Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds

by Jocelin of Brakelond, Diana Greenway (Translator), Jane Sayers (Translator)

This narrative of events between the years 1173 and 1202--as recorded by Jocelin of Brakelond, a monk who lived in the abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, in the region of West Suffolk--affords many unique insights into the life of a medieval religious community. It depicts the daily worship in the abbey church and the beliefs and values shared by the monks, as well as the whispered conversations, rumors, and disagreements within the cloister--and the bustling life of the market-town of Bury, just outside the abbey walls. This edition offers the first modern translation from the Latin to
appear since 1949.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Classics, British Literature, Christianity, Religion

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1840

About the author

English monk also known as Jocelyn of Brakelond or Jocelin de Brakelond, died 1211. Wrote a chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmonds.

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

This is a monk's eye view of life in an English medieval monastic community.

As it turns out a monk's eye view of life is not much concerned with quiet contemplation and prayer but rather with back biting, who gets promoted, and legal cases. Since these are medieval legal cases they are the type of case that involve wagon loads of dung or six hundred armed men to back up your bailiffs (but not both in the same case fortunately).

The Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St.Edmunds is a short work in large type almost entirely concerned with the activities of Abbot Samson (and swearing, his swearing, typically "by God's eyes!", is prodigious) who led the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds in the second half of the 12th century. Taking on the role of Abbot, his main task was to restore the Abbey's financial position. Since this is the middle ages and the Abbey was a major landowner in eastern England with extensive legal rights fund raising is out, travelling round building barns, cowsheds and fish ponds is in, along with hearing court cases and levying the maximum fines applicable.

The litigiousness of the age is impossible to avoid. Everybody is keen to avoid a precedent that will trap them and their heirs into some new service, there are continual conflicts over jurisdiction - when a murder is committed on an estate the problem is not finding the culprits it is who has the right to try them, a disagreement that doesn't end with Abbot Samson sending eighty armed men to seize the accused from the Archbishop of Canterbury's men to throw into his own dungeons.

All of this comes down to economic rights. Doing service is a cost, administering Justice can be profitable (if you can collect enough fines). The Feudal services range from the understandable like providing Knight service at Norwich Castle, to the highly specific such as having to fetch eels on request (a service that the tenants are very happy to commute to a cash payment to avoid). The collection of money can be highly personal with the cellarer with his men personally taking stools and doors from houses to ensure later payment with little old women coming out on the street shaking their distaffs at them and "threatening and reproaching" them as the chronicler puts it.

I first came across this book when it was mentioned in Clanchy's From Memory to Written Record, he picks up on the references to language and memory in the chronicle. Memory was still largely public, gifts and decisions publicly shown by the transfer of an item, those attending might be called upon to swear that they witnessed the transfer - one of the innovations of Abbot Samson is actually having lists of the Abbey's assets drawn up for the first time presumably in part so that he isn't reliant on human memory as to who rents what. Language is much less clear-cut in England in the 13th century than in the 21st, preaching might be in French or English, the educated spoke Latin and French, while your local English dialect could only take you so far, not just socially but also geographically.

Aside from this there is also a fire (but only a small one), the Abbot fears that his monks plot to murder him at least twice, while one of his monks dreams of Samson raging like a wolf and since this is the age of William of Norwich and other Blood Libel cases the Jews are expelled by the Abbot from Bury St Edmunds (though one has to suspect the Abbey's debts might well have been a factor in the decision).

Worth reading to get a sense of the complicated business of being a medieval monk and something extremely rare the monastic gossip that Jocelin of Brakelond records!

