Blythburgh Priory

Blythburgh Priory was a medieval monastic house located in the Suffolk village of Blythburgh in England. It may be the site of the burials of Anglo-Saxon King Anna and his son Jurmin.[1][2] The ruins, which stand west of the main road through the village towards the prominent site of Blythburgh parish church, have been known to county historians for centuries, but became overgrown and neglected during the 20th century, standing in the grounds of a private residence where public access was discouraged. They are now carefully preserved and remain in private ownership. The Blythburgh Priory Cartulary, providing evidence of the patrons, charters, estates and temporalities of the institution, was edited by Christopher Harper-Bill.[3]

Two sides of the Blythburgh writing tablet

The Blythburgh priory of the Blessed Virgin was founded by the prior and canons of the Augustinian house of St Osyth's in Essex. The tithes of the parish were bestowed upon the parent house by King Henry I, and the dependent cell of Blythburgh was established with the support and patronage of the Clavering family.[4] However the association with King Anna, who died fighting a Mercian army led by King Penda in c. A.D. 654 (almost 500 years before the foundation from St Osyth) raises the possibility that the medieval priory was a re-foundation based on a former Anglo-Saxon religious site which had ceased to be active. A bone plaque with Anglo-Saxon interlace decoration, forming one leaf of a folding writing-tablet recessed for wax, in the hollow of which are traces of runic inscriptions using latin word forms, was found in the locality many years ago, indicating a literate presence in earlier times.[5][6] An investigation in 2008 for Channel 4's Time Team archaeological programme identified burials dating from the mid-7th century, confirming that a site of greater antiquity underlay that of the medieval priory.[7][8]

At the Dissolution the site and its dependent tithes, manors and rectories were granted in 28 Henry VIII (1536) to Walter Wadelond of Needham Market, and the reversion thereof was granted in 30 Henry VIII (1538) to Sir Arthur Hopton of Blythburgh and of Cockfield Hall, Yoxford, in tail male.[9]

Since 2009 further, more systematic campaigns of exploration and conservation, led by Stuart Boulter of the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service in connection with English Heritage and the owners of the site, have revealed the former existence of a large priory church with central crossing and transepts, and a cloister on the north side of the church. These works have permitted a much fuller understanding of the layout of the priory, while posing as many new questions as they have answered, and giving opportunity for the conservation of the ruins.[10] The owners of the site, who have contributed to the costs of (and enthusiasm for) these campaigns, have created an informative website describing the journey of rediscovery of the remains and their investigation.[11]

References
  1. Yorke, Barbara (2002). Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon English. London and New York: Routledge. pp. 70–1. ISBN 0-415-16639-X.
  2. Dictionary of National Biography (1900)
  3. C. Harper-Bill, Blythburgh Priory Cartulary 2 vols, Suffolk Records Society, Suffolk Charters vols 2 & 3 (Boydell and Brewer, Ltd., Woodbridge 1980-81), Part 1 preview (Google).
  4. 'Houses of Austin canons: Priory of Blythburgh', in W. Page (ed.), A History of the County of Suffolk, Vol. 2 (VCH, London 1975), pp. 91-94 (British History Online).
  5. '5. Leaf from a writing tablet', in L. Webster and J. Backhouse (eds), The Making of England: Anglo-Saxon Art and Culture, AD 600-900 (British Museum, London 1991), p. 81. (British Museum no. 1902, 0315.1).
  6. J.G. Waller, 'Part of a "Tabella" found at Blythburgh, Suffolk', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries XIX, 2nd Series (1901-03), pp. 41-42.
  7. "Time Team - Blythburgh, Suffolk - What they found (archived version)". Channel 4. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  8. The programme of the dig was first broadcast 29 March 2009.
  9. '967. Grants in November 1538, item 20', in J. Gairdner (ed.), Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Vol. 13 Part 2: August-December 1538 (London, 1893), p. 406 (British History Online). V.C.H. states 1548 for 1538, followed by C. Harper-Bill, Blythburgh Cartulary, I, p. 4.
  10. S. Boulter, "Blythburgh Priory, Blythburgh BLB 081: Archaeological Excavation Report", Suffolk County Council Archaeological Report No. 2012/084 (August 2012), (archaeology data service pdf)
  11. N. Haward, ed. S. Haward, "Blythburgh Priory, Blythburgh, Suffolk. December 2005 to January 2015. A Personal Record for Public Archives". .


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.