A HISTORY OF LONDON by the Council of Lyons in 1274, the little community in London managed to maintain itself for some years longer. It figured in the wardrobe accounts of 28th year of Edward I,^ and was still in existence in October, 1302/ But the condition of the friars must have been the reverse of flourishing, and in March, 1305,* the king granted them licence to make over their chapel to Robert Fitzwalter, who was to make himself responsible for a chantry of two chap- lains for the souls of Eleanor the late queen, the king's ancestors, and others. The house was presided over by priors, none of whose names survive. 16. THE CROSSED FRIARS The Friars of the Holy Cross are said to have first come to England about 1244,' but it was not until 1298 that they obtained a footing in London. About that date, on land in Hart - Street, at first rented and afterwards bought from the prior of Christchurch, Aldgate, their house was founded by Ralph Hosier and William Sabernes, who afterwards themselves joined the order. During the following twenty years they were engaged in building the monastery and church,' to the great dissatisfaction of the rector of St. Olave's, who found himself thus deprived of a source of income. At length a settlement * was made by the dean of Arches and Stephen, bishop of London, which provided that all who so chose might be buried in the conventual church and cemetery, but the rector was to have the burial dues of those who belonged to or had died in his parish ; the maintenance of a lamp in the church of St. Olave, and payment of an annual sum of 2^ marks, secured the priory from all other demands of the rector, who on his side was not to hinder the dedication of the monas- tery, church, and cemetery. ' Liicr Quotid. Contrarotul. Gdrdtnb. 2 8 Edvi. /, 3 1 . 12 March, to the Friars of the Sack by Friar Edmund de Dover there, 1 9/. ' Cal. of Pat. I 301-7, p. 47.
- Ibid. 316. Robert Fitzwalter had petitioned
the king for this licence in 1304. See Pari. R. (Rec. Com.), i, 162. ' John de Oxenedes, Chronica (Rolls Ser.), 1 74. ' They were established there 28 Edw. I, for in that year a sum of 28/. to them figures in the king's Wardrobe Accts. Lib. Quotid. Contrarotul. Garderob. 28 Edw. /, 31. Prior Stephen granted to these two men three tenements for 1 3/. %d. per annum. Stow, Surv. of Land. (Strype's ed.), iii, 74. Later on it is said they founded their house on tenements purchased of Richard Wimbush, prior of Holy Trinity, I 3 19. ^ In I 3 19 the church was built but not yet dedi- cated, and the cemetery was still unconsecrated. Guildhall MS. 122, fol. 126-7.
- Lond. Epis. Reg. Baldock and Gravesend, fol.
46, 47. The material progress ot the priory was not rapid, the acquisition of land and rent to the yearly value of lOOi., for which they had received licence in 1 33 1,' taking twelve years.* This property lay in Tooting,^ Tooting-Graveney,' and ' Legham,' ' co. Surrey, and in the parishes of St. Olave, Hart Street, and St. Bartholo- mew without Bishopsgate {sic)^" London. A chantry of two chaplains established there by Andrew de Bures^^ in 1331 was endowed with land in 'Aketons' and Waldingfield, Suffolk; another '- for one chaplain by Dame Hewysia Gloucestre (1335) with a tenement in Seething Lane, and the house appears to have obtained one or two little pieces of land elsewhere," but in 1 34 1 " the revenues of the priory were still so small that the convent was released from payment of the subsidy. It would, however, perhaps be a mistake to imagine the house extremely poor. The fact that the friars were endeavouring in 1342 to provide accommodation at Oxford for thirteen of their number to study at the university " doubtless proves nothing but that they took the same interest in education as the friars of other orders ; but it is difficult to believe that if they had been without financial support they would have begun a costly chapel in 1350.'* Moreover in 1359 three of the friars carried off goods estimated to be worth ^^87 13^. i^d.^' so that unless a large amount is to be deducted for the bulls and muniments stolen, the priory seems to have been fairly well furnished. This is not, by the way, the only robbery in which members of the house were concerned, since in 1 39 1 John Bures, then prior, was pardoned for abetting a man who some years before had stolen property valued at 600 marks from the house of the bishop of Bath and Wells.'* ' Cal. of Pat. 1330-4, p. 41. •Ibid. 1343-5, p. 115. Perhaps St. Botolph's The land was alienated ' Ibid. 1334-8, p. 222. • Ibid. 1330-4, p. 223. •Ibid. 416. '» Ibid. 1343-5, p. 115. without Bishopsgate. " Ibid. 1330-4, p. 197. by Andrew to the prior and Crutched Friars of Wel- netham to find two chaplains to celebrate in the London house. In 1350 the prior and convent of the Crossed Friars, London, granted to Sir Andrew de Bures and Alice his wife a room and stable in the priory whenever they came to London. Cart. Toph. 33. " Sharpe, Cal. of mils, i, 406. " Cal. of Pat. 1330-4, p. 49. Robert de Hegham had leave to alienate to them 1 5 acres of land and 8/ rent in Shudycampes and Nosterfeld. " Cal. of Close, 1 341-3, p. 175. " CaL of Pat. 1340-3, pp. 403, 498. " Ibid. 1348-50, p. 445. " Riley, Mem. of Lond. 303, 304. " Cal. of Pat. 1388-92, p. 429. 514
