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Fountains Abbey: History
Fountains Abbey: Buildings
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Burial in the church (6/13)
Permission to bury patrons in the abbey churches was soon extended to abbots, and from the late fourteenth century it was common for Fountains’ abbots to be buried in the church, rather than in the chapter-house. Robert Monkton was the first abbot to be buried in Fountains’ church and, according to the ‘President’s Book’, he was buried before the altar of St Peter, in 1369.(16) Other abbatial burials include William Gower, Robert Burley, John Ripon, Thomas Paslew, John Martin and Thomas Swinton. The remains of Burley’s tombstone of Nidderdale marble can be seen in the north chapel of the south transept. The gravestone of Swinton’s tomb is still visible and although the brass inset has long since been removed, it can be seen that this once depicted an abbot with a mitre, beneath a canopy. Interestingly, the mitre is placed above and not on the abbot’s head, indicating that Swinton resigned from office.(17) |
