RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



John Curson, 1488,'" resigned 1498'^ 

 Robert Danby, 1498,'' died 1506^3 

 John Ynglish,'^ 1506, died 1510 '» 

 John Hompton,'' 15 10, died 1521 °' 

 William Browneflete,'* confirmed 1521 

 William Wode,'* confirmed 1531 

 Robert,^"" occurs 1537. 



The 14th-century seal"^ is a vesica, 3J in. 

 by ajin., with a design of the coronation of 

 our Lady. The counterseal, a vesica 2| in. 

 by i|-in., has a crowned figure of our Lady in 

 a niche, holding the Child in her left hand and 

 a flower in her right. The legend is : — 



s' CAPITVLI SCE MARIE DE BRIDELINGTON 



The 1 2th-century seal ^"^ of Gregory, Prior 

 of Bridlington, is a vesica, af in. by i|^ in., 

 having four heads of saints, each in a circular 

 band inscribed with a name. These are maria, 

 PAVLVS, AVGvsTiNvs, NicHOLAVs. Of the legend 

 there only remains : — 



S TERCI HOSPES 



48. THE PRIORY OF DRAX 



This house was founded by William Paynel 

 in the reign of Henry I,^ with the advice of 

 Archbishop Thurstan. In the foundation charter 

 William Paynel records that he had given to 

 the canons serving God and St. Nicholas in the 

 territory of Drax the island {imulam) ^ called 

 Hallington and Middleholm, on which the 

 priory church was founded, as well as other land 

 in the neighbourhood. 



In addition the founder gave the parish church 

 of Drax, the churches of Bingley, Middle Rasen, 

 and two others in Lincolnshire, and that of Saltby 

 in Leicestershire.- 



From other benefactors the priory received gifts, 

 scattered over a wide area,' most of which have 



"York Archiepis. Reg. Rotherham, i, fol. i^jb. 



"Ibid. fol. 1533. "Ibid. 



''Ibid. Savage, fol. 58. ''Ibid. 



" Ibid. Bainbridge, fol. 14^. '« Ibid. 



" Ibid. Wolsey, fol. 56. '* Ibid. 



" Ibid. sed. vac. fol. 621. 



™ Baildon, Mon. Notes, i, 1 8. 



"" Cat. of Seals, B.M. 271 1 ; Harl. Chart. 44, B. 22. 



"" Ibid. 2713 ; Harl. Chart. 44, I. 3. 



' Dugdale, Mon. Angl. vi, 194. 



'Ibid. 195, no. I. 'The site of this house was 

 on the south side of the River Ouse, nearly opposite 

 where the Derwent enters therein. The land being 

 :so low that it would be overflowed by every little 

 flood, nay, I believe I may say, by the highest spring- 

 tides, if not prevented by the height of strong banks : 

 but the ground whereon the house was built is a 

 little ascent above the rest, and was moted (sic) about ; 

 most of which, especially on the south and east 

 sides, is very apparent.' Burton, Mon. Ebor. 100. 



' Dugdale, Mon. Angl. vi, 1 94. 



been carefully extracted by Burton from Ae 

 chartulary of Drax.* Edward I granted the 

 canons free warren in their lands of Carlton, 

 Camblesforth, and Ncwhay, if not in his forest." 



On 10 August 1280° Archbishop Wickwane 

 visited the priory of Drax, and delivered a 

 number of injunctions in the chapter house. 

 First, he directed that henceforward, in trans- 

 acting the common affairs of the house, the 

 prior was not to be influenced by the heedless 

 and disordered counsel of anybody, as he had 

 hitherto been, inducing the contempt of seculars, 

 offending his brethren, and injuring the monas- 

 tery. He was to act according to the counsel 

 of the convent. Further, the prior was enjoined 

 to avoid all malicious plotting with evil wishers 

 of the monastery, and quarrels and foolish 

 rebukings of his brethren, at least in the presence 

 of laymen, but he was to correct and chastise 

 in a convenient and private place, and was to 

 be more diligent and circumspect in the spiritual 

 rule and temporal business of the house. Brother 

 William de Snayth, who had lately been dis- 

 missed from being sub-prior, was not to hold 

 any olBce, but was to give himself to monastic 

 contemplation, be more courteous to his brethren, 

 and not so much addicted to his bed, &c. Hugh 

 de Rykhale, on account of his contentions which 

 had distracted the convent, was to have the 

 lowest place among the priests in cloister and 

 convent, was to conform to rule, and hold no 

 office or solempnis honor of the monastery, without 

 the archbishop's express assent. As he had 

 inordinately eaten flesh meat, he was to ab- 

 stain from flesh on Sundays during the current 

 year. 



Elyas, the sub-cellarer, who wandered about 

 to the injury of the monastery, was not to go 

 outside cloister or church. The archbishop re- 

 moved from the house a layman, John de Weland, 

 on account of his demerits, and denounced him 

 as excommunicate, for having laid violent hands 

 on Laurence de Lincolnia,' one of the canons. 



Elyas, a canon who violently struck John de 

 Lincolnia' his fellow-canon and was not yet 

 absolved, was daily, till the feast of All Saints, 

 in full chapter to humble and prostrate himself 

 before God, in the presence of John de Lin- 

 colnia, heartily imploring his prayers, and those 

 of the whole convent. 



Twice a year the prior sub congruo testimonio 

 was to open and examine everyone's carol, and 



* Burton, Mon. Ebor. 100-12. 

 ' Dugdale, Mon. Angl. vi, 1 94. 



'York Archiepis. Reg. Wickwane, fol. 246, 134. 



'On II Dec. 1288 Archbishop Romanus granted 

 licence to Laurence de Lincolnia and another canon, 

 Bartholomew de Donecastria, that ' ad arciorem reli- 

 gionem se transferant,' York Archiepis. Reg. Romanus, 



fol. 32. 



* Probably the same person of the name who soon 

 afterwards was elected prior. 



205 



