BOLTON PRIORY RESEARCH.

[Stanley]

BOLTON PRIORY RESEARCH.

PRIORY: Monastic unit
The Dominicans, Augustinian Hermits, Carthusians, Carmelites, Monathites, Servites, and Brothers of Mercy call all their monasteries priories.
The Benedictines and their offshoots, the Premonstratensians, and the military orders distinguish between conventual and simple or obedientiary priories. Conventual priories are those autonomous houses which have no abbots, either because the canonically required number of twelve monks has not yet been reached or for some other reason. The Congregation of Cluny had many conventual priories. There were likewise many conventual priories in Germany and Italy during the Middle Ages, and in England all monasteries attached to cathedral churches were known as cathedral priories. Nearly all the monasteries of the famous Maurist Congregation in France (seventeenth and eighteenth centuries) were called priories. At present the Benedictine Order has twenty-seven conventual priories. Simple or obedientiary priories are dependencies of abbeys. Their superior, who is subject to the abbot in everything, is called simple or obedientiary prior.

Priories can be divided into two types, regular and alien. A regular priory is a monastery governed by a prior or prioress, usually Catholic. An alien priory is a priory which is dependent on a foreign mother house, and an alien priory cell was a residence of two or three monks dependent on a foreign mother house but sent to exploit a distant estate. Alien priory cells were suppressed in 1414.

Originally, a priory is a secondary house created by an existing abbey, but this distinction fell out of use in late medieval times. Priories were generally organized as follows: The prior was the head of the priory, and although he oversaw most aspects of the running of the priory, many specific supervisory positions existed to help him manage the priory. The sub prior was essentially a deputy prior and the second in command.

There could be various other lower, functional positions, depending on the size and activities of the priory, such as:
· the sacrist, second only to the prior and sub prior, who was in charge of everything holy, including services, books and relics
· a circuitor, the monk in charge of discipline
· a novice-master, who supervised the novice monks
· the cellarer, who provided for the monks' practical needs for daily life, such as supplies
· a librarian, who managed the books
· the cantor, who supervised (choir) music
· a chamberlain, in charge of clothing
· a kitchener, in charge of food
· a guest-master, in charge of caring for the priory's guests
· an infirmerer, who took care of the sick and the elderly monks
· a treasurer, who supervised the jewels, ornaments, and vestments
· the almoner, who managed alms distributed to the poor
The prior was elected by a majority vote of the monks. At election times the votes were all counted equally from the youngest novice up to the sub prior. Often the local bishop would endorse a candidate; however, the election was left entirely up to the monks.

THE AUGUSTINIAN ORDER
Tradition has it that monks and hermits, dispersed by the Vandal invasion of North Africa in the fifth century, fled to Europe where they established monasteries, particularly in northern and central Italy. In 1243/4 Pope Innocent IV formed the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine [by the decree Incumbit Nobis] uniting several groups of hermits and ordered them to follow the Rule of St. Augustine. The Augustinian Order is the only religious order founded by the Holy See. It was officially created in the 'Grand Union' of 1256 when Pope Alexander IV united several groups of Italian hermits, most of whom were following the Rule of Life written by Augustine of Hippo in the fourth century. They included the Hermits of the Order of St Augustine, founded in the 'Minor Union' of 1244, from Tuscany, whose friars had arrived in the British Isles in 1248 and founded Clare Priory in Suffolk. The English Augustinians were known as the Austin Friars, Augustinian Hermits, or White Friars, because they sometimes wore a white habit.

The ancient rule of life formally constituted for the hermits around 1243 had its origins established soon after St. Augustine was converted by Ambrose in Milan around the year 384 AD. He and some friends returned to his native Thagaste in North Africa, gave away their possessions and began a life of prayer and study.

History of the Grand Union
The year 1256 is usually quoted as the date of the Grand Union that brought the modern order into existence, but there is some scholarly discussion over the exact date of the formal constitution of the Augustinian order, as it occurred in stages. By the 11th C. there had appeared historically identifiable groups of clerics in various part of Europe who renounced private property and lived together in community following the Rule of St. Augustine. The consolidation of this movement can be connected to the changes proposed by the Gregorian Reform. In 1243 the decree, Incumbit Nobis was issued by Pope Innocent IV.

The Augustinians owed their formal existence to the policy of Pope Innocent 1241-1254 and Pope Alexander IV (1254-1261), who wished to counterbalance the influence of the powerful Franciscans and Dominicans by means of a similar order under more direct papal authority and devoted to papal interests.

