Lenton Priory was a

Cluniac Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter, Saints Peter and Saint Paul, Paul. The abbey was constructed ...

monastic house in

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

, founded by

William Peverel William Peverel (died 28 January 1114), Latinised to Gulielmus Piperellus), was a Norman knight granted lands in England following the Norman Conquest. Origins Little is known of the origin of the William Peverel the Elder. Of his immediat ...

''circa 1102-8''. The priory was granted a large endowment of property in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire by its founder, which became the cause of violent disagreement following its seizure by the crown and its reassignment to

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Chad in Lichfield, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Lichfield, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Lichfield and the principal church of the diocese ...

. The priory was home mostly to French monks until the late 14th century when the priory was freed from the control of its foreign mother-house. From the 13th-century the priory struggled financially and was noted for "its poverty and indebtedness". The priory was dissolved as part of

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...

's Dissolution of the Monasteries.

History

Foundation

The priory was founded by

''circa'' 1102-8 in the manor of

Lenton, Nottingham Lenton is an area of the city of Nottingham, in the Nottingham district, in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Most of Lenton is situated in the electoral ward of 'Dunkirk and Lenton', with a small part in 'Wollaton East and Lent ...

, about 1½ miles south-west of the town of

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

and was dedicated to the

Holy Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, three ...

. The foundation charter states that Peverel founded it "out of love of divine worship and for the good of the souls of his lord

King William King William may refer to: People Bimbia * William I of Bimbia * William II of Bimbia () Britain and Ireland * William of England (disambiguation), multiple kings * William I, King of Scots (–1214), also known as William the Lion German Empir ...

(i.e.

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

), of his wife Queen Matilda, of their son

and of all their and his ancestors". The priory was an "alien establishment" and thus owed allegiance to a foreign mother house. Lenton's mother-house was

Cluny Abbey Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with t ...

in France. Usually a priory would pay a proportion of its income to its mother-house; however, Peverel established in the foundation charter that Lenton Priory would be free from the obligation to pay tribute to Cluny, "save the annual payment of a mark of silver as an acknowledgement". William Peverel gave Lenton Priory a substantial endowment which included: the townships of Lenton, Keighton, Morton and Radford (all in Nottingham), Courteenhall, Northamptonshire, and all of their

appurtenances An appurtenance is something subordinate to or belonging to another larger, principal entity, that is, an adjunct, satellite, or accessory that generally accompanies something else.Newthorpe and

Papplewick Papplewick is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England, north of Nottingham and south of Mansfield. It had a population of 756 at the 2011 census (which included a rural unparished area south of and including Burntstump Hill), ...

; control of the churches of

St Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...

St Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the early Christian Church. He appears repe ...

and

St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

, all in the town of

; the churches at

Langar Langar may refer to: Community eating *Langar (Sikhism) *Langar (Sufism) Places Afghanistan *Langar, Badakhshan, Afghanistan *Langar, Bamyan, Afghanistan *Langar, Faryab, Afghanistan *Langar, Herat, Afghanistan *Langar, Wardak, Afghanistan ...

Linby Linby is a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. The nearest town is Hucknall which is immediately to the south-west. The village grew up around the mills on the River Leen, from which Linby's name is derived. Small stre ...

and Radford; the

tithes A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques or via onli ...

raised from Peverel's fisheries throughout Nottingham; portions of the tithes from his lands throughout the

Peak District The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivi ...

including those from

Ashford Ashford may refer to: Places Australia *Ashford, New South Wales *Ashford, South Australia *Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia Ireland *Ashford, County Wicklow *Ashford Castle, County Galway United Kingdom *Ashford, Kent, a town **B ...

Bakewell Bakewell is a market town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, known for Bakewell pudding. It lies on the River Wye, Derbyshire, River Wye, 15 miles (23 km) south-west of Sheffield. It is the largest se ...

, Bradwell,

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, in the East Midlands region of England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Alston, Cumbria also claims this, but lacks a regu ...

