HOUSES OF CISTERCIAN MONKS
21. THE ABBEY OF BYLAND
In 1134 (fn. 1) twelve monks with their abbot,
Gerald, left the abbey of Furness to establish
and inhabit a daughter house at Calder, on a site
granted by Ralph Meschin. They were settled
at Calder for four years building their monastery,
when the Scots, under King David, demolished
their work and despoiled their property. They
returned to the mother house at Furness, but
were refused admittance, because Gerald refused
to resign his office of abbot or release his monks
from their vows of obedience to him. It was
urged, on the part of the Abbot and convent of
Furness, that it would be inconsistent with
monastic order and discipline for two abbots with
their separate convents to inhabit the same
monastery together. No allowance being made
for the unfortunate Abbot and monks of Calder,
who were only seeking temporary shelter in the
mother house, Gerald and his monks determined
to renounce both Furness and Calder, and seek a
new and independent site for their monastery
elsewhere.
They had but little with them when they left
Furness, only some clothes (vestes) and books in a
wagon drawn by eight oxen, and their condition
was pitiable in the extreme, but they had heard
of Archbishop Thurstan's benevolence to the
monks who six years before had left St. Mary's,
York, and were settled at Fountains, and they
decided to seek his kind offices. As they were
approaching Thirsk, on their way to York, they
met the steward of Gundreda widow of Nigel de
Albini and mother of Roger de Mowbray, a youth
then in ward to King Stephen, but soon to come
into possession of his vast estates. Being struck
with the miserable condition of the unfortunate
monks, he bade them go to the castle of Thirsk,
where his mistress was then residing, in order
that they might sup at her table.
Gundreda watched the approach of the monks
from an upper window. Being much edified by
their behaviour and conversation, she sheltered
them temporarily under her roof, providing for
their wants and promising them a place of abode
and permanent means of subsistence. As, however, they could not follow her about she sent
them to her uncle (or nephew) Robert de Alneto,
an ex-monk of Whitby, then living as a hermit
at Hood near Thirsk, where she provided for
them until her son Roger came of age. While
there Abbot Gerald visited Thurstan at York,
and sought his help. The archbishop wrote to
Roger de Mowbray, who, having entered into
possession of his property, granted the monks the
tenth of the victuals provided for his household,
and a conversus named Lyngulf was deputed to
follow Roger de Mowbray's household, and make
a daily collection of the victuals which he was to
send to Hood. When, however, Roger de Mowbray was away at a distance, Lyngulf sold the
victuals and transmitted what he received for
them to the abbot. This was obviously inconvenient, and in 1140 Roger de Mowbray, instead
of a tithe of his victuals, granted the monks a
cow pasture at Cambe and lands at Wildon,
Scackleton in the parish of Hovingham, as well
as the vill of Ergham.
When the monks had been a little time at
Hood and were beginning to acquire property,
fear was felt lest the Abbot of Furness should
claim a right of paternity over them. Abbot
Gerald went therefore to Savigny, and explained
why they had left Calder and how they had been
rejected by the Abbot and convent of Furness.
In a general chapter of the order, held in 1142,
a full release was granted from the jurisdiction of
the Abbot of Furness. Abbot Gerald returned
to England, but died at York on his way home.
His body was taken to Hood by his monks, and
buried there. Roger, who had been sub-cellarer
at Calder, was elected in his place. He was
master of the novices at Hood, but had only one
novice under him at the time, to whom he
was speaking concerning the observances of
the rule, when (the chronicler relates) suddenly
and without warning, all the monks surrounded
him and bore him in their arms to the high
altar of the oratory, proclaiming him as their
abbot with a loud voice in the name of the Holy
Trinity. In Easter week following he was
blessed as abbot by the archbishop at Sherburn,
on the presentation of Roger de Mowbray, who
was present at the ceremony.
When the monks had been four years at Hood
and many persons had joined them, the place became too small, and in 1143 Roger de Mowbray
gave them his vill of Bellalanda super Moram,
[Old Byland] with its church and all its appurtenances. Having made this grant, he caused
the monks to build a small cell by the River Rye,
not far from Rievaulx Abbey, which had been
founded twelve years before by Walter 1'Espec.
