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Huntingdon Priory

1086 establishments in England1538 disestablishments in EnglandHuntingdonMonasteries in Cambridgeshire

The Priory of St Mary, Huntingdon was an Augustinian Priory in Huntingdonshire (now Cambridgeshire), England. Its foundation date is unknown. Dugdale suggests that it was a re-foundation of an Anglo-Saxon canonry; this is a credible idea, as several other Austin priories were (e.g. Taunton Priory). As a house of canons regular, it was founded by Eustace de Lovetot, sheriff of Huntingdon - apparently in compensation for his rapacity as sheriff. (Since there was a similar story about Picot, sheriff of Cambridgeshire, and his foundation of St Giles, later Barnwell Priory, this may be just a trope.) Eustace's heir, William, was a patron of the priory, and he also founded Worksop Priory, suggesting a family attraction to the Augustinians. The canons regular (not necessarily by this time formally Augustinian) were occupying the church by the 1090s. In or around 1098, Christina of Markyate’s mother was sitting looking out at the priory; a dove flew from it and landed on her sleeve - and so she knew her daughter to be blessed. Christina was taught by Sueno, a canon of Huntingdon. In 1114, Robert, the subprior, left Huntingdon to help Gilbert, sheriff of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and Surrey, found Merton Priory.Henry I confirmed the priory's lands and gifts; his wife, Matilda of Scotland was one of the drivers behind the Augustinian movement in England and Wales. Her brother David I of Scotland was also earl of Huntingdon and a benefactor of Huntingdon Priory. William de Lovetot's son Richard was also a benefactor; his sons (William and Nigel) died without issue; his daughters (Amice, Rose and Margery) married local aristocrats, and through the eldest, Amice, the Priory became associated with the de Mandeville family.The Priory had about 16 canons, and held a good number of lands and churches; its wealth was partly spent on hospitality. During the 14th century, it suffered both economically and from the Black Death. It seems to have suffered a moral decline in the 15th century: the 1420 episcopal visitation found too many laundresses wandering where they shouldn't; the 1435 visitation admonished the canons for pawning their jewels and keeping hunting dogs. It also prohibited canons from visiting the house of one John Clerk, whose wife was of questionable morality. In 1440, there was no question about her morality: she was having an affair with the prior (along with 8 other women). The buildings were in disrepair and more goods had been pawned. Successive priors, especially Thomas Herford (d.1518), made improvements, but the Priory had declined to poverty by 1532. The 12 canons were devout enough to pay a massive fine to stop it being suppressed in 1536 (being a monastery under £200), but this, in the end, only gave them two years extra in the house. In 1538, the eight remaining canons were pensioned off and the monastery destroyed.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Huntingdon Priory (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Huntingdon Priory
Brookside, Huntingdonshire Newtown

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N 52.333 ° E -0.183 °
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Cowper Road

Brookside
PE29 1HT Huntingdonshire, Newtown
England, United Kingdom
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All Saints' Church, Huntingdon
All Saints' Church, Huntingdon

All Saints' Church is a Church of England church located in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. There have been multiple churches on the site of this one. The earliest mention of a church dates to 973 AD with the original dedication having been to either St Mary, or The Blessed Virgin and All Martyrs.The chancel is Early English Period, but the main structure is in the Late Perpendicular Gothic style, dating from about the reign of Henry VII, and rebuilt in 1620. It was restored under the direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott when new oak roofs were added, and the old carving, retained wherever possible, or faithfully reproduced. It consists of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and a western tower of Perpendicular era, containing four bells. There are several stained windows, a pulpit of carved alabaster around which runs an elaborate railing of metal work, in which a combination of copper, brass and tin has been used, the whole resting on a stone base. The font is of carved stone supported on columns of jasper, Irish and foreign marbles. There is a large organ with three rows of keys and containing between thirty and forty stops. The stalls are of carved oak, interspersed with walnut and cedar. A reredos of carved oak, enriched with figures, niches and canopies, was erected in the 1800s. The vestry was enlarged and ornamented with caning. The church has seating for about 500 persons.The registers of the parish of St John Baptist, brought here at the demolition of the church of that name, date from 1585; those of All Saints are from 1558. The celebrated entry of the baptism of Oliver Cromwell occurs in the register of St John's under the date of 1599, and there is a mention, about twenty years later, of his having done penance for some improper conduct. The name of Cromwell frequently occurs: Robert Cromwell father of the Protector, was buried in the church, 24 June 1617. There is also mention made of the resting within its walls of the body of Mary Queen of Scots on its way from Peterborough Cathedral to Westminster Abbey, to which latter place it was removed by order of her son, James I.

Huntingdon Castle
Huntingdon Castle

Huntingdon Castle was situated in the town of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire (grid reference TL240714). In 1068 a Norman motte and bailey castle was built for William the Conqueror. During the Anarchy the castle was held by David, King of Scotland through his marriage to Maud, 2nd Countess of Huntingdon. He supported Empress Matilda in a battle of succession and the castle was much damaged at this time. However, when the succession was settled, David's son Henry paid homage to King Stephen who in turn gave him the borough of Huntingdon in addition to the castle. By 1173 the castle was still held by the kings of Scotland, at that time by William the Lion. He had sided with Henry, the rebel son of Henry II, during the Revolt of 1173–1174, and the castle was besieged by Richard de Luci. The siege was taken over by Simon de St. Lis but it did not end until Henry II (who had just performed penance at the tomb of Thomas Becket) arrived at Huntingdon. The siege ended the following day and Henry then ordered that the castle be dismantled (slighted). The Pipe Rolls recorded that 7s 8d was spent on dismantling the palisade. According to historian Sidney Painter, it was one of at least 21 castles demolished on Henry II's instructions.Parts of the castle did remain, including the chapel, and its ownership passed through a number of hands. The castle was refortified during the Civil War. For a time it served as the county gaol, and later a windmill stood on the castle mound. Nothing now remains of the castle itself apart from its earthworks, although the site is a scheduled ancient monument.