Callow Callow may refer to: Places *County Carlow, Republic of Ireland * Callow, Derbyshire * Callow, Herefordshire * Callow, Shropshire *Callow Hill, Worcestershire * Callow End, Worcestershire * Callow, County Fermanagh, a townland in County Fermanagh, ...

Chelmorton Chelmorton is a village and a civil parish in Derbyshire, England. It is in the Derbyshire Dales district and the nearest towns are Buxton to the northwest and Bakewell to the east. The name Chelmorton derives from Old English (a personal name + ...

, Cowdale,

Darnall Darnall is a suburb of eastern Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Darnall is approximately east-north-east of Sheffield city centre. History Darnall was initially a small hamlet usually included with Attercliffe. William Walker, a residen ...

, Dunningestede, Fernilee, Holme, Hucklow,

Newbold Newbold may refer to: Places ;United Kingdom * Newbold, Derbyshire, England ** Newbold Community School * Newbold, Harborough, Leicestershire, England ** Owston and Newbold, civil parish in Harborough, Leicestershire * Newbold, North West Leices ...

, Quatford, Shallcross, Stanton, Sterndale,

Tideswell Tideswell is a village, civil parishes in England, civil parish, and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, ward in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. It lies east of Buxton on the B6049, in a wide valley on a limestone p ...

and

Wormhill Wormhill is a village and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, situated east by north of Buxton. The population of the civil parish including Peak Dale was 1,020 at the 2011 Census. Wormhill was mentioned in the 108 ...

; all the tithes raised from his colts and fillies in his stud-farms in the Peak District; the tithes from the lead and venison from his lands in Derbyshire; part of the tithes from

Blisworth Blisworth is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment. The Grand Union Canal pass ...

and

Duston Duston is a suburb of Northampton and a civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. History Archaeological remains found in the area suggest that Duston has roots in Prehistoric and Roman settlements. However, development in the area ...

and the churches of

Courteenhall Courteenhall is a village south of the county town of Northampton, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, and about north of London. The population of the civil parish was 122 at the 2011 census. The village is located in a cul ...

Harlestone Harlestone is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the West Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England. The parish had a recorded population of 445 in the 2011 census. From 1974 to 2021 ...

Irchester Irchester is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, two miles (3 km) south-east of Wellingborough and two miles south-west of Rushden. The population of the village at the 2011 Census was 5,706 and estimated in 2019 at 5,767 ...

and

Rushden Rushden is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, around east of Northampton. The parish is on the border with Bedfordshire, north of B ...

, all in

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

; and the church at Foxton, in Leicestershire. Although it is believed Peverel did give these gifts to the priory, the charter of foundation which records these gifts is believed to be a forgery. The dates on the charter are implausible and the document is believed not to be contemporaneous. In the 13th century, the priory received a gift from

Philip Marc Philip Marc (also Mark) was a High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests in 1208. Marc has been proposed as a candidate for the role of Sheriff of Nottingham in the legend of Robin Hood.

Sheriff of Nottingham The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...

under King John, with the condition that the priory should look after his body and soul. Memoirs Illustrative of the History and Antiquities of the County and City of York"> Memoirs Illustrative of the History and Antiquities of the County and City of York
Communicated to the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, York, July 1816, p126, with a General Report of the Proceedings of the Meeting, and Catalogue of the Museum Formed on that Occasion By Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Royal Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, accessed 16 September 2008 The priory was given Royal Confirmation Charters by King Henry I, King Stephen, King Henry II and King John. These charters confirm the priory's earlier endowments and reveal additional gifts including: The church of

Wigston Wigston, or Wigston Magna, is a town in the Oadby and Wigston district of Leicestershire, England, just south of Leicester on the A5199. It had a population of 32,321 in 2011. Geography Wigston is south of the city of Leicester, at the cent ...

in Leicestershire by

Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, Count of Meulan ( – 5 June 1118), also known as Robert of Meulan, was a powerful Norman nobleman, one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of Englan ...