Here Abbot Roger and his monks stayed for five
years. At the desire of Roger de Mowbray
Hood was given to the Augustinian priory which
he founded at Newburgh.
As Old Byland, from its nearness to Rievaulx,
was unsuitable for the new abbey, Roger de
Mowbray gave the monks in 1147 two carucates
of land near Coxwold, and the monks set to work
to clear the ground, and built a small stone
church, a cloister, and other buildings and offices.
But when Roger de Mowbray had left for Normandy troubles arose. Robert Dayville, lord
of Kilburn, greatly hindered the monks, asserting
that they had inclosed part of his vill of Kilburn.
Hugh Malbys, lord of Scawton, also harassed
them, as did Guy de Boltby. In consequence of
these difficulties Abbot Roger went in 1147 to
Savigny, where he attended the general chapter
(which gave Jervaulx as a daughter-house to
Byland). He assured Abbot Serlo and those
present that his monastery was amply endowed,
if he and his monks were allowed peaceable
possession of their property. He left before the
chapter was ended, and hastened to Roger de
Mowbray, who promised speedy and efficient help.
Fortified with letters from him to the disturbers
of the rights of the monks, he returned to England. On Roger de Mowbray's return a settlement was effected. (fn. 2)
These troubles ended, new ones arose, the
Abbot of Calder asserting that Roger and his convent belonged to that house, and not to Savigny.
Abbot Roger replied that had there been an
Abbot of Calder when Hood was given, there
might be some claim for Calder, but as Calder
was vacant at the time, the gift was to Savigny,
to whom he and his monks were subject. The
next year the Abbot of Savigny held a visitation
of his houses in England, and the question was
referred to Aelred, Abbot of Rievaulx. The
Abbot of Furness put in his claim above that of
the daughter-house of Calder, but Aelred decided
against the claims of Furness. With this, the
troubles of the monks of Byland in maintaining
their property and independence came to an end,
but Roger de Mowbray, in order to make everything sure for the future, confirmed all his gifts to
Byland before the Archbishop and chapter of
York.
The monks remained thirty years at Stocking,
and while there cleared the woods and drained
the swamps, and no doubt began the abbey church
on the site now occupied by its ruins. On the
eve of All Saints (30 October) 1177 they made
their fourth and final move to what was then
called Whiteker, but to which they conveyed the
name of their house of Bellalanda, and which has
since borne the name of Byland from it. Abbot
Roger ruled the convent for the long space of
fifty-four years, at Old Byland, Stocking and
Whiteker (Byland). He had often wished to
resign, but when he had pleaded this with
St. Bernard he was persuaded to continue in
office. At length, worn out and enfeebled by
age, he resigned, but lived nearly three years
longer as an inmate of the monastery. There
seems some difficulty in accounting for the
removal from Stocking, where the monks had
built a stone church and cloister, and other offices
and structures. Possibly these were too small,
for the church is described as a small one, and it
may be that on that account they thought well to
begin a new monastery close by, on a larger
scale.
By far the most important event in the after
history of Byland must have been the * battle of
Byland Abbey' as it has been called, fought on
the high ground between the abbeys of Rievaulx
and Byland, on or about 14 October 1322, but
as to what befell Byland Abbey on that occasion
we do not know. King Edward is said by some
to have been at Byland Abbey when the news
of the discomfiture of his forces and the capture
of the Earl of Richmond by the Scots reached
him. By others it is said that he was at Rievaulx
Abbey. At whichever of the houses he was
sojourning he fled precipitately to York, leaving a
large treasure and much silver plate behind him,
which fell into the hands of the Scots.
Burton (fn. 3) gives a long list of the possessions the
abbey received from different donors. (fn. 4)
Henry II (fn. 5) took the abbey into his protection,
and granted the monks and their men the privilege of being free in all cities, boroughs, markets,
fairs, bridges, and ports throughout England and
Normandy.
Of spiritualities the abbey held the church of
Old Byland, granted by their founder; a moiety
of the church of Bubwith, given in 1349 by John
de Mowbray for the good of the soul of his wife
Joan, who was buried before the high altar of the
abbey church; and both moieties of Rillington.
