Adam of Eynsham
Encyclopedia
Adam of Eynsham was a medieval English chronicler and writer. He was also abbot
of Eynsham Abbey
.
Adam was born around 1155 in Oxford
to a middle-class family. His father, a doctor in Oxford, was named Edmund. Edmund's other children included William and Edmund.
Adam entered Eynsham Abbey, where he was first a monk, then later elected prior before 1197. In 1197 a dispute between Hugh of Lincoln
, the Bishop of Lincoln
who had the right of patronage over Eynsham, and King Richard I of England
, over rights to the abbey occurred. Adam probably compiled the Eynsham cartulary for the use of Hugh during this conflict. Hugh then named Adam his chaplain, and Adam was Hugh's constant companion until Hugh's death in 1200. This experience led Adam to write Magna Vita Sancti Hugonis or The Life of St Hugh of Lincoln. This work became Adam's claim to fame, and is one of the more trustworthy and fullest of the hagiographies existing from the Middle Ages.
Adam went to France while England was under an interdict
during the later part of King John
's reign, but when the interdict was lifted, Hugh's successor at Lincoln, Hugh of Wells, named Adam as abbot of Eynsham in 1213. Adam was deposed by Hugh of Wells for being a "manifest dilapidator" of the monastery's property, on 1 June 1228 but is again referred to as abbot on 10 June. Eynsham had fallen into debt, and even though it had repaid the debts, the bishop still deposed Adam.
After his deposition, Adam retired to Little Rollright, and in 1233 he was allowed an exemption from having to do suit for the manor he was residing on. Presumably, he died soon after this occurrence.
The Vita of Hugh was written at the request of two monks of Winchester, and was completed about 1212. It effectively supplanted all earlier works about Hugh, and although reliable for events during Hugh's adult life, has some errors in the sections dealing with Hugh's early life. The historian David Knowles calls the work a "clear and living picture of the great bishop". Another work by Adam was a description of a vision that his brother Edmund saw in 1196, titled The Vision of the Monk of Eynsham, which survives in a few manuscripts.
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Eynsham Abbey
Eynsham Abbey
Eynsham Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, in England between 1005 and 1538. King Æthelred allowed Æthelmær the Stout to found the abbey in 1005. There is some evidence that the abbey was built on the site of an earlier minster, probably founded in the 7th or 8th...
.
Adam was born around 1155 in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
to a middle-class family. His father, a doctor in Oxford, was named Edmund. Edmund's other children included William and Edmund.
Adam entered Eynsham Abbey, where he was first a monk, then later elected prior before 1197. In 1197 a dispute between Hugh of Lincoln
Hugh of Lincoln
Hugh of Lincoln was at the time of the Reformation the best-known English saint after Thomas Becket.-Life:...
, the Bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
who had the right of patronage over Eynsham, and King Richard I of England
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, over rights to the abbey occurred. Adam probably compiled the Eynsham cartulary for the use of Hugh during this conflict. Hugh then named Adam his chaplain, and Adam was Hugh's constant companion until Hugh's death in 1200. This experience led Adam to write Magna Vita Sancti Hugonis or The Life of St Hugh of Lincoln. This work became Adam's claim to fame, and is one of the more trustworthy and fullest of the hagiographies existing from the Middle Ages.
Adam went to France while England was under an interdict
Interdict
The term Interdict may refer to:* Court order enforcing or prohibiting a certain action* Injunction, such as a restraining order...
during the later part of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
's reign, but when the interdict was lifted, Hugh's successor at Lincoln, Hugh of Wells, named Adam as abbot of Eynsham in 1213. Adam was deposed by Hugh of Wells for being a "manifest dilapidator" of the monastery's property, on 1 June 1228 but is again referred to as abbot on 10 June. Eynsham had fallen into debt, and even though it had repaid the debts, the bishop still deposed Adam.
After his deposition, Adam retired to Little Rollright, and in 1233 he was allowed an exemption from having to do suit for the manor he was residing on. Presumably, he died soon after this occurrence.
The Vita of Hugh was written at the request of two monks of Winchester, and was completed about 1212. It effectively supplanted all earlier works about Hugh, and although reliable for events during Hugh's adult life, has some errors in the sections dealing with Hugh's early life. The historian David Knowles calls the work a "clear and living picture of the great bishop". Another work by Adam was a description of a vision that his brother Edmund saw in 1196, titled The Vision of the Monk of Eynsham, which survives in a few manuscripts.
Further reading
- Sharpe, R. Handlist of Latin Writers of Great Britain and Ireland Before 1540 Turnhout, Brepols. 1997 pp. 16–17.