FRIARIES
15. THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF NOTTINGHAM
The exact date of the settlement in Nottingham of the Franciscans or Grey Friars is not
known, but it was an accomplished fact before
the year 1230. This order of mendicants only
reached England in 1224, so that they were not
long in obtaining a foothold in this busy centre
of the Midlands. The Nottingham house was
one of the eight friaries in the wardenship of
Oxford; it was situate in the south-west
corner of Broadmarsh, not far from the castle.
The earliest known record occurs on the
Close Rolls of 1230, when Henry III granted
the Friars Minor of Nottingham twenty tiebeams for the construction of their chapel. (fn. 1)
Two years later he made them a further grant
of five trees out of the forest of Sherwood for
the stalls of their chapel, (fn. 2) and yet another grant
for the same purpose in 1234. (fn. 3) In 1236-7 the
friars were constructing a quay on the river, and
received two royal grants of timber for this
purpose. (fn. 4) In 1242 the friars had a gift of ten
oaks out of the hay of Willey. (fn. 5) Fifteen oaks
were granted them by Henry III, in April 1247,
for their buildings, and again in August of the
same year six more oaks for their infirmary. (fn. 6)
A few years afterwards the friars began to
build a church of stone, and the king granted them
licence in 1256 to take stone from his Nottingham quarry for that purpose; (fn. 7) but they were
still maintaining their other wooden buildings,
and had a grant of twelve Sherwood oaks for
their repair in 1258. (fn. 8) In 1261 grants were
made them of twenty oaks from Bestwood for
the dormitory and chapter-house; (fn. 9) and in 1272
they had a further grant of ten oaks for building
purposes. (fn. 10)
Reverting to a much earlier transaction of this
reign, it may be mentioned that Henry III in
1235 issued a writ of Allocate in favour of the
bailiffs of Nottingham with respect to 5s. due
yearly for a place in that town wherein the
Friars Minor were lodged, and which the king
out of charity had pardoned to the friars so long
as they lodged there. (fn. 11)
The Patent Rolls of Edward I and II yield
some further disconnected information as to this
friary.
On 28 April 1277 the Crown licence was
granted, after inquisition by the sheriff of
Nottingham, to the Franciscans to stop and
inclose a lane adjoining the wall of their close, to
effect a slight extension of their site. (fn. 12) In 1303
licence was granted after inquisition to the same
friars to make an underground conduit from
their spring in Atherwell to their house within
the town, and to lead the watercourse through
it. (fn. 13) This licence was renewed in 1311, when
Edward II sanctioned the carrying of this subterranean conduit through the king's lands and
park at Nottingham. (fn. 14) This spring is probably
identical with the 'Frere Watergang' mentioned
in 1395. (fn. 15)
Commission was issued by Archbishop Romayne
in May 1286 to the Franciscan Friars, in highly
laudatory terms, authorizing them to absolve
those who had been excommunicated for laying
violent hands on clerks—cases which by right
or privilege were reserved to the diocesan, but
which were by his letters patent permitted to
these friars, but not in any way to exceed
canonical letters. These powers were to be
held by special friars of the different houses in
the diocese, including the one at Nottingham,
but were revocable at pleasure. (fn. 16)
In January 1292-3 the same archbishop
licensed the warden of the Friars Minor of
Nottingham to absolve excommunicate persons
who had been guilty of violence against clerks
as above. A like licence was again issued to
the warden in October 1294. (fn. 17)
The new stone church of the Friars Minor
was finished early in the 14th century. On
24 September 1303 Archbishop Corbridge
issued his commission for the dedication of this
church and churchyard. (fn. 18) Further progress was
then made with side aisles or chapels, for
another commission was granted in 1310 to
any Catholic bishop to dedicate the altars of
these friars. (fn. 19)
Mention is made in a deed of 1359 of the
cross (exterior) of the Friars Minor in Nottingham. (fn. 20) This cross, which stood on the Marsh
in Greyfriars Gate, is again referred to in a
document of 1365. (fn. 21)
The first entry relative to these Franciscans
among the town records is a bequest of 40d.
made to them in 1382 by John de Wolaton. (fn. 22)
In 1393 one John Leveret of Pinchbeck
fled to the church of the Friars Minor for
sanctuary—the offence he had committed is not
stated, but he broke sanctuary and was seized at
Coddington, near Newark, and committed to
the king's gaol at Nottingham. (fn. 23)
The Franciscan rule, like that of the other
mendicant orders, did not permit of the accepting
of any grant of land save that of the site of their
house and of adjoining plots used for the purpose
of extension; but the acceptance of small testamentary bequests of money for masses was not
forbidden. Among such bequests to the Nottingham Franciscans may be mentioned: Simon de
Staunton, rector of Staunton, 40s. in 1346;
Richard Collin, 20s. in 1368; Robert de Morton, 5 marks in 1396; John Taunesley, 5 marks
in 1413; John Pool, 3s. 4d. in 1479; Sir Henry
Pierrepont, 40s. in 1489; Sir Gervase Clifton,
22s. in 1508; Robert Batemanson, 10s. in 1512;
Sir R. Basset, 6s. 8d. in 1522; Thomas Willoughby, alderman of Nottingham, 10s. in 1524;
and John Rose, alderman of Nottingham, £5 in
1528. (fn. 24)
Among the presentments at the Nottingham
sessions of July 1500 is that of Friar William
Bell, warden of the Friars Minor, who was
accused of being an accomplice in a charge of
incontinence against another man. (fn. 25)
In January 1521-2 'the Warden oth Grayfres' was presented for 'baudre.' (fn. 26)
The surrender of this friary was made to the
king's commissioner, Dr. London, on 5 February
1539, being the same day as that of the White
Friars of this town. It was signed by Thomas
Basford, warden, and seven other friars, namely
Thomas Ryppon, Francis Bryce, Robert Hampton, Robert Alyne, John Chester, Robert Morton, and Roger Stanley. (fn. 27)
After remaining in the hands of the Crown
for nine years, the house and site of the Grey
Friars was granted in 1548 to Thomas Heneage. (fn. 28)
There is a cast of the 15th-century seal of
this friary at the British Museum. (fn. 29) It bears
St. Francis, three-quarter length, praying beneath a rich canopied niche; the inner border is
engrailed. Legend:—
SIGILLU · CONVENTUS · FRATRUM · MINOR ·
NOTINGHAMIE ·
There is also at the Museum an imperfect
impression of the seal of Thomas the warden,
attached to a charter of 1520. (fn. 30) The Virgin
and Child are shown in a canopied niche, with
tabernacled sides. There is a smaller niche
above with an imperfect subject. The legend
is broken away excepting the four first letters of
SIGILLUM.