97. THE BLACK FRIARS, YARM (fn. 1)
The Friars Preachers settled at Yarm in or
before 1266, in which year Henry III gave
them ten oaks in Galtres Forest. (fn. 2) Sir Peter de
Brus, lord of the manor, who died in 1272,
granted to them for the welfare of his soul and
the soul of Hillaria his wife a toft in the south
part of the town. (fn. 3) John de Levington gave
them a plot of land lying between their land
and the rivulet of Skytering; this grant was
confirmed by Sir Marmaduke de Twenge, lord
of Danby, and Lucy his wife, the sister of
Peter de Brus. John son of Roger de Levington gave them two adjacent plots, (fn. 4) and John de
Aslacby, burgess of Yarm, and Parnel his
wife, 20 January 1301-2, conferred on the
friars the croft called Ribaldcroft, containing 5
acres, the royal licence having been granted on
condition that a footpath be kept by stiles
between this land and the Tees. The gift was
confirmed by William de Latimer, lord of
Yarm, and Lucy his wife, the granddaughter of
Marmaduke de Tweng. (fn. 5) All these grants were
confirmed by Edward II in 1314. (fn. 6) It appears
that the friars also had some land of the gift of
John de Meynil of Middleton before the end
of the 13th century. (fn. 7)
In October 1302 a commission of oyer and
terminer was issued to three justices touching
the persons who entered the close of the prior
of these friars, threw down some walls, broke
his gates and carried away the timber of them,
and beat his servants. (fn. 8) And in October 1304
the prior obtained a similar writ against those
who had broken his close, trampled down and
consumed grass to the value of 40s. by pasturing
cattle there. (fn. 9) These events were probably connected with a claim to the land granted by
John de Aslacby.
When the Archbishop of York was organizing the preaching of the Crusade in 1291 he
enjoined the convent of Yarm to cause some of
their friars to preach at Allerton, Yarm, and
Thirsk. (fn. 10) In the same year they had 100s. from
the executors of Queen Eleanor. (fn. 11) Edward I
gave them 10s. for one day's food in December
1299. (fn. 12) Edward II gave 11s. to the thirtythree friars here in 1319 (fn. 13) ; and Edward III
in 1335 gave 9s. 4d. to the twenty-eight friars of
Yarm and 20s. for the repair of their cloister. (fn. 14)
The church seems to have been rebuilt at
the beginning of the 14th century, as the archbishop issued a commission to the Bishop of
Whithern to dedicate it 3 May 1308. (fn. 15) In
January 1314-15 the archbishop sent instructions to the Dominican friars, and especially to
the Prior of Yarm, to denounce the Scots, who
were devastating the country, and to stir up the
people to resist. (fn. 16) In October 1322 the prior,
Edmund de Clif, bought victuals from the royal
household for £8 6s. 8d. Of this debt Edward
III in 1329 pardoned the friars £8. (fn. 17)
In 1392 Thomas Ingilby gave to the friars
three messuages in Yarm adjoining their house;
the prior and convent paid 2 marks for the
royal licence. (fn. 18)
Friar John Leeke of this house had permission
of the master-general to go to the Roman court
or elsewhere at his will with a companion of
the order in 1393, and in 1397 he was
appointed by the same authority to lecture
concurrently on the Sentences at Oxford if he
could obtain the grace from the University. (fn. 19)
Bequests were numerous. Henry Lord Percy
left the friars 30s. in 1349 (fn. 20) ; William Lord
Latimer £10 and a vestment embroidered with
his arms in 1381 (fn. 21) ; Sir John Mowbray of
Colton 'un grand plombe q'est a Jarum'
valued at 5 marks in 1391, to sing trentals for
his soul and that of Elizabeth his late wife (fn. 22) ;
Isabella, widow of Walter Lord Fauconbeig, 5
marks in 1401 (fn. 23) ; Robert Conyers of Sockburn
left 10s. to the convent and 6s. 8d. to Friar
John Leeke in 1431. (fn. 24) Jane Boynton,
daughter of James Strangeways, in 1486 desired
to be buried in the quire near the high altar,
and left to them 40s. for her burial, 40s. to
divide amongst them, two lead tubs and
'mashfattes,' a board with trestles, her mass
book, chalice and vestment; she left instructions that mass should be said for twelve and a
half years for her soul in the friars' church (for
which purpose she entrusted 100 marks to the
Prior of Mount Grace), and that 'an image of
the Salutation of our Lady and St. Gabriel'
should be put up at the end of the high altar
before her grave. (fn. 25)
In the church and cemetery were buried
many of the Hiltons of Hilton, and the Meynells
of Hilton. In the quire lay Eva daughter of
John Bulmer, widow of Henry son of Hugh,
her son Hugh and grandson Thomas, and also
Robert de Hilton, 'all of the progeny of the
Hiltons.' In the chapel of St. Katherine lay
Mary wife of Nicholas de Meynell; John de
Hilton, lord of Hilton, and Isabella his wife.
In the cemetery Hugh Meynell of Hilton and
his wife Alice, Robert de Meynell, John de
Meynell and his wife Sibilla, (fn. 26) Nicholas de
Hilton and Cecilia his wife. (fn. 27)
In 1520 the master-general assigned Friar
Clement Guadel to the convent of 'Jerm,'
and ordered the prior not to employ him in
any conventual office, but to allow him when
divine service was over to go to the Grammar
Schools. (fn. 28)
The friary was surrendered 21 December
1538 to William Blytheman by Miles Wilcock
the prior, five priests, and six novices, a very
unusual proportion of novices. (fn. 29) Bryan Layton,
esquire, was put in charge of the house, and
bought the goods for 106s. 8d.; out of this sum
the prior received 20s. and the ten friars
54s. 4d. There were 40 fother of lead, two
bells, and 49 oz. of plate (consisting of two
chalices, twelve spoons, and three maserbands). (fn. 30) The annual value of the possessions,
over and above reprises, is given in one document as 8s., (fn. 31) but this seems irreconcilable with
the details given in the Minister's Accounts of
1539-40. The lands are there described as
containing 10 a. besides eight cottages and
yielding £3 12s. 8d. yearly. (fn. 32)
The seal is a pointed oval, and represents the
Annunciation of the Virgin, in a niche with
canopy of two arches; from the hand of the
archangel hangs a label bearing the words 'Ave
Maria'; on the ground between the two
figures a vase of flowers; in base a half figure
praying. Legend:—
SIGILLUM CONVENTUS FRV PREDICATORUM
D'IARE. (fn. 33)