Colchester, Essex - St. John's Abbey Gate -Raphael Tuck Silvertette card 1912

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  St. John's Abbey Gate, Colchester
• Publisher:  Raphael Tuck 'Silverette' series No. 1838
• Postally used:  yes
• Stamp:  George V half d. green
• Postmark(s):  Wells, July 3 1912 cds
• Sent to:  Miss Rita Jacob, Ward No. 15, Royal Infirmary, Bristol
• Notes / condition:  bumped corner

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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Colchester Abbey was a Benedictine monastery founded by Eudo, son of Hubert de Ria, seneschal of King William II (William Rufus) in 1096. This particular location was chosen for the monastery by Eudo as it was believed to be the site of a supposed miracle.

The first Abbot was Hugh of York, elected in 1104. Not soon after, the monastic living quarters were moved to the opposite side of the church due to the noise from the town and in October the first church was itself completed. At this point there were over twenty monks in residence.

There were two cells of the abbey; a hermitage known as Bedesmannesburg and Snape Priory in Suffolk which seems to have often had as little as one permanent resident.

There was considerable conflict between the abbey and the town for much of its existence, common enough circumstances at the time, as for example with Cirencester Abbey and Wymondham Abbey. In 1272, a riot took place at the Midsummer fair between the townspeople and men from the abbey, and a corpse was subsequently discovered which the abbey claimed to be a victim of the riot, killed by the townspeople. However it was soon discovered to be a body removed from the town gallows by the monks for the purpose of presenting him as a murder victim. Later, even a fortified tower was constructed to defend the abbey during local conflict.

Financially and materially, the abbey was in difficulty during, and beyond, the fourteenth century, with the church known to have been damaged by both flooding and fire. During this period there was also a significant conflict, culminating in a violent riot when the canons of nearby St Boltophs Priory appear to have stormed the abbey and attacked some of the community including the abbot himself.

In 1396, a monk of the abbey, John Colschestre was appointed bishop of Orkney by the pope, who in 1399 also granted the abbots of Colchester the use of the mitre, thus enhancing their status.

In 1403, the abbot was involved in a conspiracy to restore a supposedly still living King Richard II to the throne. The plot failed and the conspirators, including the abbot were arrested, though he had by then fled. He was later pardoned but got into further trouble and was imprisoned in Nottingham Castle. He died not long after.

There were further political problems involving the community in 1534, with the abbot and other monks refusing to give the oath of fealty to Henry VIII and his successors.

type=printed postcards

theme=topographical: british

sub-theme=england

county/ country=essex

number of items=single

period=pre - 1914

postage condition=posted