In 1430, Henry Ciprian and Roger Bukke, two Augustinian canons, fled from their priory at Waltham, Essex, and sought sanctuary at the collegiate church of St. Martin le Grand in London. Their request for asylum sparked a major conflict between the dean of St. Martin’s and the mayor and aldermen of London over the church’sContinue reading “Apostasy and sanctuary, 1430”
Tag Archives: Apostasy
An apostate monk and royal defence of sanctuary
An odd story of another apostate monk, and flipping of assumptions of sanctuary as church encroachment on royal power: an “enemy” abbey (Citeaux in Burgundy) allegedly interfered in the king’s sanctuary at Westminster. Allegations and counter-allegations in this case are contradictory, so it’s impossible to discern “what happened,” but what follows is my best guess.Continue reading “An apostate monk and royal defence of sanctuary”
Monk on the run
In 1512 George Akeryg, a “monastic oblate” (novice monk) of St Mary’s abbey, Merevale, Warwickshire, sought sanctuary at St Leonard’s Hospital in York. He evidently wasn’t happy about his religious vocation. Akeryg, on the run from his abbey, ended up in the city of York. He went to St Mary’s abbey, where he stole aContinue reading “Monk on the run”
Sanctuary Seekers in England, 1394-1557 