Charley Priory was a small former priory in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

History

The exact date Charley Priory was established is unknown, but is at some point before 1190. In 1190,

Petronilla de Grandmesnil, Countess of Leicester Petronilla de Grandmesnil, Countess of Leicester ( unknown– 1212) was the wife of Robert de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Leicester, known as "Blanchmains" (d. 1190). After a long widowhood, she was buried in Leicester Abbey after her death on 1 Apr ...

donated the priory to the Benedictine

Abbey of Saint-Evroul Ouche Abbey or the Abbey of Saint-Evroul (; ) is a former Rule of St. Benedict, Benedictine abbey in Normandy, located in the present commune of Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois, Saint-Évroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois, Orne, Normandy. It has been clas ...

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

. The gift was confirmed at the beginning of the 13th-century, with the abbey under the control of Ware Priory, a subordinate of Saint-Evroul. In 1220, while under the patronage of the Earl of Winchester, the priory is recorded as a hermitage, and as independent (no longer under the control of another abbey or priory), and as in possession of the

advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a ...

of Ratcliffe on the Wreake church. At the time 3 monks lived at the priory but it is unclear if they followed the Augustinian or

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

order; as a hermitage they may not have followed any definite rule. By the late 13th-century the priory was considered Augustinian, and in 1291 the abbey was valued at £9. 2s. 9½d.'Houses of Augustinian canons: The priory of Charley', A History of the County of Leicestershire: Volume 2 (1954), pp. 23-24. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=38165 Date accessed: 14 June 2013 By 1444 the priory's poor finances had allowed the priory buildings to fall into ruins . In 1465 Sir John Bourchier petitioned the Bishop of Lincoln to allow the priory to be united with the nearby Augustinian

Ulverscroft Priory Ulverscroft Priory is a former hermitage and priory in Ulverscroft, Leicestershire. History The priory was founded by Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, in 1139, as a hermitage for eremites of the Order of St Augustine. Before 1174, fo ...

. The priory was dissolved soon after, and united with Ulverscroft. Ulverscroft itself was dissolved in 1539. Nothing remains of the priory buildings. The dyke however remains, showing the location of the precinct walls.Charley Priory
, ''English Heritage: PastScape''

Priors of Charley

*William, early 13th century. *Simon, resigned 1264. *Robert of Grimesby, elected 1264; resigned 1272. *John of Bawtry, elected 1272. *Stephen of Keyham, resigned 1291. *Thomas of Evesham, admitted 1291; resigned 1298. *Robert of Radcliffe, elected 1298, but confirmation refused by the bishop. *John of Bawtry, admitted 1298; resigned 1309. *William of Segrave, elected 1309; died 1318. *William of Leicester, elected 1318. *Henry of Stratford, resigned 1335. *Roger, occurs 1371 and 1386. *Richard Haitlee, presented 1382. *John atte Well, occurs before 1390. *Ralph, occurs 1390 & 1401 Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas: CP 40/561; http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/H4/CP40no561/bCP40no561dorses/IMG_1111.htm *John Ince, admitted 1414. *John Botyler, admitted 1422. *John Belton, resigned 1444. *John Whitewyk, admitted 1444. *Thomas Frisby, resigned 1458. *John Zouche, admitted 1458.

References

Monasteries in Leicestershire {{UK-Christian-monastery-stub