St Mary's vicars - Norman & Plantagenet Era

From St Mary's first priest as Barnard Castle takes shape under the Baliols to the priest in charging of a huge building project...

1130-1483

1132 – Bernard, son of Hugh de Baliol – possibly a nephew or cousin of Bernard Baliol I

1143-1152 – “Warinus presbyter de Gaynesford”

1197 – Peter, chaplain of Barnard Castle – by now the narrow chancel and nave had added a north arcade and narrow north aisle

1198-1214 – Gilbert de Laci, ‘persona de Gaineford’

1210 – William Roundel, ‘Vicar of Gaynesford’

1220 – Stephen – he was instituted “ad personatum ecclesiae de Geynesford,” by Richard Marisco, bishop of Durham

1228 – Alexander Nolan – Nolan was instituted at Gainford by Archbishop Walter Grey

1252/61- 1286 – William Roundel. Roundel was possibly a nephew of Abbot William Roundel of St Mary’s Abbey, York (who were the patrons). He added a tower, the south aisle and the south transept.

1311 – William Pickering – Pickering was mentioned as vicar on a jury in 1311. Nefarious persons had prevented him from collecting his hay tithes. The culprits were excommunicated and delivered to Durham Cathedral’s Galilee Chapel to receive punishment.

 

1313 – Henry de Teesdale – Henry was possibly later judged excommunicate by the diocese for impeding “the free exercise of the official’s jurisdiction and in spite of excommunication continu[ing] to impede his jurisdiction and to celebrate masses”.

1314 – Robert Mortimer, sub-cantor

1339 – Thomas de Mortham. Mortham, who was from a local family, founded the South Transept chantry of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1339 (his effigy is now in the North Transept)

1349 – Robert de Horton

1356 – William de Swafeld

1361 – John of Barnard Castle

1362 – Reginald de Kirkby – around this time, the north transept was added to the church

1399 – Thomas de Moreton

1401 – William Semius – chaplain to the Mortham chantry of Our Lady at Barnard Castle

1401-12 – Roger de Kyrkby – de Kyrkby was vicar of Gainford. He gave a copy of The Golden Legend to Barnard Castle church and a chalice worth 40 shillings.

1427/28 – Anthony de St Quentin

1428/29 – Roger Esyngwold LLB – also Commissary General for the Court in York

1429-37 – Richard Drax LLB – ordained 1400/01

1434-38 – Peter Fryston [Gainford]

1452-77 – William Lambert [Gainford]

1436 – John Messenger – curate at St Mary’s Barnard Castle

1480-85 — ‘Sir John Slake, prest’; also named as ‘John Slack’ and ‘Sir Thomas Slake’. Slake was priest during the Barnard Castle lordship of Richard Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III. During this time he was engaged in the “building” “beldings” and as “Clerc of the werks” as Duke Richard’s planned enlarged Collegiate Church of the Christ, St Mary the Virgin, St Ninian and St Margaret was being created from the earlier building.  https://www.stmarysbarnardcastle.org.uk/history/richard-iii-at-st-marys/