; tithes from the Peak Forest, Derbyshire, by William de Ferrers; the churches of

Ossington Ossington is a village and civil parish in the county of Nottinghamshire, England 7 miles north of Newark-on-Trent. The population count was 109 residents at the 2021 census. It was centred on Ossington Hall, the ancestral home of the Denison ...

, Nottinghamshire and

Horsley, Derbyshire Horsley is a small village in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, roughly 5 miles north of the City of Derby, England, with a population of 973 at the 2011 Census. The parish church of St Clement and St John, which dates from the 13th c ...

, and half of the church of

Cotgrave Cotgrave () is a Town#United Kingdom, town and civil parish in the borough of Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, England. It is 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Nottingham. It perches on the South Nottinghamshire Wolds about 131 feet (40 metres) ...

, Notts, by Hugh de Buron and his son Hugh Meschines; the church of

Nether Broughton Nether Broughton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Broughton and Old Dalby, in the Borough of Melton, Melton district of Leicestershire, England. Broughton and Old Dalby's parish council is based in Nether Broughton. Th ...

, Leics (and its appurtenances, a chapel and 15 acres of land) by Richard Bussell; The Manors of Holme and Dunston, both in Derbyshire, by Matthew de Hathersage; and a

moiety Moiety may refer to: __NOTOC__ Anthropology * Moiety (kinship), either of two groups into which a society is divided ** A division of society in the Iroquois societal structure in North America ** An Australian Aboriginal kinship group ** Native Ha ...

of the church of

Attenborough, Nottinghamshire Attenborough is a village in the Borough of Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire, England. It forms part of the Greater Nottingham area and is to the south-west of the city of Nottingham, between Long Eaton (to the south-west) and Beeston, Nottinghamsh ...

, "the land of Reginald in Chilwell",

Barton in Fabis Barton in Fabis is a village and civil parish in the Rushcliffe district of Nottinghamshire. It had a population of 266 in the 2011 census, falling slightly to 258 at the 2021 census. The village is just south of Nottingham, being on the othe ...

church, and part of the tithes in

Bunny Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form ...

and Bradmore, by Odo de Bunny. King Henry II's first charter granted the priory freedom from taxes, tolls and customs duties. In his second charter he granted them an eight-day fair to celebrate

St Martin's Day Saint Martin's Day or Martinmas (obsolete: Martlemas), and historically called Old Halloween or All Hallows Eve, is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and is celebrated in the liturgical year on 11 November. In the Middle Ages and early mod ...

. Henry III's charter extended this fair to twelve days in duration. In 1199 King John issued a charter allowing the monks to take a cart of dead wood from "the forest of Bestwood" every day. In another charter towards the end of his reign, King John granted the monks game ("harts, hinds, bucks, does, wild boars, and hares") from the royal forests in Nottingham and Derby.

Endowment disputes

The priory had severe problems with Peverel's donations following the seizure of the Peverel family estates by the crown, during the reign of King Henry II. King Henry granted the Peverel families lands within the Peak District to his son, John Count of Mortain (the future King John). On ascending the throne, John transferred this property to the

Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield The Bishop of Lichfield is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers 4,516 km2 (1,744 sq. mi.) of the counties of Powys, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwi ...

and in turn it passed to the Dean and Chapter of

. This transfer began approximately 300 years of disagreement between the Priory and Cathedral about who was rightful owner of the property. Litigation continued throughout this period, including suits in the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

Court on several occasions. This disagreement became violent when in 1250-1, the monks of Lenton Priory armed themselves and attempted to steal wool and lambs from the disputed parish of

, Derbyshire, which Lichfield controlled. Pre-empting the monks' attack the Dean of Lichfield ordered the wool and sheep to be kept within the nave of the village church; however, the monks of Lenton did not honour the church's sanctuary rights and broke into the building. A fight ensued and 18 lambs were killed within the church, either trampled under the horses' hooves or butchered by the attackers. The monks managed to carry off 14 of the lambs. In another similar attack around the same time, the monks used violence to steal geese, hay and oats. These attacks caused the Bishop of Lichfield to appeal again to the Pope.

Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV (; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universities of Parma and Bolo ...

assembled a commission which met in 1252 at

St. Mary's Church St. Mary's Church, St. Mary the Virgin's Church, St. Mary Church, Saint Mary Church, or other variations on the name, is a commonly used name for specific churches of various Christian denominations. Notable uses of the term may refer to: Albania ...

in Leicester. The commission included the warden of the Greyfriars of Leicester, the

Archdeacon of Chester The Archdeacon of Chester is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the diocese of Chester. The area in which she, or he, has statutory duties is the Archdeaconry of Chester – those duties include some pastoral care and disciplinary supervision of ...

, and the Prior of the Dominicans of London. The commission ruled that Lenton Priory should be fined 100 marks on top of the £60 they had already paid Lichfield Cathedral in "compensation for the damage". The commission attempted to prevent further violent outbreaks by allotting the priory a portion of the

from some of the disputed parishes. This, however, provided less than 25 years of peace, as the dispute was reignited in 1275 and was "frequently renewed up to the time of the dissolution of the religious houses".

13th and 14th centuries

In 1228 the priory church tower collapsed. The following year King Henry III granted the monks quarry rights in the Royal Forest in order to get stone to rebuild the tower. Henry III made numerous other donations to the priory to allow further building and restoration including: oak to make roofing shingle for the monks' dormitory, (in 1232) thirty Sherwood oaks to build the priory church, and (in 1249) a royal licence to quarry stone from

Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest is the remnants of an ancient royal forest, Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, within the East Midlands region in England. It has association with the legend of Robin Hood. The forest was proclaimed by William the Conqueror and ...

to construct the priory church. The majority of the monks at Lenton came from France. Not used to the colder climate in England, in the winter of 1257/58,

Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death. Early career He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne, Italy, Jenne (now in the Province of Rome ...

had to give permission for the monks to wear caps during church services due to the "vehement cold". By 1262 the priory was considerably in debt. The priory's accounts were inspected by Henry, Prior of Bermondsey, and John, Prior of the French house of Gassicourt, on behalf of the Abbot of

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in ...

. Their inspection reveal the priory was home to twenty-two monks and that the priory was about £1,000 () in debt. This amount was a substantial: around three times the priory's gross annual income, as demonstrated by the 1291 tax records of

Pope Nicholas IV Pope Nicholas IV (; born Girolamo Masci; 30 September 1227 – 4 April 1292) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 February 1288 to his death, on 4 April 1292. He was the first Franciscan to be elected pope.McBrie ...

, which record the priory as having an annual income of only £339 1s. 2½d. (). As an alien priory owing allegiance to a mother-house in France, during wars with France the priory's income was seized by the Crown. This happened repeatedly in the 14th century, until in 1392 the priory was removed from the control of its mother-house (i.e. made denizen). The priory is believed to have had the finest set of guest-chambers in the region and received several royal visits, including by Henry III in 1230,

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

in 1302 and 1303,

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

in 1307 and 1323, and

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

in 1336. The priory had not solved its debt problems by the beginning of the 14th century. By May 1313 the priory was noted for "its poverty and indebtedness". King Edward II placed the priory under his protection and appointed a keeper to oversee the priory's affairs. Lenton Priory had previously controlled the Chapel of Saint James (located on St James Street, Nottingham). However in 1316 whilst visiting Clipston, Nottinghamshire, King Edward II took the chapel from Lenton and gave it to the

Nottingham Whitefriars Nottingham Whitefriars is a former Carmelites, Carmelite monastery located in Nottingham, England. History The friary was reputedly founded by Reginald de Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Wilton, and Sir John Shirley around 1276, but this has been foun ...

, of whom he was very fond.

Dissolution

The ''

Valor Ecclesiasticus The ''Valor Ecclesiasticus'' (Latin: "church valuation") was a survey of the finances of the church in England, Wales and English controlled parts of Ireland made in 1535 on the orders of Henry VIII. It was colloquially called the Kings books, ...

