THE PRIORY.
THE PRIORY FOUNDED, &c.
Before we write an account of the next most important event in the
history of Repton, viz., the founding of Repton Priory, we must go back
to the year 1059, when Calke Abbey is supposed to have been founded by
Algar, Earl of Mercia. Dr. Cox is of opinion that it was founded later,
at the end of the reign of William (Rufus), or at the beginning of that
of Henry I. circa 1100. About that date a Priory of Canons regular of
St. Augustine, dedicated to St. Giles, was founded. Many benefactors
made grants of churches, lands, &c., a list of all these will be found
in Cox’s Derbyshire Churches, vol. iii., p. 346. There is a curious
old Chronicle, written in Latin, by one T(h)omas de Musca, Canon of
Dale Abbey. Each section of the Chronicle begins with a letter which,
together, form the Author’s name, a monkish custom not uncommon. The
section beginning with an E. (Eo tempore) records the arrival, at
Deepdale, of the Black Canons, as they were called, from Kalc (Calke).
Serlo de Grendon, Lord of Badeley or Bradeley, near Ashbourne, “called
together the Canons of Kalc, and gave them the place of Deepdale.” Here,
about 1160, the Canons “built for themselves a church, a costly labour,
and other offices,” which became known as Dale Abbey, in which they lived
for a time, “apart from the social intercourse of men,” but “they began
too remissly to hold themselves in the service of God; they began to
frequent the forest more than the church; more to hunting than to prayer
or meditation, so the King ordered them to return to the place whence
they came,” viz., Calke. During the reign of Henry II., Matilda, widow of
Randulf, 4th Earl of Chester, who died 1153, granted to God, St. Mary,
the Holy Trinity, and to the Canons of Calke, the working of a quarry
at Repton, (Repton Rocks), together with the advowson of the church of
St. Wystan at Repton, &c., &c., on condition that as soon as a suitable
opportunity should occur, the Canons of Calke should remove to Repton,
which was to be their chief house, and Calke Abbey was to become subject
to it. “A suitable opportunity occurred” during the episcopate of Walter
Durdent, Bishop of Coventry only, at first, afterwards of Lichfield. He
died at Rome, Dec. 7th, 1159. The usual date given for _the founding_
of Repton Priory is A.D. 1172, but this must be wrong for the simple
reason that Matilda addresses the Charter of Foundation to Bishop Walter
Durdent, who died, as we saw, in 1159: moreover, the “remains” of the
Priory belong to an earlier date; probably the date 1172 refers to the
_coming_ of the Canons from Calke to Repton, as Dugdale writes, “About
the year 1172, Maud, widow of Randulf, _removed_ the greater part of
them here (Repton), having prepared a church and conventual buildings
for their reception.” To those interested in Charters, copies of the
original, and many others, can be read in Bigsby’s “History of Repton,”
Dugdale’s “Monasticon,” and Stebbing-Shaw’s Article in Vol. II. of “the
Topographer,” in which he has copied several “original Charters, not
printed in the Monasticon,” which were in the possession of Sir Robert
Burdett, Bart., of Foremark, and others.
[Illustration: Plate 7.
Repton Priory.]
The Charters, containing grants, extend from Stephen’s reign,
(1135-1154), to the reign of Henry V., (1413-1422), and include the
church of St. Wystan, Repton, with its chapels of Newton Solney, Bretby,
Milton, Foremark, Ingleby, Tickenhall, Smisby, and Measham, the church
at Badow, in Essex, estates at Willington, including its church, and
Croxall.
In 1278 a dispute arose between the Prior of Repton and the inhabitants
of the Chapelry of Measham, which had been granted to the Priory about
1271. The chancel of Measham Church was “out of repair,” and the question
was, who should repair it? After considerable debate, it was settled
that the inhabitants would re-build the chancel provided that the
Priory should find a priest to officiate in the church, and should keep
the chancel in repair for ever after, both of which they did till the
dissolution of the Priory.
In the year 1364 Robert de Stretton, Bishop of Lichfield (1360-1386),
was holding a visitation at Repton in the Chapter House of the Priory.
