Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Chepstow

pre 1071: Foundation

Chepstow was founded by Earl William fitz Osbern, lord of Chepstow Castle, as an alien priory of his foundation of Cormeilles in Normandy. It was the first Norman house founded in Wales.

As a dependency of Cormeilles, Chepstow was obliged to pay Cormeilles £3 13s 4d each year.
Chepstow Priory retained its affiliation with Chepstow Castle and a monk of the house was required to celebrate mass in the castle chapel three times a week. It is thought (Rose Graham, 'Four alien priories in Monmouthshire') that the monks may have celebrated the liturgical Office in the castle's chapel while their church was being constructed.

People associated with this event

William fitz Osbern , earl (founder)

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Medieval Religious Houses, England and Wales, ed. R. Neville Hadcock and David Knowles (Harlow, 1971) pp. 53, 62

Cowley, F. G., The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066-1349 (Cardiff, 1977) p. 17

Graham, Rose, 'Four alien priories in Monmouthshire', Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 35 (1930) p. 103

Other events in the history of this site

pre 1071: Foundation - Chepstow was founded by Earl William fitz Osbern, lord of Chepstow Castle, as an alien priory of his foundation of Cormeilles in Normandy. It was the first Norman house founded in Wales. [3 sources]
c.1291: Wealth - According to the Taxatio Ecclesiastica the priory received £7 7s 2d annually in assized rents and 6s 8d from its courts.
 [3 sources]
1387: Royal custody - The priory was seized and handed to royal commissioners until the prior of Chepstow paid a significant sum for having retained custody of the house since the start of the war.  [1 sources]
1391: Custody - On 13 October the king granted Chepstow Priory to Giles Wenlok, clerk, as farmer of the priory, during the French wars. [1 sources]
1394-1398: Custody - From 1394 until 1398 there were no monks at Chepstow; in June 1398 John Workman, a monk, was granted keepership of the farm of the priory and Benedict Cely, knight and royal marshal, was given custody of the house.  [2 sources]
1442: Independence - Chepstow became an independent priory with a community of English monks. [1 sources]
1458: Custody - On 25 July Chepstow was granted to God’s House, Cambridge.  [1 sources]
1534: Numbers - At this time the community comprised a prior (Roger Shrewsbury) and one monk who subscribed to the Act of Supremacy. [5 sources]
c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus the priory had an income of over £32.  [4 sources][1 archives]
1536: Dissolution - The house was surveyed on 30 May 1536 and dissolved 6-7 September that year. [4 sources]
 
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