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Later developments
(8/15)
From the thirteenth century benefactions
to Rievaulx waned. This was not peculiar to Rievaulx but was experienced
by other Cistercian abbeys throughout the country and can be attributed,
in part, to the arrival of the friars and competition for patronage.
Another sign of the times was the growing complexity of the system
of land-holding and the increased litigation that this brought.
Land might be held only for a certain period rather than indefinitely;
it might be exchanged for others. Consequently there was less permanence
and security in land-holding which opened the floodgates to disputes
and court cases. Legal disputes were sometimes resolved peacefully
but might lead to ongoing friction and even to trial by battle.
There was a case of this kind at Rievaulx, c. 1170, when one of
Roger
de Mowbray’s tenants, Alan of Ryedale, disputed Rievaulx’s
right to common pasture in the stretch of moorland between Welburn
and Bowforth, which Roger had given to the community in the mid-twelfth
century. Alan claimed that this pasture was, in fact, part of his
demesne, but Roger stood by his former grant arguing that this
was common pasture. The matter was brought to Roger’s court
when Alan actually obstructed the monks from accessing the land.
The dispute was to be resolved through trial by battle and Roger
summoned royal officials, his knights and neighbours as witnesses.
When the dual commenced the knight championing Roger’s (and
the monks’) cause looked likely to win and Alan was persuaded
by his friends to drop his claims. Roger, accordingly, put the
matter to twelve knights of the locality who agreed that this was
indeed common pasture.(23)
Assault at Sproxton
In 1300 William of Sproxton complained that Abbot Henry of Rievaulx and
a number of brethren - seventeen of whom he named - had assaulted him
at Sproxton and consumed and spoiled his corn, valued at £20.
[Monastic Notes on the Religious and Secular Houses of Yorkshire I, ed.
W. P. Baildon, Yorkshire Arch. Soc. Record Series XVII (1895), p. 179]
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A number of land disputes arose
from disagreement over rights of dower,
such as the case in 1202 between Robert of
Kirkham and his wife, Albredam, and the abbot of Rievaulx over
a messuage in Holmsile, which was held by Richard Tradesalt. The
abbot was not always able to deal with every case in person, and
on this occasion he was represented by his monk, Thomas.(24) A
second example is the case in 1208 between Gilbert of Sauteby’s
wife, Emma, and Abbot
Warin of Rievaulx, concerning the third part
of two bovates of land
in Sheriff Hutton which Emma claimed as dower. This was resolved
when Emma agreed to renounce her rights
here to the abbot and his successors in return for a payment of
10s sterling.(25)
Land disputes also arose between neighbouring Cistercians, for
whilst the White Monks were united by bonds of unity and charity,
this did not prevent disagreements from occurring within the
family. Rievaulx was no exception and in the late twelfth century
Abbot Silvan of Rievaulx
and Abbot Robert of Fountains came
to blows over land in Cleveland, where both abbeys had granges.
The two
parties were eventually reconciled, and agreed on boundaries
and rights of way in this area.(26)
Therefore, from the thirteenth century Rievaulx became increasingly
weighed down by land disputes and court cases which could be
costly, time-consuming and also damaging to the reputation
of the house.
This was by no means peculiar to Rievaulx and was experienced
by other Cistercian abbeys throughout the country. <back> <next>
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