Mount Grace Priory
Encyclopedia
Mount Grace Priory, in the parish of East Harlsey
, North Yorkshire
, England is today the best preserved and most accessible of the ten medieval Carthusian
houses (charterhouses) in England
.
Set in woodlands, it was founded in 1398 by Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey
, the son of King Richard II
's half-brother Thomas, earl of Kent, it was the last monastery established in Yorkshire
, and one of the few founded anywhere in Britain in the period between the Black Death (1349–50) and the Reformation
. It was a fairly small establishment, with space for a prior and twenty-three monks.
Mount Grace Priory consisted of a church and two cloisters. The northern cloister had sixteen cells whilst the southern had five cells, Frater and Prior's house and the Chapter House. To the west stood the lay brothers' quarters and the guest house.
Upon the abdication of King Richard, Surrey and others of the king's supporters attempted to assassinate his recently crowned successor, Henry IV
, at New Year's, 1400, but were captured and executed. Holland's body was eventually recovered and, in 1412, re-buried in the charterhouse that he had founded. The orphaned priory of Mount Grace, bereft of its founder and the income that had been granted to it by Holland and King Richard, depended upon royal largesse for its income for more than a decade.
Carthusian Priory
On its founding, Thomas Holand ordered that the monks were to pray for the king, queen and several members of the royal family, and for himself and his heirs, and many others including John and Eleanor Ingelby. The prior of the Grande Chartreuse allowed him to nominate Robert Tredwye
as the first rector (although the charter refers to him as the first prior)and to dedicate the priory to "the Blessed Virgin
and Saint Nicholas
". The second part of the dedication lapsed and the priory became known as the House of the Assumption of the most Blessed Virgin in Mount Grace.
Nicholas Love
, prior of Mount Grace, succeeded in creating a link between the priory and the Lancastrian administration, in part by submitting his "Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ" to Thomas Arundel
, archbishop of Canterbury, Henry IV's chancellor, in support of the archbishop's campaign against Wycliffism, and by granting Arundel confraternity in the spiritual benefits of Mount Grace in exchange for his provision of material benefits. In 1410 the house was formally incorporated into the order, and Love named as fourth rector and first prior. (But note the disparity with the original charter.)
The house received a number of grants and charters :
In 1439 the Priory asked parliament to confirm their title – the number of claimants to the estate meant that they dared not continue to build – and Henry VI
did so in 1440. Following this, the gifts and income continued :
. Some of the monks had (in 1534) attempted to avoid taking the oath of supremacy but, after they were imprisoned, the last prior, John Wilson, handed the keys over to Henry VIII's representatives. The site then passed into private ownership.
Mount Grace was valued at £382 5s. 11½d. gross (£323 2s. 10½d. net) which included £104 6s. 8d. from spiritualities in Lincolnshire, £164 from lands outside Yorkshire and the rest from its home county of Yorkshire. In December 1539 the brothers were awarded pensions totalling £195 – £60 plus the house and chapel called the Mount for the prior, £7 for each of eight priests and small sums for eighteen.
s of other orders, who live in common, the Carthusians—to this day—live as hermits, each occupying his own cell (more like a small house), and coming together only for the nocturnal liturgical hours, and on Sundays and feast-days, in the chapel
; the other hours are sung by each monk separately in his cell. Except for the singing of the liturgy and conversation "on grave subjects" during a weekly three-hour exercise walk, Carthusians are silent, and their diet is strictly vegetarian.
The monks at Mount Grace were very conscious of hygiene and sanitation; included in the reconstructed cell is a reconstructed latrine and visitors are able to investigate the ditches used as sewage systems.
and the larger house of 1900–01, an important example of the Arts and Crafts movement.
.
Visitors today can see the layout of the whole monastery
, including one reconstructed monk's cell, together with the typically small Carthusian chapel and the later house. There is also a museum on the site detailing the history of the priory.
English Heritage currently let the Prior's Lodge as a holiday cottage.
not priors
; nor is it complete as (for example) Carthusian records show Nicholas Love or Luff
to be the first prior and fourth rector. The list is :
East Harlsey
East Harlsey is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is about west of Ingleby Arncliffe and the A19 and north east of Northallerton.Within the village there is a pub called the 'Cat and Bagpipes'.-Sport:...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England is today the best preserved and most accessible of the ten medieval 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...
houses (charterhouses) in 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...
.
Set in woodlands, it was founded in 1398 by Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey
Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey
Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, 3rd Earl of Kent, 4th Baron Holland, KG, Earl Marshal was an English nobleman.-Early life and family:...
, the son of King Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
's half-brother Thomas, earl of Kent, it was the last monastery established in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and one of the few founded anywhere in Britain in the period between the Black Death (1349–50) and the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. It was a fairly small establishment, with space for a prior and twenty-three monks.
Mount Grace Priory consisted of a church and two cloisters. The northern cloister had sixteen cells whilst the southern had five cells, Frater and Prior's house and the Chapter House. To the west stood the lay brothers' quarters and the guest house.
