25. THE BLACK FRIARS, GLOUCESTER
The house of the Black Friars of Gloucester
was founded about 1239. (fn. 1) It is probable that
Stephen, lord of Harnhill, gave the site, and
that Henry III was also accounted a founder in
virtue of his munificent gifts. (fn. 2) The house
was over twenty-five years in building. (fn. 3)
In 1246 the king gave 41 marks to buy
a plot of land for the church, enlarging the
churchyard, and making a road to the great
thoroughfare of the town. (fn. 4) About 1265 the
house was probably finished. (fn. 5) In the first half
of the fourteenth century the number of friars
varied from thirty to forty. (fn. 6) In 1365 a plot of
land was granted for the enlargement of the
site. (fn. 7)
It is probable that, as at Bristol and elsewhere,
many of the Black Friars of Gloucester fled
from England in 1534 and 1535. (fn. 8) The few
who remained were miserably poor. On
25 July, 1538, Richard Ingworth, the royal
visitor, reported to Cromwell that the Black
and White Friars were ready to surrender. (fn. 9)
They were in great penury, and had sold the
greater part of their goods. Their chalices were
changed to tin and copper, and they had nothing
left to purchase their capacities. The Black
Friars had 'a proper little house,' but no rents,
only their garden which they had let on lease to
Master Bell, the alderman. (fn. 10) Three or four days
later the prior and six friars declared before the
mayor and aldermen that they could not keep
the visitor's injunctions and continue in their
house, and therefore they delivered it into Ingworth's hands for the king's use. (fn. 11)
A seal of the thirteenth century represents
two figures: one bald-headed and bearded, in
flowing garments, holding a book and a reversed
sword by the point, probably St. Paul; the
other tonsured, in the habit of the Friars
Preachers, holding a long cross and a book; in
base the demifigure of a prior at prayer. (fn. 12) The
legend is:—
S' COMMUNE . FRM . PREDICATOR' . GLOUCESTRIE
26. THE GREY FRIARS, GLOUCESTER
The house of the Grey Friars of Gloucester,
near the south gate of the town, was founded
about 1231. (fn. 13) Thomas I of Berkeley gave the
site, (fn. 14) and Henry III granted timber for building.
Under the guidance of Agnellus of Pisa, provincial minister, the friars at first accepted only
a small plot of land, (fn. 15) but about 1239 they
needed more ground, and, by the persuasion of
his wife, Thomas of Berkeley gave them all that
he had at first offered them. (fn. 16) The enlargement
of the site was sanctioned by Haymo of Faversham, the provincial minister; he held that it
was better for the friars to have land to cultivate
that they might provide their sustenance instead
of begging from others. (fn. 17) In 1239 Ralph of
Maidstone resigned the bishopric of Hereford,
and entered the house of the Grey Friars of
Gloucester. (fn. 18) In 1246 Henry III allowed them
to hold schools of theology in a turret of the
town wall. (fn. 19) In 1285 the friars again desired to
enlarge their site, and sought permission to acquire
a plot of land near their church. (fn. 20) They came
into conflict with the Benedictines of St. Peter's,
and appealed to Peckham, archbishop of Canterbury, himself a Minorite. In 1285 he wrote to
the abbot and convent of Gloucester, bidding
them satisfy the Grey Friars; it appeared that
a man had desired to be buried in their churchyard, but that the monks had seized his body. (fn. 21)
In the middle of the fourteenth century another
dispute arose when the friars claimed the right
to the water coming from a spring at Breresclyft,
and it was settled in their favour through the
intervention of the Black Prince in 1357. (fn. 22) In
1365 the friars acquired another half acre for
the enlargement of their site. (fn. 23) There is no
evidence of the mortality in the house during
the Black Death; in 1337 the number of friars
was thirty-one, (fn. 24) and the activity of the brethren
a few years afterwards suggests that they suffered
no permanent diminution in numbers. Towards
the end of the fifteenth century a great part of the
church was rebuilt. William, marquis of Berkeley, left £20 to the fabric by his will of 1491; (fn. 25)
Maurice VI of Berkeley gave 10 marks for
several years, and in 1520 he made a provision
that if he died before the rebuilding of the
church was complete, his executors should finish
the work. (fn. 26) In 1538 Richard Ingworth, the
royal visitor, reported to Cromwell that the
Grey Friars was 'a goodly house, much of it
new builded.' (fn. 27) It is probable that many of the
Grey Friars fled abroad in 1534-5, (fn. 28) for only five
remained at Gloucester in 1538. (fn. 29) They were
not reduced to such straits of poverty as the
Black and White Friars; nevertheless, on 28 July,
they too stated in the presence of the mayor
and aldermen that they could not keep the
visitor's injunctions and continue in their house,
and accordingly they delivered it into Ingworth's
hands for the use of the king. (fn. 30)
27. THE CARMELITE OR WHITE FRIARS, GLOUCESTER
The house of the Carmelite Friars of Gloucester outside the north gate had its origin about
1268, (fn. 31) and was probably founded with the help
of Queen Eleanor, Sir Thomas Giffard, and
Thomas II of Berkeley. (fn. 32) In 1321 Henry de
Ok gave a curtilage with stews, hays, dikes, walls
and trees. (fn. 33) In 1337 the number of friars was
thirty-one, (fn. 34) and in 1343 Edward III allowed
them to acquire 3½ acres of land from Thomas
of Berkeley, and a messuage from Richard
of Hatherley for the enlargement of their
manse. (fn. 35) In 1347, by an agreement with the
prior and brethren of the hospital of St. Bartholomew, they obtained an aqueduct running through
a leaden pipe from the spring called 'Gosewhytewell' to their enclosure. (fn. 36)
On 25 July, 1538, Richard Ingworth, the
royal visitor, reported to Cromwell that the
Black and White Friars were ready to surrender. (fn. 37)
The White Friars had but a small house, 'and
in decay, and some houses taken down and sold.' (fn. 38)
Their rents were only 20s. a year, and some ten
years before they had received the money down
for twenty years. Three or four days after Ingworth's report had been made the three remaining
friars declared before the mayor and aldermen
that they could not keep the visitor's strict injunctions and tarry in their house, and they
therefore gave it into Ingworth's hands for the
use of the king. (fn. 39)