Collections made by the late Rev. Walter Hudson, formerly vicar of Saddleworth in Lancashire, for an edition of the Cartulary of Breedon Priory, Leicestershire, namely:
There has been a monastery at Breedon in Leicestershire since the 7th century. Little is known about the early house and it ceased to exist during the Viking invasions of the 9th century. During the reign of Henry I, Robert de Ferrers granted the parish church of St Mary and St Hardulph at Breedon to the Augustinian Priory of St Oswald at Nostell, Yorkshire. Canons were established at Breedon by 1122. The priory continued to be a cell of Nostell throughout its existence, and it remained very small. There were reported to be five canons in 1220, and a mere three in 1441. Along with Nostell's other possessions, Breedon was surrendered in November 1539. Source: VCH Leicestershire (see below).
The JRUL holds the original Breedon Priory Cartulary (ref.: GB 133 Latin MS 222 ).
For a fuller history of Breedon Priory and a list of Priors, see W.G. Hoskins (ed.), The Victoria history of the county of Leicester, volume 2 (London: Oxford University Press, 1954), pp. 8-10.