Pope Clement VI on 23 January 1344 (fn. 6) confirmed the appropriation of the church of Rillington to Byland, of their patronage, and of the value
of 30 marks according to the old taxation, but of
15 according to the new. The monastery had
suffered by the incursons of the Scots, an allusion
probably to the devastation caused at the time of
the battle in 1322, besides that of other raids. As
it was a Cistercian house, exempt from episcopal
visitation, the Registers at York contain little concerning the abbey of Byland beyond the elections
of several of the abbots, and their benediction by
the archbishop. Its internal history after Abbot
Philip's record comes to an end with the removal
to the final site in 1177 is almost blank. From
a Subsidy Roll we learn that in 1380-1, (fn. 7) besides
the abbot, there were eleven monks and three
conversi. The abbey received, it is not known
why, Letters Patent dated 30 January 1537, (fn. 8) to
continue, but it surrendered 30 Henry VIII, when
pensions were granted to the abbot (£50) and
twenty-three monks; one other, John Harryson,
received no money pension quia habet vicariam de
Byland.
At the time of the Dissolution there were
seven bells, 100 fodder of lead, 516 oz. of plate.
The gross annual value is given in the Monasticon
as £295 5s. 4d., and the clear income as
£238 9s. 4d. (fn. 9) In 1527 (fn. 10) the clear annual value
was returned as £217 13s. 4d.
The return of the commissioners as to the
payments of grants to ex-religious in the North
Riding, dated 20 February 1553, (fn. 11) records that
John Alanbrige, the late abbot, appeared with his
patent and said that his pension of £50 was behind one year at Pentecost then last past; Robert
Baynton (£10) 'appeared not,' nor did Richard
Pereson (£5 6s. 8d.); Robert Leafe had died, five
others appeared with their patents, as did also
Thomas Metcalf, who appeared with his patent
for £5 6s. 8d., but the commissioners say he
' did not axe it.'
Abbots of Byland
Gerard, died 1142 (fn. 12)
Roger, occurs 1146, (fn. 12a) resigned 1196 (fn. 13)
Philip, succeeded 1196 (fn. 14)
Hamo, occurs 1199-1200 (fn. 15)
Herbert, occurs 1209 (fn. 16)
Robert, occurs 1223, (fn. 17) 1230 (fn. 18)
Henry de Bathersby, occurs 1231, (fn. 19) 1268 (fn. 20)
Adam de Hustwayt, (fn. 21) occurs 1272, (fn. 22) 1283 (fn. 23)
Thomas, occurs 1285 (fn. 24)
John, elected 1288, (fn. 25) occurs 1293 (fn. 26)
Henry, elected 1300, (fn. 27) occurs 1302 (fn. 28)
William, elected 1302 (fn. 29)
Adam, occurs 1310, (fn. 29a) 1315 (fn. 30)
John de Wynkburn, occurs 1316, (fn. 31) 1318 (fn. 32)
John, elected 1318 (fn. 33)
John, elected 1322 (fn. 34)
John de Miton, occurs 1332 (fn. 35)
Walter de Diceford alias de Jarum, (fn. 35) elected
1334, (fn. 36) occurs 1342 (fn. 37)
John, elected 1349 (fn. 38)
William, elected 1357 (fn. 39)
Robert de Helmeslay, (fn. 40) elected 1370, occurs
1381 (fn. 41)
Geoffrey de Pykering, occurs 1397, (fn. 42) 1400 (fn. 43)
William (Helperby), (fn. 44) occurs 1435-69 (fn. 45)
Thomas Kylburn, occurs 1479 (fn. 46)
John Ferlington, elected 1499 (fn. 47)
John Ledes alias Alanbridge, elected 1525 (fn. 48)
The little circular 13th-century seal, (fn. 49) ¾ in. in
diameter, has a half-length figure of our Lady
with the Child, and the legend:—
✠ AVE [MARIA]
An abbot sealed c. 1186 with a little vesica, (fn. 50)
1½ in. by 1 in., showing the standing figure of
himself, holding staff and book. Abbot Walter (?)
in or about 1210 used a seal (fn. 51) of similar design.
Both of these have the legend:—
SIGILLUM ABBATIS DE BELLELANDA
Another abbot's seal, (fn. 52) used in 1186, has a
design of an arm and hand holding a crozier,
with the legend:—
✠ SIGILLVM ABBATIS BELLELANDE