Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Thursday 20 May 2021

Our Lady of Evesham


I wrote last year about this medieval place of Marian pilgrimage in my post Our Lady of Evesham

To that I would add that large scale devotion at Evesham seems to have originated with the gift by Earl Leofric and his wife Godgifu of a statue of the Virgin and Child wrought in silver and gold to the abbey when they rebuilt the church in the eleventh century. It immediately became an object of pilgrimage and popular devotion. I do not know if this statue survived to the dissolution of the abbey - which is very possible barring accidental loss in a fire or other mishap - or if it was replaced over the course of time.

In addition to what I posted last year about the later medieval appearance of the abbey for more online information I would now direct readers to the stainedglassattitudes post on MonasteryQuest™ Pt 1: the twenty richest houses at the dissolution where Evesham appears as the seventeenth richest house at the dissolution.

Our Lady of Evesham Pray for us 


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