55. HOOD
(CELL OF NEWBURGH)
Hood is first heard of as the place where
Robert de Alneto, the uncle or nephew of Gundreda the wife of Nigel de Albini and an exmonk of Whitby, was leading the life of a hermit.
It was to Robert de Alneto that Gundreda
directed Abbot Gerald and his convent after
they had left Calder, and at Hood they first
settled, Robert de Alneto himself becoming a
member of the community. (fn. 81)
It was in 1138 that Roger de Mowbray granted
Hood to Abbot Gerald and his convent, and after
four or five years' sojourn there they moved to
Old Byland, and while at Byland (fn. 82) Abbot Roger,
at the request of Roger de Mowbray, their
founder, and Sampson de Albini, gave Hood to
certain canons of Bridlington, who were coming
to colonize Roger de Mowbray's new foundation
of Austin canons at Newburgh. Hood remained
in the possession of the canons of Newburgh, and
became a cell of that house, and so continued till
the Dissolution.
In a visitation of that house on 11 October
1286 (fn. 83) Archbishop Romanus ordered that a
refractory conversus, named Roger de Soureby,
was to go to Hood, and apply himself to agriculture, and hold the tail, of the plough, in place of
a paid servant. He was to fast each Wednesday
and Friday on bread, ale, and vegetables, and
receive three disciplines a week from the Canon
President of Hood, to whom he was to confess
at least once a week.
In 1332 Archbishop Melton visited the church,
or chapel, of Hood, by commission. (fn. 84) Brother
John de Overton, the canon celebrating at Hood,
and certain lay parishioners appeared, and the
commissioners made certain corrections which
have not been entered in the Register. The
visitation reveals the fact that the church, or
chapel, had in some manner parochial rights,
and parishioners belonging to it.