Tongland Abbey facts for kids
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1218 |
| Mother house | Cockersand Abbey |
| Diocese | Diocese of Galloway |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Alan, Lord of Galloway |
| Site | |
| Location | Galloway, (Kirkcudbrightshire) |
Tongland Abbey was an old religious community in Scotland. It was a home for monks from a group called the Premonstratensians. The abbey was located in a place called Tongland, in what is now Dumfries and Galloway. It was probably started around the year 1218. A powerful leader named Alan, Lord of Galloway founded it. Before that, the church in Tongland had been given to Holyrood Abbey in the 1160s. We don't know much about the early leaders of Tongland Abbey. Its history from that time is not very clear.
Who Was John Damian?
One interesting abbot (leader) of Tongland Abbey was an Italian man named John Damian. He was in charge from 1504 to 1509. John Damian was an alchemist. This meant he tried to turn ordinary metals into gold. He also tried to find a way to live forever.
A famous Scottish poet, William Dunbar, wrote two funny poems about John Damian. These poems suggest that John Damian might have tried to fly! The story says he tried to fly using a special suit with wings. He supposedly jumped from the walls of Stirling Castle. We don't know for sure if this story is completely true.
Changes Over Time
By the early 1500s, the abbey building and its rules were not in good shape. It seems John Damian might not have lived at the abbey much. He might have given up his role in 1509.
King James IV of Scotland asked the Pope in Rome to give the abbey to "David, bishop of Galloway". The king wanted the bishop to fix the abbey's rules and repair its buildings. King James V of Scotland repeated this request later. Tongland Abbey was finally given to the bishop in 1529. This was confirmed again in 1541.
The abbey remained under the bishop's control for many years. Later, a man named William Melville was in charge from 1588 to 1606. After him, it went back to the bishop. Today, the village of Tongland exists at the same site where the abbey once stood.
See also
- Stewartry Kirks Project
- Tongland Abbey details
- Abbot of Tongland, for a list of abbots and commendators
