PRECINCTS EXEMPTED
FROM THE CITY LIBERTY.
THE NEXT PRECINCT to be described within the
circumference of the walls of this city, though exempted from the liberties of it, being esteemed to lie
within the hundred of Westgate and jurisdiction of
the county at large, (fn. 1) is that of
THE WHITE FRIARS,
in which was a convent, situated at a small distance
southward from St. George's street, in this city, to
which it had an handsome gate or entrance; the friars
who possessed it, being likewise called Augustine
Friars, and Friars Eremite. (fn. 2)
The generality of these friars came first into England, says Bale, from Italy, about the year 1252.—These in particular came and settled themselves here;
about the year 1325; for that very year the archbishop
sent his mandatory letters, dated from Tenham, to
his commissary concerning them, in which he recited,
that these friars, of the order of St Augustine, had
built themselves a chapel, and tolling a bell, had publicly celebrated mass in it, and as had been affirmed,
had received oblations due to the parochial church,
without licence from him, and the chapter of Christchurch, contrary to the privileges granted to the archiepiscopal see and the metropolitical church; and
he therefore commanded his commissary to make enquiry into these matters, and to inhibit them by an
ecclesiastical interdict from celebrating mass in that
chapel, and to cite them to appear before him, &c. (fn. 3)
For the friars having purchased and taken possession
of a house, with its appurtenances, of one Thomas de
Bonynton, in the parish of St. George, in this city, (fn. 4)
began immediately afterwards to build a church on it,
and erect altars in it, entirely of their own authority;
and so busily did they bestir themselves, that the convent of Christ-church, and the parson of St. George's,
were in great danger of losing their interests in these
premises, the one in a yearly payment of 20d. payable
from them, and the other in the tithes and other ecclesiastical rights, payable out of them. At length,
however, within about a year afterwards, the convent
came to a composition with the friars for their pension, and the parson, John de Natynden, after having
brought his action against them, before the archbishop's chancellor, and auditor of causes, to compel
them, by course of law, to secure him and his church
from any detriment, or prejudice, by reason of their
alteration of the state and property of the premises
they had bought, which before their time, besides first
fruits, tithes and oblations, yielded other commodities to him; and his church came likewise to a composition with them, by which the house was quietly
yielded and confirmed to them, with liberty for them
to make their abode in it, and to obtain the dedication of their chapel, oratory or church and altars, already erected upon the place, and likewise a certain
plat of ground laid out for a church-yard; and they
agreed by it, that the sum of 9s. Should be paid by
them yearly, for, and in lieu of all dues, to the parson
of St. George's, for the time being for ever, subjecting
themselves to the archbishop, or any other judge, ordinary or delegate, for compulsion in case of non-payment, the parson being tied to obey, under pain of excommunication, and the friars under pain of interdict.
The friars afterwards enlarged their habitation here,
by purchasing of John Chicke, of Canterbury, a place
or court within the parish of St. George, lying upon
the highway or street, at the cloth market; upon
part of which they built their outward gate, (fn. 5) and in
the year 1356, they entered into an obligation and
bound themselves and their house to the prior and
convent of Christ-church, of whose see it was, to pay
them yearly 2s. 4d. for it.
As for benefactors to this convent, I read of two,
of some consequence; (fn. 6) of which, one was, a widow
named Amabilia Gobyon, who made choice of the
church of it for her burial-place, and gave by her will
ten marcs to the repair of it in 1405. The other,
Sir John Fineux, who, in king Henry VII.'s time,
became a most liberal benefactor to it. He was lord
chief justice of the common pleas, both in the reigns
of king Henry VII. and VIII. and is highly commended as a person of singular worth and excellency.
He had expended of his bounty much more than the
sum of 401, in repairing their church, refectory, dormitory and walls; out of gratitude to so liberal a benefactor, the friars bound themselves by their indenture, anno 1522, that they would provide one chaplain from among their brethren, who should every day
for ever, celebrate mass and other divine services, at
the altar of the blessed Virgin Mary, in the chapel of
the same name, for the souls of Sir John Fineux,
Elizabeth his wife, and others mentioned in it. (fn. 7)
Richard Pargate, citizen of Canterbury, by his
will in 1457, gave 40s. to these friars, towards making their new gate.
A great ornament afterwards to this place, and to
the whole order, was John Capgrave; in his time,
that is, about the year 1484, a noted friar of this
house and provincial of the order. He was a great
writer, the catalogue of whose works may be seen in
Pitseus, who is very lavish in his commendations of
him, as a man of most excellent parts. (fn. 8) In 1462,
John Godewyn was prior of this house of St. Augustine friars.
After the dissolution, the scite of it, with its two
orchards, a garden, and their adjoining appurtenances
was granted, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. in
exchange to George Harpur, esq. and his heirs, to
hold in capite by knight's service; (fn. 9) and he alienated
these premises next year to Thomas Culpeper, of
Bekesborne, (fn. 10) who in the 35th year of the same reign
passed them away to Thomas Browne, (fn. 11) whose heir
Robert died possessed of them two years afterwards,
when John Browne was found, by inquisition, to be
his son and heir, (fn. 12) and his descendant John Browne
had livery of them in the 4th and 5th of Philip and
Mary. (fn. 13) After which this estate came into the possession of the Berrys, who resided at it in queen Elizabeth's reign; many of whom lie buried in St. Mary
Bredin's church. Sir Henry Finch, sergeant at law,
resided here at the latter end of king James I.'s reign,
and retired from hence to Boxley through fear of the
plague; where dying, he was buried in the church of
Boxley on October 13, 1625. It afterwards passed
into the possession of the Turners, of whom William
Turner, esq. of Gray's Inn, and of the Friars, died
possessed of this house in 1729, and was succeeded in
it by his son of the same name, (fn. 14) who afterwards resided here; and left by Elizabeth his wife, daughter
of Thomas Scott, esq. of Liminge, an only daughter
and heir Bridget, who in 1753 carried it in marriage
to David Papillon, esq. of Acrise, (fn. 15) and he in 1791
alienated it to William Hammond, esq. of St. Alban's,
in Nonington, who made great additions and improvements to the mansion of it, and afterwards resided in
it for some time. He afterwards sold it to Mrs. Catherine Knight, widow of Thomas Knight, esq. of
Godmersham, who now possesses and resides in it.