Southwick Priory or Our Lady at Southwick () was a
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 ...
of
Augustinian canons
Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by ...
founded in
Portchester Castle on
Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Portsmouth and Gosport in Hampshire. It is a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area.
It is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it ...
and later transferred north to
Southwick, Hampshire, England. It ceased at the
Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538.
Foundation
![Church within Portchester Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Church_within_Portchester_Castle.jpg)
In 1133
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 ...
founded a priory of Austin canons in the church of
St. Mary,
Portchester
Portchester is a locality and suburb northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton on ...
, within the walls of
Portchester Castle. The foundation charter gave to the canons the church of Portchester, timber for fencing, building and fuel, common pasture in the wood of
Hingsdon; the large manor of
Candover; and a
hide of land in 'each of'
Southwick and
Applestead. By the early part of the thirteenth century, the priory is referred to in charters (held at
Lambeth Palace) as ''Southwick Priory'' and it is believed to have moved to the site in Southwick c. 1145–1153.
13th to 16th centuries
![1339235-Church of St Mary (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/1339235-Church_of_St_Mary_%283%29.jpg)
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, the priory became a renowned centre of
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
. In September 1510
Henry VIII passed through Southwick and made an offering of 6s. 8d. at Our Lady of Southwick. In 1538, shortly before the suppression, John Husee, a solicitor and servant of the Lisle family, wrote to
Lord Lisle that ''Pilgrimage saints goeth down apace as Our Lady of Southwick, the Blood of Hales, St. Saviour's and others.'' And
Leland mentions the fame of the pilgrimage to Our Lady of Southwick.
By the dissolution, the priory still holding
Preston Candover
Preston Candover is a village and large civil parish in Hampshire, England. It has two churches, only one of which is still in use. Its nearest town is Basingstoke, approximately away. It has an acreage of , which lies on comparatively low grou ...
had gained:
*the manors (almost all in Hampshire) of
Southwick with its rectory, Newland,
Hannington,
Sutton Scotney
Sutton Scotney is a village in Hampshire, England, north of Winchester in the civil parish of Wonston.
It lies alongside the River Dever and is now bypassed by the A34 trunk road. It is notable for having been the site of numerous Spitfire cras ...
, 'Moundesmer', 'Oldfishborne',
Farlington with a fishery,
Denmead Molens,
Clanveld and
Aldbourn,
Weralles in
Dorchester with the rectory,
Colmer,
Stubbington
Stubbington is a village which is located between Southampton and Portsmouth, in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. It is within the borough of Fareham.
History
Both Stubbington and neighbouring Crofton were mentioned in ...
,
Hoe,
West Boarhunt,
Boarhunt,
Harbert and Bury
*the rectories of
Nutley,
Swindon,
Portsea,
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
and 'Wanstede,'
*lands and rents in
Priors Dean, the city of
Winchester and
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andove ...
.
Several of the manors of Southwick Priory and
Breamore Priory were included in the dower lands of
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves (german: Anna von Kleve; 1515 – 16 July 1557) was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Not much is known about Anne before 1527, when she became betrothed to Francis, Duke o ...
in 1540.
Dissolution
In 1535, the ''
Valor Ecclesiasticus
The ''Valor Ecclesiasticus'' (Latin: "church valuation") was a survey of the finances of the church in England, Wales and English controlled parts of Ireland made in 1535 on the orders of Henry VIII. It was colloquially called the Kings books, a s ...
'' estimated the annual value (net income) of the priory as £257 4s. 4d (). But one of the canons, James Gunwyn, wrote to
Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell (; 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false char ...
on 20 January 1536 claiming:
We are bound by the will of William Wykeham to have daily five masses in our church, which have not been said for more than forty years. On 26 May last the Commissioners sat in our place to ascertain the yearly value of our lands, that a tenth part might be assessed according to Act of Parliament, when my master (the prior) delivered them a book of the yearly rents which was not in all points made truly. Also on 22 September last we had a visitation of our house by Dr. Layton, when we had certain injunctions given us to be observed, several of which have been neglected hitherto. I send you this information in discharge of my oath of obedience, and would have done it earlier if I could have had a trusty messenger, for if my master knew of my writing he would convey away the plate, money and jewels in his keeping.
A letter to Lord Lisle of 16 March 1538 stated that the priory was to be suppressed, and that 'Our Lady of Southwick' was taken down. On 7 April 1538 the surrender was signed by the prior, William Norton, and twelve of the canons. James Gunwyn's signature is next to the prior's.
