When we think of nuns, we often picture serene convents, strict chastity, and unshakable innocence. Im frühen 16. Jahrhundert kam es im Priorat Littlemore zu zahlreichen Skandalen, bei denen es um Anschuldigungen sexueller Unmoral unter den Nonnen und ihrer Äbtissin ging. Diese Ereignisse schockierten das gesamte mittelalterliche Europa. Fünf Jahrhunderte später gruben Archäologen eine Kirche in Oxford aus und fanden die Skelette von Nonnen, die in Ungnade gestorben waren, nachdem man ihnen promiskuitives Verhalten vorgeworfen hatte. In Oxford wurden 92 Skelette gefunden, die auf ein Alter von 600 bis 900 Jahren datiert wurden. Wegen sexueller Ausschweifungen wurden Nonnen kopfüber begraben, eine Tat, die die Schande eines solchen Verhaltens widerspiegelte.

The Benedictine nunnery at Littlemore, founded by Robert de Sanford and later supported by King Henry III, became notorious for immorality and violence. By 1517, it was in decline and faced numerous scandals, including piracy and allegations of debauchery. Catherine Wells, the abbess, epitomized this downfall with her illicit relationships and luxurious lifestyle, contributing significantly to the nunnery's disgrace.

Investigations in 1517-1518 by church officials uncovered widespread misconduct, with reports of nuns engaging in affairs and bearing children. Despite harsh punishments from Catherine, immorality persisted. Her hypocritical leadership and the nuns' indulgence in worldly pleasures led to the nunnery's eventual closure in the mid-16th century, amid the broader dissolution of monasteries under Henry VIII.

This history reveals that medieval nunneries, far from being bastions of purity, often harbored intense passions and controversies, providing a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of convent life.