A Chronology of Walsingham Since the time of its Foundation to the Present Day Walsingham Ever Ancient 1061 – Ever New 2015 The Foundation of the Shrine of the Holy House of Nazareth Walsingham - England 1061 - 1538 1061 The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham was established in 1061 after Richeldis de Faverches prayed that she might undertake some special work in honour of Our Lady, who instructed her to build a replica of the Holy House of Nazareth to serve as a perpetual memorial of the Annunciation. 1066 The Norman Conquest of England. 1150 The Augustinian Canons built a Priory beside the Holy House. Line Drawing of the Great Priory of Walsingham Ground Plan of the Great Priory of Walsingham A Chronology of Walsingham Page 2 October 2015 – Ver 1.1 1226 Henry III was the first monarch to visit Walsingham. He came on many other occasions and also financially supported the Shrine. Walsingham became a place of pilgrimage for many other Kings and Queens. Edward I paid at least 12 visits, Edward II came in 1315, Edward III came in 1361, King David of Scotland was given safe passage to visit in 1364, Richard II came with his wife Anne in 1383, Henry IV's wife Queen Joan visited in 1427. In 1469, King Edward IV and his wife visited Walsingham, a visit mentioned in the Paston Letters "and as for the King, as I understand, he departyt to Walsingham upon Friday come seven-night, and the Queen also". In 1487 Henry VII during the insurrection of the nobles in favour of Lambert Simnel "came to the place called Walsingham where he prayed devoutly before the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that he might be preserved from the wiles of his enemies". Henry VII visited Walsingham on other occasions and passed this devotion on to his son, Henry VIII who came on Pilgrimage in 1511, when he walked barefoot to the Shrine and offered Our Lady a necklace of great value. 1347 A Franciscan Friary was founded by Elizabeth de Burgh, Countess of Clare. Remains of the Franciscan Friary, the largest remains of a medieval Franciscan Friary in England 1360 Slipper Chapel built. This is the last of the Pilgrim Chapels on way to Walsingham. (Approx) 1465 A Ballad printed by Richard Pynson recounts in 21 verses an account of the miraculous foundation at Walsingham. "Of this chapell se here the fundacyon, Bylded the yere of Crystes incarnacyon, A thousand complete syxty and one, The tyme of sent Edward kyng of this region..." 1479 William of Worcester records the earliest extant details and measurements of the Shrine, the Priory Church and other buildings. "The length of the chapel of the blessed Mary consists of 7 yards 30 inches, its width of 4 yards 10 inches. The length of the whole church of Walsingham as far as the beginning of the chancel consists of 136 paces". 1485 The Red Mount Chapel, King's Lynn built, a chapel visited by Walsingham pilgrims from the North and from the Continent 1513 Erasmus, the Renaissance scholar, visited Walsingham and wrote a detailed account of his Pilgrimage. He described the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham as "a little image, remarkable neither for size, material, or execution". A Chronology of Walsingham Page 3 October 2015 – Ver 1.1 The Prayer of Erasmus (which he used as he knelt before the Shrine and still used today) O, Alone of all women, Mother and Virgin, Mother most blessed, Virgin most pure, we salute you, we honour you as best we can with our humble offerings. May your Son grant us that imitating your most holy manners, we also, by the Grace of the Holy Ghost may deserve to conceive the Lord Jesus spiritually in our inmost soul, and once conceived, never to lose Him. Amen. The Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Destruction of the Shrine 1534 - 1538 1534 On 18th September the Canons of Walsingham acknowledged the Royal Supremacy - one of the first religious houses in England to submit. 1537 The sub-prior Nicholas Mileham and layman George Guisborough were executed in Walsingham on 31st May. The "Walsingham Martyrs". 1538 The Statue of Our Lady of Walsingham handed over to the King Henry VIII's Commissioners on 14th July. "In the moneth of July, the images of our Ladye of Walsingham and Ipswich were brought up to London with all the jewelles that honge about them ... and they were burnt at Chelsey by my Lord Privie Seal". John Hussey wrote to Lord Lisle in 1538: "July 18th: This day our late Lady of Walsingham was brought to Lambhithe (Lambeth) where was both my Lord Chancellor and my Lord Privy Seal, with many virtuous prelates, but there was offered neither oblation nor candle: what shall become of her is not determined."[7] Two chroniclers, Hall and Speed, suggest that the actual burning did not take place until September. 