[Monty Milne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading a lot of dense Victorian prose lately it was rather bracing to knock up against the unrefined style of this 12th century monk. If, like me, you have fantasies about being a medieval monk, then this is both attractive and repellent: on the one hand the atmosphere is remarkably immediate and authentic, but on the other hand it makes one realise that the reality would not have been as much fun as the fantasy. The most startling thing is how litigious they were: everyone is always suing everyone else for the right to supply (or not supply) duck eggs, suckling pigs, bundles of sticks, barrels of ale, etc. Of course this is rather depressing, but it is also about the importance of legal precedent and its effect on the future: medieval abbots thought in centuries, which is rather refreshing when contrasted with the myopic short-termism of modern politicians. Admittedly, this does not always make for gripping reading, but the bromance between the narrator and Abbot Samson is always interesting. Jocelin, in describing his saintly hero, lets slip enough revealing detail to convince me that the Abbot was far more nuanced and complex than Jocelin seems to have realised. And if he really was a saintly hero, then I am Francis of Assisi....

[Luke Gardiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though not my usual type of read this book was very interesting! It follows the diary like writings of Jocelin of Brakelond, a monk of Bury St Edmunds Abbey, in the late 12th century. As a resident of the town of Bury St Edmunds I found this book very interesting showing a snippet of my towns local history! Though not a page turner, looking into a sliver of history from the perspective of somebody very different from anybody in the modern world was engaging. I heartily recommend this book to anybody interested in the history of Bury St Edmunds!

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important work, providing the modern reader with a first-hand account of abbey & borough life in medieval times, as well as the political/religious events taking place in the Christian world of the late 12th century. We see the powerful role of the abbot and the abbey over the community, who are themselves under the power of both the pope and the king. Jocelin's account is unique in that he really does write an unbiased chronicle, pointing out both positive and negative aspects of Samson's rule as abbot, and giving us first-hand opinions and comments from the monks within the abbey. It is like being transported back in time. One wonders what motivated him to write the chronicle and what caused it to end so abruptly (probably his death).

[Hannah Trower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly fun read. I've read plenty of monk's chronicles before, but this one is different in tone. More confiding, more intimate, more personal, fewer dry facts or impossible tales. Jocelin lets us in on some of the monastery disputes, the grumblings and complaints of monks, as well as the monarchical efforts of the Abbot against all threats: the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Ely, his tenants, his own monks...even some disputes with the king! Highly recommend to anyone interested in England under King Richard the Lionheart (as well as his father Henry and the early reign of his brother John).

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my daily reading of the Bible, I've recently started at the beginning again and I find that there is a lot of similarities between the daily ledger of monastic life in the 13th century and the daily ledger of Numbers and Deuteronomy. I loved that Eleanor of Aquitaine is a very minor character and was reminded that gossip, sloth, and envy are not only modern sins.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for some research I was doing relating to Thomas Carlyle's depiction of Jocelin and his abbot, Abbot Samson, in his famous book, _Past and Present_. Jocelin's chronicle is a somewhat restrained portrait of life at a medieval monastery in East Anglia in the late 1100s, focusing mostly on the good actions of Abbot Samson, who is at times also hot-headed and calculating. If you're reading this for a sense of spiritual reflection and devotion to God, you'll find some of that, but it is largely about land, rents, material possessions, and the efforts to preserve the power of the monks of Bury St. Edmunds. Samson has to be a businessman in order to keep his Abbey running, and we learn a lot about the vigilance and calculation that is required. This is a chronicle and not a history, a diary, or a devotional, but it certainly provides an illuminating portrait of a medieval abbey.

[Raymond Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5.
A window into the lives and politics of late 12th century monks. Kinda interesting if you like this sorta thing but it's pretty niche.

