Christchurch Priory (Grid reference SZ160925) is a ruined priory in Christchurch, Dorset (formerly in Hampshire), England. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... A priory is an ecclesiastical circumscription run by a prior. ... Christchurch is a town in Dorset, England on the English Channel coast. ... Dorset (pronounced Dorsit, sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the southwest of England, on the English Channel coast. ... Hampshire (abbr. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked...

Christchurch Priory

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 371 KB) Summary Christchurch Priory, Christchurch, Dorset, UK. Photo taken by me 2005-09-10. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 371 KB) Summary Christchurch Priory, Christchurch, Dorset, UK. Photo taken by me 2005-09-10. ...

Introduction and early history

The story of Christchurch Priory (Grid reference SZ160925) goes back to at least the middle of the 11th century, as Domesday says there was a priory of 24 secular canons here in the reign of Edward the Confessor. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... This article is about the 11th century census. ... A canon (from the Latin canonicus and Greek κανωνικωσ relating to a rule) is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to a rule (canon). ... Edward the Confessor or Eadweard III (c. ...

In 1094 a chief minister of William II, Ranulf Flambard, then Dean of Twyniham, began the building of a church on the site of the present priory. Although in 1099 he was appointed Bishop of Durham, work continued under his successors, and by about 1150 there was a basic Norman church comprising of a nave, a central tower and a quire extending eastwards from the crossing at the nave. It was during this period that the legend of the miraculous beam originated, which was to change the name of the town from Twyniham to the present day Christchurch. Events May - the siege of Valencia ends November 27 - Urban II in Clermont Synod proclaims crusade Duncan III of Scotland succeeds Duncan II of Scotland as King of Scotland The first mention of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, as it became a bishopric see. ... William II (called Rufus, perhaps because of his red-faced appearance) (c. ... Ranulf Flambard, or Ralph (died September 5, 1128) was Bishop of Durham and a government minister of William Rufus. ... In religious terminology, a dean is a title accorded to persons holding cartain positions of authority within a religious heirarchy. ... 1099 also refers to a United States tax form used for, among other purposes, reporting payments made to independent contractors. ... Arms of the Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the officer of the Church of England responsible for the diocese of Durham, one of the oldest in the country. ... Events Åhus, Sweden gains city privileges City of Airdrie, Scotland founded King Sverker I of Sweden is deposed and succeeded by Eric IX of Sweden. ... The Nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the nave anticipates the Gothic style. ... Links to full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are also found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... The choir stalls in the quire of Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England A quire is the area of a church where the choir sits, also known as the choir. ...

12th to 14th centuries

In 1150 Baldwin de Redvers, Lord of the Manor of Christchurch and Earl of Devon replaced the secular priory by an Augustinian one. The de Redvers continued in their patronage of the priory for 150 years, until in 1293, Isabella de Fortibus, Countess of Devon, (the last of the de Redvers line) sold her eastern estates to Edward I for about £4000. By this action, Christchurch became a Royal Manor which meant that in 1303 it was required to provide and man a ship to aid the King's campaign against Scotland. Events Åhus, Sweden gains city privileges City of Airdrie, Scotland founded King Sverker I of Sweden is deposed and succeeded by Eric IX of Sweden. ... Baldwin de Redvers (after 28 April 1200 – 1 September 1216), son of William de Redvers, 6th Earl of Devon and Mabile de Beaumont, daughter of Robert de Beaumont, Count of Meulan. ... The title of Earl of Devon was created several times in the Peerage of England, and was possessed first by the de Reviers family, and later for the Courtenay. ... The Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (died AD 430), are several Roman Catholic monastic orders and congregations of both men and women living according to a guide to religious life known as the Rule of Saint Augustine. ... Events May 20 - King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Study of General Schools of Alcala The Minoresses (Franciscan nuns) are first introduced into England Births Deaths Categories: 1293 ... Edward I (June 17, 1239–July 7, 1307), popularly known as Longshanks because of his 6 foot 2 inch (1. ... A Royal Manor is an area of land in the UK owned by royalty, such as the present monarch, the Prince of Wales, a Duke/Duchess or a Lord. ... // Events 24 February: Battle of Roslin 20 April: Pope Boniface VIII founds the University of Rome La Sapienza Edward I of England reconquers Scotland (see also: William Wallace, Wars of Scottish Independence) The Khilji Dynasty conquers time travel Births Saint Birgitta, Swedish saint (died 1373) Gegeen Khan, Mongol emperor of...

In 1330 Baron William de Montacute was granted the manor by Edward III and thus became the 1st Earl of Salisbury (Second Creation). Events The Bulgars under Michael III are beaten by the Serbs at Velbuzhd, and large parts of Bulgaria fall to Serbia. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... William Montacute, 1st Earl of Salisbury, 3rd Baron Montacute (1301-1344) was an English nobleman. ... Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ... The title Marquess of Salisbury is a British title of Peerage, created in 1789 for James Cecil, 7th Earl of Salisbury. ...

In the 13th century there was a frenzy of building: the nave aisles were vaulted, the clerestory was built, the Montacute Chapels replaced the Norman apse in the north transept and work began on the North Porch, notable for its unusually large size. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England. ... Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ...

