51. THE PRIORY OF HEALAUGH PARK
The priory of Healaugh Park originated in a
hermitage in the wood of Healaugh. (fn. 1) Bertram
Haget granted to Gilbert, a monk of Marmoutier, and his successors, the hermitage land in
the wood of Healaugh and other cleared spaces
of ground there, as defined by certain bounds
set out in his charter. (fn. 2) Geoffrey Haget, his son,
confirmed to God, St. Mary, and the church of
St. John de Parco, and to the monk Gilbert and
his successors dwelling there, the lands and
woods as his father's charter had defined them. (fn. 3)
Among the witnesses to this charter was Abbot
Clement [of St. Mary's, York], who succeeded
in 1161 and died in 1184. (fn. 4) The date, therefore, must be between those limits, which makes
the original foundation of the hermitage considerably earlier than has usually been supposed.
In 1203 (fn. 5) Henry, Prior of Marton, and the
convent of that house, quitclaimed any right
they might have over the hermitage in the park
of Healaugh. Bertram Haget had four daughters,
one of whom, Alice, inherited Healaugh. She
married John de Friston, and their daughter
Alice married Jordan de Santa Maria, and with
him, circa 1218, (fn. 6) definitely established the Augustinian Priory at the place where the earlier
hermitage had existed. By their charter (fn. 7) they
granted to God, St. John the Evangelist of
Healaugh Park, and William, prior, and canons
there, the site of the monastery and other
lands and rights. William, the first prior,
was installed on the feast of St. Lucy
(13 December) 1218. He was prior for thirteen
and a half years, and died in 1233. (fn. 8) Very soon
after its foundation the priory received from Alan
de Wilton a grant of the hospital of St. Nicholas
juxta Yarm, (fn. 9) of which, probably, he was the
founder. The hospital remained in possession
of the priory till the Dissolution, the convent sending one of its canons to take charge
of it.
Their other possessions, of considerable extent
though not of much value, are set out in
alphabetical order by Burton. (fn. 10) Their twochurches were Wighill (adjoining Healaugh),
given before 1288, (fn. 11) and Healaugh, granted to
them about 1398 (fn. 12) and appropriated in 1425. (fn. 13)
They also had at one time a moiety of the
church of Leathley, to which they presented, (fn. 14)
and at the Dissolution were receiving a pension
from that church. (fn. 15)
In the Valor Ecclesiasticus
(fn. 16) the total revenues
of the house were returned at £86 6s. 6d., the
reprises being £19 2s. 7d., leaving a clear annual
revenue of £67 3s. 11d. only.
Archbishop Wickwane visited Healaugh on
11 May 1280 and issued the following injunctions.
(fn. 17) The rule of St. Augustine and
the statutes of Godfrey, his predecessor, were to
be read (recitari) at the beginning of each month,
and observed. Habits and shoes were to be
given to each member by a common minister of
the house, as required, and the distribution of
money [for their purchase] abandoned. The
canons were not to be sent out singly, or permitted to remain in the service of great people.
They were not, especially after compline, to
drink with guests outside the cloister or elsewhere, and were forbidden to walk about in
the adjacent woods or other places, unless of
necessity, and with the leave of the president.
No corrodies or other wasteful burdens for the
house were to be granted. Silence was to be
decently observed, and the accounts made up
yearly. Flesh meat was not to be eaten by the
strong and healthy members, against the requirements of the rule, on the second and fourth
ferias of the week. A sub-prior was to be
appointed without delay, and the canons were
on no account to receive any female as a guest
or to stay at the house without the archbishop's
special licence. Trouble appears to have arisen
a few years later, and in 1294 (fn. 18) Archbishop
Romanus instructed his official to terminate
certain contentions between the prior and some
of the canons.
Archbishop Greenfield in 1307 (fn. 19) found the
house burdened with corrodies and annuities
beyond its means, and much impoverished by
sales of land.
Archbishop Melton visited Healaugh in
1320, (fn. 20) on which occasion he ordered his predecessor's decretum to be read in chapter and
diligently observed. As he found the monastery
heavily charged with debts, pensions, corrodies,
and liveries, the prior and all the officials were
to use all possible moderation. The sick canons
were to be properly treated according to the
character of their illnesses, and an elderly and
discreet canon was to have charge of them.
Divine service was to be devoutly celebrated
according to the different seasons, and canons in
priests' orders were not to surcease from the
celebration of masses.
