Abbot of Vale Royal


is a medieval abbey, and later a country house, located in Whitegate, between Northwich and Winsford in Cheshire, England. During its 278-year period of operation, it had at least 21 abbots.
The abbey was founded in 1270 by Prince Edward for monks of the austere Cistercian order. Edward intended the abbey to be on the grandest scale. However, financial difficulties meant that these ambitions could not be fulfilled and the final building was considerably smaller than planned. The project ran into problems in other ways. The abbey was frequently grossly mismanaged, relations with the local population were so poor as to regularly cause outbreaks of large-scale violence on a number of occasions, and internal discipline was frequently bad.
ImageNameFromToNotes
Walter
c. 1270Probably oversaw the move from the original foundation at Darnhall to Vale Royal.
Henry
c. 1275Although these dates are given by the Victoria County History, nothing more—in fact, nothing at all—is known of this Henry, and it has been suggested that it was in fact a scribal error for Walter, above, and so may never have actually existed.
John Chaumpeneys
c. 1275c. 1289First abbot of the re-sited Abbey.
Walter of Hereford
c. 1294c.1307
John of Hoo
c. 1308-9c. 1314-15
Richard of Evesham
13161322
Peter
13221339Murdered in office.
Robert de Cheyneston
13401349
Thomas
13511369
Stephen
c. 1373c. 1400
John
14051411
Thomas Oxenford
14141418
Henry Arrowsmith
14281437Died in office.
Thomas Kirkham
1438-91475
William Stratford
14761494
Thomas
14851496
William Stratford
14981504
Richard
1505
William Stratford
15091517
John Butler
15171529Removed from office.
William
1529
John Butler
15301535Restored; died in office.
John Hareware
15351538 Surrendered the abbey during the dissolution.