Monastic Wales.








Event detail for site: Kidwelly

1284: Visitation

Archbishop Pecham conducted a visitation of the house following Edward I’s conquest.

During the course of his visitation Pecham deposed Prior Ralph de Bemenster (Beaminster) on account of his 'manifest faults'. Ralph duly returned to Sherborne but within a month had been sent back to resume the priorship of Kidwelly by the abbot of Sherbourne. Pecham threatened the abbot of Sherborne with excommunication should he refuse to recall and punish Ralph and appoint a suitable successor.
Unfortunately Pecham’s records do not provide specific details of Ralph’s misdemeanours but the example offers an indication of the kind of problems involved in maintaining monastic discipline in a small cell. Indeed one reason why monks lived in a community was that they believed that as a group they could better resist temptation and defeat the devil.

People associated with this event

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

Bibliographical sources

Printed sources

Williams, G., 'Kidwelly Priory', in Sir Gâr: Studies in Carmarthenshire History: Essays in Memory of W. H. Morris and M. C. S. Evans, Monograph series 4, ed. Heather James (The Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society: Carmathen, 1991) p. 193

Other events in the history of this site

c.1110: Foundation - Kidwelly was founded as a cell of Sherborne Abbey, which was at that time a cathedral priory. [2 sources]
c.1135: Patronage - When the lordship of Kidwelly passed to Maurice of London he supplemented Sherborne's endowment at Kidwelly. [1 sources]
1223: Destruction - The priory was burnt to the ground by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. [1 sources]
c.1268: Patronage - At this time Payne de Chaworth was patron of the house. 
1284: Visitation - Archbishop Pecham conducted a visitation of the house following Edward I’s conquest.  [1 sources]
c.1291: Wealth - The priory's wealth, according to the Taxatio compiled for Pope Nicholas IV c. 1291, was £16.  [3 sources]
1377: Poll tax - Only the prior is listed. [1 sources][1 archives]
1379: Poll tax - Only the prior is listed. [1 sources][1 archives]
1403: Destruction - The area was devastated during the Glyn Dŵr rebellion. [1 sources]
1481: Destruction - The church was struck by lightning. [1 sources]
1534: Act of Supremacy - Prior John Godmyston and his monk companion, Augustine Green, took the Oath of Supremacy.  [3 sources]
c.1535: Wealth - The Valor Eccelsiasticus records the gross annual income of the house as £38. [2 sources][1 archives]
1539: Dissolution - As a dependency of Sherborne Abbey, Kidwelly was spared from suppression in 1536 and dissolved with its mother-house in 1539. [2 sources]
 
Graphic.