4. THE ABBEY OF ATHELNEY
The island of Athelney is on the north side of
Stanmoor, and on the north bank of the River
Tone, being about 4 miles south-west of Bridgwater. It consists of two low hills divided by a
shallow depression, containing 24 acres in extent,
of which the eastern and slightly higher hill
where was the monastery of our Blessed Saviour,
St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Athelwine, comprises 11½ acres. It is still often in winter-time
an island to which people have to go by boats.
It was to this place that Alfred retreated in
the autumn of 877, and in the spring of 878 he
built here a fortress called Ethelingaeigge. (fn. 460)
Asser, (fn. 461) whose account is vivid and valuable,
having visited the place as chaplain to Alfred
himself, describes it as a small island in the midst
of an impassable morass, and says that Alfred,
while he often thought of the needs of his soul,
among other good deeds ordered that two monasteries should be built, of which the one for monks
was at Athelney. In this monastery he collected
monks from every quarter, and placed over them,
as their first abbot, (fn. 462) John, an Old-Saxon priest
and monk, and certain other priests and deacons
from beyond the sea, of whom, finding that he
had not as large a number as he wanted, he procured as many as possible from the same race in
Gaul, and among them Asser tells us he had
seen a young lad who was born a pagan, who had
been educated in the monastery and was by no
means the least in advancement of the monks
there.
It has been questioned (fn. 463) whether Alfred really
founded the monastery—or whether he did not
enlarge a hermitage or monastery already in
existence. The dedication of St. Egelwine or
Athelwine, the brother of King Kenewalch,
suggests a greater antiquity, and the charter
which Alfred granted to the monastery suggests
that he rather enlarged than founded the house.
Asser, however, who is our best authority,
speaks of the monastery as recently founded by
Alfred. He tells us that the monks who were
gathered at first under Abbot John were not all
men devoted to the service of God, and some of
them resisted the discipline which the abbot
would impose upon them.
On one occasion (fn. 464) a priest and a deacon of
Gallic birth, having laid their plans, hid at night
in the chapel waiting for the abbot to come
alone in the early morning for his prayers, and
intending then and there to slay him before the
altar and carry his dead body and lay it before a
house of ill fame. When the abbot, John,
appeared that night they attacked him, but his
efforts to resist them and his shouting roused
the brother monks, and though the men wounded
their abbot, he was rescued, and his assailants
were ultimately caught and imprisoned.
William of Malmesbury, (fn. 465) writing in the first
half of the 12th century, tells us of a church
which was there built, which seems to have been
erected on piles and to have had apsidal chapels
attached. He says the monks there in his time
were few in number and poor, but they were
consoled in their poverty by their love of a quiet
solitude.
The early history of the abbey is very obscure.
There was a cartulary in existence in the first
half of the 18th century, of which a transcript (fn. 466)
of the earlier portion was made by Dr. Harbin in
1735, and this is now in the Phillipps library at
Cheltenham. The original however has disappeared, and it seems as if probably the second
portion contained the story of the abbey rather
than copies of its charters.
Collinson quotes the names of one or two
Saxon abbots, which seems to suggest that he
had actually seen the vanished manuscript.
The Harbin transcript has been published by
the Somerset Record Society, and it gives us a
considerable group of early charters. A charter
of King Alfred granting the manor of Sutton
to the monastery is given in this cartulary in
which he describes the place as 'the Island of
Nobles.' (fn. 467)
At the time of the Conquest, we find the
abbey allied, together with Muchelney, to the
great monastery at Glastonbury, so that the
three foundations were acting together to resist
Bishop Giso, who attempted to assert his visitorial authority as bishop of the diocese over
Muchelney and Athelney but was compelled
to do so through the medium of the Abbot of
Glastonbury.
In 1160 (fn. 468) we find the abbey providing for the
conduct of its legal affairs by assigning to Robert
de Beauchamp their lands in Frogmore, on condition of his representing them at the county
assize and going to the pleas and business of
their church whenever he should be called.
Soon after a considerable change took place
in the position of the abbot. (fn. 469) Bishop Savaric,
as we have shown in our general historical sketch,
persuaded Abbot Benedict II of Athelney to give
the church of Long Sutton to found a prebend in
the cathedral church of Wells; the Abbot of
Athelney for the time being was to be ex-officio
prebend of Sutton, with the stall next to the
sub-dean. (fn. 470) It was also decided that he should
not be bound to reside in Wells, but must provide a vicar with four marks a year stall wages.
In 1249 the then abbot realized the loss of
freedom which ensued from his holding the
prebendal stall at Wells.
