The Abbot of Burton was the head of Burton Abbey, the Benedictine monastery of St Mary and St Modwenna at Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire, England. Allegedly the church was begun by a wandering Irish holy woman, but it was actually founded c. 1003 as a Benedictine abbey by Wulfric Spott. A continuous series of abbots, which slight possible interruptions, can be traced thereafter until the English Reformation.
List of abbots Abbots of the church of BurtonIncumbentFromUntilCitation(s)NotesWulfgeatc. 1004c. 1026Knowles, Brooke, and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. i, p. 30The Annals of Burton state he died Thursday 20 April 1026, after 22 years in office. This date was in fact a Wednesday, though 20 April 1027 fell on a Thursday, meaning that the source was out by a year his abbacy lasted from c. 1005 to 1027.Brihtric Ic. 1027c. 1050Knowles, Brooke, and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. i, pp. 30–31The Annals of Burton state he died Saturday 20 April 1050, after 24 years in office. This date was in fact a Friday.Leofricc. 10511066Knowles, Brooke, and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. i, p. 31Also Abbot of Peterborough (1052–1066), as well as Coventry, Crowland, and Thorney, he was the nephew of Leofric, Earl of Mercia.Knowles, Brooke, and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. i, p. 60Brihtric IIc. 10671085Previously Abbot of Malmesbury, he was appointed by William the Conqueror soon after Abbot Leofric's death in either 31 October or 1 November 1066.Knowles, Brooke, and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. i, pp. 31, 55Geoffrey de Mala Terra10851094He was expelled from his position in 1094.Nigel10941114Geoffrey11141150Robert I11501159He was expelled in 1159, but returned in 1176.Bernard11601174Previously Abbot of CerneRobert I (again)1176Previously Abbot of CerneRoger Malebranche11771182Richard11821187Nicholas11871197William Melburne12001213Stephen de Lucy1214Elected but resigned in January 1214Knowles, Brooke, and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. i, pp. 31, 80Roger12141216Nicholas de Wallingford12161222Smith and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. ii, p. 25Richard de Insula12221229Laurence de St Edward12291260John de Stafford12601281Thomas de Packington12811305John de Burton13051316William de Bromley13161329Robert de Langdon13291340Robert de Brykhull13401347Smith and London, Heads of Religious Houses, vol. ii, p. 26John of Ibestock13471366Thomas of Southam13661400John de Sudbury14001424Greenslade and Pugh (eds.), "The Abbey of Burton"William Matthewe1424 1430Robert Ownesby14301433Ralph Henley14331455William de Bronston14551473Thomas de Felde14731493William Fleghe14931502William Beyne15021530 x 1531Associated with Abbot Beyne SchoolWilliam Benson15311533Became Abbot of WestminsterJohn Beaton15331534William Edys15341539Surrendered the abbey as part of the dissolution of the monasteries
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