Essenbæk Abbey

Essenbæk Abbey () was a Benedictine monastery located in Essenbæk Parish eight kilometers east of Randers and 1.7 kilometers north of Assentoft, Denmark.

History

Early history

The monastery was established by (Hvide), who was killed in 1151,Nielsen, Allan Berg (1984). Essenbæk gamle kirke in Årsskrift 1984. Auning, Denmark: Lokalhistorisk forening for Sønderhald Kommune og Sønderhald Egnsarkiv, p. 18 perhaps as a Cluniac double monastery in or near Randers. In 1179 it was changed, as the nuns apparently transferred to the Abbey of Our Lady in Randers, and was moved the next year to the east of the drumlin of HolmenLorenzen, Vilhelm (1933). De danske benediktinerklostres bygningshistorie. Copenhagen, Denmark: G. E. C. Gad, pp. 92-96 in Essenbæk Parish,Nielsen, Niels; Skautrup, Peter; Mathiassen, Therkel (1963). J. P. TRAP: DANMARK. FEMTE UDGAVE. REDIGERET AF NIELS NIELSEN • PETER SKAUTRUP • THERKEL MATHIASSEN. RANDERS AMT. BIND VII, 2. Copenhagen, Denmark: G. E. C. Gads Forlag, p. 848 from which it took its name.Rasmussen, Poul (1958). Essenbæk Klosters jordegods i Sønder Hald herred in HISTORISK AARBOG FRA RANDERS AMT 1958. Randers, Denmark; Randers Amts historiske Samfund, p. 20 It is said that the founder and his wife Margrethe were buried in the monastery church.

The Annals of Essenbæk, with historical notices regarding the years 1020–1323, seem to have been written in Essenbæk Abbey,Skov, Sigvard, Preben (1937). Essenbækaarbogen in Jyske Samlinger. Aarhus, Denmark; Jysk Selskab for Historie, Sprog og Litteratur, pp. 100-101 which was the only monastery in Djursland until the 20th century.Lorenzen, Vilhelm (1933). De danske benediktinerklostres bygningshistorie. Copenhagen, Denmark: G. E. C. Gad, p. 96

In 1330 Stig Andersen Hvide gave the abbey a farm in Egens Parish for burial placesMøller, Mogens (2016). Grenå og omegn under fremmede herrer. Copenhagen, Denmark; BoD – Books on Demand, p. 155 in the monastic church for himself and his wife Tove Andersdatter, and in 1369 was buried there, as in due course was his wife.

On 28 September 1403 the monastery was referred to as “Saint Lawrence’s monastery in Æssumbæk of the Order of St Benedict”,Hedemann, Markus; Knudsen, Anders Leegaard; Hansen, Thomas (2010). nr. 14030928002 in Diplomatarium Danicum. http://diplomatarium.dk/ [Retrieved 2016-07-30] and some of the monastery's income was from pilgrims who on Saint John's Eve went on pilgrimageMariager, Rasmus (1937). ESSENBÆK SOGNS HISTORIE: SAMLET OG UDGIVET AF R. Mariager. Odder, Denmark; Duplikeringsbureauet, p. 9 to the well of Saint Lawrence (Sankt Laurseskilde) below Assentoft.Nielsen, Niels; Skautrup, Peter; Mathiassen, Therkel (1963). J. P. TRAP: DANMARK. FEMTE UDGAVE. REDIGERET AF NIELS NIELSEN • PETER SKAUTRUP • THERKEL MATHIASSEN. RANDERS AMT. BIND VII, 2. Copenhagen, Denmark: G. E. C. Gads Forlag, p. 849

In 1431 the pope ordered the monks to let the bishop of Viborg examine the qualifications of the abbot they had elected, before the bishop ordained him.Lorenzen, Vilhelm (1933). De danske benediktinerklostres bygningshistorie. Copenhagen, Denmark: G. E. C. Gad, p. 323

