Cwmhir- details of Dissolution, 1537

On 2 March 1537 the abbey was suppressed. At this time there were just three monks.

The site was leased to William Turner and site duly passed to Sir John Williams of Oxfordshire and in 1565 to the Fowlers of Grange, in Shropshire, who retained it until the mid-seventeenth century.
The site was held against the English Crown in the Civil War of the 1640s but was taken by the Royalists in 1644.

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Smith, J. Beverley, 'Cymer Abbey and the Welsh princes', Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society, 13 (1999) p. 568

Other events in the history of this site

1176: Foundation - The abbey was founded by Cadwallon ap Madog (d. 1179) and colonised by monks from Whitland Abbey. The house was situated on the north bank of the Clywedog brook. [5 sources]
1179: Patronage - Following the death of its founder, Cadwallon, in 1179 Cwmhir was patronised by Roger Mortimer, the Marcher lord who was responsible for Cadwallon's death. [1 sources]
1195: Revolt - When the abbot of Cwmhir forbade ale to the lay-brothers they retaliated by stealing his horse. [2 sources]
1198-1199: Daughter-house founded - Cwmhir sent a colony of monks to establish a new house at Cymer, NW Wales. [3 sources]
1199: Charter - Roger Mortimer, lord of Maelienydd, issued a significant charter to the abbey in memory of his predecessors and in honour of those who had died in the conquest of 1195. [4 sources]
1214: Royal protection - Following the death of Roger Mortimer, King John took the abbey into royal protection. [2 sources]
1228: Destruction - One of Cwmhir's granges was burnt by royal troops. [1 sources]
1231-2: Royal confirmation - Henry III granted the community various privileges and issued a confirmation charter. [3 sources]
1231: Allegations - Henry III attacked the house after allegations that a member of the Cwmhir community was responsible for tricking a troop of English soldiers into ambush. [2 sources]
1232: Royal confirmation - Henry III reconfirmed his father's charter; this and King John's charter of protection in 1214 provide a valuable insight into the nature of the abbey's original endowment. [1 sources]
1234: Burial - Cadwallon ap Maelgwn was buried at the abbey. [2 sources]
1252-4: Royal support - Henry III further supported the abbey by instructing the men of Montgomeryshire not to waste or destroy the community's woods within their bailiwick. [2 sources]
1252: Destruction - The abbey's woods in Ceri were damaged by the men of Montgomery. [2 sources]
1282: Burial - Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was buried at the house following his death in December 1282. [2 sources]
1291: Wealth - The house had an estimated income of £35 12s 0d. [4 sources]
1381: Clerical poll tax - Payment required from the community: [1 sources][1 archives]
1387-9: Numbers - At this time there were eight monks at Cwmhir. [1 sources]
c.1401: Destruction - The abbey suffered destruction during the Owain Glyn Dŵr revolt. [3 sources]
1524: Bequest - Rhys ap Thomas, who died in 1525, left £8 to the community to buy a pair of organs for the abbey. [2 sources]
c.1532: Numbers - At this time there were three monks. [1 sources]
c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus the abbey had a net income of £28 17s 4d. [3 sources][1 archives]
1537: Dissolution - On 2 March 1537 the abbey was suppressed. At this time there were just three monks. [6 sources]
c.1540: Fabric removed - Five bays of the nave arcade were taken to Llanidloes parish church where they have since remained. View. [1 sources]

Event detail for site: Cwmhir

1537: Dissolution

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Other events in the history of this site


Home dershane Project team Project News Future plans Contact us Search the database Browse list of sites Browse list of orders Browse bibliography & archives Browse people Browse articles Glossary of terms Monastic Wales is not responsible for the content of external internet sites	Event detail for site: Cwmhir 1537: Dissolution On 2 March 1537 the abbey was suppressed. At this time there were just three monks. The site was leased to William Turner and site duly passed to Sir John Williams of Oxfordshire and in 1565 to the Fowlers of Grange, in Shropshire, who retained it until the mid-seventeenth century. The site was held against the English Crown in the Civil War of the 1640s but was taken by the Royalists in 1644. Bibliographical sources Printed sources The Cistercian Abbeys of Britain: far from the concourse of men, ed. David M. Robinson (London, 1998) pp. 94-96 The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, III, 1377-1540, ed. David M. Smith (CUP: Cambridge, 2008) p. 261 Jack, Sybil, 'Dissolution dates for the monasteries dissolved under the Act of 1536', Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, 43 (1970) p. 181 Robinson, David M., The Cistercians in Wales: Architecture and Archaeology 1130-1540, Society of Antiquaries of London, Research Committee Report (London, 2006) pp. 231, 234 Smith, J. Beverley, 'Cymer Abbey and the Welsh princes', Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society, 13 (1999) p. 568 Williams, David H., The Welsh Cistercians (Leominster, 2001) p. 86 Other events in the history of this site 1176: Foundation - The abbey was founded by Cadwallon ap Madog (d. 1179) and colonised by monks from Whitland Abbey. The house was situated on the north bank of the Clywedog brook. [5 sources] 1179: Patronage - Following the death of its founder, Cadwallon, in 1179 Cwmhir was patronised by Roger Mortimer, the Marcher lord who was responsible for Cadwallon's death. [1 sources] 1195: Revolt - When the abbot of Cwmhir forbade ale to the lay-brothers they retaliated by stealing his horse. [2 sources] 1198-1199: Daughter-house founded - Cwmhir sent a colony of monks to establish a new house at Cymer, NW Wales. [3 sources] 1199: Charter - Roger Mortimer, lord of Maelienydd, issued a significant charter to the abbey in memory of his predecessors and in honour of those who had died in the conquest of 1195. [4 sources] 1214: Royal protection - Following the death of Roger Mortimer, King John took the abbey into royal protection. [2 sources] 1228: Destruction - One of Cwmhir's granges was burnt by royal troops. [1 sources] 1231-2: Royal confirmation - Henry III granted the community various privileges and issued a confirmation charter. [3 sources] 1231: Allegations - Henry III attacked the house after allegations that a member of the Cwmhir community was responsible for tricking a troop of English soldiers into ambush. [2 sources] 1232: Royal confirmation - Henry III reconfirmed his father's charter; this and King John's charter of protection in 1214 provide a valuable insight into the nature of the abbey's original endowment. [1 sources] 1234: Burial - Cadwallon ap Maelgwn was buried at the abbey. [2 sources] 1252-4: Royal support - Henry III further supported the abbey by instructing the men of Montgomeryshire not to waste or destroy the community's woods within their bailiwick. [2 sources] 1252: Destruction - The abbey's woods in Ceri were damaged by the men of Montgomery. [2 sources] 1282: Burial - Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was buried at the house following his death in December 1282. [2 sources] 1291: Wealth - The house had an estimated income of £35 12s 0d. [4 sources] 1381: Clerical poll tax - Payment required from the community: [1 sources][1 archives] 1387-9: Numbers - At this time there were eight monks at Cwmhir. [1 sources] c.1401: Destruction - The abbey suffered destruction during the Owain Glyn Dŵr revolt. [3 sources] 1524: Bequest - Rhys ap Thomas, who died in 1525, left £8 to the community to buy a pair of organs for the abbey. [2 sources] c.1532: Numbers - At this time there were three monks. [1 sources] c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus the abbey had a net income of £28 17s 4d. [3 sources][1 archives] 1537: Dissolution - On 2 March 1537 the abbey was suppressed. At this time there were just three monks. [6 sources] c.1540: Fabric removed - Five bays of the nave arcade were taken to Llanidloes parish church where they have since remained. View. [1 sources]

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