Veurne

Title

Veurne

Also Known As

Abdye van den heyligen Nicolaus binne de Stad Veurne, Bittenburg, Buitenburg, Butenburch, Butenburg, Buttenburch, Furnes, Sancti Nicolai de Furnis, Sint Niclaeys, Sint Nicolais, Sint Niklaas de Veuren, Sint Niklaas de Voerene, Sint Niklaas de Voerne, Sint Niklaas te Veurne, Sinte Nicolais, Sti. Nicolai in Furnis, Sunte Nicolais, t'Clooster van Sinter Nicolaus neffens Veurne, Vuerne

Dates

Founded 1120; Premonstratensian from 1135; dissolved 1798

Dedication

Nicholas

Affiliation

Grimbergen

Medieval Diocese

Thérouanne

Circary

Flanders

History

The abbey of Saint-Nicolas de Furnes was founded in 1120 by Jean I de Warneton, bishop of Thérouanne, as an Augustinian house. In 1135, it joined the Premonstratensian Order. In 1454, the abbot was granted the privilege to wear the mitre.

The abbey was badly damaged by warfare in the second half of the 16th century. Furnes was suppressed in the 1790s, and the abbey church was demolished in 1798.

Heads of Community

Abbots

Balduinus de Belle, fl. 1130
Godefridus, fl. 1135
Erlebaldus, fl. 1139
Simon, fl. 1142
Wilhelmus, 1147-1164
Hugo, 1167-1180
Paulus, 1183-1188
Wilhelmus II, fl. 1190
Joannes, fl. 1200
Henricus, 1206-1233
Joannes II, 1235-1243
Paulus II de Nieuwpoort, 1243-1244
Gilbertus, 1246-1250
Laurentius, 1252-1258
Gilles, 1261-1288
Lambertus, 1293-1296
Jacobus, 1304-1314
Walterus, 1314
Arnoldus, 1316-1332
Theodoricus van der Pale, 1335-1359
Dankardus van de Steene, 1360-1367
Everardus, 1368-1370
Petrus Weedaerde, 1371-1379
Joannes III, 1384-1409
Medardus Grimminc, 1409-1413
Petrus II Wyckaert, 1415-1420
Lymmanus van Waas, 1425-1457
Antonius I Vanderdonck, 1458-1465
Walterus Olerius, 1465-1492
Joannes IV Heysacke, 1492-1494
Joannes V Buerse, 1494-1512
Aegidius De Grave, 1512-1525
Petrus III Steven, 1525-1540
Martinus Praet, 1540-1541
Antonius II Lefebvre, 1541-1549
Joannes VI Van Schore, 1549-1554

Status

Abbey

Archival Sources

Brugge, Rijksarchief te Brugge

Ms Acq. 3468 (15th c.; cartulary)

Bibliography

Becuwe, Frank, and Johan Termote. “De Sint-Niklaasabdij te Veurne. Een bouwhistorische en topografische benadering.” De Gidsenkring 24 (1986): 3–40.

Carnier, Marc. “De kleur van een kleed en tienden: de relatie tussen het Sint-Walburgakapittel en de Sint-Niklaasabdij van Veurne.” Analecta Praemonstratensia 72 (1996): 109–38.

Leneaerts, P. “L’abbaye de Furnes.” Bibliothèque Norbertine 4 (1902): 31.

Putte, Ferdinand van de, and Charles Louis Carton, eds. Chronicon et Cartularium Abbatiae Sancti Nicolai Furnensis, ordinis Premonstratensis, et Chronicon Bethaniae seu Domus S. Joseph Furnensis. Recueil de chroniques, chartes et autres documents concernant l’histoire et les antiquités de la Flandre-Occidentale. Bruges: Vandecasteele-Werbrouck, 1849. https://books.google.com/books?id=Xk1cAAAAcAAJ.

Image Credit

The abbey of Veurne in the 17th c. Antonius Sanderus, Flandria Illustrata, 1641.

Files

Collection

Flanders

Citation

“Veurne,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/83.

Geolocation

Item Relations

This Item DependentOn Item: Grimbergen
Item: Saint-Augustin-lès-Thérouanne DependentOn This Item
Item: Pervijze DependentOn This Item
Item: Nieuwpoort DependentOn This Item
Item: Sint-Joris DependentOn This Item
Item: Bethania DependentOn This Item