Canons Ashby Priory
Encyclopedia
Canons Ashby Priory was an Augustinian monastic establishment in Northamptonshire
, England
.
The Priory was founded by Stephen La Leye on a site to the south of the present church between 1147 and 1151, during the reign of Henry II
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42392.
In 1253 the Augustinians were granted a licence to build the Norwell, which still exists to the north of the present church, to supply water to the priory.
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in the 1530s, the priory and its land were granted to Sir Francis Bryan
, a close ally of Henry VIII. Bryan only held the estate for a short while before selling it in 1538 to Sir John Cope, a wealthy Banbury lawyer. Sir John's daughter Elizabeth inherited what is thought to have been the priory farmhouse [wrong - Wilkyns farm was part of John Dryden's inheritance. Copes Ashbie - across the road - was inherited by Elizabeth's brother, who died early leaving his sons as Wards of the Dryden family]. In 1551 she married John Dryden, who extended the building to form the earliest parts of Canons Ashby House
.
Part of the building survives: St Mary's, the parish church
of Canons Ashby
, dates from about 1250 and this, together with Canons Ashby House, is now owned by the National Trust
. Its power and size can be judged by its outlying buildings which cover a huge area of the surrounding countryside. The remains of the priory's hospitalium can still be seen as the monastic building centred around the parish church of Maidford
, some five miles away.
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Priory was founded by Stephen La Leye on a site to the south of the present church between 1147 and 1151, during the reign of Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42392.
In 1253 the Augustinians were granted a licence to build the Norwell, which still exists to the north of the present church, to supply water to the priory.
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in the 1530s, the priory and its land were granted to Sir Francis Bryan
Francis Bryan
Sir Francis Bryan was an English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII. He was Chief Gentleman of the Privy chamber and Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always retained Henry's favour, achieving this by altering his opinions to conform to the...
, a close ally of Henry VIII. Bryan only held the estate for a short while before selling it in 1538 to Sir John Cope, a wealthy Banbury lawyer. Sir John's daughter Elizabeth inherited what is thought to have been the priory farmhouse [wrong - Wilkyns farm was part of John Dryden's inheritance. Copes Ashbie - across the road - was inherited by Elizabeth's brother, who died early leaving his sons as Wards of the Dryden family]. In 1551 she married John Dryden, who extended the building to form the earliest parts of Canons Ashby House
Canons Ashby House
Canons Ashby House is an Elizabethan manor house located in Canons Ashby, Daventry, Northamptonshire, England. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1981, although "The Tower" is in the care of the Landmark Trust and available for holiday lets....
.
Part of the building survives: St Mary's, the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Canons Ashby
Canons Ashby
Canons Ashby is a small village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire, England.Its most notable building is Canons Ashby House, a National Trust property. The parish church is a surviving fragment of Canons Ashby Priory.It is situated one mile from Moreton...
, dates from about 1250 and this, together with Canons Ashby House, is now owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. Its power and size can be judged by its outlying buildings which cover a huge area of the surrounding countryside. The remains of the priory's hospitalium can still be seen as the monastic building centred around the parish church of Maidford
Maidford
Maidford is a civil and eccesiastical parish in South Northamptonshire and the diocese of Peterborough situated about north-west of Towcester. The population is 179...
, some five miles away.