John, the son of the late earl, succeeded to his titles and estates. He was born on the vigil of St. Lucy, the virgin and martyr, 1448, when one of the canons of Worksop professed to have heard a voice saying, Gloria in excelsis Deo et Angelis. He was a poet, and addressed one of his pieces in French to Margaret of Anjou; but he was early called to arms, having been at the second battle of St. Albans when only fourteen years of age, on which occasion he was knighted by prince Edward. He fought for the house of Lancaster under the Earl of Warwick, and died at Coventry, June 28th, 1473,.at the early age of twenty-five; but his body was brought thence to Worksop, and buried in St. Mary’s chapel. By his wife, Catherine, daughter of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, he had a son George who succeeded him as the fourth earl, and who stood in high favour with Henry VIII., to whom he presented several pieces of plate in token of his gratitude. He married Anne, daughter of William Lord Hastings, and was visited by Wolsey at Worksop, in 1530, on his way from Newstead Abbey to Cawood. He died July 26th, 1538, and was buried at Sheffield.

He was succeeded by his son Francis, as fifth earl, who was also highly esteemed by his sovereign, and received from him a grant of the site and precincts of Worksop Priory, its houses and lands, &c., shortly after the dissolution of monastic houses, in exchange for the manor of Farnham, on condition that he, the earl, should provide a glove for the sovereign’s right hand at coronations, and should support it while he held the sceptre, by the service of a tenth part of a knight’s fee, and by a yearly payment of £23 8s. 0d. He married Mary, daughter of Thomas, Lord Dacres, and died at Sheffield, Sept. 21st, 1560.

Besides grants of lands and other benefactions received from the ancient lords of Worksop Manor, the Priory here was gradually enriched by gifts of lands, houses, mills, and money-payments, from other persons, most of whose names have been lost. From these it finally possessed a net income of £239 15s. 5d. at the time of the suppression, according to the Valor Ecclesiasticus, 26 Henry VIII. There were also many benefactors to the fabric of the Priory church, whose names have perished, such as the founders of St. Peter’s chapel, and St. Catherine’s chantry; but that of the St. Leonard’s chantry founder is preserved, the following being an extract from " Torre, 1258," in St. Mary’s tower at York. "2d Id. March, AD. 1300. "The Archbp. of York confirmed the chantry which "William Pelliparius de Radeford on the feast of St George (April 23d) 1300, erected for one secular priest to celebrate divine service for ever in the parish church of Worksop, at the altar of St. Leonard, for the soul of himself when he dyes, and for the soul of Elene his wife, &c. And for holding the same he gave to the ministery of the altar one silver chalice gilt, 2 whole vestments, one Festivall, the other Feriall, and other ornaments of the same altar.’’

Priors of Worksop

TEMP. ELECTIONIS   AUTHORITY
  Anno. Mense.  
William 1180 –––––––– Tanner.
Stephen circa 1196 –––––––– Ibid
Henry 1200 –––––––– Ibid
Walter de Leirton. 1233 –––––––– Ibid
Robert de Pikeborn 1253 –––––––– Ibid
John 1260 –––––––– Ibid
Alan de London 1279 –––––––– MS. Harl., 6972. fol. 7.
John de Tikehill 1303 2 Non Novbr Ibid.
Robert de Carleton 1313 11 Kal April. Ibid.
Johannes 1396 –––––––– Torre, 1268
Roger de Upton –––––––– –––––––– Tanner.
John de Laughton 1404 22d April. MS. Harl., 6969. fol. 88.
Carolus Flemyng circa 1457 –––––––– Tanner.
Will Acworth, Prior de Felley 1463 11th Octr. Torre, 1268.
Robert Warde 1485 ? –––––––– Ibid.
Robert, or Thomas, Gateford, Prior de Felley 1518 13th July. Ibid.
Nicholas Storth 1522 14th Feby. Ibid.
Thomas Stokkes, or Stokke, Prior of Felley who surrendered the Priory to King Henry, Nov. 15th, 1539. circa 1535 –––––––– Willis’ Mit. Abb. vol. 2. p. 170.

He and the fifteen canons who then belonged to the Priory, and whose names are subjoined, subsequently received the following pensions, according to a pension-book of the period, now in the Augmentation Office, and quoted in Dugdale’s Monasticon, vol. vi, p. 124.

