Site details: Pill - Monastic Wales - A Comprehensive Database of Sites and Sources


Home Project team Future plans Contact us Search the database Browse list of sites Browse list of orders Browse bibliography & archives Browse people Browse articles Glossary of terms Monastic Wales is not responsible for the content of external internet sites	Display site: Pill (Priory) also known as: Pill Order: Tironensian Pill was founded by Adam de Roche / de Rupe and was situated deep in a valley near Milford Haven. It is likely that the community was mostly Welsh, first drawn from monks of St Dogmaels and later from the locality. As a daughter-house of St Dogmaels Abbey, Pill was saved from suppression as an alien priory in 1391 and continued until the Dissolution. show more... Standing remains Little now remains of the church and conventual buildings which are now in private ownership. Read more Dedicated to: Blessed Virgin Mary and St Budoc Medieval Diocese: St David's Affiliated to: St Dogmaels (mother-house) Lordship at foundation: Pembroke Access: Private Owned by: Private Main events in the history of this site c.1190: Foundation - There is much uncertainty about the date of foundation. [4 sources] 1204 x 1219: Confirmation - William Marshal I, earl of Pembroke and lord of Haverford, confirmed the priory's holdings. [1 source] c.1291: Fiscal duties - Pill was obliged to pay the annual sum of £9 6s 8d to its mother-house, St Dogmaels. [1 source] c.1294: Inspeximus - Edward I confirmed the priory's previous charters including the foundation charter of Adam de Roche. [2 sources] 1314: Burial - John de Roche willed to be buried at Pill. [2 sources] 1381: Clerical poll tax - Payments required from the community [1 source][1 archive] 1388: Proposed visitation - John Sampson was commissioned by the archbishop of Canterbury to conduct a visitation of St Dogmaels and Pill. [1 source] 1405: Diocesan control - From 1405 St Dogmaels and its daughter-houses of Pill and Caldey were placed under episcopal jurisdiction and subject to episcopal visitation. [1 source] 1405: Visitation - In April 1405 Prior Walter Robjoy and the community at Pill had their first episcopal visitation. [2 sources] 1504: Visitation - On 10 September visitation of the priory was conducted by a representative of the archbishop of Canterbury since the see of St David's was vacant. [1 source][1 archive] 1534: Act of Supremacy - On 20 July 1534 the prior, William Watts, and the monks of Pill gathered in the chapter-house and signed the Act of Supremacy, thereby acknowledging Henry VIII as head of the church and agreeing to call the pope bishop. [5 sources] c.1535: Wealth - According to the Valor Ecclesiasticus Pill had an estimated annual income of £67 15s 3d gross and £52 2s 5d net after charges. [5 sources][1 archive] 1537: Dissolution - Pill was dissolved on 23 February 1537 with houses having incomes of under £200. At this time the community comprised four monks under William Watt(s). [6 sources] + 11 minor events. Show minor events People associated with this site Adam de la Rupe (Roche) (founder) Priors of Pill Bibliographical sources 10 Printed sources show sources 'The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales III, 1377-1540' ed.David M. Smith(Cambridge 2008) p. 200 'The Heads of Religious Houses in England and Wales II, 1216-1377' ed.David M. Smith and Vera London(Cambridge 2001) p. 187 'Medieval Religious Houses, England and Wales' ed.R. Neville Hadcock and David Knowles(Harlow 1971) pp. 106-7 'Monasticon Anglicanum: a History of the Abbies and other Monasteries, Hospitals, Frieries, and Cathedral and Collegiate Churches, with their Dependencies, in England and Wales' 6 in 8 vols ed.Sir William Dugdale, rev. J. Caley, H. Ellis, B. Bandinel(London 1817-1830) vol. 4, pp. 502-505 Binns, Alison, 'Dedications of Religious Houses in England and Wales 1066-1216' Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 1 (Woodbridge 1989) p. 103 Cooper, R., 'Abbeys and Priories of Wales' (Swansea 1992) pp. 75-76 Cowley, F. G., 'The Monastic Order in South Wales 1066-1349' (Cardiff 1977) Hunter, J., 'Copies of the original charters of the family of de la Roche' Archaeologia Cambrensis 18 (1852) pp.267-268 Ludlow, N. D., Ramsey, R. S. F. and Schlee, D. E., 'Pill Priory 1996-1999: recent work at a Tironian House in Pembrokeshire' Medieval Archaeology (2002) pp.41-80 Pritchard, Emily M., 'The History of St Dogmaels Abbey together with her cells, Pill, Caldey and Glascareg and the mother abbey of Tiron' (London 1907) 5 On-line sources show online sources (all open in new window) Dugdale, Monasticon online - Pill (View website) Pill Priory website (View website) Pill Priory (Coflein database) (View website) Image - exterior view of Pill Priory (View website) Pill Priory (formerly 'The Steps') - Coflein database (View website) Archival sources The National Archives, 'Exchequer, King's Remembrancer, Clerical Subsidies - Pill, 1381', (Document), (View website) National Monuments Record Collections, 'Reports on geophysical and topographical survey of Pill Priory, 1996-7, 1999', (Document), (View website) Related articles on Monastic Wales Remnants of Pill Priory, Images of this site Poll tax return for Pill, 1381	Dyfed, OS Grid:SM90270726 View site details on COFLEIN (RCAHMW database)[new window]

© All material on this website is copyright Monastic Wales unless otherwise noted. Website and database development: Technoleg Taliesin Cyf. design Martin Crampin Gweinyddu