Abstract In the centuries following the Norman Conquest, dependent priories – that is, satellite or daughter houses – of larger abbeys were founded in large numbers in England. Some were dependent on mother houses within England; others were the daughter houses of continental, especially Norman, foundations. Both types have been somewhat neglected in medieval ecclesiastical history, as well as in music history. This article argues that not only did some dependent priories in medieval England support musical life, but also in certain situations they could play host to a remarkably creative culture of musical exchange, production and performance. As a case study, it presents extensive new archival evidence concerning the traffic of people, books and music between the Norman abbey of Lyre and its dependent priories in England, proposing that other musical manuscripts may warrant reconsideration in the light of these findings.
Helen Deeming (Wed,) studied this question.