On the morrow of St. George, 24 April, 1249, (fn. 471)
he was summoned to a chapter meeting at Wells,
and sent as his proctor one of the monks of his
abbey. The chapter refused to accept the
proxy because the monk was not a canon, and
they condemned the abbot for a breach of the
customary rules and laws of the chapter, because
he had also made complaint before one of the
lords of assize concerning some fishery dispute
the abbey had with the dean and chapter about
their estate at North Curry, without first making
application to the chapter itself.
There are two other entries in the chapter
manuscripts which are not easy of explanation,
as they involved loss of estate to the abbey itself.
During the episcopate of Bishop Jocelin (fn. 472)
Abbot Benedict gave him the advowson of Ilton
to form a prebend in Wells. The gift could not
have been popular with the convent, for we find
them soon after quarrelling with John, Chancellor of Wells, who held that prebendal stall.
Benedict's successor, Abbot Roger, (fn. 473) gave also
to Bishop Jocelin the tithes of Pitney and Wearne
in the parish of Huish to support the endowments
of that prebendal church.
In the 14th century we have a good deal of
evidence concerning the extent to which monastic houses were burdened by royal pensioners.
In 1304 Gilbert de Ragun went to the monastery with a royal letter, bidding them receive
him as a pensioner, and they appealed against
this, claiming exemption because already they
had two of the aged servants of the king, John
de Hanele and Nicholas Freyn, living there and
provided with board and lodging at the expense
of the abbey.
On 6 September 1325, (fn. 474) John de Blebury
also arrived with a similar request from Edward
II. On 17 November 1327 (fn. 475) William de
Rainton, the king's yeoman, came demanding
such maintenance as Philip de Redynges had
received in the late king's time.
On 8 September 1341, (fn. 476) Edward la Chamberleyn, clerk, came with a royal request which was
based on the fact of the creation of a new abbot
and the king's claim to a corrody on each such
occasion.
In 1342 (15 December), (fn. 477) the abbey was called
upon to receive Henry de Acum, 'Spygurnel,'
to house, to provide, and to maintain him by
reason of his previous good conduct to the king
himself, and six years after, 5 March 1348, (fn. 478)
as Henry de Acum was dead, Walter de Stodley,
yeoman of the king's kitchen, was to receive such
maintenance as Henry de Acum was wont to receive there, and there was a complaint added that
Henry de Acum did not receive, through his own
modesty and humility, all that was due to him.
In 1314 Bishop Drokensford's (fn. 479) register introduces us to a disciplinary case. He received a
letter from John Dalderby, Bishop of Lincoln,
asking him to place William de Walton, a monk
of Peterborough, in Athelney Abbey, or some
other Benedictine house at the cost of his own
abbey. He was sent away on account of his
wickedness and disobedience to his abbot. The
bishop asks that he may be placed in a separate
cell and suggests fetters for his better keeping.
On 13 June 1319, Bishop Drokensford wrote
to the Bishop of Lincoln to say that Walton
had twice escaped from his fetters, and that as
he caused a great scandal to Athelney, he must
go back to his own abbey.
In 1321 (fn. 480) Bishop Drokensford issued a pastoral letter to his officials, the archdeacons, the
rural deans and the rectors in the diocese, concerning the ruinous state of the conventual
church of Athelney. There were no funds, he
said, to repair it, and he begged them to allow
the monks to plead their cause in the churches
on holy days after the Gospel, and he would
assure contributors vere contritos of 30 days'
indulgence ab injunctis penitentiis.
On 22 October 1322 (fn. 481) the bishop appointed
Roger de Stalbridge, the rector of Aller, and
two monks as a commission to visit and inspect
and report on all the buildings belonging to
Athelney Abbey.
In 1349 the abbey seems to have been devastated by the plague. On 15 September Abbot
Richard de Gothurst fell a victim; (fn. 482) on 23
September John Stoure was appointed but died
on 22 October on his way to the king, and Robert
de Hache (fn. 483) succeeded him.
In January 1401 (fn. 484) there is a strange entry
of a licence to Robert Wynchestre, a monk of
Athelney, to whom Pope Boniface IX grants
for life a room formerly assigned to him by the
abbot and still in his possession, and the right to
dispose, without requiring licence of the abbot and
convent or others, of the goods acquired in the
monastery from his offices or salary, or acquired
without the same. This recognition of private
property seems to be a direct annulling of the
Benedictine rule.
In 1462 (fn. 485) Abbot Robert Hill was granted a
licence to have divine service celebrated in his
oratory; this suggests that some sort of rebuilding of the church was taking place at that time.
