Bradley Priory facts for kids
 Location in Leicestershire
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Augustinian |
| Established | C.1220-34 |
| Disestablished | 1536 |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lincoln |
| Site | |
| Location | Nevill Holt, Leicestershire, England |
| Coordinates | 52°33′01″N 0°47′14″W / 52.550275°N 0.787239°W |
| Visible remains | None. Earthworks show the boundaries of the precinct. |
Bradley Priory was a special kind of monastery located in Nevill Holt, Leicestershire, England. It was home to a group of religious men called Augustinian canons.
History of Bradley Priory
Bradley Priory was built a very long time ago, sometime between the years 1220 and 1234. We don't know the exact date it started. The first time it was mentioned in records was around 1233 or 1234. A man named Robert Bundy was listed as its 'patron'. This means he likely helped start or support the priory.
This priory was quite small. Because of its size, it didn't always have its own leader, called a 'prior'. For example, John Penny was the prior of Bradley and also the abbot (leader) of Leicester Abbey at the same time. In 1535, there were only two canons (the religious men living there) at Bradley Priory. There was also just one child living in the 'almonry', which was a place for giving help to the poor.
Bradley Priory owned a windmill in Holt from the time it was founded. In 1385, it also gained control of the manor (a large estate) of Blaston. A survey from 1535, called the Valor Ecclesiasticus, showed that the priory owned land in Blaston, Slawston, Holt, and Holyoak. Its total income was just over £20, which was not a lot even back then.
The priory was closed down around 1536. This was part of a big change in England called the English Reformation, when many monasteries were dissolved. The prior of Bradley was given a yearly payment of £4 after the priory closed. In 1537, the land where the priory stood was given to a man named Humphrey Nevill.
Today, the site of Bradley Priory is a farm called Priory Farm. You won't find any buildings from the old priory there. However, you can still see 'earthworks' – changes in the ground – that show where the priory's boundaries used to be.
Leaders of Bradley Priory
The leader of a priory was called a 'prior'. Here are some of the priors who led Bradley Priory over the years:
- Robert, chosen between 1233 and 1234.
- Henry, appointed by the Bishop of Lincoln in 1263.
- Walter of Drayton, confirmed in 1290, resigned in 1295.
- John of Kirkby, confirmed in 1295.
- Walter of Drayton, chosen in 1300, removed in 1302.
- John of Quorndon, chosen in 1302, mentioned in 1309.
- Richard of Brownknave, chosen in 1381.
- Richard Chanon, mentioned in 1389.
- Richard Stokes, resigned in 1393.
- William Wenge, chosen in 1393, died in 1415.
- John Coventry, chosen in 1415.
- Henry Medburn, resigned in 1481.
- Thomas Leicester, died in 1493.
- Thomas Horninghold, chosen in 1493, resigned in 1503.
- John Penny, who was also the Abbot of Leicester, took charge in 1503, resigned in 1508.
- John Oundle, confirmed in 1509.
