A Benedictine nunnery was founded in the King's manor of Newington in the reign of William the Conqueror. According to William Thorn, a 14th century monk (a), a prioress of this house was strangled by the cook and her body dragged to a pit called "Nunnepit". Consequently the King seized the manor and transferred the remaining nuns to Sheppey. Some time later Henry II gave this manor to 7 priests or secular canons, who were installed in the old nunnery. Not long afterwards one of the priests was murdered by four of the others and the manor was seized again by the King. (1) Similar information. (2-4) Nothing is known of the monastery at Newington and it may have been merely a refuge of nuns from Sheppey. (5) There appears to have been a small priory of Benedictine nuns at Newington: dissolved before 1087. There appears to have been a secular college of either 7 or 8 prebends here, but whether temp William I or before the martyrdom of St. Thomas seems to be undecided. (6) "The story about Newington Nunnery is ... groundless ... no ruins whatever exist, nor was there ever a nunnery at the place at all" ... "The story of the secular canons is equally absurd." (7) Additional bibliography. (8) NGR TQ 85 64 (LO). No trace of the alleged monastery was found. (9)

<1> Roger Twysden's Decem Scriptores 1652 col 1931 (OS Card Reference). SKE49325.

<2> Proceedings of the Woolwich District Antiquarian Society no 1 (1895) - no 33 (1963-6), 1910 (G W Hewett), Volume Nos. 16, Page Nos. 57 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6359.

<3> Notitia Monastica 1787 Kent XLIII (Tanner ed Nasmith) (OS Card Reference). SKE47713.

<4> History of Kent II 1782 550 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44138.

<5> Royal Archaeological Institute, The archaeological journal vol 1 (1844)-, 1869 (J Hewitt), Volume Nos. 26, Page Nos. 165 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6335.

<6> Page, W. (ed), 1926, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Kent Volume II, Kent 1926, Volume Nos. 2, Page Nos. 149 (Monograph). SKE7944.

<7> by David Knowles, R Neville Hadcock, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 1953, Page Nos. 215, 336 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6370.

<8> The Antiquary: a magazine devoted to the study of the past Vol 1 (1880) - 16 (1887), 1873 (G B), Volume Nos. IV, Page Nos. 229 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6333.

<9> by David Knowles, R Neville Hadcock, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 1971 edition, Page Nos. 262 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6370.

<10> Struth, P MAR-94 RCHME Field Investigation (OS Card Reference). SKE49693.

<11> RCHME: Anglo Saxon Monasteries in Kent, Essex and Greater London (Collection). SKE6500.