Abbot of Evesham

Contents

The Abbot of Evesham was the head of Evesham Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Worcestershire founded in the Anglo-Saxon era of English history. The succession continued until the dissolution of the monastery in 1540.

List

Abbots of St Mary of Evesham
FromUntilIncumbentCitation(s)Notes
fl. 692–717Ecgwine[1]Founding abbot and saint
dates unclearÆthelwold[2]First in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[2]
dates unclearAldbore[2]Second in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[2]
dates unclearAldbeorth[2]Third in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[2]
dates unclearAldfrith[3]Fourth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearTilhberht[3]Fifth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearCuthwulf[3]Sixth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearAldmund[3]Seventh in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearCredan[3]Eighth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearThingfrith[3]Ninth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearAldbald[3]Tenth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearEcgberht[3]Eleventh in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearÆlfrith[3]Twelfth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearWulfweard[3]Thirteenth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearCynelm[3]Fourteenth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearCynath I[3]Fifteenth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearEbba[3]Sixteenth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearCynath II[3]Seventeenth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
dates unclearEdwine[3]Eighteenth in Thomas of Marlborough's abbot list[3]
c. 970expelled 975Osweard[4]Abbey was secularised in 975, but afterwards went into the hands of one "Bishop Agelsius" (probably Æthelsige I, Bishop of Sherborne, resigned, translated or died 990 x 992), afterwards to Bishop Ælfstan (either Ælfstan, Bishop of Rochester (died 995), or Ælfstan, Bishop of London (died 995 x 996), after whose death Ealdwulf, Bishop of Worcester, established Ælfric and Ælfgar as abbots.[4]
995 x 997unclearÆlfric[4]
997 x 1002unclearÆlfgar[4]
dates unclearBrihtmaer[4]
unclearc. 1013Ælthelwine[4]Became Bishop of Wells, c. 1013[4]
c. 1014died 1044Ælfweard[5]Became Bishop of London c. 1016, but retained abbey of Evesham until death[5]
1044resigned 1058Mannig (or Wulfmær)[5]Suffered paralysis and resigned 1058; died on epiphany, i.e. 6 January 1066[5]
1058died c. 1077Æthelwig[5]
1077died 1104Walter de Cerisy[5]
uncleardied 1130Maurice[5]
1130died or resigned 1149Reginald Foliot[5]Uncle of Gilbert Foliot
1149died 1159William de Andeville[5]
11591160Roger[5]
1161died 1189Adam de Senlis[5]
1190resigned 1213Roger Norreis[6]Became Prior of Penwortham, an Evesham dependency [6]
1214died 1229Randulf[7]Previously Prior of Worcester and Bishop-elect of Worcester[7]
1230died 1236Thomas of Marlborough[8]
1236died 1242Richard le Gras[8]Was elected Bishop of Coventry in 1241, but either declined office or died before this disputed election was resolved [8]
1243died or resigned 1255Thomas of Gloucester[9]
1256died 1263Henry of Worcester[9]
1263died or resigned 1266William of Malborough[9]
1266died 1282William of Whitechurch[9]
1282died 1316John of Brockhampton[9]
1316died 1344William de Chiriton[9]
1345died 1367William du Boys[9]
1367died 1379John of Ombersley[10]
13791418Roger Zatton[11]
14181435Richard Bromsgrove[11]
1435c. 1460John Wykewan[11]
14601467Richard Pembroke[11]
14671477Richard Hawkesbury[11]
14771483William Upton[11]
14831491John Norton[11]
14911514Thomas Newbold[11]
15141539Clement Litchfield, Lychfeld or Wych[11][12]Died October 1546, buried in the southern chapel (built at his expense) of All Saints, Evesham[13]
15391540Philip Hawford (or Ballard)[11]

References

  1. 1.Lapidge, "Ecgwine"
  2. 2.[2.2][2.3][2.4][2.5][2.6]Sayers and Watkiss (eds.), History of the Abbey of Evesham, p. 139
  3. 3.[3.2][3.3][3.4][3.5][3.6][3.7][3.8][3.9][3.10][3.11][3.12][3.13][3.14][3.15][3.16][3.17][3.18][3.19][3.20][3.21][3.22][3.23][3.24][3.25][3.26][3.27][3.28][3.29][3.30]Sayers and Watkiss (eds.), History of the Abbey of Evesham, p. 141
  4. 4.[4.2][4.3][4.4][4.5][4.6][4.7]Knowles, Brooke and London (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 1, 940–1216, p. 46
  5. 5.[5.2][5.3][5.4][5.5][5.6][5.7][5.8][5.9][5.10][5.11]Knowles, Brooke and London (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 1, 940–1216, p. 47
  6. 6.[6.2]Knowles, Brooke and London (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 1, 940–1216, p. 48
  7. 7.[7.2]Knowles, Brooke and London (eds.), The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 1, 940–1216, p. 48; Smith and London, The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 2, 1216–1377, p. 41
  8. 8.[8.2][8.3]Smith and London, The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 2, 1216–1377, p. 41
  9. 9.[9.2][9.3][9.4][9.5][9.6][9.7]Smith and London, The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 2, 1216–1377, p. 42
  10. 10.Smith and London, The Heads of Religious Houses : England and Wales. 2, 1216–1377, pp. 42–3
  11. 11.[11.2][11.3][11.4][11.5][11.6][11.7][11.8][11.9][11.10]Page and Willis-Bund, "Abbey of Evesham"
  12. 12.John Chambers, Biographical illustrations of Worcestershire: including lives of persons, natives or residents, eminent either for piety or talent: to which is added, a list of living authors of the county (W. Walcott, 1820) p.45
  13. 13.Historic England. "Church of All Saints (1081351)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 November 2022.