RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



* a goodly house, meet for a great man,' but their 

 only source of income was the garden. 1 



A seal of the fifteenth century represents an 

 angel kneeling before the Virgin standing at a 

 lectern, on which is an open book, a star of six 

 points over her head. 1 Above the whole is a 

 trefoiled canopy, with traceried tabernacle work, 

 and at the sides panelled buttresses. In base, 

 under a trefoiled canopy, is the demifigure of a 

 friar holding up his hands in supplication with 

 his hood thrown back. 



24. FRIARS OF THE PENANCE OF 

 JESUS CHRIST OR FRIARS OF 

 THE SACK, BRISTOL 



The Friars of the Sack were established in 

 Bristol in or before 1266, when Henry III 

 granted them six oaks from Selwood Forest for 

 building.* The order was suppressed by the 

 Council of Lyons in 1274, but some of the 

 English settlements continued until the Dissolu- 

 tion.* The church of the Friars of the Sack in 

 Bristol is mentioned in 1322,' but as yet no later 

 reference has come to light. It is certain that 

 they had no house in Bristol in 1538.* 



25. THE BLACK FRIARS, 

 GLOUCESTER 



The house of the Black Friars of Gloucester 

 was founded about 1239.' It is probable that 

 Stephen, lord of Harnhill, gave the site, and 

 that Henry III was also accounted a founder in 

 virtue of his munificent gifts. 8 The house 

 was over twenty-five years in building.* 

 In 1246 the king gave 41 marks to buy 

 a plot of land for the church, enlarging the 

 churchyard, and making a road to the great 

 thoroughfare of the town. 10 About 1265 the 

 house was probably finished. 11 In the first half 

 of the fourteenth century the number of friars 

 varied from thirty to forty. 1 * In 1365 a plot of 



1 Wright, op. cit. 198. 



I Clifton Antiq. Club Prof, iii, 200. 



'Close R. 51 Hen. Ill, m. 10. For extracts 

 from the constitutions of the order cf. Eng. Hist. 

 Rev. ix, 121. 



4 Gasquet, English Monastic Life, 242. 



* Bickley, Calendar of Bristol Deeds, No. 63. 



* Wright, Stiff ression of the Monasteries (Camd. Soc.), 

 196, 211. 



' Arch. Journ. vol. xxxix, 296306. 



' Ibid. 296; cf. Monumenta Franciscana, i, 36. 



* Ibid. " Ibid. 297. 



" Ibid. 298. The church was not consecrated 

 until 1284; Wore. Efts. Reg. Gijfard (Wore. Hist. 

 Soc.), 23 5. 



II Ibid. 299. In 1321, 33 friars; in 1324, 29; 

 in 1326, 40 ; in 1328, 33 5 in 1337, 31. 



land was granted for the enlargement of the 

 site." 



It is probable that, as at Bristol and elsewhere, 

 many of the Black Friars of Gloucester fled 

 from England in 1534 and 1535." The few 

 who remained were miserably poor. On 

 25 July, 1538, Richard Ingworth, the royal 

 visitor, reported to Cromwell that the Black 

 and White Friars were ready to surrender. 1 ' 

 They were in great penury, and had sold the 

 greater part of their goods. Their chalices were 

 changed to tin and copper, and they had nothing 

 left to purchase their capacities. The Black 

 Friars had ' a proper little house,' but no rents, 

 only their garden which they had let on lease to 

 Master Bell, the alderman. 1 * Three or four days 

 later the prior and six friars declared before the 

 mayor and aldermen that they could not keep 

 the visitor's injunctions and continue in their 

 house, and therefore they delivered it into Ing- 

 worth's hands for the king's use. 17 



A seal of the thirteenth century represents 

 two figures : one bald-headed and bearded, in 

 flowing garments, holding a book and a reversed 

 sword by the point, probably St. Paul ; the 

 other tonsured, in the habit of the Friars 

 Preachers, holding a long cross and a book ; in 

 base the demifigure of a prior at prayer. 18 The 

 legend is : 



S* COMMUNE ' FRM " PREDICATOR." " GLOUCESTRIE 



26. THE GREY FRIARS, GLOUCESTER 



The house of the Grey Friars of Gloucester, 

 near the south gate of the town, was founded 

 about 1 23 1. 1 * Thomas I of Berkeley gave the 

 site," and Henry III granted timber for building. 

 Under the guidance of Agnellus of Pisa, pro- 

 vincial minister, the friars at first accepted only 

 a small plot of land, 11 but about 1239 they 

 needed more ground, and, by the persuasion of 

 his wife, Thomas of Berkeley gave them all that 

 he had at first offered them. 11 The enlargement 

 of the site was sanctioned by Haymo of Faver- 

 sham, the provincial minister ; he held that it 

 was better for the friars to have land to cultivate 

 that they might provide their sustenance instead 

 of begging from others.** In 1239 Ralph of 



" Ibid. 299. " Refifuary, xviii, 21. 



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



" Wright, Suppression of the Monasteries (Camd. 

 Soc.), 199. 



" Ibid. 200 2. For the inventory made in May, 

 1538, cf. L. and P. Hen. yill, xiii, pt. i, No. 1109. 



" Arch. Journ. xxxix, 306. 



" In 1231 Henry III granted five trees from the 

 Forest of Dean to the Friars Minor of Gloucester 

 ' ad se hospitandos.' Col. of Close, 1 5 Hen. Ill, m. 1 7. 



" Monumenta Franciscana (Rolls Ser.), i, 35. 

 Tanner, Notitia Monastica (ed. 1744), 151. 



" Monumenta Franciscana (Rolls Ser.), i, 35, 59, . 2. 



" Ibid. 35. " Ibid. 34. 



Ill 



