15. THE AUSTIN FRIARS OF BARNARD CASTLE
It is thought that there was at one time a
house of Friars Hermits of St. Austin at Barnard
Castle. The provincial of that order obtained
leave of Archbishop Neville in 1381, the see of
Durham being vacant, to build a friary and
chapel upon ground given by Thomas Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, in his lordship of
Barnard Castle, (fn. 1) but it is not known whether
this took effect. (fn. 2) There was, however, until
lately an old building on the east side of Thorngate which had the appearance of a religious
house, and which was not otherwise accounted
for, and this may possibly have been the friary.
Round a bow window was cut in the square
character, 'Soli Deo honor et gloria,' the lettering corresponding with the above date. The
back part of the building formed a square. (fn. 3)
Footnotes
| 1 |
See Hutton's extracts from Neville's Register. |
| 2 |
Tanner, Notit. Monas. Dur. iii. |
| 3 |
Hutchinson, Hist. Dur. iii, 250. |