I am very glad of this opportunity to say something cheerful about Lamspringe. In the 1930's, when I was a young monk, the name 'Lamspringe' was not generally known - certainly not at Downside. The last Lamspringe monk had been dead for 80 years, and as yet few references had been made to it in print. If you heard about Lamspringe at all, it was in connection with the bitter quarrel between its last abbot and the Congregation during the few years before the house was dissolved.
Since then, Dom Bernard Green's scholarly article, entitled 'The Fall of Abbot Heatley', appeared in the Downside Review for April 1979, and there are frequent references to it in Dom Geoffrey Scott's Gothic Rage Undone. But the house existed as an English monastery for a hundred and fifty years before HeatleyTs quarrel. The pages of the Council Book from 1715 until the end in 1802 tell the story of a well-run House raising up its magnificent buildings, which still stand not far from Hildesheim, in which 172 English monks were professed by eight different abbots. This paper is, in part, based on the Council Book. But since such a book must of necessity be largely a record of clothings, professions, and ordinations, I have included a short sketch of the years that went before, and of the attempt to revive Lamspringe at Broadway on the Cotswolds after the House in Germany had been closed down.
The beginning of Lamspringe should start witn tiie words 'once upon a time......', since the legend tells of a Princess Richburga who was playing with her pet lamb in a meadow, when a spring of fresh water appeared. This was in 838, when her father Count Riddagus got permission from Pope Gregory IV to found a convent for nuns, of which Richburga was blessed as its first Abbess. We have the names of the Prioresses (since later the chief authority lay with a Provost, a priest who officiated in the parish church and no doubt acted as chaplain to the nuns), from 1130 until 1571, when the Protestants took it over and appointed Superioresses (Dominae) until 1629, when Catholics regained it. At this point the Bursfeld Congregation agreed to hand it (and certain other abbeys) over to the English Benedictine Congregation, but the one remaining nun proved difficult to remove. The minutes of the General Chapters of the Bursfeld Congregation record:
They depose her, and order her to return to her convent. Moreover they order her convent to take her back. Perhaps there had been some difficulty.
It was not until August 24th, 1645 that Lamspringe was enrolled in the English Congregation. A condition was that the Superior should be an Abbot elected for life by the community, not a Prior for four years, as the other houses had. The first Abbot was Clement Reyner, of St Laurence's at Dieulouard. For a time he had been Prior of another German monastery called Rintelin, but the arrival of the protestant Gustavus Adolphus with an army caused Fr Clement and his small community to escape by swimming across a river in mid-winter. Nothing daunted, Fr Clement made his way to Douai, where General Chapter was in session, and took his place in it as Prior of Rintelin.
The new community numbered seven. The abbot and the cellarer were from Dieulouard, the Prior, Novice Master and two young monks were from St Gregory's at Douai, and the seventh was a German monk named Langen who was in charge of the kitchen. At the beginning, life was intensely hard. The buildings and the finances were in a deplorable condition, and had been neglected especially during the years of Protestant occupation. The new abbot was able to contribute 3000 'imperials' - a large sum which he had been paid as a reward for reforming St Peter's monastery in Ghent. The difficulties of the community were not made easier by the hostility of the local population, all except two of whom were Protestants. They regarded Abbot Reyner as 'a foreigner, an intruder and a bigot', and things were not improved when a member of the community, seeing a crowd of apparently hostile villagers approaching, produced a loaded pistol and shot one.
Within four years, the Novice Master and two monks had returned to Douai. Finally Abbot Clement died in the neighbouring monastery of St Michael's at Hildesheim, where he had arrived after a journey on foot of twelve miles. He was 62 years old, and is buried at Lamspringe 'before the steps by which you ascend to the High Altar.
After Abbot Reyner's death, the community elected a Gregorian named Wilfrid Selby as abbot. He was the Procurator in Curia in Rome, and was much involved in the affairs of a new college in Rome, which a certain Abbot Cajetan had given the English Congregation in 1638. In fact, the Congregation never accepted the gift, as Dom Wilfrid died of the plague just before the question was to be discussed at the General Chapter in 1657; but, before that, he had handed Lamspringe over to Pope Innocent X - to avoid certain Lutheran nobles taking it over. The Pope appointed the English President-General, Dom Placid Gascoigne, to be abbot of Lamspringe.
