Display person: --select--Abbesses of Llanllugan Abbesses of Llanll?r Abbots of Bardsey Abbots of Basingwerk Abbots of Conwy Abbots of Cwmhir Abbots of Cymer Abbots of Grace Dieu Abbots of Llantarnam Abbots of Margam Abbots of Neath Abbots of St Dogmaels Abbots of Strata Florida Abbots of Strata Marcella Abbots of Talley Abbots of Tintern Abbots of Valle Crucis Abbots of Whitland Adam de la Rupe (Roche) Adam of Orleton Adam of Usk Agnes (Nest) Arnulf of Montgomery Bernard Bernard of Neufmarché; Newmarket; Newmarch Buckingham Cadell ap Gruffudd Cadwallon ap Madog Cadwgan Clement Dafydd ab Owain Dafydd ap Gwilym Dafydd ap Llywelyn de Bohun (Bohun) de Bohun, Henry de Braose (Braose) Edmund Grey Edmund Mortimer Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond Edmund, first earl of Lancaster (Edmund Crouchback) Edward I Edward II Edward III, king of England and lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine Edward Stradling, sheriff of Glamorgan Elizabeth de Burgh; Elizabeth de Clare Enoch Geoffrey of Henlaw Gerald of Wales; Giraldus Cambrensis Geva de Burci Gilbert de Clare, seventh earl of Gloucester and sixth earl of Hereford Gilbert fitz Richard; Gilbert de Clare; Gilbert of Tonbridge; Gilbert fitz Richard Gilbert, abbot of Margam (1203-1213) Gruffudd ap Cynan Gruffudd ap Llywelyn Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn Guto'r Glyn Gutun Owain; Gruffudd ap Huw ab Owain Gwladus (Gwladys) Hamelin de Barham; Hamelin de Ballon (Balun / Baeluns) Henry de Beaumont (Newburgh) Henry Fitzroy Henry I Henry II Henry III Henry IV; Henry Bolingbroke Henry of Lancaster [Henry of Grosmont], first duke of Lancaster Henry V Henry VI, king of England Henry VIII Hervey Hugh de Lacy Hugh Despenser (the Younger) Hugh, second earl of Stafford Hywel ab Iorwerth Hywel ap Gruffudd Iorwerth (Gervase), abbot of Talley and bishop of St David's Isabella, queen of England and countess of Gloucester John (Lackland) John Grey John Leland John of Hastings John of Monmouth John Pecham; Peckam; Peckham Lewis Môn Llywelyn ab Iorwerth; Llywelyn Fawr Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Llywelyn Bren; Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor Maredudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd Maredudd ap Rhobert Maurice de Londres Morgan ab Owain Morgan ap Caradog Owain Brogyntyn (Oenus de Porchinton) Owain Cyfeiliog; Owain ap Gruffudd Owain Glyn D?r; Owen Glendower; Owain ap Gruffudd Fychan Payn de Turbervill Payne de Chaworth Peter fitz Herbert Prioresses of Llanll?r Prioresses of Usk Priors of Pill Priors of Abergavenny Priors of Bassaleg Priors of Beddgelert Priors of Brecon Priors of Caldey Priors of Cardiff Priors of Cardigan Priors of Carmarthen (Augustinian) Priors of Carmarthen (Benedictine) Priors of Chepstow Priors of Ewenny Priors of Goldcliff Priors of Haverfordwest Priors of Kidwelly Priors of Llanbadarn Fawr Priors of Llandovery Priors of Llangennith Priors of Llangua Priors of Llanthony Prima Priors of Malpas Priors of Monmouth Priors of Pembroke Priors of Penmon Priors of Puffin Island Priors of Ruthin Priors of St Clears Priors of St Tudwal's Island Ranulf de Gernon; Ranulph de Gernon Rhodri ab Owain Gwynedd Rhys ap Gruffudd Rhys ap Maredudd Rhys ap Thomas Richard de Clare Richard de Clare; Richard fiz Gilbert Richard de Granville (Grainville), baron Richard fitz Alan; Richard (II) Richard fitz Pons Richard II Richard III Richard Marshal Richard Neville, sixteenth earl of Warwick and sixth earl of Salisbury Richard of York Robert Robert Béthune Robert de Chandos Robert fitz Hamo; Robert fitz Haimon Robert fitz Martin Robert fitz Richard (Robert of Haverford), lord of Haverfordwest Robert fitz Stephen Robert of Hay Roger (II) de Mortimer Roger Bigod IV Roger fitz Miles Roger le Poer Stafford Thomas Pennant Tudur Aled Walter de Clare; Walter Fitz Richard Walter de Lacy Walter of St Dogmaels Wihenoc of Monmouth (de Monemue) William (I) the Conqueror William (second) earl of Gloucester William ap Thomas William de Braose (Briouze) William fitz Osbern William Freney William Herbert William Marshal William Marshal the Younger, fifth earl of Pembroke William of Worcester; William of Worcestre; William Botoner William of Wycombe (Wycumbe) Winebald de Baeluns (Ballon; Balun)

