Despite the problems, in May 1147 the Cistercians arrived and immediately set to work making themselves 'comfortable' and starting farming. Serlo says, “Among these brethren, I, Serlo, was sent forth, a man now decrepit, as you see, and worn out with old age. The place of our habitation at first was called Bernolfwic (also Barnolfswet), which we called by a changed name--The Mount of St. Mary. We remained there for several years, suffering many discomforts of cold and hunger, partly because of the inclemency of the air and the ceaseless trouble of rain, partly because, the kingdom being in a turmoil, many a time our possessions were wasted by brigands. The site of our habitation therefore displeased us, and the abbey was reduced to a grange”.
What Serlo doesn't mention is this found in the Kirkstall papers. “The site and native populace proved to be inhospitable. After arriving, the monks had removed the inhabitants of the site and, when they proved to be a nuisance by returning to worship at their church, the monks pulled down the village church. There can be little surprise, therefore, that the villagers complained bitterly to the archbishop and ultimately to the papacy, who both being Cistercian, did nothing to compensate them”. The village priest protested to archbishop Murdac at York (coincidentally also a monk from Fountains) who rejected the complaint so it was passed to Rome for the Pope to judge. He also rejected the claim saying that Alexander's action was 'for the greater good'.
This left the village without a church and as it was obvious they were not going to accept the monks as their spiritual leaders, the existing chantry chapel at Bracewell was elevated to parish church and the villagers had to walk across there in all weathers. Alexander had his troubles as well because reading between the lines he had some very unhappy monks on his hands. He set off to find a new site and came across a spot in Airedale where there was already a religious settlement. The abbot secured the site from the local landowner and the original residents were absorbed into the community - or dispossessed. The account of this in the Kirkstall archives admits he may have been 'devious' in his dealings with them.
On the 19th of May 1153 the monks left Barlick and founded their new abbey, Kirkstall at Leeds. The next thing we hear about Barlick is that in 1157 monks from Kirkstall came back to the town and built Gill church, possibly under instructions from above to right the wrong that had been done. There's an old tradition in Barlick that they built it away from the town out of spite but I think a more likely reason was so that it could also serve Thornton in Craven, Salterforth, Kelbrook and Earby, none of which had a church at the time.
Right! That's the state of my research to date. I'll finish off next week by going back to the original Saxon church which the Cistercians demolished.
Our new church at Gill. The tower was built later.
