A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



name. 8 In an order of 10 February, 1344-5, 

 relating to a rent claimed by the friars, it is stated 

 that they had the said rent ' of the grant of one 

 Robert de Brus, of whom there is no memory,' * 

 and this may possibly be the founder. 



The first mention of the house occurs in 1 240, 

 when Henry III granted to each of the friars 

 (out of the issues of the bishopric of Durham, 

 then vacant) ' a tunic, namely, four ells to make a 

 tunic, of the price of twelve pence, of our gift.' 6 



In an Assize Roll of 1243 we read * a 

 robber fleeing for sanctuary to the church of the 

 Friars Minor of Hartlepool, and there abjuring 

 the kingdom. 8 



At a general chapter of the order held at 

 Narbonne in 1258, a list of the Franciscan 

 establishments in England was drawn up. The 

 country was divided into seven custodies : the 

 custody of Newcastle contained nine friaries, and 

 of these Hartlepool was one. 7 A year later 

 Martin of St. Cross, master of Sherburn, left half 

 a mark to the Friars Minors at Hartlepool. 8 



Very little is known about the establishment. 

 At the dissolution it consisted of a warden and 

 eighteen brothers, who appear to have been strict 

 followers of St. Francis so far as poverty was 

 concerned. 9 In 1335 they had a chapel with 

 two bells, 10 in which was held an ordination 

 service (first tonsure only). 11 In 1358 the king 

 granted a licence to John, son of Elias of Brance- 

 peth, to bestow upon the warden and brethren 

 three acres of land adjoining their house for the 

 enlargement thereof; and at the same time 

 Roger de Clifford granted them an annual rent 

 of 5*. 8d. in Hartlepool. 12 



Besides these somewhat unusual grants for 

 Friars Minors were not supposed to hold lands or 

 rents we find occasional small bequests of 

 money left to the brethren ; e.g. ten marks by 

 Walter de Mertonin 1275 ; 13 a small legacy by 

 William de Menneville in 1371-2 u ; five marks 

 by John Oggill in I372. 15 The last-mentioned 

 benefactor desired to be buried in the friars' 

 cemetery, as did John Trollop of Thornley in 

 I476. 16 In Trollop's will the names of two of 

 the friars occur : John Fery and William Durham. 

 Amongst other small legacies of the fifteenth 

 century are ' I quarterium frumenti,' 17 and ' one 

 towel.' 18 



* Sharpe, Hist. Hartlepool, 134-5. 

 4 Close, 19 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 24. 

 6 Liberate Roll, 25 Hen. Ill, m. 23. 

 6 P.R.O. Assize R. 223, m. 2. 



I Bourne, Hist. Newcastle, 83. 



8 Wills and Invent. (Surt. Soc.), i, 8. 



9 Surt. Hiit. Dur. iii, 119. w Ibid. 



II Reg. Pa/at. Dun. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 167. 

 " Pat. 30 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 9. 



13 Dugdale, Man. Angl. (ed. 1846), vi, 1511. 



14 Dur. Epis. Reg. Hatfield, fol. 115. 

 16 Hunter's MSS. 



16 Wills and Invent. (Surt. Soc.), i, 97-9. 



17 Ibid. 64. I8 Dur. Epis. Reg. Langley, fol. 238. 



In February, 1344-5, the friars appealed to 

 the king that they might be allowed to have 

 yearly the sum of ^5 41. of the issues of the town 

 oven, granted to them by the forgotten Brus. 

 This rent had been taken into the king's hands 

 with the other possessions of the late Robert de 

 Clifford, during the minority of the heir ; but 

 the friars' claim was proved to be good, and their 

 request granted. 19 



In 1479 William, warden of the house, granted 

 a letter of spiritual confraternity to Sir Robert 

 and Lady Anne Claxton ; on the back is the usual 

 form of absolution. 20 



The friary was dissolved in 1547, wn^en the 

 clear value of its possessions, over and above 

 annual reprises, was given as 4. 51. Sd. and the 

 clear money remaining after paying the brothers' 

 pensions was 45. 8d. The house was granted to 

 John D'Oyley and John Scudamore. 21 



WARDENS OF HARTLEPOOL FRIARY 



William, occurs 5 July, 1479 22 

 Thomas Trewhit, occurs 4 June, 1507 23 

 Richard Threlkeld, last warden, occurs 1547 M 



The seal of the house had for inscription : 



GARDIANI 



FRATRUM 

 HERT 26 



MINORUM . DE 



12. THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF 

 DURHAM 



In the thirteenth century there was for a 

 short time a Franciscan Friary at Durham. In 

 November, 1239, the king directed the custo- 

 dian of the bishopric to make a grant to the 

 friars of food and clothing. 86 



13. THE FRIARS PREACHERS OF 



HARTLEPOOL 



In 1259 Martin of St. Cross, master of Sher- 

 burn Hospital, in his will left half a mark to 

 the Friars Preachers of Hartlepool. 27 



14. THE FRIARS PREACHERS OF 



JARROW 



Edward III, on 16 June, 1329, pardoned the 

 Friars Preachers at Jarrow (sic) and at Newcastle- 



19 Close, 19 Edw. Ill, pt. i, m. 24. 



80 Surt. Hist. Dur. i (2), 27. 



81 Ibid, iii, 1 1 9. 

 Ibid, i (z), 27. 



83 Arch. Aeliana. 



84 Harl. MS. Printed by Surt. Hist. Dur. iii, 1 19. 

 15 Dugdale, Mon. Angl. (ed. 1846), vi, 1511. 



86 Liberate Roll, 24 Hen. Ill, m. 25. 



87 Wills and Invent. (Surt. Soc.), i, 8. 



IIO 



