20. THE DOMINICAN FRIARS OF WILTON
The 13th century saw the gradual but complete and final decay of Wilton as a large town and
the growth in population and importance of the
neighbouring episcopal city of Salisbury. The objects of the first two orders of friars could only be
fulfilled in populous towns; and it is in these that
their first foundations were made. The Franciscans, in coming to Wiltshire in 1229, within five
years of their first arrival in the country, either
by accident or owing to well-informed patrons,
established themselves in Salisbury. Not so the
Preachers, who, as late as 1245, started a house in
Wilton. It stood in what is now West Street, but
no trace of it remains today. Within 40 years this
site proved to have been a mistake and in 1281
the convent moved 3 miles to Fisherton Anger, a
suburb of Salisbury. (fn. 1)
The house at Wilton had powerful and rich
local patrons, and was helped throughout its short
life by the king. In 1245 the king ordered Adam
Coks to allow the friars to fell and cart away 8
oaks given them by William Longespée to build
their church, and Geoffrey Sturmy was ordered to
allow the friars to have 20 trees from Savernake
given them by Simon, Earl of Leicester, and 6 trees
given them by the Lady of Braybuf. (fn. 2) The following year the king gave 30 marks to this house to
be paid by the sheriff, (fn. 3) who was also ordered to
deliver 4 oaks to the friars' house. (fn. 4) Two further
patrons appear next year. Roger de Sifrewast and
William Mauduit each gave 5 oaks. (fn. 5) Three years
later William gave a further gift of 20 oaks out
of his wood within the royal forest of Selwood,
and the king gave permission for the friars to cart
them free of charge. (fn. 6) In November of the same
year 1250, the king himself gave 20 oaks from
Chippenham Forest (fn. 7) and ordered the sheriff to
have them carried to Wilton, (fn. 8) and finally on 26
December the justiciar of the forest was ordered
to allow the friars all the escheats of these trees. (fn. 9)
Meanwhile the friars' land at Wilton, a considerable piece, was still unenclosed, and in 1254
the king gave 15 cartloads of thorn and underwood
from Grovely Forest to help towards this work. (fn. 10)
The Dominicans of Wilton were fortunate in that
there were so many royal forests in the neighbourhood. In 1255 they received 15 oaks from Gillingham Forest (Dors.) with escheats, (fn. 11) in 1256 7 oaks
from Clarendon Forest, (fn. 12) and in 1258 10 oaks
again from Gillingham Forest. (fn. 13) Still the building
continued and it seems somewhat strange that
within nine years of the move to Salisbury the
cloister at Wilton was still being built. In December 1271 the king gave 6 oaks for that purpose. (fn. 14)
Even more surprising is the gift in 1280 of fuel,
the last of many such gifts. (fn. 15) In 1280 the house at
Wilton was clearly a going concern and building
seems to have been completed. By May 1281 the
move to Salisbury had taken place and the Wilton
house became a cell.
The subsequent history of this house contains
some unsolved problems. The original site comprised 5 or 6 acres and the friars were occupied for
26 years (from 1245 to 1271) in building, (fn. 16) but
the remains left in 1538 were wretched. The
church measured 34 by 14 ft. and adjoining this
was a cloister of 24 ft. and a lodging 16 by 12 ft.
There was also a garden and meadow of about
3 acres and the whole property was said to be
worth £1 a year. (fn. 17) Again it is impossible to describe
the standing of a 'cell' in the Order of Preachers,
nor its relations with the parent house. How
could the one friar there in 1538 in any sense
follow the Rule of St. Dominic?
When the house at Salisbury was dissolved in
October 1538 the cell at Wilton could not stand
alone. (fn. 18) Eventually Henry VIII sold all the
buildings and land to Sir William Herbert. As the
sale was not completed before Henry's death Edward VI carried out the arrangements made by
his father. (fn. 19)