Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Llangennith

pre 1223: Illicit affairs

According to Gerald of Wales, a prior of Llangennith brought shame upon the house when he engaged in an illicit affair with a young woman of Gower.

The prior was duly reprimanded by the bishop of St David’s and compelled to pay a fine for his misdemeanours but subsequently renewed his liaison. The scandal that ensued prompted the bishop to take more extreme action and resulted in the deposition of the prior.

People associated with this event

Gerald of Wales; Giraldus Cambrensis , archdeacon of Brecon (source)

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Cowley, F. G., The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066-1349 (Cardiff, 1977) p. 99

Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis), Giraldi Cambresensis Opera, Rolls Series, 21, 8 vols, ed. J. S. Brewer, J. F. Dimock and G. F. Warner (London, 1861-1891) vol. 4, pp. 33-34

Other events in the history of this site

pre 1123: Foundation - Llangennith was an alien priory established before 1123 when the church of St Cenydd was granted to the monks of St Taurinus, Normandy. [3 sources]
1195: Confirmation - Richard I (1189-99) confirmed all the priory’s previous grants. [1 sources]
1218: Size of community - At this time there were two or three monks at Llangennith. [1 sources]
pre 1223: Illicit affairs - According to Gerald of Wales, a prior of Llangennith brought shame upon the house when he engaged in an illicit affair with a young woman of Gower. [2 sources]
1291: Wealth - According to Pope Nicholas IV's Taxatio Ecclesiastica, Llangennith’s temporalities were assessed at £4 16s and the community had 120 acres of arable land and six cows. [2 sources]
1295x1360: Custody - Following the outbreak of war with France, Llangennith was periodically taken into royal custody [2 sources]
1377: Poll tax - Only the prior of the house is listed on the poll tax return. [1 sources][1 archives]
1413x1421: Custody - The house was seized again during Henry V's reign and taken into royal custody. [1 sources]
c.1434: Custody - By 1434 Llangennith's links with St Taurinus had been severed. [1 sources]
1441: Dissolution - On 16 March 1441 Archbishop Chichele and his colleagues surrendered the house to Henry VI. [1 sources]
1442: Post monastic ownership - On 5 February Archbishop Chichele and his colleagues granted Llangennith and St Clears to the king who duly granted them to the Oxford colleges of Warden and All Souls in April. [2 sources]
 
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