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W. H. St. John Hope, Esq., M.A., Assistant Secretary, read the following account of excavations lately carried out by him at Warter Priory, Yorks:
"In 1132 a priory of Augustinian or Black Canons was founded at Warter, a little village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, about 4 miles east of Pocklington, by Geoffrey FitzPain, alias Trusbut, who gave it the parish church of Warter and six bovates of land adjoining thereto.
A number of documents, chiefly deeds relating to gifts of property, or confirmation charters, have been printed by Dugdale, as well as a catalogue of the priors and the good works done in their time, but none contains anything that throws light upon the story of the buildings. In fact the only bit of interesting historical matter between the foundation of the priory and its suppression is the evidence given by the sub-prior, John of Cloworth, in the famous case of Scrope v. Grosvenor in 1386. (1) Being asked if he knew the arms of Sir Richard Scrope and that they were azure a bend or, he replied that they' were painted on the wall in a hall within the priory, the making of which painting was beyond the memory of man. He also produced an amice apparel embroidered on red velvet with leopards and griffins of gold, between which were laid and sewn in silk in three places, three escutcheons of the arms of Sir Richard Scrope, azure a bend or, and the said arms were laid in a quatrefoil of gold embroidered, which the sub-prior said had been done eight-score years ago.
In 26 Henry VIII. the clear annual value of Warter Priory was given as £144 7s. 8d.
In 1536 the priory was suppressed, and its site and possessions granted to Thomas, Earl of Rutland, a descendant of the founder, together with the priory church, its bell towers, bells, lead, and cemetery.
The lack of all documentary matter relating to the buildings has been partly made up by the discovery in 1885 among the Rutland papers at Belvoir of an inventory and survey of the priory, which although undated was evidently made at the suppression.
This important document, which has been printed in the Appendix to the 12th Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission (2) contains a list of (i.) the vestments, and (ii.) the jewels and plate belonging to the priory; (iii.) an inventory of the oxen and other live stock ; and (iv.) a survey of the church 'with all other howses coveryd with leyd ' with their dimensions in yards.
Of vestments there were about a dozen more or less complete suits of red, blue, white, green, and black, including a
suit of blue silk called ' the watter bowges,' no doubt from its being powdered or otherwise decorated with this heraldic device. There were also for seven altars ' vij westimentes with all other ornamentes necessarye belongyng to them singulerlye.' The plate amounted in all to 570 ounces, including 8 chalices, 2 pairs of censers and a ship, a great mazer called Jacob (3), and a principal relic 'Saynt Jamys hand.' Both the mazer and the relic have reference to the saint in whose honour the priory church was dedicated.
The buildings enumerated in the survey are: the 'croce church,' the 'qwere,' the cloister, the 'chapitor' or chapter-house, the dorter, the hall, 'Master Priors chawmier,' the frater or ' fratry,' and two garners. Concerning these there is noted: 'Of thes hows afore writtyng, thre are scupe ruffid, that is the churche, dorter, and the hall, and other thre of these are basterd, that is the Master Prior chawmier and the two garners, and the fratry flatt ruffid. Of thes iiiijer [sic] are up rewifd, that is the croce churche, the chapitor, the quere, and the hall, and all other are flatt ruffid.' It is unnecessary to recite here any of the dimensions other than those of the cloister, which was ' rundaboute, lxxxxvj yerdes; of breid iiij yerdes.' These give a square of 72 feet.
The text of the portions of the inventory that concern us is as follows:
' Thes er the westimentes, coppes, with all other ornamentes belongyng onto monastery of Wartre.
Furst one sute of reid welvet, one for the prest decane and sub-decane, and one coppe of the seid reid welvet, and for the chanters two coppes of flowred damaske with vij other coppes appertenyng on the resydew of the mynysteres of the qweire of reede satan of burgions.
Also one sute of sanguine welvet, one coppe, vestimentes for the prest decane and subdecane of the same. Also two copes of blew welvet for the chanters.