For some reason or other, not known, the villagers, armed with bows and
arrows, swords and cudgels, with much tumult, made an assault on the
Priory gate-house. The Bishop sent for Sir Alured de Solney, and Sir
Robert Francis, Lords of the Manors of Newton Solney and Foremark, who
came, and quickly quelled this early “town and gown” row, without any
actual breach of the peace. The monument in the crypt of Repton Church,
where it was placed during the “restoration” of 1792, is supposed
to be an effigy of Sir Robert Frances. “The Bishop proceeded on his
journey, and, on reaching Alfreton, issued a sentence of interdict on
the town and Parish Church of Repton, with a command to the clergy, in
the neighbouring churches, to publish the same under pain of greater
excommunication.” See _Lichfield Diocesan Registers_.
On October 26th, 1503, during the reign of Henry VII., an inquisition was
held at Newark. A complaint was heard against the Prior of Repton for
not providing a priest “to sing” the service in a chapel on Swarkeston
Bridge, “nor had one been provided for the space of twenty years,
although a piece of land between the bridge and Ingleby, of the annual
value of six marks, had been given to the Prior for that purpose.”
THE PRIORY DISSOLVED AND DESTROYED.
The Priory of Repton was dissolved in the year 1538. By the advice of
Thomas Cromwell—_malleus monachorum_—the hammer of the monks—Henry
VIII. issued a commission of inquiry into the condition, &c., of the
monasteries in England. A visitation was made in 1535, the results
were laid before the House of Commons, in a report commonly known as
the “Black Book.” In 1536 an Act was passed for the suppression of all
monasteries possessing an income of less than £200. a year. By this Act
376 monasteries were dissolved, and their revenues, £32,000. per annum,
were granted to the King, by Divine permission Head of the Church! Repton
Priory was among them. In the _Valor Ecclesiasticus_ (27 Henry VIII.)
the gross annual value of the temporalities and spiritualities is given
as £167. 18s. 2½d. In 1535, Dr. Thomas Leigh and Dr. Richard Layton,
_visited_ Repton and gave the amount as £180. Also they reported, as they
were expected, that the Canons were not living up to their vows, &c.,
&c., and “Thomas Thacker was put in possession of the scite of the seid
priory and all the demaynes to yᵗ apperteynying to oʳ sov’aigne lorde the
Kynges use the xxvj day of October in the xxx yere of oʳ seid sov’aigne
lorde Kyng henry the viijᵗʰ.” There is a very full inventory of the goods
and possessions in the Public Record Office, _Augmentation Office Book,
172_. A transcript of this inventory is given by Bigsby in his _History
of Repton_, also by W. H. St. John Hope, in _Vol. VI._ of the _Derbyshire
Archæological Journal_. From this inventory, and Mr. St. John Hope’s
articles in the journal, a very good account and description can be given
of the Priory as it was at the time of its dissolution.
The dissolved Priory was granted to Thomas Thacker in 1539, he died in
1548, leaving his property to his son Gilbert. He, according to Fuller
(_Church History, bk. vi., p. 358_), “being alarmed with the news that
Queen Mary had set up abbeys again (and fearing how large a reach such
a precedent might have), upon a Sunday (belike the better day, the
better deed) called together the carpenters and masons of that county,
and plucked down in one day (churchwork is a cripple in going up, but
rides post in coming down) a most beautiful church belonging thereto,
saying “he would destroy the nest, for fear the birds should build
therein again”.” The destruction took place in the year 1553. How well he
accomplished the work is proved by the ruins uncovered during the years
1883-4.
This Gilbert died in 1563, as set forth on the mural tablet in the south
aisle of Repton Church, a copy of which I have made, so that my readers
may see what sort of a person he was who “wrought such a deed of shame.”
Gilbert sold the remains of the Priory to the executors of Sir John Port
in 1557, he and his descendants lived at the Hall till the year 1728,
when Mary Thacker, heiress of the Manor of Repton Priory, left it, and
other estates, to Sir Robert Burdett, of Foremark, Bart. Since that time
the Hall has been occupied by the Headmasters of Repton School.
