leicester abbey abbey saint mary commonly known religious house city leicester abbey founded 12th century robert 2nd earl leicester grew wealthiest religious establishment patronage donations abbey gained countless churches england acquired considerable land maintained cell small dependent daughter house lancashire abbey prosperity boosted passage special privileges english kings pope included exemption sending representatives parliament paying certain land livestock despite privileges landed estates late 14th century abbey began suffer financially forced lease estates financial situation exacerbated 15th century early 16th century series incompetent corrupt extravagant abbey considerable income exceeded considerable debts abbey provided home average known dress white habit black notable chronicle written time abbey 14th century cardinal died abbey whilst travelling south face trial treason years later abbey dissolved quickly demolished building materials reused structures leicester including mansion built site house passed aristocratic families known acquired 1st earl house eventually looted destroyed fire following capture leicester english civil war abbey donated predecessor modern city_council 8th earl opened known abbey park remaining acres included abbey site ruins donated council following archaeological excavations opened public 1930s following demolition exact location abbey lost rediscovered excavations 1920s layout plotted low stone walls abbey extensively excavated previously training students leicester abbey protected scheduled monument history foundation founded wave monastic enthusiasm swept western 11th 12th centuries wave responsible foundation majority england monasteries founded 13th century monasteries founded wealthy aristocratic endowed establishments return prayers soul right buried monastic church founded tradition monks abbey known followed monastic rules set known dress white habit black lived clerical life engaged public ministry distinct forms monks outside world lived isolated life founded dedicated abbey robert established having founded robert father 1st earl leicester previously founded college secular leicester known college mary new abbey assumed control college possessions included churches leicester robert added gift numerous churches abbey gained manor merger college manor founder leicester continued abbey wife founder son 3rd earl leicester financed construction abbey whilst husband donated acres land pope granted abbey exemption paying newly acquired land livestock granted condition violence abbot donated money abbey buried regardless 14th century abbey religious house attacked soldiers seized property belonging hugh 1st earl winchester kept tenure abbey prospered increasing lands acquisitions described having friendly relations king edward iii gain privileges abbey including having send representatives parliament late 14th century abbey entered difficult period income began fall period abbey home canon henry wrote chronicle includes contemporary experiences historical section recording events chronicles impact rise gives unusually favourable account john chronicle valued historians contemporary account leicester compared chronicles plague florence depth account records effects includes impact prices food grain wine cattle changes wages labour market chronicle includes detailed death tolls leicester parishes revealing population leicester killed disease following deaths abbey punishment candidates ill prepared little suited sacred ministry chronicle published 15th century 15th century abbey began lease land probably solution falling income lands leicester remained leased directly farmed abbey served abbot leicester abbey resigned chaplain king subsequently served cardinal successor richard granted permitting ask pope remove abbey jurisdiction abbot feared interfere abbey lay diocese unclear pope agreed petition petitioned pope receiving declaration confirming fully subject successors tenure abbey fortunes fell visit revealed number fallen number boys fallen accused practices accepting unsuitable boys return money minor revenues keeping offices treasurer hands abbey accounts known servants accused practising magic including despite apparent financial corruption abbey appeared financially stable abbey monastic buildings recently extensively rebuilt abbey substantial annual income large income abbot sustaining appears taken strong measures abbot ordered number increased number boys increased bishop ordered proper accounts kept forbade abbot granting permission bishop 16th century visited inspect abbey abbot like accused financial thought old perform duties included excessive number known freely church chapter house whilst bishop complained boys educated visit successor showed things improved rarely attended church services bring disturbed services abbot bad example affected canon behaviour ate drank improper times failed attend services average attended freely outside abbey visiting town frequently going hunting accused visit revealed abbey severely debt leading bishop appoint administrators oversee abbey finances chancellor visited abbey found things improved abbot attending services eating unusual times unusual places away chancellor complained abbot excessive number servants habit leaving abbey proper reason saw alternative remove task simple tried secure position sending gifts bribes leading resort abbot constantly interfering affairs abbey finally resigned years later years failures noticed granted pension year retirement far quiet frequently wrote complaining affairs abbey fact generous pension year taken tax asking tax paid abbey tenure cardinal visited abbey influential minister government king henry viii fell favour failing secure papal permission henry divorce wife november arrested treason route yorkshire london held prisoner fell ill journey took leicester arrived abbey november declaring father come leave bones died november public allowed view remains interred abbey church time removed abbey financial position poor despite richest monastery income owed total abbot house took control reduced debt usually elected abbey represented departure tradition probably gained position abbot influential abbot promise bribe henry_viii chief adviser exact details unknown letters suggest promised nephew given lease abbey promise honoured april faced opposition abbey historians suggested choices selecting felt future changes church future architect king henry_viii asked vii marriage pope refused started series events known henry broke away authority pope lieu pope henry assumed authority church priests religious figures including monks required swear support royal supremacy church leicester abbey acknowledged king royal supremacy august saving abbey immediate dissolution henry chief minister long eyes wealth english monasteries time owned approximately