Goldcliff- details of Wealth, c.1291

According to the figures recorded for the Taxatio Ecclesiastica of Pope Nicholas IV, Goldcliff’s spirtualities and temporalities totalled £171.

The community at this time comprised twenty-five monks and held over 1300 acres of land in SE Wales in addition to the manors of Membury, Preston and Monksilver in Somerset.
Goldcliff had more livestock than any of the other Welsh priories with 120 sheep, 64 cows and four mares. Its assized rents totalled £23 13s 8d while pleas, fines and market tolls amounted to £13 6s 8d. The priory was rector of six churches in England and Wales - Goldcliff, Christchurch, Peterson, Puriton, Woolverton and Nether Stowey. These figures from the Taxatio are not however indicative of the house’s income but (Graham) give ‘a relative index of monastic prosperity’ since the lands and churches were assessed at the lowest possible figure they could be let to farm.

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Web links (open in new window)

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]

Event detail for site: Goldcliff

c. 1291: Wealth

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Web links (open in new window)

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: Goldcliff c. 1291: Wealth *According to the figures recorded for the Taxatio Ecclesiastica* of Pope Nicholas IV, Goldcliff’s spirtualities and temporalities totalled £171.** The community at this time comprised twenty-five monks and held over 1300 acres of land in SE Wales in addition to the manors of Membury, Preston and Monksilver in Somerset. Goldcliff had more livestock than any of the other Welsh priories with 120 sheep, 64 cows and four mares. Its assized rents totalled £23 13s 8d while pleas, fines and market tolls amounted to £13 6s 8d. The priory was rector of six churches in England and Wales - Goldcliff, Christchurch, Peterson, Puriton, Woolverton and Nether Stowey. These figures from the Taxatio are not however indicative of the house’s income but (Graham) give ‘a relative index of monastic prosperity’ since the lands and churches were assessed at the lowest possible figure they could be let to farm. Bibliographical sources Printed sources Cowley, F. G., The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066-1349 (Cardiff, 1977) pp. 15, 42, 57-8, 59, 60, 96, 273 Graham, Rose, 'The taxation of Pope Nicholas IVth', Engish Historical Review, 23 (1908), pp. 434-454 Web links (open in new window) The Taxatio Database (View website) 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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