Evesham Abbey
Encyclopedia
Evesham Abbey was founded by Saint
Egwin
at Evesham
in England
between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof
.
According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig
to William the Conqueror. Only one section of walling survives from the actual abbey
, although fragments of the chapter house
, the bell tower
and the gateway remain, which were added later: the chapter house
in the 13th century and the bell tower
in the 16th century. Simon de Montfort
(1208–1265) is buried beneath the high altar of the ruined abbey, the spot marked by an altar-like memorial monument dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury
in 1965. The abbey is of Benedictine origin, and became in its heyday one of the wealthiest in the country. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, the abbey was demolished leaving only the bell tower surviving into the 21st century.
On the other hand, the year of the consecration derives from the grant of the first privilege to the Abbey from Pope Constantine "written in the seven hundred and ninth year of our Lord’s incarnation." Ecgwine returned from Rome bearing this charter, which was apparently read out by Archbishop Berhtwald at a council of “the whole of England” held at Alcester, although that meeting was probably fictitious. Thomas of Marlborough records that, in accordance with the apostolic command, a community of monks was then established (meaning the foundation can also be dated to 709):
"When the blessed Ecgwine saw that longed-for day when the place which he had built would be consecrated, and a monastic order established to serve God in that place, he then abandoned all concerns for worldly matters, and devoted himself to a contemplative way of life. Following the example of the Lord by humbling himself, he resigned his bishop’s see, and became abbot of the monastery."
The charter of Ecgwine (written 714) records that on the feast of All Saints “Bishop Wilfrid and I consecrated the church which I had built to God, the Blessed Mary, and to all Christ’s elect”. The feast of All Saints became established in the West after 609 or 610 under Pope Boniface IV; its observance on 1 November dates from the time of Pope Gregory III (died 741). Bishop Wilfrid was Egwin’s successor to the see of Worcester (though he is sometimes confused with Wilfrid, Archbishop of York, who died c. 709).
Although the exact year of the foundation remains unclear, it can be reasonably assumed that the date of the abbey's consecration was the feast of All Saints in 709. That the consecration occurred on this feast day provides a neat connection with All Saints Church
. That Abbot Clement Lichfield lies buried beneath the Chantry Chapel, now known as the Lichfield Chapel in consequence, provides the link to the closing days of the life of the abbey.
of the 16th century, on its surrender to the king in 1540, the abbey was plundered and demolished by the townsfolk. Only the bell tower survives. The coat of arms
of Evesham Abbey is still used in modern times as the crest of Prince Henry's High School
, Evesham.
began excavtions of the abbey, on parts of his property, between 1811 and 1834. The results were given to the Society of Antiquaries of London
, illustrations of the discoveries were published in their Vetusta Monumenta with by a memoir by his son, Edward John Rudge
. Rudge commissioned an octagon tower for the site of the battlefield in 1842, to honour Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester.
Star class locomotives was named Evesham Abbey and numbered 4065. It was subsequently rebuilt as a Castle class locomotive being renumbered as 5085 while retaining the name Evesham Abbey.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Egwin
Egwin
Egcwine was the third Bishop of Worcester in England.-Life:He was the founder of the Evesham Abbey. His biographers say that king, clergy, and commonalty all united in demanding his elevation as bishop; but the popularity which led him to the episcopal office dissipated in response to his...
at Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
between 700 and 710 A.D. following a vision of the Virgin Mary by Eof
Eof
Eof was a swineherd who claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary at Evesham in England, about 701. Eof related this vision to Egwin, Bishop of Worcester, who founded the great Evesham Abbey on the site of the apparation. Evesham means Eof's ham .Some people think Eof may have been a shepherd...
.
According to the monastic history, Evesham came through the Norman Conquest unusually well, because of a quick approach by Abbot Æthelwig
Æthelwig
Æthelwig was an Abbot of Evesham before and during the Norman Conquest of England. Born sometime around 1010 or 1015, he was elected abbot in 1058. Known for his legal expertise, he administered estates for Ealdred, the Bishop of Worcester prior to his election as abbot...
to William the Conqueror. Only one section of walling survives from the actual abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
, although fragments of the chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
, the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
and the gateway remain, which were added later: the chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
in the 13th century and the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
in the 16th century. Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
(1208–1265) is buried beneath the high altar of the ruined abbey, the spot marked by an altar-like memorial monument dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
in 1965. The abbey is of Benedictine origin, and became in its heyday one of the wealthiest in the country. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, the abbey was demolished leaving only the bell tower surviving into the 21st century.
