RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



In response Archbishop Bowet sent a moni- 

 tion to his suffragans, inviting them to give 

 facilities to the proctors of the priory for 

 making the requisite collection ; the bishops 

 were also enjoined to see that the object of 

 the alms should be properly explained by the 

 parish priests in the churches, and that the 

 money collected should be delivered without 

 diminution to the questors. The causes 

 which reduced the canons to such straits 

 were recounted to the archbishop in doleful 

 tones by the prior ; the monastery with its 

 principal buildings were threatening ruin ; 

 their possessions were in a state of dilapidation 

 or consumed with fire by the frequent in- 

 cursions of the Scots ; their lands, especially 

 those near the confines of Scotland, were 

 lying uncultivated and practically useless. 

 With these and other burdens and expenses, 

 the canons had sunk to such a condition of 

 poverty and want that they were unable to 

 live and serve God according to the profession 

 of their order without the help of other 

 Christians. An indulgence of forty days was 

 granted to all persons who contributed of 

 their goods to the repair of the monastery or 

 to the maintenance of the poor canons. 1 



The priory was in comparatively affluent 

 circumstances before the outbreak of the war 

 between the two kingdoms in 1296. The 

 annual revenue of the house was returned at 

 74 I2s.(>d. in the valuation of Pope Nicho- 

 las IV. in 1291, whereas at the time of the 

 new taxation in 1318 the valuation of the 

 temporalities had fallen to nothing, like that 

 of several parish churches on the frontier, 

 inasmuch as their goods were utterly wasted 

 and destroyed by Scottish incursions. 2 It 

 has been already stated that the prior's bene- 

 fice was assessed at 20 for the royal subsidy 

 in 1379-80. The gross revenues of the 

 house in 1535 amounted for spiritualities and 

 temporalities to 79 igs., which, after de- 

 ducting such necessary outgoings as synodals, 

 fees and salaries, left a net annual revenue of 



for the bishop's licence or its renewal to make the 

 collection. For instance, Master Robert Whelpe- 

 dale, Bishop Bell's registrar, returned the following 

 sum in his diocesan accounts in 1480: 'Fines 

 Questorum. Set respondet de xxxiiu. iiijV. re- 

 ceptis de finibus questorum sanctorum Thome 

 Rome, vis. viiid. Antonii vis. viiid., sancti Roberti 

 iuxta Knaresburgh, vis. viiid., et sancti Johannis 

 Beverlaci, vis. viiid., et sancti Lazari, vis. viii</., 

 pro licencia questandi per unum annum integrum, 

 etc. Summa, xxxiiis. \\\\J. ' (Accounts of Bp. Bell, 

 MS.). 



1 The Priory of Hexham (Surtees Soc.), i. p. 

 xcv.-xcvi. 



3 Pope Nich. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 320. 



77 us. lid. 3 It is quite evident that the 

 value of the priory fluctuated from time to 

 time according to the peaceful or disturbed 

 state of the Borders. 



From the records of the great Scrope and 

 Grosvenor controversy, which lasted from 

 1385 to 1390, we get a curious glimpse into 

 the conventual buildings under the guidance 

 of the prior. Among the superiors of the 

 religious houses in the north of England, who 

 gave evidence relative to the antiquity of the 

 arms of Scrope from windows, seals, monu- 

 ments and embroidered vestments, William, 

 prior of Lanercost, was called. His deposi- 

 tions are of great local interest. William, 

 prior of the house, stated that he was thirty- 

 four years of age, and that on a window in 

 the west end of his church were the arms of 

 Scrope within a bordure or, and the same 

 arms were placed in the refectory between 

 those of Vaux and Multon, their founders ; 

 and that in the refectory and west window of 

 their church were the old arms of the King of 

 England, the arms of France, the arms of 

 Scotland, and the arms of Scrope, azure a 

 bend or, the which arms had been in the said 

 window since the building of their church 

 in the time of Henry II., and by common 

 report throughout the country they were the 

 arms of Scrope ; that there remained banners 

 used at the funerals of great lords and em- 

 broidered with their arms, amongst which 

 were those of Scrope. He also deposed that 

 the arms of Scrope were entire in an old 

 chapel at Kirkoswald, and that they had at 

 Lanercost the said arms embroidered on the 

 morse of a cope with a white label for differ- 

 ence, and that the same had been in the 

 priory from beyond the time of memory. 

 Being asked how he knew that the said arms 

 belonged to Sir Richard Scrope, the prior said 

 that such had always been the tradition in 

 their house, and that he had heard his pre- 

 decessor, who was an old man, say that he 

 had heard from ancient lords, knights and 

 esquires that the Scropes were come of a 

 noble race and high blood from the time of 

 the Conqueror, as appeared by evidences, and 

 the prior who preceded him also said that 

 they were cousins to one Gant who came 

 over with the Conqueror, and that their arms 

 were descended in right line to Sir Richard 

 Scrope, as was known by common report in 

 all parts of the north. As to Sir Robert 

 Grosvenor, the prior deposed on oath that he 

 had never heard of him or his ancestors until 

 the day of his examination. The suit, which 

 commenced at Newcastle on 20 August 1385, 



8 fa/or Ecc. (Rec. Com.), v. 277. 



159 



