Maurice Chauncy
Encyclopedia
Dom Maurice Chauncy was an English Catholic
priest and Carthusian
monk.
Born at an uncertain date, he was the eldest son of John Chauncey. It may be that he studied at Oxford, and afterwards went to Gray's Inn
for a course of law, but his meanderings led him to enter the London Charterhouse
which years earlier had attracted another law student, Thomas More
. In 1535 the majority of the Carthusians refused to take the Oath of Supremacy
, but Chauncy, on his own confession, agreed to it. In consequence of their refusal, on May 4, 1535, along with the Bridgettine monk Richard Reynolds, the three Carthusian Priors of London
, Beauvale
and Axholme, John Houghton, Robert Lawrence
and Augustine Webster
went to their deaths, and during the next five years fifteen of the London Carthusians perished on the scaffold or were starved to death in Newgate
gaol.
After the "surrender" of the monastery in 1537, Chauncy with a few others still at liberty joined the Carthusians of Sheen
who had settled in Bruges
. With the accession of Queen Mary
hopes for a Catholic restoration revived and some nineteen monks belonging to various houses gathered at Sheen, Chauncy being elected prior there in 1556. With the dramatic reversal of 1558 they retired again to Bruges, living with their Flemish brethren until 1569, when they obtained a house on their own in St Clare Street, Chauncy still being the prior. When the hostility of the Calvinists compelled the community to leave Bruges in 1578 they attempted to settle at Douai
. After this attempt failed, they retired to Louvain
in May 1578. Chauncy died at the old house in Bruges on July 2, 1581. The English community kept together with varying fortunes, until the charterhouse of Sheen Anglorum
at Nieuwpoort
in Flanders, at that time with a community of six choir monks and two donnés, was suppressed by Joseph II
in 1783.
Chauncy was haunted by his weakness in taking the oath of supremacy and wrote a number of works telling the story of his brethren, in which he mentions his lapse: Historia aliquot nostri saeculi Martyrum in Anglia, etc. (Mainz, 1550, and Bruges, 1583); Commentariolus de vitae ratione et martyrio octodecim Cartusianorum qui in Anglia sub rege trucidati sunt (Ghent, 1608), a portion of which was reprinted; Vitae Martyrum Cartusianorum aliquot, qui Londini pro Unitate Ecclesiae adversus haereticos, etc. (Milan, 1606); see Historia aliquot martyrum Anglorum maxime octodecim Cartusianorum: sub Rege Henrico Octavo ob fidei confessionem et summi pontificis jura vindicanda interemptorum a V. Patre Domno Mauritio Chauncy conscripta; nunc ad exemplar primae editionis Moguntinae anno 1550 excusae a monachis Cartusiae S. Hugonis in Anglia denuo edita, Londini, 1888; G.W.S. Curtis (ed.), Maurice Chauncy, The Passion and Martyrdom of the Holy English Carthusian Fathers: A Short Narrative, SPCK, London, 1935.
For the Sheen Charterhouse see:
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest and Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monk.
Born at an uncertain date, he was the eldest son of John Chauncey. It may be that he studied at Oxford, and afterwards went to Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
for a course of law, but his meanderings led him to enter the London Charterhouse
London Charterhouse
The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
which years earlier had attracted another law student, Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
. In 1535 the majority of the Carthusians refused to take the Oath of Supremacy
Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy, originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I of England and reinstated under Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England under the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or...
, but Chauncy, on his own confession, agreed to it. In consequence of their refusal, on May 4, 1535, along with the Bridgettine monk Richard Reynolds, the three Carthusian Priors of London
London Charterhouse
The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Smithfield, London dating back to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square. The Charterhouse began as a Carthusian priory, founded in 1371 and dissolved in 1537...
, Beauvale
Beauvale Charterhouse
Beauvale Charterhouse was a Carthusian monastery in Beauvale, Nottinghamshire. It is a scheduled ancient monument.-History:...
and Axholme, John Houghton, Robert Lawrence
Robert Lawrence (martyr)
St. Robert Lawrence was one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. After joining the Carthusians, he served as prior of the Beauvale Charterhouse, Nottinghamshire, at the time when King Henry VIII of England broke with Rome and launched the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Robert went with St...
and Augustine Webster
Augustine Webster
Saint Augustine Webster was an English Catholic martyr.He was educated at Cambridge University. He became the prior of Our Lady of Melwood, a Carthusian house at Epworth, on the Isle of Axholme, in north Lincolnshire, in 1531...
went to their deaths, and during the next five years fifteen of the London Carthusians perished on the scaffold or were starved to death in Newgate
Newgate
Newgate at the west end of Newgate Street was one of the historic seven gates of London Wall round the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. From it a Roman road led west to Silchester...
gaol.
After the "surrender" of the monastery in 1537, Chauncy with a few others still at liberty joined the Carthusians of Sheen
Sheen Priory
Sheen Priory in Sheen, now Richmond, London was a former Carthusian monastery founded in 1414 within the royal manor of Sheen, on the south bank of the Thames, upstream and approximately 9 miles southwest of the Palace of Westminster...
who had settled in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
. With the accession of Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
hopes for a Catholic restoration revived and some nineteen monks belonging to various houses gathered at Sheen, Chauncy being elected prior there in 1556. With the dramatic reversal of 1558 they retired again to Bruges, living with their Flemish brethren until 1569, when they obtained a house on their own in St Clare Street, Chauncy still being the prior. When the hostility of the Calvinists compelled the community to leave Bruges in 1578 they attempted to settle at Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
. After this attempt failed, they retired to Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
in May 1578. Chauncy died at the old house in Bruges on July 2, 1581. The English community kept together with varying fortunes, until the charterhouse of Sheen Anglorum
Sheen Anglorum Charterhouse
Sheen Anglorum Charterhouse, also known as the Charterhouse of Jesus of Bethlehem and as Nieuwpoort Charterhouse , was a community of English Carthusians in exile in what is now Belgium after 1539 and the Dissolution of the Monasteries...
at Nieuwpoort
Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Nieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Nieuwpoort proper and the towns of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2008 Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062....
in Flanders, at that time with a community of six choir monks and two donnés, was suppressed by Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
in 1783.
Chauncy was haunted by his weakness in taking the oath of supremacy and wrote a number of works telling the story of his brethren, in which he mentions his lapse: Historia aliquot nostri saeculi Martyrum in Anglia, etc. (Mainz, 1550, and Bruges, 1583); Commentariolus de vitae ratione et martyrio octodecim Cartusianorum qui in Anglia sub rege trucidati sunt (Ghent, 1608), a portion of which was reprinted; Vitae Martyrum Cartusianorum aliquot, qui Londini pro Unitate Ecclesiae adversus haereticos, etc. (Milan, 1606); see Historia aliquot martyrum Anglorum maxime octodecim Cartusianorum: sub Rege Henrico Octavo ob fidei confessionem et summi pontificis jura vindicanda interemptorum a V. Patre Domno Mauritio Chauncy conscripta; nunc ad exemplar primae editionis Moguntinae anno 1550 excusae a monachis Cartusiae S. Hugonis in Anglia denuo edita, Londini, 1888; G.W.S. Curtis (ed.), Maurice Chauncy, The Passion and Martyrdom of the Holy English Carthusian Fathers: A Short Narrative, SPCK, London, 1935.
External links
For the London Charterhouse see:- http://www.angelfire.com/nv2/monastic2/Carthusian/NewPage14.html
- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22116
For the Sheen Charterhouse see:
- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=37816