Holy Maid of Leominster
Encyclopedia
The Holy Maid of Leominster, known only as Elizabeth, was installed in the rood loft above the chancel
of the priory of Leominster
by its prior in the late 15th or early 16th century. The prior claimed that she had been sent by God, and that she could survive without either food or drink except for "Aungels foode" (communion bread). Elizabeth had no need to descend to the chapel for her sustenance, as during Mass
the bread was seen to fly up out of the prior's hands and into her mouth.
Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII
, had convened a council whose task was to investigate cases like those of the Holy Maid, who had developed a cult following, and attracted visitors seeking cures and blessings. Upon investigating Elizabeth's living quarters they discovered excrement that had "no saintly savour", meat bones hidden under her bed, and perhaps most damning of all, a thin wire extending from the altar to her loft. Margaret ordered that Elizabeth was to be removed from the chapel, following which the latter confessed that she was in reality the prior's mistress. The pair were punished by being ordered to perform a public penance.
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
of the priory of Leominster
Leominster
Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
by its prior in the late 15th or early 16th century. The prior claimed that she had been sent by God, and that she could survive without either food or drink except for "Aungels foode" (communion bread). Elizabeth had no need to descend to the chapel for her sustenance, as during Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
the bread was seen to fly up out of the prior's hands and into her mouth.
Margaret Beaufort, the mother of King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, had convened a council whose task was to investigate cases like those of the Holy Maid, who had developed a cult following, and attracted visitors seeking cures and blessings. Upon investigating Elizabeth's living quarters they discovered excrement that had "no saintly savour", meat bones hidden under her bed, and perhaps most damning of all, a thin wire extending from the altar to her loft. Margaret ordered that Elizabeth was to be removed from the chapel, following which the latter confessed that she was in reality the prior's mistress. The pair were punished by being ordered to perform a public penance.