Leiston

Title

Leiston

Also Known As

Insula B. M. V. de Leiston, Laystone, Leestone, Leistone, Lestonaensis, Lestone, Leyston, Leystona, Leystone, Leystuna, Leystune, St. Mary de Insula

Dates

Founded 1183; dissolved 1536

Dedication

Assumption of Mary

Affiliation

Welbeck

Medieval Diocese

Norwich

History

Leiston was founded in 1182 by Ranulph de Glanville, Chief Justiciar of England. In the mid-14th century, because of frequent flooding, the abbey was moved about 4km inland. Leiston was rebuilt there on a much larger scale.

The abbey was suppressed at the Dissolution and the property was given to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Some ruins are visible at the site today.

Heads of Community

Abbots

Robert, 1183-1193
Philip, fl. ca. 1234
Gilbert, fl. mid-13th c.
Matthew, fl. ca. 1250
Nicholas I, fl. 1278
Gregory, 1285-1286
Nicholas II, fl. 1293
John I of Glenham, 1301-1308
Alanus, fl. 1310
Simon, fl. 1316
John II, fl. 1344
John III, 1390-1399
Thomas I, fl. ca. 1404
Thomas II of Huntingfield, 1409-ca. 1428
Clement of Bliburgh, 1437-1451
John IV (of Sprotling?), 1453-1459
Richard Dunmow, 1475-1482
Thomas II Dogett, 1488-1506
Thomas III Waite, fl. 1509
John V Green, ca. 1527-1531
George Carleton, 1531-1536

Status

Abbey

Archival Sources

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Archives

HD 1378/11/82 (1954; photographs)

HD 1378/11/83 (1954; photograph)

K 575/12 (18th c.; print)

Cambridge, Cambridge University Library

n.c. (14th-15th c.; accounts)

Ipswich, Suffolk Archives

HD 306/2/3 (n.d.; photograph)

HD 371 (14th-16th c.; account books)

HD 1032 (14th c.; accounts)

HD 1064/1 (ca. 1910; notes)

HD 1538/345/1/42 (1340)

HD 1678/89/1-7 (18th/19th c.)

JA3/5/2 - JA3/5/12 (1890; drawings/photographs)

JE 12/2/6 (n.d.; print/engraving)

JI 11/8/p53 (n.d., photograph)

K 412/19 (1937)

K 470/220 (1908; postcard)

K 474/264 (n.d.)

K 487/1/76 (1977; photograph)

K 601/2/52 (n.d.; photograph)

K 601/2/53 (n.d.; photograph)

K 626/1/128/2 (n.d.; photograph)

K 626/1/128/5 - K 626/1/128/7 (20th c.; photographs)

K (PC)/115/1 - K (PC)/115/11 (20th c.; postcards)

Kew, The National Archives

E 132/1/5 (13th/14th c.)

E 135/1/14 (14th c.; taxation records)

SC 6/HENVIII/3427 (1538/40)

SC 8/195/9715 (1388)

SC 11/983 (1539/40)

SC 12/30/1 (16th c.)

WORK 31: 1443 (1960; survey); 1444 (1964; drawing); 1445 (20th c.; drawing); 1446 (20th c.; drawing); 1447 (20th c.; drawing); 1448 (20th c.; drawing); 2067 (1961; plan)

London, British Library

Cotton Vespasian E. XIV. (13th-14th c.; cartulary)

London, Lambeth Palace Library

CLARKE/3/80 (20th c.; photograph)

Lowestoft, Suffolk Archives

1300/70 (19th c.; drawing)

1300/70/1 (1815; engraving)

1300/70/2 (1810s; engraving)

Swindon, Historic England Archive

AL0222/067/03 (ca. 1900; postcard)

AL0264/108/01 (1925; plan)

Bibliography

Caruth, Joanna, and David Gill. “Archaeology in Suffolk: Leiston, Leiston Abbey.” Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History 37, no. 3 (1991): 273. http://suffolkinstitute.pdfsrv.co.uk/customers/Suffolk%20Institute/2014/01/10/Volume%20XXXVII%20Part%203%20(1991)_Archaeology%20in%20Suffolk%201990%20E%20A%20Martin%20etc_255%20to%20282.pdf.

Cornwell, Richard. “Team Hunting for Leiston Abbey’s ‘Priest Pirates.’” The East Anglian Daily Times, August 22, 2016. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21584251.team-hunting-leiston-abbeys-priest-pirates/.

Grant, Sheena. “Unravelling the Medieval Mystery of Our Pirate Priests.” The East Anglian Daily Times, September 13, 2016. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21580802.unravelling-medieval-mystery-pirate-priests/.

Johnson, Tom. “Medieval Law and Materiality: Shipwrecks, Finders and Property on the Suffolk Coast, ca. 1380-1410.” American Historical Review 120, no. 2 (2015): 407–32.

Lord, Mark. “Historic Suffolk Abbey Is Preserved.” The East Anglian Daily Times, July 3, 2008. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21289603.historic-suffolk-abbey-preserved/.

Luxford, J. “A Leiston Document from Glastonbury.” Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History 40, no. 3 (2003): 278–88.

Martin, Edward, Judith Plouviez, and Hilary Feldman. “Archaeology in Suffolk: Leiston, Leiston Abbey.” Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History 36, no. 2 (1986): 152. http://suffolkinstitute.pdfsrv.co.uk/customers/Suffolk%20Institute/2014/01/10/Volume%20XXXVI%20Part%202%20(1986)_Archaeology%20in%20Suffolk%201985%20E%20A%20Martin%20J%20Plouviez%20H%20Feldman_139%20to%20158.pdf.

Mortimer, Richard C. “An Edition of the Cartulary of Leiston Abbey.” Ph.D. Thesis, King’s College London, 1977.

———. Leiston Abbey Cartulary and Butley Priory Charters. Suffolk Charters 1. Ipswich: Boydell Press, 1979.

Page, William, ed. “House of Premonstratensian Canons: Abbey of Leiston.” In A History of the County of Suffolk:, 2:117–19. London, 1975. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/suff/vol2/pp117-119.

Potter, Tom. “Ancient Abbey Dig Set to Resume at Leiston.” The East Anglian Daily Times, April 8, 2015. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21664972.ancient-abbey-dig-set-resume-leiston/.

———. “Archeologists to Revisit Medieval Site for Second ‘Crowdfunded’ Dig.” The East Anglian Daily Times, March 14, 2014. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21724774.leiston-archeologists-revisit-medieval-site-second-crowdfunded-dig/.

———. “Leiston: Are These the Bones of Devil Dog, Black Shuck?” The East Anglian Daily Times, May 15, 2014. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/21720111.leiston-bones-devil-dog-black-shuck/.

Schofield, B. “Wreck Rolls of Leiston Abbey.” In Studies Presented to Sir Hilary Jenkinson, edited by J. Conway Davies, 361–71. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1957.

St. John Hope, W.J. “Observations at Leiston Abbey (23 June 1890).” Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology 7, no. 2 (1890): 227–28. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.$b753436?urlappend=%3Bseq=413%3Bownerid=9007199274740687-417.

Image Credit

View of Leiston Abbey from the southeast, 2018. Wikimedia.

Files

Collection

Southern England

Citation

“Leiston,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/74.

Geolocation

Item Relations

Item: Middleton DependentOn This Item
Item: Theberton DependentOn This Item
Item: Aldringham DependentOn This Item