FRIARIES
68. THE AUSTIN FRIARS OF BOSTON
The king having licensed the Austin Friars
1 January, 1316-17, to acquire five acres of land
in Boston to build a house, (fn. 1) they obtained in
part satisfaction of this grant a messuage containing 1a. 1r. of land from Andrew son of
Robert atte Gote, or Gotere, in 1318, (fn. 2) 2a. 1r.
from John de la Gotere in 1327, (fn. 3) and a messuage containing half an acre from John de Multon,
parson of the church of Skirbeck, and John Mosse
of Leek in 1342. (fn. 4) Thomas de Wike and others
gave them three acres in Boston in 1361. (fn. 5)
There were twenty friars here in 1328. (fn. 6)
Legacies were left them by Sir Henry Asty,
kt., justice of the Common Bench (1383),
John de Ravenser, rector of Algarkirk (1385),
William de Thimelby (1385), William de
Waltham, canon of York, &c. (1416), Ralph
Lord Cromwell (1511), John Chove of Fleet,
Edward Hevyn of Tattershall (1511), William
Bornett of Alford (1525), and others. (fn. 7)
Leland notes that he was unable to visit the
library of this friary on account of the pestilence
there raging. (fn. 8)
In January, 1539, the Black, White, and
Austin Friars were in great straits, 'piteously
lamenting their poverty, and knowing not how
to live till their houses be surrendered. The
devotion of the people is clean gone, their plate
and implements sold, so they have nothing left
but the lead,' which they would have plucked
down and sold too if they had not been prevented. (fn. 9)
The bishop of Dover received the surrender
of the four houses in February, 1539—'very
poor houses and poor persons,' but 'all meetly
leaded.' The lead the visitor estimated at four
score fother or more in the four houses. He
urged Cromwell to let the friars have their
capacities, for 'the bishops and curates be very
hard to them without they have their capacities.' (fn. 10)
The site, estimated at ten acres, lying near
St. John's churchyard, together with a tenement
at St. John's Bridge, was leased to Thomas
Browne of Boston, 2 June, 1541, at a rent of
78s. 8d. a year, subject to the obligation of keeping in repair 10 ft, 'in le Sedike versus le Wharffe
Holmes,' and 80 ft. 'de la frontage apud le
haven,' and was bought by the town in 1544-5. (fn. 11)
The materials of the houses were probably used
to keep up the sea walls. (fn. 12) In 1573 the site was
leased to Anthony Kyme. (fn. 13)
69. THE BLACK FRIARS OF BOSTON
The Dominicans had settled in Boston before
1288; for in that year (fn. 14) some miscreants, during
the fair of St. Botolph, having set fire to the booths
of the merchants, a great part of the town was
burnt, including the church, refectory, and other
houses of the Friars Preachers. The king gave
them eight oaks for timber out of Sherwood
Forest, 16 September, 1290. (fn. 15) In 1291 the
abbot and convent of Kirkstead and these friars
exchanged some land in Boston. (fn. 16) In the next
year the friars acquired a plot of land 100 ft. by
18 ft. (worth 13s. 4d. a year) from John de
Sutton and Petronilla his wife, and another plot
containing 44 perches by 3 perches (worth 4s. a
year) from Peter Gode of Boston; both plots
were held ultimately by the Earl of Richmond. (fn. 17)
By 1309 they had rebuilt their church and were
licensed by Bishop Dalderby to have their altars
dedicated by any Catholic bishop. (fn. 18) Dalderby
granted an indulgence in 1314 to those who
assisted in repairing the church of the Friars
Preachers. (fn. 19) They had royal licence to construct
a subterranean aqueduct from Bolingbroke to
their house for the use of themselves and others
in 1327, and in 1330 Bishop Burghersh granted
an indulgence to those who helped in this work. (fn. 20)
In 1300, the provincial, while presenting to
the bishop, for licence to hear confessions, twentyone friars from the convent of Lincoln, presented
only two from Boston. (fn. 21)
In 1300 Edward I came to Boston and gave
the Friars Preachers 19s. 8d. through Friar
William de Basyngham for two days' food. (fn. 22)
Edward II in 1312 sent them 12s. for one day's
food. (fn. 23) Edward III, passing through Boston
12 September, 1328, sent an alms of 9s. 4d.
to the twenty-eight brethren for one day's
food. (fn. 24)
When Richard de Bernesley of Halton died,
there came to this convent, probably by his
bequest, £26 13s. 4d., which the crown owed
him for four sacks of wool at 10 marks a sack;
the money was paid to the prior out of the
exchequer in 1343. (fn. 25)
A commission of oyer and terminer was issued
to William de Thorpe and others 10 December,
1345, on complaint of Robert de Kyrketon,
prior, and Simon of Boston, friar of this house,
that John Baret, parson of the church of Boston,
Robert de Pykworth, chaplain, Walter Baret,
William le Cook, and others, assaulted the said
Friar Simon at Boston, so that his life was
despaired of, and carried away his goods. (fn. 26)
Some thirty years later, November, 1376, the
body of Sir William, lord of Hunyngfeld, or
Huntingfield, was being buried in the church of
the Black Friars of Boston. (fn. 27) The bishop wished
to be present, but the friars to the number of 200,
according to the account in the bishop's register,
closed the chancel of the choir and defended it
against him with swords and arrows, and refused
to let him or any other bishop come to services
in their churches without leave of the friars themselves. Only the discretion of the bishop and
the humanity of the nobles present prevented
bloodshed.