Abbot Gascoigne was - in Allanson's words - 'A kindly man, much given to study and reading'. He opened a House of Study at Lamspringe for clerical students, and by 1668 there were 20 such students in residence. However disaster struck in 1672 with the arrival of the Duke of Brandenburg and 10,000 men. Many were quartered in the monastery, and the expense of feeding them was such that the students were dispersed, and even some of the monks had to go and live in other monasteries. However, the crisis passed, and the monks returned. Abbot Gasciogne died of a stroke in 1681, and was buried beside his predecessor.
Lamspringe's fourth abbot was Joseph Sherwood. He had been in the army before becomming a monk, and had been co-adjutor to Abbot Gascoigne for eight years before becoming abbot. 'His great talents for business were now devoted to the service of his convent'. He put the finances on a respectable footing, worked hard to improve studies, and enlarged the monastery library. He also worked for the conversion of the villagers, and the original two Catholics grew to 300. He built a new church, the beginnings of the present Abbey Church, and it could hold a thousand people. He managed to get the Abbey relieved of a debt of 30,000 imperials, laid on it by the Duke of Brunswick. His final task was to hire a schoolmaster and schoolmistress to teach the Catholic faith to the local children. He died in 1690, and was buried in the new church.
Abbot Sherwood was succeeded by Dom Maurus Corker. He had been imprisoned in London during the Titus Oates plot in 1679, but was reprieved by Charles II. In prison he shared his sufferings with the-future martyr St Oliver Plunkett, and was able to exhume the Saint's body and bring it over to Lamspringe.
Abbot Maurus' brief reign was not a successful one. Allanson states 'His long imprisonment had impressed on his mind the most exalted notions of a religious life'. He expected his community to cooperate in this, but was bitterly disappointed. He soon realised that it was impossible for him to stay at Lamspringe, He handed over the administration of the abbey to the Prior, Dom Maurus Knightley,and left for England - then to Douai, Paris and Rome. He returned to Lamspringe after 1^ years, but the situation was no better. 'The more he saw of his subjects, the more distasteful they became'. Finally he called the community together, and in a moving speech he resigned on August 5th, 1695. He lived in London, near Tyburn, for another 20 years. His nephew records visiting 'Uncle Jimmy', and finding his walls hung with gruesome sketches of the deaths of martyrs.
The election of 1697 witnessed 'a scene of disturbance which seldom disgraces a religious house, even on these trying occasions'. There were two candidates, Maurus Knightley, the Prior, and Dom Placid Francis, whom King James II had tried in vain to foist as an M.A. on the University of Cambridge without taking the usual oaths. At first Dom Francis was declared elected, but it was found that some of the townspeople had been called in to vote, and the Bishop declared the election null and void. At another election Dom Maurus was elected, and subsequently blessed by the Bishop. His election was approved by General Chapter.
Abbot Maurus' reign of 11 years was not a happy one for his community. He was unwilling to send his monks on the Mission, or allow a Visitation, and the community complained to the General Chapter of 1705. General Chapter ordered the Abbot to obey the constitutions, and stated that the Abbot's position only differed from that of the Prior's of the other houses in the abbatial insignia and the perpetuity of his office. Finally President Gregson decided that he must make a Visitation, although France and Germany were then at war Having 'escaped from the perils which constantly beset him on his road' he arrived at Lamspringe and restored peace by removing most of the discontented monks to the English mission.
Abbot Knightley died in 1708, and President Gregson summoned all the missioners from Lamspringe to return for the election, over which he himself presided. The result was the election of a monk who had been professed by Abbot Gascoigne 44 years before, and had not returned since then to Lamspringe. Most of his time had been spent at Gilling Castle.
