The nunnery was founded before 1153 by Robert de Verli Medieval English Cistercian Nunneries: Their Art and Physical Remains, 175). According to Knowles and Hadcock, this was the most important of the quasi-double monasteries, and was for nuns and lay-sisters, with canons and lay-brothers, the canons apparently of the Premonstatensian order and the lay-brothers Cistercian (Medieval Religious Houses in England and Wales, 226). S. Thompson also classifies the community as a double monastery.
The male monastery Croxton; Premonstratensian were spiritual advisors in the twelfth century, but the community was not part of that order. (Backmund)
There were 11 in 1267, and 20 in 1535. According to Knowles and Hadcock, the community was originally for 14-15 nuns, but was probably increased to over 30. At the suppression in 1539 there were 20 nuns including the prioress (Medieval Religious Houses in England and Wales, 226). The existence of canons at the priory is confirmed by the evidence of witness lists and by the record of a dispute between Swine and the abbey of Meaux in the first half of the thirteenth century (Women Religious: The Founding of English Nunneries After the Norman Conquest, 69). This reveals the presence of at least 2 canons and 7 brothers or conversi.
According to the 1291 taxation, the community's income from spiritualities amounted to 53 pounds, and the income from temporalities amounted to 48 pounds. The community had the income from the church of Swine. In 1535 its net annual income was valued at 82 pounds, 3 shillings, and 9 1/2 pence.
[1]Confirmation of the community foundation by the archdeacon (Before 1154)
[2]Inspection of the first edition confirmed foundation (During the rule of Edward I)
A description of the convent by the Suppression Commission (London: P.R.O., SP 5/2/116-137) for 1539 documents the nave as 76 feet long and 21 feet wide and the choir as 54 feet long. "The present church has four bays of stumpy round piers with multiscalloped flat capitals and square abaci and two-step pointed arches, two of them with zigzag. The small celestory windows are pointed too, and there is a corbel-table which includes the present chancel" (The Buildings of England:Yorkshire East, 353). There is a 15 foot, 6 inch wide north aisle and a 10 foot, 4 inch wide south aisle each with 3 windows of Perpendicular tracery design. The church nave and sanctuary measure 82 feet, 6 inches in length and they are separated by stalls consisting of 9 misericords which come from the nun's church. The three largest windows in the church are the east north chapel window in Decorated Gothic with 56 panels, a huge east window in Perpendicular Gothic with 7 lights, and a south sanctuary window, also Perpendicular, with 3 panels of light.
The present church in the village of Swine which was the east choir of the nun's large church is all that remains. The site was subject to aerial photograph on June 17, 1951 and July 16, 1975 (Cambridge Univ.: Dept. of Aerial Photo, FU 46-50 and BUI 85-89).
Description of the convent by the Suppression Commission: London:P.R.O., SP 5/2/116-137.
Early Yorkshire charters: being a collection of documents anterior to the thirteenth century made from the public records, monastic chartularies, Roger Dodsworth's manuscripts and other available sources, Volume 3:75-6, no. I,360.
Charters of the Priory of Swine in Holderness
Charters of the Priory of Swine in Holderness
Charters of the Priory of Swine in Holderness, 114.
Medieval English Cistercian Nunneries: Their Art and Physical Remains, 175.
Women Religious: The Founding of English Nunneries After the Norman Conquest
Medieval Religious Houses in England and Wales, 226.
The Exemption from Suppression of Certain Yorkshire Priories
The Cistercian Nunnery of Swine Priory: Its Church and Choir Stalls
A Note on the Hidden Miserichord of Swine
The 'Chariot of Aminadab' and the Yorkshire Priory of Swine
Dugdale's Monasticon Volume 5
Swine, Swinhey, or Swina Abbey, in Yorkshire
The Victoria History of the County of York3:178-82 available online at ">http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36253&strquery=swine"> [Victoria County History]
The foundation date is in the age of Stephen, according to Oliva.
Later references to brothers and sisters has led to mistakenly seeing this as a double monastery, but there is no evidence for this, according to Robert de Verli(?). However, a notification of Henry II referred to the master of the house, canons, brothers and nuns (Thompson, 69). The existence of canons at the priory is confirmed by the evidence of witness lists and by the record of a dispute between Swine and the abbey of Meaux in the first half of the thirteenth century (Thompson, 69). This reveals the presence of at least 2 canons and 7 brothers or conversi. S. Thompson also classifies the community as a double house.
Miscellaneous information--DM--double monastery
[V0822]
It has been suggested that proximity to the sea was a reason for the dereliction of the nunnery of Swine (see Charters of the Priory of Swine in Holderness, 114).
