Monument record 1160/6/1 - Site of Cemetery Attached to St Andrew's Priory

The priory cemetery lay in an area east of Francis Street & centred on Upper Harding Street. Numerous burials mostly in rough stone cists have been found. Cremations have also been found on Francis Street; possibly Roman or Saxon.

{1} Cemetery of priory lay in area east of Francis Street & centres on Upper Harding Street; numerous burials found mostly in rough stone cists; also 6 monumental gravestones have been found in area of Upper Harding Street; reports work carried out in 1853,1921,1970,1979; includes excavation of 1853 which recovered burials & pottery considered to be Romano British or Saxon; the interpretation of these is highly suspect & also probably belonged to medieval graveyard of the priory; goes on to say that vessel in Northampton Museum marked 'RB cinerary urn' from site of St Andrew's Priory is in fact medieval in date & probably C13th; report of 6 gravestones found may be incorrect interpretation of reports as some appear to be from elsewhere; mentions 1970 finds of substantial foundations with more cist burials but not reported elsewhere;

{2} Site of cemetery attached to St Andrew's Priory; numerous burials found along east side of Upper Harding Street & south side of Priory Street; plan showing location of trenches; main trench 30ft x 18ft x 8ft deep; burials in cists of rough-hewn stone; some re-used architectural stone; one cist with chevron ornament & fragments of plain Norman mouldings found; many burials without coffins; one burial wrapped in shroud; soles of sandals found in graves; burials also found in Francis Street; considered to be of an earlier origin of either RB or AS cremations & some in urns but no evidence to support this; writes of RB/AS interments having appearance of cremation; also fragments of urns with one containing remains; among stone coffins found previously on site was that of David de Armentier which is illustrated. Armentier's coffin was found in the north-eastern cormer of Priory Street and Harding Street. Also found was a ridged coffin & two others (illustrated). They weremade of stone similar to that found at Irthlingborough; Armentier was a benefactor of the priory in late C12th;

{3} The cemetery was located in the area now crossed by Upper Harding Street; burials according to custom of medieval period were enveloped in rough cloth; material around one of burials was well preserved & consisted of reddish frieze-like cloth of coarse texture;

{4} Traces of possibly dozen burials; partly disturbed & in poor condition; 2 burials close together in stone cists of local red sandstone; orientation of burials exactly that of church & other monastic buildings as shown on 1632 map; coarse fabric found beneath both cist-buried inhumations; report on nature of textile by University of Leeds; mentions finds of cists in 1880 along Priory Street where stones were cemented together so as to form more solid coffin & parts to receive head were cut into half-circle;

{3}Excavation of Francis Street esposed apparent RB/Saxon cremation burials; fragments of urns & black & grey ware; large urn recovered from corner of Crane Street & Lower Priory Street;

{6} Mentions previous finds of sandals & rough woven habits & hazel sticks on site of graveyard; burial ground located on the east side of Francis Street & in Priory Street & Harding Street; 12 burials found in stone cists; some were of reused stone & others constructed of purpose built stone; in particular semi-circular area cut out for heads; cists had lids made up of up to 5 flat stone slabs; no inscriptions & no finds in way of clothing; report has no information on foundations & drain recovered & was presumably a report of work in progress;

{7} Skeletons & 15 skulls & several stone-built coffins below Mr J.Smith's Harding Street tavern in area of St Andrew's Cemetery;

{8}Burial ground of St Andrew's Priory;

{9} Interments found of RB/Saxon date & having appearance of cremation; also fragments of urns & complete urn with remains of funeral rites; appears that from corner of Craven Street to Lower Priory Street these & later interments continued; some burials in stone cists; dating of this report indicates these finds were earlier than report in JBAA of 1853 would suggest; may be dated closer to finds of coffins which are also detailed in report;

{10} Numerous burials, mainly in rough stone cysts were found in the area of Upper Harding Street. Substantial foundations were noted at SP 74996114 together with a few further cyst burials.

{12} Northampton Museum have no information concerning this site. [Cremations]

{13} Box of human skeletal remains held by the ARC. No accompanying documentary material, but the box label states that the remains were found 20/05/1960 in the course of repairs to foundations of houses 100 years old on Upper Harding Street. Reported by Coroner.

{14} Human remains were found in trenches 1 and 10. In trench 10 they commenced on the site of the former 34 Francis Street and in trench 1 on the site of the former 42 Upper Harding Street. It was also thought likely that they would continue on the east side of Harding Terrace. In places they were buried four deep. Only the burials in trench 1 were excavated Provides a summary of finds: by 1836 houses were built on the west side of Harding Street at the south and near the junction with Crane Street. In 1838 five gravestones were found in back gardens between Francis Street and Harding Street at the south end near Crane Street. In 1852 numerous skeletons were discovered at the corner of Harding Street and Priory Street (north-west corner), where an area 30ft by 18ft was excavated to a depth of 8ft. Further discoveries were made in 1856. Suggests that the finds of cremation urns mentioned in Whellan may indicate an earlier Saxon burial site. In 1915, further skeletons were found on the east part of the Chrome Tanning Co's factory site on St Andrew's Road.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.338-9 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> 1853, The Journal of The British Archaeological Association (Vol.8), p.67-68 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN478.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76SE39 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> BROWN R.W., 1921, ST. ANDREW'S PRIORY CEMETERY, p.210-11 (unchecked) (Report). SNN511.

<5> SERJEANTSON R.M., 1905, Journal of Northants Natural History Society and Field Club, p.137-8 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN433.

<6> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1971, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1970 (Medieval), p.30-1 (unchecked) (Article). SNN61602.

<7> 1889, The Northampton Mercury, p.3 (unchecked) (Article). SNN2045.

<8> 1888, Associated Architectural Societies Reports, p.123 (part checked) (Series). SNN2046.

<9> Wetton, 1849, Guidebook to Northampton and its Vicinity, p.41-42 (checked) (Book). SNN1032.

<10> Williams J.H.; Shaw M., 1981, ST ANDREW'S PRIORY, p.32 (unchecked) (Interim Report). SNN4411.

<11> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1981, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1980, p.204 (unchecked) (Article). SNN100418.

<12> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 26-FEB-1969 (Note). SNN111452.

<13> Northamptonshire HER, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, Charlotte Walker ARC visit 22/08/2024 (Oral Report). SNN115011.

<14> Northampton Development Corporation Archaeology Unit, 1970, St Andrew's Priory trial trenching, 1970 (M2) (Notes). SNN116731.

Record last edited

May 8 2025 6:49PM