All the money, without any deduction, was
to be handed to two bursars who, according to
the direction of the prior, would spend it on the
needs of the house. No one was to retain any
servant who was burdensome to the house, useless, or who was defamed of the vice of incontinence or any other crime. Their manor at
Yarm was held on condition of celebrating for
the souls of the founders, and also for hospitality;
this was to be done as hitherto.
All the canons were enjoined that if they
had any of the goods of the house they should
return them to the prior and help to recover
any lost goods. The secrets of the chapter
were not to be revealed. A chamberlain was to
be appointed who would provide the canons with
clothes and habits as funds allowed.
William de Marisco had given the house two
carucates of land in Marston and Hoton for a
daily chantry for his soul in their house, and
this chantry was to be performed, and they were
bound to find two tapers on festivals throughout
the year in the chapel of Hoton for the souls of
William de Marisco and his wife.
The prior, sub-prior, cellarer, and other
officials having administration of the goods of the
house were to be careful that their fellow canons
were properly provided with meat and drink.
The visitation resulted in the resignation, on
the day following, (fn. 21) of William de Grymston,
the prior, which was made in full chapter before
the archbishop and his clerks, and at the same
time Henry de Shepeley, the sub-prior, also
resigned. After this, the canons all voted for
Robert de Spofford, the cellarer, except himself.
He was thereupon installed, and Brother Richard
de Bilton was elected sub-prior, and Brother
Stephen de Levyngton, cellarer.
Four years later Stephen de Levyngton and
another canon, Nicholas de Cotum, appear in a
very bad case of immorality. The archbishop,
writing to the prior on 13 September 1324, (fn. 22)
said that to the scandal and shame of their order
and habit, 'in carne enormiter sunt collapsi.' He
therefore enjoined a severe penance upon them.
They were continuously to keep convent, quire,
refectory, dormitory, and chapter, unless hindered
by sickness, were to take the lowest place in
the convent, not to go outside the precincts of
the monastery in any way, or hold conversation with women. Each Wednesday and Friday
they were to receive a discipline in chapter
from the president, and on each of those days to
say the seven penitential psalms with the litany
before the altar of the Blessed Mary. Each
week they were to say one psalter, and every
Wednesday to fast with one service of fish and
vegetables, and every Friday in like manner to
fast on bread and ale only; and they were to
hold no administration or office in the house.
It is certainly surprising that the next entry
in the archbishop's, register should record, on
12 August 1333, (fn. 23) the admission of Stephen de
Levyngton to the office of prior on the death of
Robert de Spofford.
In 1344 (fn. 24) Archbishop Zouch, regarding the
wasted condition of the priory, burdened by
debt and other ills owing to careless government, directed, once again, that no alienations,
&c., were to be made without his special
licence. Matters do not seem to have improved,
for just ten years later an indulgence was
granted for forty days by Archbishop Thoresby,
in 1354, (fn. 25) to those who helped the house, which,
poorly endowed, had its buildings dilapidated,
and its stock reduced by pestilence. In 1380-1 (fn. 26)
there were six canons besides the prior. In
1401 (fn. 27) Boniface IX granted an indult to the
Augustinian Prior and convent of St. John the
Evangelist's, Healaugh Park, who by the institutions and customs of their order were bound
to wear sandals (ocreas), to wear, in future, shoes.
On 5 May 1460 (fn. 28) Archbishop W. Booth
notified the sub-prior and convent that he had
accepted the resignation of Thomas Cotyngham,
their prior, and directed them to elect a
successor. They elected William Berwyk,
vicar of Wighill, and a canon professed in their
house. The archbishop, however, wrote to
Christopher Lofthouse, canon of Bolton, (fn. 29) stating
that he had heard of the pretended election of
Berwyk, and had annulled and quashed it, and
with the licence of the Prior and convent of
Bolton he appointed him Prior of Healaugh.
Why the archbishop took this action does not
appear, nor how the canons of Healaugh received
it, but Christopher Lofthouse was installed on
22 May 1460, and was prior for more than
thirteen years, 'et furatus est bona hujus domus.' (fn. 30)
However, William Berwyk succeeded Lofthouse,
and the chartulary recording his name as prior
says, 'qui fuit vicarius de Wechall et canonicus
de nostra propria domo verus'; and of William
Bramman, vicar of Healaugh, who in 1475
succeeded Berwyk, it is said 'et erat canonicus
proprius in hac domo rasus.'
