alien priory
Preserved but no longer current.
A priory which is dependent upon and owes allegiance to another priory in a foreign country. A sub-priory, such as RufTord Abbey, Notts, which was under the prior of Rievaulx in Yorkshire, has sometimes been erroneously called an alien priory.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “alien priory” mean?
A priory which is dependent upon and owes allegiance to another priory in a foreign country. A sub-priory, such as RufTord Abbey, Notts, which was under the prior of Rievaulx in Yorkshire, has sometimes been erroneously called an alien priory.
Is “alien priory” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.