Horsley Priory facts for kids

For the priory of this name in Surrey, see Horsley Priory (Surrey).

Horsley Priory was a special kind of religious house in Gloucestershire, England, a long time ago. It was a place where monks lived and prayed.

What Was Horsley Priory?

A priory was like a small monastery. Monks lived there, dedicating their lives to prayer and study. Horsley Priory was located in the county of Gloucestershire.

How Horsley Priory Began

In 1066, a person named Goda owned a large piece of land, or "estate," in Horsley. This land was later given to a big monastery called Troarn Abbey by Roger de Montgomery before the year 1086.

The original plan for Horsley was to have a leader (called a prior), a monk, and a local priest living there. From this small beginning, Horsley Priory grew into a small religious community. It was sometimes called a "cell" because it was connected to Troarn Abbey, which was a larger monastery.

Changes and Its End

Over time, things changed for Horsley Priory. In 1260, Troarn Abbey traded Horsley Priory with Bruton Priory. They swapped it for some land in Normandy, which is in France.

Horsley Priory stopped being a priory before 1380. However, the land it was on, known as Horsley manor, stayed with Bruton Priory. This continued until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. This was a time when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries in England.

In 1541, the Horsley land was given to Thomas Seymour.