'' of 1534 records the priory as having a gross income of £387 10s. 10½d., together with "considerable" outgoings. Lenton's last prior was Nicholas Heath (or Hethe). He was appointed in 1535, having gained the position due to his connection to

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

. Numerous letters to Cromwell exist, from Heath's time as prior. Prior Heath was thrown into prison in February 1538, along with many of his monks. They were accused of high treason, most likely under the Verbal Treasons Act of December 1534. In March, the prior with eight of his monks (Ralph Swenson, Richard Bower, Richard Atkinson, Christopher Browne, John Trewruan, John Adelenton, William Berry, and William Gylham) and four labourers of Lenton were indicted for treason and executed. Cromwell's private notes reveal Heath's fate (to be executed) was sealed before he had gone to trial. The prior and monk Ralph Swenson were executed first. Monk William Gylham and the four labourers were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. The executions took place in Nottingham (thought to have been in the market place) and its surroundings, including in front of the priory itself. Some of the quarters of those executed were displayed outside the priory. The priory was dissolved in 1538. As the monks and prior had been executed, none of the survivors were given a pension; unusually none of the servants of the priory were given a pension either, and the five paupers who lived within the priory were thrown out onto the streets, "penniless".

Priors of Lenton

Source: * Humphrey, temp.

Henry I Henry I or Henri I may refer to: :''In chronological order'' * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry ...

* Philip * Alexander, occurs c. 1189 * Peter, occurs 1200-1214 * Damascenus * Roger, 1230 * Roger de Normanton, occurs 1241 * Hugh Bluet, occurs 1251 * Roger Norman, 1259 * Matthew, 1269 * Peter de Siriniaco, occurs 1281-1287 * Reginald de Jora, occurs 1289-1290 * William, occurs 1291 and 1306 * Stephen de Moerges, 1309 * Reginald de Crespy, 1313 * Geoffrey, 1316 * William de Pinnebury, occurs 1324 * Guy de Arlato, occurs 1333 * Astorgius de Gorciis, occurs 1336-7 & 1349 * Peter de Abbeville, occurs 1355 * Geoffrey de Rochero, occurs 1389 * Richard Stafford, died 1414 *

Thomas Elmham Thomas Elmham (1364in or after 1427) was an English chronicler. Life Thomas Elmham was probably born at North Elmham in Norfolk. He may have been the Thomas Elmham who was a scholar at King's Hall, Cambridge from 1389 to 1394. He became a Benedi ...

, 1414 * John Elmham 1426 * John Mydylburgh, 1450 * Thomas Wollore, 1458 * Richard Dene, 1481 * John Ilkeston, occurs 1500-1505 * Thomas Gwyllam, occurs 1512-1516 * Thomas Nottingham alias Hobson, 1525 * John Annesley, 1531 * Nicholas Heath, 1535

Lenton Fair

The second royal charter King Henry II granted the priory gave the monks permission to hold an eight-day fair starting on The Feast of Saint Martin: 11 November. In 1232, King Henry III's charter extended the length of the fair to twelve days. The fair provided a large proportion of the priory's annual income: in 1387 providing £35 of the priory's £300 annual income. The fair caused numerous disputes with the mayor and burgesses of the town of Nottingham.
The town and priory reached an agreement around 1300 where by no markets were to be held within Nottingham during the period in the Lenton fair. In return the people of Nottingham were given special rates to hire booths at the Lenton fair and were freed from their tolls to Lenton Priory during the time of the fair. Each booth measured 8 ft by 8 ft. The Fair continued after the demise of the Priory, though its length was gradually reduced. Its emphasis slowly changed, and in 1584 it was described as a horse-fair when servants of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

attended. By the 17th century the Fair had acquired a reputation as a great fair for all sorts of horses. In the 19th century it was largely frequented by farmers and horse dealers. The Fair finally ceased at the beginning of the 20th century.

