Medieval Monastic Cemeteries of Britain (1050-1600): a digital resource and database of excavated samples
Roberta Gilchrist, Barney Sloane, 2005. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000273. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Prof Roberta Gilchrist, Barney Sloane unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Primary contact
Barney
Sloane
University of Reading
Kemble Drive
Swindon
SN2 2GZ
England
Tel: 0160 8811846
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 454
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000273
- How to cite using this DOI
Overview
The table below contains a summary list of cemetery sites considered in detail during this study, by location, name or dedication, and type. Some indication of community size and wealth is provided where known.
| Location and County | Gazetteer | Name | Type | Site ref | Status | Community size | Income |
| Aberdeen, Grampian | 1 | Aberdeen Whitefriars | Carmelite friary | XAWF80 | D | ||
| Battle, Sussex | 2 | St Martin | Benedictine abbey | XBAB84 | D | 1404: 31 monks, 1490: 31 monks | 1535: £880 |
| Bordesley, Worcestershire | 3 | St Mary | Cistercian abbey | XXBA76 | D | 1332: 34 monks, 1 novice, 7 lay brothers,17 servants. 1381: 14 monks, 1 lay brother. 1538: 20 monks | 1291: £48 1535: £388 |
| Bristol, Avon | 4 | St Bartholomew | Hospital | XBAR77 | D | 1445: 13 residents | |
| Bristol, Avon | 5 | St James | Benedictine priory | XJAM95 | D | 1539: 4 monks | 1535: £57 |
| Brough, Yorkshire | 6 | St Giles, Brompton Bridge | Hospital | XGIL88 | D | ||
| Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk | 7 | St Saviour | Hospital | XBSE89 | D | 1184: 12 poor men, 12 poor women, 12 chaplains, 6 clerks, 1 warden | 1387: £106 |
| Canterbury, Kent | 8 | St Gregory | Augustinian priory | XGRE88 | E | 1291: 13 canons, 1379: 10 canons, 1511: 10 canons, 1535: 7 canons | 1291: £27 1535: £121 |
| Carlisle, Cumbria | 9 | Carlisle Blackfriars | Dominican friary | XCBF77 | 1335: 20 friars | ||
| Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire | 10 | Carmarthen Greyfriars | Franciscan friary | XGFC83 | D | 1538: 14 friars | |
| Castle Acre, Norfolk | 11 | South Acre | Leper hospital | XSA67 | D | ||
| Chelmsford, Essex | 12 | Chelmsford Blackfriars | Dominican friary | XCHB71 | D | 1377: 30 friars | |
| Chertsey, Surrey | 13 | St Peter | Benedictine abbey | XCHE54 | D | 1535: 20 monks | 1535: £659 |
| Chester, Cheshire | 14 | Chester Blackfriars | Dominican friary | XBFC76 | D | 1277: 24 friars, 1538: 5 friars | |
| Chichester, Sussex | 15 | SS James and Mary Magdalene | Leper hospital | XJMC86 | E | c 1200: eight brothers | 1535: £4 |
| Cirencester. Gloucestershire | 16 | St Mary | Augustinian abbey | XCIR64 | E | 1307: 40 canons, 1498: 24 canons, 1534: 21 canons | 1535: £1053 |
| Colchester, Essex | 17 | Colchester Crutched Friars | Friary of the Cruciferi | XCFC88 | D | ||
| Colchester, Essex | 18 | St John | Benedictine abbey | XSJC71 | D | 1117: 25 monks, 1534: 16 monks | 1535: £523 |
| Coventry, Warwickshire | 19 | St Anne | Carthusian priory | XXCH86 | D | 1381: 13 monks, some lay brothers, 1536: 13 monks, 3 lay brothers, 12 scholars | 1535: £131 |
| Cressing, Essex | 20 | Temple Cressing | Templar Commandery | XCRT78 | D | 1338: £36 (with Witham) | |
| Dunstable, Bedfordshire | 21 | St Peter | Augustinian priory | XSPD92 | D | 1442: 13 canons, 1535: 13 canons | 1535: £344 |
| Elstow, Bedfordshire | 22 | St Mary | Benedictine nunnery | XSME64 | E | 1442: 19 nuns, 1539: 24 nuns | 1291: £110 1535: £284 |
| Gloucester, Gloucestershire | 23 | St Oswald | Augustinian priory | XSOS75 | - | 1283: 7 canons, 1536: 7 canons and 8 servants | 1535: £90 |
| Grove, Bedfordshire | 24 | La Grava | Fontevraultine alien priory | XXGP73 | D | ||
| Guildford, Surrey | 25 | Guildford Blackfriars | Dominican friary | XGUI78 | D | 1302: 12 friars, 1324: 24 friars, 1538: 7 friars | |
| Guisborough, Cleveland | 26 | St Mary | Augustinian priory | XGIS85 | D | 1381: 26 canons, 2 lay brothers, 1538: 25 canons | 1535: £628 |
| Hartlepool, County Durham | 27 | Hartlepool Greyfriars | Franciscan friary | XHFF82 | D | 1538: 19 friars | |
| Hereford, Herefordshire | 28 | St Guthlac | Benedictine priory | XSGH82 | E | c 1400: 5 monks | 1291: £87 1535: £121 |
| High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire | 29 | St Margaret | Leper hospital | XWYC86 | D | ||
| Hull, Yorkshire | 30 | Hull Austin Friars | Augustinian friary | XHMC94 | 1317: 16 friars, 1500: 18 friars | ||
| Hulton, Staffordshire | 31 | St Mary | Cistercian abbey | XXHA87 | D | 1377: 5 monks, 1538: 9 monks | 1291: £26 1535: £76 |
| Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire | 32 | St Margaret | Leper hospital | XHUN93 | E | ||
| Ilford, Essex | 33 | St Mary | Leper hospital | XILF59 | D | 1140: 16 residents, 1397: 2 residents, 1535: 3 residents | 1535: £16 |
| Ipswich, Suffolk | 34 | Ipswich Blackfriars | Dominican friary | XIBF83 | 1277: 22 friars, 1296: 40 friars | ||
| Ipswich, Suffolk | 35 | Ipswich Whitefriars | Carmelite friary | XWIP86 | D | 1297: 36 friars | |
| Leicester, Leicestershire | 36 | Leicester Austin Friars | Augustinian friary | XLAF73 | D | 1301: 20 friars, 1320: 27 friars, 1538: 4 friars | |
| Lewes, Sussex | 37 | Lewes Greyfriars | Franciscan friary | XLGF85 | E | 1299: 24 friars | |
| Lewes, Sussex | 38 | St Pancras | Cluniac priory | XLEW69 | E | c 1180: 60 monks, 1279: 50 monks, 1288: 39 monks, 1306: 33 monks, 1381: 40 monks, 1405: 36 monks, 1450: 36 monks | 1535: £920 |
| Lewes, Sussex | 39 | St Nicholas | Hospital | XNIC94 | D | 1538: 13 inmates | |
| Linlithgow, Lothian | 40 | Linlithgow Whitefriars | Carmelite friary | XLWF83 | D | ||
| London (City), Middlesex | 41 | Holy Trinity Aldgate | Augustinian priory | MIT86 | D | c 1130: 40+ canons, 1532: 18 canons | 1291: £235 1532: £355 |
| London (City), Middlesex | 42 | London Blackfriars | Dominican friary | PIC87 | D | 1305: 90 friars, 1466; 34 friars, 1538; 16 friars | |
| London (City), Middlesex | 43 | the New Cemetery (Broad Street) | Post-Medieval town cemetery | LSS85 | D | ||
| London (Clerkenwell), Middlesex | 44 | St John of Jerusalem | Hospitaller priory | JON89 | D | 1338: 7 brothers, 11 corrodians, 13 chaplains, 5 clerks, 6 officials, 16 servants | |
| London (East Smithfield), Middlesex | 45 | Cemetery of the Holy Trinity, abbey of St Mary Graces | Black Death cemetery And Cistercian abbey | MIN86 | D | 1350: 6 monks, 1358: 7 monks, 1376: 9 monks, 1381: 8 monks, 1538: 10 monks | 1535: £547 |
| London (Spitalfields), Middlesex | 46 | St Mary Spital | Augustinian priory And Hospital | NRF88 NRT85 SPQ88 SSQ88 | D | 1303: 12 canons, 5 lay brothers, 7 sisters, 1534: 12 canons | 1535: £504 |
| London (West Smithfield), Middlesex | 47 | St Bartholomew the Great | Augustinian priory | SBG87 | D | 1144: 13 canons, 1174: 35 canons, 1381: 20 canons, 1539: 14 canons | 1291: £152 1535: £693 |
| Maldon, Essex | 48 | Maldon Whitefriars | Carmelite friary | XMWF90 | D | ||
| Merton, Surrey | 49 | St Mary | Augustinian priory | MPY86 | D | 1117: 15 canons, 1121: 23 canons, 1130: 36 canons, 1501: 20 canons, 1535: 20 canons | 1291: £82 1535: £960 |
| Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire | 50 | St Budoc, Pill | Tironian priory | XPIL96 | D | 1504: 6 monks | 1535: £52 |
| Much Wenlock, Shropshire | 51 | SS Michael And Milburga | Cluniac priory | XWEN81 | D | c 1150: 50 monks, 1262: 44 monks, 1350: 40 monks, 1450: 40 monks | 1535: £401 |
| Newark, Nottinghamshire | 52 | St Leonard | Hospital | XSLN79 | - | 1417: 4 residents, 1534: 5 residents | 1534: £17 |
| Northampton, Northamptonshire | 53 | Northampton Greyfriars | Franciscan friary | XNGF72 | D | 1300: 34 friars, 1317: 50 friars, 1538: 11 friars | |
| Norwich, Norfolk | 54 | Norwich Greyfriars | Franciscan friary | XNRG98 | D | c 1300: 50 friars | |
