Wenceslas Hollar - Spalding abbey (State 2)

Spalding Priory was a small

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 ...

house in the town of Spalding,

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin and

St Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Dem ...

. It was founded as a cell of

Croyland Abbey Crowland Abbey (also spelled Croyland Abbey, Latin: ''Croilandia'') is a Church of England parish church, formerly part of a Benedictine abbey church, in Crowland in the English county of Lincolnshire. It is a Grade I listed building. History ...

, in 1052, by

Leofric, Earl of Mercia Leofric (died 31 August or 30 September 1057) was an Earl of Mercia. He founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is most remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva. Life Leofric was the son of Leofwine, Ealdorman of the Hwicce, ...

and his wife, Godiva, Countess of Leicester. It was supported by Leofric's eldest son. Ælfgār, Earl of Mercia and the monks were confirmed in their property in 1074, after the

Norman Conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conqu ...

. Until 1220, Alkborough Priory Cell was a dependency of Spalding. After 1071 one monk only remained in Spalding, so the house was refounded in 1074 as a dependent priory of St Nicholas's Abbey, Angers. The monks secured their independence from Angers in 1397, and remained so until 1540, when the house was surrendered at the dissolution. Six human skeletons found during building work in Bridge Street are presumed to indicate the site of the Priory burial ground.

Priors

Its priors included * Simon 1229–1252 * James 1252–1253 * John 1253–1274 * At some time before 1278, there was a Wazinus. * William of Littleport 1278–1293 * Clement 1293–1318 * Walter de Halton 1318–1322 though he is reported as holding the post for 14 years.
Thomas de Nassington
1322–1353

Burials

Thomas Moulton (knight) Sir Thomas Moulton (died 1240) was an English landowner, knight, admiral and judge during the reigns of King John and King Henry III. From a family with landholdings in the south of Lincolnshire, he was the son and heir of Thomas Moulton (died bef ...

and his father Lambert de Multon *Thomas de Moulton, father of Thomas de Multon, 1st Baron Multon of Gilsland *Lucy Mercia Tailebois, wife of

Ivo Taillebois Ivo Taillebois (died 1094) was a powerful Norman nobleman, sheriff and tenant-in-chief in 11th-century England. Life Ivo Taillebois was a Norman most probably from Taillebois, now a small hamlet in Saint-Gervais de Briouze, Calvados.K.S.B. Keat ...

References

This page reports some early developments in the priory's history.

Priors

Burials

See also

References

Further reading