by Ed Archer
The Society together with Lanark Museum purchased the definitive work on the Greyfriars in Lanark. The work is by W. Moir Bryce and it is in two volumes. It was published in 1909. The volume that we acquired came from the Benedictine Abbey Library at Fort Augustus; the contents of this very important library were auctioned off last year and we were fortunate to acquire these volumes that will assist us with our researches. Here is some of the information from Moir Bryce's work with additional comment from myself.
'The friary at Lanark owed its foundation between 11th November 1328 and 15th May to Robert the Bruce, the most lavish benefactor of the Coventual Franciscans among the Scottish Kings. From one, Ellen de Quarantly, he acquired by excambion "a manor and orchard within the Burgh of Lanark as they lie and are enclosed by a wall" ' (there is a note here referring to the original document which is in the Register of the Great Seal, Vol 1.15 No 76).
The term excambion means exchange, Bruce actually exchanged some land at Belstane with Ellen de Quarantly. According to authors like Irving and Murray in their work - the History of the Upper Ward of Lanark - they suggest that the land acquired by Bruce was near the castle and it was his intention to extend the area of the castle up the Castlegate and possibly rebuild it in stone. Indeed funds were collected through raising taxes on the surrounding area for this purpose. The last recorded assessment for castle ward dues for villages such as Abington, Wiston etc was 1359. There is no evidence that any alterations were made to the castle and the whole project appears to have been abandoned. What is interesting however is that it is recorded that £10 was given out of the money raised to the Friars Minor or Greyfriars as part of an annual bequest of 20 merks from the late Robert the Bruce.
Now back to Moir Bryce for further information about the Friary. 'In the Roll audited on 7th August 1329 "those lands granted to the Friars Minor for the site of their place" were exempt from the payment of the old tax of twenty pence due to the crown.'
There is further comment in a note at the foot of the page that tells us that the reference to the Friars Minor is in the Exchequer Rolls Vol I 163 . William Aldyn, burgess of Lanark, submitted these accounts.
There is no reference to the Friars in the previous Rolls relating to 5th February 1327/8. Therefore we may conclude that 1329 is the most likely date for the foundation of the Friary.
Back to Bryce again - 'This land measured one acre one rood.' The reference to the amount of land possessed by Friars comes from a Manuscript-Rental of Great Benefices 1561 in the Harleian collection.
Bryce continues 'and, from the only extent description of it now preserved in a Instrument of Sasine, dated 20th October 1620, it lay at the east end of the burgh on the south side High Street. In 1620 it was bounded on the west by "the common school" of Lanark and the two tenements on either side of it. The garden ground of two burgesses marched it on the east, and to the south lay three roods of land to which, as in other burghs, the Friary gave the name Freiryards, although they were never in the possession of the Friars.'
The Sasine information comes from a charter that belonged to Sir James Lockhart of the Lee. His ancestors were given the friary before the Reformation. Apparently the draughtsman of this charter treated the High Street as the East. However the references to north, east, south and west should be west, north, east and south. However as we will see that means that the Clydesdale site is rejected as the site for the Friary. However from what we have found in our excavations, there is little doubt that Moir Bryce got the details wrong or confused.
Anyway Moir Bryce goes on to say that 'In 1505 they were decribed as "the land behind the Freris" '; and, in view of the confusion that has arisen concerning the site of this friary, it must be observed that the Freiryards were distinct from 'the Burgh Roods', 'in which the Friars themselves owed two roods as rentallers of the town.'
In my opinion the Friary lands lay at the back of Clydesdale which would concur with most people's view.
Bryce goes on to say that 'between this date (1505) and 1560 these two roods were increased to an acre, to which was added another plot cultivated by the friars as a kaill yard. From the uniform description contained in the writs granted between 1570 and 1588, we are able to identify this disjointed land as lying in the Burgh Roods, otherwise in Wheitlandsyde within the territory of the said burgh. The Freiryards, on the other hand, were bounded on the south by a vennel called the Freirwynd - now the South Vennel - which turned west or north-west past the Old Kiln in the Freirwynd and the garden of John Lindsay, minister of Carluke, until it gave access to the friary at a point between the houses of the minister and James Mowat, writer.'
This analysis will continue as there are obvious inaccuracies in Moir Bryce's account of the Greyfriars in Lanark.