A Chronological History of Amesbury, Legend and Fact
Entries in black represent occurences in fact.
Entries in grey represent occurences in legend that remain unsubstantiated.
43 The Roman Invasion of Brittania
c.300 Possible first signs of Christianity at Amesbury
410 Roman Garrisons withdrawn from Britain
460 British burial in the Convent after massacre near Stonehenge
461 Meeting of Vortigern with Hengist (Saxon) near abbey of Ambri
465 Aurelius Ambrosius succeeded after death of Vortigern (said to have had an abbey of 200 monks). Arthur took charge after death of Ambrosius
c.475 Arthur born
6thC The abbey would have been destroyed in the pagan invasions 6th Century
516? Arthur’s Battle of Badon (various locations suggested, particularly near Bath or Bristol
c.540 Death of Arthur
c.540 Death of the Celtic Saint Melor (age 14?)
875-878 Melor’s relics taken from Lanmeur to Redon, in Brittany
888 Will of King Alfred - Amesbury left to his younger son Æthelweard
910-913? Relics of St Melor brought to Amesbury
932 Athelstan dated Charter at Amesbury. The Witan met here.
955 King Eadred left Amesbury to his mother Eadgifu
979 Queen Alfrida founded a Benedictine Nunnery at Amesbury
995 Easter Day: King Ethelred at Amesbury
Elfric chosen Bishop of Wiltshire
Possible Charter in favour of Abbess Heahpled
The Witan met at Amesbury this year
1086 Amesbury’s Abbey held manors in Bulford, Boscombe, Allington (or Alton- Figheldean) Choulston and Maddington, Winterbourne Bassett.
Lands also in Berkshire
1113 Mentioned in the Death Roll of Maud, daughter of William the Conqueror
1129&57 Poverty shown by the pardoning of contributions to Danegeld
1177 Henry II dissolved the Abbey and refounded it as a house of the Order of Fontevrault. (Papal Bull 15th Sept 1176)
22nd May new nuns installed by Archbishop of Canterbury in the presence of the King.
1179 Charter of Henry II
1178 et seq Rebuilding of Abbey. Timber from Southampton and Lewes. Lead from Shrewsbury. £880 spent.
1186 30th November: Nuns installed in restored Abbey in the presence of the King and the Abbess of Fontevrault.
1189 First mention of male religious in a Charter.
1223 Henry III visits Amesbury.
1231 Henry III visits Amesbury.
1241 Henry III visits Amesbury.
1256 Henry III visits Amesbury.
1226 Royal timber to build infirmary chapel
1231 Royal timber to repair cloisters and nun’s stalls
1233 Alpesia - King’s cousin - a Nun
1246 Eleanor of Brittany (died at Bristol) bequeathed her body to the abbey
1256 Convent consisted of Prioress and 76 nuns; a Prior, 6 chaplains, a clerk and 16 lay brethren
1275 Edward I: makes first visit to Amesbury
1285 Edward I’s daughter Mary (age 7, died 1332) veiled with 13 noble ladies. Eleanor of Provence followed a few months later
1286 King gave money for Obits
1291 Eleanor died in June. Buried before High Altar in September.
1315-16 Abbey contained 101 Nuns, also 11 chaplains and clerks, and 6 lay brethren
1327 Ascension Day: 36 Professed nuns were consecrated by the Bishop of Bath & Wells. Included Isabel, daughter of Henry, Earl of Lancaster.
1400 14th March: Hooligans imprisoned the Prioress, Sybil Mantague, for several days.
1459-63 Margaret Lady Hungerford in residence on orders of the Chancellor.
Fire destroyed property to the value of £1000
1474 Papal indulgence to those who visited Amesbury and the Annunciation and Invention of the Cross. There was a Lady Chapel with a Crucifix visited by pilgrims, eg Sir Thomas de la Mere.
1480 Office of Prior seems to have been abolished.
1486 Last recorded contact with the Mother House at Fontevrault.
1535 Gross revenue £558.10s.2d, net £482.1s.10d. Abbey second in numbers, fifth in wealth in the kingdom.
1539 29th March: John Tregonwell and others failed to persuade Florence Bonnewe to surrender the abbey. She resigned in August. On 4th December Joan Darrell surrendered the abbey.
1540 Pensions to Joan Darrell and 33 nuns. Payments to 4 priests and 33 servants. Before 22nd April: Buildings given to Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford.
1541 Lands included: Amesbury manor and Rectory; tithes in Ratfyn; rents; sheep pasture; a fishery; two inns; three mills; a gate house; tolls of St John’s Fair (June 24th?)
Church spire pulled down.
1619 Earliest of church bells - dated 1619
1661 Lord Hertford’s house rebuilt.
1662 Inigo Jones recorded a stone coffin built into a wall
1677 Death of John Rose - benefactions to Amesbury
1724 Charles Duke of Queensberry inherited Abbey estates. John Gay a friend of the Duchess.
1810 On death of the 4th Duke of Queensberry Amesbury Abbey passed to Lord Douglas.
1824 The Antrobus family purchased the Abbey from the executors of Lord Douglas. Click here to view the Antrobus Family Timeline
1834 New mansion house built to replace that of Inigo Jones’ design.
1840 Building operations exposed paving etc on site of the present abbey mansion.
1852-3 Transept door and lancet windows inserted in church, and aisle door porch removed. West end taken down and rebuilt.
1859-60 Further 13thC foundations exposed at Abbey.
1979 1000th anniversary of the first recorded founding of the Benedictine House at Amesbury celebrated by a programme of public events.