A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



prebend of Wilton was annexed to the treasurership.* In 1252 vicarages were 

 ordained in the churches of the Dean of York, Pocklington, Pickering, andKil- 

 ham. The eight chapels of PockUngton were formed into four vicarages, the 

 four chapels of Pickering into two/ This was done at the request of 

 Sewall de Bovill, then dean ; and as Sewall held the prebend of Fen- 

 ton in 1 240^ he may have quickened Gray's zeal for vicarages, which was 

 less noticeable in the case of the Holderness churches. Doubtless the 

 decrees of the synod of 1237 had their influence/ An arrangement with 

 Nostell Priory in 1 248 was the foundation of the prebend of Weaverthorpe, 

 while Nostell impropriated in compensation the churches of Tickhill, South 

 Kirkby, and Rothwell.* In March 1252 Gray ordained vicarages in Batley, 

 Warmfield, and Fehskirk, also churches appropriated to Nostell.' Ordinations 

 of South Kirkby and Rothwell occur in 1253,"' of Skeckling in 1253," of 

 Mappleton in 1254, and, also in 1254, of the prebendal church of Market 

 Weighton, whose advowson Gray had recovered from the monks of 

 Durham.^^ The vicarage of Conisbrough was ordained in 1252, the rectory 

 belonging to Lewes Priory.^' A doubt as to the status of Braithwell Church 

 was examined (1247) ^Y *^^ ruridecanal chapter of Doncaster ; the church 

 was declared a chapel of Conisbrough, and a vicarage ordained therein,'* 

 Rectories divided into medieties were sometimes consolidated. Godfrey of 

 Ludham was collated in 1228 to a mediety of Penistone : '^ in 1233 the other 

 mediety was conferred on him, and a rival presentee quieted by a pension." 

 The medieties of Beeford were united in i 249, and right of alternate presen- 

 tation granted to the patrons." Whitby Abbey claimed (1253) a mediety of 

 Hutton Bushell ; the rector of the other mediety urged consolidation. Gray 

 decided in favour of Whitby, and ordained that after the death of the litigant 

 rector the other rector should enjoy both medieties, and the convent should 

 have the next right of presentation to the united benefice.^' 



The relations of Gray with the monasteries of his diocese were friendly. 

 His system of dealing with monastic advowsons, exemplified above, was to 

 the advantage of regulars and seculars alike. St. Mary's Abbey, however, 

 claimed exemption from visitation more than once ; and Honorius III had to 

 issue several mandates enjoining obedience on the monks.^' Some years 

 later, St. Mary's and Selby Abbeys fell into disgrace by pleading the clauses 

 of worthless charters against opponents of greater subtlety.^" In 1242 Gray 

 as regent tried to wring the purchase of a year's wool from the Cistercian 

 abbots. They pleaded that they could do nothing without the assent of the 



* Tori Reg. Gray (Surt. Soc), App. no. Ixiv (p. 198). ' Ibid. App. no. Ixxvi (p. 211 teq.). 

 ° Ibid. App. no. Ivii (see note 2 above). ' See Matt. Paris, Ciron. Maj. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 428-9. 



* York Reg. Gray (Surt. Soc), App. no. Ixx, Ixxi (p. 205 seq.). By the same arrangement a mediety of 

 Mexborough was annexed to the archdeaconry of York. 



° Ibid. pt. i, no. dxxii-dxxiv (p. 112). '" Ibid. no. dxxxvi, dxxxiz (pp. 115, 1 1 7). 



" Ibid. no. dxxxv (pp. 114, 115). 



"Ibid. no. dxlix, dxlviii (pp. 118, 119). For the prebend of Weighton see also no. ccxvi, ccxvii. 

 The Prior of Finchale seems to have been the actual impropriator of Weighton, Finchale being a cell of Durham 

 (see no. clxxii, pp. 35, 36). 



" Ibid. no. dxxviii (p. 113). " Ibid. no. cccclv (pp. 100, loi). 



" Ibid. no. cxxii (p. 26) : for the other mediety see no. xciii (p. 20). 



" Ibid. no. ccxlv (p. 57). " Ibid. no. cccclxxxvi (p. 106). 



" Ibid. no. dxxxvii (p. 115 seq.). "Ibid. App. no. xxvii (p. 152) and note. 



'" Matt. Paris, op. cit. v, 362-3. St. Mary's had pleaded forged privileges already in its resistance to the 

 archbishop ; see letter of Honorius III, Hist. Ch. Tork (Rolls Sen), iii, 131, 132. 



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