Malling Abbey

St Mary’s Abbey, also known as Malling Abbey, is an abbey of Anglican Benedictine nuns located in West Malling, Kent, England.

History

The manor of West Malling was given by King Edmund I to Burgric (or Burhic), Bishop of Rochester, in 946. The land was lost to the church in the Danish Wars but was restored to the diocese in 1076. About 1090, Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester and monk of Bec Abbey in Normandy, chose Malling as the site of his foundation for a community of Benedictine nuns, one of the first post-Conquest monasteries for women. Just before his death in 1108, Gundulf appointed the French nun Avicia as the first abbess.

Gundulf had endowed the community with the manor of Malling and Archbishop Anselm had given the manor of East Malling. Royal grants gave the nuns the rights to weekly markets and annual fairs as well as wood-cutting and pasturage rights in nearby royal forests. Bequests and gifts also added to the community’s income.

As the abbey prospered, West Malling became a flourishing market town. In the four-and-a-half centuries of Benedictine life at the abbey, major events included a fire in 1190 which destroyed much of the abbey and town, the Black Death in 1349 which reduced the community to four nuns and four novices, and the surrender of Malling to the Crown on 28 October 1538 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The last elected abbess, Elizabeth Rede, had been deposed when she defied both Henry VIII and Thomas Cranmer over the appointment of a high steward for the abbey. Margaret Vernon, who had been tutor to Cranmer’s son, and had already surrendered Little Marlow Priory, was appointed Abbess of Malling in her place. On 28 October 1538, two agents of the Crown seized the abbey seal and signed the deed of surrender, but apparently were unable to persuade a single nun to sign.

Immediately before the Dissolution, Malling Abbey had an annual income of £245, placing it among the wealthiest third of women’s communities in England. With its outlying lands, its Norman church, Early English cloister, early 15th century guest house and two early 16th century gatehouses, it was a rich prize for the Crown. During the 350 years that followed, the abbey was owned by many families, most being absentee owners.

The buildings fell into ruin until the mid-1700s when Frazer Honeywood, a London banker, built a neo-gothic mansion and repaired the remaining medieval fabric. In 1892, the property was purchased by Charlotte Boyd whose life’s work it was to create a trust to restore church property to its original use. She invited a small Anglican Benedictine community, the Community of Saints Mary and Scholastica, to settle at the abbey.

This community had been founded by Fr Ignatius of Llanthony (Joseph Leycester Lyne) but had become independent of his rule in 1879, with Mother Hilda Stewart OSB as their abbess - the first Anglican Benedictine abbess since the English Reformation. This community left Malling Abbey in 1911, joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1913 and now resides at Curzon Park, Chester.

Present

The Anglican Benedictine community of nuns that has made its home at Malling Abbey since 1916 was founded in 1891 as an active parish sisterhood. The sisters worked among the poor in Edmonton, north London, until they became attracted to the Benedictine contemplative life through the preaching of Abbot Aelred Carlyle. In 1906, they moved to a farmhouse in Baltonsborough, a remote village in Somerset, to begin their enclosed monastic life under Benedictine vows. In 1916, the trustees of Malling Abbey invited them to move to the more spacious and historic abbey and to continue its tradition of Benedictine prayer, worship, work, study and hospitality.

Buildings

Little of the original building is now standing; the tower is Norman up to the first two storeys and Early English above. Attached to the tower are some remnants of the church, one of the transepts and a wall of the nave; the refectory is also standing. The cloisters were re-erected in the fourteenth century. There is also a Grade II* 1966 abbey church which is used by the community.

Sources

Malling Abbey Archives: for a collation of extant information and publications of the Vita Gundulfi and general histories.
The National Archives: for Royal Grants and the 1538 Deed of Surrender.
Kent Archives Office: for information about the Abbey’s relationship to the Bishops and Diocese of Rochester, and local history.

Active religious orders and communities of the Anglican Communion

For men	Alton Abbey Brotherhood of the Ascended Christ Brotherhood of Saint Gregory Community of the Divine Compassion Community of the Resurrection Company of Mission Priests Ewell Monastery Franciscan orders Korean Franciscan Brotherhood Little Brothers of Francis Melanesian Brotherhood Oratory of the Good Shepherd Benedictine orders Order of the Holy Cross Order of the Teachers of the Children of God Salisbury Priory St Gregory's Abbey Society of St. Francis Society of St. John the Evangelist Society of St. Paul

For women	Augustinian orders Benedictine Sisters of Bethany Chama Cha Mariamu Mtakatifu Chita che Zita Rinoyera Chita che Zvipo Zve Moto Christa Sevika Sangha Community of All Hallows Community of Christ the King Community of Jesus' Compassion Community of Nazareth Community of St. Andrew Community of St. Clare Community of St. Denys Community of St. Francis Community of St. John Baptist Community of St. John the Divine Community of St. John the Evangelist Community of St. Laurence Community of St. Mary Community of St. Mary at the Cross Community of St. Mary the Virgin Community of St. Mary of Nazareth and Calvary Community of St. Michael & All Angels Community of St. Paul Community of St. Peter Community of St. Peter, Horbury Community of the Blessed Lady Mary Community of the Companions of Jesus the Good Shepherd Community of the Good Shepherd Community of the Holy Cross Community of the Holy Family Community of the Holy Name (Europe & Africa) Community of the Holy Name (Australia) Community of the Holy Spirit Community of the Resurrection of Our Lord Community of the Sacred Name Community of the Sacred Passion Community of the Servants of the Cross Community of the Sisters of Melanesia Community of the Sisters of the Church Community of the Sisters of the Love of God Community of the Transfiguration Congregation of the Sisters of the Visitation of our Lady Daughters of St. Francis Fikambanan'ny Mpanompovavin l Jesoa Kristy Franciscan orders Malling Abbey Order of St. Anne Order of St. Anne at Bethany Order of St. Benedict Order of St. Helena Order of the Holy Paraclete Order of Women (South India) Sisterhood of St. John the Divine Sisterhood of St. Mary, Bangladesh Sisterhood of the Epiphany Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity Sisters of Charity Sisters of the Good Shepherd Sisters of the Incarnation Sisters of Jesus Way Sisters of St Francis (Korea) Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor Society of Our Lady of the Isles Society of Our Lady St. Mary Society of St. John the Divine Society of St. Margaret Society of the Franciscan Servants of Jesus & Mary Society of the Holy Cross Society of the Holy Trinity Society of the Precious Blood Society of the Sacred Advent Society of the Sacred Cross Society of the Sisters of Bethany

Mixed	Anglican Order of Preachers (Dominican) Community of the Glorious Ascension Community of the Holy Transfiguration Community of the Servants of the Will of God Companions of Saint Luke (OSB) Franciscan orders Mucknell Abbey Order of Julian of Norwich Benedictine orders Society of the Sacred Mission

Related articles	Topics closely related to active religious orders: Former religious orders in the Anglican Communion

Coordinates: 51°17′36″N 0°24′44″E / 51.29333°N 0.41222°E / 51.29333; 0.41222

External links

Official website of Malling Abbey
Anglican sites featuring Malling Abbey: Anglican Communities Yearbook, The Kingdom is Yours
Anglican Benedictine website

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