HOUSE OF AUSTIN NUNS
58. THE PRIORY OF MOXBY
The nunnery of Molseby, or Moxby, to use
the modern form of the name, originated in the
foundation by Bertram de Bulmer of a double
monastery for canons and nuns of the Augustinian
order at Marton, either at the end of the reign
of Stephen, or the beginning of that of Henry II. (fn. 1)
The canons and nuns did not long continue
under the same roof, and Henry II gave the
adjacent territory of Moxby to the nuns, whither
they removed before 1167. (fn. 2) The nuns continued to follow the Augustinian rule, (fn. 3) and
their house and chapel were under the invocation
of St. John the Evangelist.
The nuns obtained the church of Whenby,
which was formally appropriated to them by
Archbishop Wickwane in 1283. (fn. 4)
On 16 March 1267-8 (fn. 5) Archbishop Giffard
directed the Prior of Newburgh to visit the
prioress and nuns. Archbishop Wickwane (fn. 6) in
like manner commissioned Magr. Thomas de
Grimeston, his clerk, to visit the nunnery in
December 1281. On 14 December 1289 (fn. 7)
Archbishop Romanus appointed William, vicar
of Thirkleby, as master of the nuns of Molseby,
and on 8 May 1294 (fn. 8) he committed the custody
of the nunnery to Master Adam Irnepurse, vicar
of Bossall.
The next we hear is that Sabina de Apelgarth, (fn. 9)
one of the nuns, had apostatized. Robert Pickering, acting as vicar-general of Archbishop Greenfield, Wrote on 24 April 1310 to the prioress and
convent instructing them to receive her back, as
she was returning in a state of penitence.
On Tuesday before the feast of St. Nicholas
1310 (fn. 10) Euphemia the prioress, feeling no longer
capable of ruling the house, resigned, and on 12
December, Alice de Barton, a nun of the house,
was elected prioress.
As a result of a visitation in 1314, (fn. 11) Archbishop
Greenfield ordered that before the feast of All
Saints each year a full account of the income
and expenditure should be made. No nuns in
good health were to be in the infirmary, while
the sick were to be tended as their illnesses
needed and means allowed.
No corrodies, &c., were to be granted, or
boarders or girls over twelve taken without
special licence. In a subsequent letter of 12
August (fn. 12) the archbishop appointed Brothers
Benedict de Malton and Thomas de Hustwayt,
Friars minors, confessors to the nuns. Archbishop
Melton held a visitation of the house on 5 May
1318, (fn. 13) and the next day sent a decretum to
the nuns. No fresh debts were to be incurred,
especially large ones, without the consent of the
wiser portion of the convent and the archbishop's
special licence. As to the bread and ale called
"levedemete," which the Friars minors were
accustomed to receive from the house, if it was
owed to them, it was to be given as due; if not,
it was not to be given without the will of the
president.
Nuns who ought to keep convent were to do
so. They were to enter and leave the dormitory
together. The cloister doors were to be well
kept by day, and locked in good time at night,
the prioress or sub-prioress having secure charge
of the keys. The nuns were not to go out of
the precincts of the monastery often, and were
not at any time to wander about the woods,
nor eat or gossip with brothers or other seculars.
The prioress was to take her meals in the
refectory, and be more frequently in the convent
than she had been, unless sickness hindered her.
She was to have a nun of honest conversation
associated with her, within and outside the
monastery, and a waiting-maid. She was to
conduct herself piously, without offensive rancour,
nor was she to follow her own will, but to make
use of the counsel of her sisters.
Nuns and other circumspect servants and
guardians were to be appointed in granges and
offices, for the benefit of the house. Relatives
were not to visit the nuns for a longer period
than two days. Until the archbishop directed
otherwise, Sabina de Apelgarth was to be removed from all offices she held, to keep convent
continuously, at divine service, and not to go
out of the monastery on any account. No one
convicted of incontinence, or de lapsu carnis, was
to remain in office.
