Above is an illustration of three seals for official documents from Swine Nunnery as reproduced in Thomas Thompson’s book. One shows a seated Cistercian nun, probably an abbess/prioress.
Apart from the nunnery at Swine and the double house at Watton (see later) the other nunneries in the East Riding were small establishments. The nunnery at Nunkeeling in north Holderness had been founded by the 1140s and at the time of its dissolution, September 1539, 12 nuns received a pension from the state ranging from 30 shillings to 46 shillings while the elegantly named prioress Christiana Burgh received £8 (see Claire Cross’ book, s.p.b.s). No standing ruins survive today although Claire’s book includes a reproduction of ‘The former priory church of Nunkeeling in 1784, by William Dade’ – William Dade being an antiquarian and compiler of much of the information contained in George Poulson’s History of Holderness’ (s.p.b.s on this theme). Close-by was/is the site of a ruined parish church (I am not sure if there was a built connection between the nunnery site and the now derelict parish church although Dade’s drawing suggests there was). It was quite common for communities to develope near monastic sites as the monastic communities generated local economic activity – today there is no village at Nunkeeling but rather scattered farms in the parish of Bewholme.
Wilberfoss nunnery, just east of the River Derwent on the Vale of York, was also founded by 1150 and at the Dissolution 10 nuns received a pension well less than the prioress’ £8. No standing ruins from the nunnery survive although the site was near the parish church.
The nunnery at Thicket, south of Wilberfoss, was in existance by 1180 and at the Dissolution had eight nuns and a prioress. Yedingham priory, beside the upper Derwent, also was the home to eight nuns in 1539. Only one nun was recorded as being at Nunburnholme in 1539, only earthworks remain as evidence of the site and details of its history are obscure.
All the East Riding’s nunneries, except Swine and Watton, were attached to the Benedictine order.