Thelsford Priory facts for kids

Thelsford Priory was a special religious place, like a monastery, for a group of friars called the Trinitarians. It was built a long, long time ago, in the early 1200s, near the River Avon in England. This site is now looked after by the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England.

The priory started as a small house, possibly for another group called the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. It was set up by people from a similar priory in Warwick. The Trinitarian friars dedicated their home to God, St. John the Baptist, and St. Radegund.

How Thelsford Priory Began

The priory grew thanks to many generous gifts.

Early Gifts and Purpose

Between 1200 and 1212, Henry and Isabel de Beresford gave land that included a church in Barford. This gift suggests the priory might have started with a different religious group first.

In 1214, a knight named Sir William Lucy of Charlecote gave the friars 13 acres of land next to their home. He also gave them control over the Charlecote church and more land. Sir William wanted the priory to be more than just a religious house. He hoped it would also serve as a hospital to help poor local people and a place for pilgrims to stay.

Expanding the Priory's Land

Over the years, the priory received many more gifts:

• Sir William Lucy's grandson, Fulk Lucy, allowed the friars to move a road that ran through their property.
• Another Sir William Lucy gave them two more acres of land near the priory.
• William de Nasford, a lord from Barford, gave them more land and control over the Barford church. He also gave them special land called the "Free Hide," which was free from taxes. He even gave them rights to fish in the river.
• Richard Malore gave them land and control over churches in Leicestershire.
• William de Beauchamp, a powerful Earl, also gave them three pieces of land.
• Roger de Charlecote gave them land and buildings.

These many gifts helped the priory grow. They were able to build bigger buildings and a larger church.

Church Consecration and a Problem

The new church and its burial ground were officially blessed by Bishop Giffard in 1285.

In 1312, when Simon de Charlecote was the head of the priory, something went wrong. The prior and the friars faced a serious problem because they were accused of creating fake letters from the Pope. The bishop of Worcester had to step in and publicly forgive them.

Royal Support for the Priory

In November 1329, King Edward III, who was staying nearby, confirmed many small gifts to Prior Thomas de Offyngton and the friars. A few years later, in 1332, Prior Thomas was allowed to gain more land and income for the priory. In 1334, they also got special permission for three years to collect money from people, which was allowed by the Pope for their religious order.

Inside the Church: The Maiden Cutbroghe

We have a description of the church from around the time it was closed down. A man named Dr. London wrote to Thomas Cromwell, a powerful figure in the government, saying the priory was "in much ruin" and the church was "little and unfinished."

At the front of the church, there was a special statue called the "Maiden Cutbroghe." This statue had a wooden trough under her feet that went into the altar, which was hollow. People believed this statue could cure headaches. Dr. London wrote that people with headaches would put a peck (a measure) of oats into the trough. Once the oats slid under the altar, the friars would secretly take them out from behind. The sick person would then pay a penny for a small amount of these "Maiden Cutbrogh oats." People believed that after this, their headaches would go away until the next time.

The End of Thelsford Priory

The religious life at Thelsford Priory ended on October 26, 1538. The head of the priory, Prior Edmund David, and three other friars signed a document giving the priory to the King. This was part of a bigger event in England called the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

What Happened Next

After the priory was given to the King, the church was torn down. Much of its stone was used to build other places, like Thelsford Farm and Wasperton Manor. The priory's ponds and low areas were filled in with rubble, and the land was turned into grazing fields for animals.

Discoveries Underground

Archaeologists, who study old things, dug up the site in the 1960s and again in 1972. These digs helped them learn a lot about how the buildings were laid out. Many parts of the priory still exist underground today.

The church built in the 1200s was shaped like a cross. However, the first building was a simple rectangle, which was made bigger in the early 1300s. The foundations of these buildings are still buried. The cloisters (covered walkways) and other buildings connected to them were on the south side of the church. Many of these were made of wood. The western part of the buildings had wooden walls on stone bases, which are still underground. The areas north and west of the main buildings were surrounded by walls and were probably gardens. Other buildings, possibly for the hospital and pilgrims, were also found in the western part of the site.

Today, you cannot see any remains of Thelsford Priory above ground. Part of the site is even under the main A429 road, just north of Thelsford Farm.

Leaders of Thelsford Priory

Here is a list of some of the people who were in charge of Thelsford Priory over the years:

• Elias (1247)
• Robert (during King Edward I's time)
• Henry (1309)
• Simon de Charlecote (1312)
• Thomas de Offyngton (1328)
• Thomas de Charlecote (1353)
• William de Clarindon (during King Richard II's time)
• Robert Bowston (around 1440)
• Robert Bolton (1473)
• Roger Lynton (1474)
• John Brokeden (1492)
• Robert Brokeden (1513)
• Edmund Alcester (1535)
• Edmund David (1538)