Before we write an account of the next most important event in the history of Repton, viz., the founding of Repton Priory, we must go back to the year 1059, when Calke Abbey is supposed to have been founded by Algar, Earl of Mercia. Dr. Cox is of opinion that it was founded later, at the end of the reign of William (Rufus), or at the beginning of that of Henry I. circa 1100. About that date a Priory of Canons regular of St. Augustine, dedicated to St. Giles, was founded. Many benefactors made grants of churches, lands, &c., a list of all these will be found in Cox’s Derbyshire Churches, vol. iii., p. 346. There is a curious old Chronicle, written in Latin, by one T(h)omas de Musca, Canon of Dale Abbey. Each section of the Chronicle begins with a letter which, together, form the Author’s name, a monkish custom not uncommon. The section beginning with an E. (Eo tempore) records the arrival, at Deepdale, of the Black Canons, as they were called, from Kalc (Calke). Serlo de Grendon, Lord of Badeley or Bradeley, near Ashbourne, “called together the Canons of Kalc, and gave them the place of Deepdale.” Here, about 1160, the Canons “built for themselves a church, a costly labour, and other offices,” which became known as Dale Abbey, in which they lived for a time, “apart from the social intercourse of men,” but “they began too remissly to hold themselves in the service of God; they began to frequent the forest more than the church; more to hunting than to prayer or meditation, so the King ordered them to return to the place whence they came,” viz., Calke. During the reign of Henry II., Matilda, widow of Randulf, 4th Earl of Chester, who died 1153, granted to God, St. Mary, the Holy Trinity, and to the Canons of Calke, the working of a quarry at Repton, (Repton Rocks), together with the advowson of the church of St. Wystan at Repton, &c., &c., on condition that as soon as a suitable opportunity should occur, the Canons of Calke should remove to Repton, which was to be their chief house, and Calke Abbey was to become subject to it. “A suitable opportunity occurred” during the episcopate of Walter Durdent, Bishop of Coventry only, at first, afterwards of Lichfield. He died at Rome, Dec. 7th, 1159. The usual date given for the founding of Repton Priory is A.D. 1172, but this must be wrong for the simple reason that Matilda addresses the Charter of Foundation to Bishop Walter Durdent, who died, as we saw, in 1159: moreover, the “remains” of the Priory belong to an earlier date; probably the date 1172 refers to the coming of the Canons from Calke to Repton, as Dugdale writes, “About the year 1172, Maud, widow of Randulf, removed the greater part of them here (Repton), having prepared a church and conventual buildings for their reception.” To those interested in Charters, copies of the original, and many others, can be read in Bigsby’s “History of Repton,” Dugdale’s “Monasticon,” and Stebbing-Shaw’s Article in Vol. II. of “the Topographer,” in which he has copied several “original Charters, not printed in the Monasticon,” which were in the possession of Sir Robert Burdett, Bart., of Foremark, and others.
Plate 7.
Repton Priory.
The Charters, containing grants, extend from Stephen’s reign, (1135-1154), to the reign of Henry V., (1413-1422), and include the church of St. Wystan, Repton, with its chapels of Newton Solney, Bretby, Milton, Foremark, Ingleby, Tickenhall, Smisby, and Measham, the church at Badow, in Essex, estates at Willington, including its church, and Croxall.
In 1278 a dispute arose between the Prior of Repton and the inhabitants of the Chapelry of Measham, which had been granted to the Priory about 1271. The chancel of Measham Church was “out of repair,” and the question was, who should repair it? After considerable debate, it was settled that the inhabitants would re-build the chancel provided that the Priory should find a priest to officiate in the church, and should keep the chancel in repair for ever after, both of which they did till the dissolution of the Priory.
In the year 1364 Robert de Stretton, Bishop of Lichfield (1360-1386), was holding a visitation at Repton in the Chapter House of the Priory. For some reason or other, not known, the villagers, armed with bows and arrows, swords and cudgels, with much tumult, made an assault on the Priory gate-house. The Bishop sent for Sir Alured de Solney, and Sir Robert Francis, Lords of the Manors of Newton Solney and Foremark, who came, and quickly quelled this early “town and gown” row, without any actual breach of the peace. The monument in the crypt of Repton Church, where it was placed during the “restoration” of 1792, is supposed to be an effigy of Sir Robert Frances. “The Bishop proceeded on his journey, and, on reaching Alfreton, issued a sentence of interdict on the town and Parish Church of Repton, with a command to the clergy, in the neighbouring churches, to publish the same under pain of greater excommunication.” See Lichfield Diocesan Registers.