The Augustinian Hermits (who are generally meant by the name "Augustinians"), became the last of the great mendicant orders to be formally constituted in the 13th C. It is historically verifiable that Innocent IV, by the bull issued 16/12/1243, united a number of small hermit societies with Augustinian rule, especially the Williamites, the John Boneites, and the Brictinans. Alexander IV (admonished, it was said, by an appearance of Saint Augustine) called a general assembly of the members of the new united order under the presidency of Cardinal Richard of Saint Angeli in Rome in March, 1256, when the head of the John-Bonites was chosen general prior of the united orders. Alexander's bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae confirmed this choice. The new order was thus finally constituted with Italian, Hungarian, French, English, Belgian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swiss, Austrian and German Augustinian friars united into one international order. Pope Alexander IV afterward allowed some houses of the Williamites, who were dissatisfied with the new arrangement, to withdraw from the union, and they adopted the Benedictine rule.

THE AUGUSTINIANS IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND.
Before the union of 1256, when many of the Hermits were united into one large fraternity of Austin Friars, one progressive group, the Friars Hermits of St. Augustine in Tuscany, had spread to France from where they were invited to England by Richard de Clare, Earl of Clare, Gloucester and Hertford.
The traditional date of the foundation of Clare Priory in Suffolk is 1248. It is more probable, however, that the Friars actually arrived in 1249. Richard de Clare visited France in 1248 and doubtless, after meeting the Friars, he guaranteed them a foundation in the shadow of his castle at Clare on the banks of the River Stour. He returned to England in June 1249 and obtained on behalf of the Friars a writ of protection from the King. This was issued on 3rd. September 1249 and it is assumed that the Friars first came to Clare Priory shortly afterwards.

THE DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES covers the four years between April 1536 and April 1540. In April 1536, the 27th year of King Henry VIII's reign, there were over 800 monasteries, abbeys, nunneries and friaries that were home to over 10,000 monks, nuns, friars and canons. By April 1540 there were none left.

To fully understand the Dissolution of the Monasteries, it is necessary to go back to the time of Saint Benedict (c.480 - 547). Saint Benedict was a university drop out, who became a hermit and who then founded a monastery based upon his Rule. This monastery and the Rule of Saint Benedict became the foundation stone of monasteries around the world. It was Saint Augustine who introduced the Benedictine Rule to England when he arrived in Canterbury in 597. Each monastery, nunnery etc. was headed by an abbot or an abbess, a prior or prioress, all of whom took vows of celibacy and personal poverty. This did not mean that religious lived in poverty, their order could be very wealthy, but they would live in spartan conditions in individual cells.
 
The primary function and responsibility of religious orders was to maintain a daily cycle of prayer, praying together eight times a day between midnight and 7.00 p.m. People from the surrounding area, both rich and poor, would give what they could afford for prayers to be offered on their behalf and this was one way that orders acquired money and land.

The religious way of life had nearly died out by 920 following the invasions of the Vikings who destroyed many of the monasteries and nunneries. Decades later there was a revival and the monasteries of Romsey, Abingdon and Glastonbury were rebuilt. By the 12th Century, many people felt the Benedictines no longer followed the Rule of Saint Benedict, becoming lax in their prayers and work and so the Cistercian order was founded. The Cistercian's favoured solitude and so built their monasteries in the middle of moors and mountain valleys. The Augustinian order was also founded at around this time, and they were dedicated to evangelism, teaching and working with the poor and sick, and so lived near towns and castles. In the 13th Century, orders of Friars were founded and they depended upon the charity of the people they ministered to.

The 14th Century was another period of monastic decline, with little new building and few people willing to become a religious. The Black Death compounded the problem and by the end of the Century most of the great monastic houses were half empty, although the cycle of prayer was maintained. By now many of the large houses had become very wealthy, thanks to the wool trade of the Middle Ages and many senior monks found themselves having to devote their time to earthly business matters instead of to God. As they became more wealthy and owned more land, they found themselves obliged to serve the Crown and thus oversaw issues of drainage, food stocks etc. Thirty of the most senior abbots took up seats in the House of Lords and lived the life of a lord, hunting and hawking and wining and dining lavishly in their own houses away from their monks.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF BOLTON PRIORY
1154 – 1539

The Beginnings

In 1154, a group of black-robed Augustinian canons (priests) and their Prior arrived to occupy land next to the village of Bolton-in-Wharfedale, made available to them by Lady Alice de Romille, the owner of nearby Skipton Castle. They had spent two years enduring harsh conditions on higher land in nearby Embsay, until Lady Alice provided this site near the River Wharfe, sheltered by the surrounding hills from the cruellest of the winter weather. They quickly constructed their first shelter of rough stone, signs of which are still visible in the base stones of the ruined High Altar, and began their long sojourn which we continue today.

