There are two primary sources which record details
about the abbots of Fountains: the ‘Foundation history of Fountains’ (Narratio),
compiled by Hugh of Kirkstall in the early thirteenth century and
the fifteenth-century ‘President's Book’. The former details each abbacy
from the foundation of Fountains until John of Kent (d. 1247); the ‘President’s
Book’ adds information regarding subsequent abbots. Important secondary
sources, which often offer a corrective to these primary sources,
are The
Heads of Religious Houses England and Wales 940-1216 ,
rev. edn. D. Knowles, C. N. L. Brooke, V. London (Cambridge, 2001); The
Heads of Religious Houses England and Wales II 1216-1377 , ed. D.
Smith and V. London (Cambridge, 2001), pp. 279-281; C. Clay, ‘The early
abbots of the Yorkshire Cistercian houses’, Yorkshire Arch. Journal 38
(1955), pp. 8-43 at pp. 13-21 and Monks, Friars and Nuns in Sixteenth-Century
Yorkshire, ed. C. Cross and N. Vickers, Yorkshire Arch. Soc.
Record Ser. 150 (1995). Where there are discrepancies, the
recently edited
volumes of Heads of Religious Houses have been followed.
Maurice is not listed in the ‘President’s Book’ (Chronicle
of Abbots). he was also abbot of Rievaulx.(1)Read
more
Thorold
1148-50 (resigned)
Thorald is not listed in the ‘President’s Book’ (Chronicle
of Abbots). Thorald, who had been a monk of Rievaulx,
was a strong personality who clashed with Henry
Murdac, archbishop
of York and former abbot of Fountains. Accordingly, Thorald
was encouraged to resign from office and return to Rievaulx.
He later went to Clairvaux and
in c. 1151 was promoted to the abbacy of Tres-Fontaines, Champagne.(2)
Henry may have resigned. He was buried at the entrance to
the chapter-house at Fountains. (14)
Robert Thornton
c.1289-90 (resigned?); d. 1306.
Robert is referred to as ‘one-time abbot
of Fountains’ which suggests he resigned from the abbacy
before his death in 1306. He was buried in the chapter-house. (15)
Robert Bishopton
c.1290/1-1311
Robert enjoyed a long but troubled abbacy. The community
was in great debt to the Jews at this time (£6 373) and
had to disband, temporarily, to recoup its finances. Robert
was buried in the chapter-house. (16)
William Rigton
1311-16
William was buried in the chapter house, beofre the lectern.(17)
Walter Coxwold
1316-36 (resigned)
Walter died two years after his resignation and was buried
in the chapter-house.(18)
Robert Copgrove
1336-46
Robert was buried in the chapter house at Fountains.(19)
Robert Monkton
1346-69
Robert was buried in the church at Fountains, before the
altar of St Peter.(20)
William Gower
1369-84 (resigned)
William became blind in old age and resigned from the abbacy
two years before his death in 1390. He was buried before the
chapel of nine altars.(21)
