Friaries: Austin friars of Winchester

21. THE HOUSE OF THE AUSTIN FRIARS OF WINCHESTER

There is but little to add to what has been said in the Ecclesiastical History with respect to the establishment of the Austin friars, or friars-hermits of St. Augustine at Winchester in the reign of Edward I.

In 1302, Geoffrey Spiring of Fareham gave to the Austin friars a messuage in the suburb of Winchester for the enlargement of their area; (fn. 1) and in 1313, Hugh Tripacy granted them a plot of land, 12 perches long by 6 perches wide, adjoining their dwelling place, for further enlargement. (fn. 2)

Bishop Sandale (1316-20) ordained three friars from the Austin house at Winchester; and his successor, Bishop Asserio (1320-3), the like number.

In July, 1328, the grant of the Bishop of Winchester to the Austin friars of the lane called Sevenetwychene, in the south suburb without the walls contiguous to their house, for the enlargement of the site, was confirmed by the king. (fn. 3)

In June, 1343, Pope Clement VI. instructed the Bishop of Winchester to grant licence to the prior and Austin friars of Winchester to accept a manse in the city given them by Oliver Bohun, knight, and Margaret his wife with King Edward's licence, and thither to transfer themselves, and build a church and necessary offices; their place without Southgate being in a dangerous, lone and unfit site. (fn. 4) The bishop however, for certain reasons, opposed this removal; but in May, 1346, the prior received the pope's sanction to at once proceed to the new site without any longer waiting for the consent of the diocesan. (fn. 5) Milner says that the site of this house after its removal was opposite St. Michael's church, in a close called College Mead.

The following is the meagre inventory of the goods of the friars taken at the time of the dissolution of the house.

M^d this stuffe under wryttyn ys praysed by Mayster Burkyn, alderman of Wynchester and Mayster Knyght at the mayorys assygnacion by ye syght of the kynges vysytor under the lorde privye seal for ye kynges grace the whyche longyd to the austen frearys, that is to say: iiij great candelstykes ij small, a stop (sic) and copper crosse about an C and an halffe, vjs. viijd.; Wyll'm Alen berebrewar axythe for bere; iiij aulter clothys, ijs. iiijd.; ij payntyd clothys, xd.; a sensor, xyjd.; iiij antepaynys, xxd.; a surpples and a rochet, viijd.; vj coupys, xiijs. iiijd.; ij towellys, ijd.; a myeter, jd.; ij small crossys coveryd with sylver, iijs. iiyd.; a banner clothe, viijd.; ij quysshons, xijd.; iiij corporasys with the casys, xvjd.; a sute of grene wantynge an albe, vs.; viij vestymenttes with ther albes, xxs.; a crosse and a laten baason and a paxe, iiijs.; ij deske clothys, xd.; viij lent clothys, iijs. viijd.; iij chests, ijs.; a paxse, ijd.; iij fether beedes and a bolster, ixs.; ij coverys, vjd.; iiij brasse pottes and ij panys, xvjs.; ij cobyrons a trevet a pothooke a hoke eyaryn (iron), xviijd.; a bason, ij coverys, ij borddes, xxd. Summa vli. vijs. ixd. (fn. 6)

There were debts on the house to the amount of 27s.