| Oxford, Oxfordshire | 55 | Oxford Blackfriars | Dominican friary | XOBF75 | D | 1276: 60 friars, 1305: 96 friars, 1377: 70 friars, 1538: 14 friars | |
| Perth, Perthshire | 56 | Perth Blackfriars | Dominican friary | XPBF83 | - | ||
| Perth, Perthshire | 57 | Perth Whitefriars | Carmelite friary | XPWF82 | D | ||
| Rochester, Kent | 58 | St Andrew | Benedictine Cathedral priory | XRCP90 | E | 1080: 22 monks, 1107: 60 monks, 1360: 28 monks, 1534: 20 monks | 1535: £486 |
| Sandwell, Staffordshire | 59 | St Mary | Benedictine priory | XXSV82 | D | c 1200: 4 monks?, 1349: 2 monks, 1361: 1 monk, 1380: 1 monk, 1524: 2 monks | 1535: £38 |
| Southwark, Surrey | 60 | St Mary Overie | Augustinian priory | XMCL69 | D | 1304: 19 canons, 1501: 14 canons and novices | 1291: £133 1535: £626 |
| Southwark, Surrey | 61 | St Saviour Bermondsey | Cluniac/Benedictine priory/abbey | BA84 | D | 1262: 32 monks, 1 lay brother, 1279: 18 monks, 1298: 24 monks, 1450: 24 monks | 1535: £464 |
| St Neots, Cambridgeshire | 62 | St Neots | Benedictine priory | XSNP94 | D | c 1320: 15 monks, 1442: 9 monks, 1534: 11 monks | 1535: £241 |
| Stoke Goldington, Buckinghamshire | 63 | Gore, Stoke Goldington | Cluniac nunnery | XGOR69 | E | ||
| Stratford, Essex | 64 | St Mary | Savignac/Cistercian abbey | HW/SL83 HW/LT94 HW/RW94 | D | 1538: 15 monks | 1291: £511 |
| Taunton, Somerset | 65 | SS Peter And Paul | Augustinian priory | XPPT77 | D | 1339: 26 canons, 1377: 15 canons, 1476: 15 canons, 1534: 15 canons | 1535: £286 |
| Whitby, Yorkshire | 66 | SS Peter And Hilda | Benedictine abbey | XWHI58 | - | 1150: 36 monks, 1176: 39 monks, 1381: 20 monks, 1393: 20 monks, 1538: 24 monks | 1535: £437 |
| Whithorn, Galloway | 67 | St Ninian | Praemonstratensian cathedral priory | - | |||
| Winchester, Hampshire | 68 | Mews Lane | Jewish Cemetery | XMEW95 | D | ||
| Winchester, Hampshire | 69 | SS Peter And Grimbald (Hyde) | Benedictine abbey | XKAP88 | D | 1140: 40 monks, 1381: 29 monks, 1507: 33 monks, 1539: 22 monks | 1535: £865 |
| Winchester, Hampshire | 70 | St Mary Nunnaminster | Benedictine nunnery | XMAB85 | D | c 1300: 70 nuns, 1381: 39 nuns, 1536: 26 nuns, 13 lay sisters, 5 priests, 29 servants, 3 corrodians, 26 children | 1535: £179 |
| Winchester, Hampshire | 71 | St Swithun | Benedictine Cathedral priory | XWCP62 | - | 1262: 62 monks, 1325: 64 monks, 1381: 47 monks, 1409: 42 monks, 1428: 36 monks, 1495: 29 monks, 1500: 35 monks, 1533: 43 monks | 1535: £1507 |
| Worcester, Worcestershire | 72 | St Mary | Benedictine Cathedral priory | XWOC92 | E | c 1070: 50 monks, 1381: 37 monks, 1419: 40 monks, 1433: 45 monks, 1536: 41 monks | 1535: £1290 |
| York (Clementhorpe), Yorkshire | 73 | St Clement | Benedictine nunnery | XCLM76 | E | c 1150: 12 nuns, 1536: 8 nuns, 9 servants | 1535: £55 |
| York, (Fishergate), Yorkshire | 74 | St Andrew | Gilbertine priory | XAND86 | E | 1381: 4 canons, 1538; 4 canons | 1535: £47 |
| York (Horsefair), Yorkshire | 75 | St Mary | Carmelite friary then Hospital | XUTH72 | - | 1318 hospital for 5 infirm priests | 1535: £37 |
| York (Jewbury), Yorkshire | 76 | Jewbury | Jewish Cemetery | XJEW88 | - |
Gazetteer No represents numbered entry in Gilchrist and Sloane 2005 publication
Code represents the code against which data is stored on the project database. Codes starting with 'X' were created specifically for this project. Codes starting with any other letter are Museum of London site codes
Status: D = database and digital plan entries. E = Excel spreadsheet only. '-' = Not entered by individual graves, summary sheet only
Community size and Income entries have been
summarised from data in Knowles and Hadcock 1971
Introduction to the data
The fields shown in the Excel downloads are as follows:
| SITECODE | The cemetery code given in the database; where the code is preceded by an 'X', it is not associated with any planning authority, museum or archaeological unit site code |
| LU_INT |
