March 1169 A.D. Lanercost Priory, Lanercost, Cumbria, UK—Augustinian Canons Regular; Founded by Robert de Villibus, Lord of Gilleisland; Dissolved 1537
March 1169
A.D. Lanercost Priory, Lanercost, Cumbria,
UK—Augustinian Canons Regular; Founded by Robert de Villibus, Lord of
Gilleisland; Dissolved 1537; Granted to Thomas Lord Dacre; Church Now in
Parochial Use; Diocese of Carlisle; 325 Miles NW of London at 2200 as the Crow
Flies
Lanercost Priory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lanercost Priory was founded by Robert de Vaux between 1165 and
1174, the most likely date being 1169,[1] to house Augustinian Canons. It is situated at the village of Lanercost, Cumbria, England, within sight of Naworth Castle, with which it long had close connections.
Contents
Early years
The foundation date was traditionally 1169, but
can only be dated definitely between 1165 and 1174 on the evidence of
charters. The dedication is to St. Mary Magdalene; unusual in the region.
It would seem the arrangements for founding the
Priory were well advanced by the time of the foundation charter, as opposed
to the more gradual process at Wetheral and St. Bees. Robert de Vaux gave the land of Lanercost
"between the ancient wall and the Irthing and between Burth and Poltros,
the vill of Walton by stated bounds, the church of that vill with the chapel
of 'Treverman,' the churches of Irthington, Brampton, Carlaton and
Farlam".[2] The charter of foundation states that the
benefaction was made for the sake of Henry II, and for the health of the
souls of his father Hubert and his mother Grace.
Soon after the foundation of the house, Robert de
Vaux granted to the canons the right of free election, so that when the lord
prior died the person on whom the choice of the canons or the greater part of
them fell should be elected in his place.
The bulk of the church building dates from the
late 13th century, though there is evidence of earlier work. The Priory
buildings were constructed, at least in part, from stones derived from Hadrian's Wall, including a number of Roman inscriptions that
were built into its fabric.[3]
Visitors and raiders
The proximity to Scotland inevitably had an
effect on the fortunes of the priory, and it was a target of Scots attacks in
retaliation to English raids. This became acute after the outbreak of the War
of Independence. In 1296 the Scottish army encamped at Lanercost after
burning Hexham priory and Lambley nunnery. The Scots were interrupted before
the damage could become great, and they retreated through Nicolforest, having
burnt some houses of the monastery but not the church. Similar depredations
under Wallace continued the next year and led to calls for reprisals from the
English.
Roman
inscription, recording the presence of Legio VI Victrix on Hadrian's Wall, now built into the priory
wall.
Edward I made several visits to the priory in the latter
part of his reign. In the autumn of 1280 he visited in the company of Queen
Eleanor on his way to Newcastle. The canons met him at
the gate in their copes, and although staying only a few days, he found time
to take 200 stags and hinds while hunting in Inglewood forest. In 1300, on
his way to the siege of Caerlaverock castle, Edward stayed at Lanercost for a
short while.[2]
Edward's last visit was in 1306, travelling in a
horse litter owing to age and illness, and accompanied by Queen Margaret. He arrived at Michaelmas and his stay extended until the following
Easter, a duration of 6 months which put a huge burden upon the resources of
the priory. It was while Edward was at Lanercost that the brothers of Robert
de Brus and other Scottish captives were sent to Carlisle for execution by
his order.
This last royal visit depleted the reserves of
the priory, and the canons begged him for recompense, but a deal to acquire
the church of 'Hautwyselle,' worth about 100 marks a year, fell through.
However the king granted the appropriation of the churches of Mitford in
Northumberland and Carlatton in Cumberland, for the relief of the Priory. In
a letter to the Pope, Edward gave his reasons for generosity being the
special devotion he felt to St. Mary Magdalene, his long stay due to illness,
and making good the damage of the Scots. Edward died shortly afterwards at
Burgh by Sands in July 1307, whilst still campaigning against the Scots.
