22. THE CARMELITE FRIARS OF COVENTRY
The house of the Carmelite or White Friars
of Coventry is said to have been founded at the
unusually late date of 1342, about a century
after their first introduction into England. Their
house stood in the south-east part of the city; it
was erected for them by Sir John Poultney. (fn. 1)
The founder was a native of Poultney, a hamlet
of Misterton, Leicestershire. He became a
wealthy citizen of London, and was five times
lord mayor, namely in 1312, 1330, 1331, 1333,
and 1335. He was knighted by the Black
Prince in 1338, died in 1349 of the plague, and
was buried in a chapel of his own erection in the
cathedral church of St. Paul.
It is just possible, however, that the friars may
have been settled in Coventry many years earlier
and that they were removed to a new site in
1342, for in 1287 Archbishop Peckham wrote
to the archdeacon of Derby saying that he heard
that the friars of Mount Carmel purposed to
settle in Coventry within the prescribed distance
of 140 rods (cannae) of the Friars Minors, to the
injury of the latter. (fn. 2) The archdeacon was to
order them to desist and abandon the proposed
site, but it does not necessarily follow that they
gave up their intention of settling somewhere
within the city. However that may be, there is
no trace of any Carmelite convent at Coventry
until on 24 February 1342, licence was granted
to William de Ingleton and Nicholas de Sproton,
chaplains, to alienate in mortmain to the prior
provincial of the Carmelite friars a messuage and
ten acres of land in Coventry, to build a church
in honour of the Virgin Mary with houses for a
habitation for a prior and some friars of that
order. (fn. 3)
Two years later Edward III personally granted
to the prior and brothers ordinis de Monte Carmell
de Coventre a toft with its appurtenances adjoining their site for the extension of their house, (fn. 4)
and in 1352 letters patent were granted for
acquiring a further small addition to the site for
the purpose of enlarging their house. (fn. 5)
Bequests to this house, as was the case with
other friaries, were commonly made for small
amounts, as for instance in the case of William
Botener, who bequeathed his furred gown of
crimson velvet to the church of the White Friars
to make thereof a vestment; but in 1384 Lord
Basset of Drayton bequeathed to the Carmelites
of Coventry the handsome legacy of £300, for
the enlargement of their church. (fn. 6) In 1506
Thomas Bonde of Coventry bequeathed 20
marks to the cloister of the Carmelite house
which was then being rebuilt.
In 1413 licence was granted to William Botener
of Withybrook to give them a piece of ground
141 ft. by 45 ft. for the enlargement of their
habitation; in consideration whereof they were
to celebrate the anniversary of John Percy and
Alice his wife. (fn. 7)
The annals of the city record under the year
1431—'then was the firste chapiter of the White
Friers.' (fn. 8) This entry obviously refers to the
provincial chapter of the order being held for the
first time at Coventry. The city annals contain
another reference to these friars, for in 1471
'One Gryffyth, a serjeant of Coventrie, arrested
a man in the church of the White Friars on
All Hallows eve and the Freres rescued the party
and took the serjeant's mall from him.'
Sir Thomas Poultney, of Misterton, lineal descendant of the founder, by his will dated 3 April,
1507, bequeathed his body to be buried in the
chancel of the Carmelite church of Coventry
and appointed that at his funeral twenty-four
torches each having his arms upon it should be
borne by the same number of poor men, every
one having a gown with the 'libberd's' head behind and before.
The gilds of both the carpenters and smiths of
the city were in the habit of holding their annual
feasts in the hall of the White Friars throughout
the fifteenth century and down to the Dissolution.
The Valor of 1535 gave the clear annual
value of the Carmelite house of Coventry, when
Richard Wodcok was warden, as £7 13s. 8d.
Rents of certain tenements standing on the site
allotted to them for their church and buildings
yielded 66s. 8d., whilst the offerings in their
Lady Chapel, where there was a special image of
the Virgin, averaged £5 18s. a year. Out of
this they paid 20s. a year to the warden of
Merton's chantry in the church of St. Michael;
2s. to the heirs of Robert Norwood for the
ground on which their church stood; 3s. to the
pittance of Coventry Priory; 4s. for murage to
the city of Coventry, and 2s. to a bailiff for
collecting the rents of their tenements. (fn. 9)
On 1 October, 1538, Hugh Burnby, the prior,
and thirteen of the White Friars signed a surrender of their house to Dr. London for the
king's use; John Yett and Thomas Gyfte, laymen,
were appointed attorneys to receive and deliver the
same. (fn. 10) No pension was granted to any of them.
It was reported at the end of the month that
the soil of the church, churchyard, and quire of
the White Friars was only worth yearly, after
the buildings were defaced, and the ground made
clean, 6s. 8d. a year. (fn. 11) The church and churchyard were granted to George Pollard, one of the
king's household, and Andrew Flamnock of
Kenilworth. In 1543 Pollard and Flamnock
made over their interest to the corporation of
Coventry, the former receiving £20 and the latter
£10. (fn. 12)
William Lubbenham, of Coventry, was provincial master of the English Carmelites for the
year 1353; he was warden of this house and on
his death in 1361 was buried in the chapter-house.
Friar William was D.D. of Oxford, and much
distinguished both for piety and learning. He
was often termed William Coventry. (fn. 13) John
Bird, a native of Coventry, and at one time
warden of this house, was also provincial from
1516 to 1518, and then again from 1522 until
the dissolution of the order in 1538. (fn. 14)
Wardens
William Lubbenham, occurs 1353; died 1361
John Bird
Richard Wodcok, occurs 1535
Hugh Burnby, surrendered 1538