A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



it to the Prior of Marton. If, however, he had 

 contracted any reasonable debts on account of it, 

 the Prior of Marton was to answer for them, and 

 satisfy the creditors. The Prior and convent of 

 Marton were to pay to Newburgh, as long as 

 Gregory lived, a yearly sum of 40J., and half of 

 this the Prior of Newburgh, at his discretion, 

 was to give as a solace to Gregory, and the other 

 half was to be for the general use of Newburgh. 

 If, however, Marton had secretly or openly 

 sustained any kind of charge by Gregory's action, 

 then the whole sum was to go to the house of 

 Newburgh, but this only if he were properly con- 

 victed or confessed. These directions were con- 

 veyed to Marton and Newburgh by similar 

 letters, mutatis mutandis, dated 1 1 October 1 286." 

 There is no record of the election of Gregory 

 de Lesset's successor, but his name transpires a 

 year later, when, on 27 October 1287, the arch- 

 bishop issued a mandate to the sub-prior and 

 convent of Marton to elect a prior in succession 

 to Brother John de Wylton, resigned.'' Their 

 choice fell on William de Bulmer, the sub-prior, 

 but the archbishop quashed the election ' non vicio 

 persone sed forme,' and eventually appointed John 

 de Lund," canon of Bolton. Although no fault 

 was then found with William de Bulmer, he got 

 into serious trouble at a later period, but in what 

 way is not said. In 1308 " Archbishop Green- 

 field sent him to Drax, to undergo a specified 

 penance, and Marton was to pay 4 marks 

 annually for his maintenance there. In 13 14" 

 Archbishop Greenfield held a visitation of 

 Marton, and issued injunctions of a general 

 character, almost identical with others sent to 

 Newburgh at the same time. The archbishop 

 had, however, to deal with some serious cases of 

 immorality. Alan de Shirburn, one of the 

 canons, had confessed to incontinence with 

 Joan daughter of Walter de Cartwright, and 

 Juliana wife of William ' le Mazun ' of York, 

 living in Bootham, and with Maud Bunde of 

 Stillington. The archbishop enjoined the fol- 

 lowing penance : he was to keep convent in 

 cloister, quire, dormitory and refectory con- 

 tinuously, unless sick or otherwise legitimately 

 prevented. He was not to go outside the 

 precincts of the monastery, or the outer door, 

 except in honest company and with the licence 

 of the president. He was to hold no office in 

 the monastery, without special licence. Every 

 day he was to say a nocturn of the psalter. Each 

 Wednesday and Friday he was to say the seven 

 penitential psalms with the litany, humbly and 

 devoutly prostrated before the altar of the Blessed 

 \'irgin, and on those days he was to fast on bread, 

 ale, and vegetables. Once a week, at least, he 

 was to confess his sins humbly and devoutly. He 



" Vork Archiepis. Reg. Romanus, fol. 50 d. 



'Mbid. fol. 51. "Ibid. 



"* Ibid. Greenfield, fol. <)ob. " Ibid. fol. 99^. 



was not to speak to any woman, without the 

 licence of the president, who was to hear what 

 was said. The prior was to tell Brother Stephen 

 of this, and make him a copy of the penance, 

 and also notify the archbishop how Alan de 

 Shirburn performed what was enjoined him. 

 Brother Stephen, who was to have a copy of the 

 penance, was Stephen de Langetoft, another 

 canon, who had owned at the visitation to the 

 vice of incontinence with Alice de Hareworth, 

 dwelling at Marton, and with Agnes de Hoby. 

 He was to perform the same penance as Alan de 

 Shirburn. 



Another misdoer was Brother Roger de 

 Scameston, a conversus of the house, who con- 

 fessed to misconduct of the same kind with 

 Ellen de Westmorland living at Brandsby, with 

 Beatrix del Calgarth wife of John de Ferling- 

 ton, Eda Genne of Marton, Maud Scot of 

 Menersley, and Beatrix Baa, relict of Robert le 

 Bakester of Stillington. The penance imposed 

 on him was that every Wednesday he was to 

 fast on bread, ale, and vegetables, and every 

 Friday on bread and water, and in no manner 

 whatever was to go outside the precincts of the 

 monastery. Every Wednesday and Friday he 

 was to receive a discipline from the president. 

 Every day before the altar of the Blessed Virgin, 

 fasting, he was to 'say, fifty times, the Lord's 

 Prayer with the Salutation of the Blessed Mary, 

 humbly and devoutly. Once a week, at least, 

 he was to confess his sins. He was not to speak 

 to any woman, nor was he to be placed in any 

 office until the archbishop saw fit to deal other- 

 wise with him. 



On 16 June 1304"'' Archbishop Corbridge 

 issued a commission to William de Wirkesall to 

 go to Marton and correct faults discovered at a 

 recent visitation, but there is nothing said as to 

 what was amiss. 



Archbishop Melton notified the house on 

 5 May 1 31 8" of his intention to visit it, and on 

 1 5 June the prior, Simon de Branby, resigned. 

 The sub-prior and canons elected no other as 

 their prior than Alan de Shirburn, who had so 

 grievously misbehaved only four years before. 

 The archbishop quashed the election on the 

 ground of irregularity, and appointed a canon of 

 Bridlington, Henry de Melkingthorp, and at the 

 same time commissioned Roger de Heslington, 

 official of the court of York, and John de 

 Hemingburgh, dean of Christianity, to correct 

 the faults disclosed at the visitation.''^ A hvr 

 days later (27 July 2=) the archbishop wrote to the 

 Prior of Bridlington to send Robert de Scar- 

 brough and Stephen de Snayth, two of his 

 canons, as he had appointed them sub-prior and 

 cellarer, respectively, of Marton, in order to 



*" Ibid. Corbridge, fol. 29. 

 " Ibid. Melton, fol. 227. 

 " Ibid. fol. 228. 



224 



" Ibid. fol. 269. 



