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 monastery in Scotland. It was a home for a group of monks called Premonstratensians. They lived in a place called Tongland, which is in Dumfries and Galloway today. The abbey was started around the year 1218.
Building Tongland Abbey
Tongland Abbey was likely founded by a powerful lord named Alan, Lord of Galloway. This happened around the year 1218. Before the abbey was built, the church in Tongland was given to another abbey. This was Holyrood Abbey, and it happened in the early 1160s. Alan's grandfather, Uchtred, Lord of Galloway, made this gift.
A Flying Abbot?
One interesting person linked to Tongland Abbey was an abbot named John Damian. He was from Italy and lived from 1504 to 1509. John Damian was an alchemist, which means he tried to turn ordinary metals into gold. He was also known for something very unusual.
A poet named William Dunbar wrote two poems about him. These poems suggest that John Damian might have tried to fly! The story says he attempted to fly from the walls of Stirling Castle. He supposedly used a special machine to try and achieve human-powered flight.
Changes at the Abbey
By the early 1500s, the abbey was not doing very well. Its buildings were falling apart, and the monks were not following their rules strictly. There is no proof that John Damian ever lived at the abbey. He might have given up his title as abbot in 1509.
At that time, King James IV asked the Pope in Rome for the abbey to be given to the Bishop of Galloway. The king wanted the bishop to fix the abbey and make sure the monks followed their rules again. King James V repeated this request later.
Tongland Abbey was finally given to the Bishop of Galloway in 1529. This was confirmed again in 1541. The abbey stayed under the bishop's control for many years. Later, a person named William Melville managed it from 1588 to 1606. After that, it went back to the bishop.
Tongland Today
Today, a village called Tongland exists where the old abbey used to be. You can still find some remains of the older church and parts of the 12th-century abbey in the churchyard.
See also
