Edith Weston Priory was a small
alien house
Alien priories were religious establishments in England, such as monasteries and convents, which were under the control of another religious house outside England. Usually the mother-house was in France.Coredon ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms'' p. ...
of
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 ...
monks in
Edith Weston
Edith Weston is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. The population of the civil parish was 1,042 at the 2001 census, including Normanton and increasing to 1,359 at the 2011 census. It is on the ...
,
Rutland
Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
. The French parent house of
Abbey of Saint-Georges, Boscherville
The Abbey of Saint-Georges, Boscherville, is a former Benedictine abbey located in the commune of Saint-Martin-de-Boscherville, in Seine-Maritime, France. It was founded in about 1113 on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons
...
was founded by Ralf de Tanquerville, chamberlain to
William the Conqueror
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
, about the year 1050. By 1114 his son William donated the church and manor at Edith Weston, and a small cell of monks was set up to collect the rents and intercede for the founder's soul.
The cell was one of two in England: William founded
Avebury Priory in Wiltshire around the same time. Like all alien houses, control (and revenues) passed to the Crown in time of war with France, and it was during one of these periods that the priory closed. The last known Prior was in 1361, and by 1394 the church and manor had been sold to
St. Anne's Priory, Coventry, bringing the priory to an end.
[
]Pevsner Pevsner or Pevzner is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Aihud Pevsner (1925–2018), American physicist
* Antoine Pevsner (1886–1962), Russian sculptor, brother of Naum Gabo
* David Pevsner, American actor, singer, da ...
was dismissive of the priory, saying that Brooke Priory was the only monastery in Rutland as "Edith Weston hardly counts as one".
The earthwork remains probably now lie below the waters of Rutland Water
Rutland Water is a reservoir in Rutland, England, east of Rutland's county town, Oakham. It is filled by pumping from the River Nene and River Welland, and provides water to the East Midlands. By surface area it is the largest reservoir in En ...
.[
]
Priors of Edith Weston
Only a few names are known:[
]
References
*
{{Monasteries in Leicestershire , state=expanded
Monasteries in Rutland
Benedictine monasteries in England
12th-century establishments in England
Christian monasteries established in the 12th century