23. THE FRANCISCANS OF SOUTHAMPTON
The Franciscans or Grey Friars were established at Southampton probably as early as
1237, as it would appear by certain deeds
printed by Madox. (fn. 1) The convent at Southampton must therefore have been among the
earliest of their English houses, for they were
not introduced into this country until 1224.
Their house was in the midst of the poor, and
closely adjoined God's House. The Franciscans were forbidden by their original rule to
have more substantial buildings than those
made of clay and timber, but the goodwill of
the Southampton burgesses soon supplied them
with a cloister of stone. On this coming to
the knowledge of Albert of Pisa, the provincial
of England, about 1236, he insisted on the
destruction of so strong a building and carried his point. (fn. 2)
In the middle of the eighteenth century,
there existed a brief register of this convent
among the corporation archives of Southampton, but it has long been missing. Fortunately
Dr. Speed made a transcript of the more important parts, and they are reproduced by Mr.
Davies in his admirable history of Southampton. (fn. 3)
Isabel de Chekebull, who granted the site
for the building, was considered the chief
founder; she died in 1253. Walter le Flemyng, bailiff of the town in 1237, was one of
the earliest benefactors. The first stone of the
chapel was laid on 8 July, 1280, the rigidity
of the rule as to building being now relaxed;
it was first used on the feast of St. Francis, 16
July, 1287. This chapel or church must have
been of considerable size, for Bishop Sandale
held a large ordination therein on 26 February,
1317. (fn. 4) Interments within the church were
much sought after by the burgesses, from whom
the friars received many small bequests. On
Christmas Day, 1291, the friars entered their
new dorter, and in the same year their chapter
house was built.
In 1290 the convent was granted a water
supply by Nicholas de Barbeflet from his manor
of Shirley; but it was not until 1304 that they
began to bring the water down to their house.
In 1374, John le Fouster and William Putton
obtained licence for giving the convent a toft
with its appurtenances for the enlargement of
their premises; (fn. 5) and in April, 1368, the friars
obtained licence for adding to their cemetery
an area of 120 feet by 100 feet, to the west of
their church; it was consecrated by Thomas,
Bishop of Achaden, acting as suffragan for
Wykeham. (fn. 6)
Prior Robert Horewood, in 1420, conveyed
to the town all the rights of his house in the
conduit-head and pipes for the supply of water. (fn. 7)
In July, 1499, this Franciscan house was
changed by Henry VII. into a house of the
reformed order of Observant Franciscans.
The curious story of the resistance to a wouldbe visitor in 1534 has already been told. (fn. 8)
After the dissolution the site passed by purchase, in 1545, to John Pollard and William
Byrt, and in 1551 to Sir A. Darcy. Nothing
is now left of the priory buildings.
Priors or Wardens of The Franciscans
of Southampton
Jordan de Downton, (fn. 9) about 1326
Robert Horewood, (fn. 10) about 1420