.Abby

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The abbey at Jervaulx was founded near the beginning of King Henry II's reign in 1156 by Acarius FitzBardolf, a predecessor of the FitzHugh family of Ravensworth, a village situated near Scotch Corner. Acarius' overlord was Alan III count of Brittany who gave the permission for a monastery to be established at 'Fors'. Previously in 1145 Jervaulx had been sited as 'Fors', but was moved to its present site by Acarius' son, Hervey, under permission from Count Alan's son, Conan. This move occurred after the monks and their first abbot, John de Kingston, complained that the site was unsuitable for their needs. Today Fors is sited at Grange (formerly Dale Grange) on the opposite bank of the River Ure to Bainbridge. Closer to Askrigg is Abbey Head. The name Fors may have been so-called from the nearby Whitfield Gill Force. Fors or force appears to mean waterfall. The rivers and streams being harnessed to grind grains in water mills. Similarly there is Hardraw Force, Perhaps the Aysgarth falls were once called Aysgarth Fors.

The hall of the abbot's lodging at Jervaulx dates from the 1300's. The under-croft or cellar was at ground level and lay beneath the hall's wooden floor which was supported by corbels. This hall had a large south facing window or solar overlooking the rich pasture land of the valley. The abbey was never as large as some of the other remote Cistercian Northern monasteries, having only sixteen monks in residence in 1380. Jervaulx Abbey  has no surviving cartulary which may have been destroyed by 'plunderers', probably Scots raiders.

Many of the FitzHugh family are recorded as being buried* at Jervaulx, notably Hervey FitzAcarius, his son Henry FitzHervey,  his son Ranulf FitzHenry (d. 1243) and  Ranulf's son Henry FitzRanulf (d. 1262) etc.

                                                                                     Bardolf 

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                                             Acarius FitzBardolf* d. 1161 - Lord of Ravensworth, In 1145 he gave land at Fors for a monastery. His bones were relocated to Jervaulx

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                                                                            Hervey FitzAcarius* - Permitted the re-location of the monastery as Jervaulx

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                                                                               Henry FitzHervey*

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                                                                                   Ranulf FitzHenry* d. 1243== Alice de Stavely   

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                                                                                                      Henry FitzRanulf * d. 1262

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                                                                        Ranulf                            Hugh FitzHenry d. 1304 Bur. Romald Kirk, Co. Durham. Adopted FitzHugh as a surname.

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                                                                                                                   Henry FitzHugh b~ 1266, d. 1356. 1st Lord FitzHugh (baron May 1321)

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                                                                                                                   Henry FitzHugh* d. 1386, 2nd Lord FitzHugh ===Joan le Scrope

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                                                                                                                   Henry FitzHugh* b~1363, d. 1425,  3rd Lord FitzHugh K.G.

1st baron FitzHugh of Ravensworth, Henry FitzHugh, who attended the Sherburn Assembly in June 1321 with these arms.

Pasture to the south of Jervaulx Abbey, the fence in the foreground marks the position of a Ha-ha, this was a ditch and embankment designed to keep animals out of the buildings while maintaining an uninterrupted view.

The Cistercian monks ('white monks') or brothers known in Latin as 'freres' were renowned for sheep rearing and the breeding of horses. The cheese produced by the monks of Jervaulx from vaccaries in Wensleydale and the forest of Richmond eventually became known as Wensleydale Cheese, a white crumbly textured variety much loved today by cheese connoisseurs. 

The importance of sheep to Jervaulx is shown during the 1300's when 10, 000 fleeces (50 sacks) were produced from 500 sheep at nearby Rookwith Grange, with the wool being shipped to Flanders.

By October 1302, the then abbot of Jervaulx was reported to be weak when two of the brothers, John de Benyngton and John de Donesford were appointed as his attorneys. Simon de Midgley was elected abbot of Jervaulx in 1304, in the same year that Hugh FitzHenry died. He was thus a contemporary of Hugh and his son, Henry. Simon was replaced by Thomas de Gristhwaite, elected 1312 although the VCH has a John intervening. At this time other large landowners in the valley were the Mowbrays, Le Scropes of Masham and Clifton, the Marmions of West Tanfield and later the Nevilles. Today Masham boasts the Theakston brewery, providing a worthy addition to the range of excellent English ales.

                                                                                                                     Drawing from a brass plate in Wensley Church >

The Archbishop of Yorks register shows that Simon de Midgley received his licence/commission on 17th October 1304 receiving his benediction on the same day from Simon de Langton, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield [d. 1321].

In 1316 the abbot of 'Jorvall' was lord of Horton in Ribblesdale. [Nomina Villarum, p. 362.]

In 1318 the convent of Jervaulx is recorded as being in possession of a sheep fold at Braithwaite, now located by Braithwaite Hall below Braithwaite Moor near Coverham. [C.P.R., 1317-1321, p. 218.]

In 1323, while on a progress through the lands of Thomas earl of Lancaster's defeated rebel barons, King Edward II stayed at Jervaulx, spending ten days journeying between Richmond, Jervaulx and Barnard Castle and thence to Skipton-in-Craven where he remained for three days. [Walker, J.W., Y.A.J., vol. 36, (1944), p. 30.]

This is the cross-legged effigy with chain mail mentioned in 1890 in Bulmer's History of North Yorkshire, said to be of Lord FitzHugh, a crusader. As the official crusades were over by 1270 this is possibly an effigy of  either Hugh FitzHenry who died in 1304 or if an 'individual crusader', his son Henry FizHugh appointed 1st baron FitzHugh of Ravensworth in 1321 (d. 1356). Chain mail can be seen on the left side of the head and the shield bears some of the markings of the FitzHugh arms. At one time it was thought that crossed legs in medieval effigies signified presence at a crusade but this is now considered to be incorrect.