On October 26th, 1503, during the reign of Henry VII., an inquisition was held at Newark. A complaint was heard against the Prior of Repton for not providing a priest “to sing” the service in a chapel on Swarkeston Bridge, “nor had one been provided for the space of twenty years, although a piece of land between the bridge and Ingleby, of the annual value of six marks, had been given to the Prior for that purpose.”
The Priory of Repton was dissolved in the year 1538. By the advice of Thomas Cromwell—malleus monachorum—the hammer of the monks—Henry VIII. issued a commission of inquiry into the condition, &c., of the monasteries in England. A visitation was made in 1535, the results were laid before the House of Commons, in a report commonly known as the “Black Book.” In 1536 an Act was passed for the suppression of all monasteries possessing an income of less than £200. a year. By this Act 376 monasteries were dissolved, and their revenues, £32,000. per annum, were granted to the King, by Divine permission Head of the Church! Repton Priory was among them. In the Valor Ecclesiasticus (27 Henry VIII.) the gross annual value of the temporalities and spiritualities is given as £167. 18s. 2½d. In 1535, Dr. Thomas Leigh and Dr. Richard Layton, visited Repton and gave the amount as £180. Also they reported, as they were expected, that the Canons were not living up to their vows, &c., &c., and “Thomas Thacker was put in possession of the scite of the seid priory and all the demaynes to yᵗ apperteynying to oʳ sov’aigne lorde the Kynges use the xxvj day of October in the xxx yere of oʳ seid sov’aigne lorde Kyng henry the viijᵗʰ.” There is a very full inventory of the goods and possessions in the Public Record Office, Augmentation Office Book, 172. A transcript of this inventory is given by Bigsby in his History of Repton, also by W. H. St. John Hope, in Vol. VI. of the Derbyshire Archæological Journal. From this inventory, and Mr. St. John Hope’s articles in the journal, a very good account and description can be given of the Priory as it was at the time of its dissolution.
The dissolved Priory was granted to Thomas Thacker in 1539, he died in 1548, leaving his property to his son Gilbert. He, according to Fuller (Church History, bk. vi., p. 358), “being alarmed with the news that Queen Mary had set up abbeys again (and fearing how large a reach such a precedent might have), upon a Sunday (belike the better day, the better deed) called together the carpenters and masons of that county, and plucked down in one day (churchwork is a cripple in going up, but rides post in coming down) a most beautiful church belonging thereto, saying “he would destroy the nest, for fear the birds should build therein again”.” The destruction took place in the year 1553. How well he accomplished the work is proved by the ruins uncovered during the years 1883-4.
This Gilbert died in 1563, as set forth on the mural tablet in the south aisle of Repton Church, a copy of which I have made, so that my readers may see what sort of a person he was who “wrought such a deed of shame.” Gilbert sold the remains of the Priory to the executors of Sir John Port in 1557, he and his descendants lived at the Hall till the year 1728, when Mary Thacker, heiress of the Manor of Repton Priory, left it, and other estates, to Sir Robert Burdett, of Foremark, Bart. Since that time the Hall has been occupied by the Headmasters of Repton School.
The Priory followed the usual plan of monastic buildings, differing chiefly in having the cloister on the north of its church, instead of the south. This alteration was necessary owing to the river Trent being on the north. In choosing a site for monasteries the water supply was of the first consideration, as everything, domestic and sanitary, depended on that. The Conventual buildings consisted of Gate-house, Cloister, with Church on its south side, Refectory or Fratry on its north. The Chapter Rouse, Calefactorium, with Dormitory above them, on its east side. Kitchens, buttery, cellars, with Guest Hall over them, on its west side. The Infirmary, now Repton Hall, “beside the still waters” of the Trent, on the north of the Priory. The Priory precincts, (now the Cricket ground), were surrounded by the existing wall on the west, south, and east sides; on the north flowed, what is now called, “the Old Trent,” and formed a boundary in that direction.
On the east side of the Priory was the Mill. The wall, with arch-way, through which the water made its way across the grounds in a north-westerly direction, is still in situ in the south-east corner of the Cricket ground. The Priory, and well-stocked fish ponds, were thus supplied with water for domestic, sanitary, and other purposes.
The bed of the stream was diverted to its present course, outside the eastern boundary wall, by Sir John Harpur, in the year 1606.
The Gate-house (now represented by the School Arch, which was its outer arch, and wall) consisted of a square building with an upper chamber, and other rooms on the ground floor for the use of the porter. Two “greate gates,” with a wicket door let into one of them, for use when the gates were closed, or only pedestrians sought for admission, provided an entrance to the Priory. Proceeding through the arch-way of the Gate-house, we find ourselves in the precincts. In the distance, on our left hand, was the Parish Church of St. Wystan, on our right the Priory Church and conventual buildings.
