Tewkesbury Abbey
Encyclopedia
The Abbey
of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury
in the English county of Gloucestershire
is the second largest parish church
in the country and a former Benedictine
monastery
.
worship was brought to the area by Theoc, a missionary from Northumbria
, who built his cell in the mid-7th century near a gravel spit where the Severn
and Avon
rivers join together. The cell was succeeded by a monastery in 715, but nothing remaining of it has been identified.
In the 10th century the religious foundation at Tewkesbury became a priory
subordinate to the Benedictine
Cranbourne Abbey
in Dorset. In 1087, William the Conqueror
gave the manor of Tewkesbury to his cousin, Robert Fitzhamon, who, with Giraldus, Abbot of Cranbourne, founded the present abbey in 1092. Building of the present Abbey church did not start until 1102, employing Caen stone
imported from Normandy
and floated up the Severn.
Robert Fitzhamon was wounded at Falaise
in Normandy
in 1105 and died two years later, but his son-in-law, Robert FitzRoy, the natural son of Henry I
who was made Earl of Gloucester, continued to fund the building work. The Abbey's greatest single later patron was Lady Eleanor le Despenser, last of the De Clare heirs of FitzRoy. In the High Middle Ages
, Tewkesbury became one of the richest abbeys of England.
After the Battle of Tewkesbury
in the Wars of the Roses
on 4 May 1471, some of the defeated Lancastrians sought sanctuary
in the abbey, but the victorious Yorkists, led by King Edward IV
, forced their way into the abbey, and the resulting bloodshed caused the building to be closed for a month until it could be purified and re-consecrated.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, the people of Tewkesbury saved the abbey from destruction in 1539: Insisting it was their parish church
, which they had the right to keep, they bought it from King Henry VIII
for the value of its bells and lead roof which would have been salvaged and melted down, leaving the structure a roofless ruin. The price came to £453 (£ as of ),.
The bells merited their own free-standing belltower, an unusual feature in English sites. After the Dissolution, the bell-tower was used as the gaol for the borough until it was demolished in the late 18th century.
The central stone tower was originally topped with a wooden spire, which collapsed in 1559 and was never rebuilt. Some restoration
undertaken in the 19th century under Sir Gilbert Scott
included the rood screen
that replaced the one removed when the Abbey became a parish church.
Flood
waters, from the nearby River Severn
, reached inside the Abbey in severe floods in 1760, and again on 23 July 2007.
in England. Its massive crossing tower was rated "probably the largest and finest Romanesque
tower in England" by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
. Fourteen of England's cathedrals are of smaller dimensions, while only Westminster Abbey
contains more medieval church monument
s.
s surviving in Tewkesbury Abbey include:
- known as the Milton Organ - was originally made for Magdalen College
, Oxford by Robert Dallam. After the English Civil War
it was removed to the chapel
of Hampton Court Palace and came to Tewkesbury in 1737. Since then, it has undergone several major rebuilds. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. Also present, in the North Transept, is the stupendous Grove Organ, built by the short-lived partnership of Michell & Thynne in 1885: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N07484. The third organ in the Abbey is the Elliott chamber organ of 1812, mounted on a movable platform: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N12493.
is now made up of twelve bells, hung for change ringing
, cast in 1962, by John Taylor of Loughborough. The inscriptions of the old 5th and 10th bells are copied in fascimilie onto the new bells. The bells have modern cast iron headstocks and all run on self-aligning ball bearings. They are hung in the north-east corner of the tower, and the ringing chamber is partitioned off from the rest of the tower. There is also a semitone bell (Flat 6th) also cast by Taylor of Loughborough in 1991.
The Old Clock Bells are the old 6th (Abraham Rudhall II, 1725), the old 7th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1696), the old 8th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1696) and the old 11th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1717). In St Dunstan's Chapel, at the east end of the Abbey, is a small disused bell inscribed T. MEARS FECT. 1837
The Abbey bells are rung from 10:15am to 11:00am every Sunday except the first Sunday of the month (a quarter peal). There is also ringing for Evensong
from 4:00pm to 5:00pm, except on the third Sunday (a quarter peal) and most fifth Sundays. Practice takes place each Thursday from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
of Tewkesbury
developed to the north of the abbey precincts, of which vestiges remain in the layout of the streets and a few buildings: the Abbot's gatehouse, the Almonry barn, the Abbey Mill, Abbey House, the present vicarage and some half-timbered dwellings in Church Street. The Abbey now sits partly isolated in lawns, like a cathedral in its cathedral close, for the area surrounding the Abbey is protected from development by the Abbey Lawn Trust, originally funded by a United States benefactor in 1962 http://www.charities-database.co.uk/201845.html.
at the Abbey has been emphatically High Anglican. However, in more recent times there has been an acknowledgement of the value of less solemn worship, and this is reflected in the two congregational services offered on Sunday mornings. The first of these (at 9.15am) is a Parish Eucharist
, with modern language and an informal atmosphere; a parish breakfast is typically served after this service. The main Sung Eucharist at 11am is solemn and formal, including a choral Mass
; traditional language is used throughout, and most parts of the service are indeed sung, including the Collect and Gospel
reading. Choral Evensong
is sung on Sunday evenings, and also on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the week. A said Eucharist also takes place every day of the week, at varying times, and alternating between traditional and modern language. Each summer since 1969 (with the exception of 2007 when the town was hit by floods) the Abbey has played host to Musica Deo Sacra, a festival combining music and liturgy.
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,...
of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
in the English county of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
is the second largest parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the country and a former Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
.
History
The Chronicle of Tewkesbury records that the first ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
worship was brought to the area by Theoc, a missionary from Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
, who built his cell in the mid-7th century near a gravel spit where the Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
and Avon
River Avon, Warwickshire
The River Avon or Avon is a river in or adjoining the counties of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the Midlands of England...
rivers join together. The cell was succeeded by a monastery in 715, but nothing remaining of it has been identified.
In the 10th century the religious foundation at Tewkesbury became a priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
subordinate to the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Cranbourne Abbey
Cranborne
Cranborne is a village in East Dorset, England. In 2001 the village had a population of 779 people. The town is situated on chalk downland called Cranborne Chase, part of a large expanse of chalk in southern England which includes the nearby Salisbury Plain and Dorset Downs.-History:The village...
in Dorset. In 1087, William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
gave the manor of Tewkesbury to his cousin, Robert Fitzhamon, who, with Giraldus, Abbot of Cranbourne, founded the present abbey in 1092. Building of the present Abbey church did not start until 1102, employing Caen stone
Caen stone
Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago...
imported from Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and floated up the Severn.
Robert Fitzhamon was wounded at Falaise
Falaise, Calvados
Falaise is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-History:The town was the birthplace of William I the Conqueror, first of the Norman Kings of England. The Château de Falaise , which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in 1105 and died two years later, but his son-in-law, Robert FitzRoy, the natural son of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
who was made Earl of Gloucester, continued to fund the building work. The Abbey's greatest single later patron was Lady Eleanor le Despenser, last of the De Clare heirs of FitzRoy. In the High Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Tewkesbury became one of the richest abbeys of England.
After the Battle of Tewkesbury
Battle of Tewkesbury
The Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. The forces loyal to the House of Lancaster were completely defeated by those of the rival House of York under their monarch, King Edward IV...
in the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
on 4 May 1471, some of the defeated Lancastrians sought sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
in the abbey, but the victorious Yorkists, led by King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, forced their way into the abbey, and the resulting bloodshed caused the building to be closed for a month until it could be purified and re-consecrated.
After 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 people of Tewkesbury saved the abbey from destruction in 1539: Insisting it was their parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, which they had the right to keep, they bought it from King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
for the value of its bells and lead roof which would have been salvaged and melted down, leaving the structure a roofless ruin. The price came to £453 (£ as of ),.
The bells merited their own free-standing belltower, an unusual feature in English sites. After the Dissolution, the bell-tower was used as the gaol for the borough until it was demolished in the late 18th century.
The central stone tower was originally topped with a wooden spire, which collapsed in 1559 and was never rebuilt. Some restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
undertaken in the 19th century under Sir Gilbert Scott
Gilbert Scott
Gilbert Scott may refer to several of a family of British architects:* Sir George Gilbert Scott , who was principally known for his architectural designs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and St Pancras Station...
included the rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
that replaced the one removed when the Abbey became a parish church.
Flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
waters, from the nearby River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, reached inside the Abbey in severe floods in 1760, and again on 23 July 2007.
