Harrold Priory facts for kids

Harrold Priory was a special religious building in Harrold, Bedfordshire, England. It was like a home for nuns, who were women dedicated to a religious life. The priory was started in 1138 and closed down in 1536. This happened during a time when many monasteries and priories in England were shut down by the king.

History of Harrold Priory

The priory was built on land owned by Sampson le Fort. This land was part of a larger area called the honour of Huntingdon. At first, the land and churches were given to Gervase, who was an abbot from Arrouaise. He wanted to send nuns from his religious order to live there.

Initially, a prior and a few canons (religious men) guided the nuns. They followed the rules of St. Nicholas of Arrouaise. Many important people helped the priory in its early years. These included Scottish kings like David I of Scotland and Malcolm IV. Other important supporters were William the Lion and Robert Bruce.

Changes at the Priory

Before 1181, the prior and canons left the priory. The nuns then wanted to be more independent. They no longer wanted to be directly controlled by the abbot of Arrouaise. After some discussions, Pope Alexander III asked Hugh of Lincoln to help settle the matter.

Eventually, the nuns became free from the main abbey. They kept the churches of Harrold and Brayfield. From then on, the priory was led by a prioress. Sometimes, there was also a warden or a few lay brothers. We don't know how many nuns lived there for most of its history. Towards the end, there were only about six nuns.

It's not clear if the nuns immediately stopped following the Arrouasian rules. But by the time the priory closed, they were known as Austin canonesses. This means they followed the rules of St. Augustine.

Life at the Priory

The priory didn't have a lot of recorded history. A special book called a chartulary (a collection of important documents) shows small gifts of land. It also shows some disagreements about churches. For example, in 1416, the church of Shakerstone became part of the priory's income.

The right to choose the prioress, called the advowson, was held by different families over time. Sir John de Grey held it in 1279. Later, Lord Mordaunt of Turvey became the last patron. The priory was probably never very rich. In 1535, its total income was about £40.

Challenges and Dissolution

Sometimes, there were reports of problems at the priory. For example, in 1298, a nun was found to have broken her religious vows. In 1311, Bishop Dalderby ordered a review of the priory. No details of this review are known.

In 1369, Bishop Gynwell appointed Katherine of Tutbury to manage the priory's money. She was later a prioress. Her name and that of Emma Drakelowe are found in many old documents.

In 1535, a man named Richard Layton visited the priory. He was checking on religious houses for Thomas Cromwell. Layton wrote that he found some issues at Harrold Priory. He also reported that Lord Mordaunt had persuaded the prioress and nuns to sign a Latin document they didn't understand. They were told it was just a lease. The nuns said they felt they couldn't refuse Lord Mordaunt.

Whether these reports were true or not, the priory was closed down in 1536. This was part of a larger event called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The prioress, Elinor Warren, was given a pension of £7.

Priory's Wealth

Sampson le Fort gave the priory the churches of St. Peter, Harrold, and Brayfield. These churches came with their lands and rights. The church of Stevington was added later. In the 15th century, the church of Shakerstone was also added.

We don't know how much the priory's lands were worth in the 13th century. In 1535, the priory's income was £40 18s. 2d. After it closed in 1536, its value was estimated at £57 10s. This included the four churches and small pieces of land in Bedford, Huntingdon, and Buckingham counties.

Harrold Hall was built on the priory's old site by Francis Farrar between 1608 and 1610.

Prioresses of Harrold

These are the women who led Harrold Priory as prioresses:

• Agnes (died 1245)
• Basile de la Legh (elected 1245, mentioned 1252)
• Juliane
• Amice (mentioned 1264 and 1268)
• Margery of Hereford (resigned 1304)
• Cecily de Cantia (elected 1304)
• Petronilla of Radwell (elected 1335, resigned 1354)
• Christine Murdak (elected 1354, resigned 1357)
• Maud de Tichemersh (elected 1357, mentioned 1364)
• Katherine of Tutbury (elected 1369, mentioned 1384)
• Emma Drakelowe (mentioned 1405 and 1413)
• Elizabeth Chiltern (resigned 1470)
• Margaret Pycard (elected 1470)
• Helen Crabbe (died 1501)
• Eleanor Pygot (elected 1501, died 1509)
• Agnes Gascoigne (elected 1509)
• Elinor Warren (surrendered 1536)

Common Seal

The official seal of the priory showed St. Peter. He was standing, wearing a special hat called a mitre and a robe called a chasuble. He held two keys in his right hand and a shepherd's crook, called a crosier, in his left hand. The writing around the seal is hard to read, but the last two words are "PETRI CATENAS."