Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Cardiff

1220: Community flees

The community escaped the turbulent conditions in Wales and took refuge at Tewkesbury Abbey.

The turbulent conditions in Wales led to the monks at Cardiff being recalled temporarily to their mother-house at Tewkesbury until the troubles subsided. During this period the priory was leased out to farm. This is recorded in the Annals of Tewkesbury which reveals that during this period the church of St Mary was served by a secular priest who officiated as vicar and was answerable to the abbot of Tewkesbury:

Our Priory of Kerdif, the monks being called home, is demised to farm, but not for a certain term.
[Annals of Tewkesbury, 1221]

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

'Tewkesbury Annals', in Annales Monastici, 1, Rolls Series, 36, ed. H. R. Luard (London, 1864) 1221

'Translated extracts from Welsh and Latin records: Introduction', in Cardiff Records, 5, ed. John Hobson Matthews (1905) (Annals of Tewkesbury), vol. 5, pp. 280 ff

Cowley, F. G., The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066-1349 (Cardiff, 1977) p. 62

Rees, W., 'The priory of Cardiff and other possessions of the abbey of Tewkesbury in Glamorgan,', South Wales and Monmouthshire Record Society 2 (1950) p. 150

Other events in the history of this site

pre 1106: Foundation - Robert fitz Hamon granted the church of St Mary with its eight dependent chapels to Tewkesbury Abbey, to establish a cell for five monks. [2 sources]
1173x83: Rebuilding and re-dedication - The church was rebuilt and re-dedicated to St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr. [1 sources]
1220: Community flees - The community escaped the turbulent conditions in Wales and took refuge at Tewkesbury Abbey. [4 sources]
1233: Administration - The prior of Cardiff returned from Tewkesbury to administer the priory's holdings but the weir on the Taff was leased out for five years. [2 sources]
c.1291: Wealth - The priory’s holdings were assessed at £20 for the Taxatio Ecclesiastica.  [2 sources]
c.1300: Patronage - Patronage of the house was vested in the earls of Gloucester; it then passed to the Despensers and thereafter to the Crown.  [1 sources]
1403: Dissolution - The house was dissolved in 1403 although the site may have been abandoned prior to this. [2 sources]
c.1403: Destruction - The priory was sacked by the rebel, Owain Glyn Dŵr (d. c. 1416). [1 sources]
 
Graphic.