Axholme Charterhouse facts for kids
Axholme Charterhouse, also called Axholme Priory, was one of ten special monasteries in England during the Middle Ages. These monasteries belonged to a group of monks called the Carthusians. Axholme Charterhouse was located in North Lincolnshire, between the towns of Owston Ferry and Epworth.
This monastery was started in 1397 or 1398 by Thomas Mowbray, a powerful noble who was an Earl and later a Duke. It was built around an old chapel on what is now Low Melwood Farm. A special letter from the Pope in 1398 said this chapel was "anciently called the Priory of the Wood." The full name of the monastery was "The House of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary."
A Brave Monk: Saint Augustine Webster
One important leader, or "prior," of Axholme Charterhouse was Saint Augustine Webster. In 1535, he was put in the Tower of London. This happened because he refused to accept the King's new law, called the Oath of Supremacy. This law said the King, not the Pope, was the head of the church in England. Augustine Webster was later killed for his beliefs and is now honored as a saint.
The End of the Monastery
Axholme Charterhouse was closed down in June 1538. This was part of a big event called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. During this time, King Henry VIII closed many monasteries across England.
After the monastery closed, a man named John Candysshe changed the buildings into a house. Some parts of the old monastery still exist today. You can also see some "earthworks," which are marks on the ground that show where old buildings once stood. Only a small amount of digging has been done to explore the site.
Priors of Axholme
Here are some of the known leaders of Axholme Charterhouse:
- John Moreby, who became prior in 1398.
- Henry, who was prior in 1449.
- Richard, who was prior in 1469 and 1472.
- Augustine Webster, who was prior in 1535.
- Michael Mekeness, who was prior from 1535 until the monastery closed in 1538.
