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The road to the end
(2/5)
Rievaulx’s first encounter with the Crown
occurred in 1533, when a royal commission was sent to investigate
allegations against Abbot Edward Kirkby, made by the abbey’s
patron, the earl of Rutland, who accused Kirkby of misconduct and
disrepute. The king’s advisor, Thomas Cromwell, hoped to
use a Cistercian to indict Kirkby and appointed the abbot of Fountains to
lead this commission against his fellow abbot. The abbot of Fountains,
however, resisted, arguing that this was a matter for
the General Chapter of
the Order to decide, rather than a royal commission. Therefore,
in August 1533 it was a Dr Legh who arrived
at Rievaulx to force Kirkby to confess to these charges and to
resign from office; Legh successfully accomplished his task, no
doubt by employing rather unsavoury tactics. Whilst most of the
Rievaulx community opposed Kirkby’s resignation, believing
he had been unjustly treated, the election of a new abbot went
ahead regardless and the abbots of Fountains and Byland were
appointed to start the proceedings. This resulted in the installation
of
the king’s candidate, Roland
Blyton of Rufford,
to the abbacy of Rievaulx. Kirkby was present at the installation
and indeed
sang the Te Deum at the ceremony. He had been promised an annual
pension of £44 in return for his compliance, but this never
materialised and he retired to Jervaulx Abbey
where he was caught up in a popular uprising known as the Pilgrimage
of Grace. Kirkby
was sentenced to death for his participation but later reprieved
and appointed vicar of Newport, Essex (1539-46). It seems that
Kirkby had died by 1557.(4)
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