St. Mary's Priory, North Berwick, was a monastery of nuns in medievalEast Lothian, Scotland. Founded by Donnchad I, Earl of Fife (owner of much of northern East Lothian) around 1150, the priory lasted for more than four centuries, declining and disappearing after the Scottish Reformation. It had been endowed by the Earls of Carrick as well as the Earls of Fife, but over time lost its dependence on these and came to be controlled by the more locally based Home (or Hume) family, who eventually acquired the priory's lands as a free barony.
Although later medieval sources, such as the Scotichronicon of Walter Bower, allege that the founder of the house was Máel Coluim I, Earl of Fife (died ca. 1228), it is clear from Charter evidence that it was founded by his grandfather, Earl Donnchad I (died 1154).[2] A Charter of Donnchad I's son and successor Earl Donnchad II mentions that Donnchad I had granted land to the priory.[3] Máel Coluim I however confirmed all of North Berwick's possessions in a Charter of 1199.[4] The date of the house's foundation is unclear. A date between 1147 and 1153 is probable, perhaps 1150.[5]
The Fife family's kinsman, Donnchad, Earl of Carrick, also patronised the house. He gave that house the Rectorship of the Church of St Cuthbert of Maybole sometime between 1189 and 1250, but probably soon after he was created an earl, in 1225.[6] Donnchad of Carrick also confirmed the donation by Sir Roger de Skelbrooke of the Church of St Brigit at Kirkbride to the nuns, as well as a grant of 3 marks from a place called Barrebeth.[7]
North Berwick appears to have been a Cistercian house, but the relationship between the Cistercian Order and communities of nuns was complicated, and it may originally have been founded as a simple Benedictine house.[8]Gervase of Canterbury c. 1207 described it as such in a list of religious houses.[9] Such switching to the Cistercians occurred often in England, whose nuns found the privileges of that Order attractive.[10]
A papal bull of Pope Clement VII, dated 18 February 1384, said that the monastery (described as not using the Cistercian habit) had been the victim of war and had its church burned down.[8] Monasteries of Cistercian women usually had thirteen nuns: the prioress and twelve sisters, but North Berwick had 21 sisters and a prioress in 1544, and still had a similar number on the eve of the Scottish Reformation.[8] The hospitals of Ardross and North Berwick had been dependent on the priory.[8]
In 1565 the priory lands were leased to Alexander Home of North Berwick by his sister, the last prioress, Margaret Home.[8] On 20 March 1588 King James VI turned these lands into a free barony for Home.[8] The buildings of the priory were said to be ruinous in 1587.[8]
^Cowan and Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 147; Fawcett and Oram, Melrose Abbey, pp. 231–32
^Cowan and Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 147; Innes (ed.), Carte Monialium de Northberwic, no. 3
^Cowan and Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 147
^Cowan and Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, pp. 147–8
^Innes (ed.), Carte Monialium de Northberwic, nos. 13–14, pp. 13–14; Watt and Murray, Fasti Ecclesiae, p. 238
^Cowan, Parishes, p. 118; Innes (ed.), Carte Monialium de Northberwic, nos. 1, 28, pp. 3, 30–31
^ abcdefgCowan and Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 148
^Anderson, Early Sources, p. 327; Cowan and Easson, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 148
^Knowles and Hadcock, Medieval Religious Houses, p. 271
^ abcdeWatt and Shead, Heads of Religious Houses, p. 164
^The successor of Beatrice, she held office for more than 8 years until she was deposed during a visitation by Walter Trail, Bishop of St Andrews (1385–1401); Watt and Shead, Heads of Religious Houses, p. 164
^ abcdWatt and Shead, Heads of Religious Houses, p. 165
Referencesedit
