Heather Preceptory (pronounced: ; ''He-ther'') was a

preceptory A preceptor (from Latin, "''praecepto''") is a teacher responsible for upholding a ''precept'', meaning a certain law or tradition. Buddhist monastic orders Senior Buddhist monks can become the preceptors for newly ordained monks. In the Buddhi ...

of the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

, established in the village of

Heather, Leicestershire Heather ( ) is a village west of Ibstock in North West Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish was 949 at the 2001 census reducing to 920 at the 2011 census. In the Domesday Book of 1086, its name is recorded as ''Hadre' ...

, United Kingdom.

History

Heather preceptory was established as a preceptory (monastery) of the

, and was founded by Ralph de Greseley as early the reign of King

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(1199–1216).HEATHER HOSPITALLERS PRECEPTORY
''English Heritage: PastScape'' Heather was an independent preceptory until around 1338, when it was reduced to the status of a "camera", a lesser establishment dependent upon another. Heather was integrated with another preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller in Leicestershire, Dalby. The two were then referred to as the "

Dalby and Heather Preceptory Dalby Preceptory, also known as Dalby and Heather Preceptory, was a preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller, in the village of Old Dalby, Leicestershire, England. History Land at Dalby was given to the Knights Hospitaller by Robert de Beaumont, 2 ...

". Dalby seems to have taken the leading role, as it was where the joint preceptory was administered from and where the

Preceptor A preceptor (from Latin, "''praecepto''") is a teacher responsible for upholding a ''precept'', meaning a certain law or tradition. Buddhist monastic orders Senior Buddhist monks can become the preceptors for newly ordained monks. In the Buddhi ...

was based. Rothley Preceptory was similarly merged before 1371. The Knights Templar also owned the manor of Heather, and by the 14th-century were renting it and its associated lands, only directly farming their lands at Dalby and Rothley Preceptories.'House of Knights Hospitallers: Preceptory of Dalby and Heather'
''A History of the County of Leicestershire'': Volume 2 (1954), pp. 32-33. Date accessed: 16 June 2013. From around 1500 the land at all three preceptories, Dalby, Heather and Rothley, appears to have been rented out. In 1535, the three combined preceptories are recorded as providing the order with a sizable annual income of £231. 7s. 10d. The three preceptories were dissolved in 1540. The land belonging to the preceptory at Heather was granted to Oliver St. John and Robert Thornton.History of Heather in North West Leicestershire
''A Vision of Britain through Time'', GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Date accessed: 16 June 2013

Remains

The site of the preceptory is currently occupied by a Georgian manor house. Nothing of the preceptory stands above ground; however, the manor's cellars incorporate remains of medieval walls. Medieval paving stones have also been found in the area.

References

{{Monasteries in Leicestershire , state=expanded Monasteries in Leicestershire 12th-century establishments in England Christian monasteries established in the 12th century Preceptories of the Knights Hospitaller in England

History

Remains

See also

References