21. THE AUSTIN FRIARS OF NORTHAMPTON
It is usually said that the Northampton house
of the Austin Friars or Friars Eremites was
founded by Sir John Longville, of Wolverton, in
1323; but this must have been a further
augmentation, for there are several references to
an Austin friary to the south of the town in
Northampton deeds between 1275 and 1290. (fn. 1)
Divers of the Buckinghamshire family of
Longville were buried in the church; Leland
adds—'I heer of no men els of nobilite there
biried.' (fn. 2)
In April, 1330, licence was obtained for the
alienation in mortmain by George de Longville,
to the prior and Austin Friars of Northampton,
of a messuage and plot of land, 108 feet in
length by 44 feet in breadth, adjoining their
house, for the enlargement of their close. (fn. 3)
There was a further grant for extension of their
premises made to the friars by the same benefactor in 1337. (fn. 4)
Godfrey Grandfeld, born in this county and
a friar of the Northampton house, was a doctor
of divinity of Cambridge, and a philosopher and
divine of great repute. Going to Rome, he
became chaplain to the cardinal bishop of
Frascati. After a while he was himself consecrated bishop in partibus by Pope Benedict XI.
(1303), and sent into England. He acted for a
time as suffragan bishop of Lincoln, and left
behind him many sermons and lectures as
monuments of his learning. Dying about 1340,
he was buried in this monastery. (fn. 5)
William Whitfield in 1528 bequeathed 'a
payre of shetts to the sub-prior of the Austyns
in Northampton,' 'also yt ye cooke of the freers
Augustens shall have a fetheryng of a bedd.'
The church of the Austin Friars had an image
of Our Lady of Grace of no small repute.
Margery Humphrey by will of 1513 left 'to
Our Lady of Grace in ye Austen freers my best
gyrdel gilte.' Another Northampton lady in
1538 left the image her best ring; and William
Whitfield by will of 1528 left all his goods to the
friars of Our Lady of Grace, in case his wife
predeceased him. (fn. 6)
This house was surrendered to Dr. London
on 28 October, 1538, for the king's use. The
deed was signed by John Goodwyn, prior;
Stephen Barwycke, sub-prior, and seven other
friars, the last of whom (Robert Barrett) signs
himself an anchorite. John Wacklynge and
Thomas Williams were appointed attorneys to
see to the formal delivery. (fn. 7)
It is not necessarily to the discredit of Prior
Goodwyn that he incurred the hostility of Dr.
London. The prior and his brethren seem to
have done their utmost to save their small
property from the spoilers. The day after the
surrender London wrote to Cromwell saying
that he found the prior of the Augustines 'one
of the most unthrifty I have met with, yet have
I found few true.' He accused him of being a
great dicer and reveller, and said that he owned
to having made away with £100 worth of
plate. He had put the prior and almost all
the brethren in ward to try to find out their
deceit. (fn. 8)
A few days later (6 November) London
wrote again to his master from Godstow, and
referred to the Austin Friars of Northampton.
Forgetful of his previous statement as to £100
of plate, he then stated that the prior had divided
£30 of plate among the brethren shortly before
his arrival. The prior had been put in prison
for it and 40s. of the money recovered. (fn. 9)
The building of a palace or royal lodge for
the king at Grafton Regis was in contemplation,
and a memorandum of London's, drawn up
early in 1539, stated that the Austin Friars'
church of Northampton was covered with lead,
'and the roof meet for Grafton.' (fn. 10)
This house was granted by the crown in
July, 1540, to Robert Dighton, of Stirton,
Lincolnshire. (fn. 11)
The fifteenth-century seal of this house
represents the Virgin in glory within a vesica.
The legend is defaced. (fn. 12)