73. THE AUSTIN FRIARS OF GRIMSBY
William Fraunk obtained licence, 22 November, 1293, to alienate to the prior and Austin
Friars of Lincoln a messuage in Grimsby, and
became responsible for the payment of 6d. a
year which was due from this messuage at the
Exchequer by the hand of the bailiffs of
Grimsby. (fn. 1) By 1300 the friars had built an
oratory without licence of the bishop and in
spite of the opposition of the Austin Canons of
Grimsby. (fn. 2) In 1305 they were allowed by the
king to enclose two plots of ground in the town,
which they had acquired from William de
Dudale and Edmund de Fal, though the king
would thereby lose 14d. a year which the bailiffs
of the town were wont to render for the farm
of the land. (fn. 3) The friars in 1315 received a
messuage adjacent to their house from John atte
See of Ravenserod—the king consenting to the
grant at the request of the queen. (fn. 4) William le
Tollere conferred on them another adjacent plot
in 1319. (fn. 5) In 1325 Bishop Burghersh granted
an indulgence to those visiting their church, (fn. 6)
They further acquired plots of land from Simon
of Grimsby in 1333 (fn. 7) and from William de
Brocklesby, king's clerk, in 1337. (fn. 8) For these
various tenements they paid to the mayor and
commonalty towards the farm of the town 8s. a
year till 1342, when Peter atte See, burgess,
granted to the town a like rent from his lands
that the friars might hold their lands rent free. (fn. 9)
In 1339 Walter de Belesby, the prior, complained that Thomas de Skirbeck of Grimsby, and
many others, including a butcher and a tailor,
had assaulted Simon of Grimsby, a friar of the
house; (fn. 10) a commission of oyer and terminer was
issued to Richard de Willoughby and others,
and shortly afterwards a writ of protection for
one year was granted to the friars and William
Bray, their attorney, who were threatened with
disturbance in the prosecution of their business. (fn. 11)
Bequests were made to these friars by Richard
Ravenser, archdeacon of Lincoln (fn. 12) (1385), John
of Waltham, bishop of Salisbury (fn. 13) (1395), John
Enderby of Grimsby (fn. 14) (1472), Richard Burgh,
who left 12d. to every friar of the house (fn. 15)
(1512-3), John Lyttyll of Grimsby (fn. 16) (1530).
John Cotes, esq. (fn. 17) was buried in the church and
left two good oxen to the brethren (1421).
John Daniel was prior in 1419. (fn. 18)
In the reign of Henry VII (?) some of the
inhabitants attacked the Austin Friars 'on riotous
wise' and indited certain of the brethren without
reasonable cause to their 'unportable' charge and
cost, and were ordered by the king to desist. (fn. 19)
Leland saw many old MSS. in the library but
found nothing worth recording. (fn. 20)
During the short Lincolnshire rebellion in
October, 1536, the prior of this house, who had
been recently appointed, came riding with the
warden of the Grey Friars to the commons and
gave them money, and lent the warden some
money to give them. He seems to have acted
to some extent under compulsion, a hint having
been given to the friars that 'it were alms to
set your house of fire.' (fn. 21)
John Freeman, an agent of Cromwell, visited
the friary in October, 1538, and found that most
of the friars had run away. He made the prior
keeper of the house for the king, with a promise
of five marks at his departing. (fn. 22) The surrender
was made to the bishop of Dover at the end of
February, 1538-9; he found the house poor, but
estimated the Lead at about 20 to 22 foder.
The mayor and aldermen paid most of his costs
and desired to have the friary as a common house
for ordnance and other necessaries for defence.
It stood well for the purpose, near the water and
open to the sea. The bishop urged Cromwell
to favour their suit, and committed the house,
lead, and bells to the mayor. (fn. 23) The site, containing about five acres, was, however, granted to
the dean and chapter of Westminster, August,
1542, and purchased by Austin Porter of Belton
(Linc.) and John Bellow 27 July, 1546. It
was then valued at 20s. a year. (fn. 24)
74. THE GREY FRIARS OF GRIMSBY
The Friars Minors probably settled here
before 1240, for Eccleston notes that their place
was 'sufficiently enlarged' while William of Nottingham was provincial (1240-54). (fn. 25) Henry III
granted them twenty oaks in Sherwood Forest
in 1255. (fn. 26) They paid a rent for their land to
the Knights Templars till 1305, when they
were relieved from this obligation by the generosity of Robert le Eyr of Grimsby. (fn. 27) In
1313 they received pardon for acquiring without licence a plot of land measuring 12 p. by
9 p. 8 ft., from Elias de Pestur or le Pescur; (fn. 28) and
in the same year Edward II authorized them to
make a subterranean conduit from Holm to their
house in Grimsby, through the king's land in
Grimsby and that of John Yornborough and
Ralph de Skirbeck in Holm. (fn. 29) A plot of land in
Grimsby 14 p. 7 ft. by 6 p. 14 ft. adjacent to their
area was granted to them in 1317 by William,
'parson of a fourth part of the church of
Brocklesby.' (fn. 30) The area of the friary contained
twenty-three tofts, for which the. friars paid
11s. 6d. a year to the crown. (fn. 31)
Thomas de Mussenden, esq., desired to be
buried here before the high altar (1402) and left
100s. to place a stone over his body, his best
mazer to the friars, and his red garment of cloth
of gold to the high altar. (fn. 32) Small legacies to
these friars are contained in the wills of Beatrix
Haulay (1389), William of Humberstone, rector
of Belgrace (1394), John of Waltham, bishop of
Salisbury (1395), Constance lady of Skelton
(1402), William of Waltham, canon of York
(1416), William Alcock (1416), John Enderby
(1497), and John Lytyll (1530), all of Grimsby.
Richard Burgh (1513) left 12d. to every grey
friar of Grimsby and 10s. to Friar William
Dowsun. (fn. 33) The convent was in the custody of
York. (fn. 34)
Leland inspected the library before the dissolution, but found nothing worth recording. (fn. 35)
The warden rode out to the rebels 4 October,
1536, and gave them some money which he
borrowed from the prior of the Austin Friars. (fn. 36)
John Freeman dissolved the Grey Friars here
8 October, 1538, and sent the plate, weighing
22 oz., to London; the house 'was not very
chargeable to the king, and yet there were nine
friars in the same.' The surrender, however,
was signed only by six friars, including Adam
Howeton, the warden. To the king's use there
remained the bells and lead, estimated at £80. (fn. 37)
The site, estimated at three acres, was at once
let to Thomas Hatcliff, and granted in October,
1543, to John Bellow and Robert Brokesby; it
was at that time in the tenure of the relict of
Thomas Hatcliff. (fn. 38)