The next day the bishop came to celebrate
mass for the dead in the same church, but the
friars assembled round the belfry or tower built
over the entrance to the choir, armed with heavy
stones to throw down on people entering the
choir. The prior and some other friars came to
the bishop and refused to allow him to receive
the oblations due to him and enjoyed by his
predecessors, and said they would rather die than
permit this. The nobles seeing the dangers
which must ensue, resolved to abstain from all
oblations, and made a public proclamation of the
fact, and of the insult paid to the bishop and to
all his fellow-bishops throughout England.
Letters on the subject were sent to the archbishop of Canterbury, and to the provincial of the
Friars Preachers. This account comes from the
bishop's side. (fn. 28)
Soon afterwards the friars were again in
trouble. A commission was issued 10 November, 1379, (fn. 29) to Robert de Willoughby and others
to inquire touching the persons who, led by
certain rebellious friars of the order, by night
scaled with ladders the walls of the house of the
Friars Preachers of Boston, broke their doors and
windows, assaulted the prior, Roger Dymoke,
and his friars in their beds, so that they were
obliged to ring their bells to raise the commonalty
of the town to come to their aid, and to cry fire
for rescue—the evil-doers assaulting the constables
and resisting arrest, besides carrying off the prior's
goods; the commissioners were empowered to
arrest offenders. Roger Dymoke, D.D., of
Oxford, was afterwards regent of the Black
Friars Schools in London, and an opponent of
the Lollards. (fn. 30)
In 1396 Friar Hugh was elected prior here,
and the election confirmed in 1397 by the
master-general, as Thomas Palmer was no
longer provincial, and could not act. The
master-general at the same time confirmed to
Friar John Birck all graces conceded to him by
his superiors, and the chamber granted to him in
this house. He also allowed one Friar Robert
here to hold his rank according to his seniority,
notwithstanding that his lectures on the sentences
had been cursory. He transferred an Irish friar,
John Pole, from Trim to Boston, and allowed
him to assist at the obsequies of Lady Isabel of
Friskney. (fn. 31) In 1422 Isabella widow of Sir
Thomas de Friskney, kt., was buried in this
convent. (fn. 32) Ralph Lord Cromwell, by will dated
December, 1451, and proved February, 1455-6,
left ten marks to these friars. (fn. 33)
Leland inspected their library about 1538,
and noted the following books (fn. 34) : Turpin's History of Charles the Great; a volume containing
Chronica summorum pontificum et imperatorum,
De gestis Troianorum, Historia Graecorum,
Historia Britonum, Albertus de mirabilibus (this
was to be set aside for the king, and is now
in the British Museum) (fn. 35) ; Peter of Tarantaise
('Lugdunensis') on virtues and vices, on the
epistles of St. Paul, and the fourth book of the
sentences; and Gorham on St. Luke.
The poverty of the Black Friars on the eve of
the surrender of the house to the bishop of Dover,
February, 1539, has already been mentioned. (fn. 36)
The site comprising about five acres was valued
at 21s. a year: a tenement with garden within
the monastery was let to Thomas Crowe, chaplain, for 13s. 4d. a year, and a house and two
gardens were let to William Spynke, John Bate,
and John Nele, at rents of 4s., 5s., and 3s. 4d.,
respectively — the total annual value being
46s. 8d. (fn. 37) The property was granted 10 March,
1540-1, to the Duke of Suffolk. (fn. 38) It was situated
in South Street between Shodfriars Lane and
Spain Lane. A portion of the friary adjoining
the custom house was used as a granary, and
pulled down about 1820. The burial ground
appears to have been in Shodfriars Lane near the
grammar school. (fn. 39)
70. THE GREY FRIARS OF BOSTON
'Merchants of the Steelyard,' says Leland, (fn. 40)
'were wont greatly to haunt Boston; and the
Grey Friars took them in a manner for founders
of their house, and many Esterlings were buried
there.' Among them was Wisselus de Smalenberg, merchant of Munster (1340), the slab of
whose tomb is now in the parish church. (fn. 41) The
date of the foundation is uncertain. The house
was built before 1268, when one Luke de
Batenturt complained that the wine and other
goods which he had deposited in the church had
been removed. (fn. 42) In 1300 the king gave them
20s. 4d. by the hands of Friar Gilbert of Lonsdale; (fn. 43) there seem to have been thirty friars in
the house at this time. Edward III gave a pittance of 11s. 8d. to the 35 friars here in 1328. (fn. 44)
In 1322 William and Robert de Masham
granted them a messuage and half an acre of
land for the enlargement of their dwelling-place; (fn. 45)
and they received a further addition to this land