History following Dissolution

The monastery's lands passed between numerous different owners after the dissolution. The area was bought by

William Stretton William Stretton (April 1755 – 12 March 1828) was a builder and architect based in Nottingham. Family He was the eldest child of Samuel Stretton and was baptised at Lenton, Nottingham, Lenton on 20 April 1755. He married Suzanna Lynam, dau ...

in 1802 and he built a large house called "The Priory". William was interested in antiquities and he is known to have removed old architectural materials whilst his house was being constructed. The funds for the house may well have come from the buildings that he and his father built in the Nottingham area. When William died he left the house to his son Sempronius. Colonel

Sempronius Stretton Sempronius Stretton (15 May 1781 – 6 March 1842) was a British Army officer who served in numerous campaigns including the Battle of Waterloo. He is also known for his sketches that recorded early Canadian life. Early life Stretton was the ...

died in 1842 and left the house to his brother

Severus William Lynam Stretton Severus William Lynam Stretton (14 May 1793 – 22 November 1884) was a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. Early and personal life Stretton was born on 14 May 1793, the youngest child of William Stretton. He was baptised ...

. Neither of the sons regarded the Priory as home and Severus sold the house. It was bought by the

Sisters of Nazareth The Congregation of the Sisters of Nazareth, until recently known as the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, are a Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic wikt:apostolic, apostolic congregation of religious sisters of pontifical right, based in London, Engl ...

in 1880. The Sisters of Nazareth sold the property in the early years of the twenty-first century, and the site was redeveloped for housing. In 2020 Lenton Priory was excavated by archaeologists for the

More4 More4 is a British free-to-air television channel, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The channel launched on 10 October 2005. Its programming mainly focuses on lifestyle and documentaries, as well as foreign dramas. Content The i ...

television programme ''The Great British Dig'', which was broadcast on 3 March 2021. They uncovered an unrecorded medieval wall at the east end of the priory, which was interpreted as a previously-unknown

Lady Chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chape ...

which had been added to the original Norman building.

Remains of Lenton Priory today

* Priory Church of St. Anthony, Lenton is thought to incorporate elements of the chapel of the monastic hospital. * Lower courses of a substantial stone column survive ''in situ'' where Old Church Street meets Priory Street * The 12th-century

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design. For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...

survives in

Holy Trinity Church, Lenton Holy Trinity Church, Lenton is a parish church in the Church of England Diocese of Southwell, located in Lenton, Nottingham. The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as it is a particularly signific ...

. * Floor tiles in

Nottingham Castle Nottingham Castle is a Stuart Restoration-era ducal mansion in Nottingham, England, built on the site of a Normans, Norman castle built starting in 1068, and added to extensively through the medieval period, when it was an important royal fortr ...

Museum. * Stained glass in

Nuthall Nuthall is a village and civil parish located in Nottinghamshire, England, neighbouring Kimberley, Watnall, Cinderhill and Basford. The population of the civil parish at the 2021 census was 6,583. an increase from 6,311 of the 2011 census ...

Church.

In 2018 part of the site was declared a sculpture park with the commissioning of three public artworks by Nottingham Council. These include 'Lenton Priory Stone' by James Winnet.The Lenton Priory Stone
The stone's size and the style of the carvings draw on the 12th century Norman baptismal font from the Priory, one of the last tangible links to the site, which can be seen half a mile away in Holy Trinity Church, Lenton. The 'Lenton Priory Pilllars' by

Adrian Riley Adrian Riley (b. Leeds, 1971) is a British artist and graphic designer based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Riley has created permanent artworks for the public realm across the UK, including work for The National Trust, English Heritage, NHS, R ...

are a series of metal columns around trees on the site that echo the architecture of the former priory. Each has a pattern and accompanying text explaining part of the priory's history.

References

External links

Lenton Priory Parish Church
{{Monasteries in Nottinghamshire , state=expanded Churches in Nottinghamshire Monasteries in Nottinghamshire Cluniac monasteries in England 1100s establishments in England 1538 disestablishments in England Christian monasteries established in the 1100s Charter fair Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation