Founders and their Charters, 1114–C. 1140

The regular canons were, on the basis of the number of foundations, the most popular religious group in medieval Britain. In common with canonical foundations in all parts of England and Wales, not all Yorkshire's foundations were made de novo; some were preceded by institutions of another nature, communities either of secular clergy or hermits. There is evidence for the existence of a clerical group at Bridlington during the pontificate of Archbishop Thomas II of York (1109–14). At a date before 1114 the archbishop remitted to the church of St Mary, Bridlington, 6d which it was accustomed to render each year for chrism, and 2s for synodals. This, he stated, had been done ‘pro amore et honore sancte sanctarum domine nostre et fratrum qui in eius ecclesia deo serviunt’ (‘for the love and honour of our lady, the most holy of the saints, and for that of the brethren who serve God in her church’). This indicates that there was then a community serving the church of Bridlington, but does not of itself prove that it was then one of Augustinian canons. However, that a priory had come into existence by 1114 is suggested by two memoranda inserted in a Bridlington book of devotions (1510–12), preserved as Durham University Library MS Cosin U.V.19 (fo. 53r). The first reads: