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.


Wednesday, 21 August 2024

Marian Pilgrimage - Our Lady of Guisborough, Our Lady of Mount Grace, and Our Lady of Wensleydale

 
At this point I am moving the penultimate post from last year to this place as it fits in slightly more logically with three more Yorkshire Shrines.

The first two, Guisborough and Mount Grace are discussed in last year’s post at Marian Pilgrimage addendum - Our Lady of Guisborough and Our Lady of Mount Grace

To this pair I am adding Our Lady of Wensleydale. This is referred to by Waterton but he was unsure whether it was located at the Premonstratensian Coverham Abbey, dedicated to the Annunciation, or the Cistercian Jervaulx Abbey, which like all Cistercian houses was dedicated to the Virgin. Looking at the Victoria County History accounts of both houses I am inclined to favour Jervaulx as the foundation history of the monastery, which is cited at length, tells of the founding Abbot having a dream in which he and the monks were led by the Virgin and Child from their first home at Fors, further up the dale, along Wensleydale to their new home at Jervaulx. 

The VCH account of Jervaulx can be read at Houses of Cistercian monks: Jervaulx | British History Online


May Our Lady of Guisborough, Our Lady of Mount Grace, and Our Lady of Wensleydale pray for The King and all the Royal Family and for us all.


1 comment:

Zephyrinus said...

Another fascinating and most interesting Post on the Marian Pilgrimages.

Congratulations, John, on an excellent re-presentation of this lovely subject matter.