Stamford No. 8

The Victoria County History (Lincoln, vol. 2, 1906) reports four medieval priories here: 1) the Austins' friary had a church in it by 1344-1345, when Robert de Wodehouse was buried in its choir; at the Dissolution the friary "was surrendered 6 October, 1538". 2) the Dominicans' friary is documented as of 1241, and in 1300 "[t]he friars numbered about forty or forty-two at this time. When the court was at Stamford the Crosses of St. Neot and the Holy Thorn were kept in the Black Friars' church, and attracted worshippers and oblations [...] The church was rebuilt before 1310, when licence to dedicate the new church was given by Bishop Dalderby [...] The house was surrendered to Dr. London 7 October, 1538, by William Stafforde, S.T.B. prior, and eight brethren. [...] Dr. London sold the glass in the church and the brewing vessels, and sent the plate to London. The church was well leaded [...] stood in the south-east suburb near the water-gate, and the grounds extended to the river. Some remains are shown in Speed's plan of Stamford. The proprietor in 1727 was Savil Cust, esq. Nothing was left of the house at that time." 3) the Franciscans' friary: "The Friars Minors stood in the south-east suburb near the water-gate, and the grounds extended to the river. Some remains are shown in Speed's plan of Stamford. The proprietor in 1727 was Savil Cust, esq. Nothing was left of the house at that time. [...] The house stood in the east suburb near St. Paul's gate; the boundary walls were still standing in Peck's time, 'whereby it appears that the church, monastery, and gardens took in a great compass of ground.' [...] Thomas Holland, earl of Kent, who died 28 December, 1360, was buried in a chapel adjoining the Grey Friars church of Stamford; [...] and in January, 1385-6, his wife Joan, the fair maid of Kent, who after his death married the Black Prince and became the mother of Richard II, was buried here (fn. 63) near her first husband 'in a sumptuous chapel recently built next the choir.' [...] Blanche, daughter of Henry, earl of Lancaster, and widow of Thomas, Lord Wake of Lydell, desired, 1380, to be buried in this church 'between my cousine of Tatteshale et le degreez.' [...] Her confessor, Friar William Folville, D.D., of Cambridge, was buried here in 1384. [...] Robert Fereby was buried in the church in 1392 [...] The house was surrendered to Dr. London 8 October, 1538 [...] he sold the church ornaments and glass. The church was well leaded. [...] The friary was granted to the duke [of Suffolk] in 1541 [...] The principal buildings had already been levelled with the ground." 4) The White Friars settled here in the east suburb shortly before 1268, when Henry III granted them six oaks for the fabric of their church. [...] The royal alms granted to these friars between 1298 and 1314 show that there were from twenty to twenty-six brethren in the house. [...] The friary is said to have been a magnificent structure, famous for its beautiful church and steeple; and the grounds appear to have been nearly a mile in circumference. [...] Dr. John London, 8 October, 1538, received the surrender of the house, the deed being signed by John Kyrtun the prior and six brethren. [...] The church was well leaded." The VCH entry (ibid.) mentions a short-lived fifth friary here without details: "The house of the Friars of the Sack, or Friars of the Penance of Jesus Christ, must have been founded here before 1274, when the council of Lyons decreed the suppression of the order. Edward I gave a pittance for four friars of this house in 1300. [...] The ground which they had occupied was in 1342 conferred on the Austin Friars".