Europe, British Isles, South-West England, Somerset, Glastonbury

Glastonbury is in Somerset.

946 Death of King Edmund

975 Death of King Edgar Peaceful

1016 Death of King Edmund Ironside

1469 Battle of Edgecote Moor

1607 Bristol Channel Floods

Europe, British Isles, South-West England, Somerset, Glastonbury Abbey [Map]

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 688. This year Ceadwall (age 29) went to Rome, and received baptism at the hands of Sergius the pope, who gave him the name of Peter; but in the course of seven nights afterwards, on the twelfth day before the calends of May, he died in his crisom-cloths, and was buried in the church of St. Peter. To him succeeded Ina (age 18) in the kingdom of Wessex, and reigned thirty-seven winters. He founded the monastery of Glastonbury [Map]; after which he went to Rome, and continued there to the end of his life. Ina (age 18) was the son of Cenred, Cenred of Ceolwald; Ceolwald was the brother of Cynegils; and both were the sons of Cuthwin, who was the son of Ceawlin; Ceawlin was the son of Cynric, and Cynric of Cerdic.

On 26 May 946 King Edmund I of England (age 25) was murdered by Leofa, an exiled thief, whilst attending mass at Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire. He was buried at Glastonbury Abbey [Map]. His brother King Eadred I of England succeeded I King England.

On 08 Jul 975 King Edgar "Peaceful" I of England (age 32) died at Winchester, Hampshire [Map]. He was buried in Glastonbury Abbey [Map]. His son King Edward "Martyr" I of England (age 13) succeeded I King England.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. On the feast of St. Andrew died King Edmund (age 26); and he is buried with his grandfather Edgar at Glastonbury [Map]. In the same year died Wulfgar, Abbot of Abingdon; and Ethelsy took to the abbacy.

On 30 Nov 1016 King Edmund "Ironside" I of England (age 26) died. The cause of death is unknown. Some chroniclers describe murder, some describe wounds from battle. He was buried near his grandfather King Edgar "Peaceful" I of England in Glastonbury Abbey [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1033. This year died Bishop Merewhite in Somersetshire, who is buried at Glastonbury Abbey [Map]; and Bishop Leofsy, whose body resteth at Worcester, and to whose see Brihteh was promoted.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1083. This year arose the tumult at Glastonbury [Map] betwixt the Abbot Thurstan and his monks. It proceeded first from the abbot's want of wisdom, that he misgoverned his monks in many things. But the monks meant well to him; and told him that he should govern them rightly, and love them, and they would be faithful and obedient to him. The abbot, however, would hear nothing of this; but evil entreated them, and threatened them worse. One day the abbot went into the chapter-house, and spoke against the monks, and attempted to mislead them;101 and sent after some laymen, and they came full-armed into the chapter-house upon the monks. Then were the monks very much afraid102 of them, and wist not what they were to do, but they shot forward, and some ran into the church, and locked the doors after them. But they followed them into the minster, and resolved to drag them out, so that they durst not go out. A rueful thing happened on that day. The Frenchmen broke into the choir, and hurled their weapons toward the altar, where the monks were; and some of the knights went upon the upper floor103, and shot their arrows downward incessantly toward the sanctuary; so that on the crucifix that stood above the altar they stuck many arrows. And the wretched monks lay about the altar, and some crept under, and earnestly called upon God, imploring his mercy, since they could not obtain any at the hands of men. What can we say, but that they continued to shoot their arrows; whilst the others broke down the doors, and came in, and slew104 some of the monks to death, and wounded many therein; so that the blood came from the altar upon the steps, and from the steps on the floor. Three there were slain to death, and eighteen wounded.

Note 101. i.e. In the service; by teaching them a new-fangled chant, brought from Feschamp in Normandy, instead of that to which they had been accustomed, and which is called the Gregorian chant.

Note 102. Literally, "afeared of them"-i.e. terrified by them.

Note 103. Probably along the open galleries in the upper story of the choir.

Note 104. "Slaegan", in its first sense, signifies "to strike violently"; whence the term "sledge-hammer". This consideration will remove the supposed pleonasm in the Saxon phrase, which is here literally translated.

On 17 Aug 1469 Humphrey Stafford 1st Earl Devon (age 30), having escaped after the Battle of Edgecote Moor, was captured and executed by a mob at Bridgwater, Somerset [Map]. He was buried at Glastonbury Abbey [Map]. Earl Devon extinct.

Europe, British Isles, South-West England, Somerset, Glastonbury Abbey, Abbots Kitchen

PAINTINGS/BUCKLER/Glastonbury_Kitchen.jpg1825. John Buckler (age 54). Abbots Kitchen, Glastonbury Abbey.

Europe, British Isles, South-West England, Somerset, Glastonbury Tor

On 30 Jan 1607 around midday the Bristol Channel suffered from unexpectedly high floodings that broke the coastal defences in several places devastings significant areas of South-Wales and Somerset. It is estimated that 2,000 or more people were drowned, houses and villages were swept away, an estimated 200 square miles (51,800 ha) of farmland inundated, and livestock destroyed, wrecking the local economy along the coasts of the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary. The coast of Devon and the Somerset Levels as far inland as Glastonbury Tor, 14 miles (23 km) from the coast, were also affected. The sea wall at Burnham-on-Sea [Map] gave way, and the water flowed over the low-lying levels and moors.

In 1786 Richard Colt Hoare 2nd Baronet (age 27) purchased Glastonbury Tor and restored the church tower on its summit.

PAINTINGS/HOARE/Richard_Colt.jpg