RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



bishop of Durham that the prioress appealed in 

 case of any difficulty, and two at least of the 

 bishops were among the benefactors of the 

 house. 17 



In 1311 Agnes dc Campioun, a nun of 

 Neasham, was expelled from the convent, and 

 refused re-admission, though promising all due 

 obedience. Her offence is not stated, but the 

 bishop on inquiry deemed it insufficient to 

 justify such severity, and directed the dean of 

 Darlington to re-instate her, unless the prioress 

 and nuns could show good cause to the con- 

 trary, in which case they were to appear before 

 the bishop in the Galilee at Durham and tell their 

 side of the story. 18 



In July, 1319, the king granted a protection 

 for one year to the prioress of Neasham, 19 presum- 

 ably in order that she might travel. 



Here and there the episcopal registers of 

 Durham contain brief references to the convent, 

 but nothing of importance occurs till 29 Novem- 

 ber, 1428, when the nuns, assembled in their 

 chapter-house, wrote to the bishop, 30 asking his 

 consent to the election of Margaret of Danby, 

 professed nun of the House of Nuns at New- 

 castle, to succeed Jane Egleston, the late prioress, 

 who had resigned. The names of the nuns are 

 given : Jane Egleston, Jane Tympson, Alice 

 Bewlof, Margaret Hawyk, Margaret of Witton, 

 Agnes of Tudowe, Beatrix of Kyllom, and Jane 

 of Blakiston. 



The bishop at once gave his consent, and 

 wrote to Dionysia Aslakby, prioress of St. Bartho- 

 lomew's, Newcastle, asking her to send Margaret 

 of Danby to Neasham.* 1 Her reply is worth 

 quoting, if only as a testimony to the character 

 of the prioress-elect ; she acknowledges the receipt 

 of the bishop's letter about the postulation 



of our Bister Dame Margaret Danby, whilk postulacion 

 I graunte fully with assent of my chapiter atte Rev 

 erence of God and in plesing of yor gracious lord- 

 ship ; notwythstondyng yat she is fill nece.-sarye and 

 profitable to us both in spirituell governance and 

 tcmporell. n 



On 15 December, the prioress of St. Bartho- 

 lomew's appeared before the bishop and con- 

 firmed this assent;** and five days later the 

 bishop wrote to Dame Margaret appointing her 

 prioress of Neasham, and at the same time sent 

 letters to the convent to admit her, and to the 

 archdeacon of Durham to induct her.* 4 



Her reign was a short one. On 26 January, 

 1429-30, the nuns** wrote again to the bishop, 

 telling him of her death.** Two days later they 



" See above. 



* Reg. Palat. Dun. (Rolls Ser.), i, 33. 



* Pat. 13 Edw. II, m. 43. 



"Dur. Epis. Reg. Langley, fol. 147. 

 11 Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. " Ibid. 



14 The list of names corresponds to the one given 

 above, omitting Jane Egleston. 



* Dur. Epis. Reg. Langley, fol. 164. 



elected Margaret Hawyk, who was duly installed. 

 There is some reason to fear that during her rule 

 the manners and morals of the house deteriorated. 

 In June, 1436, the bishop commissioned the 

 abbot of Bellalanda and the rector of Houghton 

 to visit the convent, and to inquire into the rule, 

 life, and conversation of its inmates, whether 

 nuns, priests, or seculars.* 7 The result of this 

 investigation was not altogether satisfactory ; 

 for the bishop cited the prioress and nuns to 

 appear before him on 4 October, 1436,** and 

 gave them strict injunctions as to their behaviour. 

 He laid special stress upon the observance of the 

 canonical hours, the rule of silence, and the daily 

 meeting of the sisters in the chapter-house. The 

 nuns when not engaged in divine service, or at 

 refection, were to be occupied in reading, prayer, 

 or meditation. The defects in the conventual 

 church, cloisters, and other buildings were to be 

 made good before the following midsummer, and 

 the chalices, jewels, and ornaments, then in the 

 hands of sundry creditors, were to be redeemed. 

 No secular person was to pass the night in the 

 house, nor were the nuns, unless indisposed, to 

 sleep elsewhere than in the dormitory ; doors 

 were to be shut at a certain hour ; and the sisters 

 were to hold no intercourse with secular persons, 

 except for the service of the house and with the 

 permission of the prioress." 



Notwithstanding the bishop's orders, the nuns 

 proved disobedient, and in July, 1437, their time 

 of grace having expired, the bishop again sent 

 commissioners ; this time to inquire into defects 

 and excesses committed contrary to his injunctions 

 and to punish the offenders. 40 This resulted in 

 the resignation of Margaret Hawyk, on 10 August, 

 I437, 41 and the nuns received licence to choose 

 a new prioress.** They elected Agnes Tudowe, 

 one of their number, 4 * but the manner of their 

 choice displeased the bishop, and they were 

 obliged to renounce the postulation and humbly 

 to submit to him in the matter before he would 

 be appeased. 44 This done, however, he appointed 

 the said Agnes, ' by his authority,' 46 issuing a 

 mandate for her installation and a dispensation 

 for her ' super defectu natalium.' ** He then 

 extended the time for the completion of the 

 repairs, and recovery of the ornaments, and gave 

 orders with regard to the ex-prioress. She was 

 to have her keep and all necessaries from the 

 goods of the house, and to have the use of 

 her private room, so long as her conduct was 

 satisfactory and her religious duties regularly 

 performed. 47 



v Ibid. fol. 231. 

 " Ibid. fol. 256. 

 Ibid. fol. 248 d. 

 Ibid. fol. 249. 

 "Ibid. fol. 252^. 

 44 Ibid. fols. 254, 254</. 

 "Ibid. fol. 254^. 

 47 Ibid. fol. 257. 



"Ibid. fol. 233 </. 

 41 Ibid. 



Ibid. fol. 255. 



107 



