Volume 3

347
Trinity Friars, was founded in Berwick by William the Lion, who also
erected a house of Carmelites at Aberdeen. In 1267 those friars entered into
an agreement with the prior of Coldingham, about building an oratory within
the parish of the Holy Trinity in South-Berwick (o). Frere Adam, the minister
of this order, in August 1296, swore fealty to Edward I., who gave them his
protection (p). A convent of Carmelite or White Friars was founded in
Berwick, under Alexander II. or his son, but by whom is unknown (q). In
August 1296, the prior and friars of the order of St. Mary of Mount Carmel,
in Berwick, submitted to Edward I., and obtained his protection (r). After
Edward acquired this town as the fruit of his victory in 1333, he removed the
Scottish Carmelites, and replaced them with English, so determined was he to
secure his conquest (s).
Of hospitals in Berwickshire, Spottiswoode and Keith could only find
two, though subsequent researches have disclosed nine. (1.) There was a
Domus-Dei established in Berwick town during the Scoto Saxon period, but
by whom is unknown. It was under the regimen of a magister, who seems to
have been a respectable man (t). In 1334 Edward III. issued a writ in favour
of the magister, et Fratres, Domus Dei, de Berwick (u). (2.) During the
Scoto-Saxon period there was an hospital founded in Berwick town, which
was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but the name of the founder is forgotten.
When the English kings obtained possession of Berwick, they naturally
assumed the patronage of its hospitals. In 1340 Edward III. gave Robert de
Burton the government of this hospital of the Virgin Mary (x). Burton
appears to have been a busy agent of the English king in the southern districts
of Scotland, and obtained for his services several grants of money and
revenues. He at length obtained the hospital of Ednam in Roxburghshire.
Yet he seems to have been deprived of both those hospitals, for Edward III.
(o) Chart. Cold., 72.
(p) Prynne, iii., 660. Edward directed that the property of those captive friars should be restored
to them. Rym., ii., 724. The superior of this order, which was called captive, as they relieved
captives, was called minister.
(q) Spottiswoode has not even got this convent of Carmelites in his list.
(r) Ayloffe's Calend., 112.                      (s) Ib., 145.
(t) On the 1st of May 1332, William de Roxburgh, magister de Domus Dei, de Berwick super
Twedam, granted a charter to the monks of Newbotle, stating that he had inspected certain evidents,
and found that the monks of Newbotle had a right to an annual rent of 20s. out of a tenement
in St. Mary's gate, which was lately possessed by Thomas de Eavensher. Chart. Newbotle,
No. 212.
(u) Ayloffe, 147.                                         (a) Ib., 186.
Y y 2