Martha’s Memories: The Later History of St Nicholas Priory

St Nicholas Priory, founded in 1087, is Exeter’s oldest surviving building. Its early history as one of the city’s many monasteries is known, as is its time as a grand Tudor home after the dissolution. What is less well known is its more recent history. This talk outlines the many changes of fate the building went through, from its time as a ‘mere rookery of tenements’ and its near destruction; through its restoration by the city council in 1912-16 – a significant achievement during the First World War; then to it’s time as a museum led by curators, notably Miss Tothill who worked hard to promote it – with a little help from the Priory’s longest resident, Martha the (stuffed!) Raven. Ben Clapp, a member of the Visitor Services team at RAMM, has been involved with St Nicholas Priory for seventeen years, as a member of staff when RAMM ran the building and a volunteer since its takeover by Exeter Historic Buildings Trust. He has spent much of that time researching the history of the building, especially the stories of its more recent past and the people who have either lived in or been involved with the building in those times.