ST. MARY OF GRACES
This House was called that of St. Mary of Graces, or Eastminster,
or New Abbey. It was situated without the walls by East Smithfield.
Newcourt gives the following account of it:—
“In the Year 1348 (23 Edw. III.), the first Great Pestilence in his
time began and increased so sore, that for want of room in Church-yards
to bury the Dead of the City, and of the Suburbs, one John Corey,
Clerk, procured of Nicholas, Prior of the Holy Trinity within
Ealdgate, one Toft of ground near East Smithfield for the burial of
them that died, with condition, that it might be call’d, The Church
yard of the Holy Trinity; which Ground he caused by the aid of divers
Devout Citizens to be inclos’d with a Wall of Stone, and the same was
dedicated by Ralph Stratford, Bishop of London, where innumerable
Bodies of the Dead were afterwards buried, and a Chapel built in the
same Place to the Honour of God. To which King Edward setting his
Regard (having been in a Tempest on the Sea, and in peril of drowning
made a Vow to build a Monastery to the Honour of God, and the Lady of
Grace, if God would grant him Grace to come safe to Land) builded a
Monastery, causing it to be call’d East-minster, placing an Abbot, and
Monks of the Cistertian or White Order there.
In Order whereunto the said King Edward, by his Letters Patents bearing
date at Westminster, March 29, in the 24th of his reign (1349) for
the first Founding and Endowment of this Abbey, gave to the Abbot and
Monks thereof, all those Messuages, with the Appurtenances at Tower
Hill, which he had of Joh. Cory aforesaid, in pure and perpetual Alms.
Ordering this House to be call’d, Liberam Capellam Regiam Beatæ Mariæ
de Gratiis. And afterwards by other Letters Patents, dated Octob. 5, in
the 50th of his Reign, he gave and granted to John, Duke of Lancaster,
Simon, Archbishop of Canterbury, John, Bishop of Lincoln, and others,
certain Mannours and Lands, which he purchased in Kent, and elsewhere,
for the farther Endowment of this Abbey, which they after his Death
granted and confirm’d to the said Abbot and Monks for a certain term of
Years.
But these lands being for certain Causes seiz’d into the hands of
King Richard II. as forfeited, he, by his Letters Patents, dated
Aug. 3, in the 12th of his Reign by advice of his Counsel, gave and
granted the Rents, Issues and Profits of those Mannours and Lands,
which were the Mannours of Leybourne, Gravesend, Leach, Wattingbury,
Gore, Parrock and Bykenore, with their Appurtenances, together with
the Advowsons of the Church of Bykenore, and of the Churches of the
other places above-named, with all other their Appurtenances in the
County of Kent. As also the Reversion of the Mannour of Gomshalf with
its Appurtenances, in the County of Surry, after the Death of Thomas
de Stanes, to pray for the Good Estate of the said King whilst alive,
and for his Soul when dead, and for the Soul of his Grandfather King
Edw. III. and for the Souls of all his Progenitors, his Heirs, and
Successors, and all the Faithful deceas’d, according to the Intention
and Will of his said Grandfather. And farther, gave Licence to the Said
John, Duke of Lancaster, and John, Bishop of London, the surviving
Feoffees of Edw. III. to release and quit-claim the said Mannours and
Lands to the said Abbot and Monks, and their Successors, as appears by
his Letters Patents, dated at Notingham, July 3.
William de S. Cruce, late Abbot of Geranden of the Cistertian Order,
was at the King’s instance made the first Abbot of this House, to whom
the King gave £20 per ann. for the Maintenance of himself and his
Monks, March 24, 1349.
Will. de Warden was made Abbot of this House, Aug. 27, 1360.
This Abby was surrender’d Anno. 1539 (30 Hen. VIII.), and was valued at
£546: 0: 10 per Ann., Dugdale; £602: 11: 10, Speed.
Since which time the said Monastery being by King Hen. VIII. in the
34. of his Reign granted to Sir Arthur Darcy, Knight, was clean pull’d
down. And of late time in place thereof is built a large Store-house
for Victual, and convenient Ovens are built there for baking of
Bisquets to serve Her Majesties Ships: and it is the Victualling Office
for the Royal Navy to this day; the Grounds adjoining and belonging
formerly to the said Abbey, are occupied by small Tenements built
thereon.” (Newcourt, i. pp. 465-466.)
To this account it may be added that the House does not seem to have
attracted many other benefactors, while in the _Calendar of Wills_
there are only six bequests to the Abbey. One testator devises money
for the buildings; one gives a small sum of money; three leave houses;
one founds a chantry. It may be presumed that the proportion of
bequests to this House compared with those made to others was the same
with the wills not presented in these two volumes. Yet its surrender
value, as we have seen, was considerable. In the first volume of the
_Transactions of the Lond. and Midd. Archæological Association_ is
published an early representation of the Abbey, taken probably just
before the Dissolution.