The Priory Church of St Peter, Thurgarton is a former house of Canons Regular or "Black Canons" and now a Church of England church in Thurgarton, Nottinghamshire, England.The Buildings of England. Nottinghamshire. Nikolaus Pevsner St Peter's is a Grade I listed building.
The Canons Regular were called "Black Canons" because they wore black cassocks, black capes and hoods.
History It is thought that a priory was built at Thurgarton for its location in circa 1119. It was in a sheltered valley and had a stream and natural spring very near. It also had a good supply of wood and stone for building.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries the Valor Ecclesiasticus gave the clear income of £259 9s. 4d. (), making it one of richer monasteries of the time. King Henry VIII granted the manor partly to Trinity College, Cambridge, and partly to William Cooper. It was lived in by the Cooper family until at the end of the 17th century the estate passed to John Gilbert, who changed his name to Cooper, by a private act of Parliament, Gilbert's Name Act 1735 (9 Geo. 2. c. 27 ), as a condition of William Cooper's will.Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1735 (9 Geo. 2). c. 27
At the end of the 18th century, the owner demolished the old priory, so that nothing of it was left but the cellars, and one aisle of the old church, plus the tower, which make up the present church. The original building would have rivalled nearby Southwell Minster, having two western towers and a nave of seven bays, cloister and a large chancel, plus the monastic houses. The church was restored in 1853 by Thomas Chambers Hine. Parish registers exist from 1721; earlier records were lost in 1780.
The house called Thurgarton Priory was largely rebuilt for John Gilbert Cooper in 1777. It was used as the Bishop of Southwell's palace from 1884 to 1904 until a new one was built next to the cathedral in Southwell. Thurgarton Priory house is Grade II* listed.
List of the priors of Thurgarton Thomas, occurs c. 1190 Henry, 1209; occurs 1218 William, occurs 1234-1245 Richard, occurs 1250-1257 Adam, occurs 1263-1276 Robert de Baseford, resigned 1284 Gilbert de Ponteburg, 1284–1290 Alexander de Gedling, 1290–1304 John de Ruddeston, 1304–1319 John de Hikeling, 1319–1331 Robert de Hathern, 1331–1337 John de Ruddeston, re-elected 1337-1338 Richard de Thurgarton, 1338–1345 Robert de Hickling, 1345–1349 Robert de Claxton, 1349 John de Calveton, died 1381 William de Saperton, 1381 Walter Hilton died 1396 Robert de Wolveden, occurs 1432; resigned 1434 Richard Haley, 1434 William Bingham, 1471–1477 Richard Thurgarton, died 1494 John Allestre, 1494 John Goverton, 1505 John Angear, 1517–1534 Thomas Dethick, 1534–1536 John Berwick, 1536'Houses of Austin canons: The priory of Thurgarton', A History of the County of Nottingham: Volume 2 (1910), pp. 120-125.
Parish status It is in a joint parish with: St Mary's Church, Bleasby St James' Church, Halloughton St Michael's Church, Hoveringham
See also List of English abbeys, priories and friaries serving as parish churches Grade I listed buildings in Nottinghamshire Listed buildings in Thurgarton
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