12. THE CROUCHED FRIARS OF DONNINGTON (fn. 17)
The first mention of the house of Crouched
Friars at this place that we have been able to find
occurs in the year 1404, when William Graunfelde, prior of the priory of Crouched Friars at
Donnington, in the diocese of Salisbury, obtained
from Boniface IX an indult of plenary remission
(being penitent) from the confessor of his choice
at the hour of death. (fn. 18)
It does not seem possible to ascertain the date
of the foundation of this house, or the name of its
original founder.
Sir Richard Abberbury in 1393, the year after
he had refounded Donnington Hospital, directs
that the inmates should 'every day go to masse
to a chappel of Fryers neer adjoining, and
should say sixty Pater-Nosters and as many AveMaries. (fn. 19)
Lysons cites the will of Robert Harre, minister
of Donnington Hospital, dated 1500, wherein
he directs his body to be buried in the new
chapel of Jesus, on the south side of the church
of the Friars of the Holy Cross in Donnington;
his two great standards of laten and four candlesticks of laten were to stand before the altar of
Jesus in the said chapel. (fn. 20)
Further information as to this small house is
very meagre. Among the grants of suppressed
houses, &c., made to Cardinal Wolsey in July,
1528, occurs 14s. annual rent for a portion of
tithes in Donnington, paid by the prior and
convent of Donnington. (fn. 21)
The prior of Donnington was among those
summoned to convocation in 1529. (fn. 22)
The friars of Donnington surrendered to John
London on 30 November, 1538. The surrender
is signed by Henry Whete and Richard Ungull, (fn. 23)
and the house is here stated to be of the Trinitarian order. (fn. 24)
Williams and London, writing to Sir Richard
Riche, chancellor of the Augmentations, from
Newbury in December, stated that on taking
the surrender of the 'Crossed Friars of Donnington' they assigned the minister (or prior),
Henry Whete, an extreme aged man, a pension
of £6 13s. 4d., and to Richard Ungull, priest
and brother there, £4. They begged him to
ratify this (which was duly done) and stated that
the house was worth £20 a year, and was out of
debt. (fn. 25)
At the end of the same month London wrote
from Oxford to Cromwell (inclosing 'a poor
token' for the new year, with a half-year's fee
from him and his house) saying that he had
doubtless heard from Williams as to what they
had done at the 'Crowche Friars at Newberye.'
In another letter of the same date, probably
to Thomas Thacker, London stated that at the
'Crutched Friars, Newbery,' there was nothing
but a poor chalice. The lands, he added, were
worth £22 a year, but all the goods not £6. (fn. 26)
There is a cast of an imperfect impression of
a fifteenth-century seal of this priory in the
British Museum. There is a full-length saint,
but the emblems are indistinct. Below is a friar
kneeling in prayer. Legend:—
S PRIORIS : DOM : DE: DONYNGTON