On 17 August 1499 (fn. 486) the Feast of the Dedication was changed from 20 December to 30
August, and it is probable that this coincides
with some extensive repairs, if not the entire
rebuilding of the conventual church, the new
dedication day being the day when the church
was once more capable of being used for public
worship. The buildings, however, do not seem
to have been completely restored, for in 1503 (fn. 487)
Bishop King issued a commission to inquire into
their state.
In the Valor of Henry VIII the house is said
to be in debt to the king to the extent of
£33 6s. 8d. which was possibly some outstanding
portion of the fine of 100 marks levied on Abbot
John George (fn. 488) and the convent in 1498 because
of the assistance he gave to the insurgents under
Perkin Warbeck in 1497.
On 17 September 1534 (fn. 489) the convent subscribed the Act of Supremacy and the Succession Act. The deed was signed by Robert
Hamblyn, the newly elected abbot, Richard
Welles, the prior, and eleven other monks.
On 4 November 1535 (fn. 490) Robert Hamblyn,
the abbot, wrote to Cromwell to inform him
of the visit of Dr. Tregonwell and to express
his joy that the house had been found ' yn
metely good order.' The visitor had however
enjoined him to remain in the monastery, and
Hamblyn desired from Cromwell permission
to go abroad on the necessary business of the
abbey, and to take a chaplain with him.
On 10 April 1536 (fn. 491) he wrote again to Cromwell, lamenting the debts of the house, and requesting Cromwell to devise some means that
every man may the sooner be paid. 'Yff Y
cowlde have a frynd that wolde lene me iiii.
or v hundret poundes without ony prophete or
lucoure, Y wolde gladly bynde me and my howse
for the repayment of a hundret poundes yerely
untyll the full some be payde.' To this letter
he adds a schedule or book of the debts. He
owed the Abbot of Dunkeswell £80, and the
Abbot of Tavistock £40, and it is evident that
he had borrowed recklessly when he became
abbot. The Prior of Taunton and the Prior
of St. John's Bridgwater had also lent money.
Various sums also are due to Ilton, North Curry,
and Thurloxton Churches, and the prebendal
vicar at Wells was in arrear of his stipend for two
years. The sum total of debts is reckoned at
£869 12s. 7d.
On 2 November 1538 (fn. 492) John Dycensen,
rector of Holford, went to Athelney apparently
to sound the abbot about resignation. He
wrote afterwards to Cromwell, giving a report
of the abbot's words. To him and to the convent he had held out hope that neither religion
nor the poor would suffer by the surrender
of the house, for the Lord Chancellor Audley
would probably settle down there. The abbot
held out however for something more than a
bribe of 100 marks, though the monks 'ware all
glade to be advysed by my Lorde and to yelde
thare howse and landes ynto ye kynges handes.'
On 20 February 1539 (fn. 493) John Tregonwell,
William Petre, and John Smyth, the royal
commissioners, wrote to Cromwell and told
him that with as much expedition as possible
they had taken the surrender of the abbey. It
had indeed been surrendered on 8 February, (fn. 494)
and the deed was signed by Robert Hamblyn, the
abbot, Richard Wells, the prior, John Athelwyne,
Henry Ambros, Robert Edgar, John Laurens,
and Thomas Genynges. The abbot was awarded
a pension of £50 a year, and on 24 February the
prebend of Sutton was confirmed to him by
Letters Patent. In Cardinal Pole's pension
List of 1556, (fn. 495) pensions were still paid to Robert
Hamblyn, Robert Edgar, Henry Poynings, and
Thomas Genynges.
After the surrender (fn. 496) the materials of the
buildings were valued at £80. The site of
the abbey had been leased to Lord Audley,
but on 17 August 1544 (fn. 497) it was sold to John
Clayton, gentleman, for £182 15s. and in April (fn. 498)
of the following year he obtained a licence to sell
it to John Tynbere.
The charter of Alfred of the manor of Sutton (fn. 499)
exists with a careful statement of the boundaries
of the manor. In 1007 King Ethelred (fn. 500)
granted Ham to the small monastery (monasteriolum) of Athelney and to Alfric, the abbot.
A charter of King Cnut, (fn. 501) witnessed by Earls
Leofric and Godwin and Stigand, the priest,
grants the manor of Sevenhampton (Seavington) to Athelney, and belongs to the period
1020–5.