from John le Pytehede in 1348. (fn. 46) In or before
1354 they lost some of their muniments and other
goods owing to a sudden inrush of the sea. (fn. 47)
The friary, which was situated in the southeast part of the town, was in the custody of
York. (fn. 48)
In 1391 John Dunning, a vagabond apostate
friar, was, with the help of the secular arm,
restored to this house from which he had
absconded. (fn. 49)
The tombs of one of the Mountevilles and
six or seven of the Withams were noted here by
Leland. (fn. 50) Richard Temper was buried here in
1515. (fn. 51) Bequests were made to these friars by
Sir Henry Asty, kt., Ralph Lord Cromwell,
and others. (fn. 52) By old custom the lords of the
honour of Richmond granted to them annually
eight quarters of wheat; these were valued in
1534 at 32s. (fn. 53)
John Tynmouth alias Maynelyn, friar minor
of Lynn and titular bishop of Argos, was vicar
of Boston 1518-24, but does not seem to have
had any connexion with the Grey Friars of
Boston. (fn. 54)
John Perrot, or Porrett, warden of this house,
took the degree of D.D. at Oxford in 1526. (fn. 55)
The Grey Friars, though very poor at the
time of surrender, February, 1539, do not seem
to have lamented their poverty and inability to
live, like the other friaries. (fn. 56) The site, valued at
44s. a year, was first reserved for the king, and
subsequently, 1544-5, purchased by the town,
subject to the obligation of keeping in repair
40 ft. of the sea-dyke, and 20 ft. on 'le
frontage.' (fn. 57)
71. THE WHITE FRIARS OF BOSTON
In 1293 the Carmelites obtained a licence
from Bishop Sutton to have a chantry in the
oratory at Boston, and in the same year Master
Giffred de Vezano, papal nuncio and rector of
the parish church of Boston, consented that the
friars might have a church, houses, and churchyard in his parish, might celebrate divine service,
and bury their brethren in the churchyard,
provision being made as to the rector's rights to
offerings. (fn. 58)
Edward I gave them 12s, for two days' food
in 1300; this would be the allowance for eighteen
friars. (fn. 59) There were twenty-two friars of the
house in 1328. (fn. 60)
In 1305 the king pardoned them for having
acquired in mortmain a messuage, adjoining
their area, from Robert de Wellbek of Boston. (fn. 61)
This pardon was repeated in 1307 by Edward II,
who at the same time gave the friars permission
to erect a church and other buildings. (fn. 62) This
perhaps refers to the new site, on the west side
of the river, which they acquired at this time.
For in October, 1307, Clement V ordered
Bishop Dalderby to license these friars to transfer
themselves to another place in the parish of St.
Botolph, granted to them by William de Ros;
the bishop's licence was issued in 1308. (fn. 63) In this
year the friars acquired a plot of ground from
John Parleben; (fn. 64) in 1315 another measuring
81 ft. by 25 ft. from John Hervy of London and
Boston, and Avice his wife; (fn. 65) and another in
1316 containing 18 perches by 2½ perches from
Simon Gernon of Boston. (fn. 66) In February, 1349-50,
Simon Lambert of Boston gave them three messuages to enlarge their house and graveyard; the
messuages, held of Lord Roos, were of small
value, 'because they are fallen' and in a deserted
lane. (fn. 67) Sir John de Orreby, 1350, gave the
friars four acres, and was afterwards reputed
founder of the house. (fn. 68)
For 6s. 8d. paid by these friars in the hanaper
they obtained licence in 1400 for the alienation
to them in mortmain by Sir Ralph de Cromwell,
kt., of five acres of land in Skirbeck adjoining
their house, held of Ralph earl of Westmoreland,
as of the honour of Richmond. (fn. 69) Ralph de
Cromwell left them 10 marks by his will made
in 1451. (fn. 70)
John Hornby, who wrote among other works
a defence of his order against the attacks of
John Stokes, was prior of the White Friars of
Boston in 1374. (fn. 71) George or Gregory Ripley,
the author of lives of St. Botolph and St. John
of Bridlington, is said to have been an inmate of
this house about 1400. (fn. 72) Friar John Viude of
Boston was provincial of the English Carmelites
in 1482, and was buried in his native convent. (fn. 73)
Leland noted about 1538 there were many
books here, but they either contained matter
already printed, or they did not relate to divinity
or the history of antiquity. (fn. 74) He does not mention
any by name.
The town in 1544-5 purchased the site of
'le White fryers,' containing five acres, together
with a tenement in the tenure of Thomas
Waltehewe, fishmonger, of Boston, and a pasture
in Skirbeck in the tenure of John Turpham, the
whole property being at that time demised to
William Heydon at a rent of £4 a year, and
subject to the obligation of keeping in repair
130 ft. of the dyke towards 'le Wharffe.' (fn. 75)