Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Cymer

1241: Destruction

Henry III caused some of the abbey's buildings to be burned.

Henry III's troops burned own some of the abbey's buildings and the General Chapter of the Order instructed the community's temporary dispersal given the difficult siuation; but this was never executed.

People associated with this event

Henry III , king of England and lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine (Caused destruction)

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

'Statuta Capitulorum Generalium Ordinis Cisterciensis ab Anno 1116 ad Annum 1786' 8 vols ed.Josef Canivez(Louvain 1933-1941) vol. 2, p. 238 (1241: 45)

Williams, David, 'The Cistercians in the Early Middle Ages' (Leominster 1998) pp. 152-153

Other events in the history of this site

c.1198: Foundation - The Cistercian General Chapter received a request from 'Grifini', prince of N. Wales (Gruffyd ap Cynan), to build an abbey of the Order.  [5 sources]
1209: Royal confirmation - Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) confirmed all grants and privileges that had been hitherto accorded to the abbey and offered the monks his protection [3 sources]
1241: Destruction - Henry III caused some of the abbey's buildings to be burned. [2 sources]
1274: Loan - Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last, d. 1282) made the abbot a loan of £12 to enable him to travel to the annual general chapter at Cîteaux [3 sources]
1275: Royal troops billeted - Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd made his HQ at the abbey [1 sources]
1279: Royal troops billeted - Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd again made HQ at the abbey [1 sources]
1283: Occupation - Edward I occupied the abbey and made this his base for machinations in the region. [1 sources]
1284: Compensation - Edward I offered the monks £80 to defray the costs of damages incurred during the warfare. [2 sources]
1287: Royal treasury - The Crown's money was kept at the abbey.  
1291: Wealth - The abbey's net income (spiritualities and temporalities) was assessed at just £28 8s 3d in the Taxatio Ecclesiastica. [3 sources]
1323: Confirmation - Edward II confirmed Prince Llywelyn’s charter of 1209.  [2 sources]
1351: Appointment - The abbot of Cymer was made responsible for collecting the Crown taxes from the Welsh houses. 
1379: Poll tax - The abbot was required to pay 10s and each of the four monks, 4d. [1 archives]
1443: Custody - Cymer was taken into royal custody. [2 sources]
1453: Custody - Cymer was once more taken into royal custody. [2 sources]
1520: Contested abbacy - Rival claimants to the abbacy. [2 sources]
c.1535: Valuation - On the eve of the Dissolution the abbey had an estimated net income of £51 13s 4d, according to the Valor Ecclesiasticus. [3 sources][1 archives]
c.1537: Dissolution - The abbey was likely suppressed in March 1537. [2 sources]
1890: Artefacts recovered - A splendid thirteenth-century silver gilt chalice and paten belonging to the abbey were found hidden under a stone at Cym-y-mynach.
 [1 sources]
May 1558: Post Dissolution - The site was leased to John Powes, royal servant. [1 sources]
 
Graphic.