Thomas Stockes, Priori lli.
Willifius Nutt. vili
Thomas Richardson vli. vis. viiid.
Willfiius Yngrame vli. vis. viiid.
George Copleye vjli.
Ricils Astelye vjli.
Laurenc Starkbone vli. vis. xiiid.
Alexandre Boothe vli. vis. viiid..
Thomas Bedall vli. vis. viiid..
Georgius Barnesley vli. vis. viiid.
Edmftdus Robyneson vli. vis. viiid.
Jacobus Wyndebank. iiijli.
Robtus Hermystede iiijli.
Johfies Hailes … xls. …
Chrdferus Haslame … xls. …
Willffius White … xls. …
Thomas Crumwell.

Among the other donations of William de Lovetot to the Priory, was that of the church of Worksop in which the canons were, with its lands, tithes, and other things pertaining to the said church. This grant would convey the patronage of the church with all its revenues, in fact appropriated it absolutely to the use of the convent, leaving the canons to provide for the spiritual wants of the parish: which in the first instance they would do by one or other of the brethren, or their nominees taking the duty, according to their convenience. Such a system, however, was soon found to be very unsatisfactory, and parishes appropriated to monastic bodies were much neglected: it was, therefore, decreed that in all such cases a permanent Vicar should be appointed with a regular endowment.

The catalogue of Vicars of Worksop is given below, it begins as early as AD. 1276.

The old Vicarage house was a straggling dilapidated building which adjoined the east side of the Priory Gatehouse. It was pulled down about sixty years ago and the present one built.


Gatehouse, priory church and vicarage house in the early 19th century.

Catalogue of Vicars of Worksop

 

INSTITUTED.  

VACATED.

PRESENTED BY

Doms. Alarms de London : Id. Aug.   1276. The Prior & Con-vent.
Fr.   Adam   de   Rodesham,      
Can. de W : 5, Id. Feb. 1300. Do.
Fr. Rob' de Beverlac, Can.      
de W : 4, Kal. Oct. 1324. m. Do.
Fr. Will8 de Hanay, Can : 14, Kal. Mar.1328 r. Do.
Fr. Ric de Trent, Can : 17th April, 1358. r. Do.
Fr. John de Stanelay, Can : 24th Nov., 1390. r. Do.
Fr. Thos Barneby, Can : 3d Dec, 1405. Do.
Fr. Walter Burne, Can :   r. Do.
Fr. John Howe, Can : 12th March, 1450. r. Do.
Fr. John Emlay, Can : 27th Aug., 1452. Do.
Fr. Walter Burne, Can :   m. Do.
Fr. Thomas Ingill, Cap : 15th March, 1472. m. The Prior & Convent.
Dns Thos Scott, Pbr : 18th March, 1486. m. Do.
Fr. John Johnson, Can : 24th Sept., 1519. r. Do.
Dns John Thornley, Pbr: 6th May, 1544. m. Henry VIII.
John Goodriche, Cl:. ult. May, 1577. c. Assignees of Rd. Whalley, Esq.
Richard Barnard, Cl: 19th June, 1601. c. Rd. Whalley, Esq.
Olyver Bray, Cl: 16th Feb., 1613. m. Ibid.
Wilm Carte, Cl: MA.. 19th April, 1615. c. Ibid.
Saml Smyth, Cl : BA. 22d May, 1628. Fr. Rhodes, Esq.
Walter Bernard, Cl: . 15th Sept., 1662. m. Guardian of Sir Fr.Rhodes,Bart.
Saml Buckingham, Cl. M.A 19th March, 1673. Wm Bishop of Lincoln.
Thomas Calton ------------ 1685.    
Jacob Calton ------------ 1698. m. Sir M. Rhodes, Bart.
John Cook ------------ 1718. T.Wentworth, Esq
John Ward ----------- I758. m. Marq. of Rockingham.
Honble Philip Howard ------------ 1778. c. Do.
Thomas Carter ------------ 1783. m Earl Fitzwilliam.
Thomas Stacye, MA. May,    1792. m Duke of Norfolk.
James Appleton, MA. April,  1847. m. Duke of Newcastle
Edward Hawley, MA. Sept., 1870.   Trustees of the late Duke of Newcastle.