Ravenstone

There's nothing left of Ravenstone Priory - and not even an entire seal, either.  I don't yet have a picture of it.  The BM copy dates from the priorate of Ralph (second or third prior, 1275-1309), as his seal is the counterseal.  Ravenstone's seal is a pointed oval with the BVM seated on a carved throne.  Ralph's seal also has the BVM, but half-length, under a trefoiled arch, the Child on her left knee.  If these sound familiar, it's not so much that Ravenstone Priory was dedicated to the BVM (like most Austin priories), but because there is some connexion with Merton Priory, of which more below.  Back to the obverse.  Underneath the BVM is a trefoiled arch with carved spandrils, and central pillar; on the left a woman kneels and holds up what Birch describes as 'an indistinct object'.  The right-hand figure is missing.  The inscription is  . . . G • D RAVENES.  Ralph's seal has him kneeling in prayer, in base, under a quadrilobe with arched spandrils.  RADVLPHI • PRIORIS D RAVE ...

The Priory was founded by Peter Chaceporc, keeper of the royal wardrobe.  He's one of those really rather important chaps of whom not terribly much is known (see, as usual, the Oxford DNB).  The VCH says Ravenstone was founded 'about1255' by him, and 'after the death of Peter the patronage of the house reverted to the Crown, and the canons were bound to sing a certain number of masses for the soul of the king as founder.'  But elsewhere the VCH says that the canons celebrated the souls of Peter and his uncle Hugh de Vivon, so it's a bit confusing.  The charter, quoted in Dugdale, says that Hugh Chaceporc, Peter's big brother and executor, bought the necessary land off Saher de Wahull; Henry confirmed the land and co-founded the priory.

Ravenstone was never rich, but it had enough money to support some canons to be, essentially, a chantry.  It owned half a knight's fee and the parish church.  At its dissolution, in 1524, it had only two canons; it is doubtful whether even at its height there were many more than a handful.

Peter shared the manor of Ravenstone with the Crown, having rented his half off Saher de Wahull for - delightfully - a pair of gilt spurs.  Part of the priory land is now two rows of almshouses, built in the 17th century.

Now, the Merton connexion.  Matthew Paris says:

'On the third day before the Nativity [1255], the same Peter made his will.  And amongst other things, he left 600 marks for to provide land, in England, where lands were more able and ready to be bought, and there to have built a monastic church, viz. of canons regular, coming from the house of Merton, and there God would be served with grace and honour, and sacrifice offered everyday to God for his soul and the souls of all the faithful.’

Ravenstone was this priory.  Dugdale gives the first prior as 'William de Divisis' (Devizes), but the VCH gives the first prior as Adam of Wymondley (resigned 1275).  Wymondley is between Stevenage and Letchworth, so not too far from Ravenstone.  Merton held lands around there, for example in Kimpton.  Merton held lands near Chippenham, which isn't that far from Devizes, but it's not especially near.  Merton did have a canon called Roger of Deveneis (Devonish) in 1239.  There are no records of either Adam or William at Merton, but we don't know even nearly half the brethren there!  We also don't know for sure that Merton supplied the first canons of Ravenstone, but there's no reason to think not: that was Peter's wish, and Merton had supplied plenty of priories in the previous century - and Henry III was involved (he seems to have been a co-founder), and Merton was heavily involved with Henry.  Indeed, Peter's colleague in government, John Mansel, also founded an Augustinian priory, at Bilsington, with Merton canons.  John was one of the witnesses to the charter of Ravenstone.

Bilsington

The reason for this post is not so much the seal as just sorting out a few Merton-related things.

Bilsington Priory was founded in 1253 by John Mansel.  In 1261, Merton Priory confirmed that it had no jurisdiction over the house or its priors, despite the first three priors having come, at Mansel's request, from Merton (Heales, p.137-8).  This third prior was R. de South Malling.  The first prior was William.  The VCH records, from the Close Rolls of Edward III, one Walter as the second prior (c.1255), and we can add R. de South Malling (c.1261 probably till 1276).  In 1276, Merton's links with Bilsington's priors seem to have ended, as John Romenale was, according to VCH, a canon of Leeds Priory.

