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Sempringham Priory

Memorials	:	35
Location	:	Sempringham Fen, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate	:	52.8789250, -0.3583360
Description	:	About 1100, Jocelin of Sempringham replaced the Saxon church with a new church dedicated to St Andrew. Jocelin had a son named Gilbert, and it is St. Gilbert of Sempringham (canonized in 1202) whose name will forever be associated with the site. In 1131, Gilbert built a simple range of buildings against the north wall of the church, with accommodation for seven local women, who vowed to live a life of charity, obedience, chastity, and humility. This was the beginning of the Gilbertine Order, the only completely British monastic order during the Middle Ages. The original monastic buildings proved inadequate,... Read More	About 1100, Jocelin of Sempringham replaced the Saxon church with a new church dedicated to St Andrew. Jocelin had a son named Gilbert, and it is St. Gilbert of Sempringham (canonized in 1202) whose name will forever be associated with the site. In 1131, Gilbert built a simple range of buildings against the north wall of the church, with accommodation for seven local women, who vowed to live a life of charity, obedience, chastity, and humility. This was the beginning of the Gilbertine Order, the only completely British monastic order during the Middle Ages. The original monastic buildings proved inadequate, and in 1139, Gilbert received a grant of land from Gilbert de Gant (Ghent) to erect a new priory about 350 yards away to the south west. Sempringham Priory was a double house, with provision for both men and women (though the genders were segregated) and grew to provide a home for 200 nuns and 40 canons. The canons served as priests, and observed a mix of Augustinian and Premonstratensian rules. The order was known for a strict interpretation of those rules, so strict in fact that in 1170, the lay brothers serving at Sempringham rebelled and appealed to the Pope to relax the harshness of priory life. By the time Gilbert died in 1189, there were 13 Gilbertine priories scattered around England. This number eventually rose to 25 by the time of the Reformation. When Gilbert was canonized, in 1202, his body was exhumed from its place between the altars in the priory church, encased in a lead coffin, and reburied, but the site of the grave has been lost. When Edward I defeated Prince Llewellyn of Wales in 1283, he captured the prince's 17 month old daughter and heir, Gwenllian. Edward could not bring himself to murder the child, but feared her presence as a focus for Welsh rebellion, so he asked the Prior of Sempringham to admit Gwenllian to the priory. In 1327, his grandson Edward III visited the priory and provided an annual stipend of 20 pounds to pay for her keep. The princess was not a nun, and not in holy orders, she was a prisoner, unable to leave the priory. Gwenllian lived out her days at Sempringham and died in 1337. A memorial made of Welsh slate to the 'last princess of Wales' stands on the path to the parish church of St Andrew, and is a frequent destination for Welsh pilgrims. Sempringham Priory survived until 1538, when it was dissolved by Henry VIII. The estate was purchased by the Clinton family, the monastic buildings pulled down, and a large Tudor house erected, only to be pulled down about 1616, before completion, and its plinth banked up to form an earthwork. The only tangible reminders of the important priory and the Gilbertines are St. Gilbert’s Well, the memorial to Gwenllian, and the fishponds of the Priory.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Sempringham Priory?
Sempringham Priory is located at Sempringham Fen, South Kesteven District ,Lincolnshire ,England.
Sempringham Priory cemetery's updated grave count on graveviews.com?
35 memorials
Where are the coordinates of the Sempringham Priory?
Latitude: 52.8789250
Longitude: -0.3583360

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Nearby Cemetories:

1. Billingborough Cemetery
Billingborough, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8907700, -0.3497700

2. St. Andrew's Churchyard
Billingborough, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8940140, -0.3397660

3. Aslackby Cemetery
Aslackby, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8597838, -0.3855002

4. St James the Great Churchyard
Aslackby, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8600900, -0.3894200

5. St Andrew Churchyard
Horbling, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9028460, -0.3380407

6. St Andrew Churchyard
Folkingham, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8903840, -0.4092130

7. St Peter Church
Threekingham, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9116000, -0.3812000

8. St Andrew's Churchyard
Rippingale, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8366700, -0.3718000

9. St Nicholas Churchyard
Walcot, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9035930, -0.4252890

10. St Peter & St Paul Churchyard
Osbournby, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9298800, -0.4105100

11. St Andrew's Churchyard
Haconby, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8135400, -0.3594300

12. St. Andrew's Churchyard
Scredington, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9498300, -0.3701700

13. St. Lucia Churchyard
Dembleby, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9268000, -0.4512300

14. St John the Baptist Churchyard
Morton, South Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.8025100, -0.3724200

15. St Thomas Churchyard
Aunsby, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9367820, -0.4470450

16. St Andrews Churchyard
Helpringham, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9519900, -0.3065200

17. St Andrew's Churchyard
Helpringham, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9521000, -0.3065000

18. St. Andrew Churchyard
Burton Pedwardine, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9646176, -0.3348618

19. St Gilbert and St Hugh Churchyard
Gosberton Clough, South Holland District, England
Coordinate: 52.8518081, -0.2166268

20. Donington New Cemetery
Donington, South Holland District, England
Coordinate: 52.9071410, -0.2059100

21. St. Mary and the Holy Rood Churchyard
Donington, South Holland District, England
Coordinate: 52.9072790, -0.2050080

22. Donington Old Cemetery
Donington, South Holland District, England
Coordinate: 52.9091670, -0.2055560

23. Great Hale New Cemetery
Great Hale, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9678690, -0.2940500

24. St John the Baptist Churchyard
Great Hale, North Kesteven District, England
Coordinate: 52.9712140, -0.2914550

Sempringham Priory

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