Athelney Abbey

Athelney Abbey

Monastery information
Order	Benedictine
Established	888
Disestablished	1540
People
Founder(s)	King Alfred
Site
Location	Athelney, Somerset, England
Grid reference	ST346293

Athelney Abbey shown within Somerset
(grid reference ST346293)

Athelney Abbey, established in the county of Somerset, England, was founded by King Alfred in 888, as a religious house for monks of the Order of St. Benedict. It was dedicated to our Blessed Saviour, St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Egelwine.

History

Origins

Originally Athelney was a small island in swampland, in what is now the parish of East Lyng, covered with alders and infested by wild animals. It was inaccessible except by boat, according to William of Malmesbury. Here Alfred found a refuge from the Danes; here he built the abbey.^[1] The dedication to St. Æthelwine suggests that it may have been an enlargement of a hermitage or monastery already in existence.^[2]

He peopled it with foreign monks, drawn chiefly from France, with John the Old Saxon (known as Scotus) as their abbot. The original church was a small structure, consisting of four piers supporting the main fabric and surrounded by four circular chancels.

Norman era

From the 11th century up to the time of its dissolution the monks of Glastonbury Abbey attempted to annex it or have it placed under the Glastonbury jurisdiction.

The Abbey appears in the Domesday book,^[3] and the Taxatio of 1291.

In 1267 Henry III granted the abbey a weekly market on Mondays.^[4]

However, it was not a rich community. An indulgence of thirty days was given in 1321 for those who should assist in the rebuilding of the church, and the monks humbly petitioned Edward I of England to remit corrod for which they were unable to find the means of payment. The last abbot was Robert Hamlyn. With eight monks of his community, he surrendered February 8, 1540, receiving a pension of £50 per annum and retaining his prebend of Long Sutton. The revenues (26 Hen. VII) were £209. 0s. 3/4 d.

Post dissolution

Following the dissolution it was acquired for use as a private residence by Lord Audley who had the church demolished. Audley's plans never eventuated and records show that on 17 August 1544^[5][6] Lord Audley sold the abbey to John Clayton, for £182 15s. and in April 1545^[7] Clayton obtained a licence to sell it to John Tynbere.

With the church demolished and other buildings fallen into disrepair, nothing visible remains at the site today.^[8] Several geophysical surveys have been carried out to explore the remains which still exist below ground level.^[9]

Today the site of the Abbey is marked by King Alfred's Monument which is a Grade II listed building,^[10] and Scheduled Ancient Monument.^[11] The monument was built in 1801 by Sir John Slade of Maunsel House, who owned Athelney farm.^[12]

Historical records

The original charter from Alfred the great still exists,^[13] and the Abbey appears in both the Domesday book,^[14] and the Taxatio of 1291. Both the 1267 charter of Henry III,^[4] and latter Henry VII also exist.

Known Abbotts

List of the known Abbots of Athelney Abbey include:^[6][15]

• John, the 'Old Saxon,' temp.^[16]
• Seignus, occurs 937 ^[17]
• Alfric, occurs 1007
• Alfward
• Simon
• Athelward
• Athelwin, occurs 1020–5 ^[18]
• Ralph Maledoctus, occurs 1125 ^[19]
• Simon, occurs 1135 ^[20]
• Benedict I, occurs 1159 ^[21]
• Roger I, 1174–92 ^[21]
• Benedict II, 1198–1227
• Roger II, elected 1227 ^[22]
• Robert, elected 1245 occurs 1263 ^[23]
• Osmund de Reigny ^[24]
• Richard de Derham, occurs 1267 ^[25]
• Andrew de Sancto Fonte, 1280–1300 ^[26]
• Osmund de Sowi, 1300–25 ^[27]
• Robert de Ile, 1325 ^[28][29][30]
• Richard de Gothurst or Cotehurst, 1341–9
• John Stoure, 23 September–22 October 1349
• Robert de Hache, elected 1349^[31]
• John Hewish, 1390 ^[32]
• John Brygge, 1399^[33]
• John Petherton, 1424
• Robert Hylle(Hill), 1458 ^[34] & 1462 ^[35]
• John George, 1485 ^[34]& 1498^[36]
• John Wellington, 1503 ^[37]
• Richard Wraxall
• John Herte, 1518
• Thomas Sutton, 1527
• John Maior, 1531
• Robert Hamlyn or Hamblyn, 1533–9
• Robert Hamblyn, 1534^[38]
• Richard Wells 1539^[39]

References

1. Havinden, Michael. The Somerset Landscape. The making of the English landscape. London: Hodder and Stoughton. p. 94. ISBN 0-340-20116-9.
2. "The abbey of Athelney". British History Online. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
3. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, 126. From: 'Houses of Benedictine monks: The abbey of Athelney', A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 2 (1911), pp. 99-103.
4. Chart R. 52 Hen. III, m. 11, no. 147.
5. Orig. R. 36 Henry VIII, vol. 100, fol. 3.
6. 'Houses of Benedictine monks: The abbey of Athelney', A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 2 (1911), pp. 99-103.
7. Orig. R. 36 Hen. VIII, vol. 60, fol. 6.
8. "Athelney Abbey". Somerset County Council. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
9. "Athelney Abbey". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset County Council. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
10. "King Alfred's Monument with railings". Images of England. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
11. "King Alfred's Monument". Listed Buildings Online. English Heritage. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
12. Byford, Enid (1987). Somerset Curiosities. Dovecote Press. pp. 106–107. ISBN 0946159483.
13. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, 126.
14. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, 126. From: 'Houses of Benedictine monks: The abbey of Athelney', A History of the County of Somerset: Volume 2 (1911), pp. 99-103.
15. Muchelney Abbey, Two Cartularies of the Benedictine Abbeys of Muchelney and Athelney in the County of Somerset, Volume 14 General Books LLC, 2009.
16. Alfred Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.) i, 206.
17. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, charter 64.
18. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, charter 57.
19. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, charter 26.
20. Som. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, 61.
21. Som. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, 116.
22. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, charter 202; Cal. Pat. loc.
23. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv, charters 24 and 78.
24. Henry III, charter 241.
25. Temp. Hen. III, charter 106.
26. 523Cal. Pat. 1272–81, p. 368.
27. 523Cal. Pat. 1324–7, p.86.
28. 527Cal. Pat. 1324–7, pp. 88, 109
29. Drokensford's Reg. (Somers. Rec. Soc.) i, 243.
30. Cal. Pat. 1340–3, p. 253.
31. R. of Shrewsbury's Reg. (Somers. Rec. Soc. x).
32. Somers. Rec. Soc. Publ. xiv; Cal. Pat. 1388–92, pp. 312, 318.
33. Pat. 23 Ricard II, m 7; Cal. Wells D. and C. MSS. (Hist. MSS. Com.) i, 303.
34. Wells Epis. Reg. Stillington.
35. Wells Epis. Reg. Beckington, fol. 244.
36. Cat. of Seals B.M., 2570, lxxi, 44.
37. Wells Epis. Reg. King, fol. 140.
38. Cat. of Seals B.M., Ibid. 2571, lxxi, 46.
39. Ibid. 2572, lxxi, 45.

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "The Abbey of Athelney". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. The entry cites:
  • William Dugdale, Monasticon Anglicanum;
  • Asser, De Rebus Gestis Alfridi;
  • Hearne, Script. Hist. Angl. XXVIII (1731), 587-90.

Coordinates: 51°03′33″N 2°56′04″W / 51.05930°N 2.93458°W