The Mercian nunnery A nunnery is said to have been built on the site of the priory some time in the 7th century by
Saint Werburgh, daughter of
Wulfhere of Mercia. Existence of this nunnery is disputed and a connection with Saint Werburgh is disputed. There are the remains of what is said to be a stepped base for a Saxon stone cross, to be seen today in the churchyard at St. Mary and All Saints at Trentham. But it is not known if this cross base is authentic, an authentic import from elsewhere at the behest of the Sutherland family, or a later antiquarian fabrication.
The Augustinian Priory Early history and foundation In the 12th century, the priory itself dated its foundation to the time of
William Rufus, and claimed as its founder
Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester. There is little modern support for this theory, although the 12th century foundation charter does describe itself as
"the restoration of an abbey of canons". The word
abbathia, however, often translated as
abbey, may have been used to describe a house of secular canons or
minster. Dalbury was recorded as supporting Trentham Priory from the early 1290s onwards. ==Further reading==