I don't have a picture of the seal, but it sounds a nice one.  It's from the 14th century, and is a pointed oval.  W. de Gray Birch describes it thus:  "in an elegantly carved niche with three trefoiled canopies, pinnacled and crocketed, the coronation of the Virgin, an angel issuing from above and placing the crown on her head. Background diapered. In base, under an arcaded corbel, the founder, John Mansell, Provost of Beverley, turned to the r. h., holding a model of the Church ; and a group of kneeling canons.  SIGILLVM • COMMVNE • ECCLESIE • SANCTE • MARIE • DE • BILSINGTONE."

The Coronation of the Virgin can be seen on Anthony Bek's seal, which will have to do for you until I get to snap this one.  She's being crowned on the counterseal (the reverse); Bek himself is enthroned on the obverse, between SS Oswald and Cuthbert.

(By the way, I see there's an Anthony Bek Nursery and Primary School.  What do they teach them?  Profligacy? Hypocrisy? War-mongering?!  By the way, too, I nicked these photos from the Age of Chivalry book, which is no longer in print, being a catalogue from an exhibition in the '80s, but which is really rather nice and defo worth having on your book shelf or coffee table if you can find a copy.)

Like Combwell, Bilsington is now a wedding venue.  They seem to call it St Augustine's, but it was actually St Mary's - perhaps they're confusing it with being an Augustinian priory?


I'm just going to dump the list of witnesses to the foundation here, in case I need them later.
Bilsington, witnessed by Boniface, William, Bishop of Salisbury, Peter d’Aigueblanche (Hereford), Richard of Gloucester, Peter of Savoy, Peter Chaceporc, AD of Wells, Mr Wm Kilkenny, AD Coventry, Ralph Fitz Nicholas, John Grey, Bertam Cricel, John de Lexington, Robert Walerand, William de Lichfield, canon of London, Mr John Clarel, Geoffrey de Childerwick, Richard de Tilbury, Alard Fleming, Thomas de Colchester, Simon de Huntingdon, chaplain, and many others. 1253, June.

Combwell

This is a special seal.  The Priory was dedicated to Mary Magdalene, and despite its being reduced from abbatial status to a priory in the early 13th century because it wasn't rich enough, it still managed to afford this seal!

Mary M was conflated in the early Middle Ages with the person whom Christ drove devils out of, and with a prostitute whom he befriended.  She became the sinner's sinner, and was hugely popular in the 12th and 13th centuries, partly because of a fashion for confession and weeping:  she had sinned; she wept at Christ's passion, and her tears showed her true repentance.  We can take comfort from her and be like her.  In this seal, MM washes Christ's feet as he, sitting between two disciples (are they Peter and John?), partakes of his Last Supper.  (Yes, that's 'partakes' used correctly...!)  She's, of course, under the table, but so are the two demons whom Christ has driven out of her - they are making a hasty exit. 

This photo is too small to see, but Elizabeth New says that 'a band across the table inserts maria before the scriptural fides tva (te salvam fecit) (“Your faith has saved you”). (Luke 7:50).'  Noteworthy also is the building in which Christ and his disciples dine.  This represents the building on Mount Sion whose cenaculum, or refectory (dining room), hosted the Last Supper.  The cenaculum was important for the Augustinians, as Peter Fergusson pointed out:  their raison être was the Apostolic life, and as a result in the 12th century, many priories consciously imitated the cenaculum in their refectory buildings.  We don't know what Combwell's refectory was like, as nothing of it exists any more, but it's interesting that the canons chose the cenaculum to have on their seal.

The building fits into a tradition of church buildings on seals, which you can see discussed here.  The trefoiled arch is very much of the period, and appears on lots of episcopal seals, for example.  The trefoils and roundel above recall the west front of Wells, built around the time.  (We don't quite know when this seal is from - it says 1133 on the back, but that must be a mistake, because this is a later style; it may be 1233, but could be c.1213.)  The towers, on the other hand, look more like Rochester's, of an earlier generation.  The moon (and is that a sun above it?) and star are frequent motifs on contemporary seals.

The counterseal, or reverse, is a Noli me Tangere scene (John 20:14-18).  Mary is the first to see Christ, but he asks her not to touch him, as he hasn't properly risen yet. 

Mary's figure in both scenes is reminiscent of the praying figures commonly found in the base of seals,  and she represents us, abasing ourselves and praying to Christ.

This is an intriguing seal in many respects, and deserves a more detailed study.

Combwell is now a farm and wedding venue.