Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
St. Radegund's Priory
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
Unknown-1496
History
The origins of St. Radegund's Priory (also known as the Priory of St. Mary and St. Radegund) are unknown, though it is likely it was founded in the earliest years of the reign of King Stephen, during the episcopate of Nigellus, Bishop of Ely. There seem to be no records of its patronage; in 1496, when Bishop Alcock planned to convert the Priory into a college, he stated that it was 'of the foundation and patronage of the Bishop of Ely', though this assertion has been questioned.
During its time, though the Priory was given numerous small benefactions and gifts of land, it was never wealthy, with its poverty said to be notorious by 1277. This contributed to the Priory falling into a bad state of repair as there were not the funds necessary to fix damage caused by storms and fires. These conditions as well as the extravagant and dissolute life of the nuns, attributed to their proximity to the University of Cambridge, led to Henry VI in 1496 granting permission to Bishop Alcock to take the buildings and estates of the Priory for the foundation of what is known today as Jesus College, Cambridge.