[Joel Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I lived in Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk, East Anglia, United Kingdom) for 3 years and would take walks to the beautiful town park surrounded by the the impressive walls of the old abbey. My children would run and play among the ruins of the ancient grand cathedral. I would see the local teenage youth sitting and smoking atop the remaining stone foundations of the abbey, and I would think to myself what was life like long ago in this once important (renowned all over Europe and the papaldom) sacred area. Well, we can see what really happened according to one Jocelin of Brakelond, who lived as a monk in the Abbey between 1173 and 1202. The abbey was built to house the remains of the martyred East Anglian King Edmund who was shot to death with arrows by the Vikings when he refused to renounce Christianity -- he was also beheaded and his head was found later being protected by a wolf -- the head of Edmund was recovered, his commitment to his faith revered and eventually a large church and abbey built in his honor. Jocelin's account is neatly divided into narratives describing the business of the abbey, which essentially controlled all aspects of life in the surrounding area. This included rents, taxes, laws, inheritances, feeding the poor, who should pay for what in government, spiritual life, defense, domestic (with the king of England and other regional leaders) and international relations (the pope and France). I thought it fascinating seeing the names of the towns that have survived 1000 years and understanding the region around that time, emerging from Viking raids ("Great Heathen Army" -- that led to the death and martyrdom of St Edmund) to Jocelin's time describing the fall of Jerusalem (and the need for knights), wars in France (French and English territory were intertwined) the imprisonment of King Richard the Lionheart in Germany (and the call to raise money for his ransom), and the uncertainty with King John. (a side note on this: I remember a plaque at Bury St Edmunds that mentioned many of the barons and powerful men in 1215 met at the abbey of St Edmunds before travelling to Runnymede where they forced King John to sign the Magna Carta). I would not recommend this book to anyone unless you had a very specific interest in this niche of history, but if you for some reason are super interested in abbey life, then by gosh, this account is for you. The good news is that it is relatively short (about 120 pages with 70 pages of notes), and generally easy to read. Happy Feast of St Edmunds -- 20 November!

[Lukerik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A window in to a lost world. It’s not at all what I expected from something called a chronicle, but is really a memoir with the personalities of the writer and his subjects clearly shining through.

This is a society totally dominated by the Church, which has both secular and spiritual power and can do anything to the people who live on its land, from chopping their heads off to controlling whether or not their neighbours will say good morning to them. It must have been very difficult for anyone who couldn’t or wasn’t allowed to conform. You can see this most clearly in the way the Jews are treated. It was literally impossible for them to live anything approaching a normal life. Jocelin lists his complains against them and comments “Even more incongruous, during the troubles [when the townspeople were murdering them] their wives and children were sheltered in our pittancery.” Warts and all, those personalities.

This is only 100 years after the Conquest and the society is still clearly divided into Norman and Anglo-Saxon. The Abbot, I take from some of the comments, must have been Anglo-Saxon which explains why the king does not know him when he is elected.

I live not far from the Abbey and was able to visit while reading this and it really brought the ruins and the book alive. Go there if you can. It’s quite an experience to contrast the power structures in the chronicle with the tottering structures left by the Reformation.

The OUP edition is a good one. Excellent notes and an introduction that really is a marvellous piece of scene-setting and may well be a masterpiece of its kind.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chronicle of life in a monastery in the years 1178-1200

I now know that this was when Richard 1 and then John were our kings , and that the Abbot at Bury st Edmunds was Hugh then Samson

Hugh was a spender
Samson was a true business man and leader ! He evicted all the money lenders and put the Abbey back on sound financial footing .

Apart from that the story of the chronicle is a long series of minor incidents at the abbey or in its lands (Norfolk and Suffolk ) where the monks and others all voice their conflicting opinions about events via the excellent medium that is the pen of the author

It’s not an exciting read but it is a reassuring insight that nothing has changed where the human condition is concerned ; that the wisest way os often the gentle modest path trodden once anger and thoughts of action have subsided .

In these times of social media and galvanising world events - where one could fear for the future of our race - it is comforting to read of the humdrum worries of 920 years ago in eastern England

[Bill38silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think of monasteries as out of the way places divorced from the day to day world, think again. This slim volume, with copious notes, reveals the all -encompassing role of the Abbey ( in this case of Bury St Edmunds) and how integral it was to the people who lived outside and inside its walls. A fascinating insight into the medieval world and its structure and influences at local level.

This account by a relatively junior monk (Jocelin) is human (even secular) and full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it.

[Cassidy J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It's an easy read, though a little different from what I was led to expect. I would say this is less of an account of the daily lives of the monks of the Abbey, and more an accounting of events and administrative records, interspersed with the views of all parties involved to the best of Jocelin's objectivity. It really was interesting and very illuminating, and I find it incredible that accounts like this have survived to this day, helping to inform our understanding of history and the people that occupied it.

