RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



The reversion of two plots at the east and 

 west of the church was secured to the friars in 

 1392 by Henry de Percy, lord of SpofForth, and 

 John de Acorn, late parson of Catton, and by 

 John Berden and John Braythwayte, after the 

 death of Maud late the wife of Henry de Ryb- 

 stone.^* On the acquisition of this property the 

 church was rebuilt or enlarged, Walter Skirlaw, 

 Bishop of Durham, leaving j^40 in his will 

 (1404) to the work, if it was not finished before 

 his death.^' 



Several provincial priors of the order were 

 connected with York : John Poleshead (1343) 

 and John Kiningham (1398) were buried here ; 

 Walter Kelham (1343) and John Counton (13S9) 

 were natives of York, and perhaps Stephen Pat- 

 rington.^" John Bate, a writer of note and a 

 Greek scholar, was prior of this house, where he 

 died in 1429.'^ Friar Richard Misyn, whotrans- 

 , lated some of Richard Hampole's works into 

 English, was admitted a member of the Corpus 

 Christi Gild in 146 1, and died at York soon 

 afterwards.'^ York was head of one of the four 

 distinctions into which the Carmelite province 

 of England was divided ; when Eugenius IV in 

 1446 undertook the reformation of the order. 

 Masters John Haynton, W. Surflet, Robert 

 Harby, and the Prior of York, Thomas Carlyell, 

 were chosen to represent the York division." 



Bequests to this house are very numerous, and, 

 like those to the other orders, come from all 

 classes.'^ The Percys of Northumberland, as 

 heirs of the Vescys, were reckoned the second 

 founders of the friary, and were among its bene- 

 factors. Thus the Earl of Northumberland in 

 1 51 5 gave £8 for repairs at the White Friars 

 and paid the prior an annuity of 401.'* 



The friary was surrendered to Sir George 

 Lawson and others on 27 November 1538 by 

 Simon Clerkson, the prior, nine priests, and three 

 novices.'* The vestments and other goods, con- 

 sisting of kitchen and brewing utensils, four poor 



** Pat. 16 Ric. II, pt. ii, m. 28, 21. Rybstone was 

 buried in the church ; also John Vavasor, Ralph 

 Lassell, Sir Will. Myll, kt.. Sir Th. Malbys, kt., and 

 Isabella his wife, and John Nesby, and ' the heart of 

 lord de Bairdolf,' probably Thomas Bardolf, rebel, 

 attainted in 1408 ; Co//. Topog. et Gen. iv, 128. 



'' i:est. Ebor. i, 308. 



™ Harl. MS. 1819 ; Stevens, Monast. ii, 159. 



" Diet. Nat. Biog. iii, 391. 



'' Corpus Christi Coll. Oxf. MS. 236 ; Diet. Nat. 

 Biog. xxxviii, 57. Ten Carmelites were admitted to 

 the gild between 1 430 and 1469 ; Reg. Corpus Christi 

 Guild (Surt. See), 31, 42, 62, 73. 



'' Harl. MS. 18 19, fol. zooa, b. John Haynton 

 or Hadon was a writer of some note ; Tanner, Bib/. 

 369. Harby was Prior of Lincoln ; ibid. 377. 



" Test. Ebor. passim ; e.g. Thomas Pereson, sub-dean 

 of York, 1490, left them a tester, 'seller,' &c., and 

 3/. 4a'. to make a clock in the church ; iv, 55. 



"■" L. and P. Hen. VIII, iv (2), 3380 (i), (9). 



'" Dep. Keeper's Rep. viii, App. ii, 51. 



feather beds, coverlets, bolsters, &c., were bought 

 by Sir George Lawson for £"] 4;. ^d. Out of 

 this j^i was given to the prior and £2 i8j. ^. 

 divided among the friars. There were no debts. 

 The lead on the roof of the church, estimated at 

 20 fother, and the two bells weighing 2,300 lb. 

 were reserved. The plate and jewels, sent to 

 the king's jewel house, consisted of three chalices, 

 one cross gilt, one flat piece, three masers, one 

 salt, twelve spoons, and one pyx of ivory with 

 silver foot, weighing in all 98 oz." 



The property consisted of the site, valued at 

 20s. a year, and seven tenements adjacent to it, 

 which were soon let to tenants for ;^3 19;. a 

 year.'* 



Priors 



George,'' 1269 



William Penterel,*" Feb. 1348-9 

 William," 1371, 1378 

 Mauger de Baildon,*^ 1387 

 John Bate,^' Jan. 1428-9 

 Thomas Carlisle,** 1446 

 Robert," 1473 

 John Carter,*^ 1522 

 Simon Clerkson,*' 1537-8 



The round 14th-century seal represents the 

 Virgin with crown seated on a throne, the Child 

 on the left knee, between two saints standing ; 

 on the left, an archbishop with mitre, lifting the 

 right hand in benediction, in the left a crozier ; 

 on the right St. Peter with mitre, lifting the 

 right hand in benediction, in the left hand a key. 

 In base, a shield of the arms of England, slung 

 by a strap, upon a bifurcated tree, between two 

 kneeling friars. Field diapered lozengy, with a 

 small leaf in each space. All within a carved 

 rosette of sixteen points. 



Legend : — 



*SIGILLV COMMVNE . FRATRV ORDIS BEATE . 



MA[ri]e . DE . MONTE . CARMELI . DON . 



EBORACV.** 



" Mins. Accts. 29-30 Hen. VIII (Yorks.), no. 187 ; 

 Suppression P. (P.R.O.), iii, fol. 5, 92, 93. 



'' Mins. Accts. 30-1 Hen. VIII (Yorks.), no. 

 166. 



'' Giffard'sReg. 113. 



*" York Archiepis. Reg. Zouch, fol. 278^. 



" Baildon, Mon. Notes, i, 242. 



" Ibid. 43, 242 ; Bodl. Chart. 81 (letter of frater- 

 nity to Roger Low). 



" Diet. Nat. Biog. iii, 391 ; Harl. MS. 3838, fol. 



82(?) 



"Harl. MS. 1 8 19, fol. 200^. 



" Bodl. Chart. 82 (letter of fraternity to Ric. Wade 

 and Joan his wife). 



" L. and P. Hen. Fill, iv (2), 3380 (9). 



" Conventual Leases, Yorks. (P.R.O.), no. 909. 



'* B.M. Seals, Ixxv, 54. Rough reproduction in 

 Drake, Ebor. (no. xv). 



293 



