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| Chapter House, Cockersand Abbey, Lancashire, own photo. |
Lonely, exposed, bleak and windswept; I sense, it's hermit time...
We all love a good hermit. And the one who co-founded this abbey wasn't just a good hermit but one of "great perfection" (William de Lancaster II). We're talking about some serious hermitage here. In other words, we're talking about Hugh Garth, who in 1180AD took refuge on the site.
Hermit Hugh Garth established a hospital on-site in 1189AD, by gathering alms from the locals, to care for passing travellers and the local sick. He also received significant financial input from William de Lancaster, second Baron of Kendal and Lord of Wyresdale, although, it is unknown exactly how much was given. The site stands on the peninsula between the two estuaries of the Lune and Coker, a site described by John Leland (1506-1552) as “standing blekely... an object to all wynddes”. My visit to the abbey proved that some things just don't change - the wrath of the wind was incredible!
Sadly, our good friend Hermit Hugh never lived to see his site become official ecclesiastical property. It was after his death, in 1190AD, that the site was placed under the protection of Pope Clement III and as a result the hospital became a priory, subordinate to Leicester Abbey. But the Priory's infancy was turbulent, filled with domestic struggles against its larger Leicester parent.
Sometime between 1189 and 1194, the Priory recovered Cockerham Manor, which had been previously lost in a property dispute. The gain greatly affected the Priory's status and ambitions and encouraged the Priory's Canons to seek promotion to abbatial status. Such ambitions, however, were greatly opposed by Leicester Abbey, who feared the economic and political threat a new abbey would pose. In 1192, Theobald Walter issued a charter"for the... canons of the Premonstratensian order..." which granted permission "for the erection of an abbey of the said order", from this point there are local records of abbatial figures but nationally, Cockersand Abbey would not be officially recognised until Leicester Abbey withdrew its opposition.
In 1204 Leicester reluctantly and bitterly let go. The Convent of Leicester granted the Canons of Cockersand 'locum in quo domus hospitalis de Kokersand sita est' (permission to build an abbey and have an abbot). However, disputes with Leicester Abbey over boundaries, tithes and pastures would continue until as late as 1364. The turmoil even attracted royal intervention, such as that of King John who, in 1201, gave royal confirmation that Cockersand Abbey should reside over the site of the hospital and the pasture of Pilling, whilst in 1215 he granted the abbey two plough-lands of the crown to display his favour.
The French Connection...
As a house of the Premonstratensian order, Cockersand was subject to frequent visitation by the abbot-general of Prémontré, in France, or his commissary and until the beginning of the 14th century the Cockersand Abbots had been required to attend the annual general chapter held at Prémontré.
However, in 1307, The Statute of Carlisle prevented payment of tallages to foreign houses and encouraged the Cockersand Abbot to demand relief from the annual visit to Prémontré. In the end, in 1315, it was agreed that the frequency of visitations should be reduced, whilst financial contributions would be limited to necessary collections only. From then on, the Abbot of Prémontré seems to have executed his visitorial powers at much longer intervals, often through a commissary.
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| Prémontré Abbey, by Tavernier de Joniquières, pen and watercolour, 1780s. |
Under Attack...
In 1316 and 1322 the Abbey suffered heavily from Scottish raids. Yet the Abbey's most significant threat has always been from the sea; coastal erosion continued, and indeed continues to be a threat for the site.
In the 13th Century a sea wall was constructed, evidence for this comes from the relaxation granted by Pope Gregory in 1372 to penitents, who instead would give alms for the repair of the Abbey which Swarbrick (1923) describes as having been "so near to the sea that the walls built for the preservation of the buildings were being worn away and destroyed by the sea".
Again in 1378, the Abbot begged Richard II to confirm their charters without having to pay the fine, in view of their poverty and the fact that "each day they [were] in danger of being drowned and destroyed by the sea" (Sir William Dugdale's 'Monasticon Anglicanum' 1655).
Geographically, it is important to note that during the abbey's working existence, the abbey was located on a low clay island, surrounded by undrained marshland, hence, the medieval name of S. Maria de Marisco 'St. Mary of the Marsh', whereas now, the land has been drained and the area is relatively solid, though still at serious risk from coastal erosion.
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| Map showing settlement islands amongst undrained marshland. Taken from information board at Cockersand Abbey. |
Curious Characters...
Throughout the Abbey's history it seems to have attracted some rebellious and intriguing characters, both to its fame and shame.
For instance, Redman's visitation in April, 1488, exposes the abbey to be in serious spiritual decline. As a result of his findings, two apostate canons were excommunicated and a rigorous 'spiritual cleansing' operation was put in place. However, this clearly proved unsuccessful, as in December he was recalled to deal with another two canons, William Bentham and James Skipton, who were both accused of breaking their vows of chastity. Website 1 of the bibliography, recounts some of the Abbey's most exquisite individuals and can be recommended for the vivid insight it offers of life at the Abbey.
Dissolution...
