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The rise
(1/2)
Roche was a moderately-sized house. It never
had extensive holdings and did not found any daughter-houses; yet
the abbey engaged in local and national affairs, and played an active
role in the Order. The general fortunes of Roche mirror those of
other houses: a time of growth and prosperity in the twelfth and
first half of the thirteenth century was followed by a period of
gradual decline until the Surrender of the abbey in 1538; this broad
framework was punctured by highs and lows.
In Denis’ abbacy
(c. 1159-71) Roche embarked upon a programme of expansion, to accumulate
lands and possessions that would support a self-sufficient community.
The abbey thrived throughout the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries,
save for a brief spell during Hugh
of Wadworth’s abbacy (c.1179-84), when Roche suffered serious
financial problems. Hugh’s ambition to expand the abbey’s
holdings at Roxby landed the abbey in considerable debt, for he
borrowed extensively from the Jews of York. Roche’s financial
problems were soon solved by Hugh’s successor, Osmund
(c. 1184-1213), one of the ablest and longest-serving abbots of
Roche. Osmund significantly strengthened the community, bringing
much of the building-work to completion, and securing papal and
royal confirmation of the abbey’s possessions. Whilst Roche
attracted gifts from outsiders it also drew local men as recruits.
Abbots, Roger of
Tickhill (c.1171-9) and Hugh de Wadworth (c.1179-84), as their
names suggest, came from the neighbourhood. It is likely that a
number of the choir monks were also from the locality, but with
no record of their names, we can only speculate.
Roche was, clearly, held in high regard by its
neighbours, who wanted to be involved with the community as benefactors
or recruits. Several of Roche’s abbots were also esteemed,
notably, Osmund, who was made proctor of Cardinal Stephen’s
rents in England. This brought considerable financial benefit to
the abbey, and drew in the significant sum of 400m pa. The monks
of Roche were enriched to such an extent that contemporaries considered
them wise men, lacking no temporal goods. (1)
Monks of Roche were also influential in the context of the Order,
and several were promoted to positions of authority in other Cistercian
houses. Helias, ‘a man full of energy, fully practiced in dealing
with outside affairs’ (2), became
abbot of Kirkstall in
1209; Henry, who was prior of Roche, was elected abbot of Newminster,
Northumberland, in 1216. It is not a coincidence that Roche, Newminster
and Kirkstall were all affiliated to Fountains,
for movement amongst houses was generally kept within the family
line.
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