Construction time-line
- 23 October 1121 - the choir consecrated
- 1150 - tower and nave completed
- 1178 - large fire necessitated some rebuilding
- ~1235 - Chapel of St Nicholas built
- ~1300 - Chapel of St. James built
- 1321-1335 - choir rebuilt with radiating chantry chapels
- 1349-59 - tower and nave vaults rebuilt; the lierne vaultsLierne (vault)A Lierne in Gothic rib vaulting is an architectural term for a tertiary rib spanning between two other ribs, instead of from a springer, or to the central boss...
of the nave replacing wooden roofing - 1400-1410 - cloisterCloisterA cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
s rebuilt - 1438 - Chapel of Isabel (Countess of WarwickIsabel le Despenser, Countess of Worcester and WarwickIsabel le Despenser, Countess of Worcester and Warwick was the posthumous daughter and eventually the sole heiress of Thomas le Despenser and his wife, Constance of York...
) built - 1471 - Battle of TewkesburyBattle of TewkesburyThe Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. The forces loyal to the House of Lancaster were completely defeated by those of the rival House of York under their monarch, King Edward IV...
; bloodshed within church so great that it is closed - 1520 - Guesten house completed (later became the vicarage)
Architecture
The church itself is one of the finest Norman buildingsNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
in England. Its massive crossing tower was rated "probably the largest and finest Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
tower in England" by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
. Fourteen of England's cathedrals are of smaller dimensions, while only Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
contains more medieval church monument
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
s.
Notable monuments
Notable church monumentChurch monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
s surviving in Tewkesbury Abbey include:
- 1107 - when the abbey's founder Robert FitzhamonRobert FitzhamonRobert Fitzhamon , or Robert FitzHamon, Sieur de Creully in the Calvados region and Torigny in the Manche region of Normandy, was Lord of Gloucester and the Norman conqueror of Glamorgan, southern Wales...
died in 1107, he was buried in the chapter house while his son-in-law Robert FitzRoyRobert, 1st Earl of GloucesterRobert Fitzroy, 1st Earl of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of King Henry I of England. He was called "Rufus" and occasionally "de Caen", he is also known as Robert "the Consul"...
(an illegitimate son of King Henry IHenry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
), Earl of GloucesterEarl of GloucesterThe title of Earl of Gloucester was created several times in the Peerage of England. A fictional earl is also a character in William Shakespeare's play King Lear. See also Duke of Gloucester.-Earls of Gloucester, 1st Creation :...
, continued building the abbey - 1375 - Edward DespenserEdward le Despencer, 1st Baron le DespencerEdward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer, KG was the son of another Edward le Despenser and Anne, the sister of Henry, Lord Ferrers of Groby. He succeeded as Lord of Glamorgan in 1349.Le Despencer went with Edward the Black Prince to France, and was present at the Battle of Poitiers...
, Lord of the ManorLord of the ManorThe Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Tewkesbury, is remembered today chiefly for the effigy on his monument, which shows him in full colour kneeling on top of the canopy of his chantry, facing toward the high altar - ~1395 - Robert Fitzhamon's remains were moved into a new chapel built as his tomb
- 1471 - a brass plate on the floor in the center of the sanctuarySanctuaryA sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
marks the grave of Edward of Westminster, Prince of WalesEdward of WestminsterEdward of Westminster , also known as Edward of Lancaster, was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou...
, the son of King Henry VIHenry VI of EnglandHenry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
and end of the Lancastrian line, who was killed in the Battle of TewkesburyBattle of TewkesburyThe Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. The forces loyal to the House of Lancaster were completely defeated by those of the rival House of York under their monarch, King Edward IV...
