62. THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF WALSINGHAM
Licence was granted by Edward III on
1 February, 1347, to Elizabeth de Burgh, countess of Clare, to found a house of -Friars Minor
in Walsingham. (fn. 1)
The celebrated Austin priory of the same town
did their best to stop the countess, who was their
patroness, from carrying out her intention,
dreading no doubt that the poorer pilgrims to Our
Lady of Walsingham would find gratis accommodation with the friars. The soundest, perhaps, of the many arguments that they addressed
to the countess was that the friars had already
sufficient habitations in the district; for there was
Burnham, four miles on one side, and Snitterley
not much farther off on the other; but they
omitted to state that these were Carmelite and
not Franciscan settlements.
But their opposition was futile, for both royal
and papal sanction was obtained. Clement VI
granted to the provincial of the Friars Minor of
England licence, in 1347, at the request of King
Edward and Queen Philippa, to acquire a site for
a house in Little Walsingham, to accommodate
twelve friars, (fn. 2)
Four years later, the friars obtained licence to
enclose a road in Little Walsingham, leading
from North Barsham to the chapel of St. Mary,
Little Walsingham, below their house. This
licence was inspected and confirmed in 1384. (fn. 3)
In 1440 Richard, duke of York, their patron,
alienated to the friars a messuage, three acres of
land, a garden, and four tenements adjoining
their house. (fn. 4)
This house, with the other friaries of the
county was suppressed and surrendered to
Richard Ingworth, the ex-prior, towards the
close of 1538. (fn. 5)