Lapley
Encyclopedia
Lapley is a small English
village situated in Staffordshire
some 3.5 miles SW by W
of Penkridge
, 1.5 miles east of Wheaton Aston
, 0.5 miles northeast of the Shropshire Union Canal
, 1.5 miles north of Watling Street and 6 miles SSW of Stafford
. The civil parish is called Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston
.
was a community of Black Monks (Benedictines), endowed c.1061, in the time of Edward the Confessor
, by Alfgar
, Lord of Mercia
and Chester
, in memory of his third son Burchard
who died in Reims
on his way back from a pilgrimage to Rome
with Aldred
Archbishop of York
. It had been Alfgar
's son's dying wish to be buried at St. Rémy and for his father to donate land in return. He bestowed land at Lapley and elsewhere in Staffordshire and Shropshire on Rheims Abbey, which established a satellite house at Lapley, probably in the mid-12th century. In due course, it was suppressed by Henry V
, who suppressed all alien priories in 1415 during the wars with France
and prior to the general monastic Dissolution
of 1537-8. Its estates became the property of the college of Tong
, in Shropshire
. In the English civil wars, the Priory House was fortified and garrisoned, but in 1645 it was dismantled under a parliamentary order. Some remains of the abbey may still be seen today in the walls of an old house near the church.
at Lapley is regarded as late 11th century or early 12th century according to Pevsner. The nave and chancel are clearly Norman
in age, along with the lower part of the tower, but the upper portions appear to be 15th century. The church possesses many ancient and unusual features and has been radically altered several times in its history. "An ancient map shows the Chapel of Ease
was situated here before 1577. The present church was dedicated by Bishop Lonsdale of Lichfield
in 1857."
Of special interest is the Dutch
carved 11th century font depicting seven scenes from the life of Christ
, which was discovered discarded in a local farm in the 19th century and then reinstated into the church. "The font is unusual and consists of a base and pedestal supporting a wide octagonal bowl lined with lead. Carved scenes tell the story of the birth of Christ
. The font is of early Dutch origin, no one knows how it came to Lapley."
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...
village situated in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
some 3.5 miles SW by W
of Penkridge
Penkridge
Penkridge is a market town and ancient parish in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . Many locals refer to it as a village, although it has a long history as an ecclesiastical and commercial centre. Its main distinction in the Middle Ages was as the site of an important collegiate...
, 1.5 miles east of Wheaton Aston
Wheaton Aston
Wheaton Aston is a village in Staffordshire, England about 9 miles south west of Stafford and 7 miles west of Cannock. It is located beside Bridge 19 of the Shropshire Union Canal. The civil parish is called Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston....
, 0.5 miles northeast of the Shropshire Union Canal
Shropshire Union Canal
The Shropshire Union Canal is a navigable canal in England; the Llangollen and Montgomery canals are the modern names of branches of the Shropshire Union system and lie partially in Wales....
, 1.5 miles north of Watling Street and 6 miles SSW of Stafford
Stafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
. The civil parish is called Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston
Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston
Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston is a civil parish in South Staffordshire, England.It contains, and is named for, the three villages of Lapley, Stretton and Wheaton Aston . The area is rural, with the Shropshire Union Canal passing through, and the A5 road forms the parish's southern border....
.
Lapley Priory
Lapley PrioryLapley Priory
Lapley Priory was a priory in Staffordshire, England. It was a satellite house of the Benedictine monastery of Saint Remigius or Saint-Rémy at Reims in Northern France.-Origins:The origins of the priory lie in the period around the Norman Conquest....
was a community of Black Monks (Benedictines), endowed c.1061, in the time of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
, by Alfgar
Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia
Ælfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
, Lord of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
and Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, in memory of his third son Burchard
Burchard
Burchard is a Germanic given name, from Burg "protection" and hart "hardy, brave."-People:...
who died in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
on his way back from a pilgrimage to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
with Aldred
Aldred
Ealdred was Abbot of Tavistock, Bishop of Worcester, and Archbishop of York in Anglo-Saxon England. He was related to a number of other ecclesiastics of the period. After becoming a monk at the monastery at Winchester, he was appointed Abbot of Tavistock Abbey in around 1027. In 1046 he was named...
Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
. It had been Alfgar
Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia
Ælfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
's son's dying wish to be buried at St. Rémy and for his father to donate land in return. He bestowed land at Lapley and elsewhere in Staffordshire and Shropshire on Rheims Abbey, which established a satellite house at Lapley, probably in the mid-12th century. In due course, it was suppressed by Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, who suppressed all alien priories in 1415 during the wars with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and prior to the general monastic Dissolution
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...
of 1537-8. Its estates became the property of the college of Tong
Tong, Shropshire
Tong is a village in Shropshire in England. It is near junction 3 of the M54 motorway near Albrighton.The village is remarkable mainly for its church, St Bartholomews, outside of which is the supposed grave of Little Nell, a fictional character in Charles Dickens book, The Old Curiosity Shop...
, in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. In the English civil wars, the Priory House was fortified and garrisoned, but in 1645 it was dismantled under a parliamentary order. Some remains of the abbey may still be seen today in the walls of an old house near the church.
All Saints church
The church of All SaintsAll Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
at Lapley is regarded as late 11th century or early 12th century according to Pevsner. The nave and chancel are clearly Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
in age, along with the lower part of the tower, but the upper portions appear to be 15th century. The church possesses many ancient and unusual features and has been radically altered several times in its history. "An ancient map shows the Chapel of Ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
was situated here before 1577. The present church was dedicated by Bishop Lonsdale of Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
in 1857."
Of special interest is the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
carved 11th century font depicting seven scenes from the life of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, which was discovered discarded in a local farm in the 19th century and then reinstated into the church. "The font is unusual and consists of a base and pedestal supporting a wide octagonal bowl lined with lead. Carved scenes tell the story of the birth of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. The font is of early Dutch origin, no one knows how it came to Lapley."