THE RELIGIOUS HOUSES 

 OF CUMBERLAND 



INTRODUCTION 



The religious houses of Cumberland, though not individually of 

 great fame and importance, played no inconspicuous part in the moral 

 well-being of a district unfortunately situated for the cultivation of the 

 arts of peace and civilization. Within a comparatively small area six 

 monastic foundations carried on their work with varying success for 

 almost four centuries. Four of these houses were close to the border, 

 and suffered much during the long period of hostility between the two 

 kingdoms. The priories of Carlisle and Lanercost, separated only by 10 

 or 1 1 miles, were of the Augustinian order ; the abbeys of Holmcultram 

 and Calder, between which there seems to have been little communication, 

 were of the Cistercian ; and the priories of Wetheral and St. Bees were 

 cells of the great Benedictine abbey of St. Mary, York. The houses of 

 Calder and St. Bees were in the archdeaconry of Richmond and diocese 

 of York, but the rest were in the old diocese of Carlisle. With the 

 exception of Holmcultram, which owed its origin to the Scottish occu- 

 pation, the foundation of all the Cumbrian houses may be ascribed to 

 Norman influence. We are indebted to the great period of religious 

 revival under Henry I. for the foundation of Carlisle, Wetheral, St. Bees 

 and Calder. Four of the houses were undoubtedly founded by subjects. 

 Carlisle was of royal foundation. It is difficult to tell whether Holm- 

 cultram, which was an offspring of Melrose, was founded by Alan son of 

 Waldeve, in whose fee the lordship was situated, or by Henry son of 

 King David, who at the time ruled Cumberland. 



The priory of Carlisle stood apart from the rest of the religious 

 houses by reason of its peculiar association with the ecclesiastical life 

 of the district. At the creation of the diocese in 1133 the church of 

 the priory became the cathedral of the bishop, and the canons were 

 constituted his chapter. In the fourteenth century the capitular body 

 consisted of a prior and twelve canons, which number may be taken as 

 the normal strength of the chapter. At the same period only four 

 canons and a prior were reckoned on the foundation of Lanercost, and 

 though Wetheral was founded as a community of twelve monks its num- 

 bers had dropped at the date in question to a prior and three monks. 

 Holmcultram was the largest and most important house in the county, 



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