Neasham Priory
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Neasham Priory is a priory that was founded for a community of Benedictine nuns before 1157. Located on the River Tees near Sockburn, County Durham. It was the only monastery in the county to be independent of Durham Cathedral Priory. It was apparently never wealthy or notable, though in the 15th century an investigation was conducted by the Bishop of Durham as a result of some misbehaviour by members of the community.
[edit] History
On the 29th December 1540, the prioress Jane Lawson surrendered the house to the agents of the King and it was subsequently acquired by her own brother, James Lawson.
Since the 19th century, a house known as Neasham Abbey has stood on the approximate site of the monastery and there are no visible remains. A solitary wall containing a reconstructed gothic window now stands in Darlington town centre and is purported to have come from the priory. A more reliable remnant however is that of a large stone carving on display in the treasury at Durham Cathedral.
[edit] References
- 'House of Benedictine nuns: Priory of St Mary, Neasham', A History of the County of Durham: Volume 2 (1907), pp. 106-08