[O Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book indeed. Jocelin's style is refreshingly candid and lucid; one wonders how public this was while he was writing and thereafter within the monastery. The translation is well done, and the few occasions when a translation note was needed are inserted graciously and without interrupting the reader. All the notes are well presented. The introductory essay is equally lucid. An all-round good book.

[J Grimsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating view of Bury St Edmunds Abbey. It is not a hagiography or I would guess the usual "air-brushed" Chronicle but in modern terms a warts and all "follow the money" story for anyone trying to get an idea of what a Benedictine monastery would be like.

[Joe Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monks and Abbots had many worldly concerns and responsibilities and Jocelin deftly walks us through feudal life and the world he inhabited. A great read for anyone interested in medieval monasticism.

[Potatoes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating primary source filled with monastic drama, an abbot with severe anger issues, petty monks, cellarers who can’t do their job right, and a very handsome prior. All told by a monk who struggles to know when to keep his mouth shut.

[Ruth Dahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little of a dry read, but a good look at the goings ons and political machinations of a medieval abbey.

Also a reminder that church management and fellowship is the same through the ages. No one could gossip like monks

[Lauren McClintock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lowkey changed my mind about monasticism. Just bros reading classic literature, writing, spilling tea, and being petty. Hilarious.

[Preston Thiele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provided valuable insights into monastic life in the Middle Ages

[Patrick S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

We tend to read history book to remember the important things. We read about great wars, and great leaders, and great events. Rarely do we read book about the mundane or the ordinary. This is one of those reads. A nice primary source about a 12th century abbey and a monk writing about his abbot. There are no big events that transpire, with regards to impacting our lives today. There is just a short collection of writings by Jocelin and his support of Abbot Samson. First of all, the translation of the Latin is done very well and the inclusion of [bracketed] bits helps the flow. However, there are page notes however they are denoted with an asterix* and you must turn to the back pages and find the corresponding page number and note. I suspect this was done to try and help the flow of the narrative. However, I'm always a strong supporter or notations at the bottom of the page.

What I found interesting is how easily the book flowed. I was concerned that I would be lost in not being able to understand what was happening as I live outside the time period, the era, the country, the continent, the political climate, etc. and etc. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself following along with what Jocelin was writing. I do not know if that speaks more about myself or the author but I will give credit to the author and humanity as it seems like we tend to deal with the same types of problems - whether saints or sinners. I found myself liking Abbot Samson and seeing a bit of a reformer in him, which I think he would no doubt disagree. I tended to like his dealing with debt and justice during his time as abbot but it was also interesting to see how much the king had dealings with a "non-famous" abbey.

I do not find myself wanting to learn more about the abbey. The book does have a section on additional reading if you are so inclined which I appreciate with history books. An interesting primary source that I was pleased to have read. Final Grade - B

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dull - but at times very revealing of 1) abbey life, 2) how the feudal system impacted the church, and 3) what happens when the church gets too political. Although the book is written in around the turn of the 13th century there are foreshadowings of the problems of the Church in the Renaissance, and perhaps foreshadowings of our own times with evangelicals.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts of this are absolutely fascinating. I first read it in a Victorian version in the 1970s. This Penguin edition is much more accessible. Gives a lively insight into life back then: how much has changed, yet how similarly people behave. Memorable, and repays the slight effort required to read it.

[Emily Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, very short- I finished it in one sitting and its very easy to read considering it was written by a medieval monk. It in chronicle form so it follows years and tells some of the history of the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds including the election of the new abbot Samson and how the monks really perceived and felt about him. Very interesting and fun read.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the amazing things about reading historical books, especially ones like this is seeing how the world worked back then but also little people have changed. It's a great look into the personalities that filled an Abbey back at the turn of the 12th to 13th century and the game of politics.

[Jane]

Fun!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty enjoyable primary source from about 1197-1201-ish :)

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

1202