RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



up a spirit called Belphares, and he related how, 

 when a boy of twelve, he had been present at 

 an invocation made at Wakefield by ' a scolar of 

 Orlyaunce ' (Orleans), for a pair of bedes ; he 

 had seen 'in a glasse, a woman that had the 

 beides in her hand, and a sprite, crouncd like a 

 Kyng, in a chare of gold, and the clerke said that 

 he was a sprite.' He admitted that he and 

 Jameson, and another priest, James Richardson, 

 *were sworne upon a booke, and confered to- 

 gadir to make a lamina for invocation of a sprite 

 called Obirion,' that Jameson had agreed to 

 send a horse for him to Otley ' the Fridaie afore 

 the first chaunge of Marche, to come to Yorke 

 to hyme (Jameson), to make the lamyna, which 

 must be made betwixt the chaunge of the mone 

 and the pryme, and that was Mondaie, Tuys- 

 daie, and Wednesdaie ; and to make their invo- 

 cation on Thursday after at v of the cloke in 

 the mornyng, at Yorke, in a chambir to be 

 provided to the said Sir James (Richardson), 

 havyng iiij wyndowes, that is to say in every 

 quarter oone.' He said that Jameson came to 

 Bingley on St. Matthew's Day, and showed him 

 that Richardson had made all ready, and desired 

 him to go to York, and ' wirke the warke ' with 

 Richardson. He admitted that his books were 

 at Drax Abbey, and that Richardson had brought 

 eighteen singing loaves, which he himself had 

 given to one of the others ; but he denied that he 

 had ever said that he would consecrate them, 

 or that they should appear in the likeness of a 

 child to the sprite, but he confessed that they 

 were all agreed that the ground where ' the 

 cerkyll ' was should be hallowed, and that a 

 collect was copied out of the mass book, to be 

 recited at the hallowing of the incense and fire, 

 and that in the ' book of experiment ' was the 

 collect for the hallowing of the ' great holy 

 water.' He admitted that he had said that their 

 works might be done as well in one place as 

 in another, for he ' cowde make the spirite 

 Belphares carye it wherdir he wold,' and he 

 also said that he had stated ' opynely that the 

 goode cowde not be had without losse of a 

 Cristen Saule, and therefore he wold not execute 

 it.' The story is too long to be dealt with here, 

 as it only bears incidentally on Drax, whose 

 canon figured so conspicuously in it. All the 

 six persons charged were found guilty, and 

 punishments were awarded. They had to walk 

 through the streets of York on the Sunday 

 following, carrying banners with grotesque char- 

 acters and symbols, and were to be publicly 

 scourged by the dean of Christianity at certain 

 stages. On the Thursday before the Nativity 

 of St. John the Baptist much the same penance 

 was to be performed at Bingley. 



By a deed dated 5 December 1 53 1," the prior 

 and convent covenanted with Robert Threpland 



" Conventual Leases, Yorks. (P.R.O.), no. 176. 



and Alys his wife that they should dwell at 3 

 grange called the Abbey Grange, and be servants 

 to the prior and convent. Robert Threpland 

 was to be ' sergeaunte and oversear ' of all their 

 husbandry, as other ' sergyauntes ' had been, and 

 Alys his wife was to ' kepe the deyry house of 

 the sade pryor and conventes at the sade graunge.' 

 For this service done ' in the most commodyous 

 and profitable maner that they can for the sade 

 pryor and convent,' they were to receive as 

 follows : — Robert was to have meat and drink 

 in their hall as had been in times past, but if he 

 happened to be impotent, and unable to come to 

 the hall, then he was to have his reasonable meat 

 and drink delivered by the cook and butler to 

 such persons as he might send. In addition l.e 

 was to have 13^. 4^. yearly 'and a cote clothe.' 

 His wife was to have every week ' two lofes of 

 white breyde, and two lofes of browne breyde, 

 ij galons of the best ale, and foure galons of the 

 worse ale, and one meile of meite from the 

 kechyn, ons on the day, every day in tyme oi 

 lent, and also al other days in the yere except 

 Wednysdays, Frydays, and Saturdays and all 

 fastynge days,' and 6^. 8d. for her wages, ' and a 

 garthynstede to sawe too pekkes of hemp sede in.' 

 If she was unable to do her work, then she was to 

 provide ' an honest woman to do the sade ofEce, 

 and huswyfery, so that hit be done after a clenly 

 and profitable fashion.' Robert and Alys, during 

 their lives, were to have ' gressynge for ij whyes 

 that never bare calfe.' After the death of Robert 

 or Alys one whye was to belong to the prior 

 and convent. Also Robert and Alys might keep 

 ' one swyne ' on condition that after their deaths 

 the pig so kept should belong to the prior and 

 convent. For this appointment they paid the 

 prior and convent £10 in ready money. It is an 

 interesting and characteristic example of the way 

 in which such monastic appointments were 

 negotiated. 



The priory was supervised on 15 June 1535," 

 and suppressed on 24 August following. Among 

 the charges then paid were 3 Of. pro vadiis novem 

 confratrum from the Nativity of St. John Baptist, 

 each receiving 3^. 4^. At the suppression on 

 24 August 1535 " there were ten canons, two of 

 whom received 2bs. Sd. each and the others 

 23J. 4.d. each. There were also twenty-nine 

 servants and boys. 



In the account of Leonard Beckwith, from 

 Michaelmas 1535 to Michaelmas 1536,^^ the 

 revenue derived from Drax was ;^i4i los. lod. 

 This may be compared with the clear value of 

 £jS !$!• i^- in 1522," and that of ^92 js. $d. 

 clear value in the Fa/or Ecdesiasticus}^ Leonard 



" K.R. Aug. Views of Accts. bdle. 17. 

 "Ibid. In 1 380-1 besides the prior there were 

 seven canons ; Subs. R. (P.R.O.), bdle. 63, no. 12. 

 •* K.R. Aug. Views of Accts. bdle. 17. 

 " Subs. R. (P.R.O.), bdle. 64, no. 300 

 " Valor Eccl. v, 65. 



207 



