23. THE AUSTIN FRIARS OF ATHERSTONE
Ralph Lord Basset of Drayton, in 1375,
founded a house of Austin Friars at Atherstone,
assigning them twelve acres of land for a site. (fn. 1)
An agreement was arrived at between John
Combe, the first warden or prior, and the rector of
Mancetter that the site should be exempt from
tithes on payment of 20s. a year. This agreement was made in the presence of Ralph, the
founder, the abbot of Leicester, Thomas Harecurt, lord of Bosworth, and others. (fn. 2)
The church and buildings took some little time
to complete, for the will of lord Basset, dated
12 September, 1383, gave the friars a legacy of
500 marks towards their completion.
The Valor of 1535 (fn. 3) proves how true this
small house of mendicant friars had been to their
rule of poverty. Their total income was but
58s., and out of that they had to pay 26s. 8d.,
to the abbey of Merevale for the land on which
their house stood, and 14s. to the lord of Atherstone, leaving them a clear income of 30s. 2d.
In May, 1538, Ingworth, then bishop of
Dover, was at Atherstone on his mission of
harrying the friars. He reported to his master
Cromwell the creditable poverty of the house;
the goods had gone and the house was worth but
little, he had left the prior there for the time 'to
see God served.' (fn. 4) In the following August he
wrote again to the effect that he had received
into the king's hands the friary of Atherstone,
which he then described as a little house in decay,
but might spend four marks a year, of which
they paid four nobles a year in rent. One Amyas
Hill, a servant of the king, had most of the
ground on lease. There was no lead on the
roofs, and the stuff was not worth 40s., besides a
chalice and a bell. He found the Grey Friars
the most difficult to deal with, for they were so
loyal to each other, and so loth to depart though
in such beggarly circumstances. He begged
Cromwell to send down the warrants to these
friars to change their habits. (fn. 5)