- the only Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
ever to die in battle. - 1477 - the bones of George, "Butt of Malmsey" Clarence, (brother of Edward IVEdward IV of EnglandEdward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and Richard IIIRichard III of EnglandRichard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
) and his wife Isabelle (daughter of Richard "the Kingmaker" Neville) are housed behind a glass window in a wall of their inaccessible burial vaultBurial vault (tomb)A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
behind the high altar - <1539 - the cadaver monumentCadaver tombA cadaver tomb or transi is a church monument or tomb featuring an effigy in the macabre form of a decomposing corpse. The topos was particularly characteristic of the later Middle Ages....
which Abbot Wakeman had erected for himself is only a cenotaphCenotaphA cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
, because he was not buried there - Also buried in the abbey are several members of the Despenser, de ClareDe ClareThe de Clare family of Norman lords were associated with the Welsh Marches, Suffolk, Surrey, Kent and Ireland. They were descended from Richard fitz Gilbert, who accompanied William the Conqueror into England during the Norman conquest of England.-Origins:The Clare family descends from Gilbert...
and BeauchampBeauchamp- Surname :* Alphonse de Beauchamp, French historian* Anne de Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick * Bianca Beauchamp, Canadian fetish model* Christine Beauchamp, case study patient...
families, all of whom were generous benefactors of the abbey
The organ
The Abbey's 17th century organPipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
- known as the Milton Organ - was originally made for Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, Oxford by Robert Dallam. After the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
it was removed to the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of Hampton Court Palace and came to Tewkesbury in 1737. Since then, it has undergone several major rebuilds. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. Also present, in the North Transept, is the stupendous Grove Organ, built by the short-lived partnership of Michell & Thynne in 1885: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N07484. The third organ in the Abbey is the Elliott chamber organ of 1812, mounted on a movable platform: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N12493.
List of organists
- James Cleavely, 1737–1767.
- James Edward Chandler, 1767–1798.
- Nathaniel Chandler, 1798–1847.
- Nathaniel Chandler White, 1847–1857.
- Thomas Vale, 1857.
- Jabez Jones, 1857–1858.
- Mr. Caseley, 1858.
- R.M. Ellis, 1858–1861.
- Edward Gillman, 1861–1867.
- John Thorniloe Horniblow, 1867–1878.
- Henry Rogers, 1878–1880.
- Daniel Hemmingway, 1881–1891.
- Samuel Bath, 1891–1900.
- Alfred W. V. Vine, 1900–1910.
- Capt. Percy Baker, 1910–1943.
- Revd. Claude William Parnell, 1916–1918. (deputising for Percy Baker)
- Michael Stockwin HowardMichael Howard (musician)Michael Stockwin Howard was an English choral conductor, organist and composer. He was an important part of the Early Music movement in the middle of the last century, in particular as a celebrated interpreter of 16th century polyphony In his later years he made notable recordings of the late...
, 1943–1944. - Huskisson Stubington, 1944–1966.
- Michael Peterson, 1966–1985.
- John Belcher, 1985–1996. (formerly organist of St Asaph CathedralSt Asaph CathedralSt Asaph Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral in St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales. It is sometimes claimed to be the smallest Anglican cathedral in Britain.- History :...
) - Carleton Etherington, 1996–Present.
List of assistant organists
- Leonard William Tracy Arkell 1910 - 1912
The bells
The bells at the Abbey were overhauled in 1962. The ringRing of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
is now made up of twelve bells, hung for change ringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
, cast in 1962, by John Taylor of Loughborough. The inscriptions of the old 5th and 10th bells are copied in fascimilie onto the new bells. The bells have modern cast iron headstocks and all run on self-aligning ball bearings. They are hung in the north-east corner of the tower, and the ringing chamber is partitioned off from the rest of the tower. There is also a semitone bell (Flat 6th) also cast by Taylor of Loughborough in 1991.
The Old Clock Bells are the old 6th (Abraham Rudhall II, 1725), the old 7th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1696), the old 8th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1696) and the old 11th (Abraham Rudhall I, 1717). In St Dunstan's Chapel, at the east end of the Abbey, is a small disused bell inscribed T. MEARS FECT. 1837
The Abbey bells are rung from 10:15am to 11:00am every Sunday except the first Sunday of the month (a quarter peal). There is also ringing for Evensong
Evensong
The term evensong can refer to the following:* Evening Prayer , the Anglican liturgy of Evening Prayer, especially so called when it is sung...
from 4:00pm to 5:00pm, except on the third Sunday (a quarter peal) and most fifth Sundays. Practice takes place each Thursday from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
Abbey precincts
The market townMarket town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
developed to the north of the abbey precincts, of which vestiges remain in the layout of the streets and a few buildings: the Abbot's gatehouse, the Almonry barn, the Abbey Mill, Abbey House, the present vicarage and some half-timbered dwellings in Church Street. The Abbey now sits partly isolated in lawns, like a cathedral in its cathedral close, for the area surrounding the Abbey is protected from development by the Abbey Lawn Trust, originally funded by a United States benefactor in 1962 http://www.charities-database.co.uk/201845.html.
