Ibid. For the inventory of goods, cf. Weare, 

 Collectanea, 88-90. 



" Cal. of Pat. 6 Edw. II, pt. ii, m. 2. 



adjacent plot for the enlargement of their dwell- 

 ing-place. 13 The church was being built in 1329 

 when Ralph of Shrewsbury, bishop of Bath and 

 Wells, granted an indulgence of forty days to all 

 who should contribute to the fabric. 14 In 1344 

 Thomas of Berkeley gave four acres for the 

 enlargement of the site. 15 



In 1538, when Richard Ingworth visited 

 Bristol, he reported that the Austin Friars were 

 ' stiff,' and would not give up their house. 16 On 

 27 August he told Cromwell that the prior had 

 sold the plate and the timber that grew about 

 the house for over 100 marks within the last 

 three years, and that almost all was gone. 17 On 

 10 September the prior and seven friars sur- 

 rendered the house to Ingworth. 



23. THE CARMELITE FRIARS, 

 BRISTOL 



The house of the Carmelite Friars of Bristol, 

 on the right bank of the Frome near the quay, 

 is said to have been founded by Edward, prince 

 of Wales, about I2&7. 18 In 1358 the friars 

 received a grant of land for the enlargement of 

 their dwelling-place, 19 and until shortly before 

 the dissolution the White Friars prospered ; 

 indeed, Leland wrote that the priory of the 

 Carmelites was the fairest of all the houses of the 

 friars in Bristol. 20 On 25 July, 1538, Richard 

 Ingworth reported to Cromwell that the house 

 was ready at the king's pleasure ; the prior and 

 sexton had fled since his last visit, but he had 

 made sure of all the substance that was left. 21 

 Three days later he went with the four friars 

 before the mayor, and they stated that divers 

 priors had sold and plundered all the jewels and 

 substance of the house, they were in debt, the 

 charity of the people was very small, and they 

 could not continue. 22 Accordingly they gave 

 their house into the hands of the visitor, 23 and 

 the sale of the goods satisfied the creditors. 2 * 

 Ingworth begged Cromwell that the four friars 

 might have their capacities, for they had no- 

 money wherewith to purchase them. They had 



" Ibid, ii Edw. II, pt. i, m. 10. 



14 Tanner, Notitia Monastica (ed. 1744), p. 483. 



15 Cal. of Pat. 1 8 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 47. 



" Wright, Suppression of Monasteries (Camd. Soc.) v 

 211 ; L. and P. Hen. Vlll, xiii, pt. i, No. 1456. 



17 Wright, op. cit. 211. For the inventory of 

 goods cf. Weare, Collectanea relating to the Friarr 

 Minor of Bristol, 81, 82. 



18 Tanner, Notitia Monastica (ed. 1744), p. 483. 



19 Pat. 32 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 15. 

 10 Leland, I tin. v, 53 ; vii, 74. 



" L. and P. Hen. PHI, xiii, pt. i, No. 1456. 



" Weare, Collectanea relating to the Friars Minor 

 of Bristol, 75. 



33 Ibid. 



" Wright, Suppression of the Monasteries (Camd. 

 Soc.), 198. For the inventory of goods cf. Weare, 

 Collectanea, 76-78. 



no 



