Stavordale Priory near

Charlton Musgrove Charlton Musgrove is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated north east of Wincanton in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 398. The parish includes the hamlets of Barrow, Holbrook, Southmarsh, and par ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England was built as a priory of Augustinian canons in the 13th century and was converted into a private residence after the suppression of the monastery in 1538. It has been designated as a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. The original priory for

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

canons was founded by a member of the Lovel family, in 1243, probably following an endowment by Henry, Lord Lovel, who died about 1199. The list of Augustinian Priors of Stavordale Priory includes one 'John' Bodman who died there, as Prior, in 1361. Closer examination of the (Latin) primary source for this reference, however, reveals that his name was not, in fact, given as the English form 'John' but Johannis, the Latin form of Johannes. This appears to be the earliest historical record in England of a Johannes Bodman, and it is possible that he was a scion of the ancient, noble house of the Ritter von Bodman (also Freiherren and Grafen von und zu Bodman), who lived then and still live today at Bodman am Bodensee. However the name 'Johannis' is the Latin form for 'John' as well as 'Johannes' and there is little reason to create a German link to the prior. The bell tower is known to have existed by 1374, and the church was refitted and rebuilt around 1439. The chantry of Jesus was described as having been "recently completed" in 1526. It is thought to be linked to the village's old church near the altar by a tunnel, perhaps used as a priest's escape route, some two miles in length. Again there is no evidence or reason for such a 'tunnel' escape route. It was converted around the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, after the priory merged with Taunton in 1533. It was restored and extended by

Thomas Edward Collcutt Thomas Edward Collcutt c.1890 Thomas Edward Collcutt (16 March 1840 – 7 October 1924) was an English architect in the Victorian era who designed several important buildings in London including the Savoy Hotel, Lloyd's Register of Shipping ...

in 1905 for Mr. F.G. Sage. It is now owned by Sir

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...

, a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

theatrical producer A theatrical producer is a person who oversees all aspects of mounting a theatre Stagecraft, production. The producer is responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backin ...

notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. The gardens of Stavordale Priory were featured in the 2017 book ''The Secret Gardeners'' by Victoria Summerley and photographer Hugo Rittson Thomas.Summerley and Rittson Thomas, 2017 pg. 195-205

Burials

John Stourton (died 1438) John Stourton (died 1438) of Preston Plucknett in Somerset was seven times MP for Somerset, in 1419, 1420, December 1421, 1423, 1426, 1429 and 1435.Stourton, John I (d.1438), of Preston Plucknett, Som.', published in History of Parliament: House of ...

and his father John Stourton and his grandfather Sir William Stourton

Other Uses of the Name

''Stavordale'' is the surname given to Emmeline Mowbray's mother in Charlotte Smith's novel ''Emmeline''.

References

*Summerley, Victoria, and Rittson Thomas, Hugo (2017) ''The Secret Gardeners'' Francis Lincoln {{ISBN, 9780711237636 1243 establishments in England 13th-century church buildings in England 1530s disestablishments in England Augustinian monasteries in England Christian monasteries established in the 13th century Gardens in Somerset Grade I listed buildings in South Somerset Grade I listed houses in Somerset Monasteries in Somerset Thomas Edward Collcutt buildings

Burials

Other Uses of the Name

See also

References