REPTON PRIORY DESCRIBED.
The Priory followed the usual plan of monastic buildings, differing
chiefly in having the cloister on the _north_ of its church, instead of
the _south._ This alteration was necessary owing to the river Trent being
on the north. In choosing a site for monasteries the water supply was of
the first consideration, as everything, domestic and sanitary, depended
on that. The Conventual buildings consisted of Gate-house, Cloister,
with Church on its south side, Refectory or Fratry on its north. The
Chapter Rouse, Calefactorium, with Dormitory above them, on its east
side. Kitchens, buttery, cellars, with Guest Hall over them, on its west
side. The Infirmary, now Repton Hall, “beside the still waters” of the
Trent, on the north of the Priory. The Priory precincts, (now the Cricket
ground), were surrounded by the existing wall on the west, south, and
east sides; on the north flowed, what is now called, “the Old Trent,” and
formed a boundary in that direction.
[Illustration: Plate 8.
Sir John Porte Knt. The Founder of Repton School. (F. C. H.) (Page 62.)
Gilbert Thacker. (Page 54.)]
On the east side of the Priory was the Mill. The wall, with arch-way,
through which the water made its way across the grounds in a
north-westerly direction, is still _in situ_ in the south-east corner of
the Cricket ground. The Priory, and well-stocked fish ponds, were thus
supplied with water for domestic, sanitary, and other purposes.
The bed of the stream was diverted to its present course, outside the
eastern boundary wall, by Sir John Harpur, in the year 1606.
The _Gate-house_ (now represented by the School Arch, which was its outer
arch, and wall) consisted of a square building with an upper chamber,
and other rooms on the ground floor for the use of the porter. Two
“greate gates,” with a wicket door let into one of them, for use when the
gates were closed, or only pedestrians sought for admission, provided
an entrance to the Priory. Proceeding through the arch-way of the
Gate-house, we find ourselves in the precincts. In the distance, on our
left hand, was the Parish Church of St. Wystan, on our right the Priory
Church and conventual buildings.
The _Priory Church_ consisted of nave, with north and south aisles,
central tower, north and south transepts, choir, with aisles, and a south
chapel, and a presbytery to the east of the choir. The _Nave_ (95 ft. 6
in. long, and, with aisles, 51 ft. 8 in. wide) “was separated from the
aisles by an arcade of six arches, supported by clustered pillars of good
design, and must have been one of the most beautiful in this part of the
country, all of exceptionally good character and design, and pertained
to the transitional period of architecture which prevailed during the
reign of Edward I., (1272-1307), when the severe simplicity of the Early
English was merging into the more flowing lines of the Decorated.” In the
north aisle the foundations of an older church, perhaps the original one,
were discovered in 1883-4.
There were several Chapels in the Nave, two of which are named, viz., “Oʳ
lady of petys Chapell” and the “Chapell of Saint Thomas,” with images,
“reredoses, of wood gylte, and alebaster,” “and a partition of tymber
seled ouerin seint Thom’s Chapell.” “vij. peces of tymber and lytell
oulde house of tymber,” probably the remains of a shrine, and “xij.
Apostells,” _i.e._ images of them. “j sacrying bell,” sanctus bell, used
during the celebration of the mass. In the floor, in front of the central
tower arch, a slab was discovered, (6 ft. 4 in. by 3 ft. 2 in.), bearing
a rudely cut cross, with two steps, and an inscription, in Old English
letters, partly obliterated, round the margin “(Orate pro) anima magistri
edmundi duttoni quondam canonici huius ecclisie qui obiit ... januarii
anno diu mcccclᵒ cui’ ppic (deus Amen).” This slab is now lying among the
ruins at the east end of the Pears School.
_Central Tower_ (25 ft. by 21 ft. 6 in.) supported by four large piers.
Between the two eastern piers there was a pulpitum, a solid stone screen
(5 ft. 4½ in. deep), with a door in the centre (4 ft. 4½ in. wide). In
the northern half was a straight stone stair leading to the organ loft
above, where was “j ould pair of Organs,” a phrase often met with in old
inventories, and church accounts, in describing that instrument of music.
