Whitby is a fishing village on the northeast coast of Yorkshire. It is distinguished by its beaches and abbey and the industry that has grown up to serve the tourists who are attracted by the beaches and abbey.

The abbey was first founded in the seventh century by Oswy, king of Northumberland, and its first abbess was St. Hilda. A century later it was destroyed by the Danes, and no abbey existed at Whitby for the next four centuries. William the conqueror's interest led to a century and a half of building religious houses in England. The first three in the north were St. Mary's at York, Selby, and Whitby. [Burton, xvii]

William de Percy was a conquering Norman with substantial holdings in Yorkshire, including Whitby. He provided the land to re-establish the abbey at Whitby. He funded the initial buildings, and he convinced William, the king, to grant the monastery a charter of privileges [original charter]. He also supplied its second abbot -- his brother. [Brenan, p. 6-8]

The Boynton Connection -- a Fourteenth Century Controversy

What do you do if you are caught in the middle of a major spat? Robert de Boynton seems to have kept his head down. The quoted material below is summaries of documents issued by Edward III. The summaries were done by the Deputy Keeper of the Records early in the 20th century and published in The Calendar of Patent Rolls. The story goes like this.

In 1356 Thomas de Haukesgarth resigned as abbot of Whitby and William de Burton was elected abbot. The election was agreed to by the archbishop of York and the king, and the king ordered his real estate manager [escheator] to turn the land at Whitby over to the new abbot.

1356. March 21. Westminster. Membrane 18

Licence to elect for the prior and convent of Whiteby, on news brought to the king of the voidance of their church by the cession of their abbot, Thomas de Haukesgarth. [Calendar, vol. x, p. 350]

1356. April 13. Westminster. Membrane 10

Mandate to Peter de Nuttle, escheator in the county of York, to deliver the temporalities of Whiteby abbey to William de Burton, monk of the said house, whose election as abbot has been confirmed by John, archbishop of York, and who has done fealty to the king. Writ de intendendo to the tenants of the abbey. [Calendar, vol. x, p. 365]

Ten years later the monastery was deeply divided with the abbot, William, on one side and the ex-abbot, Thomas, on the other. The benedictine hierarchy sent in their big guns to investigate and make recommendations for resolving the controversy. The visitation was conducted by the abbot of St. Mary's York and Utred, the most senior scholar in the English benedictine order. [Pantin, pp. 277-309] There were 56 articles for the abbot to answer, and 9 for Thomas, the ex-abbot, to answer. The prior was asked about his opposition to the abbot.

Articles deposed against the prior

It was deposed against Matthew Dawnay, prior, that he and other fellow [monks], namely, John de Rychemond, Johannes de Allurton', John de Levyngton', John de Marton', William de Ormesby, Robert de Boynton' [and] William de Iarum, were collaborators, agents and supporters of brother Thomas de Haukesgarth, mutually allied in all the points contained concerning disobedience, as will be able to be easily established to [anyone] making inquiry; indeed those mutually allied conspirators notoriously apply themselves to the subversion of the order and against the state of the house and to the dilapidation of the property of the monastery of Whitby, because they are unable to detain in their hands the goods of the same monastery for dilapidation, of which dilapidation they were otherwise being found guilty and they were also found culpable by [their] own abbot

For Robert de Boynton there were only two articles to answer.

Articles deposed against Robert Boynton

1. It was deposed aginst Robert Boynton that he carnally knew one nun called Katherine Megeir of Rosedale, and keeps her under his own expenses [presumably meaning at his own expense], and whatever he will be able to obtain he sends to her from the goods of the monastery of Whitby. The same Robert also furtively removed five silver spoons from the guest house, refused to observe regular observances and celebrates neither masses nor matins nor the day or night office.

2. Likewise it was deposed against the same [man] that he frequently goes to the vill of Whitby contrary to the will and prohibition of his abbot and against the decree of the lord archbishop of York. The same Robert is also exceedingly dissolute, being also incorrigible in all his deeds.

One involved Katerinam Megeir de Rossedall, which is definitely a no-no for a black monk. The other was about conspiring with Thomas Haukesgarth and other monks to subvert the abbot's authority. The visitation was in October. By December the abbot and other monks had answered, and were -- presumably -- properly chastised, disciplined and prepared to work together.

Apparently, the chastisement did not take. In 1367 the king wanted to know what was going on at Whitby.

1367. Oct. 13 Westminster. Membrane 14d.

Commission to Henry Percy, 'le fitz,' William de Aton, and the sheriff of York,--on information that the abbey of Whiteby, which is of the king's patronage, by divers alienations of lands and advowsons, as also by grants of corrodies and pensions, and other dilapidations and dissipations of the goods of the abbey made by the abbot on divers occasions, is so destroyed and fallen that the monks have not whereof to live and chantries, alms and other pious works, established there of old time for the souls of the king's progenitors, cannot be sustained unless a remedy be quickly applied,--to survey the state of the abbey, the bearing of the abbot and monks, alienations of lands and advowsons, grants of corrodies and pensions, and dilapidations and dissipations of goods, and make inquisition touching the premises by the oath of the ministers and servants of the abbey, and of men of Whitby and the neighbouring parts. [Calendar, vol. xiv, p. 61]

The king also sent in his big guns. Henry Percy was the same family that established and initially funded the abbey. William de Aton was a knight with land in the neighborhood of Whitby, and the sheriff was the king's man in Yorkshire.

