16. THE PRIORY OF NUN MONKTON
This house appears from a confirmation by
Archbishop Henry Murdac (1147-53), (fn. 1) to have
been founded in the reign of Stephen by
William de Arches and Ivetta his wife, who
granted to God and St. Mary and to Maud their
daughter and the nuns of Monkton 6 carucates
of land in Monkton, and half a carucate in
Hammerton, and the churches of ' Torp '
(Thorp Arch) (fn. 2) Hammerton, ' Escham' (Askham
Richard), and ' Kirkby juxta Useburn' (Kirkby
Wharfe). The latter church Elias de Ho had
granted at the counsel of William de Arches.
The way in which the name of William and
Ivetta's daughter, Maud, is introduced can only
mean that she was prioress of the house.
Nun Monkton, although close to York, was
within the archdeaconry of Richmond, and on
that account the archbishops' registers have very
little about it.
In 1278 Mary the prioress and her nuns
bound themselves to John de Bellewe and
Laderne, his wife, to keep the obit of their
daughter Alice with a pittance of half a mark in
value, and also the obits of John and his wife
after each of them died, in return for 10 acres
of land and the quitclaim of a five-shilling rent
in Thorp Arch. (fn. 3)
At an inquisition in 1307 (fn. 4) it was found that
the ancestors of Nicholas de Stapleton at the
time of the vacancy of the house were accustomed
to have the custody of the house and to place
guards in the same at their will, but at no time
received anything of the issues of the house by
reason of that custody.
The patronage of Nun Monkton priory had
come to Nicholas de Stapleton from his mother
Sybil, daughter and co-heir of John Bellewe, to
whom it came from the Bruces, as representing
the founder, William de Arches.
An account of the visitation of Nun Monkton
by Thomas Dalby, Archdeacon of Richmond, on
30 April 1397 (fn. 5) gives a very unfavourable description of the condition of the nunnery at the time.
It was objected against the prioress, Margaret
Fayrfax, (fn. 6) that she wore different kinds of furs,
and even grey furs, and silk veils. She also
held the post of bursaria, and had alienated a large
amount of timber, to the value of 100 marks. She
frequently indulged in too much companionship
with John Monkton, and invited him to festivities
Margaret Fayrfax was a candidate for the office of
prioress on the death of Margaret de Willesthorp,
when Isabella Nevill was elected, ten votes being cast
for her against two for Margaret Fayrfax. There
were fifteen nuns entitled to vote; Dugdale, Mon.
Angl. iv, 193 n.
(convivia) in her chamber. She frequently wore
a surplice (superpellitio) without a mantle, in
quire and elsewhere, contrary to the manner of
the dress of nuns and the ancient custom of the
priory. The nuns who had lapsed into the sin
of fornication she reinstated far too easily. She
allowed nuns to receive presents from their
friends for their maintenance. John Monkton,
by whom the house had suffered scandal, frequently played ad tabulas with the prioress in
her chamber, and she supplied him with drink.
Peremptory injunctions were issued to the
prioress and nuns on 8 July 1397 that John
Monkton alias Alanson, Don William Aschby,
chaplain, William Snowe, and Thomas Pape
were not to have conversation or companionship
(comitivam) with them, or with any nun of the
house, except in the presence of two of the older
and honest nuns, under pain of excommunication. The nuns were not to allow clerks to frequent their priory without a reasonable cause.
Nuns who were ill were to be compelled to go
to the infirmitorium and were to be supplied there
with necessaries from the revenues of the church
of Askham. None were to use silk clothes, especially not silken veils nor valuable furs, nor
rings on their fingers, nor tunics pleated (laqueatis), or with brooches (fibulatis), nor any jupis,
anglicè ' gounes,' after the fashion of secular
women. Nor for the future were the commemorations of souls to be in any way omitted, under
the pain for two whole weeks carentiae camisarum
quarumcunque. (fn. 7)
The little nunnery of Monkton affords two
instances of the expenses incurred in the 'making' of a nun.
In 1429-30, (fn. 8) Richard Fayrfax 'scwyer, on
tyme lorde of Walton,' made arrangements that
his daughter ' Elan ' should be made a nun of Nun
Monkton, and with that object he enfeoffed his
nephew, Mr. Brian Fayrfax, clerk, arid his brothers
Guy, John, and Thomas and a certain Edmund
Woodcok in the manors of Walton and Folifayt
(Follifoot) of an annual rent of 5 marks ' gangyng
out of ye milne of Thorpparch,' and other property, willing ' yat my doghtir Elan be made nun
in ye house of Nun Monkton, and yat my saydes
feffis graunt a nanuel rent of fourty schilyngs
gangyng out ye maners of Folifayt and Acaster
Malbis . . . terme of ye lyffe of ye sayd Elan
to ye tym be at sche be a nun.' His feoffees
were to pay 19 marks 'for ye makyng of ye sayd
Elan Nun.' He naively added that ' if sche will
be no nun ' his wife and feoffees were to marry
her at their discretion. She became a nun, however, and as ' dompna Elena Fayrefaxe' was
admitted to the Corpus Christi Guild, York, in
1445. (fn. 9) The other instance is headed, 'Expensae
factae super et pro Elizabetha Syward by facta
moniali in Munkton,' (fn. 10) and is part of the inventory of the effects of Elizabeth widow of William
Sywardby (or Sewerby as the name is now spelt.)
She, had bequeathed to her niece Elizabeth,
daughter of John Sewerby, a considerable sum to
enable her to become a nun of Nun Monkton.
The sums expended were £3, which the prioress
and convent of Nun Monkton claimed by custom
to have as their fee; £3 13s. 7½d. for Elizabeth
Sewerby's habit, and other ' bodily utensils,' as
well as a 'competent' bed; £3 11s. 4d. expenses on Sunday next after the feast of the
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (7 September)
1470, spent on the prioress and convent and
the friends of Elizabeth Sewerby; and 2s. to
brother John Hamylton for preaching on the
occasion.
A copy of a survey (29 Henry VIII) of the
demesnes of Nun Monkton Priory after its dissolution is printed in the Monasticon, (fn. 11) but there
is an earlier survey for 27-8 Henry VIII. (fn. 12)
Prioresses of Nun Monkton
Maud de Arches (first prioress), temp.
Stephen (fn. 13)
Agnes, occurs 1224-7 (fn. 14)
Amabel, occurs 1240 (fn. 15)
Avice, occurs 1251, (fn. 16) 1268 (fn. 17)
Mary, occurs 1278 (fn. 18)
Mariota, occurs 1278-9 (fn. 19)
Alice de Thorp, (fn. 20) died before 1346
Margaret Willesthorpe, (fn. 21) confirmed 1365,
died 1376
Isabel Neville, elected 1376 (fn. 22)
Margaret Fayrfax, occurs 1393 (fn. 23)
Margaret Cotam, (fn. 24) occurs 1404
Maud de Goldesburgh, elected 1421, (fn. 25)
occurs 1429 (fn. 26)
Margaret Watir, occurs 1473 (fn. 27)
Margaret, occurs 1514 (fn. 28)
Joan, occurs 1535 (fn. 29)