Abbot of Glastonbury

The Abbot of Glastonbury was the head (or abbot) of Anglo-Saxon and eventually Benedictine house of Glastonbury Abbey at Glastonbury in Somerset, England. The following is a list of abbots of Glastonbury:

Abbots

Name	Dates	Works	Notes
St Benignus	?458–469		(reputed)
’Worgret’	c.601–?
’Lademund’	c.663–c.667
’Bregored’	c.667
Beorhtwald	c.667–676/7		Archbishop of Canterbury 693–731
Haemgils	676/7–701/2
Beorhtwald	701/2–709/10
Ealdberht	709/10–718/9	Church of SS Peter & Paul built by King Ine
Ecgfrith	718/19–?
Wealhstod	729		(rejected by some sources)
Coengils	?–737
Tunberht	737–?
Tyccea	754–760
Guba	760–762
Wealdhun	762–794
Beaduwulf	794–800
Muca	802–824
Guthlac	824–851
Ealhmund	851–867
Hereferth	867–891		(now thought probably to come before Ealhmund)
Stithheard	891–922
Aldhun	922–?
Cuthred
Ælfric?
Ecgwulf
St Dunstan	940–957+	Lengthened Ine's church and added a tower. Raised the level of the cemetery and constructed various monastic buildings.	later Archbishop of Canterbury[1][2]
?Ælfric	occurs after Dunstan in some lists[2]		(probably spurious)[3]
Ælfstan	occurs in some lists after Ælfric		(probably spurious)[3]
Sigar	c.970–975(?)[2]		later Bishop of Wells 975–997[2]
Ælfweard	c.975–1009[2][3]
Brihtred (Beorhtred)	1009–?[3]
Brihtwig (Brihtwine)	c. 1017–1024[3]		later Bishop of Wells[3]
Æthelweard (Aegelweard)	c.1024–1053[2]
Æthelnoth	1053–1078[3]		deposed by Lanfranc[2]
Thurstan	c.1077–after 1096[2]	Began a new church	1091. Translation of relics of St Benignus from Meare
Herluin	1100–1118[2]	Rebuilt Thurstan's church on a grander scale
Seffrid Pelochin	1120/1–1125[2]		Bishop of Chichester from 1125 to 1145
Henry of Blois	1126–1171[2]	Built a bell tower, chapter house, cloister, lavatory, refectory, dormitory, infirmary, the 'castellum', an outer gate, a brewery and stables	also Bishop of Winchester from 1129[1]
Robert of Winchester	1173–1180[2]	Built a chamber and chapel	previously Prior of Winchester[2]
Peter de Marcy		1186. New St Mary's Chapel consecrated. Work on Great Church begun.	1184 (25 May). Great Fire
Henry of Sully	1189–1193[2]		supposed tomb of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere discovered in the cemetery c. 1190[1] Later Bishop of Worcester 1193–1195[2]
Savaric FitzGeldewin	1193–1205[2]		also Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury
(Master William Pica)	(1198–1200)		(elected 1198 but election quashed 1200)[2]
Jocelin of Wells	1206–1219[4]		also Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury from 1206–1242
William of St Vigor	1219–1223[4]
Robert of Bath	1223–1235[4]		Deposed 29 March 1235[4]
Michael of Amesbury	1235–c.1252[4]	Carried work on the choir forward
Roger of Ford	1252–1261[4]		died 2 October 1261, buried at Westminster[4]
Robert of Petherton	1261–1274[4]	Built abbot's chamber	died 31 March 1274[4]
John of Taunton	1274–1291[4]	Choir completed; west end of nave and galilee built. King Arthur's remains transferred to new tomb 1278.	died 7 October 1291[4]
John of Kent	1291–1303[4]
Geoffrey Fromond	1303–1322[4]	Spent £1,000 on buildings: completed various parts of the Great Church
Walter of Taunton	1322–1323[4]	Built pulpitum at west end of choir	died 23 January 1323[4]
Adam of Sodbury	1323–1334[4]	Completed vaulting of nave of Great Church; worked on great hall and built a new chapel on the Tor	Concealed Hugh le Despenser and Robert Baldock, Lord Chancellor at the end of Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer's Overthrow of Edward II in 1326[5]
John of Breynton	1334–1342[4]	Completed abbot's great hall and worked on various other related buildings including prior's hall
Walter de Monington	1342–1375[4]	Extended choir by 40 feet, adding 2 bays. Completed abbot's chapel and infirmary. King Arthur's tomb transferred 1368.
John Chinnock (John Chynnock)	1375–1420[4]	1382. Restored chapel and rededicated it to SS Michael & Joseph; rebuilt cloisters, erected or repaired the dormitory and fratry.
Nicholas Frome	1420–1456	Finished chapter house, rebuilt misericord house and great chamber; constructed bishop's quarters and a wall around abbey precincts. Probably responsible for the abbot's kitchen.
John Selwood	1456–1493	Built parish church of St John Baptist. Erected pilgrims' inn.
Richard Beere	1493–1524	Began Edgar Chapel; built crypt under Lady Chapel and dedicated it to St Joseph; built a chapel of the Holy Sepulchre at south end of nave; built the Loretto chapel; added vaulting under central tower and flying buttresses at east end of choir; built St Benignus' Church and rebuilt Tribunal
Richard Whiting	1525–1539	Completed Edgar Chapel	Hanged on Glastonbury Tor, 15 November 1539.

See also

• Abbot's Kitchen, Glastonbury

Notes

1. Geoffrey Ashe (1973), King Arthur's Avalon, Fontana
2. Knowles Heads of Religious Houses: England and Wales, I 940-1216 pp. 50–52
3. Knowles Heads of Religious Houses: England & Wales I 940–1216 pp. 248–250
4. Smith Heads of Religious Houses: England & Wales, II 1217-1377 p. 46-47
5. Close Rolls 1224–1468.

Sources

• Carley, James P. (1988). Glastonbury Abbey'. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
• Knowles, David; London, Vera C. M.; Brooke, Christopher (2001). The Heads of Religious Houses, England and Wales, 940-1216 (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-80452-3.
• Close Rolls. Westminster: Parliament of England. 1224–1468.
• Smith, David M.; London, Vera C. M. (2001). The Heads of Religious Houses, England and Wales II. 1216–1377. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-80271-7.