Display person: --select--Abbesses of Llanllugan Abbesses of Llanll?r Abbots of Bardsey Abbots of Basingwerk Abbots of Conwy Abbots of Cwmhir Abbots of Cymer Abbots of Grace Dieu Abbots of Llantarnam Abbots of Margam Abbots of Neath Abbots of St Dogmaels Abbots of Strata Florida Abbots of Strata Marcella Abbots of Talley Abbots of Tintern Abbots of Valle Crucis Abbots of Whitland Adam de la Rupe (Roche) Adam of Orleton Adam of Usk Agnes (Nest) Arnulf of Montgomery Bernard Bernard of Neufmarché; Newmarket; Newmarch Buckingham Cadell ap Gruffudd Cadwallon ap Madog Cadwgan Clement Dafydd ab Owain Dafydd ap Gwilym Dafydd ap Llywelyn de Bohun (Bohun) de Bohun, Henry de Braose (Braose) Edmund Grey Edmund Mortimer Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond Edmund, first earl of Lancaster (Edmund Crouchback) Edward I Edward II Edward III, king of England and lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine Edward Stradling, sheriff of Glamorgan Elizabeth de Burgh; Elizabeth de Clare Enoch Geoffrey of Henlaw Gerald of Wales; Giraldus Cambrensis Geva de Burci Gilbert de Clare, seventh earl of Gloucester and sixth earl of Hereford Gilbert fitz Richard; Gilbert de Clare; Gilbert of Tonbridge; Gilbert fitz Richard Gilbert, abbot of Margam (1203-1213) Gruffudd ap Cynan Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn Guto'r Glyn Gutun Owain; Gruffudd ap Huw ab Owain Gwladus (Gwladys) Hamelin de Barham; Hamelin de Ballon (Balun / Baeluns) Henry de Beaumont (Newburgh) Henry Fitzroy Henry I Henry II Henry III Henry IV; Henry Bolingbroke Henry of Lancaster [Henry of Grosmont], first duke of Lancaster Henry V Henry VI, king of England Henry VIII Hervey Hugh de Lacy Hugh Despenser (the Younger) Hugh, second earl of Stafford Hywel ab Iorwerth Hywel ap Gruffudd Iorwerth (Gervase), abbot of Talley and bishop of St David's Isabella, queen of England and countess of Gloucester John (Lackland) John Grey John Leland John of Hastings John of Monmouth John Pecham; Peckam; Peckham Lewis Môn Llywelyn ab Iorwerth; Llywelyn Fawr Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Llywelyn Bren; Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor Maredudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd Maredudd ap Rhobert Maurice de Londres Morgan ab Owain Morgan ap Caradog Owain Brogyntyn (Oenus de Porchinton) Owain Cyfeiliog; Owain ap Gruffudd Owain Glyn D?r; Owen Glendower; Owain ap Gruffudd Fychan Payn de Turbervill Payne de Chaworth Peter fitz Herbert Prioresses of Llanll?r Prioresses of Usk Priors of Pill Priors of Abergavenny Priors of Bassaleg Priors of Beddgelert Priors of Brecon Priors of Caldey Priors of Cardiff Priors of Cardigan Priors of Carmarthen (Augustinian) Priors of Carmarthen (Benedictine) Priors of Chepstow Priors of Ewenny Priors of Goldcliff Priors of Haverfordwest Priors of Kidwelly Priors of Llanbadarn Fawr Priors of Llandovery Priors of Llangennith Priors of Llangua Priors of Llanthony Prima Priors of Malpas Priors of Monmouth Priors of Pembroke Priors of Penmon Priors of Puffin Island Priors of Ruthin Priors of St Clears Priors of St Tudwal's Island Ranulf de Gernon; Ranulph de Gernon Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd Rhys ap Gruffudd Rhys ap Maredudd Rhys ap Thomas Richard de Clare Richard de Clare; Richard fiz Gilbert Richard de Granville (Grainville), baron Richard fitz Alan; Richard (II) Richard fitz Pons Richard II Richard III Richard Marshal Richard Neville, sixteenth earl of Warwick and sixth earl of Salisbury Richard of York Robert Robert Béthune Robert de Chandos Robert fitz Hamo; Robert fitz Haimon Robert fitz Martin Robert fitz Richard (Robert of Haverford), lord of Haverfordwest Robert fitz Stephen Robert of Hay Roger (II) de Mortimer Roger Bigod IV Roger fitz Miles Roger le Poer Stafford Thomas Pennant Tudur Aled Walter de Clare; Walter Fitz Richard Walter de Lacy Walter of St Dogmaels Wihenoc of Monmouth (de Monemue) William (I) the Conqueror William (second) earl of Gloucester William ap Thomas William de Braose (Briouze) William fitz Osbern William Freney William Herbert William Marshal William Marshal the Younger, fifth earl of Pembroke William of Worcester; William of Worcestre; William Botoner William of Wycombe (Wycumbe) Winebald de Baeluns (Ballon; Balun)

Prioresses of Usk

A list of the known prioresses of Usk.

In 1246 the nuns of Usk were granted the right to elect their own prioress.

'B.': occurs as prioress in Dec 1269 / Jan 1270

Bridget: occurs as prioress in 1394, 1400, 1401, 1402, 1404, 1405, 1406, and 1407.

Joan Lewys: occurs as prioress on 25 April 1491 and also in 1497.

Agnes: occurs as prioress in 1498 and again in 1500-1.

Joan Harryman: ?-pre 1528.
Joan's election as prioress was contested for there was a case between her and Catherine Kemmys in 1516 which stated that Catherine should not usurp the office from Joan. Catherine, titled prioress of Usk, had seemingly been elected to office and received papal dispensation to retain this, notwithstanding the fact that her election was null and void. She duly appealed against Joan Harryman who, she claimed, called herself prioress; Catherine first appealed to the court at Canterbury and then to the papal curia. On 12 June 1516 a papal commission was appointed to look into the matter and decided in Joan's favour View details
Joan Harryman occurs as prioress on 6 October 1518 but had resigned on account of old age by the end of February 1528 when there was a petition to elect a new prioress of Usk.

Eleanor / Ellen Williams: ?- pre 1536.
Eleanor occurs as prioress of Usk on 1 August 1529, February 1530 as well as in September and December 1535. She was prioress when Usk was surveyed in June 153 and when she was awarded a pension, and was prioresses in August 1536 when the priory was suppressed. She is presumably to be identified with the Ellen who in December 1536 was given dispensation to leave the religious life.

Sites associated with this person

Usk Priory, Monmouthshire

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, II, 1216-1377, ed. D. M. Smith and V. London (CUP: Cambridge, 2001) p. 616

The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, III, 1377-1540, ed. David M. Smith (CUP: Cambridge, 2008) p. 701

Williams, David H., 'Usk nunnery', Monmouthshire Antiquary, 4 (1980) 44-45