Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Goldcliff

1318: Disputed deposition

Prior Ralph was removed from office.

Ralph was a monk of Bec who formally officiated as prior until 1318 but was in November 1320 accused of withholding the priorship for 1 ½ years against his successor, William de Sancto Albino. During the course of wrangling Ralph claimed that he had not been canonically removed from office and indeed at one point he was re-admitted to office by the bishop of Llandaff. In January 1319 there was a dispute over Ralph’s priorship and a writ for his arrest. Three months later, in April 1319, it was alleged that Ralph was wandering around in secular dress, having abandoned his habit. Prior William of Ogbourne St George (Bec’s dependency in Wiltshire) was instructed to arrest him. The abbot of Bec removed Ralph form office since he had remained disobedient to him for six months and in April 1320 the cardinal bishop of Tusculum granted absolution to Roger de Wilynton who had imprisoned the prior.

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, II, 1216-1377, ed. D. M. Smith and V. London (CUP: Cambridge, 2001) p. 162

Other events in the history of this site

1113: Foundation - The priory was founded and endowed in 1113 by Robert de Chandos, at the instigation of Henry I.  [2 sources]
1143: Dispute - Goldcliff was embroiled in a dispute with Bishop Uchtryd of Llandaff (1140-8). [2 sources]
1200: Visitation - The abbot of Bec visited Goldcliff and other dependencies. [1 sources]
1274: Levy imposed - Bec imposed a levy on its dependencies.  [1 sources]
1284: Visitation - Visitation by John Pecham, archbishop of Canterbury.  [2 sources]
1290: Concession - By royal command the house was permitted to hold an annual fair to combat its poverty. [2 sources]
c.1291: Wealth - According to the figures recorded for the Taxatio Ecclesiastica of Pope Nicholas IV, Goldcliff’s spirtualities and temporalities totalled £171. [3 sources]
1291: Dispute - The prior of Goldcliff was embroiled in a dispute with the priory's patron, Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester. [2 sources]
1295 : Royal custody - The house was seized by the king as an alien priory in August 1295. [2 sources]
1297: Numbers - At this time numbers had fallen to fifteen. [1 sources]
1318: Disputed deposition - Prior Ralph was removed from office. [1 sources]
1320-1337: Debt - The priory was in debt to the sum of £63 13s 4d; its creditor was Philip de Columbariis (Columbers), patron of the house.  [1 sources]
1321: Custody - Custody of Goldcliff was given to Thomas, the earl of Norfolk. [2 sources]
c.1327: Custody - Following the outbreak of the Hundred Years’ War the prior of Goldcliff was permitted to retain custody of the house for the annual sum of £10. [1 sources]
1330s: Succession dispute - A long drawn-out dispute over the succession to the priorship dogged the community in the 1330s.  [1 sources]
1400: Restoration - On 31 March 1400, Goldcliff was formally restored to Prior German de Sancto Vedasto. [1 sources]
1410: Rejuvenation - Prior German de St Vaast (Vedasto) took steps to regenerate the priory.  [3 sources]
c.1420-45: Priorship contended - Prior Laurence de Bonavilla was challenged for the headship of Goldcliff by John Twymyng, a monk of Gloucester. [2 sources]
1424: Destruction - Severe storms and flooding destroyed the church. [1 sources]
1442: Re-foundation - Goldcliff was annexed to Tewkesbury Abbey and refounded as a cell of the English house. [3 sources]
1450x70: Dissolution - Monastic life was seriously impeded from c. 1445 but was formally terminated in 1467 and the church was left to ruin. [1 sources]
1451 (2 April): Custody - The king granted Goldcliff to Eton College.  [2 sources]
1462 (1 Feb): Custody - Goldcliff was granted once more to Tewkesbury. [2 sources][1 archives]
1467: Custody - King Henry reconsidered the custody of Goldcliff and gave it once more to Eton college. [1 sources]
 
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