Through the passage under the screen we enter the _Choir_. The step
leading _down_ to the choir floor, much worn by the feet of the canons
and pilgrims, is still _in situ_. The Choir (26 ft. wide, 31 ft. long)
was separated from the south Choir aisle, by an arcade of five arches,
from the north choir aisle, by an arcade of three arches. All traces of
the Canons’ stalls have gone, but there was room for about thirty-four,
thirteen on each side, and four returned at the west end of the Choir. In
the Choir was the High Altar with “v. great Images” at the back of which
was a retable, or ledge of alabaster, with little images, (on a reredos
with elaborate canopies above them). “iiij lytle candlestyks” and “a
laumpe of latten,” _i.e._, a metal chiefly composed of copper, much used
in church vessels, also “j rode” or cross.
On the south of the choir was _a chapel dedicated to St. John_, with his
image, and alabaster table, similar to that in the choir. To the south of
St. John’s Chapel was the “_Chapel our Lady_” similarly ornamented, these
two chapels were separated from the south transept by “partitions of
tymber,” or screens, the holes in which the screens were fixed are still
to be seen in the bases of the pillars. On the east of the choir was
the Presbytery. In the _South Transept_ was the Chapel of St. Nicholas
with images of St. John and St. Syth, (St. Osyth, daughter of Frithwald,
over-lord of the kingdom of Surrey, and Wilterberga daughter of King
Penda). Of the _North Choir Aisle_ nothing remains: it is supposed that
in it was the shrine of St. Guthlac, whose sanctus bell is thus referred
to by the visitors in their report “superstitio—Huc fit peregrinatio ad
Sanctum Guthlacum et ad eius campanam quam solent capitibus imponere ad
restinguendum dolorem capitis.” “Superstition. Hither a pilgrimage is
made to (the shrine of) St. Guthlac and his (sanctus) bell, which they
were accustomed to place to their heads for the cure of headache.” The
_North Transept_ was separated from the north choir aisle by an arcade of
three arches, immediately to the east of which the foundations of a wall,
about six feet wide, were discovered, which, like those in the north nave
aisle, belonged to an older building. Many beautiful, painted canopies,
tabernacle work, &c., were found among the _débris_ of the north transept
and aisle, which no doubt adorned the shrines, and other similar
erections, which, _before_ the suppression of the monasteries, had been
destroyed, and their relics taken away—that is, probably, the reason why
we find no mention of the shrines of St. Guthlac, or St. Wystan in the
Inventory.
In the western wall of the North Transept there was a curious recess
(13 ft. 10 in. by 4 ft. 10 in.) which may have been the _armarium_, or
cupboard of _the Vestry_, to hold the various ornaments, and vestments
used by the Canons, “j Crosse of Coper, too tynacles, (tunicles), ij
albes, ij copes of velvet, j cope of Reysed Velvet, iiij towels & iiij
alter clothes, ij payented Alterclothes,” &c., &c.
Leaving the Church, we enter _the Cloister_, through the door at the east
end of the Nave, it opened into the south side of the Cloister (97 ft. 9
in. long by 95 ft. wide). Here were “seats,” and “a lavatory of lead,”
but, owing to alterations, very little indeed is left except the outside
walls. Passing along the eastern side we come to the _Chapter House_,
the base of its entrance, divided by a stone mullion into two parts, was
discovered, adjoining it on the north side was a _slype_, or passage,
through which the bodies of the Canons were carried for interment in
the cemetery outside. The _slype_ (11¾ ft. wide by 25½ ft. long) still
retains its roof, “a plain barrel vault without ribs, springing from a
chamfered string course.” Next to the slype was the _Calefactorium_ or
warming room. Over the Chapter House, Slype, and Calefactorium was the
_Dormitory_ or _Dorter_, which was composed of cells or cubicles.
The _Fratry_ or _Refectory_ occupied the north side of the Cloister,
here the Canons met for meals, which were eaten in silence, excepting
the voice of the reader. A pulpit was generally built on one of the side
walls, from which legends, &c., were read. Underneath the Fratry was a
passage, leading to the Infirmary, and rooms, used for various purposes,
Scriptorium, &c. At the east end of the Fratry was the _Necessarium_,
well built, well ventilated, and well flushed by the water from the Mill
race.
