87. THE WHITE FRIARS OF HULL
The tradition of the order that the Carmelite friary of Hull dates from 1290, and that the
chief founders and benefactors were Edward I,
Sir Robert Ughtred, and Sir Richard de la Pole,
is probably substantially correct. (fn. 1) The earliest
mention of the house is contained in a petition of
Master Robert of Scarborough, Dean of York,
in 1289, for licence to bestow a messuage in
Wike-upon-Hull on the Carmelites. (fn. 2) The
convent seems to have consisted of thirteen
brethren in 1298, when the king gave the friars
13s. for three days' food through Friar Robert de
Saunton. (fn. 3) From the royal alms (5s. for one day's
food in 1300 by the hand of Friar Geoffrey of
Corringham, and 20s. for three days' food in
1301), (fn. 4) it appears that the inmates of the house
increased rapidly. It soon became necessary for
them to obtain more room both for the friars and
for 'the great multitude flocking there to divine
service.' Edward I gave them 3 acres in Milncroft outside the walls in 1304, in exchange for
their site in the town, and at his request,
dated 25 January 1306-7, Clement V authorized
them, 23 June 1307, to transfer themselves to
the new site by Beverley Gate, and to have the
first stone of their new buildings blessed by a
bishop. (fn. 5) The archbishop licensed them (17 May
1311) to have their church consecrated. (fn. 6) In
1320 Walter de Scorby and Robert de Barton
gave them small plots of land adjacent to their
house (fn. 7) ; and William son of Sir Richard de la
Pole, kt., added 1½ acres to their area in 1352. (fn. 8)
Several bequests were made by women to the
image of the Virgin in this church. Isabel Wilton
in 1486 bequeathed to the Lady at the White
Friars a chest bound with iron; Elizabeth Hatfield of Hedon, in 1509, a pair of chaplets of
silver with a cross (also a chalice of silver to the
church); Diones of Hull, a girdle. (fn. 9) Richard
Doughty of Hull, merchant, in 1513 bequeathed
to the friars a tenement next St. James's Maison
Dieu. (fn. 10) John Fynwell of Hull, 1521, left to
the prior his Golden Legend. (fn. 11) Dame Joan
Thurescrosse left £4 towards rebuilding the
church in 1523. (fn. 12) Sir Thomas Sutton, kt.,
was buried here. (fn. 13)
Shortly before the Dissolution there were eight
friars in the house. (fn. 14) The friary was surrendered
by John Wade, the prior, to Richard Ingworth,
Bishop of Dover, 10 March 1538-9. (fn. 15) The
lands comprised the site with gardens (½ acre)
and a close of pasture (1 acre), and three more
gardens let to various tenants, at a total rent of
13s 4d. a year. The rents in the town amounted
to 20s. a year, and included 12d. from the
masters or wardens of the Gild of Mariners for a
rent derived from the house called Trinity House,
situated on the south of the priory. (fn. 16)
Priors
John Craven, 1410 (fn. 17)
John Wade, 1538
88. THE AUSTIN FRIARS OF HULL (fn. 1)
Geoffrey de Hotham of Cranswick and John
de Wetwang had royal licence in 1317 to grant
a plot of land in Hull, measuring 205 ft. by
115 ft., for the construction of a house of Austin
Friars. (fn. 2) The grant was made to the Austin
Friars of York, who sent some of their members
to found the house at Hull. (fn. 3) The land owed a
rent of 16s. 8d. to the town; the friars petitioned to be released from this payment about
1321, but failed to obtain relief till Richard son
and heir of Geoffrey of Hotham and John de
Wilflet, in 1341, conferred on the town rents
from other messuages to the amount of 17s. 9d. (fn. 4)
Friar John de Hornyngton, S.T.P., having
been granted licence by the prior-general to
choose any convent of his order, and a chamber
therein to dwell in for life, and also to retain as
servant one of the brethren of the convent,
selected the house at Hull; he complained to the
Crown that certain envious persons were scheming to expel him, and obtained a writ of protection 20 August 1381 for himself, his serving
friar, household, chamber, books and goods. (fn. 5)
He was S.T.P. of Cambridge, and took part
in condemning Wycliffe's doctrines in 1382. (fn. 6)
Richard Clay, of this house, was appointed papal
chaplain in 1413. (fn. 7)
Adam Correy was buried here in 1392, and left,
as mortuary gift, his horse with saddle and bridle,
and to Friar William Bridlington £9. (fn. 8) Richard
Wilflet of Hull, mariner, 1520, endowed lights
on the altars of our Lady and St. Catherine in
this church. (fn. 9) The friars are said to have numbered eighteen about the end of the 15th century, (fn. 10) and seem to have depended entirely on
alms. At the time of the Dissolution they held
only the site with a garden in Blackfriars Street,
measuring 49 yds. by 33 yds., worth 5s. a year. (fn. 11)
The house was surrendered by Alexander Ingram,
prior, 10 March 1538-9, to the Bishop of
Dover. (fn. 12)
The seal represents St. Michael in combat
with the dragon, in a canopied niche; in base on
a corbel a prior kneeling. Legend:—
S: PRIORIS: CONVENTUS: HULL: ORDĪS: SBI:
AUGUSTINI (fn. 13)