The Procurator's House in Magor, Monmouthshire,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, is a large, ruined mansion of the sixteenth-century, standing next to St Mary's Church in the centre of the village. Although of ecclesiastical origin, it is unlikely the present house was ever occupied by a

Procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * ''Procurator'' (Ancient Rome), the title o ...

, who was a church official responsible for the collection of

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more ...

s. The lands owned by the Church of St Mary were controlled by the Abbey of

Anagni Anagni () is an ancient town and ''comune'' in the province of Frosinone, Latium, central Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome. It is a historical and artistic center of the Latin Valley. Geography Overview Anagni still maintains the appear ...

, in Italy, in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

and it is possible that an earlier building on the same site housed the abbey's procurator. The current building post-dates ownership by the abbey, and was constructed when the avowson of St Mary's was controlled by

Tintern Abbey Tintern Abbey ( cy, Abaty Tyndyrn ) was founded on 9 May 1131 by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow. It is situated adjacent to the village of Tintern in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which at this location forms the bo ...

. The building is mentioned in a document of 1585, when it is referred to as "the mansion house belonging to the vicarage of Magor." This accounts for the two alternative names for the ruin, ''Magor Mansion'' and ''The Church House''. The building or, more accurately, its site, is one of only two examples of such procurators' houses known in Britain. Now completely ruined, the current house was constructed c.1500–1550. It is both a

Scheduled Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

and a

Grade II* 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 Ir ...

History

During the thirteenth century, the Abbey of Anagni had become wealthy and powerful, producing four

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

s within 100 years. In 1238, during the reign of

Pope Gregory IX Pope Gregory IX ( la, Gregorius IX; born Ugolino di Conti; c. 1145 or before 1170 – 22 August 1241) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 March 1227 until his death in 1241. He is known for issuing the '' Decre ...

, who was born in Anagni, the church of St Mary's, Magor, and its associated lands, came under control of the abbey and remained its responsibility until 1385. The church was donated to the abbey by

Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke (c. 1207 - 27 June 1241) was the third son of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Countess Isabel, the daughter of Richard son of Gilbert, earl of Striguil. Early life By calculating back from the ...

and Lord of

Chepstow Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...

During that time, it is possible that a house was constructed for the abbey's procurator on the site of the present building. In 1385, the church and tithes were leased, and subsequently permanently acquired, by the Cistercian Order of monks located at Tintern Abbey The current building was constructed at some point in the early to mid-sixteen century and is referenced as a"mansion belonging to the vicarage of Magor" in a document of 1585.

Description

The original building was constructed of

Old Red Sandstone The Old Red Sandstone is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region largely of Devonian age. It extends in the east across Great Britain, Ireland and Norway, and in the west along the northeastern seaboard of North America. It also exte ...

, over a rubble core, and with Triassic sandstone dressings. It was two storeys high with a cellar below. The main floor was subdivided into three rooms, each with a fireplace. The overall arrangement is "typical of late medieval priests' houses." The plan of the house is broadly rectangular, with two projecting wings. The Procurator's House, or, more accurately, its site, is one of only two such houses known in Britain, the other being

Chesterton Tower Chesterton Tower is a Grade I listed medieval tower located in Chapel Street, Chesterton, Cambridge. The two-storey 14th-century tower is the former residence of Italian procurators of the abbot of Vercelli in Italy. It stands in the former vi ...

, near Cambridge. A plaque attached to the ruins suggests that they date from the 14th century, rather than the 16th, and represent the remains of the original procurator's house. This claim is repeated on the

Magor with Undy Magor with Undy is a community on the coast of the Severn Estuary in Monmouthshire, Wales. It includes the villages of Magor and Undy. The Magor with Undy community was formed in 1986 from the pre-existing communities of Undy and Magor. It ha ...

Community Council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...

website. However, it is contradicted by Cadw, by the

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; cy, Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectur ...

, and by John Newman, author of the Pevsner Guide ''The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire''. A Scheduled Monument, the ruins are also a

due to their "important architectural and historic interest."

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Procurator's House Magor Scheduled monuments in Monmouthshire Grade II* listed buildings in Monmouthshire Archaeological sites in Monmouthshire History of Monmouthshire