St osyth priory has a long and fascinating history which dates back over many centuries. St osyths abbey was a house of augustinian canons in the parish of st osyth then named. Welcome to the public consultation pages for st osyth priory. Kellys directory essex 1902 free ebook download as pdf file. Who was st osyth and the witches cage, essex spooky isles. The settlement now known as st osyth is recorded as chicc in the domesday book of 1086, and is said to be the location of a. England and wales their legendary lore and popular history, london. St osyth s abbey originally and still commonly known as st osyths p riory was a house of augustinian canons in the parish of st osyth then named chich in essex, england in use from the 12th to 16th centuries. The settlement now known as st osyth is recorded as chicc in the domesday book of 1086, and is said to be the location of a c7 convent founded by acca, bishop of dunwich. The st osyth priory website has been created for the benefit of all those interested in finding out more about the emerging vision for and progress being made at st osyth priory.
Its first abbess osyth, daughter of the mercian king frithwald and wife to sighere, the first christian king of essex, is purported to have been brutally martyred at the hands of danish marauders in 653. Danes beheaded saint osyth in 653 and she walked back to her nunnery with her head in her hands to the door and died there. He granted her a nunnery, north to the later priory, in nuns wood. The settlement now known as st osyth is recorded as chicc in the domesday book of 1086, and is said to be the location of a c7 convent founded by. However, other tales suggest she dropped her head in the doorway of st peter and st pauls church. Back in the 7th century we first find records of this place as part of the possessions of sigherc, king of essex.
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