10. THE ABBEY OF MEDMENHAM
The little abbey of Medmenham was
founded in 1204 upon lands granted to the
abbey of Woburn, Bedfordshire, by Isabel de
Bolebec, Countess of Oxford. Leave to build
a monastery in this place was granted in
1202, (fn. 1) but there seems to have been some
mismanagement in connection with its first
foundation. In 1204 the first colony of
monks was sent there from the parent abbey,
but it was recalled in the same year. The
Abbot of Woburn was deposed on account of
this failure. (fn. 2) Other monks were sent apparently soon after, for the house was built and
inhabited in 1213, (fn. 3) and from this time it remained an independent abbey. (fn. 4)
It has no history whatever, so far as can at
present be discovered. Even the names of
the abbots are difficult to find out. There
are a few suits concerned with small parcels of
land recorded in the Feet of Fines during the
thirteenth century (fn. 5) ; and the Close Rolls of
the fourteenth contain one or two notices of
debts incurred by the abbot and convent of
Medmenham. (fn. 6) The abbots are said to have
held the office of Epistolar to the Order of
the Garter. (fn. 7)
In 1524 there was some thought of granting
the revenues of this house to Wolsey for his
college at Oxford, (fn. 8) but the plan was not
carried out. At the dissolution, which was
before 8 July, 1536, it was made part of the
endowment of the new abbey of Bisham. (fn. 9)
There was at this time only one monk left besides the abbot (fn. 10) ; the latter received a pension of 10 marks. (fn. 11)
So far as can be discovered, the property of
the abbey consisted of little more than the vill
of Medmenham and the parish church. (fn. 12)
There is no account of its value in the Taxatio. The Valor Ecclesiasticus gives a total of
£20 6s. 2d. (fn. 13)
Abbots of Medmenham
Roger, (fn. 14) occurs 1256 and 1259
Peter, (fn. 15) elected 1295, occurs 1303
John of Medmenham, (fn. 16) occurs 1308
Geoffrey, (fn. 17) occurs 1321
Stephen of Thame, (fn. 18) elected 1373
Henry, (fn. 19) occurs 1416
Richard, (fn. 20) occurs 1421
John Talbot, (fn. 21) occurs 1535
Richard Brangwen, (fn. 22) last abbot, occurs
1536
Dugdale says, (fn. 23) 'according to Willis the
seal of the abbey was the effigies of the Blessed
Virgin crowned, sitting on a splendid throne,
in her bosom the venerable Infant.' He adds
the only impression remaining is that of
[Abbot] John 1308, which is a neat oval seal
with this inscription on the edge: S' FRIS
JOHIS. MENDHAM.'