At the west end of the Fratry was the _Buttery_. The west side of the
Cloister was occupied by the _Prior’s Chamber_, and five others called,
in the Inventory, “_the Inner_,” “_Gardyn_,” “_Next_,” “_Halle_,” and
“_Hygh Chambers_.” All were furnished with “fether bedds, &c., &c.,”
for the use of guests, who were received and entertained in this part
of the Priory. Underneath these rooms were “the Kychenn,” “Larder,”
“Bruhouse,” &c., called the _Cellarium_, over which the Cellarer had
supreme authority. Originally the _Cellarium_ was divided into three
parts, Kitchen, Cellar, and Slype or passage into the south side of the
Cloister. The part assigned to the Kitchen was sub-divided into three
rooms, one on the east side, two on the west. One of these two (the
south) has a vaulted roof, with plain square ribs, the boss where they
meet has been carved, and a part of one of the ribs has been ornamented
with the dog tooth moulding, for about 18 inches, there it stopped
unfinished, in the walls are many recesses for the reception of “plate,”
&c.
The _Cellar_ was a long room (89 ft. by 26 ft.), divided into two
“alleys” by a row of six massive Norman columns, four of which remain,
one has a scollopped capital, the others are plain. The floor above was
divided in a similar manner, with the Prior’s Chamber at the north end,
the _Guest Hall_, divided into the various rooms mentioned above, and
a chamber over the slype, which was probably used as a parlour by the
guests.
Besides these there are three houses mentioned, viz., “_The Kelyng or
Yelyng house_,” (Yele-House, _i.e._, brewing-house). It’ there xvj
Kelyngleades and ij mashfattes.”
“_The Boultyng house_” (where the meal was bolted or sifted in the
boultyng hutch). It’ there ij troffes, j boultyng huche & j one syve
(sieve).”
“_The Kyll-house._” It’ j heyr upon the Kyll & j sestiron of lead.”
(Kyll-house = Slaughter house?)
The contents of all these, including “Grayne” (wheat, barley, malt,
peas, and hay); “Catell” (three “Kye” cows), ten “horssys,” and “two old
carts”; and one Reke (rick) of Peas, sold to Thomas Thacker for the sum
of £40. 2s. 0d., made up of the following items.
£. s. d.
The contents of the Church 2 10 0
” Vestry 4 0 0
” Priory 14 19 4
For Grayne and Catell 18 12 8
--------
£40 2 0
This, with the sum of £122. 17s 6d. “Imbesulyd” by John Smyth and Richard
haye, made a total of £162. 19s. 6d.
Out of this Rewardes of £2. each were given to the Sub-Prior and eight
canons, and sums, varying from 25s. to 20d., were given to twenty-five
servants, and other exs., Total £38. 16s. 6d., so there remained in the
hands of the Commissioners £124. 3s. 0d.
Pensions were also granted to the Sub-Prior and the Canons, varying from
£6. to 6s. 8d.
Certain “Whyte Plate” consisting of two Chalices and 10 spoons, Four
bells, weighing 24 cwt., and 29 “fothers” of lead remained unsold. A
fother was 19½ cwt.
The following is a list of the Priors of Repton, with dates as far as
they are known.
Alured, before 1200.
Reginald, about 1230.
Ralph, died 1317.
John de Lych or Lynchfield, 1336.
Simon de Sutton, election confirmed 1st August. (20th Edward
III.), 1347.
Ralph de Derby, 1356-7.
William de Tuttebury, 1398.
William Maneysin, 1411.
Wistan Porter, 1420.
John Overton, 1437.
John Wylæ or Wylne, 1439.
Thomas de Sutton, 1471.
Henry Preste, 1486.
William de Derby, 1511.
John Yonge, 1523
Thomas Rede, sub-prior 1535.
Rauffe Clarke, sub-prior 1538.
[Illustration: Plate 9.
Outer Arch of Gate House. (Page 55.)]