Early foundation
The year of the foundation of Evesham Abbey (that is, when a monastic community was first established) is problematic. William Tindal (1794) comments that "I have a MS. but without name or reference, which says that he [Ecgwine] began his Abbey in the year 682. This is before he was made bishop, and seems improbable. Tanner [Not. Mon. p.168] says in 701. The date of Constantine’s charter may decide the point as to the consecration of his Abbey, but there is reason to suppose that Egwin began to build as early as the year 702". George May gives 701 as the year that Ethelred conferred on Ecgwine the whole peninsula with the erection of the monastery commencing in the same year.On the other hand, the year of the consecration derives from the grant of the first privilege to the Abbey from Pope Constantine "written in the seven hundred and ninth year of our Lord’s incarnation." Ecgwine returned from Rome bearing this charter, which was apparently read out by Archbishop Berhtwald at a council of “the whole of England” held at Alcester, although that meeting was probably fictitious. Thomas of Marlborough records that, in accordance with the apostolic command, a community of monks was then established (meaning the foundation can also be dated to 709):
"When the blessed Ecgwine saw that longed-for day when the place which he had built would be consecrated, and a monastic order established to serve God in that place, he then abandoned all concerns for worldly matters, and devoted himself to a contemplative way of life. Following the example of the Lord by humbling himself, he resigned his bishop’s see, and became abbot of the monastery."
The charter of Ecgwine (written 714) records that on the feast of All Saints “Bishop Wilfrid and I consecrated the church which I had built to God, the Blessed Mary, and to all Christ’s elect”. The feast of All Saints became established in the West after 609 or 610 under Pope Boniface IV; its observance on 1 November dates from the time of Pope Gregory III (died 741). Bishop Wilfrid was Egwin’s successor to the see of Worcester (though he is sometimes confused with Wilfrid, Archbishop of York, who died c. 709).
Although the exact year of the foundation remains unclear, it can be reasonably assumed that the date of the abbey's consecration was the feast of All Saints in 709. That the consecration occurred on this feast day provides a neat connection with All Saints Church
All Saints Church, Evesham
All Saints Church is an active Anglican church in the centre of the town of Evesham, Worcestershire, England. All Saints and its neighbour St Lawrence's Church were built by the Benedictine monks of Evesham Abbey in the 12th century to serve the people of Evesham...
. That Abbot Clement Lichfield lies buried beneath the Chantry Chapel, now known as the Lichfield Chapel in consequence, provides the link to the closing days of the life of the abbey.
Dissolution
During the Dissolution of the MonasteriesDissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
of the 16th century, on its surrender to the king in 1540, the abbey was plundered and demolished by the townsfolk. Only the bell tower survives. The coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Evesham Abbey is still used in modern times as the crest of Prince Henry's High School
Prince Henry's High School
Prince Henry's High School, also known as Prince Henry's, is a secondary school in Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It is a co-educational comprehensive high school, in which there are about 1260 students enrolled, aged between 13 and 18...
, Evesham.
Excavations
The antiquary Edward RudgeEdward Rudge
-Life:Born on 27 June 1763, he was son of Edward Rudge, a merchant and alderman of Salisbury, who possessed a large portion of the abbey estate at Evesham....
began excavtions of the abbey, on parts of his property, between 1811 and 1834. The results were given to the Society of Antiquaries of London
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, illustrations of the discoveries were published in their Vetusta Monumenta with by a memoir by his son, Edward John Rudge
Edward John Rudge
Edward John Rudge, M.A. was an English barrister and antiquary.The son of Edward Rudge, botanist and antiquary, he attended Caius College, Cambridge, and was barrister-at-law, fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and author of Some Account of the History and Antiquities of Evesham,...
. Rudge commissioned an octagon tower for the site of the battlefield in 1842, to honour Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester.
Burials of saints
- Saint EgwinEgwinEgcwine was the third Bishop of Worcester in England.-Life:He was the founder of the Evesham Abbey. His biographers say that king, clergy, and commonalty all united in demanding his elevation as bishop; but the popularity which led him to the episcopal office dissipated in response to his...
, third bishop of Worcester and founder of Evesham Abbey - Saint Credan
- Saint Wigstan of MerciaWigstan of MerciaWigstan , also known as Saint Wystan, was the son of Wigmund of Mercia and Ælfflæd, daughter of King Ceolwulf I of Mercia.Wigstan may have been sub-king, or ealdorman, of the Hwicce, and may have ruled Mercia briefly in 840, before resigning the throne. Wigstan was killed by his successor,...
(aka Wulstan and Wystan) - Saint Odulf
Other burials
- Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of LeicesterSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of LeicesterSimon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
- Henry de MontfortHenry de MontfortSir Henry de Montfort was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and with his father played an important role in the struggle of the barons against King Henry III...
- Hugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerHugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerSir Hugh was an important ally of Simon de Montfort during the reign of Henry III. He served briefly as Justiciar of England in 1260 and as Constable of the Tower of London....
GWR Star Class steam engine
One of the Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
Star class locomotives was named Evesham Abbey and numbered 4065. It was subsequently rebuilt as a Castle class locomotive being renumbered as 5085 while retaining the name Evesham Abbey.
External links
- Abbey Bell Tower:http://www.anotherurl.com/travel/cotswolds/images/evesham/bell_tower.jpg
- Abbey Ruins and Artifacts: http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/images/nrpBM/BMED30.jpg, http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rudged/gen/sa1.jpeg
- Evesham Parish Church: http://www.eveshamparish.com
- Evesham Abbey, A History of the County of Worcester: Volume 2, Victoria County History
