Ravenstone Priory

Last updated November 10, 2019

Ravenstone Priory was a medieval monastic house in Buckinghamshire, England. It was established c.1255 and was dissolved in 1524.

Buckinghamshire, abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England which borders Greater London to the south east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north east and Hertfordshire to the east.

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

History

Ravenstone Priory was founded c.1255 on land owned by Peter Chaceporc, archdeacon of Wells and Keeper of the Royal Wardrobe.^[1]^[2] It was established as a house for canons following the Rule of St Augustine and dedicated to St Mary.^[2] There are no known records of the number of canons at the priory at its foundation, and very little is known about the priory's history or architecture. The canons at the priory received 20 shillings each as an annual income.^[1]

The Archdeacon of Wells is a senior clergy position in the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells. The post, having oversight over the archdeaconry of Wells in Somerset has existed since the twelfth century. The archdeaconry includes seven deaneries.

The King's Wardrobe, together with the Chamber, made up the personal part of medieval English government known as the King's household. Originally the room where the king's clothes, armour, and treasure were stored, the term was expanded to describe both its contents and the department of clerks who ran it. Early in the reign of Henry III the Wardrobe emerged out of the fragmentation of the Curia Regis to become the chief administrative and accounting department of the Household. The Wardrobe received regular block grants from the Exchequer for much of its history; in addition, however, the wardrobe treasure of gold and jewels enabled the king to make secret and rapid payments to fund his diplomatic and military operations, and for a time, in the 13th-14th centuries, it eclipsed the Exchequer as the chief spending department of central government.

The priory was dissolved on 17 February 1524, probably due to a decreased number of canons, as there were only two remaining at this point. The priory was dissolved by Thomas Wolsey, who used the resulting funds to establish a college at Oxford University (now Christ Church College).^[1] It later came under the ownership of Francis Bryan and, after him, Robert Throgmorton.^[2]

Thomas Wolsey was an English archbishop, statesman and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the King's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered, and by 1514 he had become the controlling figure in virtually all matters of state. He also held important ecclesiastical appointments. These included the Archbishopric of York – the second most important role in the English church – and acting as Papal legate. His appointment as a cardinal by Pope Leo X in 1515 gave him precedence over all other English clergy.

Christ Church is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Christ Church is a joint foundation of the college and the cathedral of the Oxford diocese, which serves as the college chapel and whose dean is ex officio the college head.

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 Justice of Ireland. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Bryan always retained Henry's favour, achieving this by altering his opinions to conform to the king's. His rakish sexual life and his lack of principle at the time of his cousin Anne Boleyn's downfall led to his earning the nickname the Vicar of Hell.

A farmhouse was later built on the site of the priory, and known as the Abbey.^[2] The remains of the priory, moats and fishponds have been listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument by English Heritage.^[3]

English Heritage charity responsible for the National Heritage Collection of England

English Heritage is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that it uses these properties to ‘bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year’.

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References

1 2 3 "Houses of Austin canons: The priory of Ravenstone". A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 1. pp. 381–382. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
1 2 3 4 Storer, James Sargant; Greig, John (1809). Antiquarian and Topographical Cabinet: Containing a Series of Elegant Views of the Most Interesting Objects of Curiosity in Great Britain. W. Clarke. pp. 382–383.
↑ Historic England. "Ravenstone Priory, moats and fishponds (1006917)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 8 May 2014.

Coordinates: 52°08′55″N0°45′32″W / 52.1487°N 0.7589°W / 52.1487; -0.7589

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.

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[BH-1] 1 2 3 "Houses of Austin canons: The priory of Ravenstone". A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 1. pp. 381–382. Retrieved 8 May 2014.

[Storer-2] 1 2 3 4 Storer, James Sargant; Greig, John (1809). Antiquarian and Topographical Cabinet: Containing a Series of Elegant Views of the Most Interesting Objects of Curiosity in Great Britain. W. Clarke. pp. 382–383.

[3] Historic England. "Ravenstone Priory, moats and fishponds (1006917)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 8 May 2014.