The canons’ day was a long cycle of prayer and worship, seven days a week, starting at 2 a.m. and not finishing until dusk. They also found time to preach, teach, run hospitals, give shelter to travellers and perform the duties of local priests for the community.

They had a number of sources of income: agricultural produce, tithes, and rents from farms, mills and mines. This money was given to sustaining the community as well as meeting the costs of continuing to build and extend the buildings. There were many hazards: illness, harsh winters, famine and poverty when crops failed, raids from over the Scottish border. Over 4 centuries, however, the Priory thrived and grew, and the site grew and became more magnificent.

In 1539 the Priory was faced with complete obliteration as King Henry VIII undertook a campaign to destroy the monastic houses of England. Work to create the West Tower was halted, lead was torn from the roofs, furnishings stripped out, valuables carried off to the King’s treasury. Most of the estate was sold to the Clifford family, owners of Skipton Castle, and later passed to the Cavendish family, now the Dukes of Devonshire. Fortunately, the last Prior, Richard Moone, intervened to ensure that the nave of the building was retained intact to provide a place of worship for the inhabitants of the village of Bolton-in-Wharfedale. A wall was erected to seal off the eastern end of the nave and a new church was born from the remains of the old. The centuries passed, and the old Priory buildings slowly crumbled away, whilst the Church continued as a focus for the community’s spiritual life. [from the Bolton Priory website]

A PARTIAL LIST OF AUGUSTINIAN HOUSES IN ENGLAND.

Bispham Abbey (Augustinian)
Bolton Abbey (Augustinian)
Bridlington Priory (Augustinian)
Brinkburn Priory (Augustinian)
Cartmel Priory (Augustinian)
Christchurch Priory (Augustinian)
Guisborough Priory (Augustinian)
Haughmond Abbey (Augustinian)
Lacock Abbey (Augustinian)
Llanthony Priory (Augustinian)
Michelham Priory (Augustinian)
Newstead Abbey (Augustinian)
Thornton Abbey (Augustinian)
Waltham Abbey (Augustinian) - the last abbey in England to be dissolved.
Woodspring Priory (Augustinian)



BOLTON PRIORY COMPOTUS 1286-1325

EXTRACTS RELATING TO BARNOLDSWICK

1294/95.
P. 54. In expenses in connection with negotiations or trade with William de Hamelton there is an item of 2d which seems to be for hire of packhorses from Barnoldswick.

1296/97.
P.69. Under Custus domorum. [Expenses connected with the house?] ‘Et sarratoribus in bosco de Bernolwyk. 2s/10d. [‘and for sawyers in Barnoldswick Wood’]

1297/98.
P.80. ‘Et carpentariis laborantibus in Bosco de Bernolwik.” Payment made by Bolton Priory for carpenter’s work which could have been connected with wagon or carriage building in the ‘wood of Barnoldswick’. [‘Bosco de Bernolwik’] 3s/7d. Seems to have been in connection with the expenses incurred by a mill. [Custus molend{inorum}]

1312/13.
P. 339. ‘Empcio bladi’ [Purchases of grain.] ‘Pro XXX. Qr. Avene empties apud Bernelwyck.’ 30 quarters of oats bought at Barnoldswick. 55s/4d.

P. 341. Payment to Johanni le Tournour; 12d, which seems to be for felling trees in the wood of Barnoldswick. [meremio (meremium=timber) prosternendo (prosterno=to fell)] Purchase of 30 quarters of oats [Avena] at Barnoldswick.

1313/14. Payment made for [ventilatione] wheat at Barnoldswick; 8d. This seems to be ‘exposing to the wind, ie. winnowing. Payment made of 2s/8d for feeding of sows at Harden and Barnoldswick and housing pigs at Unckthorp [sic] [Ingthorpe].

I suppose the trick when looking at disconnected entries like these is to look for any relation to other facts from different sources. The references to purchase of grain seem to include both oats [avena] and wheat [bladi, which means grain, esp. wheat]. I can’t think of any direct reference to wheat in Barlick but the ON word for oats is ‘havre’ and we have the district in Barlick on rich bottom land which is still called Havre Park [oat field]. The suggestion is therefore that Barnoldswick had enough oats to export some in 1313.

