Kilburn Priory was a small monastic community of nuns established around 1130–1134 three miles north-west of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

, where

Watling Street Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main R ...

(now

Kilburn High Road Kilburn is an area of north west London, England, which spans the boundary of three London Boroughs: Camden to the east, City of Westminster, Brent to the west. There is also an area in the City of Westminster, known as West Kilburn and someti ...

) met the stream now known as the Westbourne, but variously known as ''Cuneburna'', ''Keneburna'', ''Keeleburne'', ''Coldburne'', or ''Caleburn'', meaning either the royal or cow's stream. cited in The priory gave its name to the area now known as Kilburn, and the local streets Priory Road, Kilburn Priory, Priory Terrace, and

Abbey Road ''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It is the last album the group started recording, although ''Let It Be'' was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly re ...

. The site was used until 1130 as a hermitage by Godwyn, a recluse, who subsequently gave the property to the conventual church of St. Peter, Westminster. The

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...

was established with the consent of

Gilbert Universalis Gilbert Universalis or Gilbertus Universalis (died 1134) was a medieval Bishop of London. Life Gilbert was elected to the see of London about December 1127.Greenway Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: Volume 1, St. Paul's, London: Bishops' He ...

, bishop of London, before his death in August 1134. Though it was originally subordinate to

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

, whose monks followed the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

rule, by 1377 it was described as being an order of

Augustinian canonesses Canoness is a member of a religious community of women living a Simple living, simple life. Many communities observe the monasticism, monastic Rule of St. Augustine. The name corresponds to the male equivalent, a Canon (priest), canon. The origin ...

. It was once believed that the ''

Ancrene Riwle ''Ancrene Wisse'' (also known as the ''Ancrene Riwle'' or ''Guide for Anchoresses'') is an anonymous monastic rule (or manual) for female anchoresses written in the early 13th century. The work consists of eight parts: divine service, keeping the ...

'' was written for the first three nuns of Kilburn, but this is now thought unlikely. Agnes Strickland states that the priory was established in 1128 for the three pious and charitable ladies-in-waiting of Queen

Matilda of Scotland Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, 1080 – 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, or Matilda of Blessed Memory, was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. She acted as regent of England ...

, consort of

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...

, named Emma, Gunilda, and Cristina.

After the death of the queen n 1118these ladies retired to the hermitage of Kilburn near London, where there was a holy well, or medicinal spring. This was changed to a priory in 1128, as the deed says, for the reception of these . . . damsels who had belonged to the chamber of Matilda. Agnes Strickland, ''Lives of the Queens of England from the Norman Conquest,'' vol I. (Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1841), 2nd ed, p. 270.
Accessed 16 January 2013.

Kilburn Priory was dissolved by

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

in 1537 and its site in Kilburn was given to the

Knights of St. John 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 military order. It was headq ...

in exchange for other property, and then seized back by the crown in 1540.

References

Further reading