RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



in subject places and churches belonging to 

 it ; they could also give solemn benediction after 

 mass, vespers, and matins, provided that no bishop 

 or papal legate were present. 



On 12 July 1448 '^ Henry VI granted to the 

 prior and convent, besides many franchises and 

 immunities, that they should have three fairs 

 yearly, viz., on the vigils, feasts, and morrows 

 of the Nativity of the B.V.M. (8 September), 

 the Deposition of St. John late prior of 

 ' Brydelington,' and the Translation of the same 

 St. John. Seven years later (20 July 1452)'* 

 the prior and convent agreed that in return for 

 exemptions made by Letters Patent, releasing 

 them from contribution of tenths, aids, subsidies, 

 &c., they would, in every mass sung at the high 

 altar and also in all masses said by any of the 

 canons, pray for the good and prosperous estate 

 of the king and of Queen Margaret, with the 

 collect ' Deus in cujus manu corda sunt Regum,' 

 in which special mention was to be made by 

 name of the king and queen, while living, and 

 when they had departed this life they would sing 

 a mass of Requiem. 



On 18 July 1444'^ the prior and canons 

 entered into an agreement with the inhabitants 

 of Bempton in the parish of Bridlington. The 

 inhabitants had of old, with licence of the prior 

 and convent, built a chapel in Bempton in 

 honour of St. Michael, and at their own charges 

 had undertaken to have it and the cemetery 

 consecrated, in order to receive the sacraments 

 and be buried there. They further undertook 

 to keep the chapel in repair. It was arranged 

 that their chaplain was to have a penny at the 

 purification of women, and at the burial of the 

 dead, and In singulis missis suis a penny, commonly 

 called hevedmesse peny, with other commodities 

 accustomed before the consecration of the chapel. 

 The prior and convent were to find bread and 

 wine, and 2 lb. of wax to be made into four 

 tapers, two at Michaelmas, and two at Easter. 

 This agreement is interesting as showing the 

 position of inhabitants in a parish served by a 

 monastery.'* 



At a visitation held by Archbishop Kemp in 

 1444,'' Robert Warde, the prior, being no 

 longer able to perform the duties of his office, 

 resigned, and a pension was assigned him during 

 the remainder of his life. He was to have, 

 inter alia, the habitation called the chamber of 

 John Gisburn, formerly prior, with its garden 

 and easements. Each day he was to receive 

 two 'honest' services of flesh or fish, or other 

 meats from the kitchen, such in quantity as that 



^ Chart. R. 21-4 Hen. VI, no. 5. 



" Ibid. 29-39 Hen. VI, no. 26. 



" York Archicpis. Reg. Kemp, fol. 448. 



" The case of Bempton may be compared with 

 that of Horsehouse Chapel in Coverham, alluded to 

 in the account of that house. 



" York Archiepis. Reg. Kemp, fol. 197. 



served to two canons, also a service called the 

 ' Yomanmesse ' for himself, or those who minis- 

 tered to him ; and from the cellar, daily, two 

 white loaves of the greater weight and one 

 white loaf of the lesser weight, with a loaf called 

 the ' yomanlofe.' At every tonellacio in the monas- 

 tery he was to have [blank) flagons of conventual 

 ale from the brewery, and daily from the cellar 

 two flagons of the same, and unam quartam of 

 wine except on Wednesdays and the vigils pre- 

 ceding festivals of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

 On the days when wine was customarily served to 

 the brethren he was to be content with the same 

 allowance as that given to the others. In addi- 

 tion he was to have a yearly allowance of lOOi. 



The church of St. Mary of Scarborough, 

 which had originally been granted to the abbey 

 of Citeaux, was granted (on the seizure of the 

 properties of alien houses) to Bridlington.'' By 

 a charter addressed to Peter EUard'' (prior 

 1462-72) Edward IV confirmed this grant of 

 his predecessors out of veneration for St. John 

 of Bridlington. Thus it has come about that 

 Scarborough although in the North Riding is 

 within the archdeaconry of the East Riding. 



There is a letter, dated 13 October 1453,^* 

 from Archbishop William Booth, addressed to 

 Robert, the prior, and canons of Bridlington 

 acknowledging the receipt of a certain libellum 

 which they had sent to him, de regularihus ohser- 

 vanciis of the monastery. The libellum contained 

 forty folios, and the archbishop approved it, 

 with the exception of the chapter as to the sale 

 of corrodies. Such were not to be sold without 

 his special licence, but except that chapter the 

 libellum was to be read before the convent in 

 chapter twice a year, during Advent and Lent. 

 On 27 October" following the archbishop 

 granted the prior licence to hear confessions. 

 On 20 December 1463 ^^ the same archbishop 

 commanded the prior to warn all the officials 

 and administrators of the goods of the house to 

 render a true account before the auditors whom 

 he had appointed. 



There is not much of importance to add as 

 to the later history of the priory. In 1380-1 

 there had been twenty-four canons taxed besides 

 the prior, and a single conversus.^^ In 1526 the clear 

 annual value was returned as ;^524 15^. S^d.,^* 

 and at the Dissolution ;{^547 6i. 1 1 J^." Twice a 

 Prior of Bridlington was summoned to Parliament, 



^ Dugdale, Man. Angl. vi, 1056. 



'' Prickett, Priory Ch. of Bridlington, 26. 



*» York Archiepis. Reg. W. Booth, fol. 156. 



" Ibid. fol. 154^. " Ibid. fol. 121^. 



" Subs. R. (P.R.O.), bdle. 63, no. 12. 



" S.P. Dom. 1526, return made by Brian Higdon, 

 Dean of York. Tvpo pensions of 100/. each are re- 

 turned as payable to Sir William Constable, kt., and 

 Richard Pigot, pensioners in the monastery of Brid- 

 lington at this date. 



" Burton, Mon. Ebor. 248. 



203 



