Kersey Priory Explained

Kersey Priory was a priory in Kersey, Suffolk, England. It was founded before 1218 as a hospital dedicated St Mary the Blessed Virgin and St Anthony under rule of Austin Canons. It was dissolved in 1443 and the next year transferred to King's College, Cambridge. Kersey Priory is a scheduled monument.[1] The house on the site called "The Priory" became a Grade II listed building on 23 January 1958, part of the priory kitchen is said to be incorporated in the house.[2]

Seal

The twelfth-century seal of Kersey Priory is a pointed oval bearing a bust of the Blessed Virgin crowned in clouds, below is the head of St. Anthony between them is a sun and crescent moon. It has the legend round the edge of ‘Sigill' sce Marie et sci Antonii de Kerseia’

Priors of Kersey

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Dissolution

When King's College took over the Manor property, the village church tower was completed and the building enlarged to compensate for the loss of the Priory church. Today the Priory chapel is a ruin situated on private property next to a medieval farmhouse. The walls of the chapel were 49 ft long and there were two 11 ft wide bays with arches. The arch from transept to choir was 10 feet wide and the transept 21 feet long.[4]

External links

52.0625°N 0.9146°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kersey Priory. Historic England. 3 February 2024.
  2. Web site: The Priory. Historic England. 3 February 2024.
  3. Web site: Houses of Austin canons: Priory of Kersey British History Online. www.british-history.ac.uk. 2020-03-07.
  4. Web site: Kersey Priory . 2022-03-03 . kersey.suffolk.cloud.