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Urban properties
(15/15)
Whilst Cistercian monks sought to live in secluded areas, it was
nevertheless important and indeed necessary to secure urban properties,
so that members of the community had somewhere suitable to stay
when travelling or on business. By the late twelfth century Rievaulx
had possessions in the city of York (at Hungate), in the wool-working
centre of Beverley, and in the two ports of Scarborough and Yarm.(51) By the fourteenth century the community had a house and land in
the market centre of Boston, and had acquired a stone house in
Beverley, as well as buildings in Scarborough and Yarm. If, as
was often the case, the community did not require constant access
to a certain property, this might be leased out with the monks
retaining the right to stay here when needed, for example, at market
time. This leasing of property was a particularly useful resource
during times of hardship, since it generated extra cash or goods.
In the mid-twelfth century the community of Meaux granted a messuage
and buildings in Hedon, formerly given to the monks by their founder,
William, earl of Albermale, to Roger, son of Benedict the chamberlain,
retaining the right to stay here when coming and going to Salthaugh.
[EYC no. 1315 (1150-60).]
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Rievaulx did not simply own houses
in urban centres and had property in other places such as the forest
of Swaledale, as well as Allerton,
Newsham, Normanby, Wombleton, Pilley and also Harlsey. The abbot’s
house at Harsley was broken into in 1285 and his forester, Serlo,
was assaulted.(52) <back>
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