communication wol run thereof throughout this realme; ffor Londone is the common countrey of al England, from whiche is derived to al partes of this realme al good and yll occurrent here. From Londone, the xiiijth day of Juny.

By your lordships at commandement,

THOMAS BEdyll.

The following letter is one of many which will subsequently occur relating to the manner in which the minor articles of monastic property were disposed of. The monastery of Leicester alluded to, was that of St. Mary de Pratis, near the town, founded in 1143 by Robert le Bossu, earl of Leicester.

LXXXI.

FRANCIS CAVE TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 215.*]

My most bownden dutye rememberyd, this is to advertis yower good lordshippe of the hole estate of the late monastery of Leycester, in the wiche we have taken the surrender and feyne of thabbott an convent, and the wrytinges therof be in my custodye. By yower lordshippes goodnes towardes me I now ame in the possession of the house and all the demeynes wiche was unlet at the tyme of owre repare thether. We also fownde the house indettyd to dyvers creditors in iiijc.xjli. x. over and besydes certen summes of money the house was indettyd to the kynges heyghnes, wherof we make no reconinge of; and for the discharge therof, we have made sale of the stoke and store, withe the housholdstuffe and ornamenttes of the churche, wiche amounte unto ccxxviij". The plate is onsolde, wiche maister Freman takithe the charge of, and is valuyd at by weyght c.iiijxxxli. The leade by estymation is valuyd at m1i.; the belles at iiijxxviij". For the dischargeynge of thabbott, conventt, and servanttes of the

seyde monastery, there haithe beyne payde, as dothe apere more particularly by the bouke we send yower lordshippe, cxlix".; and forasmoche as thabbott haithe nott receyvyd of hus in redy money butt xx", he haithe requyerde me to desyer yower lordshippe to be so good lorde unto hym he may have xx". or twentie markes more. The churche and house remenythe as yet undefacede; and in the chirche be meny thynges to be maide sale of, for the wiche yt may plese yower lordshippe to lett me knawe yower pleysure, as well for the farther sale to be made as for the defasinge of the chirche and other superfluus byldinges wiche be abowte the monastery. A hundrithe markes yerly will not susteyne the charges in reparyng this house, yf all byldinges be lett stande, as yower lordshippe shall knowe more hereafter. Thus I pray Jhesus longe to preserve yow in helthe withe muche honore. Wrytten at the late monastery of Leycester, the xxixth day of Auguste, by yower lordshipes most bownden servantt,

FRAUNCIS CAVE.

The following letter relates to a similar subject to that spoken of in the preceding, the demolition of the monasteries of Jervaux and Bridlington. Bridlington priory (already mentioned) came into the king's hand by the attainder of the prior, who was active in the rebellion of 1536.

LXXXII.

RICHARD BELLASYS TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 241.]

Pleashithe your good lordship to be advertysed, I have taken down all the leade of Jarvaxe, and maid it in pecys of half foders, whyche leade amowntythe to the nombre of eghten skore and fyve foders, wythe thryttye and ffowre foders and a half that were there byfore; and the said leade can not be conveit nor caryed unto the next sombre, for the ways in that cowntre are so foule

and deape that no caryage can passe in wyntre. And as concerninge the rasing and takyn down the howse, if it be your lordships pleasour, I ame myndet to let it staunde to the sprynge of the yere, by reason the days ar now so short, it wolde be doble charges to doo it now. And as concerninge the sellyng of the belles, I can not sell them above xvs. the howndrethe, wherin I wolde gladly knowe your lordships pleasour whether I shuld sell them after that pryce, or send them up to London; and if they be sent up, surely the caryage wolbe costly frome that place to the water. And as for Byrdlington, I have doyn nothing there as yet, but sparythe it to Marche next, bycause the days now are so short ; and frome suche tyme as I begyn, I trust shortlye to dyspache it, after suche fashon, that when all is fynished, I trust your lordship shall think that I have ben no evyll howsband in all suche thinges as your lordship haithe appoynted me to doo. And thus the Holye Gost ever preserve your lordship in honour. At Yorke, this xiiijth daye of Novembre, by your most bounden beademan, RICHARD BELLYCYS.

The following letter gives a brief account of the dissolution of a number of monastic houses of the north of England.

The Benedictine abbey of Burton-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, was of Saxon origin, having been founded about the year 1002 by Wulfric Spott. In ancient times it was often called Modwennestow, because the relics of St. Modwen were enshrined there. William Edys was the last abbot: the date of the surrender given in the last edition of the Monasticon, 1539, must be wrong, and appears to have originated from a mistake of the date of the present letter.

