Grovebury Priory
Encyclopedia
Grovebury Priory, also known as La Grave or Grava was a priory in Leighton Buzzard
, Bedfordshire
, England
. It was established after 1189 and disestablished in 1414.
to the abbess
and convent of Fontevraud
in 1164; and it is probable that a house was built there for a cell of the order, not very long after.
A prior
is first mentioned in 1195–6, and is then called the prior of Leighton; the name of La Grave or Grava does not appear till late in the reign of Henry III
.
The dedication of the church is unknown.
The prior of Leighton had a good deal of trouble with his tenants on the subject of feudal services during the thirteenth century, which involved him in suits before the Curia Regis
from 1213 to 1290.
William de Lyencourt, who was prior of La Grave during the latter part of the century, was a person of some importance; he was proctor general or the abbess of Fontevraud in England, and had some journeys to take in this capacity, for which he had to seek safe conducts from the king.
Both the mother house at Fontevraud and the priory of Almesbury in England, where the king's mother and daughter had made their profession, were in great poverty at this time, but there is no mention made of poverty at La Grave. Its history in the fourteenth century is a little difficult to trace; in 1316 the manor was stated to be the property of the abbess of Fontevraud, but 'now in the hand of the Princess Mary
,' and in 1349 the pope wrote a letter to Edward III
, asking him to allow the abbess and convent to regain possession of the house of La Grave, of which they had been despoiled
. It seems however to have returned to its original position as a cell of Fontevraud, for it was reckoned in the next century among the alien priories
, and granted in 1438 to Eton College
; and a few years later, in 1481, its property was transferred to the dean and canons of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
.
The original endowment of the house was simply the royal manor of Leighton, with land belonging to Walter Pullan, worth 32s. Some smaller gifts of land in Edlesborough
and Stewkley
, Buckinghamshire
and in Studham
were added later. The value of the manor in Leighton in 1291 was £32 6s. 8d.; and other temporalities of the priory in the deanery of Dunstable
amounted to £2 2s. 2d. In 1302 the abbess of Fontevraud held one Knight's fee
in Stewkley; in 1316 the manor of Leighton, and half a fee in Studham; in 1346 only half a fee in Stewkley.
The names of only two priors remain:
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire 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...
. It was established after 1189 and disestablished in 1414.
History
The manor of Leighton was granted by Henry IIHenry 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...
to the abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
and convent of Fontevraud
Fontevraud Abbey
Fontevraud Abbey or Fontevrault Abbey is a religious building hosting a cultural centre since 1975, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest, in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. It was founded by the itinerant reforming preacher Robert of Arbrissel, who had just created a...
in 1164; and it is probable that a house was built there for a cell of the order, not very long after.
A prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
is first mentioned in 1195–6, and is then called the prior of Leighton; the name of La Grave or Grava does not appear till late in the reign of Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
.
The dedication of the church is unknown.
The prior of Leighton had a good deal of trouble with his tenants on the subject of feudal services during the thirteenth century, which involved him in suits before the Curia Regis
Curia Regis
Curia regis is a Latin term meaning "royal council" or "king's court."- England :The Curia Regis, in the Kingdom of England, was a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics that advised the king of England on legislative matters...
from 1213 to 1290.
William de Lyencourt, who was prior of La Grave during the latter part of the century, was a person of some importance; he was proctor general or the abbess of Fontevraud in England, and had some journeys to take in this capacity, for which he had to seek safe conducts from the king.
Both the mother house at Fontevraud and the priory of Almesbury in England, where the king's mother and daughter had made their profession, were in great poverty at this time, but there is no mention made of poverty at La Grave. Its history in the fourteenth century is a little difficult to trace; in 1316 the manor was stated to be the property of the abbess of Fontevraud, but 'now in the hand of the Princess Mary
Mary of Woodstock
Mary of Woodstock , known anachronistically as Mary Plantagenet, was the seventh named daughter of Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile.-Early life:...
,' and in 1349 the pope wrote a letter to Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
, asking him to allow the abbess and convent to regain possession of the house of La Grave, of which they had been despoiled
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
. It seems however to have returned to its original position as a cell of Fontevraud, for it was reckoned in the next century among the alien priories
Alien priory
Alien priories were religious establishments in England, such as a monastery or convent, which were under the control of another religious house outside of England...
, and granted in 1438 to Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
; and a few years later, in 1481, its property was transferred to the dean and canons of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
St George's Chapel is the place of worship at Windsor Castle in England, United Kingdom. It is both a royal peculiar and the chapel of the Order of the Garter...
.
The original endowment of the house was simply the royal manor of Leighton, with land belonging to Walter Pullan, worth 32s. Some smaller gifts of land in Edlesborough
Edlesborough
Edlesborough is a village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is adjacent to the village of Eaton Bray over the county boundary in Bedfordshire, about three miles WSW of Dunstable....
and Stewkley
Stewkley
Stewkley is a village and a civil parish within the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 5 miles East of Winslow and 4 miles West of Leighton Buzzard....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and in Studham
Studham
Studham is a village and civil parish in the county of Bedfordshire. It has a population of 1,125. The parish bounds to the south the Buckinghamshire border, and to the east is the Hertfordshire border. The village lies in the wooded south facing rolls of the Chiltern Hills...
were added later. The value of the manor in Leighton in 1291 was £32 6s. 8d.; and other temporalities of the priory in the deanery of Dunstable
Dunstable Priory
The Priory Church of St Peter with its monastery was founded in 1132 by Henry I for Augustinian Canons in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. St Peter’s today is a large and impressive building, but this is only the nave of what remains of an originally much larger Augustinian priory church...
amounted to £2 2s. 2d. In 1302 the abbess of Fontevraud held one Knight's fee
Knight's fee
In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a measure of a unit of land deemed sufficient from which a knight could derive not only sustenance for himself and his esquires, but also the means to furnish himself and his equipage with horses and armour to fight for his overlord in...
in Stewkley; in 1316 the manor of Leighton, and half a fee in Studham; in 1346 only half a fee in Stewkley.
The names of only two priors remain:
- Nicholas, occurs 1258 and 1263;
- William de Lyencourt, occurs 1283, 1287, 1297