Prinknash Rosaries

 

The monks of Prinknash Abbey continue a long established tradition of making rosary Beads. The roots of this craft lie way back in history to the time when, just after converting to catholicism at Caldey Island, the monks found that their income had suddenly dropped due to lack of support from their Anglican friends and benefactors.

 

One of the ways to increase the income was the sale of rosaries made by the monks. The first advertisement was placed in their magazine "Pax", in March 1923, No. 66, under the heading "Other Arts and Crafts". They advertised strong rosaries with welded chains and beads of coco, berries, and onyx, etc., from 2/9d. [17p]. Rewiring was a speciality!

 

September 1935 was the first date when Prinknash cord rosaries were publicised.

 

Making Rosaries in the 1920's

 

Costing 4/6d. [22p.] they were more expensive than the chain ones which sold for 3/6d. to 4/-. [17p. to 20p.] The chain rosaries were now being made with cocotine, olive wood, and olive berry beads in addition to the three original types. During the war beads became unavailable and in 1942 an attempt was made to use the red clay from the new abbey excavations for the beads. This was not successful but it certainly started the pottery off!

 

The majority of work up to the mid 1960's was in making new habit rosaries for nuns and in repairing pocket rosaries. Since Vatican II most of this type of work has disappeared and new rosaries on cord [and to a lesser extent on chain] are the order of the day.

 

Today, Prinknash Rosaries are made with round wooden beads, sizes in the table below, in black, natural, dark brown, light brown, green, dark green, blue, light blue, red, purple and orange.

 

BEAD SIZE	CHAINLINK	CORD
10mm	£13.70	£6.90
8mm	£10.95	£6.30
7mm	£11.90	£6.10
ROSARY REPAIRS	from £5.00	from £2.50

 

Rosary enquiries should be addressed to adrianjones@waitrose.com