Means and motives (continued)

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The Rievaulx community did not simply rely on its reputation and the appeal of the monks’ prayers to increase its holdings, but actively sought patronage through coercion, exchange, purchase and rent. This was particularly important for creating compact estates from what was often (and inevitably) a rather piecemeal collection of lands given by a variety of patrons. Similar to other Cistercian communities throughout the country, Rievaulx sought to concentrate its holdings in particular areas and thereby increase the efficiency of administration. This could be done by requesting certain lands and perhaps offering spiritual benefits, a sum of money or a gift in return, or by negotiating an exchange of lands. Such was the case at Skiplam, in the west end of the Vale of Pickering. Rievaulx had a grange here and was therefore keen to develop its holdings in the area. The monks were thus happy to exchange ten acres of land in Wombleton for only five acres in Skiplam since acreage was of less importance than the location.(18)

Area around Gillamoor and Skiplam
© Cistercians in Yorkshire Project
<click to enlarge>

Rievaulx accumulated a substantial amount of land and rights in the west end of the Vale of Pickering. The community had received an initial grant of land at Welburn from Roger de Mowbray’s mother, Gundreda, 1138-43. Through rent, purchase and gifts the community eventually the monk held most of this land. The monks also held all of Hoveton, they had land for a grange in Wombleton, meadows at Rook Barugh and pasture rights on the stretch of moorland that ran from Welburn to Gillamoor to Middle Head, through Fadmoor and Bransdale.(19)

An exchange of lands
In the late twelfth / early thirteenth century Rievaulx gave the Benedictine nuns of Marrick lands in E. Cowton for lands in Harlsey. During Aelred’s abbacy (1147-67) the community secured land from Walter Engelram in Welbury for the annual rent of twelvepence, the gift of a gold ring to his wife, a payment of fifteen silver marks to both Walter and his wife and two shillings to their two heirs.
[See Burton, ‘The estates and economy’, p. 51; p. 63.]

There is little explicit evidence for the monks conducting sales to purchase lands, but references to an exchange of money, livestock or objects in return for a grant indicate where such a transaction may have taken place. An example is Peter of Hoveton’s grant to Rievaulx of five bovates of land in Hoveton, near Welburn, on the River Rye. In return for his gift Peter received twenty marks of silver and a horse; his wife received two cows, ten sheep and ten lambs.(20)
The community might also benefit from the state of national affairs. We know that when Aelred was abbot of Rievaulx’s daughter-house of Revesby, during the anarchic years of Stephen’s reign (1135-54), he ‘made his house rich and fruitful’ by securing lands over which men had been fighting. Aelred argued that by giving what they had the knights would help safeguard their salvation; moreover, those who did not give risked losing ‘both life and goods without any payment in return.’(21) He therefore concluded that gifts of land would work to the mutual advantage of the knights as the donors and the monks as the recipients. The civil war of Stephen’s reign extended into the first seven years of Aelred’s abbacy at Rievaulx, and it is likely that he continued this policy at Rievaulx and brought the same benefits to the Rievaulx community.(22)