Herefordshire Through Time
Herefordshire Through Time
In other parts of England there was a higher concentration of religious houses than in Herefordshire.
One of the reasons for the predominance of castles over monasteries is the geographic location of the county. Being frontier land, it was important that the major land holders were knights, able to lead men into battle and to defend their territory.
In fact, it was official policy for these Marcher Lords, as the lords who held the land on the border with Wales were called, to try to conquer more land for the King of England. Monasteries were not able to field any knights unless they hired mercenaries. During the Middle Ages monasteries were often very successful landlords, however in an area torn by constant strife a monastery or convent was vulnerable. In discussing the problems facing Leominster Priory, one 19th century historian put it like this:
"... the Priory continued to experience the general fate of the ecclesiastical establishments in these border lands. It was a frequent prey to the lawless bands which ravaged the country during the disputed succession of king Stephen and queen Matilda. The monks were at times, and that only too frequently, reduced to absolute beggary and want. The only pioneers of religion, peace, civilization, and education in the district, they appear to have enjoyed anything but the quiet, roseate life sometimes attributed to them." (F. Gainsford Blacklock, The suppressed Benedictine Minster and other Ancient & Modern Institutions of the Borough of Leominster, The Mortimer Press, 2nd edition, 1999, p. 20)
The Grandmontine priory at Craswall faced problems of a different kind during the Hundred Years War. This order was French in origin and the mother-house was in France. During the ongoing dispute with France many of these properties were confiscated by the crown. In 1341 Edward III appointed a crown custodian to watch over the monks and to make sure they were not spying for the enemy. These custodians were also to confiscate all the income of the priory for the exchequer (the government department in charge of finance) and to leave the monks only enough to live on. The priory at Craswall was so poor though that nothing was left for the exchequer. In 1342, therefore, Bartholomew de Burghersh was appointed as its guardian, free of rent, on condition that he provide for the needs of the monks. Craswall priory managed to survive until Henry VI gave it to Christ's College, Cambridge (Carole A. Hutchinson, The Hermit Monks of Grandmont, Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, 1989, p. 157).
[Original author: Toria Forsyth-Moser, 2002-3]