Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis facts for kids

The Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis (say: His-TOR-ee-uh Ek-KLEE-zee Ab-ben-doe-NEN-sis) is a medieval history book. It is also known as the History of the Church of Abingdon. Sometimes, it's called the Abingdon Chronicle. Monks at Abingdon Abbey in England wrote it in the 12th century. Abingdon Abbey was in Berkshire county. Today, it is part of Oxfordshire.

About Monastic Histories

During the 12th century, many monasteries started writing their own histories. These books recorded the story of their monastery. They also wrote about the local areas around them.

In southern England, monasteries like Ely Abbey and Ramsey Abbey wrote similar histories. These books often talked about problems or disagreements the religious houses were involved in. Histories from northern England were more about the founding stories of new monasteries. They also included stories about saints.

Who Wrote the History and What's Inside?

The History of the Church of Abingdon was written by a monk. We don't know his name. He was probably a monk at Abingdon Abbey itself.

The book covers about 400 years of history. It starts around the time of King Ine of Wessex (around 699 AD). It ends when King Stephen's rule finished in 1154.

The Author's Clues

We don't know much about the author. But we know he was a monk there by 1117. This is because he wrote about Abbot Faritius, who died that year. The author used "we" when talking about Faritius. For example, he wrote: "Moreover, we were without an Abbot for four years." He also said, "we saw him buy more than sixty silk cloths." This shows he was there and saw these things happen.

Where Did the Information Come From?

The oldest copy of the History we have is in the British Library. But the monk who wrote it used older books. He probably looked at the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. He also used Wulfstan's Life of St. Æthelwold. He might have used a book called the Book of Commemorations, which is now lost.

The author also used the Chronicle of John of Worcester. There is even an Abingdon copy of John of Worcester's book. It was written by the same person who wrote the History.

Main Ideas in the History

One big idea in the History is the abbey's founding story. The author wanted to show that the abbey was very old. He said it was founded much earlier than when Æthelwold rebuilt it in the 900s.

The Abbey's Legendary Start

The author based his story on Geoffrey of Monmouth's book, Historia Regum Britanniae. He wrote that an Irish monk named Abbennus founded the abbey. Abbennus supposedly built it on a place called the Mount of Abbennus in Berkshire. The History also included a list of holy items (relics) that Abbot Faricius had collected.

A Book of Land Records

Before the Norman Conquest in 1066, the History is mostly about land documents. These documents are called "charters." It's almost like a big book of property records. There are only a few parts that tell stories about major events. These stories probably came from other old chronicles.

The Tower Collapse

One interesting story in the History is about the abbey church's tower. In 1091, the tower collapsed! The monks were usually in the church for morning prayers (called matins). But on that day, the prior (a leader in the monastery) decided to have prayers in a different room. This room was called the chapter house. Because of this, all the monks were safe and nobody got hurt when the tower fell.

The Author's Views

Even though we don't know the author's name, we can guess some of his opinions. He was probably English. He could read Old English, which was the language of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. He didn't like the Danes very much. But he wasn't generally against the Normans. He only disliked Normans who caused problems for the Abbey. For example, he called Empress Matilda the "Imperious Queen" because she harmed the Abbey. Overall, he didn't like anyone who opposed the Abbey.

Land Laws and Abbey Power

The History talks a lot about land disputes. It mentions "Charters" or "land-books" many times. These were official documents. They showed who owned land, like the Abbey or other people. Kings usually approved these documents. Important people called witnesses would be there to confirm them.

For example, in 1052, King Edward signed two charters. Many important people were witnesses. These included Earls Harold, Leofric, and Siward, plus four bishops. This shows how important witnesses were. It also suggests that the King had a special court where these documents were signed.

Leasing Land and Problems

Sometimes, the Abbey would let people use its land for a few generations. But the Abbey often had trouble getting this land back later. The History says that during King Edward's time, this "custom got out of control." This caused problems later. It probably refers to the difficulties the Abbey had with Norman settlers who took their land after the Norman Conquest.

The History also mentions a meeting of "high-ranking men." This meeting might have been like a special court for land issues after the Norman Conquest.

The Abbey's Influence

The History shows how powerful Abingdon Abbey was. For example, it mentions "the Earl Harold’s favour that the Abbot enjoyed." This means Earl Harold helped the Abbot. It also shows the importance of Abbot Ealdred. He made promises of loyalty to King William in 1066.

The Abbey was also very rich. After the Norman Conquest, people looted the Abbey. Even William's Queen, Matilda of Flanders, took things. In 1066, the Abbey owned a lot of land. It had 624½ "hides" (a hide was a measure of land). But by 1086, this had dropped to 425¼ hides. The Abbot couldn't even get back lands that Henry de Ferrers had taken after the Conquest.

What the History Tells Us About Anglo-Saxon Society

The History gives us clues about England before 1066. It shows that the English kings were strong. They had a legal system for land, using charters. The many witnesses to these charters show that the king had a royal court. Important people from all over the country would meet there.

The Abbey was very wealthy and powerful. It played a big role in everyday life, not just religious matters. The church wasn't afraid to use its power. For example, they excommunicated (kicked out of the church) a man named Brithwine. He had argued with the Abbey over land in the 1050s.

Charters often included strong religious warnings. They said bad things would happen to anyone who broke the agreement. For example, a charter from Æthelred II said: "If anyone brings forth into the open any document previously drawn up with the ink of false greed against this one drawn up above, let it profit neither him nor his avarice, but pierced in perpetuity by a divine sword." These were strong words, but they didn't have a physical punishment.

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, there was a time of disorder. The Abbey was looted. The History says "devastation was dispensed indiscriminately throughout the villages." This suggests that such disorder was not common before the Normans arrived.

How the History Was Published

The Historia has been published twice. The first edition was called Chronicon Monasterii de Abingdon. It only had the Latin text. Joseph Stevenson edited it. It was published in London in 1858.

A newer edition has a translation into English. John Hudson edited it. It was published by Oxford University Press. The second volume came out in 2002. The first volume was published in 2007.