Dalby Preceptory facts for kids
 Location in Leicestershire
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | From the mid 14th-century: Dalby and Heather Preceptory |
| Order | Knights Hospitaller |
| Established | before 1206 |
| Disestablished | 1540 |
| Controlled churches | Cameras:
Controlled Churches:
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| Site | |
| Location | Dalby on the Wolds, Leicestershire, England |
| Coordinates | 52°48′12″N 0°59′57″W / 52.803327°N 0.99910°W |
| Visible remains | Earthworks |
Dalby Preceptory, also known as Dalby and Heather Preceptory, was a special kind of religious house for the Knights Hospitaller. It was located in the village of Old Dalby, in Leicestershire, England.
The Knights Hospitaller were a Christian military order. They were like a mix of monks and knights. Their main job was to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land and to care for the sick. A "preceptory" was one of their local bases or estates.
History of Dalby Preceptory
The land for Dalby Preceptory was given to the Knights Hospitaller by a powerful noble named Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester. This happened sometime before 1168.
The Knights Hospitaller likely started their preceptory on this land during the time of King Henry II, who ruled from 1154 to 1189. It was definitely set up and running before the year 1206.
Before 1199, the Hospitallers had already gained more lands in places like Isley Walton, Heather, Ravenstone, and Swinford. They also gained control over the churches in Ashby Parva, Buckminster, Old Dalby, and Swinford by 1220. This control meant they could choose the priests for these churches.
Around 1338, another preceptory, Heather Preceptory, came under the control of Dalby. When a smaller house like Heather was controlled by a larger one, it was called a "camera." This means it was like a branch office. After this, Dalby and Heather were often called the "Dalby and Heather Preceptory." Dalby was the main base, where the leader, called the Preceptor, lived and managed things.
Rothley Preceptory also joined with Dalby before 1371. This made Dalby an even more important center for the Knights Hospitaller in the area.
Leaders of Dalby Preceptory
The leader of a preceptory was called a Preceptor. Here are some of the people who led Dalby Preceptory over the years:
- Robert of Sutton (sometime during the reigns of Henry III or Edward I)
- Robert Cort (around 1326)
- John Larcher (around 1338)
- John Dingley (around 1363 and 1371)
- John Langstrothyr (around 1448)
- Thomas Newport (around 1503, died 1522)
- Henry Babbington (around 1525)
- John Babbington (died 1534)
- Henry Poole (from 1535 or 1536 until 1540)
The Dalby Preceptory was eventually closed down in 1540. This happened during a time in English history called the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when many religious houses were closed by the king.
