Kirby Bellars Priory
Kirby Bellars Priory was a small priory of Canons Regular of Saint Augustine in Leicestershire, England. It is now the Church of England Parish Church of Saint Peter's serving the village of Kirby Bellars. Origins Some of the present parish church of Saint Peter's had been constructed during the 1200s for the village at that time called Chirchebi. In 1316 Roger de Beler granted lands to support a pair of chaplains to say daily Requiem Masses in a private chantry chapel, also dedicated to Saint Peter, at Kirby Bellars Mannor House for the souls of himself, his wife Alice, his parents William and Amicia, and all his ancestors. One of the chaplains was also responsible for saying Mass in a second chantry and Lady Chapel located in the north and south aisles of the Parish Church. In 1319 the establishment was expanded to a college of secular canons comprising a warden and twelve chaplains, and Beler added the holding of Buckminster Mannor as well as lands in to the north and south of Kirby parish church and other places for the upkeep of the community. The Chantry Chaplains were also responsible for offering Masses in the Parish Church Saint Peter's which was subordinated to their control on the 2nd September 1319. Given the size of St Peters and the evidence of large scale buildings adjacent Northern field it is likely that after 1359 it became the Priory church too although there is some dispute about this. After Rogers Murder by his cousin in 1326 the college experienced a time of disruption and instability among the chaplains. Wardens of the College William Spigurnel, first warden, occurs 1319. John Cosyn. John of Kirby, died 1338. Edmund of Coston, presented 1338, died 1359. Roger Wiseman, presented and removed, 1359. Augustinian Priory In 1359 the college of secular clergy was transformed into a priory of Augustinian Canons, with a prior and twelve canons. The reformed community, inspired by 6th century Rule of Saint Augustine, were obliged by their new vows to remain stable at the priory rather than seeking positions elsewhere as before. The canons had a mixed vocation of prayer, pastoral care and work to maintain the communities building and assets. Their life revolved around the singing of the 8 daily prayer services as well as a Conventual Mass. The de Beler family continued to be the secular patrons of the community and chose to be buried in the priory church. In 1363 the canons transferred control of All Saints Clipston in Northamptonshire to the Knights Hospitalers in exchange for the much closer parish of Saint John the Baptist Buckminster. In 1392 a royal license granted Kirby Ballars control of the parish of Saint Mary's, Garthorpe and in 1412 the parish of Saint Andrews, Twyford. The Visitation Report of 1440 On the 26th of November 1440 the priory was visited by William Alnwick, Bishop of Lincoln. He found the standards kept there satisfactory, correcting only minor faults of dress and some mistakes in