In 1322 (fn. 14) came the dispersion ot the nuns,
owing to the raid of the Scots. On 17 November Sabina de Apelgarth and Margaret de Neusom
were sent by the archbishop to Nun Monkton, Alice de Barton, the prioress, to Swine,
Joan de Barton and Joan de Toucotes to
Nun Appleton, Agnes de Ampleford and Agnes
de Jarkesmill to Nunkeeling, and Joan de
Brotherton and Joan Blaunkfront (fn. 15) to Hampole. (fn. 16)
The dispersion cannot have lasted long, for on
24 January 1325 (fn. 17) Joan de Barton appeared
before the archbishop, and for certain lawful
reasons resigned. The reason for resignation is
apparent from a penance enjoined upon her for
having been guilty super lapsu carnis with the
chaplain, Laurence de Systeford. (fn. 18) The details
of the penance imposed upon her, as to fasting
and prayers, are in accordance with what was
usual in these cases. She was to be shut up in
a room by herself, and on no account to go outside the convent precincts for a year, and not to
wear the black veil. The penance is dated
3 September 1325.
A visitation held in March 1327-8 (fn. 19) resulted
in a series of injunctions to the nuns. As the
house was heavily in debt, corrodies, pensions,
&c., were not to be granted without the archbishop's special licence. Some of the necessary
buildings were ruinous and unroofed, especially
the bake-house, brew-house, &c. These were
to be repaired as soon as possible.
The nuns for the future were to wear mantles,
tunics, and other garments, according to the
statutes of the rule.
Sabina de Apelgarth, for ' certain reasons,'
until the archbishop ordered otherwise, was to be
removed from all office and administration in the
house, she was to keep convent in divine service,
at fit times and places, and not to go outside
the doors, nor was she to send or receive letters,
&c. Joan Blaunkfront's penance was relaxed.
This decretum was followed on 26 March (fn. 20) by
the confirmation of a new prioress (Joan de
Toucotes) in place of Sabina de Apelgarth, whose
misconduct had led to her removal from office by
the archbishop. (fn. 21)
On 16 January 1423 (fn. 22) Alice Dautry, who
had been prioress for twenty-six years, resigned
owing to feebleness of body, and Joan Lassels
was unanimously elected her successor per modum
inspiracionis Spiritus Sancti by Emma de Holdernesse, sub-prioress, Alice Goldesburgh, Alice Dautry, Margaret Grene, Agnes Hancotes, Alice
Moreton, Agnes Butteler, and Margaret Skypton.
nuns of the house.
The house was supervised by the commissioners on 28 May 1536 and suppressed on
4 August following. (fn. 23) There were then
eight sisters, and Elizabeth Warde, one of
the nuns, held a corrody granted her by the
prioress and convent for life. The commissioners
gave her 66s. 8d., for which sum she released all
claim she had in the corrody. She was impotens
et surda, and in consideration of her poverty and
feebleness the money was paid over to a certain
honest man, who then and there pledged his
faith to take care of Elizabeth Warde for life.
Among other payments made was that of 4d.
to two men for the carriage of the evidences of
the late priory to the house of a certain ' Magister
Moyses.'
Prioresses of Moxby
Euphemia, occurs 1304-5, (fn. 24) resigned 1310 (fn. 25)
Alice de Barton, confirmed 1310, (fn. 26) occurs
1322 (fn. 27)
Joan de Barton, resigned 1324 (fn. 28)
Sabina de Apelgarth succeeded, (fn. 29) resigned
1328 (fn. 30)
Joan de Toucotes, confirmed 1328 (fn. 31)
Elizabeth Nevill, (fn. 32) died 1397 (fn. 33)
Alice Dautry, confirmed 31 Jan. 1397-8, (fn. 34)
resigned 1423 (fn. 35)
Joan Lassels, confirmed 1423-4 (fn. 36)
Alice Moreton, died 1465 (fn. 37)
Margaret Skipton, elected 1465 (fn. 38)
Agnes de Tute, confirmed 1475 (fn. 39)
Philippa Jennyson, confirmed 1530-1, (fn. 40) last
prioress