Also one sutte of blew sylke callyd the watter bowges a cope for the prest, also westimentes for the seid prest, sub-decane, decane, and also coppes for the chanteres of the forseid watter bowges.
Also for the prest, decane, and subdecane, westimentes of blew welvet purfeild.
Also copes of blew satan, other wais callyd Catt of Montans, for the prest and for the chanteres, with westimentes for the prest, decane and subdecane of the forseid sathan, with no more of thes remanyng.
| giffin to the parish or Wartre. |
Also one old sute of blew sattan off burgions, coppes for the prest and chanteres and also for the prest, decane, and subdecane westimentes of the seid blew sattan, with no more of thes remianyng.
| one giffin to Seton another to Linton. |
Also one sute for the prest, decane, and subdecane of whitt sylke, and one cope for the prest and vj copes of whitt buschan for the chanteres and for the resydew of the ministeres of the qwere.
| given to the parish church of Wartre. |
Also one sute of blake worseitt coppes and westimentes for the prest decane and subdecane with the chanteres and viij for the resydew of the ministeres in the qwere, with no more of thes with us remanyng.
Also one sute copes and westimentes for the prest decane and subdecane, with the chanteres of grene sattan. No more of thes with us remanyng.
Also one cope and westimentes of gold cloth of tyssue for the prest, decane and subdecane.
| of no value. Given to the chanons. |
Also one westiment and the ornamentes to prest and decane of festival dayes and Sundayes, and also for the prcst and decane of ___ and one westment of black worseid for morow messe of requiem dayly.
Also for vij auters with vij westimentes with all other ornamentes necessarye belongyng to them singulerlye.
Thes er the jowelles with the platt belongyng to the monastery of Wartre.
| in my Lordes handes. |
{ In primis one salte with coveryng |
xviij onces. [18 ounces] |
| { Item one calix |
xxxj |
| { Item alter calix |
xix & dimid onces. |
| { Item one piece |
xv onces. |
| { Item one grett masser called Jacob |
|
| |
Item thre dowsan sponnes |
xlviij '' |
| |
Item alter calix |
xv '' |
| |
Item alter calix |
xv et dimid onces. |
| |
Item alter calix |
xvij. |
| |
Item alter calix |
xv. |
| |
Item alter calix |
xiij. |
| |
Item Saynt Jamys hand |
xxvij et dimid onces. [27½ ounces] |
| |
Item one paire of sensores |
xxxiij onces. |
| |
Item thre saltes with one coverynge |
xx '' |
| |
Item one scheipe |
xii j '' |
| |
Item one paire candilstykes |
l '' |
| |
Item one croce |
lvj '' |
| |
Item one flatt pyce |
x '' |
| |
Item one croce fote with the stalke |
xxx '' |
| |
Item one salte and two cruettes |
xxxj '' |
| |
Item one calix |
xix et dimid onces. |
| |
Item one peice with the coverying |
xxiiij onces. |
| |
Item alter peice |
xj '' |
| |
Item one paire sensores |
xxviij '' |
| |
'This is a trew certificacion of the lenthe and breid of our church with all other howses coveryd with leyd belongyng onto the monastery of Wartre.
The croce church, of breid xij yerdes; of lentlie xl yerdes. [12 yds x 40 yds] n.b. red text added by A.S.