Anderson, Alan Orr, ed. (1908), Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers A.D. 500 to 1286 (1991 revised & corrected ed.), Stamford: Paul Watkins, ISBN1-871615-45-3
Innes, Cosmo, ed. (1847), Carte Monialium de Northberwic: Prioratus Cisterciensis B. Marie de Northberwic Munimenta Vetusta que Supersunt, Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club[1]
Cowan, Ian B.; Easson, David E. (1976), Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man (2nd ed.), London and New York: Longman, ISBN0-582-12069-1
Cowan, Ian B. (1967), The Parishes of Medieval Scotland, Scottish Record Society, vol. 93, Edinburgh: Neill & Co. Ltd
Knowles, David; Hadcock, R. Neville, eds. (1971), Medieval Religious Houses in England and Wales (2nd ed.), London: Longman, ISBN0-582-11230-3
Watt, D. E. R.; Shead, N. F., eds. (2001), The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from Twelfth to Sixteenth Centuries, The Scottish Record Society, New Series, Volume 24 (Revised ed.), Edinburgh: The Scottish Record Society, ISBN0-902054-18-X, ISSN 0143-9448
Watt, D. E. R.; Shead, N. F., eds. (2001), The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from Twelfth to Sixteenth Centuries, The Scottish Record Society, New Series, Volume 24 (Revised ed.), Edinburgh: The Scottish Record Society, ISBN0-902054-18-X, ISSN 0143-9448
External linksedit
Logie Parish Church (A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches)
mary, priory, lothian, mary, priory, north, berwick, monastery, nuns, medieval, east, lothian, scotland, founded, donnchad, earl, fife, owner, much, northern, east, lothian, around, 1150, priory, lasted, more, than, four, centuries, declining, disappearing, af. St Mary s Priory North Berwick was a monastery of nuns in medieval East Lothian Scotland Founded by Donnchad I Earl of Fife owner of much of northern East Lothian around 1150 the priory lasted for more than four centuries declining and disappearing after the Scottish Reformation It had been endowed by the Earls of Carrick as well as the Earls of Fife but over time lost its dependence on these and came to be controlled by the more locally based Home or Hume family who eventually acquired the priory s lands as a free barony Priory of St Mary of North BerwickDoocot in the grounds of the ruined abbeyMonastery informationOther namesNorth Berwick priory North Berwick nunneryOrderBenedictine and possibly later Cistercian Establishedc 1150Disestablished1588 last nominal prioress died 1596x1597 Dedicated toSt MaryDioceseSt AndrewsControlled churchesKilconquhar Kirkbride St Brigit s Maybole Largo Largs Logie Atheron Maybole St Cuthbert s North Berwick 1 PeopleFounder s Donnchad I Earl of FifeSiteLocationNorth Berwick East Lothian Contents 1 History 2 List of known prioresses 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksHistory editAlthough later medieval sources such as the Scotichronicon of Walter Bower allege that the founder of the house was Mael Coluim I Earl of Fife died ca 1228 it is clear from Charter evidence that it was founded by his grandfather Earl Donnchad I died 1154 2 A Charter of Donnchad I s son and successor Earl Donnchad II mentions that Donnchad I had granted land to the priory 3 Mael Coluim I however confirmed all of North Berwick s possessions in a Charter of 1199 4 The date of the house s foundation is unclear A date between 1147 and 1153 is probable perhaps 1150 5 The Fife family s kinsman Donnchad Earl of Carrick also patronised the house He gave that house the Rectorship of the Church of St Cuthbert of Maybole sometime between 1189 and 1250 but probably soon after he was created an earl in 1225 6 Donnchad of Carrick also confirmed the donation by Sir Roger de Skelbrooke of the Church of St Brigit at Kirkbride to the nuns as well as a grant of 3 marks from a place called Barrebeth 7 North Berwick appears to have been a Cistercian house but the relationship between the Cistercian Order and communities of nuns was complicated and it may