RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



HOUSES OF AUSTIN CANONS 



i. THE PRIORY OF CARLISLE 

 We naturally look to Carlisle for the earliest 

 evidence of ecclesiastical life and movement 

 in the new province which had been added to 

 the English kingdom in 1092. It has been 

 pointed out that very early in his reign, most 

 probably in 1102, Henry I. granted a site 

 within the city for the purpose of founding a 

 religious establishment. 1 For various reasons 

 already stated, little else seems to have been 

 done till after the political changes of 1 120-2, 

 when Ranulf Meschin, the civil ruler, left 

 the district and the king took it into his 

 own hand. From this date onward a vigor- 

 ous policy was carried on for its ecclesiastical 

 development. How much progress had been 

 made with the building of the church or the 

 religious organization of the city during 

 Ranulf's consulate we cannot tell. The 

 happy turn of its fortunes may be ascribed to 

 the pious instincts of Walter the priest, who, 

 on taking the religious habit and becoming an 

 inmate of the house, endowed the institution 

 with all his churches and lands. 2 The king, 

 at whose instigation the step was taken, 

 granted the reversion of four churches in 

 Northumberland which he had previously 

 given for life to Richard D'Orival (de Aure'a 

 Valle), 3 his chaplain, and added to the gift two 

 other churches in the same county. But the 

 landowners of the neighbourhood were slow to 

 emulate these great examples. It is true that 

 Waldeve son of Gospatric, who had succeeded 

 to the barony of Allerdale, was one of the 

 first patrons of the royal foundation ; the 

 churches of Aspatria and Crosscanonby ; the 

 chapel of St. Nicholas, Flimby ; and a house 

 near the church of St. Cuthbert, Carlisle, 

 were of his gift.* In the earlier stages of its 

 history the priory does not appear to have 

 created much enthusiasm. Its possessions 

 consisted chiefly of spiritualities, with the 

 notable exception of the manors of Linstock 

 and Carleton bestowed by Walter the priest. 

 But the king was pursuing a steady policy. 

 In 1130 the canons were busy in completing 

 their church. 5 The time was ripe for a fresh 

 development. 



The foundation of the bishopric in 1133, 

 with the seat of the bishop in the new priory 

 church of St. Mary," gave unity and force to 



1 Assize Roll (Cumberland), No. 132, m. 32; 

 Scotichronicm, i. 289, ed. Goodall. 

 1 Charter R. 35 Edw. I. No. 100. 



Dugdale, Mm. vi. (i), 144. Ibid. 



Cal. of Doc. Scot. (Scot. Rec. Pub.), i. 26. 



the ecclesiastical life of the district, and was 

 chiefly instrumental in bringing in endow- 

 ments to support the organizations which 

 followed. Little is known of the constitution 

 of the priory before it was raised to the 

 dignity of a cathedral chapter. It was prob- 

 ably a house of secular canons. But it seems 

 satisfactorily proved, if we trust the evidence 

 of the chronicles, that it was Adelulf the first 

 bishop, soon after his consecration in 1133, 

 who changed the constitution of the priory 

 by the introduction of regular canons of St. 

 Augustine. 7 To this circumstance, there can 

 be little doubt, we owe the unique position 

 which the priory of Carlisle held as the 

 only cathedral chapter of regular canons in 

 England. Adelulf had been prior of the 

 Augustinian house of Nostell near Pontefract, 

 and was a well known patron of his order 

 before he was raised to the episcopal dignity. 8 

 When we take into consideration the late 

 creation of the bishopric and the antecedents 

 of the first bishop, the singularity of the con- 

 stitution of the cathedral church appears to 

 need no further explanation. The bishop 

 was not only master of his church, but he 

 also enjoyed a participation in its endow- 

 ments. The church of Carlisle was one 

 ecclesiastical corporation with the bishop at 

 its head. It is a curious fact in illustration 

 of the bishop's predominance in his cathedral 

 that the monastic order, to which the canons 

 of his chapter belonged, could not make sta- 

 tutes or ordinances for the enlargement or 

 modification of the rule under which they 

 lived without his sanction. In 1302, many 

 years after the endowments of the priory and 

 bishopric had been separated, when the heads 

 of Augustinian houses were assembled at 

 Drax in Yorkshire, Bishop Halton sent a 

 mandate forbidding them to enact anything to 

 the prejudice of his church of Carlisle without 

 his pontifical consent and authority, inasmuch 

 as his chapter was composed of regular canons 

 of their order, and those, making new ordi- 

 nances and statutes, should be guided by 

 moderation that the bond of love between 

 subjects and rulers (inter subditos et parentes} 

 might be strengthened. This mandate was 

 carried to the conclave at Drax by Brother 

 William, a canon of the house, nominated 

 for that purpose by the prior and chapter. 9 



Sym. ofDur. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 285. 

 ' Matth. Paris, Cbron. Mag. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 158 ; 

 Dugdale, Mon. vi. (i), 91. Ibid 



Carl. Epis. Reg., Halton, f. 64. 



