A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



The town of Pontefract became famous during 

 the reign of Edward II as the place where 

 Thomas the Earl of Lancaster was executed by 

 the king's order. His body was interred in 

 1322 in the priory church near the high altar. 

 Many miracles were said to have been wrought 

 at his shrine, and a chantry chapel ^^ was after- 

 wards founded to the memory of ' Saint ' 

 Thomas.'^ 



Little seems to have been known of the priory 

 during the 15 th century. The valuation of the 

 house in 1535''' was £,it^^^ i6s. lo^d., the out- 

 goings ;^I37 4-5., leaving a clear remainder of 

 ;C335 ^■^'' '°2'^'> ^""^ '^'^ ensured the mainte- 

 nance of the priory when the smaller houses 

 were dissolved. The commissioners arrived at 

 the priory in November 1538, and their report 

 was very complacent : ' quietly takine the sur- 

 renders and dissolvyed the monasterie of Pount- 

 frette, wher we perceyved no murmure ore gruge 

 in any behalfe bot wer thankefully receyvede.' '^ 



The date of the surrender is 23 November 

 1539,*' and pensions were granted to the prior 

 (;^50) and twelve brethren,'' the prior, James 

 Thwaytcs, being further appointed Dean of 

 St. Clement's for life. 



Priors of St. John's ^' 



Martin, temp. Hen. I 

 Walter, occurs c. 1120,'' "SS 

 Reynold, occurs 11 39 

 Adam, occurs c. 1145,'^ 1 1 56 

 Bertram, occurs c. 1170'° 

 Hugh, occurs 11 84, 1195 

 Walter, occurs 12 19 

 Robert, occurs 1225 

 Hugh, occurs 1226 

 Walter, occurs 1230 

 Fulk 



" This chapel was built c. 1361 on the top of the 

 hill where the eiecution took place. In 1359 blood 

 was said to have been seen flowing from the tomb 

 of the martyred earl, his belt was reported to give 

 assistance to women in child-bearing, and his hat to 

 cure pains in the head. (Torre's MS. 53.) 



" Padgett, Pcmttfract, 48. 



" Vabr Eccl. v, 66. 



" Padgett, Pontefract, ;o. 



" L. and P. Hen. Fill, xiv (2), 576. 



"Ibid. 



" List in Chartuh of Pontefract, 681. 



" Ibid. 59. Abbot of Selby 11 39 



" Ibid. 64. First Prior of Monk Bretton. 



" Ibid. 66. 



Stephen, occurs 1235 



Peter, occurs 1238, 1239 



Dalmatius, occurs 1241-63*' 



S., occurs 1267 *' 



Godfrey, occurs 1268 "-83 " 



Rayner 



William, occurs 1300 



Guichard de Cherleu, elected 13 1 1 



Simon de Castleford, occurs 13 16 



Stephen deCherobles, appointed 1322,*^ occurs 



1343" 

 Simon Balderton, occurs 1366*° 

 John Tunstal, occurs 1387, 1402 

 William Helagh, succeeded 1404 ; occurs 1409 

 Richard Haigh, occurs 1413-37 

 William, occurs 1442-46 

 John, occurs 1439 

 Nicholas Halle, occurs 1452 

 Richard Brown, occurs 1475,'*' 1481 ** 

 John Flynt, occurs 1499 

 Richard Brown, occurs 1507, 1520 

 James Thwaytes, last prior, surrendered 1539 



The 12th-century seal^' is a vesica, 2^ in. by 

 if in., having the eagle of the evangelist holding 

 a scroll in his claws. The broken legend reads : — 



\^ siGiEL SCI lOH el'te de pontefracto 



A counterseal '" of the 12th century is a vesica, 

 I J in. by i^in., having the head of St. John, 

 with the legend : — 



\\* VIRGO EST ELECTVS A DOMINO 



The 13th-century seal" of Prior Godfrey 

 shows a conventional representation of the house 

 with the prior seated within reading from a book 

 on which are the words r pncipio, the beginning 

 of St. John's Gospel. The legend is : — 



^ S* FRIS GODEFRIDI PORIS POTIS FRACTI 

 EBORAC DYOC CLVS CRD 



"Ibid. 516. 



*' York Archiepis. Reg. GifFard, fol. 9 d. 



"Ibid. fol. 13. 



" Dep. Keeper's Rep. 35, App. 11. 



" Pat. 16 Edw. II, pt. i,m. 25. 



" Ibid. 17 Edw. Ill, pt. ii, m. 35 d. 



" Pipe R. 40 Edw. III. 



" Cal. Pat. 1467-77, p. 564. 



" Ibid. 1476-85, p. 285. 



" Cat. of Seals, B.M. 3852, kxiv, 96. 



'"Ibid. 3853, kxiv, 97. 



"Ibid.38s4, xlix, 45. 



186 



