 | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Priory of the Virgin Mary of Lesmahagow |
| Order | Tironensian |
| Established | 1144 |
| Disestablished | c. 1607 |
| Mother house | Kelso Abbey (dependency) |
| Dedicated to | Virgin Mary &Machutas |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | David I,King of the Scots, andJohn,Bishop of Glasgow |
| Site | |
| Location | Lesmahagow (nowSouth Lanarkshire,Scotland) |
Lesmahagow Priory was a medievalTironensian monastic community located in the small town ofLesmahagow in the modern local authority area ofSouth Lanarkshire,Scotland. It was founded afterJohn,Bishop of Glasgow and KingDavid I of Scotland granted lands atLesmahagow toKelso Abbey with which to establish a newpriory. It remained a dependency of Kelso Abbey. Control of the abbey was gradually secularized in the 16th century. Along with Kelso Abbey, it was turned into asecular lordship in 1607 forRobert Ker of Cesford, laterearl of Roxburghe. Lesmahagow passed into the hand ofJames Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton in 1623.
The village of Lesmahagow has two present day churches which trace their history back to the Abbey: Firstly,Lesmahagow Old Parish Church of theChurch of Scotland, which lies on the site of the priory church and was built in its present form in 1804. And secondlyAbbeygreen Church of theFree Church of Scotland which lies opposite the Glebe Park in Lesmahagow and was formed in 1843 by secession from the Church of Scotland and the building opened in 1844.