HOUSES OF THE PREMONSTRATENSIAN ORDER
60. THE ABBEY OF COVERHAM
Towards the end of the reign of Henry II,
Helewise, daughter and heiress of Ranulph de
Glanville, chief justice of England, founded a
monastery of Premonstratensian canons at
Swainby in the parish of Pickhill, (fn. 1) with the
consent of her son and heir, Waleran, then
living. She died in 1195 and was buried at
Swainby, but afterwards her remains were
removed to Coverham and buried in the chapter
house. The first foundation at Swainby is said
to have been in the year 1190, but there is
evidently an error in the date in the account of
the foundation of the house, printed by Dugdale
from a roll in St. Mary's Tower, York, (fn. 2) for
Henry II, who confirmed the gifts made to the
canons of Swainby, died in July 1189. There
is, however, no reason to doubt the other statements in the account. The roll goes on to relate
that Ralph the son of Robert, lord of Middleham, removed the canons to Coverham, (fn. 3) and
granted them the church of Coverham, and
many lands and tenements by fine in the king's
court in 14 John (1212-13). The charter of
Henry II is set out in full in an inspeximus of 22
Edward III (fn. 4) (1338-9), by which it appears that
Henry II confirmed the gifts described as those
of Waleran (Helewise's son) to the church of
St. Mary of ' Sweinesby ' and the canons there.
These were the church of Coverham, the land of
Swainby, 16 acres in Kettlewell, with pasturage
there for 1,000 sheep and 40 beasts, with tithes
and lands elsewhere, all of which his mother had
given to the canons.
After the removal to Coverham in 1212, gifts
of land in several other places were made to the
canons. These are arranged in alphabetical
order by Burton. (fn. 5) Besides their temporal
possessions, the church of Downholme was given
to them about 1300 by the Scropes of Bolton,
and the gift was confirmed by Archbishop,
Corbridge, but no vicarage was ordained. (fn. 6)
They also became possessed, but when or by
whom it was given is unknown, of a moiety of
the church of Kettlewell. It must have been
early in their history, for according to Burton (fn. 7)
the canons presented to this moiety in 1229,
although in the printed volume of Archbishop
Gray's Register (fn. 8) no mention is made of their
presentation, and it is said that the patronage was
in dispute. The other moiety of the church
belonged to the patronage of the Lords Gray of
Rotherfield, and on 4 December 1344 (fn. 9) this
moiety was appropriated by the archbishop's
authority to the abbey, and a perpetual vicarage with cure of souls was ordained in the
patronage of the abbot and convent. In 1388,
the moieties of the church having become
united in the possession of Coverham, Archbishop
Alexander Nevill made a new appropriation of
Kettlewell to the abbey, reserving annual
pensions of 8s. 4d. to the archbishop, and 5s. to
the Dean and Chapter of York. The vicar was
to have the rectorial mansion and £5 annually
from the abbot and convent.
Sedbergh Church was given to the abbey
by Sir Ralph le Scrope, and a perpetual vicarage
ordained there in 1332. (fn. 10) The abbey also
possessed the church of Seaham in the bishopric
of Durham. (fn. 11)
From a licence in mortmain granted by
Edward II in 1331-2, (fn. 12) it appears that the abbey
had been destroyed by the Scots, who had also
greatly impoverished its possessions.
In 1350 (fn. 13) one of the canons, John de Eboraco,
like many other religious in other houses, left his
monastery, without leave of his superior, in order
to visit Rome and obtain the general indulgence offered to those who went there for the
Jubilee. On 1 May 1351 he obtained from Pope
Clement VI leave to return to his monastery
which he had left in the August previous.
In 1380-1, (fn. 14) besides the abbot, who was taxed
at 15s. 9d., there were fifteen canons taxed at
3s. 4d. each, and one conversus taxed at 12d.
The list of the community in 1475 shows,
besides the abbot, sixteen canons and two
novices; (fn. 15) of the canons all held some office; one
was parish priest, others were vicars of Kettlewell,
Sedbergh, Thoralby, Redmire, and Downholme;
the obedientiaries mentioned are sub-prior, subcellarer (neither prior nor cellarer is entered),
cantor, succentor, sacrist, sub-sacrist, circator,
fraterer, and storekeeper. On the occasion of
Bishop Redman's visitation in 1478, the abbey of
the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary at
Coverham was recorded to be a daughter of the
abbey of Newhouse. (fn. 16) At this visitation one of
the canons confessed incontinence, another
accused of the same offence was acquitted, and a
third, about whose life, while vicar of Sedbergh,
suspicion had arisen, was unanimously given a
good character. Silence and other ceremonial
observances were not well kept, but the bishop
evidently had a good opinion of the abbot, John
Bromfeld, as he appointed him his sub-delegate
for the north. (fn. 17) A visitation in 1482 (fn. 18) revealed
no faults of importance, but in 1486 one canon
was punished for incontinence, another, apparently a novice, had abandoned the order and
was expelled, and the sub-prior was rebuked for
laxity and not rising for matins. (fn. 19) Two years
later, in December 1488, John Bromfeld
resigned the abbacy (fn. 20) and John Askogh was
elected in his place. The ex-abbot was assigned
a pension of 20 marks, a room, a liberal allowance of food, two attendants, and the use of the
abbot's horses; he was also exempted from
attendance in quire, and was allowed to visit his
friends when he chose. (fn. 21) The generous provision
made for the ex-abbot proved demoralizing, and
in 1491 (fn. 22) Bishop Red man found that he had
incurred by his demerits certain punishment
which the bishop remitted on promise of amendment; Another canon was also restored to the
position which he had forfeited, and the visitor
gave great praise to Abbot Askogh for his good
rule, and especially for the way in which he had
restored the buildings. At his visitations in
1494, 1497, and 1500, (fn. 23) the bishop found the
abbey in excellent condition, the convent on the
last occasion thanking God that they had chosen
so good an abbot.