Much wealth and property was donated to the monastery, particularly by the Hvide clan,Caspersen, Erling (1977). Det forsvundne Essenbæk Kloster in Årsskrift 1977. Auning, Denmark; Lokalhistorisk Forening for Sønderhald Kommune, p. 28 so that in time it owned all the lands in Essenbæk Parish, almost all those in Virring Parish,Rasmussen, Poul (1958). Essenbæk Klosters jordegods i Sønder Hald herred in HISTORISK AARBOG FRA RANDERS AMT 1958. Randers, Denmark; Randers Amts historiske Samfund, p. 24 and additional estates in the parishes of Albæk, Bregnet, Dalbyover, Egens, Egå, Fausing, Fløjstrup, Gimming, Gjesing, Glesborg, Harridslev, Homå, Hornslet, Hørning, Kastbjerg, Lime, Mariager, Mejlby, Mørke, Rimsø, Skødstrup, Tøstrup, Udbyneder, Voldby, Ødum, and Årslev, as well as in the hundreds of Hjelmslev, Houlbjerg, and Middelsom. The monastery's assets in Sønderhald HundredRasmussen, Poul (1958). Essenbæk Klosters jordegods i Sønder Hald herred in HISTORISK AARBOG FRA RANDERS AMT 1958. Randers, Denmark; Randers Amts historiske Samfund, p. 21 included the birk or market place of Essenbæk,Lerdam, Henrik (2004). Birk, lov og ret: Birkerettens historie i Danmark indtil 1600. Copenhagen, Denmark: Museum Tusculanums Forlag. , p. 104 with a legal jurisdiction independent of the hundred, from no later than 9 August 1475.Blangstrup, Christian (1930). Salmonsens konversationsleksikon. Anden Udgave. Bind III: Benzolderivater-Brides. Copenhagen, Denmark; A/S J. H. Schultz Forlagsboghandel, p. 270

For six farms the monastery in 1516 bought itself free from the obligation of billeting, and in 1518 the king owed the monastery 38 weights (0.56 kilograms) of silver and 25 Rhenish guilders.Hansen, Karl (1832). Danske Ridderborge, beskrevne tildeels efter utrykte Kilder. Copenhagen, Denmark; Hofboghandler Beekens Forlag, p. 138 In 1525 it was assessed to raise from its estate two horsemen for domestic service, and two horsemen as well as two riflemen for foreign service.Mehlsen, Ejnar (1919). Essenbæk Kloster in Aarbog udgivet af Randers Amts Historiske Samfund. Årgang 13. 52-60. Randers, Denmark: Randers Amts Historiske Samfund, p. 57

Despite the abbey's wealth the king declared on 5 September 1529Erslev, Kristian (1879). DANMARKS LEN OG LENSMÆND I DET SEXTENDE AARHUNDREDE (1513-1596). Copenhagen, Denmark; Jacob Erslevs Forlag, p. 154 that the courtier was elected by the monks as its custodian until his death, rather than the infirm abbot, since “the monastery’s estate is daily won from it, and the brothers for a long time have not gotten their necessities according to their rule’s exercise”. At the same time Emmiksen was named as vassal there by the king, who probably prompted the electionDaugaard, Jacob Brøgger (1830). Om de danske klostre i middelalderen. Copenhagen, Denmark; Andreas Seidelin, p. 407 rather than the monks themselves. In the monastery's home farm alone there were then 20 oxen with two ploughs, 27 large and small steers, 42 cows, 26 heifers and young cattle, 100 sheep, 53 pigs, eight old nags, and 13 young nags and yearlings (year-old colts and fillies).Rasmussen, Poul (1958). Essenbæk Klosters jordegods i Sønder Hald herred in HISTORISK AARBOG FRA RANDERS AMT 1958. Randers, Denmark; Randers Amts historiske Samfund, p. 28

Modern history A monk from the abbey was beheaded in 1537 for rape, and in 1540 the monastery was confiscated by the king.Mariager, Rasmus (1937). ESSENBÆK SOGNS HISTORIE: SAMLET OG UDGIVET AF R. Mariager. Odder, Denmark; Duplikeringsbureauet, p. 11 Around that time it was mortgaged to for 3,000 dollars – a sum that in 1546 had been increased to 4,000 dollars. The monks left the monastery early, and on 3 April 1548 the king decided that it should be a part of Queen Dorothea’s jointure. He therefore paid the mortgage, but later she received Sønderborg and Nordborg instead as her jointure,Hansen, Karl (1832). Danske Ridderborge, beskrevne tildeels efter utrykte Kilder. Copenhagen, Denmark; Hofboghandler Beekens Forlag, p. 140 and in 1550 the monastery was incorporated into Dronningborg Fief.Caspersen, Erling (1977). Det forsvundne Essenbæk Kloster in Årsskrift 1977. Auning, Denmark; Lokalhistorisk Forening for Sønderhald Kommune, p. 27 , who was a vassal there, had the bodies of Stig Tokesen HvideMehlsen, Ejnar (1919). Essenbæk Kloster in Aarbog udgivet af Randers Amts Historiske Samfund. Årgang 13. 52-60. Randers, Denmark: Randers Amts Historiske Samfund, p. 54 and his wife Margrethe moved to Dronningborg Castle, and Bjørn Andersen, who owned , had the bodies of Stig Andersen HvideHansen, Karl (1832). Danske Ridderborge, beskrevne tildeels efter utrykte Kilder. Copenhagen, Denmark; Hofboghandler Beekens Forlag, p. 135 and his wife Tove Andersdatter moved to Ørsted Church.