1538 The Deed of Surrender of the Priory to the King's Commissioners was signed on 4th August. The Deed of Surrender where by the Great Priory of Walsingham was dissolved in 1538 was discovered in Cambridge, and the wax image of the Great Seal of The Priory of Walsingham was attached to the bottom showing the image of Our Lady of Walsingham. This was the first image seen since the statue was desecrated in 1538. A Chronology of Walsingham Page 4 October 2015 – Ver 1.1 Wax Seal of the Great Priory of Walsingham Walsingham Slept 1538 - 1896 1564 The buildings were looted and largely destroyed, but the memory of it was less easy to eradicate. Sir Roger Townsend a local landowner responsible for the suppression, wrote to Thomas Cromwell in 1564 that a woman of nearby Wells (now called Wells- Next-The-Sea), had declared that a miracle had been done by the statue after it had been carried away to London. He had the woman put in the stocks on market day to be abused by the village folk but concluded "I cannot perceyve but the seyd image is not yett out of the sum of ther heddes."[1] 1578 Queen Elizabeth I visited Walsingham, accompanied by Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel. Later Philip Howard returned to the Catholic Faith, as a result of which he was sentenced to death. The poem "The Wracks of Walsingham" has been attributed to him. In the wracks of Walsingham Whom should I choose But the Queen of Walsingham to be my guide and muse. Then, thou Prince of Walsingham, Grant me to frame Bitter plaints to rue thy wrong, Bitter woe for thy name. Bitter was it so to see The seely sheep Murdered by the ravenous wolves While the shepherds did sleep. Bitter was it, O to view The sacred vine, Whilst the gardeners played all close, Rooted up by the swine. A Chronology of Walsingham Page 5 October 2015 – Ver 1.1 Bitter, bitter, O to behold The grass to grow Where the walls of Walsingham So stately did show. Such were the worth of Walsingham While she did stand, Such are the wracks as now do show Of that Holy Land. Level, level, with the ground The towers do lie, Which, with their golden glittering tops, Pierced once to the sky. Where were gates are no gates now, The ways unknown Where the press of peers did pass While her fame was blown. Owls do scrike where the sweetest hymns Lately were sung, Toads and serpents hold their dens Where the palmers did throng. Weep, weep, O Walsingham, Whose days are nights, Blessings turned to blasphemies, Holy deeds to despites. Sin is where Our Lady sat, Heaven is turned to hell, Satan sits where Our Lord did sway -- Walsingham, O farewell! The “Lonely Arch” The East End of the Church. All that remains of the Great Priory of the Walsingham A Chronology of Walsingham Page 6 October 2015 – Ver 1.1 1778 The Catholic Relief Act repealed some of the restrictions on Roman Catholics. A Roman Catholic Mission was established in King's Lynn. 1781 John Wesley preached in Walsingham on 30th October. In his Journal he wrote "had there been a grain of virtue or public spirit in Henry the Eighth, these noble buildings need not have run to ruin". 1829 The Catholic Emancipation Act removed most of the legal disabilities on Roman Catholics. 1833 The Oxford Movement began in the Church of England 1850 The restoration of the Catholic Hierarchy. 1887 The formation of the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom. 1894 Legal negotiations started on 5th January between Henry Lee Warner of Walsingham Abbey and Miss Charlotte Boyd to purchase the Slipper Chapel. 1894 Charlotte Boyd was received into the Roman Catholic Church on 22nd September. The Restoration 1896 - 2015 1896 Charlotte Boyd legally acquired the Slipper Chapel on 26th June. Chapel at Houghton Le Dale, Norfolk, 1809 1896 Charlotte Boyd conveyed the Slipper Chapel to Rev. Henry Worth of Downside Abbey on 25th July. 1897 By Rescript, dated 6th February, of Pope Leo XIII, the ancient sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham was restored at King's Lynn. (Walsingham was part of the King’s Lynn parish at this date) A Chronology of Walsingham Page 7 October 2015 – Ver 1.1 Translation of rescript of Pope Leo XIII “We beg to remind His Eminence, the Cardinal Vicar, of the blessing by His Holiness on the 6th, of the accompanying statue, chosen by Your Eminence for the reconstitution of the ancient shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, King's Lynn, Norfolk, in the Diocese of Northampton, England, which was earnestly and humbly asked of Your Eminence by the Right Reverend Father Philip Fletcher of the diocese of Southwark, and Master of the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom for the conversion of England, and Father George Wrigglesworth, Parish Priest of Our Lady's, King's Lynn, Norfolk, diocese of Northampton.” At an audience with His Holiness, the 6th Feb: 1897, Our Most Holy Lord Leo P.P.XIII, granting this petition, was graciously pleased to approve and commend as praiseworthy the selected statue of the Mother of God, for the purpose stated.