Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Tintern

1478: Visit

William of Worcester, antiquary and traveller, stayed at the house from Friday 4 September until Monday 7 September.

William arrived after dinner on the Friday by boat, from Aust Cliff via Chepstow; he left on the Monday morning and spent all day Sunday at the monastery. During his visit he scrutinised and measured the church and monastic buildings (he paced out the dimesnions and recorded the measurements in his own steps) and has left a detailed description of the monastery. For example, he described the High Altar and the east window which had eight lights and was glazed with the arms of the abbey's Hugh Bigod, who was largely responsible for the rebuilding of the church.

People associated with this event

William of Worcester; William of Worcestre; William Botoner , author and topographer (Visitor)

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Harvey, J. H., William Worcester, Itineraries (Oxford, 1969) pp. 37, 58–62


Other events in the history of this site

1131Foundation -  [1 sources]
1139Founds daughter-house - Tintern founded its first daughter-house at Kingswood, Glos. [1 sources]
1169-88Dispute - Tintern was engaged in a dispute with the Cistercians of Waverley. This was under Abbot William (resigned 1188). [1 sources]
c.1188Breach of rules - The Cistercians were originally prohibited from receiving tithes yet the monks of Tintern accepted a grant of tithes from Woolaston and the chepel of Alvington, Gloucestershire. [1 sources]
1189Patronage - William Marshal became lord of Chepstow and as such took on the patronage of Tintern. [1 sources]
1200Founds daughter-house - Tintern founded a second daughter-house; this was Tintern Parva in Ireland. [4 sources][1 archives]
1220Burial - William Marshal's widow, Isabel de Clare, was buried at Tintern. [2 sources]
1223-1224Patronage - William Marshal's son, William the Younger (d. 1231), succeeded his father as patron of Tintern and was a generous benefactor.  [1 sources]
1245Burial - Walter and Anselm, the sons of William Marshal and Isabel de Clare, were buried at Tintern. [1 sources]
1245Patronage - Patronage of Tintern passed to the Bigod family. [1 sources]
c.1247Resources - Soon after this date the chapel and lands at Magor, in Monmouth, were leased to Tintern. [1 sources]
1248Burial - Matilda Marshal, William Marshal (I)'s daughter, was buried at Tintern, where her mother and two of her brothers lay. Her heart was buried at Lewes Priory. [1 sources]
1282Fine - The abbey was fined the significant sum of £112 for illicitly felling trees in 200 acres of the royal forest at Woolaston. [1 sources]
c.1291Wealth - According to the Taxatio Ecclesiastica the monastery had over 3000 acres of arable, over 3000 sheep and its possessions were estimated at c. £145. [4 sources]
1302Patronage - Roger Bigod IV, earl of Norfolk (d. 1306) was a generous benefactor and granted the monks of Tintern his entire manor of Acle, Norfolk. [1 sources]
1326Royal visitor - Edward II took refuge at the house when fleeing Roger Mortimer's army; he spent two nights at Tintern. [1 sources]
1340Debt - The monastery was in debt to the sum of £174 to the Italian merchants of Lucca. [1 sources]
1395Numbers - At this time there were fourteen monks at Tintern living with their abbot, John Wysbech. [1 sources]
1469Burial - William Herbert, Edward IV's Welsh 'master lock', was buried at Tintern. [2 sources]
1478Visit - William of Worcester, antiquary and traveller, stayed at the house from Friday 4 September until Monday 7 September.  [1 sources]
c.1535Wealth - The survey - the Valor Ecclesiasticus - estimated Tintern's annual net income to be £192. [3 sources]
1536Dissolution - Tintern was dissolved under the 1536 Act of Suppression on 3 September 1536. [3 sources][1 archives]

 
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