The Priory Church consisted of nave, with north and south aisles, central tower, north and south transepts, choir, with aisles, and a south chapel, and a presbytery to the east of the choir. The Nave (95 ft. 6 in. long, and, with aisles, 51 ft. 8 in. wide) “was separated from the aisles by an arcade of six arches, supported by clustered pillars of good design, and must have been one of the most beautiful in this part of the country, all of exceptionally good character and design, and pertained to the transitional period of architecture which prevailed during the reign of Edward I., (1272-1307), when the severe simplicity of the Early English was merging into the more flowing lines of the Decorated.” In the north aisle the foundations of an older church, perhaps the original one, were discovered in 1883-4.
There were several Chapels in the Nave, two of which are named, viz., “Oʳ lady of petys Chapell” and the “Chapell of Saint Thomas,” with images, “reredoses, of wood gylte, and alebaster,” “and a partition of tymber seled ouerin seint Thom’s Chapell.” “vij. peces of tymber and lytell oulde house of tymber,” probably the remains of a shrine, and “xij. Apostells,” i.e. images of them. “j sacrying bell,” sanctus bell, used during the celebration of the mass. In the floor, in front of the central tower arch, a slab was discovered, (6 ft. 4 in. by 3 ft. 2 in.), bearing a rudely cut cross, with two steps, and an inscription, in Old English letters, partly obliterated, round the margin “(Orate pro) anima magistri edmundi duttoni quondam canonici huius ecclisie qui obiit ... januarii anno diu mcccclᵒ cui’ ppic (deus Amen).” This slab is now lying among the ruins at the east end of the Pears School.
Central Tower (25 ft. by 21 ft. 6 in.) supported by four large piers. Between the two eastern piers there was a pulpitum, a solid stone screen (5 ft. 4½ in. deep), with a door in the centre (4 ft. 4½ in. wide). In the northern half was a straight stone stair leading to the organ loft above, where was “j ould pair of Organs,” a phrase often met with in old inventories, and church accounts, in describing that instrument of music. Through the passage under the screen we enter the Choir. The step leading down to the choir floor, much worn by the feet of the canons and pilgrims, is still in situ. The Choir (26 ft. wide, 31 ft. long) was separated from the south Choir aisle, by an arcade of five arches, from the north choir aisle, by an arcade of three arches. All traces of the Canons’ stalls have gone, but there was room for about thirty-four, thirteen on each side, and four returned at the west end of the Choir. In the Choir was the High Altar with “v. great Images” at the back of which was a retable, or ledge of alabaster, with little images, (on a reredos with elaborate canopies above them). “iiij lytle candlestyks” and “a laumpe of latten,” i.e., a metal chiefly composed of copper, much used in church vessels, also “j rode” or cross.
On the south of the choir was a chapel dedicated to St. John, with his image, and alabaster table, similar to that in the choir. To the south of St. John’s Chapel was the “Chapel our Lady” similarly ornamented, these two chapels were separated from the south transept by “partitions of tymber,” or screens, the holes in which the screens were fixed are still to be seen in the bases of the pillars. On the east of the choir was the Presbytery. In the South Transept was the Chapel of St. Nicholas with images of St. John and St. Syth, (St. Osyth, daughter of Frithwald, over-lord of the kingdom of Surrey, and Wilterberga daughter of King Penda). Of the North Choir Aisle nothing remains: it is supposed that in it was the shrine of St. Guthlac, whose sanctus bell is thus referred to by the visitors in their report “superstitio—Huc fit peregrinatio ad Sanctum Guthlacum et ad eius campanam quam solent capitibus imponere ad restinguendum dolorem capitis.” “Superstition. Hither a pilgrimage is made to (the shrine of) St. Guthlac and his (sanctus) bell, which they were accustomed to place to their heads for the cure of headache.” The North Transept was separated from the north choir aisle by an arcade of three arches, immediately to the east of which the foundations of a wall, about six feet wide, were discovered, which, like those in the north nave aisle, belonged to an older building. Many beautiful, painted canopies, tabernacle work, &c., were found among the débris of the north transept and aisle, which no doubt adorned the shrines, and other similar erections, which, before the suppression of the monasteries, had been destroyed, and their relics taken away—that is, probably, the reason why we find no mention of the shrines of St. Guthlac, or St. Wystan in the Inventory.
