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Summary

Site of the Cluniac Priory of St James founded in the 12th century and dependent on the priory of St Martin des Champs in Paris. The priory was dissolved in the 15th century

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Devon Record Office: 3116Z/11/8
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX99SW/2

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PRIORY (VIII to Late Medieval - 701 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Allan, J., Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV339462.

A number of architectural fragments, including parts of capitals, are in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. They were salvaged by Martin Biddle during reconstruction work at St James' Weir in the 1960s.

Oliver, G., 1846, Monasticon Diocesis Exoniensis, 162-9 (Monograph). SDV57424.

Jacobscerca mentioned in Domesday, and Jacobescherche in the Exchequer text are customarily identified with the church of St James, which became a priory in 1141, and continued until dissolved in mid 15th century.

Birch, W de G., 1874, On Two Seals of the Earl of Devon, 170-4 (Article in Serial). SDV339448.

The seal of the Earl of Devon appears appended to the Foundation Charter of St James' Priory, near Exeter. The foundation of the priory was probably shortly before 1126. Other details: Fig 9.

Chanter, J. R., 1888, Cluniac Houses in Devon, 383-4, 388-9 (Article in Serial). SDV339450.

A drawing by Everett of the site of St James' Priory is in the Devon Record Office. The date of the drawing is not known but it is circa 1930-60. The Priory was given to St Martin des Champs by the Empress Maud some time before 1146.

Reichel, O. J., 1900-1901, Church Right and Church Charters in Devonshire, 39-41 (Article in Serial). SDV339459.

Reichel, O. J., 1904-1905, Conventual Houses of Exeter and neighbourhood, 186-9 (Article in Serial). SDV339454.

Reichel says that Baldwin was not the founder of the priory. It is mentioned in Domesday as Jacobscerca among the lands of the English Thegns. Baldwin only confirmed the grant.

Clarke, K. M., 1904-1905, The Conventual Houses of Exeter and the Neighbourhood, 138-9 (Article in Serial). SDV24921.

The site passed into the hands of the Ducke family. 'Ducke's Marsh' is still the name of the meadow by the river. A house on the site is called the 'Old Abbey'. In a wall bounding grounds on side nearest Exeter the upper part of a stone coffin is built into it. This is only remains of the priory.

Reichel, O. J., 1912, Early Descents of the Manors in the Wonford Hundred, 317 (Article in Serial). SDV38843.

Graham, R., 1922, The Cluniac Order and its English Province, 169-74 (Article in Serial). SDV339444.

R. B. M., 1926 - 1927, St James Parish by Exeter, 1379 (Article in Serial). SDV339455.

Lease of lands by the priory recorded in Calendar Patent Rolls of 1397, described as being in the Parish of St James of Exeter. Article claims this is a use of the word 'Parish' in the non-modern sense.

Rose-Troup, F., 1926 - 1927, St James Parish by Exeter, 1379 (Article in Serial). SDV339456.

Rose-Troup disagrees with R. B. M., saying that there was a parish church of St James within the city in pre-conquest times, pulled down in the 14th century and that the priory was in that parish. Also notes later that the possession of tithes and having its own cemetery (consecrated 1146) entitled the priory to describe its lands as the parish of St James by Exeter, in the modern sense of parish.

Lega-Weekes, E., 1926 - 1927, St James Parish by Exeter, 1379, 353-4 (Article in Serial). SDV339457.

House called Old Abbey on site of church to which priory was attached, in parish of Heavitree. Jacobschirche stood on the riverside lands before Baldwin founded the monastery in about 1143. The church probably originated as a Memorial Chapel.

Reichel, O. J., 1939, The Church and the Hundreds in Devon, 340 (Article in Serial). SDV15424.

Reichel suggests the priory stood on the site of a Saxon church.

Curiosus II, 1940 - 1941, St James's Priory Seal, 174 (Article in Serial). SDV339458.

Priory seal found in 1822, no location given. Silver, description given. Inscription refers to prior of 1428. It was in the possession of John Carew but present whereabouts unknown.

Graham, R., 1948, The Cluniac Priory of St Martin des Champs, Paris, and its dependent Priories in Engalnd and Wales, 35-59 (Article in Serial). SDV339446.