Item the qwerc in lenthe xxviij yerdes; of breid ix yerdes. [28 yds x 9 yds]
Item the clauster rundaboute, lxxxxvj yerdes; of breid iiij yerdes. [96 yds x 4 yds]
Item the chapitor of lenthe xiiij yerdes ; of breid vij yerdes. [24 yds x 7 yds]
Item the dorter, of lenthe xxxiiij yerdes: of breid ix yerdes. [34 yds x 9 yds]
Item the hall, of lenthe xxiiij yerdes; of breid xj yerdes. [34 yds x 11 yds]
Item Master Prior's chawmier, of lenthe xvj yerdes; of breid ix yerdes. [16 yds x 9 yds]
Item one garner, of lenthe xvij yerdcn; of breid viij yerdes. [17 yds x 8 yds]
Item the fratry, of lenthe xxvij yerdos; of breid ix yerdes. [27 yds x 9 yds]
Item a nother garner, of lenthe xxxiiij yerdes; of breid xiij yerdes. [34 yds x 13 yds]
Of thes hows afore writtyng, thre are scupe ruffid, that is the churche, dorter, and the hall, and other thre of these are basterd, that is the Master Prior chawmer and the two garners, and the fratry flatt ruffid.
Of these iiiij or [sic] are up rewifd, that is tho croce churche, the chapitor, the quere, and the hall, and all other are flat ruffid.'
Such surveys as this are unhappily rare, but although the measurements are only approximate for a valuation of the lead roofs, it is obvious that a comparison of thein with any existing remains would be alike interesting and profitable. On inquiry, however, some time since I was informed that there were no remains of Warter Priory above ground, and that its very site was a matter of uncertainty.
Some few months ago I was asked by the Rev. Marmaduke Morris, rector of Nunburnholme, a parish adjoining Warter, to direct and carry out some excavations on the supposed site of the priory, which had been kindly placed at my service for the purpose by tho owner, Mr. Charles Wilson, M.P., with the concurrence of his tenant; Mr. Wilson also undertook to pay for all the necessary labour.
I accordingly visited Warter with Mr. Morris on tho 6th September last, and found that the priory was supposed to have occupied part of a level plateau to the north and east of the parish church. This latter is wholly a modern structure, but appears to stand on the site of the old one, which was destroyed in 1864. The area in question is divided by a hedge into two pasture fields and on the cast slopes sharply flown into a small valley. The hedge runs in a northeasterly direction from the north-east corner of the churchyard, and on both sides of it the ground is covered with mounds suggestive of the sites of buildings. A comparatively level space north of the parish church betokened the site of the cloister.
Operations were begun with only five men on the cast side of the hedge by cutting trenches through several of the more prominent mounds. But the results were disappointing, for although occasional fragments ot ashlar and moulded stonework were turned up, the mounds themselves contained nothing but mortar and rubbish.
Since the survey mentions only the 'croce church,' i.e. the transept, and ' the qwore ' of the priory church, it is evident that the nave had served as the parish church. If then the present building occupies the site of the old the canons' church ought to be found east of it. A trench was accordingly next cut across the site, which soon revealed the foundations of two parallel walls, 25 feet apart and running east and west, with a pavement formed of rectangular chalk blocks, in which there showed the end of a grave slab. The walls went further traced on the following day, and proved to be those of the aisleless presbytery of the priory church. They were for the most part represented by the chalk foundations only, especially on the south side and east end, but on the north part of the lowest course and in some places more of the ashlar walling was left, especially towards the west, where there stood a length of older wall several feet high containing a shallow recess. The remains of the buttresses showed that the presbytery was at least six bays long, but the dimensions given in the survey, 28 yards or 84 feet and a width of 9 yards, suggest that there were in all seven bays. The smaller projection of the westernmost remaining buttress on the north, if it be not a pier, suggests that the presbytery was originally a short one, probably of the date of the foundation, but extended to its later length towards the close of the thirteenth century. A projecting vestry or chapel was subsequently added on the south side, and there were indications of another, built a bay further west, on the north side.
As the excavations proceeded westwards the foundations became more difficult to follow, and in places they had been utterly destroyed. This was especially the case on the south, where the limits of the transept have still to be made out.
 On the other side we were a little more fortunate. What seemed to be the foundations of the north end of the transept were found, together with those of a large square chapel east of the transept. To make way for this, the earlier buildings on this side had been destroyed. According to the survey the transept was 12 yards wide and 40 yards long, but it is difficult to see how such a length could nave been obtained, unless the south transept was very much longer than the other.