Landuse interpretation: B = Building; OA = Open Area
B1= Church (RA = Presbytery, RB = South Transept, RC = North Transept, RD = Nave, RE = Crossing) B2 = Chapter House B3 = Separate chapel B4 = Cloister walk B5 = Separate cemetery or isolated chapel (OA0 = Post-medieval cemetery) OA1 = Cloister garth OA2 = Cemetery north of church OA3 = Cemetery south of church OA4 = Cemetery west of church OA5 = Cemetery east of church OA6 = Separate cemetery |
| SGP | Subgroup: A collection of associated archaeological contexts (eg a single grave made up of cut, skeleton, fill) |
| CONTEXT | Archaeological context number given to primary burial |
| E_DATE | Earliest established date for the cemetery/grave (archaeological or documentary evidence used) |
| L_DATE | Latest established date for the cemetery/grave (archaeological or documentary evidence used) |
| AG |
Biological age derived from osteological analysis, converted from
original data into common age cohorts:
Foetal (score 0) Infant (0-5yrs) (score 1) Juvenile (6-10yrs) (score 2) Immature (11-15yrs) (score 3) Young adult (16-25yrs) (score 4) Adult (26-45yrs) (score 5) Old adult (46yrs+) (score 6) General adult (16-46yrs+) (score 7) No age established (score 8) General immature (6-15yrs) (score 9) |
| AT |
Attitude of the body within the grave:
Supine Extended (default) Prone Extended Supine Flexed Prone Flexed Crouched Purposefully Disarticulated Viscera Burial |
| SX |
Biological sex of skeleton derived from osteological analysis:
Male (score = 1) Male? (score = 2) Unknown (score = 3) Female? (score 4) Female (score 5) |
| AP | Arm position of skeleton (only two special positions were
scored during project):
Hands in praying position on chest Hands behind back |
| ND |
Notable diseases/pathologies:
Leprosy Tuberculosis D.I.S.H. Treponemal infection (Syphilis et al) |
| RG |
Religious grave goods: identified as present with a 'Y', and described
in free-text comments field. Examples are:
Chalice Paten Cross (wooden or metal) Papal bulla Pilgrim badge Rosary Wand or staff Censer |
| CO | Container for the body: identified as present with a 'Y',
and described in free-text comments field. Examples are:
Shroud Wooden coffin Casket or box Lead coffin Stone coffin |
| AR |
Arrangement of the body within the grave/container: identified as present
with a 'Y', and described in free-text comments field. Examples are:
Object in the mouth Pillow stone or tile under head Head support stones (sometimes called earmuffs) Foot support stones or tiles Disarticulated bones arranged on body |
| PI |
Personal items found on or with body: identified as present with a 'Y',
and described in free-text comments field. Examples are:
Dress and clothing (dress accessories, shoes, textile remnants etc) Jewellry and adornment (brooch, bracelet, ring, necklace etc) Tools and implements (adze, trowel, stylus, key, padlock) Coins (single or hoard) |
| SHAPE |
Shape of grave. Four forms identified:
Angular (where corners well defined) Rounded (poorly defined corners/edges) Anthropomorphic (inset niche for head) Not definitive (where too little of grave survives or data insufficient in archive to tell) |
| BASE_LIN |
Evidence for basal lining to grave: Examples include:
Stone slabs Gravel or sand Tiles Ash or charcoal Mortar or plaster Crushed masonry (chalk, greensand, slate) Plank or wood Vegetation |
| WALL_LIN |
Evidence for wall lining to grave: Examples include:
Mortared stone ci Unmortared stone cist Plank Brick Mortar or plaster skim |
| COVER |
Evidence for internal grave cover (as opposed to slab marker). Examples
include:
Stone (slabs) Plank Vegetation Metal (eg lead sheet) Distinctive grave fill (clay, gravel etc) |
| MARKER |
Evidence for visible marker. Examples include:
Posthole for wooden marker Head/Foot stone Grave slab Tombchest |
| COMMENTS | Free text to expand on nature of grave, occupant(s), artefacts, etc. |
| SOURCE | Principal bibliographic source(s) for data |
