Abbot of Bury St Edmunds explained

Abbot of Bury St. Edmunds was the title used by the head of the Benedictine monastery Bury St. Edmunds Abbey in the county of Suffolk, England. The following table lists the abbots from the foundation of the abbey in 1020 until its dissolution in 1539.^[1]

	Abbots of Bury St. Edmunds^[2]	From	To	Notes
1	Uvius/ Ufi	1020	1044	Founded St. George's Priory, Thetford.^[3]
2	Leofstan	1044	1065
3		1065	1097
4	Robert I	1100	1102	Son of Hugh d'Avranches, Earl of Chester
5	Robert II	1102	1107
6	Alebold of Jerusalem	1114	1119
7	Anselm of St Saba	1121	1146	Nephew of Anselm of Canterbury. Elected bishop of London in 1138, but was not consecrated bishop
8	Ording	1146	1156	See note on dates of Anselm above - elected abbot while Anselm was bishop-elect (1138), then re-elected after Anselm's death
9	Hugo/Hugh I	1157	1180	Refounded St. George's Priory, Thetford c. 1160. Discussed at length in the Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond.
10	Samson of Tottington	1182	1211	Discussed at length in the Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond.
11	Hugh of Northwold	1215	1229	1213 locally, 1215 with Papal consent; became Bishop of Ely
12	Richard	1229	1234	Also known as 'Richard of the Isle of Ely'
13	Henry of Rushbrook	1235	1248
14	Edmund of Walpole	1248	1256
15	Simon of Luton	1257	1279
16		1279	1301
17	Thomas of Tottington	1302	1312
18	Richard of Draughton	1312	1335
19	William of Bernham	1335	1362	William died the last day of February 1361 – 1362
20	Henry of Hunstanton	1362	1362	Henry's abbacy was very brief
21	John of Brinkley	1362	1379	John of Brinkley elected on Henry's demise
22	John of Timworth	1379	1389	The Papal nominee for Abbot was Edmund Bromefield for 5 years of this time
23	William of Cratfield	1390	1415
24	William of Exeter	1415	1429
25	William Curteys	1429	1446
26	William Babington	1446	1453
27	John Bohun	1453	1469
28	Robert Ixworth	1469	1474	See Ixworth Priory, Ixworth
29	Richard Hengham	1474	1479
30	Thomas Rattlesden	1479	1497	See Rattlesden
31	William Cadenham	1497	1513
32	John Reeve	1513	1539	Sometimes 'John Reeve of Melford';^[4] died on 31 March 1540

On 4 November 1539, the abbey was surrendered. The surrender is signed by Abbot John Reeve, Prior Thomas Ringstede (alias Dennis), and by forty-two other monks. All were awarded pensions, of varying amounts.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Book: Knowles, David . David Knowles (scholar). London, Vera C. M. . Brooke, Christopher . Christopher N. L. Brooke . The Heads of Religious Houses, England and Wales, 940–1216. Second . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge. 2001 . 0-521-80452-3 . 31–33.
2. Encyclopedia: Houses of Benedictine monks: Abbey of Bury St Edmunds . A History of the County of Suffolk . 2 . 1975. 56–72 . 23 May 2012 . Page, William.
3. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/suff/vol2/pp85-86 A History of the County of Suffolk: Volume 2 Pages 85-86: Houses of Benedictine nuns: Priory of St George, Thetford
4. http://www.thericardian.online/downloads/Ricardian/13/36.pdf NICHOLAS ROGERS Scraps from Bury St Edmunds
5. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/suff/vol2/pp56-72 Houses of Benedictine monks: Abbey of Bury St Edmunds