quarter realm landed wealth starting monasteries inspected establishment wealth recorded frequent reports vice excess reports compiled volumes known leicester abbey inspected complimented honest man tried bring charges adultery unnatural vice abbey sought gain favour protect abbey sending gifts sheep ultimately fruitless convinced king henry immoral behaviour england monasteries suppressed dissolved land property wealth transferred king abbot attempts save finally surrendered crown dissolution dissolution dissolution abbey buildings demolished years main gatehouse boundary walls farm buildings left standing abbot granted substantial pension year abbey dissolved largest diocese lincoln payments continue long reign henry_viii son king national finance poor suspended recorded having received payments months following dissolution period religion rapidly changing england managed adapt beliefs stay hierarchy church twice candidate rector represented true religious sympathies patronage catholic edward griffin hall financial incentive wage income year highest henry_viii personally considered position proposed new king decided creation touching distance bishop suggested candidate granted income preparation formally appointed mary died appointed mary catholic sister successor protestant elizabeth refused appoint mary favoured candidates vacant mary left gotten lightly candidates arrested felt unable accept queen elizabeth whilst serving rector decided lay low list drawn diocese lincoln lists known lives continued noticed deprived june sold rights year pension sir sum quietly fled abroad probably france flanders wealthy old man wanted state fugitive sea contrary statute lived quietly abroad remaining years date place death unknown thought lived years old following dissolution monasteries henry_viii began lease newly acquired land property extract income granted year lease commissioners negotiated surrender abbey period abbey rapidly demolished stone sold meet high demand town leicester war france scotland led henry viii sell religious establishments land raise finances quickly later granted bestowed leading families friends supporters king religious establishments frequently developed country homes new aristocratic owners notable examples include followed similar format cave cut short king granted abbey 1st brother queen abbey stone create new mansion site held abbey years supporting claim throne accession arrested lands confiscated mary granted abbey mansion catholic supporter 1st baron hastings fell favour mary sister elizabeth came throne abbey sold 3rd earl brother sir sir edward owners actually lived abbey permanently living gatehouse whilst site developed sir edward son henry inherited abbey sold 1st earl mansion built site known 1st earl intended abbey main residence started massively extend mansion new range added south large wing north family massively wealthy estates homes following death 1st earl family decided use principle residence stopping point way london house gained time residency house née bruce widow 2nd earl english civil war house king charles royalist forces besieging captured leicester house looted burned royalist left marched south oxford meeting parliamentary forces battle repaired family sold abbey point ruins agricultural land 19th century abbey come possession 8th earl sold land east known allow undertake flood prevention work land river developed public space known opened prince wales remaining acres abbey included abbey site donated 9th earl demolished found unsafe nearly half years later area opened public abbey park archaeological excavations excavations abbey took place 17th century instructed search body relics abbey little found ground remains exact location abbey lost 1840s editor tried failed attempt locate abbey church 1850s carry excavations failed locate abbey prior 9th earl donation abbey attempt undertaken trace abbey found interim period donation land opening abbey park abbey subject numerous archaeological excavations continued following decade abbey church associated buildings finally located decided architect charge designing new public park site abbey laid low stone walls abbey stone robbed remained buildings trenches remains foundations trenches recognised meant layout areas chapter house dormitory clear decided presumed location abbey clarify layout area abbey excavations located north south walls 15th 16th century brick oven confirming area excavated enlarged south west corner building second oven uncovered corner entirely robbed stone courses sandstone remaining second oven found contain fragments wheat fish bones drain identified 1930s excavation located found contain small bones fish scales bones rats lived drain excavation confirmed kitchen square building measuring metres square walls metres metres thick found corners room suggest room octagonal shape internally similar found abbey ruins training excavations students layout archaeological excavations undertaken allowed historians layout plan abbey plotted low stone walls 1920s 1930s abbey church built artificially raised piece land thought richly decorated featured tower west end main entrance church large extended church large secondary situated chancel east end church lay south abbey church flanked ranges building west range contained room washing vaulted storage floor abbey best residential accommodation probably including abbot east range contained abbey small room presumed library second larger storage corridor known leading graveyard floor canon dormitory communal south range contained warming house containing large fire residents warm floor ate south lay ranges buildings formed courtyard western range courtyard contained abbey south east courtyard large separate rectangular building small projection facing north building believed guest hall projection explained window abbey sat large walled original walls constructed sandstone 13th century featured projecting corner towers smaller interval towers length original wall demolished enclosure enlarged south turn 16th century work thought remains wall known wall new wall built red brick stone decorated different patterns symbols include devices simple patterns religious symbols built wall black bricks abbey entered outer gateway north wall led halt way metres long flanked stone walls enclosed south end abbey formal gatehouse original gatehouse single storey construction flanking gate subsequently enlarged new gatehouse measured metres metres round turrets corner thought contain stairs couple storeys built gate gatehouse flanked west thought small second kitchen eastern lay abbey hospital care ill elderly large buildings chapel hall end serving ward abbey contained poor boys received free education type boarding school water mill possessions controlled churches churches churches outside monastic cells lancashire land list list abbey
Leicester Abbey