Lanercost
Priory from the south. The foundations of the conventual buildings are in the
foreground
In August 1311, Robert Bruce, King of
Scotland, came with his army and made it his headquarters for three days,
"committing infinite evils"[2] and imprisoning some canons; though later letting
them free. By contrast in 1328, in fulfilment of the treaty between the Bruce
and Edward III, a mutual interchange of good offices took place between the
priory of Lanercost and Kelso Abbey in respect of their common revenues out of the
church of Lazonby. Later though, in 1346, David II ransacked the conventual
buildings and desecrated the church. Fresh from the overthrow of Liddel he
"entered the holy place with haughtiness, threw out the vessels of the
temple, stole the treasures, broke the doors, took the jewels, and destroyed
everything they could lay hands on".[2] As late as 1386, one of the priors was taken
prisoner by the Scots and ransomed for a fixed sum of money and four score
quarters of corn.
The fortunes of the priory were linked to the
state of warfare and raids on the border. The priory was in relatively
affluent circumstances before the outbreak of the war of Independence in
1296, and the annual revenue of the house was returned at £74 12s 6d in the
1291 valuation of Pope Nicholas IV. But by the taxation of 1318, the value
had fallen almost to nothing.[2]
The Parish Church
Lanercost Priory was dissolved in 1538 by Henry VIII, and the
conventual buildings were stripped of their roofs, excepting the church
building which continued in use as the parish church. In the late 17th
century, as the Nave deteriorated, the congregation used just the north aisle
which had been re-roofed.
In 1747, the nave was re-roofed, but by 1847 the
Priory was in a state of disrepair to the extent that the east end roof
collapsed. However, by 1849, The church was in use again after a major
restoration by Anthony Salvin. In the 1870s, there was further restoration by
the Carlisle architect C. J. Ferguson.
At the Dissolution, ownership had passed to the Dacre family, and then in the early 18th century to the Howards. In 1929, The Priory ruins were put into public ownership, and today they are managed by English Heritage.
Architectural notes
West front
with the statue of Mary Magdalene
The nave has an aisle to the north, but a large wall to the south with
no aisle, where it abuts the cloister. The impressive ruined chancel and crossing of ca. 1220-1230 are in a good state of preservation; as
high as the eaves, and would only require a roof and windows to be restored
to the original condition. The oldest masonry is in the south transept, and
dates from the late 12th century. The cloister and monastic buildings have
been largely dismantled; except for the west range, which was made into a
house by Sir Thomas Dacre in the 16th century. The statue of St Mary Magdalene, given by King Edward
I, still survives in a niche
high up on the west front. A dossal - embroidered wall hanging - designed by William Morris in 1881, is undergoing restoration before being
replaced behind the priory altar in 2013-14[4]
Memorials
The priory has an unusual medieval stone carving
called the Lanercost Cross with an inscription dating back to 1214.
Originally the cross was set just outside the entrance to the church. Today,
the stump of the cross remains, but the main shaft is housed inside the priory.
In the churchyard is the tomb of Thomas Addison, scientist and physician. In the nave is a
memorial to the Reverend Henry Whitehead, former vicar of Lanercost, best known for his pioneering
epidemiological work with John Snow on cholera.
Humphrey Dacre, 1st Baron Dacre, and his widow Mabel were both buried at the Priory in the 15th century.[5]
See also
References
1. Jump up^ Todd, John M., ed. (1997). The Lanercost Cartulary (Cumbria County
Record Office MS DZ/1). Surtees Society 203. Durham. p. 4.ISBN 9780854440603.
2. ^ Jump up
to:a b c d e 'Houses of Austin canons: The priory of
Lanercost', A History of the County of Cumberland: Volume 2 (1905), pp. 152-161.
3. Jump up^ Richard Hingley, (2012), Hadrian's Wall: A
Life, pages 56-7. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199641412
5. Jump up^ Douglas Richardson, Kimball G. Everingham, Plantagenet ancestry:
a study in colonial and medieval families, p. 251
External links
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