Abbot of Vale Royal

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Vale Royal Abbey is a medieval abbey, and later a country house, located in Whitegate, between Northwich and Winsford in Cheshire, England. During its 278-year period of operation, it had at least 21 abbots (possibly 22).

The abbey was founded in 1270 by Prince Edward for monks of the austere Cistercian order. Edward intended the abbey to be on the grandest scale. However, financial difficulties meant that these ambitions could not be fulfilled and the final building was considerably smaller than planned. The project ran into problems in other ways. The abbey was frequently grossly mismanaged, relations with the local population were so poor as to regularly cause outbreaks of large-scale violence on a number of occasions, and internal discipline was frequently bad.

Image Name From To Notes
Walter
 c. 1270 Probably oversaw the move from the original foundation at Darnhall to Vale Royal.
Henry
 c. 1275 Although these dates are given by the Victoria County History,[1] nothing more—in fact, nothing at all—is known of this Henry, and it has been suggested that it was in fact a scribal error for Walter, above, and so may never have actually existed.[2][3]
John Chaumpeneys
 c. 1275 c. 1289 First abbot of the re-sited Abbey.
Walter of Hereford
 c. 1294 c.1307
John of Hoo
 c. 1308-9 c. 1314-15
Richard of Evesham
 1316 1322
Peter
 1322 1339 Murdered in office.
Robert de Cheyneston
 1340 1349
Thomas
 1351 1369
Stephen
 c. 1373 c. 1400
John
 1405 1411

1414 1418

1428 1437 Died in office.

1438-9 1475

1476 1494
Thomas
 1485 1496

1498 1504

1505

1509 1517

1517 1529 Removed from office.

1529

1530 1535 Restored; died in office.

1535 1538 (surname possibly Harwood) Surrendered the abbey during the dissolution.

Notes[]

References[]

  1. ^ VCH 1980, p. 156.
  2. ^ Brownbill 1914, p. 20.
  3. ^ Smith & London 2001, p. 317.

Bibliography[]

  • Brownbill, J., ed. (1914). The Ledger Book of Vale Royal Abbey. Manchester: Manchester Record Society.
  • Smith, C. M.; London, V. C. M. (2001). The Heads of Religious Houses: England and Wales, 1216–1377. Vol. II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-42892-7.
  • VCH (1980). Elrington, C. R.; Harris, B. E. (eds.). "Houses of Cistercian monks: The abbey of Vale Royal". Victoria County History. A History of the County of Chester, III. London.
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