37. THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF BURY ST. EDMUNDS
In the year 1238 both the Dominicans and
the Franciscan friars endeavoured to establish
themselves at Bury; but the legate Otho was
then at the great monastery, and being discouraged by him the Dominicans desisted from
their attempts. (fn. 1)
The Franciscans, however, persisted in their
efforts, and at last they obtained a bull in their
favour from Alexander IV. Relying on this,
they entered Bury on 22 June, 1257, and hastily
established themselves in a farm at the north end
of the town. The officials of the abbey remonstrated with them, but in vain, and at last the
monks, in spite of the papal bull, expelled them
with ignominy, though without personal violence.
The friars appealed to Rome, and the pope wrote
severely to the convent, enjoining the primate
and the dean of Lincoln to induct them into
another homestead which had been granted them
on the west side of the town. Accordingly the
treasurer of Hereford cathedral, as the commissary of the archbishop, and the dean of Lincoln
in person arrived at Bury, gave their judgement
in the parish church of St. Mary, and invested
the friars in their new premises. The monks,
however, in their indignation, drove out both
friars and delegates from the town.
The next step of the Franciscans was to lay
their grievance at the foot of the throne, when
Henry III, specially urged by his queen, espoused
the side of the mendicants, and caused the friars,
backed by the civil power, to be established on
the western site in April, 1258. Here they
rapidly raised buildings and remained for between
five and six years. After the death of Alexander IV, the monks laid their case before his
successor, Urban IV, with the result that the new
pope ordered the friars to pull down their buildings and abandon the ground. The friars obeyed,
and reconciliation was effected between them
and the monks on 19 November, 1262. On
leaving the town itself the monks granted the
friars a site beyond the north gate, just outside
the town jurisdiction, called Babwell, and here
they continued till the dissolution.
There was some delay on the part of the friars
in carrying out their promise, but they finally
quitted the town in November, 1263. Their
minister or warden was at that time Peter de
Brigstowe, and the names of five other friars are
set forth. (fn. 2)
In 1300, when the king was at Bury, he
granted 44s. for putura or dietary payment for
the convent of the Franciscans for three days.
A day's food for a friar was always reckoned in
these gifts at 4d., so that there must have been
about forty in the household. (fn. 3)
During the riots of 1327, at the time when
the town had got the upper hand and the prior
of St. Edmunds and his brethren were locked up
in the Guildhall, six of the senior friars sought
leave to re-establish themselves in the town.
The whole convent of the Franciscans, together
with the town chaplains, made at this time
solemn procession through Bury, a thing which
they had never done before, as though to encourage the populace in their violence against
the monks. Moreover, according to the monkish
historian, the friars subsequently helped the ringleaders to escape. (fn. 4)
In February, 1328, the warden and Friars
Minor of Babwell obtained the royal protection
for two years, and this was changed in the following April to protection 'during pleasure.' (fn. 5)
There was apparently peace between the
monks and friars at the beginning of the fifteenth
century, for in 1412, when the general chapter
of the Grey Friars was held at Bury, the great
abbey made a donation of £10 towards their
expenses. (fn. 6)
The popularity of the Babwell friars is proved
by the frequency of bequests to them. (fn. 7)
Robert, bishop of Emly, by his will of 1411,
left his body to be buried in the church of the
Friars Minor of Babwell; he also left to that convent six silver spoons, a silver cup, and his lesser
maser. (fn. 8) Among other burials in this church,
Weever mentions Sir Walter Trumpington and
Dame Anne his wife, Nicholas Drury and Jane
his wife, and Margaret Peyton. (fn. 9)
John Hilsey, the ex-Dominican friar, Cromwell's agent, who was then bishop of Rochester,
wrote to his master on 27 September, 1538,
saying he had been at Babwell talking with the
warden; he had been reported for some treasonable utterances, but expressed his sorrow, and
said he was ready to surrender if the king or
Cromwell wished it. Hilsey offered to take the
surrender on his return from Lynn. There was
a bed-ridden friar at Babwell, and he should be
used as Cromwell commanded. (fn. 10)
The actual surrender was, however, made in
the following December to another ex-Dominican
and special tool of Cromwell in dealing with the
friars, Richard Ingworth, suffragan bishop of
Dover. (fn. 11)
The house of the Grey Friars, Babwell, with
its appurtenances, was granted in May, 1541, to
Anthony Harvey, at a rental of 10s. (fn. 12)
Wardens of the Franciscan Friars of Bury St. Edmunds
Peter de Brigstowe, 1263
Adam Ewell, (fn. 13) 1418