It is with the arrival of Abbot Tempest that we can at last begin to peer into the abbey's last Council Book. This starts with the year 1715, and has a record of 335 councils. The Abbot has five councillors - the Prior, the Senior of the monks, the Junior Master, the Cellarer and the Farm Bailiff. Lamspringe had 500 acres under direct cultivation, 3,500 acres of woodland, and extensive fishponds. 100 workmen were employed on the estate.
The first item to be discussed concerned a house, one of the best in the town. It was owned by a Catholic named Muller, but he wished to sell it. The man who wished to buy it was a Protestant. The question was - should Lamspringe buy it, to prevent it from falling into Protestant hands ? Lamspringe's zeal for purchasing property was never far below the surface; it was unanimously decided thay they should buy the house, and keep it until a Catholic buyer could be found. In fact, it was three years before such a buyer turned up, and the house was duly sold to him.
Two weeks later, the Council was again summoned. A letter had been received from President Francis Watmough, who had heard from Brother John Osland - not once, but 'many times' - to say he was not getting enough food in the refectory. The helpings wern't big enough ! The Council decided that Br John should be fed 'according to the constitutions, but that everyone else should have meals 1 according to the customs of the house.
As we do not know what the 'customs of the house' were at this date, it is hard to say how these differ from the constitutions. The latter, in Chapter XI, laid down very strict measures of food and drink; at Douai meat only three times a week, at Dieulouard and Paris no meat at all ! No meat for novices anywhere, wine always watered down; the meal to end with cheese or fruit. At supper on non-meat days, soup and two dishes - one of fish, if obtainable, otherwise eggs (2 each). If these cannot be had, a dish of butter, corn, barley, and rice, and a second dish of beans, peas- or other vegetables.
This was not the end of Brother John's troubles. Four months later, at President Watmough's Visitation on June 6th, it was said that Br John was constantly slandering his superiors with various harmful insults, and annoying his brethren with ill-founded complaints, and far from religious conversation. It was decided that in future Brother John should not talk to the Juniors in the community, under pain of fasting on bread and water each time - for both parties ! Brother John died eight years later, at Lamspringe.
Four days later, the Council was summoned again. Two German oblates had finished their year's novitiate, and wished to be admitted as laybrothers. They were Br Adrian Muller and Br Antony Doetch. Both were admitted, with one vote against. Br Adrian died 29 years later, at Lamspringe. There is no trace of Br Antony.
Other Council meetings followed that year. On March 10th the usual Council for the first Sunday in Lent was held, and there was a general discussion on the life of the monastery. On April 7th it was decided not to grant land to townsfolk to build a brewery, and farmers who held abbey lands should not be allowed to mortgage their lands, except for a fixed period - two or three years; 'otherwise we might have to pay some one else's debts to get back our land.
On June 6th comes President Watmough's Visitation, The usual Acts of Visitation were read, and the restrictions on Brother John were announced. In addition it was decreed that the officials of the community should join in the community recreation and conventual acts whenever possible.
So much for 1715. In 1716, in July, the question of Abbot Corker's 'spolia' comes up. He has died in London the previous December and left his vestments and altar linen to the nuns of Cambrai. The nuns had written to ask if they could keep them, but the Council says they must in no way be given to the nuns ! Likewise £500 sterling left to the Procurator in London 'must not be forgotten'. They must write to the three monks appointed by General Chapter to look after Abbot Corker's property, and ask what had happened to it.
In February, 1717, we find the first reference to the monk's brewery, and the beer-cellar under the refectory. The ready availability of beer was a feature of Lamspringe life. The Latin word used here for brewery is 'caupona', which means an inn or tavern, and clearly the one at Lamspringe was open to the laity, since in 1748 a notice was put up by Abbot Rokeby in the 'caupona' forbidding lay people to enter the monastery garden. It was torn down during the night ! But a compromise was reached, to 'preserve fraternal charity'. Nowadays it is a universal custom, in Benedictine houses on the continent, to have an elaborate 'Bierkeller' which dispenses coffee and cakes-as well as alcoholic drinks.