Abbots of Basingwerk

A list of the known abbots of Basingwerk.

Gilbert: appears as abbot from 1155 to c. 1180.

Matthew: occurs as abbot of Basingwerk in 1155.

Robert: appears as abbot in November 1192.

'W.': is named as abbot in June x July 1198.

Geoffrey: occurs in the early thirteenth century.

'A.': appears in the time of the justice, Philip Orreby, and Abbot Hugh of Chester (1208-26).

Simon: occurs as abbot in September 1226.

John: is mentioned as abbot in November 1245.

Hugh: is named as abbot of Basingwerk in January 1282 until 1286x87.

Robert: occurs as abbot of Basingwerk in August 1292.

Arnald de London: occurs in 1294.

William: occurs as abbot of the house in 1307, April 1316 and March 1317.

German: in 1330 he is described as the former abbot of Basingwerk, but as Smith and London explain it is not certain just how long before this he officiated.

Richard de Kokenfeld / Dokynfeld: occurs as abbot in June 1330 and on several occasions until January 1345. In May 1357 he is described as late abbot of Basingwerk.

Ralph: occurs as abbot in April and May 1362 and in 1378x79. [link:archive/65: :View details]

Richard: occurs as abbot of Basingwerk in 1362 and 1378x9 View details.

Richard de Acton: occurs in 1384 and 1385; he may be the same man as the previous abbot.

Henry: appears as abbot of Basingwerk in September 1394 and until October 1405. He may be the same as

Henry de Pontysbury: who occurs in 1413.

Richard Lee (Ley):he was involved in a tussle for the abbacy with Henry de Wyrehall (see below).

Henry (de) Wyrehall (Werall, Worall, Worrall, Wyrehale): Henry is named as abbot of Basingwerk in April 1430 and the following year was involved in a legal dispute for the abbacy with Richard Lee (above). Arbitration found in Lee's favour but Henry continued in office. In 1454 Henry was accused of treason and arrested.

Richard Kirkby (Kyrkeby): Richard was a monk of Aberconwy and had previously presided as abbot of Cymer. He too was involved in a dispute over the abbacy - with an Edmund Thornebar (see below). In 1466 the Cistercian commssioners found in Edmund's favour but the matter was not evidently resolved for Richard is named as abbot in February 1476.

Edmund Thornebar: In 1466 the General Chapter declared Edmund the rightful abbot of Basingwerk.

Thomas Pennant: occurs as abbot of Basingwerk from September 1481 and on various occasions until February 1523. Read more about Thomas

Nicholas: is named as abbot of Basingwerk in November 1515, Smith (Heads of Religious Houses III, p. 265) mentions that this is 'a puzzling entry' for it surely refers to Nicholas Pennant, son of Thomas (see below) yet falls within the time of Thomas's abbacy.

Nicholas Pennant (Pennaunte): ?-1536/7.
Nicholas was the son of Thomas Pennant (above). He is cited as abbot of Basingwerk in July 1528 and presided until the suppression of the house.

Sites associated with this person

Basingwerk Abbey, Flintshire

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, I, 940-1216, ed. D. Knowles, C. Brooke and V. London (London, 1972; 2001) p. 126

The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, II, 1216-1377, ed. D. M. Smith and V. London (CUP: Cambridge, 2001) pp. 259-60

The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, III, 1377-1540, ed. David M. Smith (CUP: Cambridge, 2008) pp. 264-5

Jones, Arthur, 'Basingwerk Abbey', in Historical Essays in Honour of James Tait, ed. J. G. Edwards, V. H. Galbraith and E. F. Jacob (Manchester, 1933), pp. 169-178

Williams, David H., Welsh History through Seals (Cardiff Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru: Cardiff, 1982) p. 30

Archival sources

British Library, 'Dispute over abbacy; conventual seal attached', (Document), (View website)