The alien priory of Pontefract in Yorkshire was founded by Robert de Lacy in the reign of William Rufus, and was made dependent on the foreign house of La Charité sur Loire, whence the first monks of the English house were brought. The last prior was James Thwayts.

The Cistercian abbey of Fountains, the magnificent ruins of which still excite the admiration of visitors, was founded in 1132 by a colony of monks from St. Mary's at York. The last abbot was Marmaduke Brodelay, or Bradley, suffragan bishop of Hull. St. Mary's abbey at York has been mentioned on a former page.

Nun-Appleton was a nunnery near Tadcaster, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, founded by Alice de St. Quintin in the latter part of the reign of Stephen. The last prioress was Anne Langton.

The rich mitred-abbey of Selby in Yorkshire, was founded by William the Conqueror in 1069. The last abbot was Robert Selby or Rogers. The fine abbey church is still entire.

The hospital of St. Leonard at York is said to have been first endowed by king Athelstan, and to have been refounded by William Rufus.

It may be observed that the dates of the surrender of nearly all these houses appear to be wrongly given in the Monasticon.

LXXXIII.

THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE NORTH TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. iv. fol. 242.]

After meest humble commendacions to your good lordship, pleaseth it the same be advertiesed, that we have altered Burtonupon-Trent; and accordinge to the kinges highnes commission and instruccions we have dissolved the howses of Hampole, Sancte Oswaldes, Pountefracte, Fontaunce, Sancte Maries in Yourke, Nonappleton, and Selbye, and also altered the howse of Sancte Leonerdes in Yourke, after suche ordre and fassion as we trust shall appeir to your lordship to be to the kinges honour and contentacion. Albeit, we could natt maike dispeche in parte of the said places withoute some difficultie, as your lordship shall perceyve at our repayer to Londone, ffurther certifienge your lordship that we have takyn the shrynes in all such places as we have yett hetherto repayrede unto the kinges use; and forasmoche as we have no commission in that behalf, we beseiche youe that we may have a commission for that purpouse, beringe date of the other commissions, to shewe if neede shall requier. And thus our Lorde ever preserve your goode lordship in moche honour. At Selbie, the viijth day of Decembre.

Yours at commandement,

WALTERE HENDLE.
RICHARDE LAYTON.

THOMAS LEGH.

RYCHARD BELASSYS.

RICHARD WATKYNS.

The following letter contains a continuation of the proceedings of the commissioners in Yorkshire.

The priory of Monk-Bretton, or Lund, two miles from Barnsley, was founded early in the reign of Henry II. and made dependent upon the monastery of Pontefract. The last prior appears to have been William Browne.

The priory of St. Andrew at York, sometimes called St. Andrew in Fishergate, was founded about the year 1200, for twelve canons of the order of Sempringham.

Byland abbey (Bella Landa) was founded in 1143 by Roger de Mowbray. This and St. Andrew's at York had been preserved from the wreck of the smaller monasteries, to which, by the smallness of their revenues, they belonged. The last abbot of Byland was John Ledes, alias Alanbrigg.

The priory of Austin canons at Kirkham was founded by Walter Espec and his wife in 1121. The last prior was John Kilwik.

Elreton, or Ellerton priory, situate on the Derwent in Spaldingmore, was founded before 1212, by William Fitz Peter, for canons of the order of Saupringham. The last prior of this house was John Golding. A portion of the priory church now forms the parish church.

.

"There was

There was a house of friars at Tickhill, which is mentioned by Leland, but so little is known of its history, that it is even uncertain to what order it belonged. The "Friars" at Doncaster is known chiefly by the note in Leland. a house of Gray Freres here, at the north ende of the bridge, comunely caullid the Freres Bridge."

At Pontefract there was a house of Black Friars, and another of White Friars. The latter was founded by Edmund de Lacy, earl of Lincoln, before 1257.

At York there were numerous houses of Friars, belonging to the different orders. Bolton Abbey is now the beautiful seat of the duke of Devonshire. It was founded in 1120 by William de Meschines.

LXXXIV.

THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE NORTH TO CROMWELL.

[From MS. Cotton. Cleop. E. IV. fol. 242*.]

Owre moste singulere good lorde, owre bowndon dewties lowlie premysede, pleas yt youre honorable lordeshippe too be advertisede, we have laytlye receyvede youre letters conteigninge the kinges majesties pleasure anempsce the ordere of leed and belles apperteanynge to suche howses off religeon conteanyde in the kinges graces letters commissionall to us addressed, wherof we