Leonard Stanley Priory
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 St. Swithun's church, Leonard Stanley – formerly the Priory Church dedicated to St. Leonard | |
 Interactive map of Leonard Stanley Priory | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Augustinian until 1146 Benedictine after 1146 |
| Established | c.1130 |
| Disestablished | September 1538 |
| Mother house | Gloucester Abbey after 1146 |
| Dedicated to | St. Leonard |
| People | |
| Founders | Roger de Berkeley, II |
| Prior | First: Sabricht c.1130. Last known: John Rodley 1535 |
| Site | |
| Location | Parish of Leonard Stanley, Gloucestershire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°43′40.87″N 2°17′12.48″W / 51.7280194°N 2.2868000°W |
| Public access | The Priory church is in use as St Swithun's parish church |
| Other information | Grade I listed building. Designated 28 June 1960. ref 117487 |
Leonard Stanley Priory was a priory in Gloucestershire, England. Over the years following the dissolution most of the buildings of the priory complex have been destroyed.[1]
Leonard Stanley is a small village situated about 4 mi (6.4 km) southwest of the town of Stroud in Gloucestershire. A priory dedicated to St Leonard was founded there by the Berkeley family in about 1130. This housed Austin cannons, a secular order of Augustinians. In 1146, the priory was appropriated by Gloucester Abbey and became a Benedictine cell until its dissolution in September 1538.[2]
The priory church, being of Augustinian origin, housed both the conventual and parish churches under a single roof. The church remains in use today as a parish church and is now known as St Swithun's church. On the western wall of the south transept corbel stones that supported the roof of the cloister are visible. Close to the south-west of the church, also extant is a chapel of earlier construction currently in use as a farm building. Nearby to the west is a pond once used as a fish pond by the priory. A large tithe barn built in the 14th century lies nearby.
In 1094, Roger de Berkeley, II, succeeded his father to the honour of Berkeley. In 1116, after consultation with Theulf, Bishop of Worcester, Roger II gave the church of St Leonard to his clerk Sabricht and founded a house of Austin canons sometime between 1128 and 1131.[3]
By 1128, an alien Augustinian house already existed at Beckford, north Gloucestershire, which was connected to the Augustinian Abbey at Sainte-Barbe-en-Auge in Normandy. It is probable that the clerics appointed by Sabricht to assist him at Leonard Stanley came from Beckford. By 1130, Sabricht had become a canon.
The pipe rolls record that Roger II died before Michaelmas 1131 and that the honour of Berkeley was then managed by his nephew, William de Berkeley. Roger's son, Roger de Berkeley, III, eventually returned to claim his inheritance in 1139 or 1140.[4] The reason for this delay in succession is likely due to Roger's absence while away at the Crusades. In the interim, and in accordance with the wishes of the late Roger II, William Berkeley and Sabricht are believed to have supervised construction of the priory church and priory. From the style of the stonework, building does not appear to have been interrupted by the civil unrest of the time. While construction of the priory church was under way, the earlier chapel dedicated to St Leonard served as a place of worship for the monks and the villagers and later as a private and guest chapel for the prior.
There are very few records about the early history of the collegiate foundation. The college was dedicated to St. Leonard and consisted of a small group of canons and the prior. Roger II had endowed the college with gifts of land which included the curacies of Arlingham, Slimbridge, and Uley.[5]
In 1146, a conflict occurred between Roger de Berkeley, III, and Roger Earl of Hereford. As an act of placation, Roger III granted the church and the priory, with all its rights and possessions, to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter at Gloucester.[6] This was with the consent of Prior Sabricht and Simon, Bishop of Worcester. This arrangement was brought about through the brokerage of Gilbert Foliot, abbot of Gloucester abbey. The change from an Augustinian to Benedictine house took place during a time of upheaval and civil war, known as ‘the Anarchy’. This conflict occurred between 1135 and 1153 and was between supporters of Empress Matilda and King Stephen. Roger III had sympathies for King Stephen, and, in 1146, was captured and imprisoned by Walter de Hereford who was the brother of Roger, the Earl of Hereford, and a supporter of Empress Matilda. The tithes and profits of the parish were valued at £6 in 1291 and had increased to £7 6s 8d by 1535.[5]
Dissolution
In August 1535, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn spent almost the entire month in Gloucestershire.[7] After staying at Gloucester Abbey, the king travelled to Leonard Stanley arriving there on 6 August 1535. After visiting the priory and staying overnight, he then travelled on to Berkeley the following day. It was almost exactly three years later, on 11 June 1538, that Henry sent an imperative request to the Abbot of Gloucester to recall the monks from Stanley St Leonard.[8] The priory had remained a Benedictine cell until its dissolution in 1538. The number of monks living there throughout the period is unknown though it is likely to have been relatively small, perhaps two or three. Three monks are recorded as being resident at the priory in 1538 when it was dissolved. At the dissolution the gross income of the priory was £126 0s 8d. Annual payments of 5s were made to Nicholas Wikes of the Manor House, £6 to the parish curate and £13 6s 8d to the vicar of Cam.
A ninety-nine-year lease for the priory estate was granted to Sir William Kingston in September 1538. When William died on 14 September 1540, tenure passed to his son, Anthony.[9] In February 1549, Edward VI granted the purchase of the estate to John Sandford. After the dissolution, the curate's stipend was paid by the owners of the priory estate, and parishioners were eventually granted access to the bell tower.
Priors
There is scant information available about the priors of St Leonard Stanley and there are significant gaps in the records. Most of the information comes from electoral records.[10][11]
| 1146 | Sabricht | Retired as a recluse following the transfer of the cell to Gloucester Abbey. |
| c.1190 | John Crosse | Doctor of divinity. A memorial stone was placed in the North transept and recorded his death in 1190. This stone is now lost. Said to be buried under the vestry floor in the South transept. |
| 1284 | Thomas de Tyringham | Voted for the election of Abbot John Gamage. |
| Unknown | Peter the Prior | No further information found. |
| 1510 | William Moyngton | Voted in 1510 for the election of Abbott Newton. By 1516 was the Prior of St. Guthlacs in Hereford. |
| 1516 | Richard Wolryge | In 1510 was the prior of Bromfield, and in 1516 voted for Abbot William Parker. He signed the document acknowledging royal supremacy on 31 August 1535. |
| 1535 | John Rodley | By October 1535 he was listed as the last prior of Stanley St. Leonard. |
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