Rufford Abbey

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Rufford Abbey is an estate in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England.

Contents 1 The Monastic Foundation 1.1 Abbots of Rufford 2 Later owners 3 See also

[edit] The Monastic Foundation

The abbey itself was founded by Gilbert de Gant in, or around, 1147 and populated with Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire.

The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1534 gives the gross income of the abbey as £254 6s. 8d. and the clear annual value as £176 11s. 6d.

Abbot Doncaster obtained a pension on the dissolution of the house in 1536 among the lesser monasteries, of £25 a year; but it was voided on his speedy appointment to the rectory of Rotherham on 2 July 1536.

[edit] Abbots of Rufford

Philip de Kyme, temp. Stephen Edward, occurs 1203 Geoffrey, occurs temp. John, 1218, &c. Thomas Simon, occurs 1232 G—, occurs 1239 Geoffrey, occurs 1252 William, occurs 1259 Henry, 1278

Thomas de Stayngreve, occurs 1283 Henry, occurs 1288 Henry de Tring, occurs 1315 Elias, occurs 1332 Robert de Mapelbek, 1352 Thomas, 1366 John de Harlesay, 1372 John de Farnsfeld, 1394 Thomas Sewally, occurs 1400

Robert de Welles, 1421 Robert Warthill, died 1456 William Cresswell, 1456 John Pomfrat, died 1462 John Lilly, 1462 John Greyne, 1465 Roland Bliton, 1516 Thomas Doncaster, last abbot

[edit] Later owners

The estate was later granted to the Talbot family, and its residents included George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1626, the house was sold to Sir George Savile, and later inhabited by his descendant, the Marquess of Halifax.

The Savile family sold the estate during the Great Depression, and it was later acquired by English Heritage.

[edit] See also

• Catholic Encyclopedia article