Beyond the north transept was a narrow passage 5 feet across, and next to (his what seems to have been tho chapter house, the eastern end of which we opened out. The dimensions of this are given as 18 yards by 7 yards. The length we could not recover, but the internal width was only 144 feet instead of 21 feet.
Although our efforts to trace the walls were attended with such unsatisfactory results, the excavations yielded others of a more interesting character.
It has already been stated that our first day's work brought to light part of the pavement. This was found on further examination to be fairly perfect across tho centre of the presbytery, and as it was barely a foot beneath the turf it was easily uncovered. It was formed throughout of chalk blocks with occasional transverse bands and pieces of fine sandstone. Towards the west this floor had been destroyed, but in tracing it eastwards it was possible by its successive changes of level to ascertain the position of the steps up to the altar, notwithstanding that the steps themselves had gone. The first of these had crossed the presbytery at a distance of 21¼ feet from the east wall, and was 3½ feet broad. The next was 7 feet 8 inches broad, and also extended from wall to wall. Of the third step part remained in place. It was 3 feet 9 inches broad, but its length did not exceed that of the altar, the base of which was fortunately left. This base stood 3 feet away from the east wall, and when first uncovered appeared to be a poorly built block of chalk rubble about 2 feet high and nearly 15 feet in length. But further examination led to a somewhat curious discovery.
The altar had originally been one of more architectural pretensions, and built of ashlar, with engaged shafts worked upon the front corners starting from bases on a moulded plinth. The plinth was intact, and lias a roll moulding along
the front and ends. If we may assume that the slab, which
of course had gone, was of the same size as the plinth, it would have been 11 feet 3 inches long and 3 feet 6 inches broad. It probably had a moulded edge with capitals for the shafts to correspond with the bases on the plinth.
The altar thus set up at the end of the thirteenth century became in later days old-fashioned, the slab and block were taken away, and a new block, made wholly of chalk, was built upon the old plinth and to a distance of 17½ inches beyond each end of it. The total length was thus extended to about 15 feet The step in front was also lengthened to correspond. At the same time the intervals between the altar ends and the side walls were closed by stone screens or a reredos wall in line with the back of the altar. It would be interesting to know if any other such instance of the lengthening of an altar has been met with; I have not hitherto met with such myself.
Inasmuch as the top of the mouldings of the old plinth were level with and so hidden by the uppermost step, it seems as if this were a later addition. In that case tho altar must at lirst have stood free upon the hroad platform afforded by the next step, which has been already described as extending across the presbytery from wall to wall. It is, however, possible that the arrangement of all three steps may be later than the first building of the altar, or oven that the covering up of the plinth was a matter of no consequence.
In front of the altar, just below the second step, a stone coffin was uncovered. It had lost its lid, and been much broken by the fall of heavy material upon it, apparently after the removal of its cover. The contents hadl been disturbed, and only a few broken bones were left in the head end. The total length was 7 feet 1½ inch, and the edges had been roughly chamfered as if to allow of the lid being handled so as to fit the coffin.
To the south-west of this interment lay the grave slab disclosed during our first day's work. It has been cracked across by falling material, but is otherwise complete, and as will be seen from the illustration it is in admirable preservation. The slab is of fine sandstone, and measures 6 feet 6½ inches in length by 3 feet 2½ inches in breadth, with a thickness of 7 inches. It bears the incised effigy of a Black Canon, beneath a crocketed canopy, with the marginal inscription :
Thomas Bridlington is said to have succeeded as twenty-fifth prior of Warter in 1495. He is apparently vested in a rochet, girt, according to the Rule, in such a manner that the girdle and what hangs from it is not shown, and over that a cloak with small hood, the capa pluvialis of the Observances. The rochet is represented of such a length as to cover the pellicea or fur-lined cassock which was worn underneath. Effigies of Black Canons similarly vested, but with the hoods of their cloaks drawn over the head, occur at Cartmel and Hexham. Brasses of Black Canons occur at Dorchester (Oxon) and South Creak (Norfolk), both abbots, and at Over Winchendon (Bucks). One of a prior was formerly at Royston (Herts), but is now lost: the Society fortunately possesses a rubbing.