Graham, R., 1952, A History of the Buildings of the English Province of the Order of Cluny After the Suppression of Some Priories and the General Dissolution of the Monasteries, 13-30 (Article in Serial). SDV339447.

St James's Priory, Exeter, a daughter priory of St Martin des Champs, Paris, a priory dependent on the Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy. Of the priory founded a little before 1142 by Baldwin de Redvers, the Earl of Devon, on marshy ground southeast of Exeter above the River Exe there are no remains. In 1279 the church and other buildings were said to be in good condition but 60 years later Bishop Grandisson wrote that they were in a tumbledown state. The 14th century was a time of neglect and decay and in 1428 it is said for a time no services were held. In 1441 Henry VI granted St James's Priory to his new foundation of King's College, Cambridge. In 1594 a building called St James's House stood on the site. In the early 1930's the estate became a building site. The decline of the priory began with the outbreak of war with France in 1289, when it was designated an 'alien priory', and with a concurrent dispute with the Bishops of Exeter over privileges granted to all Cluniac foundations, among them exemption from episcopal control. It is unlikely that there were ever more than a prior and two monks living in a small house which adjoined the church.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SX99SW62 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV339449.

Visited on 5th July 1953. The present mansion 'Old Abbey' has been converted into a cafe, guest house and a few cottages; it is probably 17th century. The wall surrounding the house is considered too rough to be the original precinct wall of the priory.

Unknown, 1963, Untitled Source (Article in Serial). SDV339453.

Skeletons found on site of former tea gardens during redevelopment in 1963.

Youings, J., 1967, King Jame's Charter to Tiverton 1615, 148-9 (Article in Serial). SDV35411.

Sometime before 1146 the priory was granted the Church of Tiverton.

Knowles, D. + Hadcock, R. N., 1971, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, 99 (Monograph). SDV323253.

Weddell, P. J., 1987, St. James' Priory, Exeter (Report - Assessment). SDV347691.

The house in St Martin's Lane was described as a 'Little Pitiful House' in 1674. Several leases in the records of Kings College. The only reference to buildings in the medieval period are to church and cemetery, and there appears to have been no communal buildings or cloisters. This conforms with the small size of the convent, which often consisted of only a prior and monk. There was probably a house attached to the church. 1501 reference to a barn and house (called 'Le Shepyn') on site of priory, though not necessarily within the precinct. In 1594 the court and 'shippinge' were to the west of the priory. A 1567 court roll refers to the gate 'St James Yeate', which was in ruin and decay. This suggests a gatehouse probably somewhere along Salmon Pool Lane. A pre-1740 map shows a rectangular feature at the junction of the lane with Topsham Road. There are 16th century references to the Mansion House of the Manor needing repair. In 1741 the premises included a house, barn stable, courtlage and linhay. Clarke has suggested that the Duckes, who leased the land in the 16th and 17th centuries may have demolished the church. By 1837 the site had been redeveloped.

Orme, N., 1991, The Medieval Chapels of Heavitree, 123 (Article in Serial). SDV24915.

Church became a small cell of monks in 1141 dependent on the Cluniac abbey of St Martin-des-Champs in Paris and continued as a priory until it was dissolved in the middle of the 15th century.

Unknown, 1991, Unity and Variety: A history of the church in Devon and Cornwall, 40 (Article in Serial). SDV339460.

Weddell, P. J., 1996, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Development at the University of Plymouth Campus, Earl Richards Road, Exeter (Report - Assessment). SDV339461.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, Archaeological Assessment of Priory High School, Millbrook Lane, Exeter, 5 (Report - Assessment). SDV24356.

Weddell, P. J., 2003, Archaeological Assessment of Priory High School, Millbrook Lane, Exeter, 5 (Report - Assessment). SDV358083.

Best, J. + Woodgate, R., 2007, Archaeological Monitoring at St James' Weir, Exeter (Report - Watching Brief). SDV339440.

Parker, R. W. + Passmore, A. J., 2008, Archaeological Assessment of the St Loye's Foundation, Topsham Road, Exeter, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV356478.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV1062 - ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Unknown date)

Associated Events

• EDV4302 - Weir to the southeast of St James' Weir

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