31. THE PRIORY OF ESHOLT
The small Cistercian nunnery of St. Mary and
St. Leonard at Esholt, in the parish of Guiseley,
is said to have been founded at the latter part of
the reign of Henry II or the beginning of that of
Richard I by Geoffrey Haget or Simon Ward. (fn. 1)
There is, however, much uncertainty both as to
the real date of the foundation, and as to the
original founder. The Wards were afterwards
the patrons, and at the Dissolution it was said
that the founders were the ancestors of Christopher Ward. (fn. 2)
The nuns of Sinningthwaite received a grant
of the whole of Esholt from the members of the
family of Ward, (fn. 3) but there is no indication that
Esholt was ever subject to Sinningthwaite, though
perhaps Esholt may have been an independent
offshoot from Sinningthwaite and originally
peopled with nuns from the latter place.
A large number of grants of land and confirmations are printed in the Monasticon, (fn. 4) and
there are several others in the British Museum,
which have not been printed, relating to Esholt.
By the gift of Margaret Clifford, widow, the
house of Esholt became possessed of the church
of Belton, in the Isle of Axholme, and this gift
was confirmed by Richard II on 1 June 1379. (fn. 5)
In 1303 (fn. 6) Juliana de la Wodehall, who had
been elected prioress in December 1300, tendered
her resignation to the archbishop, who refused to
accept it, and wrote that he had not been certified of the state of the house, nor of the reason
which made her desire to resign; he therefore
commanded her to retain the care of the house as
prioress, until he had discussed the state of the
house with the patron, Simon le Ward, or until
he was able to visit those parts. Possibly the
prioress's desire to resign was due to a recent
scandal which is the subject of a letter addressed
to her and her convent by the archbishop in the
preceding March (fn. 7) regarding Beatrice de Houkesward, a nun, who had left the house pregnant,
and whom they were not to re-admit without the
archbishop's special licence. On 22 September
1315 (fn. 8) Archbishop Greenfield wrote to the
Prioress of Esholt peremptorily ordering her to
remove within six days all the secular women
boarders over the age of twelve years, and to
admit no more without special licence. On the
previous day he had confirmed the election of
Isabella de Calverley as prioress. (fn. 9)
In 1318 (fn. 10) Archbishop Melton held a visitation
and issued injunctions to the prioress and nuns.
The house was heavily in debt, and all were
ordered to use moderation. The prioress was
forbidden, under pain of removal, to grant pensions, or to alienate or lease for long periods any
of the granges, nor was she to receive any
person to the habit of the nuns or sisters or
brothers conversi, or to retain as boarders any
women or girls over twelve years of age without
the archbishop's special licence. There is a long
silence in the Registers till 1445, (fn. 11) when Archbishop Kemp granted an indulgence of 100 days,
valid for two years, to all who should help towards
the reparation or new construction of the campanile of the house or priory of the poor nuns of
'Asshold,' which recently fell to ruin, or who
should assist in the maintenance and the relief of
the nuns themselves, whose lands near the River
Ayre, which had been cultivated at much cost
and which maintained the nuns, had been flooded.
A dispensation, dated 1 October 1472, (fn. 12)
super
defectu natalium, was granted to Joan Ward, nun
of Esholt; she was afterwards prioress, and was
no doubt connected in some way with the family
of the patron. On 28 November in the same
year (fn. 13) another Joan Ward made her will, in
which she bequeathed her best gown (togam)
lined with 'fiches,' and a gilded girdle, with
white tissue, to be sold, and a vestment bought
with the proceeds for ' Abbathie de Hashold.'
She also left a pair of coral beads adorned with
' calsedons' to be sold and the proceeds to be
expended on ' the payntyng of an ymage of our
lady de pete at the Abba of Hassholde.' Yet a
third Joan Ward, the relict of Roger Ward, the
elder, of Givendale, kt., appears at this period.
She made her will 14 November 1473, (fn. 14) and left
her body to be buried ' infra ecclesiam religiosam
Abbathie de Esholt,' with 20s. to the prioress and
convent. In 1497 (fn. 15) Joan Ward, the prioress,
resigned, and on 30 August Elizabeth Lasynby
was elected as her successor.
