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Markyate Priory
Markyate Priory was a Benedictine nunnery in Markyate, Bedfordshire, England. It was established in 1145 and disestablished in 1537.
The priory of Markyate was founded in 1145, in a wood which was then part of the parish of Caddington, and belonged to the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral, London. Ralf de Langford, who was dean at the time, granted the site at a rent of 3 shillings annually; adding to it afterwards another portion at an annual rent of 6 shillings.
As the house was built under the patronage of Geoffrey de Gorham, sixteenth abbot of St Alban's, and endowed by him (though not with the goodwill of his convent) with tithes from Cashio and Watford, it has sometimes been called a cell of that abbey, but this is not an entirely correct description of it, as the patronage remained always with the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's, and the nuns were never exempt from episcopal jurisdiction. There can however be no doubt that in its early days the priory was closely connected with St Alban's, though the history of its origin is somewhat involved in legend.
It is said that a monk called Roger went out from the abbey some time during the reign of Henry I, with the consent of his abbot, to seek a place for a hermitage, and was guided to choose a spot in the woods near Caddington, not far from Watling Street. This Roger, is likely to have been Roger d'Aubigny, a sub-deacon of St Albans Abbey, and brother of Richard d'Aubigny (1087–1119), fifteenth abbot of St Albans.
There he lived for some time in solitude, as he desired, until a young woman came and placed herself under his direction, believing that she had a similar vocation. Her aunt, Alveva, was the mistress of Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, who, himself, had designs on the young woman. A hermit named Eadwine, with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury, helped her to escape an arranged marriage disguised in men's clothes. He took her to stay with an anchoress at Flamstead named Alfwen, who hid her from her family. There she changed her name from Theodora to Christina.
In 1118 Christina moved to a hermitage at Markyate, where the elderly recluse Roger protected and instructed her. He enclosed her in a shed close by his own hermitage. She became an anchoress, spending her time in prayer. A skilled needlewoman, she supported herself by sewing. When Roger died and was buried at St. Albans, Christina remained at the hermitage; other women, including her sister Margaret, joined her there. It was natural enough that the abbot of St. Albans should take Christina and her associates under his special protection and patronage. Christina took her vows at St Albans in 1131.
In 1145, Markyate Priory was established by Geoffrey, successor to Abbot Richard d'Aubigny. It was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the name most commonly given to it was 'Holy Trinity in the Wood'. It seems to have been destroyed by fire almost as soon as built; for Matthew Paris asserts that Abbot Geoffrey built the house twice from the foundation.
The later story says that Christina had great influence with the abbot, and often gave him good advice. There is no doubt of her real existence, as her name appears on the foundation charter and other documents; and an entry on the Pipe Roll of 1156 gives some evidence of the fame to which she attained.
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Markyate Priory
Markyate Priory was a Benedictine nunnery in Markyate, Bedfordshire, England. It was established in 1145 and disestablished in 1537.
The priory of Markyate was founded in 1145, in a wood which was then part of the parish of Caddington, and belonged to the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral, London. Ralf de Langford, who was dean at the time, granted the site at a rent of 3 shillings annually; adding to it afterwards another portion at an annual rent of 6 shillings.
As the house was built under the patronage of Geoffrey de Gorham, sixteenth abbot of St Alban's, and endowed by him (though not with the goodwill of his convent) with tithes from Cashio and Watford, it has sometimes been called a cell of that abbey, but this is not an entirely correct description of it, as the patronage remained always with the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's, and the nuns were never exempt from episcopal jurisdiction. There can however be no doubt that in its early days the priory was closely connected with St Alban's, though the history of its origin is somewhat involved in legend.
It is said that a monk called Roger went out from the abbey some time during the reign of Henry I, with the consent of his abbot, to seek a place for a hermitage, and was guided to choose a spot in the woods near Caddington, not far from Watling Street. This Roger, is likely to have been Roger d'Aubigny, a sub-deacon of St Albans Abbey, and brother of Richard d'Aubigny (1087–1119), fifteenth abbot of St Albans.
There he lived for some time in solitude, as he desired, until a young woman came and placed herself under his direction, believing that she had a similar vocation. Her aunt, Alveva, was the mistress of Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, who, himself, had designs on the young woman. A hermit named Eadwine, with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury, helped her to escape an arranged marriage disguised in men's clothes. He took her to stay with an anchoress at Flamstead named Alfwen, who hid her from her family. There she changed her name from Theodora to Christina.
In 1118 Christina moved to a hermitage at Markyate, where the elderly recluse Roger protected and instructed her. He enclosed her in a shed close by his own hermitage. She became an anchoress, spending her time in prayer. A skilled needlewoman, she supported herself by sewing. When Roger died and was buried at St. Albans, Christina remained at the hermitage; other women, including her sister Margaret, joined her there. It was natural enough that the abbot of St. Albans should take Christina and her associates under his special protection and patronage. Christina took her vows at St Albans in 1131.
In 1145, Markyate Priory was established by Geoffrey, successor to Abbot Richard d'Aubigny. It was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and the name most commonly given to it was 'Holy Trinity in the Wood'. It seems to have been destroyed by fire almost as soon as built; for Matthew Paris asserts that Abbot Geoffrey built the house twice from the foundation.
The later story says that Christina had great influence with the abbot, and often gave him good advice. There is no doubt of her real existence, as her name appears on the foundation charter and other documents; and an entry on the Pipe Roll of 1156 gives some evidence of the fame to which she attained.
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