Priory of Douglas
| Priory of Douglas | |
|
Isle of Man | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SC371753 |
| Location: | 54°8’54"N, 4°29’41"W |
| Order: | Cistercian |
| History | |
| Information | |
The Priory of Douglas was a Cistercian monastery of nuns near Douglas on the Isle of Man. It was apparently founded in the reign of Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles, and survived until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
History
The priory appears to have been founded by Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles[1][2][3] as a 16th-century record of a 15th-century inquisition states as such, but nothing else is known of the house's foundation.[1] The priory was visited by Robert I, King of Scotland in 1313.[3]
The priory was suppressed in 1540, in the course of the Dissolution of the Monasteries undertaken by King Henry VIII of England. At that point in time, the community consisted of the prioress and three nuns.[1]
The last Prioress was Margaret Goodman; daughter of William Goodman, Esq, of Chester. Two years before the dissolution, in 1538 in the heat of the Reformation, she married Robert Calcot, Comptroller of the Isle of Man in 1538.[4] They acquired the buildings of the Abbey to build a family house, which later became the house known as 'The Nunnery'.
Baroness of Douglas
The prioress of the monastery also held the title of Baroness of Douglas.[5][6][7] This was a secular title of nobility which gave her extensive revenues from land holdings, as well as privileges almost matching those of the Lord of Mann. By virtue of this office, the prioress was able to hold court in her own name, to call her vassals back—even from the prison of the Lord of Mann—and to try them by a jury of her tenants.[8]
All of the barons were occasionally summoned to Tynwald Hill to pay fealty to the Lord of Mann; if they did not appear within 40 days, they risked losing their lands and title. Historians recount that in 1422, Sir John Stanley II, then Lord of Mann, summoned all eight barons. Three of the barons appeared, including the prioress and the Bishop of Sodor and Man (also a baron), but several others failed to appear, perhaps because they were off the island, and this likely resulted in a loss of their lands.[9]
The title ended with the suppression of the priory in 1540.
After dissolution
After the dissolution of the monastic community, its lands were seized by the Crown. In 1609, they were leased to the Lord of Mann.[10]
Some of the former lands of the priory became a private estate known as the The Nunnery, which was occupied by the descendants of Calcot and his wife, the last prioress. By the 18th century, an inn had been established on the site.[11] Currently it serves as the headquarters of the Isle of Man International Business School.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 McDonald, RA: 'Manx Kingship in its Irish Sea Setting, 1187–1229: King Rǫgnvaldr and the Crovan Dynasty' (Four Courts Press, 2007) ISBN 978-1-84682-047-2, page 200
- ↑ Davey, PJ: 'Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia' Vol. 2 (chapter: 'Christianity in the Celtic Countries - Isle of Man) (ABC-CLIO 2006) pages 418–420 ISBN 1-85109-445-8
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Midmer, R: 'English Mediaeval Monasteries (1066–1540): A Summary' (Heinemann, 1979) ISBN 0 434 46535 6
- ↑ Old Manx Families - Calcott's of the Nunnery
- ↑ A Tour Through the Isle of Man: To which is Subjoined A Review of the Manks History at Google Books
- ↑ Parr, John: 'An abstract of the laws, customs, and ordinances of the Isle of Man, ed., with notes (on 'The supposed true Chronicle of the Isle of Man')' Voolume 1 (1866) page 53
- ↑ An Account of the Isle of Man, p. 93, at Google Books
- ↑ George Cumming, Joseph: 'A guide to the Isle of Man' (Edward Stanford, 1861) page 44
- ↑ Chaloner, James: 'A short treatise on the Isle of Man: digested into six chapters' on Google Books
- ↑ "Baronial Lands"
- ↑ Robertson
