Kirby Bellars Priory

Kirby Bellars Priory

Location within Leicestershire
Monastery information
Established	1359
Disestablished	1534 or 1536
Diocese	Diocese of Lincoln
Site
Location	Leicestershire, England
Coordinates	52°45′30″N 0°56′17″W / 52.758245°N 0.93807°WCoordinates: 52°45′30″N 0°56′17″W / 52.758245°N 0.93807°W

Kirby Bellars Priory was a priory at Kirby Bellars in Leicestershire, England.

Origins

In 1316 Roger de Beler granted lands to support a pair of chaplains to say daily masses in the chapel of St. Peter at Kirby Bellars for the souls of himself, his wife Alice, his parents William and Amicia, and others. This was expanded to a chantry comprising a warden and twelve chaplains by 1319.^[1]

Wardens of the College^[2]

• William Spigurnel, first warden, occurs 1319.
• John Cosyn.
• John of Kirby, died 1338.
• Edmund of Coston, presented 1338, died 1359.
• Roger Wiseman, presented and removed, 1359.

Augustinian Priory

In 1359 the college of secular clergy was transformed into a priory of Augustinian Canons, with a prior and twelve canons. The priory was dissolved in 1536 along with other small religious houses as part of the dissolution of the monasteries.

Priors of Kirby Bellairs^[3]

• Roger of Cotes, appointed 1359.
• Alexander Thurgarton, occurs 1416, died 1418 or 1419.
• Henry Dalby, elected 1419, occurs to 1444.
• William Leicester, resigned 1461.
• William Burton, elected 1461, died 1480.
• William Kirby, elected 1480, died 1488.
• Richard Sewstern, elected 1488, died 1526.
• Thomas Kirby, elected 1526.
• William Kyrkeby, last prior, occurs 1534 and 1535.

Visitation of 1440^[4]

The priory was visited by William Alnwick, Bishop of Lincoln, on 26 November 1440. The members of the community comprised:

• Henry Dalby, prior.
• William Wylingtone, sub-prior.
• John Knyvet, canon, aged 54.
• William Burtone, canon, aged 40.
• William Shepeshede.
• Robert Halifax.
• Robert Kyrkeby.
• Richard Seusterne.
• John Pakyngtone.
• William Leycestre.
• Thomas Buckmynstre.
• William Cusyngtone.
• John Chippenham, canon, aged 44.

Dissolution

The priory was dissolved in either 1534 or 1534, however the monastery was already derelict having been destroyed by fire before 1511.^[5]

References

1. William Dugdale (1693). Monasticon Anglicanum. Vol. 6 Part 1. pp. 511–514.
2. W.G. Hoskins (ed.) (1954). 'Houses of Augustinian canons: Kirkby Bellairs', A History of the County of Leicestershire. Vol. 2. pp. 25–26.
3. W.G. Hoskins (ed.) (1954). 'Houses of Augustinian canons: Kirkby Bellairs', A History of the County of Leicestershire. Vol. 2. pp. 25–26.
4. A. Hamilton Thompson (ed.) (1918). Visitations of religious houses in the diocese of Lincoln : records of visitation held by William Alnwick, bishop of Lincoln, A.D. 1436 to A.D. 1449. Vol. 2. pp. 164–167.
5. Kirby Bellars Priory, English Heritage: PastScape