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Lesnes Abbey

Memorials	:	4
Location	:	Bexley, London Borough of Bexley, England
Coordinate	:	51.4887830, 0.1284020
Description	:	Richard de Luci, the chief Justiciar of England under Henry II, founded Lesnes Abbey in 1178. Originally dedicated to St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr, many have speculated the Abbey was founded in repentance for his role in the murder of Thomas Becket. The new monastery was operated under Augustinian rule. However, just a year later, De Luci resigned from office and retired to Lesnes. He died 3 months later and was buried in the Abbey’s chapter house. Lesnes was subsequently kept in the family, with de Luci’s great-granddaughter being raised at Lesnes. Lesnes Abbey has already got its... Read More	Richard de Luci, the chief Justiciar of England under Henry II, founded Lesnes Abbey in 1178. Originally dedicated to St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr, many have speculated the Abbey was founded in repentance for his role in the murder of Thomas Becket. The new monastery was operated under Augustinian rule. However, just a year later, De Luci resigned from office and retired to Lesnes. He died 3 months later and was buried in the Abbey’s chapter house. Lesnes was subsequently kept in the family, with de Luci’s great-granddaughter being raised at Lesnes. Lesnes Abbey has already got its roots in a grisly murder, but by 1381 it was also involved in the Peasant’s Revolt. The Peasant’s Revolt arose as a consequence of the Black Death in the 1340s, the high taxes from the Hundred Years’ War and political instability. This tension climaxed when John Bampton, a royal official, attempted to collect unpaid poll taxes in Essex. Led by Abel Ker of Erith, a mob broke into the Abbey and forced the Abbot to swear an oath that he supported their cause. They only left once their demands had been met. This abbot was one of the largest landowners in the area and was responsible for draining the nearby marshes and keeping the riverside embankments in good condition, which became a huge financial burden. Throughout its existence, the Abbey was blighted by serious financial troubles and never grew to an impressive size, whilst other Abbeys across the country thrived. Under Henry VIII in 1525, the Abbey was one of the first monastic houses to be suppressed in the famous Dissolution of the Monastries. It sustained just 5 canons under an Abbot, and license dictated that monasteries hosting less than seven inmates be suppressed. It was closed by Cardinal Wolsey, with the profits of this suppression intended to finance Cardinal Wolsey’s College at Oxford. All of the monastic buildings were destroyed, with only the Abbot’s own lodging spared, which was incorporated into a farmhouse. Henry Cooke acquired the site in 1541, but his attempts to rebuild came too late, leading him to pass ownership onto John Hippersley who robbed it of building materials. The site again changed hands in 1632, being passed to Thomas Hawes of London, and consequently bequeathed to Christ’s Hospital in 1633. Lesnes Abbey was only excavated in 1910, remaining as farm land up until this point. London County Council purchased the grounds in 1930, restored the area and opened it as a public park a year later, ultimately handing it to the London Borough of Bexley in 1986. Only the foundations of the Abbey are still visible today. (South London Club)

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Where is Lesnes Abbey?
Lesnes Abbey is located at Abbey Road, Abbey Wood Bexley, London Borough of Bexley ,Greater London ,England.
Lesnes Abbey cemetery's updated grave count on graveviews.com?
0 memorials
Where are the coordinates of the Lesnes Abbey?
Latitude: 51.4887830
Longitude: 0.1284020

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Nearby Cemetories:

1. All Saints Churchyard
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2. Plumstead Cemetery
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7. Woolwich Old Cemetery
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8. Woolwich New Cemetery
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13. Bexleyheath Cemetery
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14. Christchurch Chapel Cemetery
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15. St. Peter the Apostle Churchyard
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16. Wesleyan Methodist Chapel Chapelyard
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17. Salem Chapel Chapelyard
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18. St Augustine's Churchyard
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19. Eltham Cemetery and Crematorium
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20. St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard
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21. St. Paulinus Churchyard
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22. Bexley War Memorial
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23. St Helen and St Giles Churchyard
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24. Rippleside Cemetery
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Lesnes Abbey

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