In the same year the Council decides that all boys coming from England must bring a dictionary - presumably Anglo-German. Postulants must bring clothes and - as far as possible - all things necessary for their cell; and give the monastery a silver drinking-cup - presumably a tankard for the monastic beer !
Also in 1717 there was trouble with the sacristan, Father Charles Delattre: he had been corrected by the Abb - we are not told what for - but he had 'in a sudden burst of anger taken the sacristy keys to the Abbot, and thrown them down - to show he did not want to be sacristan any longer !' How often, before a pontifical ceremony, has one shared Fr Charles' feelings ! Sensibly the Council decided he should be given time ' to come to his senses'; he evidently did so, as he was appointed Lecturer in Theology and a member of the Council a few years later, before proceeding to the mission.
Three years later - in 1720 - it was discovered that Br Wilfrid Witham had taken an impression of the monastery pass-key, and paid a local blacksmith to make him a copy. Punishment was left to the Abbot ! A month later Br Wilfrid and two companions were raised to the status of Seniors, and exempted from the Junior Master. Fr Wilfrid had a long and successful career, spending 22 years on the mission, and 21 more as Prior of Lamspringe.
In 1721 we find a reference to the monastery garden. A feature of the garden was the 'Lamb's Spring', which had given the monastery its name, and which supplied water for the mill pond which supplied power to the monastery mill. Even today it is a pleasant place, and after the closure of the monastery the newly-elected Superior Fr Placid Harsnep wrote that he could not look into the garden - now forbidden to them - without a tear ! Now it was decided that a new hedge be planted, so that the garden could become part of the enclosure. It was also decided that part of their woods should be cut down 'as the trees are dying every day', but the Abbot wished it recorded in the minutes 'lest posterity should blame him'. The timber was subsequently sold 'To the Royal Inspectors or Directors of Goat Farms.'
In 1723 we come to the first mention of what was to become the black cloud over much of Lamspringe's history, the borrowing of large sums for building purposes. Here it is only 3000 imperials at 3% to rebuild certain unspecified buildings. (The Imperial was a Russian gold coin, equal to ten roubles or £2 in 1910. It is difficult to estimate what it might be worth today).
In 1729 Abbot Tempest died a few hours after the end of a council - so that the minutes had to be signed by the Prior. The new Abbot was Joseph Rokeby, who at once set to work to rebuild the abbey on a princely scale - so that it would have been longer than Castle Howard in Yorkshire - as his critics in England complained. The building is still there - with the Abbot's crest of three rooks over the door, and a Latin inscription inside in the Great Saloon which may be translated as:
At Lamspringe the Council fought desperately to control the expense. In 1737 they had to borrow 1000 imperials, next year they needed 'three or four thousand more, after which the abbot promised they would stop all building for a few years. The abbot produced a ready-prepared document, and they signed it. But next year they had to borrow ' a few thousand more', and the Secretary of the Chapter adds. 'This was indeed bad news'. But all thought they must obey the law of necessity, however hard. So the story goes on. In 1747 they borrow 8000 imperials from the abbey of St Michael, in Hildesheim, to pay off as many debts as possible. Even so, the next Abbot (Heatley) inherited a debt of over 50,000 imperials. It is to his credit that by February 1793 all had been paid.
Abbot Rokeby reigned for 32 years, from 1730 until 1762, Apart from buildings and consequent debts, the Council Book records a regular series of clothings and professions. Visitations by the Presidents - or their Deputies - from England are recorded; in 1739 by Dom Wilfrid Helme, in 1743 by President Farnworth and again by him in 1748, in 52 by Dom Placid Naylor for President Farnworth, in 60 by Dom Bernard Bradshaw for President Howard, in 62, 67, 71, 74, 80, 84, 87, then a gap in the records until President Brewer's final Visitation in 1801,
Abbot Rokeby died in 1762, and was succeeded by Lamspringe's last Abbot, Maurus Heatley. He was 40 years old when elected, and took three oathes on election: 1 To obey the President and his successors. 2.To keep the Constitutions of the English Benedictine Congregation. 3. Not to alienate Lamspringe from the Congregation. He had spent all his life on the Mission, apart from three years of study at Douai, where he obtained the degree of Licentiate of Divinity. In 1761 General Chapter gave him the coveted title of Predicator Generalis.