An abstract of the Domesday Survey is
entered in the cartulary, describing the possessions as in Long Sutton, Ilton, Sevenhampton,
Hamp, Lyng and Montacute, and records
the encroachment of the Count of Mortain in
Ashill, of Roger de Curcelle in Sutton, and of
Ralph de Limesey in Bossington. The manor
of Purse Caundle (fn. 502) in Dorset came to them just
before the Survey by an exchange with the
Count of Mortain. The abbey had previously
received the manor of 'Biscopestone' on which
the earl desired to build his castle of Montacute, (fn. 503) and he exchanged his manor of Purse
Caundle for this manor.
In 1267 Henry III (fn. 504) granted the abbey a
weekly market on Mondays in their manor of
Lyng, and a yearly fair on the eve, day and
morrow of St. James the Apostle, in their manor
of Sutton.
Roger de Mandeville (fn. 505) had given 'Andresia,'
with fishery rights on the Parrett to the abbey
and convent of Athelney, at the request of
Herduin, the venerable hermit, and these rights
being somewhat indefinite were constantly
causing quarrels between the abbey and the
dean and chapter of Wells who held the adjacent manor of North Curry.
In the Taxatio of 1291 the abbey is recorded
as enjoying pensions in Bawdrip and Selworthy
churches, and in possession of the manors of
Sutton Abbots, Hurcot, and lands in North
Curry, Combe Florey, and 'Hyda,' Hamp, Lyng,
'Hoggestle,' Clavelshay in North Petherton and
Bossington.
On the election of Robert de Hacche, (fn. 506) a monk
of Athelney, to be prior in 1349, the property
consisted of Sutton, Lyng, Ilton and Hurcot in
the county of Somerset, and Purse Caundle in
the county of Dorset. These are returned as
worth £25 6s. 5d.
In the Valor (fn. 507) of Henry VIII, 1535, the endowments of the house are returned as worth
£209 a year.
Abbots of Athelney
John, the 'Old Saxon,' temp. Alfred (fn. 508)
Seignus, occurs 937 (fn. 509)
Alfric, occurs 1007 (fn. 510)
Alfward (fn. 511)
Simon
Athelward
Athelwin, occurs 1020–5 (fn. 512)
Ralph Maledoctus, occurs 1125 (fn. 513)
Simon, occurs 1135 (fn. 514)
Benedict I, occurs 1159 (fn. 515)
Roger I, 1174–92 (fn. 516)
Benedict II, 1198–1227 (fn. 517)
Roger II, elected 1227 (fn. 518)
Robert, elected 1245 (fn. 519) ; occurs 1263 (fn. 520)
Osmund de Reigny (fn. 521)
Richard de Derham, occurs 1267 (fn. 522)
Andrew de Sancto Fonte, 1280 (fn. 523) –1300 (fn. 524)
Osmund de Sowi, 1300 (fn. 525) –25 (fn. 526)
Robert de Ile, 1325 (fn. 527) –41 (fn. 528)
Richard de Gothurst or Cotehurst, 1341–9 (fn. 529)
John Stoure, 23 September–22 October, 1349 (fn. 530)
Robert de Hache, elected 1349 (fn. 531)
John Hewish, 1390 (fn. 532)
John Brygge, 1399 (fn. 533)
John Petherton, 1424 (fn. 534)
Robert Hylle, 1458 (fn. 535)
John George, 1485 (fn. 536)
John Wellington, 1503 (fn. 537)
Richard Wraxall (fn. 538)
John Herte, 1518 (fn. 539)
Thomas Sutton, 1527 (fn. 540)
John Maior, 1531 (fn. 541)
Robert Hamlyn or Hamblyn, 1533–9 (fn. 542)
The earliest extant seal (fn. 543) of the Benedictine
Abbey of St. Saviour, St. Peter, St. Paul and St.
Athelwine of Athelney is a vesica of the 11th
century, 2 in. by 1½ in., with a design of the abbey
church. Of the legend there remains only—
✠ SIGILLUM SCI SA . . . . HELING . . . E.
The second seal (fn. 544) is circular, 2½ in. in diameter, and is 15th-century work. It shews the
three principal patrons of the house in canopied
niches. In the middle is Our Lord, blessing
with His right hand and holding in His left an
orb from which rises a long cross and flag. On
the left is St. Peter, habited as pope, and on
the right is St. Paul with sword and book. On
either side of the niches are shields—that to the
left charged with a horn between three crowns,
that to the right has three crowns set palewise
quartered with a cross formy throughout.
The legend is—
SIGILLUM COMUNE ABBATIS ET CONUENTUS DE
ATHELNEY.
The seal of Abbot Benedict (fn. 545) (1159) is a
vesica 23/8 in. by 1½ in., and shews the abbot
standing and holding his staff and a book.