Historic Description of Romsey Abbey

Romsey Abbey

Romsey Abbey is the greatest nuns’ church which is left in the country. The foundation goes back to Saxon times, but, as usual, some clouds have gathered over the origins.

William of Malmesbury says that Romsey Abbey was founded by King Edgar; the year is given by others as 967. Hoveden makes Edward the Elder founder in 907. By him St Merwinna was made Abbess. The moment we mention a saint of the name of Mervinna, Morwenna, or Moninna, we are plunged into a confusion which I shall not try to unravel further than by saying that Modwenna is the saint of Burton-on-Trent and Morwenna or Morwenstow in Cornwall, and Merwinna is not either of these.

All we can say of her is that hers is the earliest name connected with Romsey, and that she received some honour there as a saint, though her name paled before that of Ethelfleda or Elfleda. Elfleda was the daughter of a noble, Ethelwold (sometimes described as founder of Romsey), and was confided to Merwinna’s care by Edgar, who found her after her father’s death neglected by her mother, who had married again. She became Abbess of Romsey, succeeding Elwina, of whom it is told that when praying at the altar she received a heavenly warning of the approach of the Danes under Sweyn, and fled with her nuns and their property to Winchester. But Sweyn’s date is early in the eleventh century.

Of Elfleda there are not many stories; her finger shone bright when the lantern she was carrying went out; even when she stayed at the palace with the King and Queen she went out very night and stood nude in a fountain in the garden, as she was wont to do at home. The Queen, spying upon her, was struck senseless, and healed at her prayer. Some royal rents were entrusted to her which she gave to the poor; when repayment was demanded, she prayed, and the empty money-bags were found full.

For the rest, the annals of Romsey Abbey are bare of incident, except, perhaps, for the story of Mary, daughter of King Stephen, who was taken from the Abbey and married to Matthew of Flanders, became Countess of Boulogne, and finally was compelled to return to Romsey, where she became Abbess. At the Suppression the annual value was either £393 or £528. The church was granted to the town by Henry VIII for £100, and so is preserved well ‘nigh intact. The parishioners used to have an added chapel on the north, and part of the north transept, for their church, with the north aisle of the nave. This chapel, of St George, is gone, and so is the eastern Lady Chapel. Traces of both may be seen outside.

The church consists of an aisled nave of seven bays, transepts with an apsidal chapel in each, central tower, aisled choir of three bays with ambulatory. The three western bays of the nave age pointed-arched, the rest Norman, and very fine Norman. The triforium range, and the arches of the crossing are particularly beautiful. The two east windows, an unusual feature, are a fourteenth-century insertion. There is no west door. The town entrance must have been on the north; the porch is modern (1900). There are some fittings and details, both inside and outside the church, which are of exceptional interest.

Inside, the wooden screen now in the chancel arch must be noticed. The upper part of it is old, and has on it a row of some twenty heads, of late fourteenth-century work. In the north choir aisles are two ancient paintings on board. One is of the fifteenth century, and shows a cleric in a black cope with white tippet adoring a figure of Christ (on a Cross?) which is gone. The other is of the early sixteenth century and of crude execution. It has on it two rows of figures. Below are an abbess, probably the donor, with scroll SURREXIT DOMINUS DE SEPULCRO and the Resurrection of Christ, with the soldiers at the tomb and two censing angles. Above (from left): St Jerome as Cardinal, St Francis with the stigmata, a female suppliant by him, St Sebastian, a bishop (perhaps St Swithin), an abbess (Elfleda or Merwinna), St Benedict, St Roch (like St Sebastian, a saint invoked against plague). St Armagilus or Armel in chasuble, with his legs in armour, and a little red dragon by him with a stole round its neck; and another bishop. St Armel, though born in Great Britain, is chiefly remembered in Brittany, where a principal church of his is at Ploermel. Henry VII was once saved from shipwreck by invoking St Armel, and he became popular in England for a time. There is a good image of him in Henry VIII’s Chapel at Westminster, and another on Cardinal Morton’s tomb at Canterbury.

Hard by is a fine piece of an embroidered vestment (fifteenth century) framed and glazed. At the east end in the splay window are four medallions of the thirteenth century, painted on the wall. They have never been interpreted, but they plainly narrate the acts of some nun-saint, possibly Elfleda. Over the altar in the south-east chapel is a very interesting sculptured panel of the Crucifixion, with gilt ground. Above the arms of the Cross are angels; on the spectator’s left is the Virgin, and Longinus piercing the Side; on the right St John and the man with the reed and sponge (traditionally called Stephaton). A tree is by the foot of the Cross, and there is conventional foliage. This is of Saxon, not Norman, work. In the south transept is a very beautiful Purbeck effigy of a lady of about 1270.

Some of the capitals of the Norman pillars have interesting figure subjects. One looks like a battle-scene; one has the signature of the sculptor, Robert; Robetus me fecit.

Outside on the west wall of the south transept, adjoining the eastern procession door into the cloister, is a famous crucifix, of nearly life size, in relief on the wall. The Divine Hand in a cloud is above. This very fine work is of Saxon date. It is thought (by Messrs Prior and Gardner) that it may have been moved from its original place on the west front, or gable, of an older church; for it is certainly earlier than the wall into which it is built. The corbel table which runs round the Norman part of the church is remarkable for a variety of grotesque heads.

The buildings of Romsey Abbey were on the south. The two doors into the cloister remain, and we can see on the south wall where the cloister roof abutted. Excavation has shown that the chapter house was polygonal in plan. The cloisters were in two storeys. But nothing is visible above ground.

In the vestry is preserved (with other notable things) a nice fifteenth century manuscript Psalter acquired for the church not long ago. The Kalendar has the death-days of some abbesses and nuns of Romsey, and the feast of St Elfleda, on October 27, is marked in red; so doubtless it belonged to a member of the community.

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