Account of the Monasteries and Religious Houses that were formerly at Lynn. From the fraternities called gilds the transition is pretty short and natural to the monasteries and religious houses. Of these there were here formerly a great many, the account of some of which is so imperfect and confused, that it is difficult to fix their exact number, or point out the places where they all stood. The following were probably the chief of them—1. A _Nunnery_, or Convent of Nuns: the site unknown. 2. A _Priory of Benedictins_; situated in Priory Lane. 3. A _monastery or Convent_ of the _Carmelites_, or _White Friars_; situated in South Lynn. 4. Another of the _Grey-friars_, _Friars minors_, or _Franciscans_; situated in Fuller’s Row, now St. James’s Street. 5. Another of the _Black Friars_, _preaching friars_, or _Dominicans_; situated in Clough Lane, or rather between that and Spinner Lane. 6. Another of _Austin Friars_, or _Hermits __of the order of St Augustin_; situated in Hogman’s Lane, alias Hopman’s Way, now St. Austin’s Street. 7. Another of _Friars de Penitentia Jesu_; its site now unknown. 8. A _College_; situated near the Town Hall; now inhabited by Mr. Toosey. 9. _St. John’s Hospital_; the site not known. 10. _St. Mary Magdalen’s Hospital_; its site where the Gaywood Almshouse now stands. 11. _Four Lazar Houses_; sites, it seems, at West Lynn, Cowgate, Hardwick, and Gaywood.—To these may be added divers other religious houses and chapels, such as those of _St. James’s_, _our Lady’s on the Mount_, _our Lady’s on the Bridge_, _St. Anne’s_, _St. Catherine’s_, _&c._ the sites of some of which appear not very easy now to mark out. They seem, all of them, to have been laid by at the reformation, when the dissolution of the monasteries and gilds took place: except the _Nunnery_ first above-mentioned; which had long before been removed hence to Thetford. Concerning which removal we are informed, that a certain priory of monks at Thetford being, in 1176, reduced to two, the Abbot of Bury persuaded them to resign; upon which he placed in their stead a convent of nuns who had previously resided at Lynn. {488} But it is not said how long their residence here had been, or for what reason they were removed hence. Of the other convents, &c. we propose giving a further account, under the several following subdivisions or sections. SECTION I. _Account of the House of the Benedictins in Priory lane_, _with a sketch of that religious order_.