At his accession Lamspringe was £6,800 in debt. This was an enormous sum, and even paying the interest swallowed up a large part of their annual revenue. In addition,a large expenditure was required to stock the land with sheep, and to revive the external economy of the abbey - chiefly the large tract of woodland known as the Klosterwald. The new Abbot strated immediately to economise by proposing that his abbatial blessing should take place at Hildesheim, to save expense. It was decided to leave this decision to the Bishop; the Council Book does not record where in fact he was blessed.
Within three months of his election he had to borrow another 500 imperials. A month later - in April - the Abbot took over the office of Bursar 'because the father proposed did not know how to keep accounts'. He had a German Fr Laurence Turk as his assistant. Fr Laurence had been born in Hildesheim. A few months later they had to repair the monastery water-mill, and the pond from which the water came.
In 1764 finances had improved sufficiently to allow Fr Laurence to become Bursar. In September four young boys arrived for the school: George Crook (aged 10), William Grimbaldeston (aged 12), Thomas Harsnep (aged 11, and Walter Gaskill (aged 11). The first three became monks, Thomas Harsnep was elected Superior after Heatley's death, but was never blessed as abbot. Dom Augustine Hatton was put in charge of the boys. He was to be an important person in the history of Lamspringe. Two years later he was made Bursar, and continued for 39 years - all the time of Heatley's rebuilding of the finances. After the closure of the house, he alone was allowed to keep his room in the monastery, the others being consigned to the farm buildings. He payed out the pensions to the monks who stayed behind. In 1810 he became Superior, and was appointed Cathedral Prior of Coventry. He died at Lamspringe in 1823, 21 years after its closure.
Abbot Heatley was faced with two difficulties: 1. The enormous debt he had inherited - 68,000 imperials. This he dealt with successfully, paying all the money off by February 1793. To do this stringent economies had to be made, leading to a complaint from one monk that they had to 'live like dogs', and complaints from boys' parents that Lamspringe 'was like a prison'. The Abbot was thrifty by nature, and the situation encouraged this. He even managed to store up a bag of money which he kept in his room prudently, when closure seemed certain. It was confiscated by the Prussian Officer who arrived to take over the buildings.
The Abbot's second difficulty was to deal with a few monks who returned from the Mission in disgrace. Inevitably the contrast between community life at Lamspringe and the loneliness of a one-man mission in CUmbria (As it now is) led missioners to find solace in alcohol, and the Presidents had an easy way out by sending such monks back to their monastery. Such a one was Maurus Chaplin, who went from mission to mission until he finally got into debt at Lakeland, and was sent back to Germany. Here he refused to wear the habit, left the enclosure every night, was rude to the Prior - and threatened him with a cricket bat ! As for the Abbot fA pistol should do the business' ! As he was quite unrepentant, he was confined to his cell, escaped during High M^3s one Sunday and went on a drinking spree to the nearby village of Gehrenrode,taking with him the abbot's face which he had cut out of a portrait in the dormitory with a refectory knife ! (The painting may still be seen at Lamspringe, with the face stitched back). He was brought back by some hilarious villagers in a farm cart.
The English Benedictine constitutions dealt very precisely with 'faults'. There were five classes -leves, graves, gravissimae, enormes, maximae enormes. Grade four were for such faults as were attended by public scandal, and Fr Maurus clearly came into this category. The punishment prescribed included prison for several years, binding with fetters (if necessary), beating and prostration on Sundays before the High Altar. On November 15th, 1788 Dom Maurus was brought before the Council - escorted by two laybrothers. He denied intending to carry out his threats against the Abbot and Prior, but expressed no sorrow for what he had done. The punishments prescribed by the Constitutions were applied by one of the laybrothers, and Dom Maurus was confined to a 'specially prepared prison', with a lavatory down the passage. Meals were taken to him from the monks' refectory. His case was discussed again at the next Council - in March, 1789, and in May 1791 the Abbot suggested they petition the Bishop 'in favour of the prisoner. This was rejected by the Council, since Dom Maurus had shown no sign of repentence, but 'seemed more obdurate1 in his crime. As he had not repented, he could not receive absolution nor receive the sacraments. Moreover they feared for 'the life' of members of the community. In 1799 Abbot Heatley again asked for some mitigation 'so that at least Dom Maurus could talk to the community at times of recreation', but again the council refused to agree.
