Fountains Abbey: History
• Origins
• Sources
• Foundation
• Consolidation
• Trials and Tribulations
• Strength and Stability
• End of Monastic Life

Fountains Abbey: Buildings
• Precinct
• Church
• Cloister
• Sacristy
• Library
• Chapter House
• Parlour
• Dormitory
• Warming House
• Day Room
• Refectory
• Kitchen
• Lay Brothers' Range
• Abbots House
• Infirmary
• Outer Court
• Gatehouse
• Guesthouse

Fountains Abbey: Lands

Fountains Abbey: People

The arrival of Henry Murdac

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He was the first to bring our Fountains to the perfect purity
of the Order, and, scouring off the rust of the former life to
establish there the rule of discipline of a healthy monastery,
according to the rites of Clairvaux.
[‘The foundation history of Fountains’ (Narratio)] (43)

Image of Murdac in stained glass at York Minster
© Dean & Chapter of York Minster
<click to enlarge>

The death of Abbot Richard II in 1143 left Fountains without a leader at a difficult time for the North of England. Opposition to the appointment of William FitzHerbert as Thurstan’s successor at York, had cleft the church in two and Fountains, like Rievaulx, was deeply embroiled in the fracas. It was extremely important that the new abbot of Fountains should be a strong leader, able to steer his community through a precarious and volatile period. As the Father Abbot of Fountains, Bernard of Clairvaux consulted his own community about the best course of action. It was decided that Henry Murdac, one of his chief advisors and also a former monk of Clairvaux, should be sent to Fountains as Bernard’s deputy.

He [Henry Murdac] had a great mind and was altogether invincible in the cause of righteousness, choosing rather to be in peril for the sake of righteousness than that righteousness should be imperilled while he was in power.
[‘Foundation history of Fountains’ (Narratio), p. 200]

Henry, who was at this time abbot of Vauclairs in Laon, was a Yorkshireman by birth, but had left the North of England for Burgundy, following Bernard’s persuasive invitation to join his heavenly Jerusalem at Clairvaux. As Bernard’s deputy, Murdac was to conduct the annual visitation of Fountains and oversee the appointment of a new abbot, caring for the community ‘as the shepherd of their souls.’(44) He was to be assisted in this by his friend and former pupil, Abbot William of Rievaulx. Bernard had clearly anticipated that the monks of Fountains might choose Henry as their new abbot and urged him that should this happen, he ought to accept the position. Thus, according to the unanimous decision of the Fountains community, Henry Murdac was elected to the abbacy.