They were instructed to investigate the abbot's handling of the finances of the abbey. The finances were bad enough that monks might have to leave the abbey. And the chantries that were established for the benefit of the souls of the king's ancestors might be closed. That was not a prospect the king looked upon favorably.

Nothing more was heard from Whitby until 1371 -- four years later.

1371. April 2. Westminster. Membrane 21d

Commission to John Bigot, Richard de Rouclif, Thomas Mauley and William Dryng of Lokyngton to arrest Thomas de Haukesgard, monk of the abbey of Whiteby of the order of St. Benedict, and professed of that house, who has withdrawn without licence therefrom and is vagabond to the peril of his soul and the scandal of the order, as William, abbot of Whiteby, has signified; and to deliver him to the said abbot for chastisement according to the discipline and rule of the order. [Calendar, vol. xv, p. 107]

Thomas Haukesgard, the ex-abbot, was on the run, and the king commissioned four of his knights to find him and take him back to the abbey for "chastisement according to the discipline and rule of the order."

A new bad guy appeared in the commission of May 18 -- Alexander de Lith, chief financial officer to the abbey. The king sent Henry de Percy and four others to investigate complaints by the abbot.

1371. May 18. Westminster Membrane 7d.

Commission to Henry de Percy, John de Moubray, Thomas Ingelby, William Percehay, and Richard Bernard to make inquisition touching a complaint by the abbot of Whiteby that Alexander de Lith of Whiteby, who was steward of the house and one of his council, and was retained in the house at a great fee for life, scheming with others of that town to destroy him and dissipate the goods of the abbey, instigated certain monks of the abbey to accuse the abbot before the king and council, as well as before the diocenan, of certain pretended alienations and wastes done by him, prevented him from repressing the insolence of his said fellow-monks, who are apostate and vagabond, and from bringing them back to their proper state, cunningly stole the common seal of the house from his possession and had a bond of 300 florins counterfeited and sealed in his name, procured that he should be detained in prison in York castle by colour of a writ obtained from the king, and afterwards had him indicted of divers trespasses, and so afflicted him with injuries and vexed him with labours and expenses that the abbey is depressed and impoverished to such an extent that there is fear of the desertion of the house and dispersal of the monks. [Calendar, vol. xv, p. 109]

According to the abbot -- before the king and his council they accused the abbot of not handling the abbey finances well, did not follow the abbot's instructions, stole the abbey seal and counterfeited a bond for 300 florins, got the abbot tossed into jail in York castle, and generally made life miserable for the abbot.

By 1374 the controversy had gone full cycle.

1374. May 10. Westminster. Membrane 18

Licence for the prior and convent of Whiteby to elect an abbot in the room of William, deceased. [Calendar, vol. xv, p. 439]

1374. June 6. Westminster. Membrane 14

Signification to A. archbishop of York, of the royal assent to the election of John de Richemund, monk of the house of Whyteby, to be abbot of that place. [Calendar, vol. xv, p. 446]

1374. June 26. Westminster. Membrane 12

Mandate to William de la Vale, escheator in the counties of York, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmoreland, to deliver the temporalities of the abbey of Whiteby, in the diocese of York, to John de Richemond, whose election as abbot has been confirmed by Alexander, archbishop of York, and whose fealty the king has taken. Writ de intendendo to the tenants of the abbey. [Calendar, vol. xv, p. 451]

The abbot died, and a new abbot was chosen -- with the approval of the archbishop of York and the king. The problem solved itself; the abbot left the scene. The new abbot, one of the monks who had had to answer the questions of church and state, was delivered the "temporalities" of the abbey. And there were no more complaints and investigations.

Apparently, between founding [seventh century], re-founding [twelfth century] and dissolution [sixteenth century] not much exciting was happening at Whitby abbey. Colin Platt, who wrote the text for the English Heritage guidebook on Whitby, briefly tells this story as a reflection of the economic difficulties of the fourteenth century -- caused by the black plague. Otherwise these black monks seem to have gone about their business in the north country -- very quietly.

The Robert de Boynton in this story was a monk in Whitby abbey, was not on the side of the abbot, and had to answer two questions put to him by the ecclesiastical visitors. That is all we know about him. We only know about two Boynton families for the fourteenth century -- though there must have been many more that we do not know about. And this Robert does not seem to be associated with either of the Boynton families we know.

The Boynton Connection -- A.D. 2001

We traveled to Whitby to see the ruins of the abbey once trod by Robert de Boynton, to take advantage of a whole [organic] food bed and breakfast, and to travel from Whitby to other Boynton sites in northeast Yorkshire. We were happy we were there for three days. We were happy to leave.

....

Brenan, Gerald (1902) A History of the House of Percy From the Earliest Times Down to the Present Century, vol. I, Freemantle, London.

Burton, Janet (1999) The Monastic Order in Yorkshire, 1069-1215, Cambridge University Press.

Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. x, a.d. 1354-1358, for his majesty's stationery office, 1909.

Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. xiv, a.d. 1367-1370, for her majesty's stationery office, 1913.

Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. xv, a.d. 1370-1374, for her majesty's stationery office, 1914.

Pantin, William Abel, ed. (1937) Documents Illustrating the Activities of the General and Provincial Chapters of the English Black Monks, 1215-1540, vol. iii, Camden Third Series, vol. 54.