FRIARIES
22. HOUSE OF DOMINICAN FRIARS, ARUNDEL
The date and circumstances in which the
Dominicans settled at Arundel are not known, but
it is possible that they were brought there by
Isabel, countess of Arundel. (fn. 1) The first mention of their convent is in 1253, when
St. Richard, bishop of Chichester, left to them
in his will 20s. and a book of Sentences. (fn. 2) It is
not unlikely that the saint's confessor and biographer, Ralf Bocking, who was a Dominican,
may have been an inmate of this house, the only
one of the order in Sussex at that date. (fn. 3) When
Edward I came to Arundel in May, 1297, he
gave 22s. for three days' food for the friars, (fn. 4) which
at the recognized rate of 4d. for a day's food, would
point to a community of twenty-two brethren at
this time, and a similar royal gift in 1324 of
6s. 8d. for one day's food corresponds to twenty
brethren. (fn. 5)
Edmund, earl of Arundel, in 1324 obtained
licence to grant to the friars 2 acres of land
adjoining their precincts, (fn. 6) but no other grant of
land is recorded. In 1381 Michael Northburgh,
canon of Chichester, mentioned in his will that
he had bound himself to bestow a sum of £40
upon the Friars Preachers of Arundel, in return
for which they were to celebrate two masses for
him, the first at the high altar and the second at
the lower; and they were further to construct
two glazed windows with the money, as set forth
in an indenture made between them. (fn. 7) But in
spite of numerous legacies, the house was a poor
one, and in 1402, when one of the brethren,
John Bourne, in the fervour of his religious zeal
had himself enclosed as an anchorite in a cell of
the convent he found the inconvenience of the
place and the penury of the house so trying that
he obtained papal licence to move to some more
suitable place, taking with him his clothes, books,
and other belongings. (fn. 8)
Of the inner history of this priory we can say
but little. Its prior in 1314 was one of the
eight English priors removed from office and declared incapable of immediate re-election by the
general chapter of that year. (fn. 9) When the bishop
of Dover visited Arundel in July, 1538, (fn. 10) he
found the friars too poor to pay even a part of
his expenses, but he recorded that the three
brethren were ' in good name and favour.' Although there were only three friars here in July,
1538, when the house was surrendered in
October of the same year, there were four besides
the prior. (fn. 11)
Priors of Arundel.
John de Grensted, occurs 1330 (fn. 12)
John Bailly, occurs 1414 (fn. 13)
John Colwyll, surrendered 1538. (fn. 14)