Burscough Priory, at Burscough, Lancashire, England, was an Augustinian foundation, established in around 1190 and dissolved in around 1536. Some remains of the church survive.

History

The priory was founded in c. 1190 by Robert Fitz-Henry, Lord of Lathom, for Augustinian canons. In 1390 the Lordship of the Manor and lands of Lathom passed to the Stanley family, several of whom were buried in the Priory, notably Sir Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley, K.G., of Lathom and Knowsley, in February 1459, his wife Joan in 1466, and their son Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby.

The priory was dedicated to St. Nicholas. There was an associated leper hospital. Fitz-Henry endowed it with land in Burscough, the entire adjoining township of Marton, the chapel of St. Leonard of Knowsley, all the mills on his demesne, and the patronage of three parish churches—at Ormskirk, Huyton, and Flixton. The ownership of Flixton however proved problematic. The Earl of Derby made attempts to save the church, in which many of his family had been buried, but they came to nothing

Following the dissolution eight bells from the Priory were moved to Ormskirk Parish Church, where a tower had to be built specially, as the existing steeple could not support them. The remaining bells were removed to Croston church. The tenor bell at the Ormskirk Church (the third bell from the Priory) has a Latin inscription which translates as "J.S. de Burscough, Esq., and E. my wife, made [this bell] in honour of the Trinity. R.B. 1497". It also bears the symbols of the rose, portcullis and Fleur-de-lis which suggests that the bell was presented in honour of a visit from Henry VII as these were some of his favourite badges.

The Priory gives its name to the local high school Burscough Priory Academy, which has an enrollment of around 700 pupils of ages 11–16 years.

Other burials

  • Sir John Stanley (died 1414)
  • John I Stanley of the Isle of Man
  • Joan Goushill Stanley, daughter of Elizabeth Fitzalan, Duchess of Norfolk
  • Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley
  • Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby

Architecture

According to a survey of the ruins made in 1886, the church was cruciform in plan with a presbytery (chancel) by , a central tower square; north transept and south transepts, and nave by with a north aisle. On the south side of the nave was a cloister square.