Beaulieu Abbey
| Cistercian Abbey Beaulieu (England) | |
|---|---|
 Beaulieu Abbey, Hampshire |
|
| location |
 United Kingdom of England
|
| Coordinates: | 50 ° 49 ′ 0 ″ N , 1 ° 27 ′ 0 ″ W |
| Serial number according to Janauschek |
543 |
| founding year | 1203 |
| Year of dissolution / annulment |
1538 |
| Mother monastery | Citeaux monastery |
| Primary Abbey | Citeaux monastery |
|
Daughter monasteries |
Netley Abbey (1239) |
The Beaulieu Abbey (Beaulieu Regis) was a Cistercian abbey in the present location Beaulieu in Hampshire , England . It was in the years 1203 - 1204 by King John of England was founded. It is the only monastery in England founded by Johann Ohneland. The abbey was populated by 30 monks from Cîteaux Abbey in France , the mother house of the Cistercian order. The Latin name of the monastery was Bellus Locus Regis . The abbey founded the daughter monasteries Netley Abbey , Hailes Abbey , Newenham Abbey and St. Mary of Graces Abbey in London . In 1538 it was dissolved in the course of the English monastery dissolution.
Early history
The first abbot of Beaulieu was Hugh , who was highly favored by King John and was often on important diplomatic missions for him. He later became Bishop of Carlisle . The king gave his new abbey great support and gave it numerous estates throughout southern England (especially in Berkshire ), land in the New Forest , grain, large sums of money, building materials, 120 cows, 12 bulls, a golden chalice and an annual allowance of one do (corresponds to about 1 ton) of wine. John's son and successor, King Henry III. , was similarly generous towards Beaulieu, so that the abbey became very wealthy, although it was by far not the richest Cistercian abbey in England.
The size and design of the abbey buildings reflected their status as an important royal foundation. The church was built in the form of a cross in the early Gothic style and was clearly influenced by the French churches of the order, especially in Cîteaux, Bonport and Clairvaux . It was 102 meters long and had a semicircular apse with 10 surrounding chapels. The completion of the church building took more than four decades, the inauguration took place in the presence of King Heinrich III. and its Queen, Richard, Earl of Cornwall and numerous eminent figures in 1246 .
To the south of the church were the monastery buildings, which consisted of the chapter house, the refectory, kitchens, warehouses and quarters for the monks, lay brothers and the abbot. A separate hospital area was to the east of the main building and was connected to it by a corridor. The abbey was surrounded by workshops, farm buildings, guest houses, a mill, and extensive gardens and fish ponds. A heavily fortified gatehouse controlled the entrance to the monastery, which was surrounded by a wall. A water gate allowed ships to enter the river.
Pope Innocent III constituted Beaulieu as an "exempte abbey", which meant that it was not accountable to any bishop except the Pope himself. Beaulieu was granted asylum, which in 1471 was to be used by Ann Neville , Richard Neville's wife, the day before the Battle of Barnet . Twenty-six years later, Perkin Warbeck fled the troops of Henry VII to Beaulieu.
The monks of Beaulieu founded four daughter houses, namely Netley Abbey (1239), Hailes Abbey (1246), Newenham Abbey (1247) and St. Mary of Graces Abbey (1350).
resolution
In Valor Ecclesiasticus 1535, Henry VIII. Great collection of church property, was the income of the abbey on gross £ 428 (net £ 326) is calculated so that the monastery confiscations of First Suppression Act , the first action of Henry the dissolution of the monasteries , could escape.
The last abbot of Beaulieu was Thomas Stevens , who was elected in 1536. Stevens had previously been the abbot of the dissolved Netley Abbey. Beaulieu survived until April 1538, but was then forced to surrender to the government. Numerous monks received pensions, the abbot received 100 marks a year. Abbot Thomas ended his life as Treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral in 1550.
Shortly before the monastery was dissolved in 1538, the monastery visitor's report reported that thirty-two asylum seekers persecuted for debt, felony or murder were living in the monastery area with their wives and families. When the monastery was dissolved, there were debates about what should happen to these people, and ultimately the debtors were granted lifelong right to live on the monastery grounds. Some of the capital criminals were also granted remission.
After Beaulieu's dissolution, a dispute broke out among courtiers to obtain ownership rights to the abbey and its valuable goods. Eventually, Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton won the competition, and King Henry gave him the abbey and 3,441 hectares of land.
As soon as he took over the abbey, Wriothesley began building his own house on the site. To do this, he dismantled parts of the church in order - as was widespread - to use its stones for construction. Instead of converting one of the abbey buildings for his own purposes, however, he decided to use the large gatehouse as the core of his manor house. This building - significantly expanded - is still preserved today as the Palace House of Beaulieu. Lord Southampton spared the monks' refectory, which he left as a parish church to the residents of the village of Beaulieu. The western part of the abbey known as Domus was also preserved. The remaining buildings of the abbey gradually fell into ruins.
Today's abbey
Even though large parts of the abbey were destroyed as part of the dissolution of the monastery during the reign of Henry VIII, many impressive parts are still preserved. The Domus , once the refectory and residential building of the lay brothers, after the lay brothers moved out of the house for important guests, now houses an exhibition on monastic life before the dissolution.
Among other things, numerous wall hangings are shown here, which were created by Belinda, Lady Montagu and show scenes of monastery life and the history of the abbey since 1204.
The abbey's refectory survived to this day as a parish church, and important ruins of the buildings around the monastery have been preserved. Today the abbey is a place of calm and is planted with herbs. The domus is used regularly for events, meals and public receptions. Beaulieu is still owned by the descendants of Wriothesley who still live here. The Abbey and Palace House are open to the public and the grounds are home to the National Motor Museum .
Lore
Like many earlier monasteries, Beaulieu also has its own legends. It is reported by ghost monks in the abbey ruins and in the parish churches that Gregorian chant and the steps of ghosts were heard. Incense smell is said to have been noticed in the rooms of the Palace House, which were used as a chapel in the Middle Ages. According to legend, these are said to be frightening signs for the inhabitants of the abbey and the village. A post-Reformation spirit is also reported, a gray lady who was seen in the Palace House. She is said to be the ghost of Lady Isabella, who lived in the house in the 18th century. In October 2003 the abbey was the site of an investigation by Yvette Fielding and Richard Felix for the television program Most Haunted Live .
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Victoria County History of Hampshire: Cistercian Houses found on August 24, 2007
literature
- Sir James K. Fowler: "A history of Beaulieu Abbey AD 1204-1539", First Edition, The Car Illustrated, London 1911
- Herbert Arthur Doubleday (Ed.): A history of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Volume 2. Constable, London 1903 ( The Victoria History of the Counties of England ), (Reprint: Published for the University of London Institute of Historical Research by Dawsons of Pall Mall, London 1973, ISBN 0-7129-0592-8 ).
- Anthony New: A guide to the Abbeys of England and Wales. Constable & Company, London 1985, ISBN 0-09-463520-X , pp. 62-64, with plan.
- Colin Platt : The Abbeys and Priories of Medieval England. Secker & Warburg, London 1984, ISBN 0-436-37557-5 .
- David Robinson (Ed.): The Cistercian Abbeys of Britain. Far from the Concourse of Men. Batsford, London 1998, ISBN 0-7134-8392-X .