In 26 Henry VIII (1534-5) (fn. 24) the total value
of the abbey was £207 11s. 8d., and the clear
annual value £160 18s. 3d. The temporalities
were wholly derived from property in Yorkshire,
and amounted to £116 14s. 8d. (This included
£12 allowed for the site of the abbey and its
demesnes.) The spiritualities were the churches
already named, viz., Coverham £20, Sedbergh
£41 10s., Downholme £7 10s., Kettlewell
£8 10s., and Seaham in Durham £13 10s.
Among the reprises were alms (fn. 25) given for the
soul of Ralph, Earl of Westmorland, 20s; and
40s. given to poor folk on Maundy Thursday,
according to ancient custom, in bread and red
and white herrings, and money to boys (pueris),
hermits, and other poor folk.
The gift of the church of Coverham to the
abbey involved the cure of souls in the parish,
and among the conventual leases relating to
Coverham there is an indenture dated 9 April
1530 (fn. 26) between the Abbot and convent of
Coverham and fifty-two persons, mostly heads
of families in the parish, as to service in the
chapel of Horsehouse. It witnesses that the
abbot and convent . . ' is fully agreyd yt a
Brother off ye foresayd monastery off Coverham
shall remane and mynyster the servyce off God,
yt is to say Matyns, Messe, and Evynsong, at ye
chapell off Sanct Botulphe at Horshows, except
syche days as hayth bene accustomyd before
tyme to cum downe to ye parysche chyrche, at ye
commandment off ye aforesayd Abbot or Curatt.
So yt ye dewtes belongyng to the ye parysche
chyrche be no thyng mynesched. Yt is agreyd
yt ye days off custom is Cristymes day, Candyllmes day, Palme Sunday, Ester day, Weit Sonday,
Trynyte Sonday, and the dedication day, wt
other days necessary for ye well off ye chyrche,
and helthe off yr sowles, and that ye aforesayd
abbot and convent schall pay 3erely to the afore
sayd Brother iiij nobles off ye party, and the
aforesayd nabores and yr successores schall pay
3erely to y fore sayd brother iiij marcs, at fower
tymes in ye 3ere, by evyn porcons, by fower
men apontyd by ye sayd abbott & brotheres,'
&c.
In the Minister's Accounts of Christopher
Mansell for the year 27-8 Henry VIII, (fn. 27) the
demesne lands of Coverham were valued at
£13 19s;. 10d.; they included a close called
'Cristecrosse' and a water-mill. The temporalities, which were derived from lands in a number
of parishes, mostly in Richmondshire or the
neighbourhood, realized £81 5s. 7d., while the
spiritualities, comprising the rectories of Coverham (£26), of Sedbergh (£50), of Downholme
(£7 16s. 8d.) of Kettle well (£ 10 9s. 4d.), and
Seaham (£14 13s. 4d.), reached £108 19s. 4d.
There were reprises, £6 to the chaplain of
Redmire, 100s. to the chaplain of Thoralby, and
the same to the chaplains of Downholme and
Coverham, the latter being also styled parish
curate. It is said that nothing was paid to the
chaplain celebrating in the chapel of St. Botolph,
called Horsehouse, beyond 3s. 4d. paid by the
inhabitants of Coverdale of the 26s. 8d. annually
due, according to the agreement between them
and the abbot and convent, because the Prior of
Coverham had paid it.
Drs. Layton and Legh (fn. 28) recorded that the
abbot and convent had the iron girdle (cingulum)
of Marie Nevell offered to women in child-bed,
and that the abbot Christopher Rokesby was
'vehemently suspected' of incontinence.
Abbots of Coverham
Philip, occurs 1202 (fn. 29)
Conan, occurs 1222-31 (fn. 30)
John, occurs 1252 (fn. 31)
William, occurs 1262 (fn. 32)
Nicholas, occurs 1287 (fn. 33)
John, occurs 1300, (fn. 34) also 1307 (fn. 35)
Bernard, occurs circa 1320 (fn. 36)
William de Aldeburg, confirmed 1331 (fn. 37)
Gilbert, occurs between 1345 and 1348 (fn. 38)
Robert, occurs 1351 (fn. 39)
Elias, occurs 1371 (fn. 40)
John, occurs 1406, (fn. 40a) 1414, (fn. 41) 1415 (fn. 42)
Cuthbert de Rydemer, confirmed 21 May
1414, (fn. 43) occurs 1426 and 1430 (fn. 44)
Gauden, occurs 1435, (fn. 45) 1437 (fn. 46)
John Bromfeld or Brownflete, confirmed
1470, (fn. 47) resigned 1488
John Askogh, confirmed 1488 (fn. 48)
Thomas Sides, confirmed 1511 (fn. 49)
Christopher Salley, confirmed 1519 (fn. 50)
Christopher Halton, confirmed 1521 (fn. 51)
Christopher Rokesby, 1528 (fn. 52)