14th to 16th centuries

Work continued in the 14th century. The nave roof reached its present height no later than 1350 and towards the end of the 14th century work on the Lady Chapel was started. It was completed in the early 15th century and its pendant vaulting is thought to be the first of its kind in England. Also in the 15th century, the original quire was replaced and extended so that it joined onto the new Lady Chapel. This may have been as a result of the Norman tower collapsing, but this is not certain. What is certain is that the tower was rebuilt between 1470 and 1480. The Draper and Salisbury chantry chapels were completed by 1529. By this time, the church looked much as it does today. This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... Events 29 August - An English fleet personally commanded by King Edward III defeats a Spanish fleet in the battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer. ... The chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and attached to churches of large size. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Events May 15 - Charles VIII of Sweden who had served three terms as King of Sweden dies. ... Events March 6 - Treaty of Toledo - Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain recognize African conquests of Afonso of Portugal and he cedes the Canary Islands to Spain Great standing on the Ugra river - Muscovy becomes independent from the Golden Horde. ... Chantry is a term for the English establishment of a shrine or chapel on private land where monks or priests would say (or chant) prayers on a fixed schedule, usually for someone who had died. ... Events April 22 - Treaty of Saragossa divides the eastern hemisphere between Spain and Portugal, stipulating that the dividing line should lie 297. ...

Dissolution

On 28 November 1539, John Draper the last prior of Christchurch, surrendered the priory, and it was dissolved. Prior Draper was granted a pension of £133-6s-8d and the use of Somerford Grange for life. November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events May 30 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal to find gold. ... John T. Draper (born 1944), also known as Captain Crunch, Crunch or Crunchman (after Capn Crunch, the mascot of a breakfast cereal), was a phone phreaker. ... The Dissolution of the Monasteries (referred to by Roman Catholic writers as the Suppression of the Monasteries) was the formal process, taking place between 1538 and 1541, by which King Henry VIII confiscated the property of the Roman Catholic monastic institutions in England and took them to himself, as the...

The monastic buildings of the priory were pulled down soon after the dissolution. The King had intended to pull down the church as well as the monastic buildings, but in response to a plea from the townspeople, supported by Prior Draper, he granted the church together with the churchyard to the churchwardens and inhabitants of Christchurch to be used as the parish church in perpetuity on 23 October 1540, a grant that was confirmed on 12 February 1612 by James I. October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 69 days remaining. ... Events January 6 - King Henry VIII of England marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 20 - Mathias becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... James VI of Scotland/James I of England and Ireland (Charles James) (June 19, 1566 – March 27, 1625) was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland and was the first to style himself King of Great Britain. ...

Post-Dissolution

After the Dissolution a corporation known as 'The Sixteen' was formed which became responsible for the temporal and ecclesiastical affairs of the parish, with the vicar and churchwardens being the principal officers. In the broadest sense, a vicar (from the Latin vicarius) is anyone acting as a substitute or agent for a superior (compare vicarious). In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant. ... A Churchwarden is a lay official in an Anglican parish. ...

In 1788 Gustavus Brander gifted the priory a pipe organ, which was installed on the quire screen. It was removed in 1848. Gustavus Brander (1720-1787), English naturalist, who came of a Swedish family, was born in London in 1720, and was brought up as a merchant, in which capacity he achieved success and became a director of the Bank of England. ... The organ of Bristol Cathedral, Bristol, England. ...

In 1819 lath and plaster vaulting was installed in the nave, but a year later the vaulting of the south transept was found to be unsafe and had to be dismantled. In the late 19th and early 2Oth centuries extensive repairs werew carried out, which included underpinning of the nave waIls, and the insertion of tie-rods in the tower, and in 1922 the War Memorial Chapel was dedicated. Lath and plaster is a somewhat outdated building process used mainly for interior walls. ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Modern history

In 1976 Highcliffe Castle donated the glazing of the window in the south nave aisle, which had come originally from Jumièges Abbey in Normandy. The window depicts the lives of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anne. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... Jumièges Abbey ruins Jumièges Abbey was a Benedictine monastery, situated in the commune of Jumièges in the Seine-Maritime département, in Normandy, France. ... Mont Saint Michel, one of the famous symbols of Normandy. ... Saint Francis of Assisi (born in Assisi, Italy, ca. ... Anna, also known as St. ...

In 1999 a window celebrating the 900th anniversary of the priory was installed, which shows a starry night in which the Cross of Christ dominates, surrounded by a pattern of circles, the symbols of Eternity and Perfection, and the Chi-Rho monogram of Christ. On 17 July 1999 a new pipe organ was dedicated and installed in the south transept. It is an extensive rebuild of the previous organ, weighing around 20 tonnes, with nearly 4000 pipes, some of which are from the original 1788 organ. The new organ cost in excess of £500,000, of which £373,000 was provided by the Arts Council from the National Lottery Fund. Christchurch priory, as its website puts it, is 'a living church' with daily services of matins and evensong, as well as being open every day except Christmas for visitors. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... An image of the labarum, with the letters Alpha and Omega inscribed. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... A tonne (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of weight. ... The Arts Council of Great Britain was a Quango dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Britain. ... A play here! sign outside a newsagent, incorporating the National Lotterys logo of a stylised hand with crossed fingers. ... For the Anglican service of Mattins see Morning Prayer Matins is the early morning prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... Evensong is a liturgy from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer used in the evening, especially when the service is rendered chorally. ... Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a traditional Christian holiday meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus with both religious and secular aspects, commonly observed on 25 December. ...

See also

Greater Churches Group The Greater Churches Group is a self help organisation within the Church of England. ...

External Links

• - The Official Christchurch Priory website