A HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND 



Robert de Vaux, the founder, granted to 

 the canons the right of free election, so that 

 when the lord prior died the person on whom 

 the choice of the canons or the greater part of 

 them fell should be elected in his place. To 

 this concession Robert, archdeacon of Carlisle, 

 Walter, prior (of Carlisle), and others were wit- 

 nesses. 1 It was not always that the patron of 

 the house acted with such consideration to the 

 canons. At later periods the lords of Gilles- 

 land betrayed an interest in the internal 

 affairs of the priory which was, to say the 

 least, not a little embarrassing to the inmates. 

 In 1261 the Bishop of Carlisle was obliged to 

 invoke the power of the Crown to eject Sir 

 Thomas de Multon, who had held the priory 

 for a year or more by lay force to the exclu- 

 sion of the bishop and his officers and to the 

 detriment of the discipline of the house. It 

 is curious to find at this period the phrase 

 laicalis insolentia used to denominate lay inter- 

 ference in ecclesiastical affairs. 8 The same 

 practical interest in the affairs of the priory 

 was again manifest in 1524, when, at a time 

 of great monastic activity, Lord Dacre repri- 

 manded the prior for occupying himself so 

 much in building and outward works that he 



1 Reg. of Lanercost, MS. i. 14. This privilege 

 was afterwards confirmed by Pope Alexander III. 

 in 1 1 8 1 (ibid. viii. 1 7) and by Robert de Vaux, 

 son of Ranulf (ibid. i. 22). 



* As the letter of Bishop Robert de Chause has 

 many points of interest and seems to be little 

 known locally, it may be useful to give the full 

 text : ' Serenissimo principi et domino reverendo 

 H(enrico). Dei gratia, regi Anglorum illustri, 

 devotus suus R(obertus), permissione divina Karleo- 

 lensis ecclesias minister humilis, salutem et promp- 

 tum ad obsequia famulatum, cum omni reverentia 

 pariter et honore. Cum dominus Thomas de 

 Multon prioratum de Lanercost jam per annum et 

 amplius per vim laicalem tenuerit occupatum, ita 

 quod nee nobis aut officialibus nostris ad ea exer- 

 cendum qua: officio nostro incumbunt, nee priori 

 ejusdem, quern ibidem praefecimus, ad corrigendum 

 canonicorum suorum excessus, seu ad disponendum 

 de utilitatibus ejusdem prioratus aliquo modo 

 patere potest ingressus, vestras majestati regiae omni 

 qua possumus devotione humiliter supplicamus, 

 quatenus vicecomiti Cumberlandias vestris velitis 

 dare literis in mandatis, ut vim laicalem a prioratu 

 predicto auctoritate regia studeat amovere : ne 

 locus ille divino cultui dedicatus per laicalem in- 

 solentiam ulterius profanetur. Valeat et vigeat 

 excellentia vestra regia per tempora longiora. 

 Datum apud Bellum Locum, sexto idus Martii, 

 anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo sexagesimo 

 primo et pontificatus nostri anno quinto. Domino 

 regi Anglia: illustri ' (Royal and Hist. Letters, Hen. 

 III. (Rolls Ser.), ii. 167). Sir Francis Palgrave 

 gave an abstract of this letter in 1843 (Def. 

 Keeper's Rep. iv. 142). 



was apt to neglect the more serious duties of 

 his vocation. The following ' copie of a 

 lettre to the prior of Lanrecost ' throws a 

 welcome light on monastic institutions at this 

 date : 



Maistar Prior of Lanrecost and convent of the 

 same, I recOmende me to youe, and at my being 

 last w' youe I shulde have spokin w' youe and 

 shewed youe my mynde and opynyofi in diverse 

 mattiers most proufitable and beneficiall to youe 

 and yo r monastery, whiche for lak as well of leaser, 

 the bushop being ther, as also for the mattiers of 

 importaunce concernyng the Kinge busines in 

 hand to be fulfilled, that I couthe not have tyme 

 and space so to doo. Albeit a parte of my mynde 

 is that forasmiche as youe, Maister Prior, being soo 

 often occupied aswell in outward warkes and busi- 

 nesses as buylding, oversight of warkmen, quarri- 

 ours, maisons, wrightes, wallers as others nedefull 

 to be sene to for the cOmon weale of youe all, yo r 

 monastery, servante and store, cannot have tymes 

 convenient and space to see to the inwarde parte 

 of yo r chirche as to take hede and see the service of 

 God contynuallymaignteyned,the order of Religion 

 w' the Cerymoneys of the same w'in the Chirche, 

 Closter, Dorto r and frater observed and kept so 

 weale as nedefull it were. Therfore expedient it 

 is that ye have eas and help of a parte of yo r said 

 charge to be taken of youe, bereason that two 

 persounes may the better take hede to the execu- 

 tion of many businesses than one person. And in 

 as muche as I am yo r Foundo' and bounde in con- 

 sciens to see for yo r weales and geve unto youe my 

 most fruytfull counseill, woll therfore and hertely 

 prey youe that w' convenient diligence after the 

 recept herof, ye woll assemble youe to gidders in 

 yo r chapito* Hous and ther lovingly condescend 

 aggre youe and elect oon of yo r selfe to be yo r sup- 

 prior, siche as ye in yo r consciences most assuredly 

 truste may and shalbe most beneficiall aswell to the 

 maynten a nce of Godde service w'in yo r monastery, 

 conversacion in his owne person, as prouffitable to 

 yo r said monastery yerely and frome tyme to tyme 

 herafter. So as the same person so chosen may 

 have the charge of the service of the churche and 

 ordo r of his brethern undre youe, maister Prior, 

 trusting therby that persounes now highe mynded, 

 wolfull and obstacle there, may and woll fro thens- 

 furthe knaw their selfe the better, And use the 

 vowe of obedience according to profession. And 

 youe, maister Prior, to reasorte to the charge of 

 the churche, chapito' Hous, and frater at all tymes 

 that ye conveniently may. And not w'standing 

 the obstinacie som tyme used by Sr Richard 

 Halton aftre his profession cont'ry thordo r of 

 Religion, whiche he all utterly has refused, and be 

 the help of the holy goost is vertuously reduced of 

 his owne good mynde to my singular pleaser, corn- 

 forth, and consolacion above any temperall man, 

 seing the good qualities in hym and his inward 

 goodness and mynde to yo r House and me knowen, 

 faithfully professed in his hert to God, Mary Mag- 

 dalen, and that Hous. In Myn opynyon, upon 

 my feith and conscience, I think unfeynedly that 



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