Alnwick
Title
Alnwick
Also Known As
Alneuuic, Alnewick, Alnewike, Alnewyc, Alnewyck, Alnewyke, Alnewyyk, Alnwyk, Alynewyke, Aunewic, Halnewyke
Dates
Founded 1147; dissolved 1539/40
Dedication
Assumption of Mary
Affiliation
Medieval Diocese
Circary
History
Alnwick was founded by Eustache de Vesey, son of John and Helvide. It was a daughter house of Newsham, and was particularly associated with the Percy family during the Middle Ages. Alnwick was dissolved at the Reformation.
Only the abbey gatehouse survives today. Part of the site was excavated in the 1880s.
Only the abbey gatehouse survives today. Part of the site was excavated in the 1880s.
Heads of Community
Abbots
Baldwin, 1148-52
Patrick, 1152-67
Richard, 1167-aft. 1180
Gilbertus 1197-1208
Adam?, 1208
Galfridus, fl. 1209
Benedict, fl. 1212
Bartholomew, 1219-ca.1222
Peter, 1224-39
Walter, by 1245-1246
Reginald, 1249-50
Richard?, fl. 1250
William of Alnmouth, 1269-75
Thomas of Kirkeby, 1283-84
Alan of Staunford, 1289-1304
Thomas, fl. 1310
John of Otteley, 1324-39
John of Alnwick, 1340-50
Henry of Bamburgh, 1353-54
Walter, ?-1362
Robert of Rothbury, 1362-ca. 1364
Walter of Heppescotes (or Hepscott), fl ca. 1376
John Frechevyl, fl. ca. 1379
William de Rok (or Kok), 1395-1407
John Cudberde, 1419-1435?
William Marshall, 1437-?
Thomas Alnwick, 1475-90
Patrick Calle, 1491- 1497
Robert Bowman, 1497-ca. 1502
George, fl. 1506
Matthew Mackerell, 1519-22
Robert Barton, 1525-30
Roger Acton, 1531
William Hawton (or Harrison), 1532–40
Baldwin, 1148-52
Patrick, 1152-67
Richard, 1167-aft. 1180
Gilbertus 1197-1208
Adam?, 1208
Galfridus, fl. 1209
Benedict, fl. 1212
Bartholomew, 1219-ca.1222
Peter, 1224-39
Walter, by 1245-1246
Reginald, 1249-50
Richard?, fl. 1250
William of Alnmouth, 1269-75
Thomas of Kirkeby, 1283-84
Alan of Staunford, 1289-1304
Thomas, fl. 1310
John of Otteley, 1324-39
John of Alnwick, 1340-50
Henry of Bamburgh, 1353-54
Walter, ?-1362
Robert of Rothbury, 1362-ca. 1364
Walter of Heppescotes (or Hepscott), fl ca. 1376
John Frechevyl, fl. ca. 1379
William de Rok (or Kok), 1395-1407
John Cudberde, 1419-1435?
William Marshall, 1437-?
Thomas Alnwick, 1475-90
Patrick Calle, 1491- 1497
Robert Bowman, 1497-ca. 1502
George, fl. 1506
Matthew Mackerell, 1519-22
Robert Barton, 1525-30
Roger Acton, 1531
William Hawton (or Harrison), 1532–40
Status
Abbey
Archival Sources
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland
A.III.23a
D.III.1
Y.II.2
London, British Library
Add Ch 20537
Cotton Vitel E.XIV.261
Harley MSS 44/A4
Harley 217
Harley MSS 294/75
Harley MSS 692/12
Harley MSS 2044/56
Harley 3897
Harley MSS 7048/36
London, Tate Britain
J.M.W. Turner, "Alnwick Abbey: Gatehouse (1797)"
Oxford, Bodleian Library
MS Douce 218, Part 1
A.III.23a
D.III.1
Y.II.2
London, British Library
Add Ch 20537
Cotton Vitel E.XIV.261
Harley MSS 44/A4
Harley 217
Harley MSS 294/75
Harley MSS 692/12
Harley MSS 2044/56
Harley 3897
Harley MSS 7048/36
London, Tate Britain
J.M.W. Turner, "Alnwick Abbey: Gatehouse (1797)"
Oxford, Bodleian Library
MS Douce 218, Part 1
Reference
Bibliography
Bede, Cuthbert. “Alnwick Castle.” Once a Week, May 18, 1861. https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AOnce_a_Week_Dec_1860_to_June_61.pdf&page=582.
Bruce, John Collingwood. “Notes on a Mediaeval Grave Cover from Alnwick Abbey.” Archaeologia Aeliana, Second Series, vol. 10 (1885): 193–95. https://doi.org/10.5284/1059515.
Davison, W. A Descriptive and Historical View of Alnwick, the County Town of Northumberland; and of Alnwick Castle, Alnwick and Hulne Abbeys, Brislee Tower, the Borough of Alwnick, Etc. Alnwick, 1822. https://books.google.ie/books?id=13gDAAAAYAAJ.
Dickson, W. “Cronica Monasterij de Alnewyke et quodam Libro Cronicanum in Libraria Collegij Regalis Cantabrigiae de dono Regis Henrici VI Fundatoris.” Archaeologia Aeliana, First Series, vol. 3 (1844): 33–45. https://doi.org/10.5284/1059315.
Hodgson, J. C. “Document Relating to Alnwick Abbey, 1331.” Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, Third Series, vol. 2 (1905): 380. https://books.google.com/books?id=w_YwnqOlIXEC&pg=PA380.
———. “Grant of William de Vescy to the Abbot and Convent of Alnwick, 1307.” Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, Third Series, vol. 2 (1905): 199–200. https://books.google.com/books?id=w_YwnqOlIXEC&pg=PA199.
Hope, William Henry St John. “On the Premonstratensian Abbey of St. Mary Alnwick, Northumberland.” The Archaeological Journal 44 (1887): 337–46. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch-1132-1/dissemination/pdf/044/044_337_346.pdf.
———. “On the Premonstratensian Abbey of St. Mary at Alnwick.” Archaeologia Aeliana, Second Series, vol. 13 (1889): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5284/1059573.
Oliver, A. M. “A List of the Abbots of Alnwick.” Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne 9 (1920): 42–44. https://archive.org/details/proceedings00sociuoft/page/n57/mode/2up.
W., S. “Alnwick Abbey.” Monthly Chronicle of North-Country Lore and Legend, August 1890. https://archive.org/details/sim_monthly-chronicle-of-north-country-lore-and-legend_1890-08_4_42/page/344/mode/2up.
Image Credit
The gatehouse of Alnwick Abbey, 2005. Wikimedia.
Last Updated
Oct. 2026.
Files
Collection
Citation
“Alnwick,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/100.
Geolocation
Item Relations
| This Item | DependentOn | Item: Newsham |
| Item: Shilbottle | DependentOn | This Item |
| Item: St. Leonard's Hospital | DependentOn | This Item |