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Summary

Site of a Collegiate Church founded in 1335 and dissolved in 1545.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY09NE/29

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• COLLEGE (Early Medieval to XVI - 1066 AD to 1600 AD)

Full description

Rose-Troup, F., 1935, Proceedings at the 74th annual meeting, 16 (Article in Serial). SDV336570.

The college was founded for 40 members in 1384.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1953, SY09NE8 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV336572.

The collegiate buildings stood to the south of the church. Within the existing graveyard of the church were the cloister, the chapterhouse library and gatehouse. See sub sheets. Also belonging to the college were the hospital (see MDV19994), the wardens house (see MDV10355)), the chanters house (see MDV10322) and other buildings (see MDV19996). See plan.

Copeland, G. W., 1963, Proceedings at the 101st annual meeting, 22 (Article in Serial). SDV115766.

The college established next to the church has mostly been removed.

Knowles, D. + Hadcock, R. N., 1971, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales, 417, 434, 479 (Monograph). SDV323253.

Secular college of Ottery St Mary. For Collegiate Church, see parish church, (see MDV10328). Secular college founded 1337 by Bishop Grandisson for a warden, 8 prebends, 10 vicars, masters of music and grammar, 2 parish priests, 8 secondaries, 8 choristers and two clerks. Dissolved in 1545.

Delderfield, E., 1977, Scrapbook 2, 6 (Article in Serial). SDV77.

Founded 1337, & incorporated existing buildings (ie wardens house, chanters house). Property given to Duke of Somerset after dissolution. Other details: Photograph.

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

The secular college at Ottery St Mary 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. Preliminary Assessment Form. Ottery St Mary: Secular College (Un-published). SDV366683.

A preliminary assessment of the site found a number of buildings associated with the site of the secular college including the Manor House, Chanters House, Wardens House, The Vicarage and the gatehouse. The Manor House and Chanters House are mainly 18th century in date with little trace of antiquity. The Wardens House and Vicarage incorporate the remains of medieval buildings. Nothing remains of the gatehouse apart from a stone with the arms of Bishop Oldham in a gatepost in the churchyard.
Buried deposits are likely to exist in the churchyard and in the gardens to the south and south-west of the churchyard and also in the garden of the Chanters House and to the west of the Manor House.
Previous research indicates that the college was founded in 1337 by Bishop Grandisson and dissolved in 1545. The history and plan of the buildings appears well documented, particularly by J. N. Dalton (1917). The survey potential is considered good.

Weddell, P. J., 1987, Devon Religious Houses Survey: Ottery St Mary (Report - Survey). SDV366679.

The manor of Ottery is recorded in Domesday Book as being held by St Mary’s Church, Rouen. It was purchased by Grandisson, Bishop of Exeter in 1334-5, who then founded a Collegiate Church there. The licence for the new foundation was granted in 1335 and the new officers for the college were appointed in 1337. The new Collegiate Church had 40 members, the principal officers being the Warden, Minister, Precentor and Sacristan. All had to live within the precinct. The manor of Ottery was granted as part of the foundation, to be the major financial support for the college, to which the income from the churches at Ilsington, Northam and Ipplepen were subsequently added. The college was surrendered to the King in 1545. The greater part of the estate, including the manor of Ottery and most of the later endowments, was granted to Edward Earl of Hereford (later Duke, then Protector of Somerset). However, he had to pay the pensions of the college staff and could not appropriate the income of the churches until the death of the then rectors. In 1547 he exchanged the rectories and the great tithes of Ottery St Mary for others with the Dean and Canons of Windsor. His property was later forfeited on his attainder for high treason in 1552.
The church and part of the adjacent buildings of the Collegiate church and the small tithes of the parish were granted by the king to the parishioners in December 1545. The buildings included the vestries, cloister, chapter house, vicars’ house, school house and the secondaries’ and choristers houses.
The most important surviving element of the College is the church. Other buildings which are thought to contain remains of medieval buildings are the Vicars' House, the Warden's House, Chanters House and the Manor House.
Other buildings included the Choristers House, Secondaries House, School House and King's School. The sites of the other canonical houses are not known for certain
The area of the churchyard is considered to be particularly archaeologically sensitive as it contains the remains of 14th century Collegiate buildings and cloisters and also possibly the foundations of a Saxon church. The area encompassed by the Collegiate Houses is also archaeological sensitive as contains the remains of other canonical houses mentioned above.
The Collegiate Church ranked with Crediton as one of the most important and richest foundations in Devon. It is also considered important in terms of ecclesiastical history as it was founded with certain aims in mind, to serve as an example of piety and scholarly study and as such was an important step towards the evolution of the chantry college.

Exeter Archaeology, 1998, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Supermarket Development at Hind Street, Ottery St Mary, 3-4 (Report - Assessment). SDV336582.

Archaeology and Planning Solutions, 2008, Ottery Town Mill, Ottery St Mary, Devon. Archaeological Desk Based Assessment, 11 (Report - Assessment). SDV346685.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4013 - Archaeological assessment of a proposed supermarket development at Hind Street, Ottery St Mary
• EDV2416 - Devon Religious Houses Survey

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