Adam of Damerham
Encyclopedia
Adam of DamerhamAdam of Damerham (sometimes Adam of Domerham (died after 1291), was a Benedictine
monk of Glastonbury Abbey
, who wrote a history of the abbey, and was active in the ecclesiastical politics of his time.
, Hampshire
, a village belonging to Glastonbury Abbey. He wrote a history of the abbey entitled Historia de Rebus gestis Glastoniensibus, which exists in a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge
, possibly the author's own copy. It has been published by Thomas Hearne
in two volumes. The first volume, however, does not contain any part of the work of Adam. Adam's history forms a continuation of the treatise of William of Malmesbury
, De Antiquitate Glastoniæ. It begins at 1126, when Henry of Blois
, afterwards bishop of Winchester
, became abbot
, and ends with the death of Abbot John of Taunton in 1291.
A large part of the history is taken up with papal bull
s, charters, and other documents. From some expressions used by Adam about the character of Abbot Michael (1235–1252) it may be supposed that he entered the convent in his time. He was, therefore, a member of the fraternity during part of that period of difficulty and discord which followed the annexation of the abbey to the see of Wells
by Bishop Savaric
, a proceeding which brought on Glastonbury heavy expense and loss of property, and which endangered its independence. He relates the history of these troubles at considerable length, and says in his preface that his object in writing his book was to incite his readers to protect or to increase the prosperity of his church, which once enjoyed privileges above all others, but was then bereft of her liberties and possessions.
On the deposition of Abbot Roger Forde by William Button
, bishop of Bath, in 1255, Adam, with four other monks, was appointed by the convent to elect an abbot by ‘compromise,’ or on behalf of the whole fraternity. The choice of the electors fell on Robert of Petherton. Roger was, however, restored to his office by the pope. On his death Robert again became abbot.
Adam was cellarer to the monastery, and the entry with which he opens the list of good deeds done by Abbot William Vigor, stating that inprimis he added to the strength of the beer, possibly shows that the writer entered with some zest into the details of his office. He afterwards became sacristan
. On one important occasion he seems to have shown considerable firmness of character. A sharp dispute had been carried on between the bishops of Bath and Abbot Robert about the lordship of the abbey. The bishops claimed to be the mesne
lords, while the abbot declared that his house held immediately of the crown. When Robert died in 1274, the monks tried to keep his death secret, avowedly because it happened at Eastertide, but doubtless from the more cogent reason that they desired time to secure the recognition of their immediate dependence on the crown. The bishop's officers, however, found out how matters stood. They came to Glastonbury and caused all the servants of the abbey to swear fealty to their master, and put bailiffs in all the manors. The king's escheat
or appeared at the abbey gates and was refused admission by the bishop's men. Adam, however, was not daunted, and on behalf of the prior, who apparently was absent at the time, and of all the convent, appealed in set terms against this usurpation. The next day he had the satisfaction of seeing the constable of Bristol Castle
arrive. The king's escheator was enabled to take seisin
of the monastery, and the bishop's men were forced to retreat in haste.
Adam, who was an eyewitness of the proceedings, gives an interesting account of the visit of Edward I
and his queen to Glastonbury in April 1278, when the tomb of King Arthur
was opened, and his bones and the bones of Guinevere
were borne by the English king and his queen to a new resting-place before the high altar. Adam appears to have followed the example of his abbot, John of Taunton, in doing his best to recover for the monastery some of the treasures which it had lost. His history is generally said to end at 1290, the date assigned by him to the death of John of Taunton, with which he concludes his work. This date seems, however, to be incorrect, for he records the burial of Eleanor
, queen of Edward I, as taking place 27 December 1290. He says that after that event Abbot John was summoned by the king to the funeral of his mother, Eleanor of Provence
, which was performed at Ambresbury on the festival of the Nativity of the B. V. Mary, 8 September 1291. Abbot John was sick at the time, but did not like to fail in obedience to the king's command. His death on the festival of St. Michael is the last event recorded by Adam of Damerham, who therefore brings down his story to 1291.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk of Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Abbey was a monastery in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. The ruins are now a grade I listed building, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument and are open as a visitor attraction....
, who wrote a history of the abbey, and was active in the ecclesiastical politics of his time.
Biography
Adam was a native of DamerhamDamerham
Damerham is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located near to Fordingbridge. As well as being the location of notable Neolithic and Bronze Age barrows, Damerham was an important Anglo-Saxon manor mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086,...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, a village belonging to Glastonbury Abbey. He wrote a history of the abbey entitled Historia de Rebus gestis Glastoniensibus, which exists in a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, possibly the author's own copy. It has been published by Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne or Hearn , English antiquary, was born at Littlefield Green in the parish of White Waltham, Berkshire.-Life:...
in two volumes. The first volume, however, does not contain any part of the work of Adam. Adam's history forms a continuation of the treatise of William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
, De Antiquitate Glastoniæ. It begins at 1126, when Henry of Blois
Henry of Blois
Henry of Blois , often known as Henry of Winchester, was Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey from 1126, and Bishop of Winchester from 1129 to his death.-Early life and education:...
