Netley Abbey
Netley Abbey, Houndcounty:
Hampshire
otherwise: Letley Abbey; Laetus Locus; Pleasant Place
The place is described in text Cobbett 1830
... you have only to walk a mile over a beautiful lawn and through a not less beautiful wood, to find, in a little dell surrounded with lofty woods, the venerable ruins of NETLEY ABBEY, which make part of Mr. Chamberlayne's estate [Weston Grove] ...
NETLEY ABBEY ought, it seems, to be called LETLEY ABBEY, the Latin name being LAETUS LOCUS, or PLEASANT PLACE. Letley was made up of an abbreviation of the Laetus and of the Saxon word ley, which meaned place, field, or piece of ground. This Abbey was founded by Henry III. in 1237, for 12 Monks of the Benedictine order; and, when suppressed, by the wife-killer, its revenues amounted to 3,200l. a year of our present money. The possessions of these monks were by the wife-killing founder of the Church of England, given away (though they belonged to the public) to one of his court sycophants, SIR WILLIAM PAULET, a man the most famous in the whole world for sycophancy, time-serving, and for all those qualities which usually distinguish the favourites of kings like the wife-killer. This PAULET changed from the Popish to Henry the Eighth's religion, and was a great actor in punishing the papists: when Edward VI. came to the throne, this PAULET turned protestant, and was a great actor in punishing those who adhered to Henry VIIIth's religion: when Queen Mary came to the throne, the PAULET turned back to papist, and was one of the great actors in sending protestants to be burnt in Smithfield: when Old Bess came to the throne, this PAULET turned back to protestant again, and was, until the day of his death, one of the great actors in persecuting, in fining, in mulcting, and in putting to death those who still had the virtue and the courage to adhere to the religion in which they and he had been born and bred. The head of this family got, at last, to be earl of Wiltshire, Marquis of Winchester, and DUKE OF BOLTON. ...
Mr. CHAMBERLAYNE has caused the ancient fish-ponds, at Netley Abbey, to be 'reclaimed,' as they call it. What a loss, what a national loss, there has been in this way, and in the article of water fowl! ... These are things, too, which cost so little labour! You can see the marks of old fish-ponds in thousands and thousands of places. ... A trifling expense would, in most cases, restore them; but, now-a-days, all is looked for at shops: all is to be had by trafficking: scarcely any one thinks of providing for his own wants out of his own land ... To buy the thing, ready made, is the taste of the day: thousands, who are housekeepers, buy their dinners ready cooked: ...
Period - 19th century, early
Southampton ... 3m SE are the pictoresque remains of Netley Abbey.
otherwise: Locus St Edwardi
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- Hampshire
Letley, a Cistercian Abbey, founded by King Henry III. who endowed it with Lands Reg. 35. It was also called Locus St. Edwardi. Valued at 100 l. 12 s. 8 d. per Annum, Dugd.
- Hampshire
... Religious Houses ... deliver'd to King Henry VIII. in the 26th Year of his Reign, with the yearly Value ...
value l. s. d. q.
Letley Ab. Cist. 100 12 8 0
THE Charter of King Henry III. dated the 35th Year of his Reign, shows him to have been the Founder of this Monastery, which he calls St. Mary of St. Edward's Place, and that he endow'd it with the Land whereon it stood, as also those of Letley, Hume, Welew, Totinton, Gumelculn, Nordleg, Deverel-Kingston, Waddon, Aykeley, and Lacton, and the Revenues of Chirleton, Southampton, and Suthwerk, as also 100 Acres in the Manor of Schire; confirming all Donations made or to be made to those Monks.
The place is described in text Leland 1535-43
Scant a mile from the mouth of Hamelrise Creeke lyithe Letelege on the shore upward in the mayne haven.
Here a late was a great abbay in building of White Monkes.
Minns sats:- Letley or Netley Abbey, for Cistercian or White Monks, founded 1237, was surrendered 1536 to the King previous to our Author's visit, when its site and manor were granted to Sir William Paulet, subsequently first Marquis of Winchester. For the ready compliance of the Abbot in himself signing the surrender, and inducing his twelve monks to follow his example, he was rewarded by being appointed abbot to the more wealthy establishment at Beaulieu. Our author's course is now up the river towards Southampton.
otherwise: Letley Abbey; Laetus Locus; Edwardstow; Locus St Edwardi
founded by Henry III, 1239
