Abbot of Tavistock

Abbot of Tavistock was the title of the abbot of Tavistock Abbey in Devon, England. The name of the first abbot is unknown, but the abbey was founded between 975 and 980.^[1] Unless otherwise specified the details in the following table are from Heads of Religious Houses: England & Wales 940–1216.^[1]

Name	Dates	Notes
unknown	c.975	First abbot
Ælfmær	994–c1009	Became bishop of Selsey
Lyfing of Winchester	c.1009–1027	Became bishop of Worcester
Aldred	c. 1027–c. 1043	Became bishop of Worcester
Sihtric	c. 1043–1069	Became a pirate[2]
Geoffrey	c. 1082–c. 1088
Wimund	before 1096–1102	Deposed by the Synod of Westminster in 1102
Osbert	?–before1131
Robert of Plympton	c. 1131–1145
?Roger	c. 1146
Robert Postel	c. 1146–1154
Walter of Winchester[3]	c. 1154–c. 1168
Godfrey	c. 1168–c. 1173
Baldwin	1174–1184
Herbert	1186–1200
Andrew	1200–1202
Jordan	c. 1203–1219/1220
William of Kernit	1220	[3]
John of Rofa	1224	[3]
Alan of Cornwall	1233	Previously prior of Tresco[4]
Robert of Kitecnol	1248	[3]
Thomas	1248	[3]
Henry of Northampton	1257	[3]
Philip Trencheful	1259	[3]
(vacant)	1259	Appointment lapsed to Walter Branscombe, Bishop of Exeter.[5]
Alured	1260	[3]
John Chubbe	1262–1269	Deposed by Bishop Branscombe[6]
Robert Colbern	1270	[3]
Robert Campbell/Champeaux[7]	1285–1325 (died)	"Of the abbots in the later monastic period ... probably ... the greatest and wisest"[5]
(vacant)	1325–1328	Dispute between two candidates, Robert Busse and John Courtenay (eldest son of Hugh de Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon)[7]
Robert(?) Bonus[3][8]	1328—1333 (excommunicated)	Bishop Grandisson said of him "That Abbot's name was Good, but he was a scoundrel, a near-heretic!"[9]
John Courtenay[3]	1334	Suspended by Bishop Grandisson for maladministration[10]
Richard Esse	1349	[3]
Stephen Langdon	1362	[3]
Thomas Cullyng	1380 or 1381	The last of five abbots after Campbell who were all accused of waste, extravagance and neglecting their spiritual duties.[5]
John Mey	20 July 1402	[11]
Thomas Mede	March 1422 – April 1442	[12]
Thomas Crispyn	11 June 1442 – 5 April 1447	[13]
William Pewe	2 May 1447 – 26 December 1450	[13]
John Dynyngton	February 1451 – December 1490	[14]
Richard Yeme	February 1491 – c. March 1492	[15]
Richard Banham	1492–1523	[16]
John Peryn	1523–1539	Last abbot[3]