I’m on slightly firmer ground with the timber. Here’s an entry that Doreen Crowther [how we miss her!] gave me when I was researching water mills:

1442/1443
From CHRC [Court Rolls of the Honour of Clitheroe] Water mill at Colne repaired 1442/1443. Two loads of timber from Barnoldswick Wood carried there to make two ‘balkes’ at 8pence per load. Two loads of timber for ‘ground werke’ at 8pence per load. One load of timber for making a ‘sille’ under the ‘axeltree’; 8 pence. Paid 12 pence for carriage of another ‘sille’ and ‘ground sille’ from Pendle to Clitheroe. Same rolls record carriage of one axletree from Barnoldswick; 12 pence. Three loads of timber for the soles of the shears at the said mill [this is a fulling term and therefore must be referring to the Walk Mill.] at 8 pence per load. Carriage of three beams of ‘le shrendicg’ and other necessaries at 8 pence per load.

This reference has intrigued me for years. It is firm evidence that Barlick was a source of large timbers, almost certainly oak or perhaps elm because of it’s water resisting qualities. One could be forgiven for inferring that it was a better source than Colne or anywhere nearer, otherwise, why go to Barlick? So when I saw the phrase ‘Bosco de Bernelwyk’ [Barnoldswick Wood] in the Compotus my antennae started twitching. The 1297 entry is even more interesting because it too seems to be connected with expenses incurred by the mill. However in this case it is specifically connected with labour connected with wagon-building. The 1312 entry of payments to Johanni le Tournour is a bit murky because of my lack of knowledge of Latin. I can’t find a proper translation of ‘meremio prosternendo’, ‘prosternendo’ is translated as to lay low, knock down, overthrow and I have guessed that this refers to felling trees. [correct translation] ‘Johanni le Tournour’ gets me twitching even more, could this be John the turner? The modern equivalent of John Turner.

There is plenty of historical evidence that the Egyptians were using a two man lathe as early as 1300bc. The Romans certainly had lathes and I think we can be fairly certain that the technology was widely used in the 14th century. So, given the level of skills needed for wagon-building (including wheelwright’s work) it’s not stretching the interpretation too far to assume that John was indeed a turner and a skilled carpenter as well. Add this to the evident availability of large timbers in ‘Barnoldswick Wood and we have what may have been a local industry in the 14th century.

There are later references which give tantalising suggestions of this same industry. Atkinson says that there was an old saw pit outside Monk’s House in Barlick. There was a saw pit at Ouzledale Mill which is noted as a sawmill on the 1853 first edition of the 6” OS map. Hey Farm was a wheelwright’s shop until the early 20th century. There are tantalising suggestions of some form of mill or early industry on Lamb Hill.

So, what can we infer from the conjunction of these references? Nothing ground-shaking but enough evidence to say that at the turn of the 13th century at the latest, Barnoldswick was exporting grain and had resources of heavy timbers and skilled labour important enough to be used by the King in his repairs to Colne Mill and by the Augustinian monks at Bolton Priory for specialised carpentry. This makes Barlick the centre of an area about 15 miles across in which it was the recognised source for these materials and skills.

I was talking about this with Dave O’Connor and Billy Parsons and they both drew my attention to the fact that on the high lane to Standing Stone Gate there are two farms; Wood End [SD884442] and Wood End Farm [SD883437] the names of which raise the question, what wood? There is also Booth House Farm [SD886445] in the same area. ‘Booth’ originally meant shelter and seems to me to often be associated with woodland.

The reference to mules is very vague but it interests me because when I was doing my ‘Early History of Barnoldswick’ I allowed myself a flight of fancy as to what sort of trades would be likely to be pursued in a town like Barlick which was relatively isolated. It seems to me that the provision and operation of pack animals was quite likely. The possible hire of mules in 1294 from Barlick is not cast iron proof of this, but allow me the luxury of saying that it points in the same direction.

As I said earlier, none of this is ground shaking but at the very least, it is cautious progress in an era which is so badly documented. The most significant thing is that Barlick was mentioned in all these references and this indicates that it was locally more important than I had realised.

BRACEWELL.
One entry for 1287/8. ‘Abbati de Kirkestal pro advocatione ecclesie de Marton per annu, 41s/4d. [There is a note: In 1152/53 Marton chapelry was separated from Bracewell by Archbishop Henry Murdac of York (in a document whose authenticity has been questioned) and given parochial status. The advowson was in the hands of Kirkstall Abbey at that time but passed to the family of Marton, who before 1219 and again in the period 1224/33 confirmed the church to Bolton Priory. The pension was probably made in recognition of Kirkstall’s previous interest in the patronage. (Fasti Parochiales, iv, p.95; EEA {English Episcopal Acta} v. No. 121)]

SCG/November 2006

[Stanley]

I couldn't find this on the site but know it was posted at one time. Please forgive me if I have duplicated it.
Fundamental stuff and well worth a read!

[Gloria]

[Stanley]

It will never break records for page views Gloria but if you want to understand the monasteries you have to know this stuff!