Upon the abdication of King Richard, Surrey and others of the king's supporters attempted to assassinate his recently crowned successor, Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, at New Year's, 1400, but were captured and executed. Holland's body was eventually recovered and, in 1412, re-buried in the charterhouse that he had founded. The orphaned priory of Mount Grace, bereft of its founder and the income that had been granted to it by Holland and King Richard, depended upon royal largesse for its income for more than a decade.
Carthusian PrioryCarthusianThe 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...
On its founding, Thomas Holand ordered that the monks were to pray for the king, queen and several members of the royal family, and for himself and his heirs, and many others including John and Eleanor Ingelby. The prior of the Grande Chartreuse allowed him to nominate Robert TredwyeRobert Tredwye
Robert Tredwye was the first prior of Mount Grace Priory on its founding in 1398. He is attested in a medieval charter, created between 18 February and 20 April 1398, now held in the collection at Ripley Castle in Yorkshire....
as the first rector (although the charter refers to him as the first prior)and to dedicate the priory to "the Blessed Virgin
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
". The second part of the dedication lapsed and the priory became known as the House of the Assumption of the most Blessed Virgin in Mount Grace.
Nicholas Love
Nicholas Love (monk)
Nicholas Love, also known as Nicholas Luff, was the first prior and fourth rector of the Carthusian house of Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire . Love translated the "Meditationes Vitae Christi" Nicholas Love, also known as Nicholas Luff, (died c. 1424) was the first prior and fourth rector of the...
, prior of Mount Grace, succeeded in creating a link between the priory and the Lancastrian administration, in part by submitting his "Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ" to Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel
Thomas Arundel was Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards.-Family background:...
, archbishop of Canterbury, Henry IV's chancellor, in support of the archbishop's campaign against Wycliffism, and by granting Arundel confraternity in the spiritual benefits of Mount Grace in exchange for his provision of material benefits. In 1410 the house was formally incorporated into the order, and Love named as fourth rector and first prior. (But note the disparity with the original charter.)
The house received a number of grants and charters :
- In March 1399 Richard IIRichard II of EnglandRichard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
granted the monks a charter of liberties and franchises in general terms, including the right to mine lead.
- In May 1399, at the request of the Duke of Surrey, he gave them the alien priories of HinckleyHinckleyHinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
in LeicestershireLeicestershireLeicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, CarisbrookeCarisbrookeCarisbrooke is a village on the south western outskirts of Newport, Isle of Wight. It is best known as the site of Carisbrooke Castle. It also has a medieval parish church. St. Mary's Church , began life as part of a Benedictine priory, established by French monks about 1150...
in the Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, and WarehamWareham, DorsetWareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
in DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. They were also given, for as long as England and France were at war, lands belonging to the alien priory of Saint Mary of Lire, at EvreuxÉvreuxÉvreux is a commune in the Eure department, of which it is the capital, in Haute Normandie in northern France.-History:In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named Mediolanum Aulercorum, "the central town of the Aulerci", the Gallic tribe then inhabiting the area...
, in NormandyNormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
- When Wareham PrioryWareham Priory-References:...
was lost, soon after Henry's accession, the king granted the monks £100 a year from the Exchequer until they were able to get lands of equivalent value (£1,000) and a barrel of the 'better red wine of Gascony' to be received at HullKingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
every Martinmas.
- In 1412 Henry V confirmed the gift of Hinckley to support five monks, to pray for himself and Thomas Beaufort, Earl of Dorset.
- In 1421 he gave the monks four further alien priories, Long Bennington, Minting and Hagh (Hough-on-the-Hill) in Lincolnshire, and Field Dalling in Norfolk, which redeemed the yearly grant of £100.
In 1439 the Priory asked parliament to confirm their title – the number of claimants to the estate meant that they dared not continue to build – and Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
did so in 1440. Following this, the gifts and income continued :
- In 1456 Sir James and Lady Elizabeth Strangways of Harlsey Castle granted the priory the advowsonAdvowsonAdvowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
of the church of Beighton, in Derbyshire.
- In 1462 the king granted the manor of AtherstoneAtherstoneAtherstone is a town in Warwickshire, England. The town is located near the northernmost tip of Warwickshire, close to the border with Staffordshire and Leicestershire and is the administrative headquarters of the borough of North Warwickshire.-History:...
, WarwickshireWarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
(part of the alien priory of Great Ogbourne in WiltshireWiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
), for the relief of the poor.
- In 1471 the king granted the Yorkshire manor of the alien priory of Begare in return for three daily masses being said for the king and the souls of his family (a practice known as frankalmoign) but in 1472 it was re-granted to Eton College, who had been previous holders of a grant.
