Our Lady of Doncaster - Gifts To Our Lady

Gifts To Our Lady

When the young King Edward V was brought from Ludlow to London for his intended coronation, his protector, Anthony, Earl Rivers, was arrested by the Duke of Gloucester at Northampton and sent to Pontefract Castle. As soon as Gloucester had taken the throne for himself Rivers was executed, shamefully, at Pontefract. Before he died he bequeathed his heart to Our Lady of Pewe at Westminster; but the hair-shirt which he always wore in penance, he bequeathed to Our Lady of Doncaster, and in due course it was laid before her Shrine there.

This was but one, if the strangest, of many bequests to our Lady of Doncaster by noble personages. The following examples are cited as being typical of the practices of those days. Then, too, people delighted to provide the means for the burning of lamps and tapers (candles) in honour of Our Lady.

It was also a pious custom to leave specific directions as to the place of burial they wished for. Many such benefactors chose their favourite shrines of Our Lady for this, wishing for nothing better than to be laid to rest in the protection of her sanctuary. In I449, Constance Bigod, widow of Sir John Bigod of Settrington, left her girdle worked with silver and gilt to Our Lady of Doncaster. Roger de Bankewell, already referred to, was in fact buried close to Our Lady's Shrine, in 1366.

Later there were buried here Sir Robert Welles and his wife and, at her own request, in 1484, Margaret Cobham, wife of Ralph Neville, second Earl of Westmorland. Her tomb was of such beauty that it was spared at the Dissolution and was removed to the parish church.

In I482, Sir Hugh Hastings, then on an expedition against the Scots, thought it prudent to make provision, and left funds to provide wax to be burned during Mass before Our Lady's altar here. But he returned safe, and his Will did not become effective until his death in I487. In 1506 his daughter-in-law, Katherine, following in the same tradition, left to Our Lady of Doncaster her "tawny chamlett gown". One supposes that the rich material with which it was made was cut up into vestments, after the manner of the times, with which the statue was arrayed.

The Northumberland Household Book contains the following entry: - "Item: My Lord useth and accustomyth to paye yerly for the fyndynge of a light of wax to birre befor our Ladye in the Whit-Frers of my lordis foundation at Mastyme dayly throwout the yere sett befor our said Ladye there. To be paid to the prior of the said hous for the hole yere for the fyndynge of the said light. To be paid ounes (once a yere, xiii s. iiii d. )"

Nor may one forget the simpler gift of Alice West of Ripon, who gave Our Lady of Doncaster "my best bedes".

In time for Princess Margaret Tudor's visit, another gift of interest was made. John Twisilton left a silver gilt crown, token that he acknowledged the Queenship of Our Lady in this her shrine so much visited by, royalty. And, of interest is the following entry occurring in no less than the Expenses of Henry VIII:-

“1517, April. Sir Geoff. Wren, clerk of the closet, for a taper of wax burning before Our Lady of Doncaster, four years, 4 I."