Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Llantarnam

27 August 1536: Dissolution

Llantarnam was closed in the first wave of suppressions.

There were four monks and seventeen servants at the time of the Dissolution.
Follwing the Suppression the site was leased to John Parker; in 1554 it was bought by William Morgan of Caerleon (d. 1582), who built a house over part of the claustral complex. This house was extensively rebuilt in the nineteenth century but the layout likely reflects some of the layout of the cloister ranges and may incorporate medieval fabric.
In 1946 the site was acquired by the sisters of St Joseph who reside there today.
An eleven-bay barn that stands north of the house is thought to date from the thirteenth century.
Excavations in 1977-82 uncovered what is thought to have been the east end of the presbytery.

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

The Cistercian Abbeys of Britain: far from the concourse of men, ed. David M. Robinson (London, 1998) pp. 135-136

The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales, III, 1377-1540, ed. David M. Smith (CUP: Cambridge, 2008) pp. 306-7

Medieval Religious Houses, England and Wales, ed. R. Neville Hadcock and David Knowles (Harlow, 1971) p. 129

Jack, Sybil, 'Dissolution dates for the monasteries dissolved under the Act of 1536', Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, 43 (1970) p. 180

Robinson, David M., The Cistercians in Wales: Architecture and Archaeology 1130-1540, Society of Antiquaries of London, Research Committee Report (London, 2006) pp. 249-250

Other events in the history of this site

1179: Foundation - The house was founded 22 July 1179. [5 sources]
c.1179: Holdings in E. Glamorgan - From 1179 Llantarnam had possession of Margam's former dependency of Pendar Grange, Glamorgan. From this time Llanarnam had acquired the grange of Penrhys, Glamorgan, which seemingly had a hostelry and chapel. [1 sources]
c.1273: Renamed - To avoid confusion and regularize the nomenclature the Cistercian General Chapter stipulated that in official documentation the name 'Lanterna' should be used. [2 sources]
c.1291: Wealth - The abbey's total net income at this time was £44 15s 0d. [3 sources]
c.1300: Patronage - Hugh Dispenser the Younger, was patron. [1 sources]
1317: Poverty - The abbot wrote to the king explaining that his house was impoverished as a consequence of the Welsh uprising the previous year. [3 sources]
pre 1398: Destruction - Books, buildings and church ornaments were extensively damaged by fire. [3 sources]
1398: Papal indulgence - Papal indulgence was granted to everyone who helped repair the monastery buildings that had been damaged by fire. [1 sources]
c.1400: Glyn Dŵr rebellion - The Llantarnam community supported Owain Glyn Dŵr's rebellion. [2 sources]
1405: Abbot killed - John ap Hywel, abbot of Llantarnam, was killed during an attack on Usk Castle. [2 sources]
1504: Bequest - David Matthew bequeathed £10 to the community to glaze the west window of the church.  [2 sources]
1532: Bequest - Morgan Jones left the community ten marks (sterling) to purchase a vestment for the Lady Chapel and £10 to help finance the construction of various arches in the church.  [2 sources]
c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus the abbey's net annual income was £71 3s 2d.  [3 sources][1 archives]
27 August 1536: Dissolution - Llantarnam was closed in the first wave of suppressions. [5 sources]
 
Graphic.