Prior Norton received the large pension of £66 13s. 4d.
Post-Dissolution
The priory came into the possession of John White, a servant of
Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton
Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton (21 December 1505 – 30 July 1550), KG was an English peer, secretary of state, Lord Chancellor and Lord High Admiral. A naturally skilled but unscrupulous and devious politician who changed with t ...
. He pulled down the church and converted the prior's lodgings and other parts of the conventual buildings into a private house, known as Southwick Park, which became the family seat of one branch of the Norton family. In October 1551,
Mary of Guise Regent of Scotland and mother of
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
stayed in the house.
On the death of John White in 1567 the manor passed to his son and heir Edward. In 1580 Edward died, leaving a son and heir, John, White (d. 1606).
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
stayed on 30 August 1591 and rode to
Portchester Castle the next day.
In 1606 John White settled the manor on his daughter and co-heir Honor on her marriage with Sir Daniel Norton, and they came into possession of the manor on the death of John White in the following year.
["The buildings were not entirely destroyed at the suppression, but converted into a house, like those of Titchfield and Mottisfont. There is a record that in Richard Norton's time, Dryden's play ' The Spanish Friar' 681was performed in the ]frater
Frater is the Latin word for brother.
*In Roman Catholicism, a monk who is not a priest
Frater may also refer to:
People Surname
* Alexander Frater (1937–2020), New Hebrides travel writer and journalist
* Anne Frater, Scottish poet from Bay ...
. In course of time parts of the old work became ruinous, and in the beginning of the nineteenth century the house was rebuilt, and much of the monastic building finally disappeared in the process. Till this date a great chapel with fourteen windows on each side, attributed to William of Wykeham, is said to have remained standing. The new house was burnt in 1838, and the present building was begun shortly afterwards. Southwick House
Southwick House is a Grade II listed 19th-century manor house of the Southwick Estate in Hampshire, England, about north of Portsmouth. It is home to the Defence School of Policing and Guarding, and related military police capabilities.
Histor ...
...." (William Page (editor) 'Parishes: Southwick', A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 3 (1908), pp. 161–165. URL
Date accessed: 2 April 2010
)
Twin ruins and mansion on main estate
The church of
St Mary at
Portchester
Portchester is a locality and suburb northwest of Portsmouth, England. It is part of the borough of Fareham in Hampshire. Once a small village, Portchester is now a busy part of the expanding conurbation between Portsmouth and Southampton on ...
survives, inside the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
wall of
Porchester Castle
Portchester Castle is a medieval fortress that was developed within the walls of the Roman Saxon Shore fort of Portus Adurni at Portchester, to the east of Fareham in Hampshire.
The keep was probably built in the late 11th century as a ba ...
, returned to parochial use. It is substantially a Norman building, and hence the one the priory originally used. No trace of the conventual buildings survive above ground except for some drain openings and the marks of the abutment of the cloister against the south wall of the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
.
The house that used materials from the priory was burnt down in 1750 and salvaged for scrap masonry. The site has been occupied since 1838 by
Southwick House
Southwick House is a Grade II listed 19th-century manor house of the Southwick Estate in Hampshire, England, about north of Portsmouth. It is home to the Defence School of Policing and Guarding, and related military police capabilities.
Histor ...
, which has been home to the
Defence School of Policing and Guarding
The Defence School of Policing and Guarding is the training centre for the Service Police of the British Armed Forces. It consolidates training for the Royal Navy Police, Royal Military Police and Royal Air Force Police in one location, assuring ...
since 2005, and the regimental headquarters of the
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operations ...
since 2007.
Of the priory itself, one section of wall and some earthworks survive. Some remnants of the priory church may survive transferred and reset in the
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of St James, Southwick. The contiguous estate at Southwick is still intact and is formally referred to as the Southwick Estate.
See also
*
Notes
References
''A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 2'', The Victoria County History 1973* ''The Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight'' Nikolaus Pevsner and David Lloyd
*
External links
Drawing of PrioryArtifacts from the PrioryDetailed historical record for Southwick Priory
{{Authority control
Augustinian monasteries in England
Priories in Hampshire
1538 disestablishments in England
Religious organizations established in the 1130s
Christian monasteries established in the 12th century
1133 establishments in England
Grade I listed monasteries
Grade I listed churches in Hampshire