Selborne Priory facts for kids
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Priory of St Mary, Selborne |
| Order | Augustinian canons |
| Established | 1233 |
| Disestablished | 1485 |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Peter des Roches |
| Site | |
| Location | Selborne, Hampshire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°06′14″N 0°55′21″W / 51.10393°N 0.92261°W |
| Visible remains | some earthworks |
| Public access | no |
Selborne Priory was a special kind of monastery in Selborne, Hampshire, England. It was home to a group of religious men called Augustinian canons.
Contents
Starting the Priory
Who Founded Selborne Priory?
A man named Peter des Roches, who was the Bishop of Winchester, started Selborne Priory in 1233. He gave the priory land and other gifts to help it get started. These gifts came from people like James de Acangre, James de Norton, and even King Henry III.
What Did the Priory Receive?
The canons (the religious men living there) were given control of the Selborne area. This included its special rights and the churches in Selborne, Basing, and Basingstoke. Pope Gregory IX officially approved the priory's founding in September 1235.
Life at the Priory (13th to 15th Centuries)
Over the years, the priory received many small gifts of land and money. However, it also had duties, like helping to pay for the local churches. When it first started, there were fourteen canons living there. But by the mid-1400s, this number had dropped to just four. The priory was also in serious debt, meaning it owed a lot of money.
Closing Down the Priory
Why Did Selborne Priory Close?
By the late 1400s, Selborne Priory was struggling. On April 21, 1478, the leaders of the Augustinian Order decided to send visitors to check on the priory. These visitors were the heads of Breamore and Tortington priories.
Then, on September 2, 1484, Bishop Waynflete set up a group to officially join Selborne Priory with Magdalen College, Oxford. The information gathered by this group showed that no canons were living at the priory anymore. Also, the buildings were falling apart.
When Did the Priory Close?
The official order to join the priory with Magdalen College was made on September 11, 1484. This decision was confirmed in 1485, and that's when Selborne Priory officially closed.
After the Priory Closed
After the priory was closed, Magdalen College continued to support a special priest in Selborne. This priest would hold church services to remember the people who had given money and support to both the college and the old priory. All the important documents and records from Selborne Priory were moved to Magdalen College. They were kept safe in a special part of the college called the Founder's Tower.
Selborne Priory Today
Today, you cannot see any of the original priory buildings above ground. However, archaeologists (people who study old things) did investigations in the 1960s and 1970s. They found the remains of the church, the cloister (a covered walkway), and other buildings underground. The old documents from the priory are still some of the most complete records for any religious house in England.
