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Summary

Site of the Cluniac Priory of St James founded in the 12th century, on the site of a Saxon Church, and dependent on the priory of St Martin des Champs in Paris. The priory was dissolved in the 15th century and the estate was to be given to Kings College, Cambridge in whose hands it remained until the 20th century when the property was gradually sold off for redevelopment.

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)

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.

Founded by Baldwin de Redvers, Earl of Devonshire for a prior and four monks before 1146.

Devon County Council, 1986 - 1987, Devon Religious Houses Survey (Un-published). SDV347681.

St James Priory was one of sixty plus religious houses investigated as part of the Devon Religious Houses Survey, a Devon County Council Rescue Project. The aims of the survey were to identify how much remains of the site and to consider how any surviving remains could be conserved for the future. The work comprised a rapid assessment of the site, summarising the present state of knowledge, followed by a more detailed survey in order to define the extent of the religious house and its plan, identify the earthwork and standing remains and assess its post-dissolution history. See separate entries for the results of the surveys.

Weddell, P. J., 1986-7, Devon Religious Houses Survey 1986-7. Preliminary Assessment Form. St James, Exeter (Un-published). SDV366637.

A Cluniac, alien priory. There was a mansion on the site into the 1950s, possibly 17th century. Otherwise nothing remains of the priory. A stone coffin was built into a boundary wall and skeletons are said to have been found in 1963. There appears to be little chance of above ground remains but the possibility of buried deposits remains likely. There is also scope for documentary research.

Weddell, P.J., 1986-7, Devon Religious Houses Survey: St James Priory, Exeter (Archive - Survey). SDV366638.

Unpublished notes from various sources and copies of maps.

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

St James Priory lay close to the River Exe about 1.25km downstream from the Quay. The weir here is still known as St James’s Weir. The site is discernible on modern maps, bounded by the river on its east side and by Salmon Pool Lane on most of its north and west sides. There was a Saxon church here, recorded in Domesday Book, dedicated to St James. It was created a priory by Baldwin, Earl of Devon in the early 1140s. His endowments to the priory included the church at Tiverton, the Manor of Cotleigh and half the tithes of his fishery at Topsham. They were also enabled to build new watermills. The priory estate was gradually enlarged by subsequent small grants of land. The priory also acquired properties in Exeter including a house on the corner of St Martin’s Lane and tenements in South Street.
The fact that it was an alien priory, having been given to the Cluniac priory of St Martin des Champs in Paris, was to cause many problems both with the Bishops of Exeter and the Kings of England with the result that it became very poor and in debt, leasing out demesne land in an attempt to raise money. During the late 13th and 14th centuries the priory seems only to have supported a prior and one monk. It did not last long into the 15th century. Ln 1444 Henry VI granted it to Kings College, Cambridge. A survey of 1572 showed that the priory lands were still mostly intact. Of the properties in Exeter only the house in St Martin’s Lane remained and this was later described, as a 'Little Pitiful House' in 1674. The estate remained in the hands of Kings College until the 20th century when it gradually sold off for development. The site is now occupied by modern housing.
The only reference to buildings in the medieval period are to the church and cemetery. 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. There is a reference in1501 to a barn and house called Le Shepyn but this was 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. It has been suggested that the Duckes, who leased the land in the 16th and 17th centuries may have demolished the church. There is no documentary evidence, however, to confirm this. Both the pre-1740 map and an estate map made in 1740 show a church. By 1837 the site had been redeveloped and converted into a dwelling, cottages, linhays and gardens. Little appears to have remained of the priory; it has been assumed that the cottages were on the site of the church. A house called Old Abbey which stood until the 1960s does not appear to have exhibited any signs of antiquity. A stone coffin was recorded in 1951 as being found in the boundary wall.
During building work in the 1960s skeletons were found on the east side of the site suggesting that the cemetery was to the north of the church. Three 13th century Beer stone capitals were also recovered during the work (now in Exeter Museum).
As a small alien priory cell, the priory is of interest as these types of site are not well known. The site has additional interest in that it was probably occupied by a Saxon church prior to its creation as a priory; the church and its land which are mentioned in the Domesday Book formed the focus for the priory and its estate. The plan of the priory buildings is not known; it is assumed that later buildings occupied the site of the church and prior’s house. It appears that the opportunity to investigate the site during development in the 1960s was missed. As a result there are now no upstanding remains of the buildings and the below ground archaeological deposits have probably been badly disturbed. It is suggested though that below ground disturbance should be monitored. The line of the precinct wall, adjacent to the old course of Salmon Pool Lane is one of the few surviving elements of the medieval landscape. The sites of the priory mills and mill leats, first mentioned in a 12th century grant, are also considered to be important.

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
• EDV2416 - Devon Religious Houses Survey

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