In 1535 (fn. 16) Dr. Clyf, vicar-general of the archbishop, visited Esholt, and on 10 September the
archbishop sent the prioress and convent a long
list of injunctions in the English language. All
the nuns were to be obedient to their prioress
and observe ' Sanct Bennett rule which they have
professid.' The prioress was to provide at once
sufficient locks and keys for the cloister doors, and
the doors were to be securely locked every night
immediately after compline, and not opened again
till seven o'clock the next morning in winter, or six
in summer. A noteworthy order follows, ' that
the prioresse suffer no ale-house to be kept within
the precinct of the gates of the saide monasterie.'
Apparently the nuns at Esholt brewed more ale
than they needed and sold the surplus. The
dorter was to be locked every night ' unto service
tyme.' No manner of person ' of what degre soever he be seculer or religiose' was to be allowed
' to lie, or to be loged' within the cloister, or any
chamber opening into it. No sister was to go
out of the precinct of the monastery without some
just cause, and the prioress was to cause some part
of St. Bennett's rule to be read daily in the
chapter-house, in the presence of all the sisters.
At the back of certain chambers where the
sisters worked on the south side of the church,
there was an open way leading to the waterside
and to the bridge across the water. There was
no wall or door to shut it off, 'so that many ylles
may be committed by reason hereof; wherfore
in avoydyng such inconveniences that myght
follow yf it shuld so remayne' the prioress was
ordered ' incontinent without delay aftre the
recept herof' to cause a high wall to be built ' in
the said voyde place.'
The archbishop then dealt with the case of
' Dame Joanne Hutton nun professed' who ' contarie to her profession and vowe made to all
mighty God, to the great daunger of her sowle,
and yll example of odre religious parsons, hath
lyved incontinentlie and unchast, and hath broght
forth a child of her bodie begotten.' The archbishop therefore, ' willinge to reforme the same
horrible crime,' enjoined the prioress to put 'dame
Joanne ' in prison, or in some secret chamber
within the dorter, and that neither the sisters nor
any person was to speak to her without leave of
the prioress. She was to ' kepe abstinence ' every
week, viz. on each Wednesday and Friday to have
bread and ale only, and abstain from all flesh, fish,
butter, eggs, cheese, and milk. On other days
she was to eat ' as the convent fareth.' Each
Friday she was to have in the presence of the
sisters such discipline in the chapter-house ' as ys
accustomed to be hadd and done for like offences' (fn. 17)
and the prioress was to keep her in prison and
continue the penance for two years, unless the
archbishop directed otherwise.
At the time of the Suppression there were
eleven nuns. (fn. 18) Joan Jenkynson, aged forty, the
prioress, heads the list, and received a pension of
£6 13s. 4d. Her name is followed by that of
Elizabeth Pudsey, also called ' prioress' (that is
the ex-prioress); she was over seventy and is
described as ' decrepita et non abilis adequitandum,
neque eundum, ben recommendid to hir friends';
Agnes Bayn (52); Agnes Cokyn (47); Joan
Hollynraker (?) (54) ' decrepita et non abilis ad
equitandum, neque eundum. Md. she is not
able to be carried for she is lame, contynew in her
habit with her friends'; Elizabeth Mawde (47);
Barbara Dogeson (36); Joan Huton (30);
Joan Burton (27); Agnes Wood (27); Agnes
Dogeson (40). Against each name (except those
of the prioress and the ex-prioress) is written
' contynew in her religion' or simply Contynew.' (fn. 19)
The clear annual value of the house in 1535
was only £13 5s. 4d. (fn. 20)
Prioresses Of Esholt
Agnes, occurs 1219 (fn. 21)
Alice, occurs 1299 (fn. 21a)
Juliana de la Wodehall, (fn. 22) confirmed 1300
Joan de Hartlington (fn. 23)
Isabella de Calverley, (fn. 24) elected 1315, occurs
1327, (fn. 25) 1349 (fn. 26)
Isabella de Calverley, (fn. 27) elected 1363
Maud Ward, (fn. 28) occurs 1392
Emma Porter, (fn. 29) occurs 1416
Emma Burgh, occurs 1459 (fn. 29a)
Elizabeth Lasynby, (fn. 30) elected 1475
Joan Ward, (fn. 31) occurs 1480, 1487, (fn. 32) 1493, (fn. 33)
resigned 1497 (fn. 34)
Elizabeth Lasynby, (fn. 35) elected 1497
Agnes Firth, (fn. 36) elected 1505
Margaret Roche, (fn. 37) elected 1507, resigned
1512 (fn. 38)
Elizabeth Pudsey, (fn. 39) elected 1512
Joan Jenkinson, (fn. 40) occurs c. 1536