, afterwards bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, became abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
, and ends with the death of Abbot John of Taunton in 1291.
A large part of the history is taken up with papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
s, charters, and other documents. From some expressions used by Adam about the character of Abbot Michael (1235–1252) it may be supposed that he entered the convent in his time. He was, therefore, a member of the fraternity during part of that period of difficulty and discord which followed the annexation of the abbey to the see of Wells
Diocese of Bath and Wells
The Diocese of Bath and Wells is a diocese in the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England.The diocese covers the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Bath and Wells is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in the tiny city of...
by Bishop Savaric
Savaric FitzGeldewin
Savaric fitzGeldewin was an Englishman who became Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury in England. Related to his predecessor as well as to the German Emperor Henry VI, he was elected bishop on the urging of his predecessor, who urged his election on the cathedral chapter of Bath...
, a proceeding which brought on Glastonbury heavy expense and loss of property, and which endangered its independence. He relates the history of these troubles at considerable length, and says in his preface that his object in writing his book was to incite his readers to protect or to increase the prosperity of his church, which once enjoyed privileges above all others, but was then bereft of her liberties and possessions.
On the deposition of Abbot Roger Forde by William Button
William of Bitton I
William of Bitton, usually known as William of Bitton I was a medieval English Bishop of Bath and Wells.-Life:...
, bishop of Bath, in 1255, Adam, with four other monks, was appointed by the convent to elect an abbot by ‘compromise,’ or on behalf of the whole fraternity. The choice of the electors fell on Robert of Petherton. Roger was, however, restored to his office by the pope. On his death Robert again became abbot.
Adam was cellarer to the monastery, and the entry with which he opens the list of good deeds done by Abbot William Vigor, stating that inprimis he added to the strength of the beer, possibly shows that the writer entered with some zest into the details of his office. He afterwards became sacristan
Sacristan
A sacristan is an officer who is charged with the care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents.In ancient times many duties of the sacristan were performed by the doorkeepers , later by the treasurers and mansionarii...
. On one important occasion he seems to have shown considerable firmness of character. A sharp dispute had been carried on between the bishops of Bath and Abbot Robert about the lordship of the abbey. The bishops claimed to be the mesne
Mesne
Mesne , middle or intermediate, an adjective used in several legal phrases....
lords, while the abbot declared that his house held immediately of the crown. When Robert died in 1274, the monks tried to keep his death secret, avowedly because it happened at Eastertide, but doubtless from the more cogent reason that they desired time to secure the recognition of their immediate dependence on the crown. The bishop's officers, however, found out how matters stood. They came to Glastonbury and caused all the servants of the abbey to swear fealty to their master, and put bailiffs in all the manors. The king's escheat
Escheat
Escheat is a common law doctrine which transfers the property of a person who dies without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in limbo without recognised ownership...
or appeared at the abbey gates and was refused admission by the bishop's men. Adam, however, was not daunted, and on behalf of the prior, who apparently was absent at the time, and of all the convent, appealed in set terms against this usurpation. The next day he had the satisfaction of seeing the constable of Bristol Castle
Bristol Castle
Bristol Castle was a Norman castle built for the defence of Bristol. Remains can be seen today in Castle Park near the Broadmead Shopping Centre, including the sally port.-History:...
arrive. The king's escheator was enabled to take seisin
Seisin
Seisin is the term denoting the legal possession of a feudal fiefdom . It was used in the form of "the son and heir of X has obtained seisin of his inheritance", and thus is effectively a term concerned with conveyancing in the feudal era...
of the monastery, and the bishop's men were forced to retreat in haste.
Adam, who was an eyewitness of the proceedings, gives an interesting account of the visit of Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
and his queen to Glastonbury in April 1278, when the tomb of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
was opened, and his bones and the bones of Guinevere
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
were borne by the English king and his queen to a new resting-place before the high altar. Adam appears to have followed the example of his abbot, John of Taunton, in doing his best to recover for the monastery some of the treasures which it had lost. His history is generally said to end at 1290, the date assigned by him to the death of John of Taunton, with which he concludes his work. This date seems, however, to be incorrect, for he records the burial of Eleanor
Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile was the first queen consort of Edward I of England. She was also Countess of Ponthieu in her own right from 1279 until her death in 1290, succeeding her mother and ruling together with her husband.-Birth:...
, queen of Edward I, as taking place 27 December 1290. He says that after that event Abbot John was summoned by the king to the funeral of his mother, Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence
Eleanor of Provence was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Henry III of England from 1236 until his death in 1272....
, which was performed at Ambresbury on the festival of the Nativity of the B. V. Mary, 8 September 1291. Abbot John was sick at the time, but did not like to fail in obedience to the king's command. His death on the festival of St. Michael is the last event recorded by Adam of Damerham, who therefore brings down his story to 1291.