RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



priory of Lanercost, 1 and in 1303 did a simi- 

 lar service to the abbey of St. Mary, York, 

 by confirming the appropriation of the church 

 of Bromfield to that monastery. 2 His name 

 is inscribed on the famous Ragman Roll 3 of 

 1 296 as Adam ' prior de Cardoyl del counte 

 de Are,' a county in which the priory prob- 

 ably had some property. At the bishop's 

 visitation in 1300 he heard some grievous 

 complaints against the prior's negligent ad- 

 ministration of the house, and delivered a 

 code of drastic injunctions* for a speedy re- 

 formation. These injunctions have been al- 

 ready referred to. Adam de Warthwyk re- 

 signed the priory of his own free will and 

 accord on 18 September 1304, when a very 

 liberal pension and ample privileges were 

 conceded to him, because he was a cadet of 

 a noble family in the diocese (quta a magnati- 

 bus et personis nobilibus nostre diocesis procreatus 

 et oriundus). He had been forty years a 

 canon and twenty years and more prior of 

 the house. The pension was decreed by 

 Bishop Halton with the unanimous consent 

 of the chapter. 5 



William de Hautewysil was prior for only 

 four years, as he resigned on 28 September 

 1308. On the same day licence was obtained 

 by Robert the sub-prior for the canons to 

 elect a successor. 8 



On the cession of the last prior, Robert de 

 Helpeston was canonically elected, and the 

 Bishop of Carlisle, having examined the re- 

 cord of the election and found that it had 

 been conducted according to the decrees of 

 the holy fathers, confirmed him in the priory 

 on I October 13087 On the same day a 

 mandate was sent to the official of the diocese 

 to induct and install him. In 1320 Prior 

 Robert demised to Robert de la Ferte a mes- 

 suage, 13 acres of land and 2 acres of meadow 

 in Salkeld, lands which were afterwards for- 

 feited by the adherence of Robert de la 

 Ferte to the Scots and delivered back to the 

 priory. 8 



Simon de Hautwysell succeeded, but died 

 after a short incumbency. On 13 July 1325, 

 Roger, the sub-prior, and the chapter of Car- 

 lisle petitioned the bishop for his licence to 

 elect a successor, William de Hurworth, a 



1 Reg. of Lanercost, MS. xi. 3. 



8 Add. Chart. 17155, 17156. 



Cal. of Doc. Scot. (Scot. Rec. Pub.), ii. 208. 



Carl. Epis. Reg., Halton, f. 43. In the same 

 year he confirmed a pension of 40 granted by 

 Bishop Halton to John de Drokensford, king's 

 clerk, from the issues of the manor of Horncastle 

 (ibid. f. 49). 



Ibid. f. 80. Ibid. 113. 7 Ibid. f. 114. 



Cal. of Close, i33-3> P- 357- 



canon of the house, being the bearer of the 

 petition. As Bishop Ross had just been con- 

 secrated, the canons had previously sent him 

 a laudatory letter informing him that the re- 

 ceipt of the papal bulls announcing his ap- 

 pointment to the see of Carlisle had filled 

 their breasts with ineffable joy. 9 



It is said that William de Hurworth was 

 the next prior, but we have not succeeded in 

 finding any good authority for the statement. 

 In fact the evidences are against it, inasmuch 

 as his name is found as a canon of the house 

 for many years during subsequent priorates. 10 

 On 8 February 1329 Thomas Peytefyn, 

 chaplain, was presented to the vicarage of 

 Edenhall, which was in the king's gift by 

 reason of the priory of Carlisle being in his 

 hand. 11 We know for certain that John de 

 Kirkby was prior in 1330, and that Bishop 

 Ross issued an excommunication against him 

 on 3 January 1330-1 for failing to pay the 

 papal tenth granted to John XXII. by the 

 clergy of Carlisle. 13 About this time there 

 was a long and bitter dispute between the 

 bishop and the priory as to the tithe of assart 

 lands in the forest of Inglewood which was 

 ultimately referred to the secular courts. 13 

 The controversy was brought to a sudden 

 termination by the death of Bishop Ross and 

 the elevation of Prior Kirkby to fill his 

 place. When William de Hurworth and 



9 Carl. Epis. Reg. Ross, ff. 268-9. 



10 Hugh Todd appears to have been the first to sug- 

 gest that William de Hurworth was prior (Notitia 

 Eccl. Cathed. Carl. p. 5). The lists of priors of Carlisle 

 given by Browne Willis and Dugdale were founded 

 on that of Todd. As the Episcopal Registers have 

 been quoted as the authority, it is evident that Todd 

 had not read carefully the record of the petition 

 to elect a prior in the room of Simon de Haut- 

 wysell, deceased, which William de Hurworth was 

 directed to convey to the bishop, ' dilectum nobis 

 in Christo fratrem Willelmum de Hurword, can- 

 onicum nostrum, latorem presencium, vobis dirigi- 

 mus, vestre paternitati reverende humiliter suppli- 

 cantes quatinus ad eiusdem ecclesie prioratus 

 regimen nobis licenciam priorem elegendi ut est 

 magis liberaliter concedatis ' (Carl. Epis. Reg., 

 Ross, ff. 268-9). h ' s c l ear ly stated in the 

 record that he was the proctor of the convent 

 seeking for power to elect and not its nominee to 

 the priorate. William de Hurworth, canon of 

 Carlisle, was employed in various capacities, as 

 bishop's proctor, diocesan penitentiary and such 

 like during the episcopate of Bishop Kirkby. He 

 was commissioned to transact diocesan business as 

 late as 1342 (ibid. Kirkby, ff. 300, 307-8, 363, 



454)- 



" Pat. 3 Edw. III. pt. i. m. 36. 

 Carl. Epis. Reg., Ross, f. 263. 

 Ibid. f. 262 ; Close, 5 Edw. III. pt. i. m. l6d. 



II 



145 