In 1558 Chancellery Secretary registered nearly 100 letters from Essenbæk Abbey in Silkeborg's archive. A few of them are now in the Danish National Archives, but the others are since lost.Jexlev, Thelma (1977). VEJLEDENDE ARKIVREGISTRATURER XVIII. LOKALARKIVER TIL 1559. GEJSTLIGE ARKIVER II: Odense stift, jyske stifter og Slesvig stift. Copenhagen, Denmark; Rigsarkivet, p. 226

It is not known when the monastery was demolished,Jakobsen, Johnny Grandjean Gøgsig (2008). KlosterGIS DK in HisKis Årsskrift 2008. Historisk-Kartografisk InformationsSystem, p. 44 http://hiskis2.dk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/HisKIS-2008.pdf (Retrieved 2016-11-06) but in 1593 the local judicial district bailiff Rasmus Pedersen resided in Essenbæk Home Farm on the west of Holmen, which may imply that the monastery was probably uninhabitable by then.Hansen, Karl (1832). Danske Ridderborge, beskrevne tildeels efter utrykte Kilder. Copenhagen, Denmark; Hofboghandler Beekens Forlag, p. 141 The church bell was taken to Old Essenbæk Church.Hansen, Karl (1832). Danske Ridderborge, beskrevne tildeels efter utrykte Kilder. Copenhagen, Denmark; Hofboghandler Beekens Forlag, p. 134 On 22 August 1661 the monastery was acquired among other property from the king by Hans Friis, and that estate then included a chapelWest, F. J. (1908). Kronens Skøder: paa afhændet og erhvervet Jordegods i Danmark, fra Reformationen til Nutiden. Andet Bind. 1648-1688. Copenhagen, Denmark; Rigsarkivet, p. 101 which was possibly a remnant of the monastery's church.Rasmussen, Poul (1958). Essenbæk Klosters jordegods i Sønder Hald herred in HISTORISK AARBOG FRA RANDERS AMT 1958. Randers, Denmark; Randers Amts historiske Samfund, p. 105 On 20 December 1687 the judicial district was incorporated into Sønderhald Hundred.Nielsen, Niels; Skautrup, Peter; Mathiassen, Therkel (1963). J. P. TRAP: DANMARK. FEMTE UDGAVE. REDIGERET AF NIELS NIELSEN • PETER SKAUTRUP • THERKEL MATHIASSEN. RANDERS AMT. BIND VII, 2. Copenhagen, Denmark: G. E. C. Gads Forlag, p. 841

The teacher Karl Hansen wrote in 1832Nielsen, Allan Berg (1984). Essenbæk gamle kirke in Årsskrift 1984. Auning, Denmark: Lokalhistorisk forening for Sønderhald Kommune og Sønderhald Egnsarkiv, p. 19 that there were no remains of the monastery,Hansen, Karl (1832). Danske Ridderborge, beskrevne tildeels efter utrykte Kilder. Copenhagen, Denmark; Hofboghandler Beekens Forlag, p. 131 but in 1894 a piece of solid wall was found on the west of the mound known as Kirkegaarden (the Churchyard) on Holmen, which was then being surveyed for the National Museum of Denmark. The teacher J. V. Nissen led an excavation in 1898 for the National Museum of Denmark, during which among other things remains of the monastery church were unearthed,Mehlsen, Ejnar (1919). Essenbæk Kloster in Aarbog udgivet af Randers Amts Historiske Samfund. Årgang 13. 52-60. Randers, Denmark: Randers Amts Historiske Samfund, pp. 52-53 and the National Museum of Denmark therefore had the site listed for preservation of the site. Kirkegaarden's owner began however in 1918 to remove stones from the site,Mariager, Rasmus (1937). ESSENBÆK SOGNS HISTORIE: SAMLET OG UDGIVET AF R. Mariager. Odder, Denmark; Duplikeringsbureauet, p. 13 since the preservation had not been written into his title deed or mortgage records,Mariager, Rasmus (1937). ESSENBÆK SOGNS HISTORIE: SAMLET OG UDGIVET AF R. Mariager. Odder, Denmark; Duplikeringsbureauet, p. 79 so in 1925 the architect I. P. Hjersing mapped what remained before that too was removed. The same year the owner found a stone-lined well there, and many skeletons around it.

Known abbots Peder - 1345Hansen, Karl (1832). Danske Ridderborge, beskrevne tildeels efter utrykte Kilder. Copenhagen, Denmark; Hofboghandler Beekens Forlag, p. 136 Lars – 3 April 1396Andersen, Aage (1998). Diplomatarium Danicum VI: 1396-1398. Copenhagen, Denmark: Det Danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab, p. 43 Jens – 28 September 1403