In the western wall of the North Transept there was a curious recess (13 ft. 10 in. by 4 ft. 10 in.) which may have been the armarium, or cupboard of the Vestry, to hold the various ornaments, and vestments used by the Canons, “j Crosse of Coper, too tynacles, (tunicles), ij albes, ij copes of velvet, j cope of Reysed Velvet, iiij towels & iiij alter clothes, ij payented Alterclothes,” &c., &c.
Leaving the Church, we enter the Cloister, through the door at the east end of the Nave, it opened into the south side of the Cloister (97 ft. 9 in. long by 95 ft. wide). Here were “seats,” and “a lavatory of lead,” but, owing to alterations, very little indeed is left except the outside walls. Passing along the eastern side we come to the Chapter House, the base of its entrance, divided by a stone mullion into two parts, was discovered, adjoining it on the north side was a slype, or passage, through which the bodies of the Canons were carried for interment in the cemetery outside. The slype (11¾ ft. wide by 25½ ft. long) still retains its roof, “a plain barrel vault without ribs, springing from a chamfered string course.” Next to the slype was the Calefactorium or warming room. Over the Chapter House, Slype, and Calefactorium was the Dormitory or Dorter, which was composed of cells or cubicles.
The Fratry or Refectory occupied the north side of the Cloister, here the Canons met for meals, which were eaten in silence, excepting the voice of the reader. A pulpit was generally built on one of the side walls, from which legends, &c., were read. Underneath the Fratry was a passage, leading to the Infirmary, and rooms, used for various purposes, Scriptorium, &c. At the east end of the Fratry was the Necessarium, well built, well ventilated, and well flushed by the water from the Mill race.
At the west end of the Fratry was the Buttery. The west side of the Cloister was occupied by the Prior’s Chamber, and five others called, in the Inventory, “the Inner,” “Gardyn,” “Next,” “Halle,” and “Hygh Chambers.” All were furnished with “fether bedds, &c., &c.,” for the use of guests, who were received and entertained in this part of the Priory. Underneath these rooms were “the Kychenn,” “Larder,” “Bruhouse,” &c., called the Cellarium, over which the Cellarer had supreme authority. Originally the Cellarium was divided into three parts, Kitchen, Cellar, and Slype or passage into the south side of the Cloister. The part assigned to the Kitchen was sub-divided into three rooms, one on the east side, two on the west. One of these two (the south) has a vaulted roof, with plain square ribs, the boss where they meet has been carved, and a part of one of the ribs has been ornamented with the dog tooth moulding, for about 18 inches, there it stopped unfinished, in the walls are many recesses for the reception of “plate,” &c.
The Cellar was a long room (89 ft. by 26 ft.), divided into two “alleys” by a row of six massive Norman columns, four of which remain, one has a scollopped capital, the others are plain. The floor above was divided in a similar manner, with the Prior’s Chamber at the north end, the Guest Hall, divided into the various rooms mentioned above, and a chamber over the slype, which was probably used as a parlour by the guests.
Besides these there are three houses mentioned, viz., “The Kelyng or Yelyng house,” (Yele-House, i.e., brewing-house). It’ there xvj Kelyngleades and ij mashfattes.”
“The Boultyng house” (where the meal was bolted or sifted in the boultyng hutch). It’ there ij troffes, j boultyng huche & j one syve (sieve).”
“The Kyll-house.” It’ j heyr upon the Kyll & j sestiron of lead.” (Kyll-house = Slaughter house?)
The contents of all these, including “Grayne” (wheat, barley, malt, peas, and hay); “Catell” (three “Kye” cows), ten “horssys,” and “two old carts”; and one Reke (rick) of Peas, sold to Thomas Thacker for the sum of £40. 2s. 0d., made up of the following items.
| £. | s. | d. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The contents of the | Church | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| ” | Vestry | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| ” | Priory | 14 | 19 | 4 |
| For Grayne and Catell | 18 | 12 | 8 | |
| £40 | 2 | 0 | ||
This, with the sum of £122. 17s 6d. “Imbesulyd” by John Smyth and Richard haye, made a total of £162. 19s. 6d.
Out of this Rewardes of £2. each were given to the Sub-Prior and eight canons, and sums, varying from 25s. to 20d., were given to twenty-five servants, and other exs., Total £38. 16s. 6d., so there remained in the hands of the Commissioners £124. 3s. 0d.
Pensions were also granted to the Sub-Prior and the Canons, varying from £6. to 6s. 8d.
Certain “Whyte Plate” consisting of two Chalices and 10 spoons, Four bells, weighing 24 cwt., and 29 “fothers” of lead remained unsold. A fother was 19½ cwt.
The following is a list of the Priors of Repton, with dates as far as they are known.
Plate 9.
Outer Arch of Gate House. (Page 55.)