- In 1508 the Prior of Mount Grace leased the chapel of East HarlseyEast HarlseyEast Harlsey is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is about west of Ingleby Arncliffe and the A19 and north east of Northallerton.Within the village there is a pub called the 'Cat and Bagpipes'.-Sport:...
and manor of Bordelby to the Prior of GuisboroughGuisboroughGuisborough is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England....
for fifty years of at a yearly rent of £8.
- In 1522, in the will of Sir Thomas Strangways, a Lady ChapelLady chapelA Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
at Mount Grace is mentioned and directions given for the priest who sang masses there.
Writings
Mount Grace became an important locus for the production and preservation of contemplative and devotional texts: among writers professed as monks there were John Norton and Richard Methley (the latter known for his Latin translations of "The Cloud of Unknowing" and of the anonymous English translation of Marguerite Porete's "Mirror of Simple Souls"). The only surviving manuscript of "The Book of Margery Kempe" also belonged to Mount Grace Charterhouse.Dissolution
The priory was closed in 1539 during the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIIIHenry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Some of the monks had (in 1534) attempted to avoid taking the oath of supremacy but, after they were imprisoned, the last prior, John Wilson, handed the keys over to Henry VIII's representatives. The site then passed into private ownership.
Mount Grace was valued at £382 5s. 11½d. gross (£323 2s. 10½d. net) which included £104 6s. 8d. from spiritualities in Lincolnshire, £164 from lands outside Yorkshire and the rest from its home county of Yorkshire. In December 1539 the brothers were awarded pensions totalling £195 – £60 plus the house and chapel called the Mount for the prior, £7 for each of eight priests and small sums for eighteen.
Daily life
Unlike monkMonk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s of other orders, who live in common, the Carthusians—to this day—live as hermits, each occupying his own cell (more like a small house), and coming together only for the nocturnal liturgical hours, and on Sundays and feast-days, in the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
; the other hours are sung by each monk separately in his cell. Except for the singing of the liturgy and conversation "on grave subjects" during a weekly three-hour exercise walk, Carthusians are silent, and their diet is strictly vegetarian.
The monks at Mount Grace were very conscious of hygiene and sanitation; included in the reconstructed cell is a reconstructed latrine and visitors are able to investigate the ditches used as sewage systems.
Post Dissolution
After the dissolution, the ruins of the guest-house of the priory were incorporated into two later houses: a seventeenth-century manor—a rare building of the Commonwealth period— built by Thomas LascellesThomas Lascelles (1624-1697)
Thomas Lascelles was a Member of the English Parliament for Northallerton, in the 17th Century...
and the larger house of 1900–01, an important example of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Present day
The property is now under the care of English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
Visitors today can see the layout of the whole monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, including one reconstructed monk's cell, together with the typically small Carthusian chapel and the later house. There is also a museum on the site detailing the history of the priory.
English Heritage currently let the Prior's Lodge as a holiday cottage.
Priors and Rectors of Mount Grace
The Houses of Carthusian monks: Priory of Mount Grace lists a number of the priors of the house, together with the years they are known to have held office. It might not be correct, as the first two entries could be rectorsRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
not priors
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...
; nor is it complete as (for example) Carthusian records show Nicholas Love or Luff
Nicholas Love (monk)
Nicholas Love, also known as Nicholas Luff, was the first prior and fourth rector of the Carthusian house of Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire . Love translated the "Meditationes Vitae Christi" Nicholas Love, also known as Nicholas Luff, (died c. 1424) was the first prior and fourth rector of the...
to be the first prior and fourth rector. The list is :
- Robert TredwyeRobert TredwyeRobert Tredwye was the first prior of Mount Grace Priory on its founding in 1398. He is attested in a medieval charter, created between 18 February and 20 April 1398, now held in the collection at Ripley Castle in Yorkshire....
or Tredewy, 1398 - Edmund, occurs 1399
- Nicholas LuffNicholas Love (monk)Nicholas Love, also known as Nicholas Luff, was the first prior and fourth rector of the Carthusian house of Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire . Love translated the "Meditationes Vitae Christi" Nicholas Love, also known as Nicholas Luff, (died c. 1424) was the first prior and fourth rector of the...
, occurs 1413, 1415, 1416 (Period of office ends in 1417 according to other sources.) - Robert Layton, occurs 1421
- Thomas Lockington – Prior from 1421 to 1447 (given in "The typescript List of Obiits of the Carthusians of the English Houses") ("The Houses of Carthusian Monks..." shows "Thomas, occurs 1428" and "Thomas Lockington, occurs 1436, 1437, 1439" as separate entries.)
- Robert, occurs 1449, 1454
- Robert Leke, occurs 1469, 1473
- Thomas, occurs 1475, 1476
- Thomas, occurs 1497
- Henry Eccleston, occurs 1501, 1506
- John, occurs 1527-8, 1531–2
- William (?) Fletcher, occurs 1532-3
- John Wilson, occurs 1537-8
External links
- Mount Grace Priory on English Heritage.
- Mount Grace Priory on the Heritage Trail.
- Mount Grace Priory photos and visitor information.