Finally, we reach the infamous Legh and Layton, Thomas Cromwell's advisors who carried out monastic visitations in the lead up to Henry VIII's dissolution of the monastries. And surprise, surprise! They reported serious corruption and made charges against two Canons. The Abbey here proves the perfect example in showing Legh and Layton's attempts to blacken the reputation, of not just Cockersand Abbey, but the majority of monastic entities across England. Corruption was exaggerated and even completely made up; this was done with the aim of aiding the snivelling Cromwell to convince Henry to shut down the monastries on the grounds of corruption. The Abbey presents an exampe of this because, royal commissioners, visiting the abbey in May 1536, just a year after Legh and Layton, found the company of the monastry to be of 'honest nature' and eager to continue worship, which seems the more likely scenario following Redman's reforms within the abbey.
Despite owning land across Wyre, Lakeland and Lancashire, Cockersand Abbey wasn't particuarly affluent, relative to the monastic giants of England, such as the neighbouring Furness Abbey. In fact, Cockersand Abbey almost met execution early. Brian Marshall informs us that: “Under the Act of Suppression of 1536, any house with an income below £200 per year was to be closed... Cockersand, with a net income of around £157 clearly fell within this group..." However, the abbey managed to niftily save itself through some account manipulation. John Swarbrick's article; ‘The Abbey of St. Mary of the Marsh at Cockersand', published in 1923 states "... the canons contended successfully that their income exceeded £200 and that consequently their house could not legally be dissolved as a lesser monastry". Indeed, the monks managed to produce an unconvincing second figure of £282 per annum, saving them from an early death.
Finally, in January, 1539, the house was surrendered by Abbot Poulton to the crown. The Abbey was later bought off the crown, in 1543, for £700, by John Kitchen of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, who was a former farmer of the abbey. By the marriage of his eldest daughter, Anne, to Robert Dalton of Thurnham Hall it passed to that family, in whose possession it still remains.
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| Extract from Sir William Dugdale's 'Monasticon Anglicanum (1655–1673)' describing the worth of Cockersand Abbey on its day of dissolution. |
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| List of Abbot's of Cockersand Abbey from Sir William Dugdale's 'Monasticon Anglicanum (1655-1673)' |
The Dalton family, who were Catholic, used the Abbey's chapter house as a burial place during the 18th and 19th Century. The remainding ruin of the abbey was used as a quarry site, providing material for many of the local farms, these can be identified by the distinctive red sandstone.
Excavations took place from 1923-7 when virtually the whole plan was recovered, a sketch map can be seen below, whilst within the Bibliography I have included two extracts describing the results of the excavations further. The Abbey was noted particuarly for its impressive vaulted drain, which is now marked by a deep depression south of the Chapter House, near the sea wall.
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| Extract from Times Newspaper, July 14th, 1923. The paragraph is from a letter sent in by John Swarbrick informing the public of the dig intended to take place and describing the interior of the Chapter House. It is important to note that it has since been discredited that the choir stands in Lancaster Priory were originally from Cockersand Abbey. |
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| Extract from Times Newspaper, July 17th, 1923. Letter in reply to Swarbrick's one above. The letter is written by W.A. Wickham who reportedly had been allowed to do some basic exploration of the interior of the Chapter House. |
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| Plan of Cockersand Abbey, taken from information board on-site. |
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| Cockersand Abbey, own photo. |
The view from Cockersand Abbey is fantastic. Not just visually but also a fantastic indication of the area it influenced. On top of the typical saintly, community duties, Cockersand Abbey was particuarly important as a fishing establishment with its own medieval fishing baulk which was used into the post-modern period by local fishermen. Indeed, local history repudiates that fish from the Abbey was famously displayed and sold on the 'fish stones' at Caton, by the ancient druid tree which remains there to this day.
I think as a case study, Cockersand Abbey illustrates monastic England well;
Its birth as a centre of Christian charity... Its teenage struggle as a political entity... The middle aged slump into corruption, decline and largely failed attemps to renew... And finally, due to the infamous Henry; the brutal chop.
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| Myself at the site of Cockersands Abbey. |
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Detailed Summary of Cockersand Abbey’s History:
Extract from ‘Hermits and Anchorites of England’ by Rotha Mary Clay:
Full Chartulary of Cockersand Abbey:
http://www.archive.org/stream/chartularycocke01farrgoog#page/n17/mode/2up
http://www.archive.org/stream/chartularycocke01farrgoog#page/n17/mode/2up
Sir William Dugdale’s 'Monasticon Anglicanum’ (1655–1673):
Blog with information on Cockersand Abbey:
Blog with information on Cockersand Abbey:
English Heritage Document on Cockersand Abbey:
Basic Information on the Druid’s Oak, Caton:
http://megalithix.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/druids-oak-caton/
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| Times Newspaper Extract, August 24th, 1924. Gives an insight into the nature of the excavations. |
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| Times Newspaper Extract, September 3rd, 1924. Results of Excavations. |
My cottage is about a mile from the Abbey. I've written and printed a booklet revising its history which I sell to visitors on the Heritage Open Day weekend in September. I thought your precis of the Abbey was very good, both in its content and the way it was written.
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