Now the sad events connected with the suppression of Lamspringe must be recorded. In 1797 President Cowley arrived at Lamspringe to do a Visitation. During this the Abbot hung up an old document written by Lamspringe's third Abbot over 100 years before, stating that the English Constitutions did not fully apply to Lamspringe since it alone was an abbacy. Cowley pretended not to see it, nor did he do anything about Dom Maurus. A young junior named Birdsall, recently ordained and later to become President and attempt to revive Lamspringe on the Cotswolds in England, a monk described by the usually moderate Allanson as 'a victim of strong and bitter prejudices', wrote of Cowley as
but there was little Cowley could have done with prudence. However Cowley died in 1800, and the 'second elect' became President; although this was a position he had long desired, he insisted on three days 'in prayer' before he accepted - which 'only produced a smile, and lowered him in the estimation of others' This was Bede Brewer, who announced that he intended to act 'with vigour and energy'. Heatley's 'Unilateral Independence' was the obvious target for his vigorous activity.
Brewer arrived at Lamspringe in August, 1801, with little presents for the monks, which he handed out on arrival. The Council Book records little, except that the young monks were to preach sermons to the community during lunch - a practice which Heatley wiseley refused to carry out. Possibly he knew the monks too well.
This particular order was omitted when the Acts were read out at the end of the President's visit. But the President did depart taking Dom Maurus back to England. Heatley promised him a yearly pension, and no doubt was relieved to see him go. The last Council meeting under Heatley records this decision, but two blank pages were left possibly to be filled in later.
The rest is history, well told by Dom Bernard Green. Brewer departed, leaving Dom Cuthbert Wilks his socius behind. Wilks (and Birdsall) kept the president supplied with news of Heatley's conduct. The Abbot constantly abused the President, and put up notices in the Chapter House rejecting the constitutions. The political situation made it difficult for the President to go back to Germany, but he sent the Abbot an order telling him to send his chief supporter Dom Denis Allerton, a man of considerable physical strength with whom Brewer had already clashed swords, to England. The Abbot protested, and the President risked the dangers and returned again to Lamspringe arriving on May 24th, 1802.
He found the old abbot unrepentant, so warned him that he would have to suspend him fab officio et a divinis'; he must consider this the first of the three necessary canonical warnings. The Abbot sent Dom Denis in a coach and four to Paderborn, to seek help from the Prince-Bishop. Dr Brewer issued his second warning on Sunday, and on Tuesday, June 1st, he issued the third warning, suspended the Abbot for three months from his office as Abbot, and from saying Mass, and ordered him to remain in his cell for 15 days and make a Retreat. He then summoned a council, at which Dom Placid Harsnep was elected Superior, and made all the community acknowledge him. He sent the new Superior to Paderborn to get the Bishop*s approval.
Meanwhile Fr Denis had returned from Paderborn with an 'inhibitrium', forbidding Brewer to do anything until the Bishop had approved it. Brewer's reply was to order Fr Denis to leave for England within 48 hours. Fr Harsnep had got as far as Hildesheim, and Dr Brewer went there to consult with him what to do next. They wisely decided to go to Paderborn to see the Prince—Bishop, and were told the suspension must cease. The Bishop told them that in Germany any Abbot had the right to appeal to his Bishop over a decree of suspension. A similar letter had been received at Lamspringe: Heatley rejoiced, and put up a notice saying that all must return to their obedience; anyone who refused would be imprisoned. Dr Brewer took down the notice, and confronted the Abbot with it; he received no reply.