Since monuments of canons regular are comparatively uncommon this interesting example from Warter is a welcome addition to the number. So far as I am aware this is the first instance of such a monument in the form of an incised slab. The poorness of its design and the bad drawing of the figure are suggestive of the slab being a local production.
Time did not admit of our uncovering the whole of the presbytery floor, but various trenches were cut across in the hope of finding other memorials. We were thus able to fix the eastern limit of the stalls, but did not find any trace of the monument of the Lady Beatrice, Lady de Ros, who by her will dated 26th June, 1413, desired to be buried infra chorum ecclesie prioratus de Wartre. (4) One other interesting discovery, however, was made, that one of the blocks forming the floor had originally been part of an early monumental slab, which had been deliberately cut up for the purpose. This had borne an inscription in detached letters, inlaid, not with latten but with lead. The fragment in question still retained the metal letters | N: Del: K | No more lettered pieces of the slab were visible, but as there are divers blocks of the same material in the floor they may exist, but laid upside down. (5)
It will be seen from the plan exhibited, for which I am indebted to my friend and co-digger Mr. Harold Brakspear, that the excavations were not very extensive, nor did they lead to anything of much importance beyond establishing the site of the priory church. But as the result of one week's work, with only from five to eight men, for labourers were unusually scarce, they cannot be called unprofitable. At any rate they produced three unusual features. There was a marked absence of architectural and indeed of any other fragments or details, so thoroughly had the place been destroyed and spoiled.
Whether it will be worth while to resume operations at Easter in view of so much destruction of walls and foundations I am inclined to doubt. But possibly better luck may attend excavations elsewhere on the site.
The whole of the remains uncovered in September have, I believe, been since buried again for their better preservation."
FOOTNOTES
(1) Scrope v. Grosvenor Controversy, i. 98; ii, 278.
(2) Part iv. MSS. of the Duke of Rutland. i. 28-30.
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A Mazer with Silver Rim c.1440 (not the Warter one) |
(3) Mazer is a drinking vessel of Germanic tradition made in maple wood in the form of a wide flat-bottomed shallow bowl without handles. The early examples are usually deep with narrow lip bands, while the later ones are shallower with wider bands and an increased capacity. These vessels were made from the 12th to the 16th century and it is supposed that the word "mazer" derives from the ancient German word "masa" meaning a spot or from the old Welsh word "masarn" meaning maple tree. They vary from simple ones made entirely of wood to most prized cups ornamented with a precious metal rim and a circular medallion on the inside of the bowl.The silver band around the lip was often engraved with inscriptions in Latin or in English. Many of the early examples were converted into standing cups following the demand by wealthy classes for pieces of more importance. Few mazers have survived to the present day, but at the time of their introduction in England they were very popular and made in great quantity. However, most of them were made only of solid wood as a few could afford the cost of the addition of silver mounts. Source: http://www.silvercollection.it/dictionarymazer.html
(4)Testamena Eboracensia (Surtees Society 4), i. 376.
(5) A slab with the design inlaid with lead was lately found at Eastrington, also in the East Riding. Mr. K. Towrey Whyte, F.S.A., has since shown me a sketch made by him of an incised slab at Wycliffe, Yorks, which has an inscription with inlaid lead letters on one side of a cross. A slab found at Bangor in 1895 has a rich cross, with a checker board of 16 squares laid on the shaft; the alternate squares of this are filled in with lead. See Archaeologia Cambrensis, 5th S. xxvii. 31, 32.
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