Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Cardigan

1537 (December): Affiliation

Cardigan Priory was granted to Bisham Priory, Berkshire, a former Augustinian house which had just been re-founded as a Benedictine monastery.

The abbot of Chertsey, John Cordrey, surrendered his own abbey and its appurtenants to Bisham on the understanding that he should preside as the new head of Bisham with his former community as the new convent of Bisham. Thus Cardigan Priory became a cell of Bisham until its dissolution.

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Hallam, E. M., 'Henry VIII's religious foundations of 1536-7 and the course of the dissolution', Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, 51 (1978), pp. 124-131

Rex, R. and Armstrong, C. D. C., 'Henry VIII’s ecclesiastical and collegiate foundations', Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, 75 (2002) pp. 395-398

Other events in the history of this site

c.1115: Foundation - Gilbert fitz Richard, earl of Clare (d. 1115), granted the church of the Holy Trinity at Cardigan to the monks of St Peter's, Gloucester, c. 1110 x 1115. [1 sources]
c.1165: Change of affiliation - By this time ownership of Cardigan had passed from Gloucester to Chertsey Abbey, Surrey. [1 sources]
c.1291: Wealth - At this time Cardigan held 240 acres of arable. [2 sources]
1322: Custody - By the fourteenth century Cardigan was impoverished, a consequence of warfare, ‘scarcity and other such matters', and was accordingly taken into royal custody. [1 sources]
1534: Act of Supremacy - Prior Thomas Hore acknowledged royal supremacy. [3 sources]
c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus the priory’s gross income was £32. [2 sources][1 archives]
1537 (December): Affiliation - Cardigan Priory was granted to Bisham Priory, Berkshire, a former Augustinian house which had just been re-founded as a Benedictine monastery.  [2 sources]
pre 1538: Pilgrim centre - On the eve of the Dissolution Cardigan Priory was a popular pilgrimage centre.  [2 sources][1 archives]
1538: Dissolution - Cardigan was dissolved with its mother-house (Bisham) on 26 June 1538.
At this time there were two monks. [3 sources]
1540 (February) : Ownership - Following its suppression Cardigan was granted to William Cavendish and his wife, Margaret, for £769 8s 4d and duly converted into a mansion. [1 sources]
1922: Conversion - The former priory opened as Cardigan District and Memorial Hospital.  
 
Graphic.