A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



York, to whom the question was submitted, 

 could find no just grounds for these accusations, 

 but postponed his decision from fear of the king. 

 Four monks were therefore sent from Durham 

 to appeal to the pope ; but, whether by foul 

 play or not, they all died before reaching Rome. 

 Melsanby himself then started for Rome, but 

 was stopped at Dover, and, despairing of any 

 peaceful solution of the matter, returned to 

 Durham and resigned his election. The king 

 at once nominated a kinsman of his own, but 

 the monks rejected his proposal, and at length, 

 after a struggle lasting three years and a half, 

 elected a nominee of their own, Nicholas 

 Earn ham, 60 thereby maintaining their right in the 

 letter, though hardly in the spirit, as Nicholas 

 was a court favourite, and possibly had all along 

 been the king's choice. 61 However, a period of 

 , peace ensued, during which Prior Bartram 

 (1244-58) founded the house and chapel of 

 Bearpark [Beaurepaire], which ultimately became 

 the chief country seat of the priors of Durham. 62 

 In 1255 fresh trouble arose. The pope hav- 

 ing demanded an enormous sum of money from 

 the English ecclesiastics on a most shallow and 

 ridiculous pretext, the prior and monks of Dur- 

 ham, alone save for the canons of Gisburn, stood 

 out against his exactions, though threatened with 

 an interdict. 63 Had the other clergy and religious 

 bodies in the country joined with them, no doubt 

 a stand might have been made which would have 

 altered the whole subsequent history of the 

 English church ; but more cowardly counsels 

 prevailed. The monks submitted, and in 1257 

 received the papal absolution. 64 Their conduct, 

 however, bears witness to their independent 

 spirit, which was forcibly illustrated in 1283 

 when, the see of Durham being vacant, Wick- 

 wane, archbishop of York, insisted on visiting 

 the convent. The monks, who had never 

 admitted his right to do so, shut the church 

 doors in his face. The archbishop, furious at 

 this rebuff, retreated to St. Nicholas' church, and 

 was in the act of publicly excommunicating the 

 prior and convent when a body of young men 

 from the borough rushed into the church and 

 chased him from the pulpit, out of the building, 

 down the stairs to the school, and so to the 

 waterside. The descent was steep and perilous, 

 and so closely was the prelate followed that one 

 of his palfrey's ears was cut off by his pursuers. 

 He finally escaped across the water, vowing 

 vengeance on the monks. Much litigation en- 

 sued, but the archbishop's death put an end to 

 it before any decision had been arrived at. 65 His 

 successor, John Romanus, however, made an 



. m Matt. Paris, Chron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 391-2; 

 iv, 61, 86. 61 Arch. Aeliana (New Ser.), xx, 68-70. 



68 See Wharton, Angl. Sacr. ii, 739, 749. 



63 Matt. Paris, Circa. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), v, 581-5. 



61 Ibid. 634-5. 



66 Cott. MS. Jul. D. iv, 125 ; Reg. Efti. Peckham 

 (Rolls Ser.), ii, 645 ; Hutchinson, Hist. Dur. i, 228. 



agreement with the convent, dated 2 November, 

 1286, by which the right of York to the juris- 

 diction of the see of Durham when vacant was 

 recognized, the archbishop on his part agreeing 

 to let bygones be bygones. 66 



Anthony Bek, now bishop of Durham, acted 

 as mediator in this transaction, but his own con- 

 duct towards the monks was far from conciliatory, 

 and during the latter part of his pontificate he 

 and they were involved in almost ceaseless strife. 

 Imperious and overbearing, he thought he could 

 rule the monks as he liked ; and he did not 

 hesitate to infringe their liberties. By rather 

 underhand dealing he procured the resignation 

 in December, 1285, of Prior Richard of Claxton, 

 and appointed Henry of Horncastre guardian of 

 the convent during the vacancy. This was 

 entirely contrary to use, the guardianship belong- 

 ing of right to the sub-prior. Hugh of Dar- 

 lington, a former prior, was elected, but shortly 

 afterwards he resigned, and in 1299 was 

 succeeded by Richard of Hoton. 



In 1300 dissensions began. The prior was 

 accused of irregularities respecting the lands of 

 Coldinghamshire, and the bishop was urged to 

 visit the convent and reform abuses. The prior 

 insisted that if the bishop came he should come 

 alone and unattended ; moreover, he failed to 

 submit the necessary formalities for his approval. 

 The bishop was furious at what he considered 

 open disrespect. He excommunicated, suspended, 

 and pronounced an interdict against Prior Richard, 

 and finally deprived him. 



The convent was divided on the matter, many 

 of the monks siding with the prior, while others, 

 led by the priors of Finchale and Holy Island, 

 took part with the bishop. The latter, unable 

 for once to get his own way, had recourse to 

 violence. He broke into the prior's park at 

 Bearpark and destroyed the game. By his 

 orders, or at least with his consent, his servants 

 committed outrages against the prior, imprisoned 

 his people, and isolated the convent. 



At last the king himself came to Durham to 

 restore peace. After hearing both sides of the 

 dispute he decided that Prior Richard was to 

 remain in office, and on the other hand the 

 bishop was to be allowed to bring three or four 

 clergy to attend on him at the visitation. He 

 also announced that whichever party first broke 

 the peace would incur his severe displeasure. 



In spite of this warning the bishop soon re- 

 newed his acts of violence, and the king kept 

 his word, and from thenceforth took the convent's 

 part. Three months after he had suspended 

 Prior Richard the bishop summoned those of the 

 monks who were on his side, and ordered them 

 to choose a prior for themselves, unless they 

 wished him to do so. They utterly refused ; 

 whereupon he nominated his chief supporter, 

 Henry de Luceby, prior of Holy Island, and in 



66 York Archiepiscopal Reg. Romanus, fol. 6917. 



94 





