My son's recent school history project brought to mind our own local history, in particular that of the area now popularly known as Merton Abbey.

We have in our midst one of the most interesting sites in English history. In 1114, the lands of Merton were granted to Gilbert the Norman by Henry I, Gilbert was the Godson of Empress Matilda, Henry's daughter, and coincidentally Sheriff of Surrey. He immediately applied to the King for permission to build a monastery.

In 1114 the site of the priory was occupied by a mill worth 60s per annum. Construction of the first stone church began in 1117. This church was rebuilt after its tower collapsed during a violent storm in 1222.

The priory was consecrated on Ascension Day 1117, having been colonised by the Augustinian Canons, monks of the same order who founded our own St Mary's Church around the same time. They took their discipline from the Rule of St Augustine of Hippo (not to be confused with Augustine of Canterbury) the 4th century North African bishop who had such a powerful influence on the early church.

The priory was destined to become rather important in state terms. In 1236 Henry III met his Barons here to agree the Statute of Merton, which to this day forms the basis of English Common Law. There have been two coronations at Merton: also in 1236, Henry II's queen consort Eleanor of Provence was crowned here, and the 14 year old Henry VI was crowned King of England at Merton in 1437.

The influence of the priory extended far and wide. Within its first 50 years, it had established 10 daughter houses as far a field as Scotland, Normandy and the south west. By 1242 the priory held no fewer than 202 manors in 16 counties.

Some of those educated at Merton were distinguished indeed. They included St Thomas A Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162. E\'en more significant was Nicholas Breakspear, who entered the priory' in 1125.  History remembers him as the only Englishman (so far) to become Pope, as Adrian IV.

By all accounts Breakspear was a force to be reckoned with. He was the Pope who crowned the celebrated Frederick Barbarossa as Holy Roman Emperor, but not before he had forced the mighty Barbarossa to humble himself before his spiritual father. Moreover, Adrian was the Pope who granted Henry II the lordship of Ireland in 1156. (The cynics among us might raise an eyebrow at the spectacle of an English Pope granting an alien territory to an English King, but we'll let that go - his French and Italian counterparts did much worse.)

The priory came to an untimely end in 1538 when it was dissolved by Henry VIII, demolished, and the stones used for the King's new Nonsuch Palace.

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