The community were now thoroughly disturbed. On his way back Brewer had found letters at Hildesheim from the Prince-Bishop 'couched in severe terms'. He said the president had acted hastily 'against an aged and meritorious Abbot', and advised him - for his own sake - to revoke the suspension and propose some other solution - otherwise he would impose one. This was followed by a second letter, appointing a commission of three to go to Lamspringe and settle the matter. The three were the auxiliary Bishop of Hildesheim, and the Abbots of the two Benedictine abbeys in that city, St Michael's and St Godehart's.
The Commissioners and the community met - presumably in Rokeby's 'Grand Saloon'. The President reminded Heatley of the oathes he had taken at his election, and asked him to produce them. The Abbot denied that he had them, although after his death they were found in his room. In return the Abbot referred tothe Inhibitum of the Prince-Bishop.
The Commissioners gave up, and returned to Hildesheim. The struggle seemed incapable of solution; but, had they known it, it was almost over. Next day one of Heatley's supporters, Dom Jerome Alcock, came privately to Dr Brewer to beg pardon for his opposition, followed by Dom Denis Allerton. The President could not resist the opportunity for a public triumph. He summoned the long-suffering community together again, and Fr Denis was made to prostrate himself on the floor, and then - which was probably worse - be received with open arms by Dr Brewer. He was told to start packing for England, and never saw Lamspringe again, dying in Liverpool 25 years later aged 73.
The Abbot was now left alone; he came privately to the President to ask forgiveness, and signed a document submitting to the President's jurisdiction. The President restored his faculties to say Mass, but not his position as superior.
General Chapter that year met in London. Fr Denis was exhibited in triumph by Dr Brewer, and made to produce Abbot Heatley' signed submission. General Chapter confirmed Heatley's suspension from Office.
When the news reached Lamspringe, Abbot Heatley thought of leaving and going to live with his nephew in Lancashire. However he had suffered from a rupture for 40 years, and had been advised to wear a bandage; but recently he had taken it off. One afternoon he strained himself crossing a stream in the Abbey grounds* he was able to return to the abbey unaided, and next day a surgeon was sent for. The surgeon pronounced his condition hopeless, and he died on August 15th 1802. He was buried in the middle aisle of the abbey church.
Meanwhile the Lutheran King of Prussia had seized the diocese of Hildesheim. In January 1803 an officer and six Hussars arrived at the abbey. The Act of Suppression was read, all the money carefully laid up by Abbot Heatley was confiscated, and a royal steward appointed to administer the property. The monks could remain — in the farm buildings, and would receive a pension as long as they remained. Dom Placid Harsnep was confirmed as Superior, and granted a larger pension. On April 4th he wote to a friend in England.
Others lived longer. Dom Adrian Towers, the last to be professed in Germany, was only 22 at the suppression. In a moving letter to the President in 1820, he describes the situation at Lamspringe. The monks were regarded as strangers by the local people, even by those who owed everything to them. He tried to augment his pension - halved by Napoleon - by teaching English in Hildesheim, but contracted a fever and had to be looked after by a woman called Christina from the Poor House. He could not say Mass 'for want of six pennies for a serving boy'. In 1817 he came to England, and returned to Germany to try to recover the Lamspring library; but it was seized by Customs Officers at Hamburg, and Dom Adrian's pension was halved. He died at Poole in Dorset, and is buried at Stape Hill.
In the 1830s an attempt was made to revive Lamspringe at Broadway in the Cotswolds by Dom Austin Birdsall, now President of the Congregation. A new community of 11 was assembled, and a fine sto a building remniscent of Rokeby's abbey erected. But Birdsall died in 1837, and the scheme collapsed. The last Lamspringe monk to die was Dom Anselm Kenyon, who died at Stanbrook in 1850, aged 80. The boys from the school at Lamspringe formed the beginnings of the school at Ampleforth; one of them, Peter Baines, was later to do his best to close both Ampleforth and Downside and transfer them to his new foundation at Prior Park.