Abbots
- Giraldus (1102–1109), previously Abbot of Cranbourn, was the first Abbot of the Benedictine foundation. Deprived by Henry I of EnglandHenry I of EnglandHenry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
in 1109. - Robert (1110–1124).
- Benedict (1124–1137).
- Roger (1137–1161).
- Fromundus (1162–1178).
- No Abbot between 1178-1182.
- Robert (1182–1183).
- Alan, (1187–1202). His tomb is in the south ambulatory of the choir.
- Walter (1202–1213), previously Sacrist.
- Hugh (1214), who had been the Prior.
- Peter (1216–1231), a monk from WorcesterWorcesterThe City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. - Robert Forthington (1232–1254), or Robert III. had previously been Prior. A tomb thought to be his is in the south ambulatory.
- Thomas de Stokes (1254–1275) had been Prior of St James, Bristol.
- Richard de Norton (1276–1282).
- Thomas Kempsey (1282–1328).
- John Cotes (unknown–1367).
- Thomas de Legh (1347–1361).
- Thomas Chesterton (1361–1389).
- Thomas Parker, or Pakare (1389–1421).
- William Bristow, or de Bristol (1421–1442).
- John de Abingdon (1442–unknown).
- John Strensham, or Streynsham (unknown–1481)
- Richard Cheltenham (1481–1509).
- Henry Beoly, or Bealy (1509–unknown), was Abbot in 1525.
- John Walker (d. 1531)
- John Wich, Wyche, or WakemanJohn WakemanJohn Wakeman was an English Benedictine, the last Abbot of Tewkesbury and first Bishop of Gloucester, both posts in the English county of Gloucestershire. In the earlier part of his life he went by the name John Wiche.-Life:...
(1531–1539). This ecclesiastic was the last Abbot of Tewkesbury. He surrendered the abbey to the Crown and in return he obtained a pension of £266 13s 4d, and also the house and park at Forthampton. When, later, Gloucester was made a bishopric, he was the first bishop. He was buried at Forthampton
Choirs
The Abbey possesses, in effect, two choirs. The Abbey Choir sings at Sunday services, with children (boys and girls) and adults in the morning, and adults in the evening. Schola Cantorum is a professional choir of men and boys based at Dean Close Preparatory School and sings at weekday Evensongs as well as occasional masses and concerts. The Abbey School Tewkesbury, which educated, trained and provided choristers to sing the service of Evensong from its foundation in 1973 by Miles Amherst, closed in 2006; the choir was then re-housed at Dean Close School, Cheltenham and renamed the Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum.Worship
For the most part, worshipWorship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
at the Abbey has been emphatically High Anglican. However, in more recent times there has been an acknowledgement of the value of less solemn worship, and this is reflected in the two congregational services offered on Sunday mornings. The first of these (at 9.15am) is a Parish Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, with modern language and an informal atmosphere; a parish breakfast is typically served after this service. The main Sung Eucharist at 11am is solemn and formal, including a choral Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
; traditional language is used throughout, and most parts of the service are indeed sung, including the Collect and Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
reading. Choral Evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
is sung on Sunday evenings, and also on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during the week. A said Eucharist also takes place every day of the week, at varying times, and alternating between traditional and modern language. Each summer since 1969 (with the exception of 2007 when the town was hit by floods) the Abbey has played host to Musica Deo Sacra, a festival combining music and liturgy.
External links
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Tewkesbury Abbey
- Official site
- Britannia.com Detailed tour
- Illuminated armorials in the Founders' and Benefactors' Book of Tewkesbury Abbey, early 16th century, at the Bodleian Library
- David Bagley, "The bells of Tewkesbury Abbey"
- Heritage Trail: Tewkesbury Abbey
- Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum
- The abbey of Tewkesbury, Victoria County History of England: Gloucestershire, Vol. 2, pp. 61–6.
- A history of the choristers of Tewkesbury Abbey
- Flooding at Tewkesbury Abbey, July 2007
- Musica Deo Sacra
- Tewkesbury Abbey Images Official supplier to Tewkesbury Abbey