Event detail for site: Ewenny

1284: Visitation

Archbishop Pecham conducted a visitation of the house; the injunctions survive.

Pecham began his visitation of the non exempt houses in Wales in July and finished on 7 August. Injunctions for only five of the sites survive - Ewenny, Goldcliff, Haverfordwest, Llanthony Prima and Usk.
At the time of the visitation of Ewenny, Henry of Wigmore was prior of the house. Pecham was concerned that at Ewenny, as elsewhere, there should be a central treasury, so that all the monies received would be collected and audited. He instructed that the monks of Ewenny should elect two of their brethren as treasurers; they would receive all the priory’s income and distribute it to the various obedientiaries thus eliminating the possibility of theft or embezzlement. The treasurers were to be audited three times a year and to render account before the entire community. Pecham did however make one exception and instructed that the almonry should remain independent. But he issued mandates for the reform of almsgiving in the house and reminded the monks that leftovers from their meals should be collected carefully for the poor and not sent to friends or relatives (or given to the dogs). The monks of Ewenny were to supplement these daily alms for the poor and needy with a bushel of grain and to double this on Sundays. While similar injunctions were issued to the other houses the archbishop raised issues directed specifically at the prior and monks of Ewenny concerning meat-eating and proprietas. The prior was reminded that he should not grant any of the monastery’s goods away without the brethren’s consent and to ensure that members of his household behaved as they ought; thus anyone guilty of incontinence was to be removed. The archbishop enjoined the monks to adhere to the rules regarding the prohibition of meat, the preservation of silence and monastic obedience, noting his particular surprise that they ate meat in public and private. The bishop of Llandaff was to ensure that the injunctions were kept and also that numbers were maintained and increased, if the monastery’s resources would allow.

People associated with this event

John Pecham; Peckam; Peckham , Archbishop of Canterbury (Visitor)

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Registrum Epistolarum Fratris Johannis Peckham Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis, Rerum Britannicarum medii aevi scriptores; or, Chronicles and memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages, 77, 3 vols (London, 1882-1885) vol. 3, pp. 798-800

Cowley, F. G., The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066-1349 (Cardiff, 1977) pp. 101-103, 208-209

Other events in the history of this site