originally have been founded as a simple Benedictine house 8 Gervase of Canterbury c 1207 described it as such in a list of religious houses 9 Such switching to the Cistercians occurred often in England whose nuns found the privileges of that Order attractive 10 A papal bull of Pope Clement VII dated 18 February 1384 said that the monastery described as not using the Cistercian habit had been the victim of war and had its church burned down 8 Monasteries of Cistercian women usually had thirteen nuns the prioress and twelve sisters but North Berwick had 21 sisters and a prioress in 1544 and still had a similar number on the eve of the Scottish Reformation 8 The hospitals of Ardross and North Berwick had been dependent on the priory 8 In 1565 the priory lands were leased to Alexander Home of North Berwick by his sister the last prioress Margaret Home 8 On 20 March 1588 King James VI turned these lands into a free barony for Home 8 The buildings of the priory were said to be ruinous in 1587 8 List of known prioresses editBeatrice fl 1375 11 Ellen of Carrick fl 1379 x1401 12 Matilda of Leys fl 1401 1434 11 Mariot Ramsay fl 1463 11 Elspeth Forman el 1473 11 Alison Home 1473 1525 11 Isabel Home 1525 1544 13 Margaret Home 1543 1562 13 Mariot Cockburn 1566 1568 13 Margaret Home again 1568 1596x1597 13 Notes edit Cowan Parishes p 222 Cowan and Easson Medieval Religious Houses p 147 Fawcett and Oram Melrose Abbey pp 231 32 Cowan and Easson Medieval Religious Houses p 147 Innes ed Carte Monialium de Northberwic no 3 Cowan and Easson Medieval Religious Houses p 147 Cowan and Easson Medieval Religious Houses pp 147 8 Innes ed Carte Monialium de Northberwic nos 13 14 pp 13 14 Watt and Murray Fasti Ecclesiae p 238 Cowan Parishes p 118 Innes ed Carte Monialium de Northberwic nos 1 28 pp 3 30 31 a b c d e f g Cowan and Easson Medieval Religious Houses p 148 Anderson Early Sources p 327 Cowan and Easson Medieval Religious Houses p 148 Knowles and Hadcock Medieval Religious Houses p 271 a b c d e Watt and Shead Heads of Religious Houses p 164 The successor of Beatrice she held office for more than 8 years until she was deposed during a visitation by Walter Trail Bishop of St Andrews 1385 1401 Watt and Shead Heads of Religious Houses p 164 a b c d Watt and Shead Heads of Religious Houses p 165References editAnderson Alan Orr ed 1908 Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers A D 500 to 1286 1991 revised amp corrected ed Stamford Paul Watkins ISBN 1 871615 45 3 Innes Cosmo ed 1847 Carte Monialium de Northberwic Prioratus Cisterciensis B Marie de Northberwic Munimenta Vetusta que Supersunt Edinburgh Bannatyne Club 1 Cowan Ian B Easson David E 1976 Medieval Religious Houses Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man 2nd ed London and New York Longman ISBN 0 582 12069 1 Cowan Ian B 1967 The Parishes of Medieval Scotland Scottish Record Society vol 93 Edinburgh Neill amp Co Ltd Fawcett Richard Oram Richard 2004 Melrose Abbey Stroud Tempus ISBN 0 7524 2867 5 Knowles David Hadcock R Neville eds 1971 Medieval Religious Houses in England and Wales 2nd ed London Longman ISBN 0 582 11230 3 Watt D E R Shead N F eds 2001 The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from Twelfth to Sixteenth Centuries The Scottish Record Society New Series Volume 24 Revised ed Edinburgh The Scottish Record Society ISBN 0 902054 18 X ISSN 0143 9448 Watt D E R Shead N F eds 2001 The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from Twelfth to Sixteenth Centuries The Scottish Record Society New Series Volume 24 Revised ed Edinburgh The Scottish Record Society ISBN 0 902054 18 X ISSN 0143 9448External links editLogie Parish Church A Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches 56 02 55 N 2 42 57 W 56 04859 N 2 71597 W 56 04859 2 71597 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title St Mary 27s Priory Lothian amp oldid 1197659371, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
