Pamber Priory facts for kids
Pamber Priory is an old church in Monk Sherborne, Hampshire, England. It used to be a priory, which is a type of monastery where monks lived. It was also known as West Sherborne Priory or Monk Sherborne Priory. Today, it serves as a Church of England parish church.
Contents
The Priory's Beginnings
Early History of Monk Sherborne
The area around Monk Sherborne has a very long history. It was mentioned even before 1066, when Edward the Confessor was king. At that time, a person named Alnod Cild owned the land. Later, in 1086, the famous Domesday Book was created. This book recorded that Hugh de Port owned the land then.
Building the First Church
A church was built here a long time ago. The Bishop of Winchester, William Giffard, officially blessed it. We don't know the exact year, but Bishop Giffard was in charge between 1107 and 1129. It's not clear how much of the church was finished when it was blessed. Only parts of the current building are from that time. These include the arches under the main tower and some of the south wall.
Founding the Priory
In 1130, Hugh de Port's son, Henry de Port, started a priory here. A priory is like a small monastery. This one was connected to the Abbey of Saint Vigor in Normandy, France. Henry gave the church building to the priory. He also gave money so the monks could help the church in Newnham.
Around 1130, Henry wrote a special document. It mentioned money from two watermills in Newnham. These were probably Hook Mill and Lyde Mill. The de Port family came from Normandy, near the Abbey of Saint Vigor. Old documents show that Henry wanted monks at Sherborne. He wanted them to serve God and care for his family, friends, and neighbors.
Changes and Challenges
How the Priory Looked
The first church building was shaped like a cross. It did not have side aisles. Around 1220, parts of it were rebuilt. The eastern part, called the chancel, was made longer. A cloister was built on the south side of the church. This was a covered walkway for the monks. Today, only the area under the tower and the longer eastern part remain.
Later, two small chapels were added next to the chancel. We are not sure if these were built in the 12th or 13th century.
Royal Visits and Support
A lot of building work happened between 1255 and 1260. King Henry III helped by giving wood from his forests. King Henry III visited the priory at least five times between 1251 and 1261.
The priory was run by Benedictine monks. It was independent and did not have an abbot (a head monk). However, because it was linked to a French abbey, it was called an "alien priory." This made the government suspicious of it. But the Bishops of Winchester accepted the monks. They even let the monks choose priests for churches in Church Oakley and Bramley.
Financial Troubles Begin
The priory was doing well financially at first. But things changed after King Henry III died in 1272. King Edward I made a law in 1279 called the Statute of Mortmain. This law stopped people from giving land to the church. This meant the priory lost a valuable way to get money. The king also stopped giving gifts.
In 1294, King Edward I went to war with France. The priory was checked as part of a list of foreign-owned properties. In 1294, the priory had a good income of £130. Only one other priory in Hampshire had more money. King Edward's actions set a pattern. Later kings often took over foreign-owned priories. The monks could get their priory back by paying a fine. Monk Sherborne managed to pay these fines. But King Edward II took the priory again. In 1326, the king even took control of choosing the priests for the priory's churches.
The Hundred Years' War and the Black Death
The Hundred Years' War started in 1337. The priory was watched very closely. In July 1337, it was taken over again. Two years later, its income was only about £88. This was barely enough to pay for the priory's rent.
In 1348, the terrible Black Death spread across the country. In 1350, the Bishop of Winchester told the French abbey that Monk Sherborne Priory was in a bad state. He said it was "destitute" and had "spiritual decline." Some monks seem to have gone back to France.
When the war with France ended in 1361, the priory was given back to the monks. Some of their unpaid fines were cancelled. In 1364, debts of over £1,300 were forgiven. When war started again in 1369, the Prior (the head monk) was allowed to keep the priory. No payments were needed because the buildings and land were in such poor condition. There was barely enough money to support the monks and servants.
A New Chapter
By the 1380s, the priory's income was very low, only about £22. This was partly because the king took money. It was also because people stopped paying rent after the Black Death. Things got a little better when King Henry IV became king in 1399. Foreign monks could return to England. Also, priories like Monk Sherborne were not taken over by the king in 1401.
The priory stopped being considered "alien" in 1446. In 1462, the land was given to the Hospital of St. Julian in Southampton, also known as God's House. This hospital had been given to The Queen's College, Oxford, by King Edward III. So, Queen's College became responsible for the priory.
In the 15th century, Queen's College started a special chapel service there. The priest also helped people living nearby in Pamber who didn't have their own church. This was very popular. When these special services were stopped in 1547, the local people felt the priory chapel was their church. They even went to court to make Queen's College provide a priest.
Queen's College, as the owners, repaired the building in 1843 and 1936. Today, Pamber Priory is a grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historical building. In 1911, the College was still giving money to the poor of the parish each year. This was a tradition from a gift made in the 12th century.
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