Upon Thomas Cotyngham's resignation (fn. 31) the
archbishop assigned him the following provision:
He was to have a chamber at the south end of
the nave of the conventual church, which was
to be divided into two rooms for his habitation,
as well as a specified allowance of food, and a
servant; and further the archbishop decreed that,
if the said Brother T. Cotyngham wished, he
was to use a chamber which he was wont to
occupy at the time of the synods, at York, and
the moiety of a stable within a certain mansion
of the convent opposite the cemetery of the
Friars Preachers of York. He was, in addition,
to receive 10 marks in money yearly.
In 1534 Archbishop Lee visited Healaugh
Park, and his injunctions to the prior and canons
on that occasion have been printed. (fn. 32) All were
to obey the rule of St. Augustine strictly, the
prior was directed to see that the cloister doors
were closed and locked immediately after compline, and not reopened till six o'clock in the
morning in summer, or seven in winter, the
keys being safely kept. No corrodies, pensions,
or fees (feoda) were henceforth to be granted,
or granges let without the archbishop's licence,
and the prior was not to let lands or pastures, or
cut or sell wood, without the consent of the
whole convent. No one was to be professed, nor
any other person permitted to reside within the
precincts of the monastery, without the archbishop's licence. The prior was in no manner
to admit women to his company except in the
presence of two of the canons, who could hear
and see what took place, and the same regulation
was to apply to the canons. Those who broke
this rule would be deemed guilty of incontinence.
The infirmary, which threatened to fall into ruin,
was to be repaired before Michaelmas.
On 30 November 1519 (fn. 33) Peter the Prior
and the 'monastery' of Healaugh Park granted
to Sir John Fountaunce, 'broder of ye same
howse,' 'yar parsonegh in Helaugh wt a laith,
a kowhowse, wt all ye lande, closys, medow,
wode, and pastur, wt ye appurtenances thair unto
belongyng, after ye deseise of Sir Thomas
Pendreth, now incumbent' &c., for thirty-one
years, paying to the prior and convent £3
yearly, and on 14 May 1520 (fn. 34) John Fountaunce, canon of Healaugh Park, O.S.A., was
instituted by Cardinal Wolsey to the vicarage of
Healaugh, vacant by the death of Thomas
Penreth. On 8 March 1530 (fn. 35) Richard, prior,
and the convent agreed to pay Richard Stryan,
'vychar of Helaghe,' £6 a year, and granted
him 'one toft and one croft callyd ye vychareg,
wt all other smalle dewtes belongyng to ye
chyrche of Helaghe, yt ys to say dirige grotis,
weddyng grotis, wt all other dewtes pertenyng
to ye same, as hay the beyn customyde to ye
curet.' On the other hand, Richard Stryan,
who was clearly a secular clerk, covenanted
'never for to clame, ne intytyll, no chanonyshall dewty, nor devydent, of ye sayde pryor,
convent, nor of yr successors, nor promocyon,
ne vote in ye chapter howse, nor to mell of no
conventuall consell, from ye day of ye makyng
herof, vnto ye terme of hys lyffis ende.'
The house was visited by the commissioners
on 9 June 1535 (fn. 36) and suppressed on 9 August
following. There were then five canons besides
the prior, Richard Roundale, and eight servants,
boys, and other workmen. In the account of
Leonard Beckwith for a year from Michaelmas
1535, the revenue is set down at £114 10s. 10d.,
and four bells are accounted for, valued at
£13 6s. 8d.
Priors Of Healaugh Park (fn. 37)
William de Hamelech, 1218, died 1233
Elias, 1233, resigned 1256
John Nocus, 1257, resigned 1260
Hamo de Ebor, 1260, resigned 1264
Henry de Quetelay, 1264
Adam de Blide, 1281
William de Grymston, 1300
Robert de Spofford, 1320
Stephen Levyngton, 1333
Richard, (fn. 38) 1357
Thomas de Yarom, 1358
Stephen Clarell, 1378 (fn. 39)
John Byrkyn, 1423, resigned
Thomas York, 1429 (fn. 40)
Richard Areton, 1435 (fn. 41)
Thomas Botson, 1437 (fn. 42)
Thomas Cotyngham, 1440
Christopher Lofthouse, 1460
William Berwyk, 1471
William Bramman, 1475
William Ellyngton, 1480
Peter Kendayll, (fn. 43) confirmed 1499
Richard Roundale, confirmed 1520 (fn. 44)
The 13th-century seal (fn. 45) is a vesica showing
the prior standing on a carved corbel. Legend:—
✠ SIGILL' SANTI IOHIS DE PARCO