Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Ewenny

1537 (28 February): Custody

Gloucester Abbey leased Ewenny Priory and its appurtenants to Sir Edward Carne for a period of ninety-nine years and for the rather menial rent of £20 10s per annum.

In return Edward was required to pay the former prior £6 13 4ds pa and each of the two monks £3 16s 8d. Furthermore, whenever Edward resided at the priory he was to pay for the monks’ food and lodging; if he decided to live elsewhere he was obliged to provide them with an allowance, thus treating them as part of his household. According to the terms of the agreement if the former prior of Ewenny was recalled to the monastic life or died, Edward should provide for another prior and two monks in the same way.
Heale (Dependent Priories, pp. 283-4) considers this ‘unusual arrangement’ which may have been Carne’s attempt to delay the closure of the house; after all he died an exile in Rome following Elizabeth’s succession. Ultimately the terms of this arrangement remain rather perplexing but may indicate that Gloucester and other mother-houses took steps to protect their dependencies from suppression.

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Heale, Martin, The Dependent Priories of Medieval English Monasteries, Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, 22 (Boydell and Brewer: Woodbridge, 2004) pp. 283-4

Other events in the history of this site

pre 1131: Foundation - It is not known when precisely Ewenny Priory was founded but it had its origins before 1131 when William of London (d. 1131), lord of Ogmore Castle, gave the church of St Michael there to St Peter's, Gloucester, to establish a cell.  [4 sources]
1141: Re-foundation and change in status - Ewenny was raised to conventual status. [2 sources]
1144: Burial - The burial of Maurice of London’s sister, Matilda, caused a serious dispute between Prior John of Ewenny and the bishop of Llandaff.  [1 sources]
1284: Visitation - Archbishop Pecham conducted a visitation of the house; the injunctions survive. [2 sources]
c.1291: Wealth - According to the Taxatio Ecclesiastica Ewenny's income was estimated at £56. [2 sources]
c.1300: Patronage - At this time the patron of Ewenny was Payn de Chaworth.  [2 sources]
1400x1415: Destruction - The house suffered extensive damage during the rebellion of Owain Glyn Dŵr. [1 sources]
1534: Numbers - Two monks and a prior subscribed to the Act of Supremacy. [3 sources]
c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiastcus Ewenny’s gross income was £78 14s. [2 sources][1 archives]
c.1535: Stewardship - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus, the earl of Worcester held the stewardship of Ewenny at this time.
 [1 sources]
1537 (28 February): Custody - Gloucester Abbey leased Ewenny Priory and its appurtenants to Sir Edward Carne for a period of ninety-nine years and for the rather menial rent of £20 10s per annum. [1 sources]
1540: Dissolution - The priory was surrendered with Gloucester Abbey on 2 January 1540.  [3 sources]
 
Graphic.