Alina Recluse

The Recluse of Wigan

In the early fourteenth century, Wigan had a
recluse whose name was Alina. She was not
simply a lady who wished to keep herself to
herself or someone who had been hidden
away by family. She was a person, who had
very deep religious beliefs, which she felt
could best be expressed by having herself
enclosed, to enable her to lead a solitary life
of simplicity and devotion.
Occasional references to recluses can be found in
Bishops Registers, but is not known how many such
recluses there were, scattered across the country.
Typically they lived in small cells, attached to the wall
of a church, where the occupants had been quite
literally walled-in. The cell wall would have had one or
two small openings, one into the church to allow the
occupant to watch the celebration of Mass at the altar,
the other to the outside world to admit air, light, food
and drink, and, presumably to remove waste.
We do not know who Alina was, but she is likely to have
come from the landed gentry who had studied books
about faith and how it could be expressed. She would
have been accustomed to comfortable conditions, which
makes her decision all the more remarkable.
Nowadays, a person wishing to take part in the
London Marathon has to be checked to ensure that he
or she is capable of facing the challenge and is likely to
finish the course. In a similar way, in the Middle Ages,
a prospective recluse needed to be
assessed for suitability on both the
spiritual and practical levels. The
Bishop or his local representative
would have assured himself that
her faith was strong enough to
sustain her solitary existence for
the rest of her life. The other
consideration was that proper
provision had been made for her
bodily needs, and this required
a servant who lived nearby.
An endowment was necessary to
cover the costs, and this is how we
know about Alina.


In 1323, her endowment dried up and all efforts to
have it reinstated had failed, so she sent a petition
to the King, Edward II, appealing for his help. That is
not as extraordinary as it may sound. Medieval kings
seemed to act as ‘ombudsmen’ in cases where usual
channels had failed. It is Alina’s letter which has
survived in our National Archives. In it, she explained
that she had been enclosed in 1317, funded by the
grant of rent from land at Shevington and a
dwelling in Wigan which had been held by
Sir Robert de Holland, Lord of the Manor of what is
now known as Upholland. All went well for six years,
but then Sir Robert was imprisoned and his lands
confiscated by the King and Alina’s grant ceased.
Appeals to the administrator of the confiscated
lands, John de Lancaster, had been of no avail, so as
a last resort she turned to the King. Prompt action
followed, first an enquiry to check that her case was
genuine, then a writ issued to John de Lancaster to
reinstate the grant.
And there the trail goes cold: we can only assume
that Alina’s income, 29s 6d annually, was restored
and that she was able to continue her contemplative
devotions until the end of her life.


https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Docs/PDF/Resident/Leisure/Museums-and-archives/archives/Past-Forward/pf61.pdf

Amazing stuff, Lolly...where do you get this all from?

I, personally love it. It's our history, our heritage.

I read and re read the past forward magazines. They are packed full of information.

An interesting story, thanks, Lolly.

For some reason, a different article about Alina featured in a magazine issued just a few months before:

Issue No.59 | Dec 2011 - Mar 2012 | p.16 - Link



Past Forward Issues No.21 (Spring ‘99)- No.73 (Aug-Nov 2016) are available to read online - Archive Editions

Fast forward seven centuries and this is happening on Saturday.

@P_G_Anderson (Oct 14, 2019):
This Saturday, 19th October, if you're in or near Wigan, join a group of pilgrims walking through many of our neighbourhoods, including Swinley, Whelley, Ince, Platt Bridge and along the canal, through the Flashes, praying for God's blessing and peace. 9.30am St James' Poolstock.

This event is happening today - www.bwcn.org.uk



We are holding a one off event “Understanding Sikhism” on Thursday 17th October 2019 at Clifton Street Community Centre, Clifton Street, Worsley Mesnes WN3 5HN from 6.30pm to 8.30pm

If you would like to book a place please email thedealforcommunities@wigan.gov.uk

· Learn about the religious practices that Sikhs follow
· Discover the purpose of life for followers of Sikhism
· Discuss the similarities of Sikhism with other religions
· Share your findings with others in your community
· Build Stronger Communities
· Believe I’m only Human

Good stuff, jo-anne..!!!

I found the Alina article very interesting Jo anne. Thanks.

jo anne wrote:An interesting story, thanks, Lolly.

For some reason, a different article about Alina featured in a magazine issued just a few months before:

Issue No.59 | Dec 2011 - Mar 2012 | p.16 - Link



Past Forward Issues No.21 (Spring ‘99)- No.73 (Aug-Nov 2016) are available to read online - Archive Editions

I've bumped this so that new members, and of course guests can enjoy the articles

Very interesting Lolly,I love reading Past Forward magazines.

Another bumpety bump. for new members. I find the story fascinating