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BUCKLAND PRIORY

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Buckland or Minchin Buckland Priory. The house of St John the Baptist was first founded circa 1166 for Augustinian Canons who were dispersed before 1180 when possession was granted to the Knights Hospitallers for a preceptory and a house for the Sisters of St John of Jerusalem. The larger church of the sisters was dedicated to St Mary and St Nicholas; the smaller church of the knights to St John the Baptist. The community began with eight sisters, one each from Carbrooke (TF 90 SW 14), Clanfield (SP 20 SE 306), Gosford (SP 51 SW 42) and Hogshaw (SP 72 SW 1), and two each from Shingay (TL 34 NW 14) and Standon (TL 42 SW 4). Other sisters came from Hampton (TQ 16 NW ) and Swingfield (TR 24 SW 1), while new members joined the order. The buildings burned down in 1234. The preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers ceased to appoint preceptors after 1433. From 1500 five chaplains were maintained, the one serving the sisters being only in name a preceptor. The sisters disengaged themselves, and Buckland became a distinct priory or hospital of the Augustinian Canonesses. After surrender in 1539 the prioress and thirteen sisters were granted pensions. Architectural fragments and gravestones have been found in the vicinity of Buckland Farm, and there is a fishpond in which further fragments were also found. The foundations of a rectangular pre-19th century building were also discovered, but there was no clear dating evidence for it.

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[ST 3006 2805] Buckland Farm on site of [T.I.] Priory and Preceptory [GT]
[ST 3013 2823] Fish Ponds [GT]
[ST 3006 2808] Inscribed stone found A.D. 1836 (1)

Minchin Buckland Priory, originally founded as a house of Augustinian Canons c. 1166. Later occupied by Knights Hospitallers and c.1180 by Sisters of St. John of Jerusalem. The Preceptory was closed c.1500 and from c.1516 the priory housed Augustinian Canonesses until its dissolution 1539. (2)

Fragments of earlier structures exist among the present farm buildings, including a barn with some Perpendicular buttresses. Two 15th c. gravestone fragments were found at Buckland Farm in 1836 and an incised slab found in a cellar wall is from the tomb of Ailienor de Actune, a nun at the Priory c. 1280. (3-4)

Apart from re-used frgments of stone, there are no buildings or remains identifiable as part of the Priory, except for possibly the east end of the south wall of the barn, which has a single buttress and walling of a different character to the remainder of the barn.
The late 15th c. gravestone found in 1836 is now in Taunton Museum. Two fragments of graveslab have been utilized as steps in the cellar of Buckland Farm house. The three fish ponds average 1.3m deep, and have been surveyed at
1/2500.(5)

No change, survey correct.(6)

No change from survey of 21.10.65 (7)

The Fishponds were watched while being dug out for re-use by the farmer. One dressed Ham Stone fragment was recovered and drawn but no other finds were noted. (8)

A monolithic two-lancet Ham Stone window was found some years ago in the garden NE of the present farmhouse (area ST 30132804). It is probably of C14th-C15th date. In 1982, the remains of a building were disturbed by ploughing. This is rectangular, 21.0m by 7.0m defined by a low rubble bank. No dateable material was found but the absence of brick suggests a pre-C19th date. (9)

Buckland or Minchin Buckland Priory. The house of St John the Baptist was first founded circa 1166 for Augustinian Canons who were dispersed before 1180 when possession was granted to the Knights Hospitallers for a preceptory and a house for the Sisters of St John of Jerusalem. The larger church of the sisters was dedicated to St Mary and St Nicholas; the smaller church of the knights to St John the Baptist. The community began with eight sisters, one each from Carbrooke (TF 90 SW 14), Clanfield (SP 20 SE 306), Gosford (SP 51 SW 42) and Hogshaw (SP 72 SW 1), and two each from Shingay (TL 34 NW 14) and Standon (TL 42 SW 4). Other sisters came from Hampton (TQ 16 NW ) and Swingfield (TR 24 SW 1), while new members joined the order. The buildings burned down in 1234.

The preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers ceased to appoint preceptors after 1433. From 1500 five chaplains were maintained, the one serving the sisters being only in name a preceptor. The sisters disengaged themselves, and Buckland became a distinct priory or hospital of the Augustinian Canonesses. After surrender in 1539 the prioress and thirteen sisters were granted pensions. (10)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)130,227,230,241

( 3) Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath

10, 1860 Page(s)1-90

( 4) Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath

58, 1912 Page(s)105

( 5a) General reference

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ed D Whitelock 1961 49-50

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NVQ 12-OCT-62

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 GHP 21-OCT-65

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F3 MJF 05-AUG-75

( 8) Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath

124, 1980 Page(s)128

( 9) Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath

I Burrow 129, 1985 Page(s)110-3

(10) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)138,150-1,278,279,284,300,302

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