THE RELIGIOUS HOUSES OF 

 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



INTRODUCTION 



Almost every variety of mediaeval religious foundation was represented 

 within the comparatively small limits of the county of Nottingham. 



Benedictine monks were found at the priory of Blyth, which, though 

 under the supremacy of an abbey at Rouen up to the beginning of the 

 1 5th century, was to some extent controlled by the home diocesan after a 

 fashion unknown in most alien priories. Benedictine nuns had a small 

 priory at Wallingwells. Those reformed Benedictines known as Cluniacs 

 and Cistercians were each represented on Nottinghamshire soil, the former 

 by the important priory of Lenton and the latter by the abbey of Rufford. 

 The stern-lived Carthusian monks had a house of some importance and of 

 early foundation at Beauvale. 



The Black or Austin Canons had five priories, at Felley, Newstead, 

 Shelford, Thurgarton, and Worksop. The White or Premonstratensian 

 Canons had one of their largest abbeys at Welbeck, as well as one of the 

 only two English nunneries of the order at Broadholme. The Gilbertine 

 Canons were also represented in the priory of Mattersey. 



The Knights Hospitallers had a preceptory at Ossington, with other 

 property which they had inherited from the dissolved Templars. 



As to the Friars, this was one of the few counties lacking a house of 

 Dominicans, who had, however, settled close to Nottinghamshire at Derby, 

 Leicester, and Lincoln. Nottingham had settlements of Franciscan and 

 Carmelite Friars, whilst Newark had a small convent of Observants (reformed 

 Franciscans). 



The colleges or collegiate churches of the county were six in number, 

 namely the great minster of secular canons of early foundation at Southwell, 

 and the five later aggregations of chantry priests, leading to some extent a 

 common life at Clifton, Newark, Ruddington, Sibthorpe, and Tuxford. 



The hospitals or almshouses of mediaeval foundation numbered thirteen, 

 namely five at the county town and others at Bawtry, Blyth (2), Brade- 

 busk, Lenton, Newark, Southwell, and Stoke. In Nottinghamshire, as 

 elsewhere, the story of most of the old hospitals is a gloomy tale of the 

 peculation by masters or wardens of funds intended mainly by the founders 

 for God's service and the relief of the sick and poor, so that the grasping of 

 their funds, planned by Henry VIII and carried out under Edward VI, did 

 but little harm. In this county, however, the exceptionally large proportion 



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