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.

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’

Kersey Priory

Priors of Kersey

Richard Waleys, died 1331

Robert de Akenham, elected 1331

John Calle, resigned 1387

John de Polstede, elected 1387

John Buche, elected 1394

John Dewche, elected 1411

Nicholas Bungaye, resigned 1422

Richard Fyn, elected 1422

John Duch, elected 1431

William Woodbridge, elected 1432

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.

Kersey Priory

References

External links

Monasteries in Suffolk

Kersey, Suffolk

Kersey Priory