# Abbot of Glastonbury

The Abbot of Glastonbury was the head (or abbot) of the Anglo-Saxon and eventually Benedictine house of Glastonbury Abbey at Glastonbury in Somerset, England.
The following is a list of abbots of Glastonbury:

## Abbots

| Name | Dates | Works | Notes |
| St Benignus | ?458–469 | | (reputed) |
| 'Worgret' | c.601–? | | |
| 'Lademund' | c.663–c.667 | | |
| 'Bregored' | c.667 | | |
| Berhtwald | c.667–676/7 | | Archbishop of Canterbury 693–731 |
| Haemgils | 676/7–701/2 | | |
| Beorhtwald | 701/2–709/10 | | |
| Ealdberht | 709/10–718/9 | Church of SS Peter & Paul built by King Ine | |
| Ecgfrith | 718/19–? | | |
| Walhstod | 729 | | (rejected by some sources) |
| Coengils | ?–737 | | |
| Tunberht | 737–? | | |
| Tyccea | 754–760 | | |
| Guba | 760–762 | | |
| Wealdhun | 762–794 | | |
| Beaduwulf | 794–800 | | |
| Muca | 802–824 | | |
| Guthlac | 824–851 | | |
| Ealhmund | 851–867 | | |
| Hereferth | 867–891 | | (now thought probably to come before Ealhmund) |
| Stithheard | 891–922 | | |
| Aldhun | 922–? | | |
| Cuthred | | | |
| Ælfric? | | | |
| Ecgwulf | | | |
| St Dunstan | 940–957+ | Lengthened Ine's church and added a tower. Raised the level of the cemetery and constructed various monastic buildings. | later Archbishop of Canterbury |
| ?Ælfric | occurs after Dunstan in some lists | | (probably spurious) |
| Ælfstan | occurs in some lists after Ælfric | | (probably spurious) |
| Sigar | c.970–975(?) | | later Bishop of Wells 975–997 |
| Ælfweard | c.975–1009 | | |
| Brihtred (Beorhtred) | 1009–? | | |
| Brihtwig (Brihtwine) | c. 1017–1024 | | later Bishop of Wells |
| Æthelweard (Aegelweard) | c.1024–1053 | | |
| Æthelnoth | 1053–1078 | | deposed by Lanfranc |
| Thurstan | c.1077–after 1096 | Began a new church | 1091. Translation of relics of St Benignus from Meare |
| Herluin | 1100–1118 | Rebuilt Thurstan's church on a grander scale | |
| Seffrid Pelochin | 1120/1–1125 | | Bishop of Chichester from 1125 to 1145 |
| Henry of Blois | 1126–1171 | Built a bell tower, chapter house, cloister, lavatory, refectory, dormitory, infirmary, the 'castellum', an outer gate, a brewery and stables | also Bishop of Winchester from 1129 |
| Robert of Winchester | 1173–1180 | Built a chamber and chapel | previously Prior of Winchester |
| Peter de Marcy | | 1186. New St Mary's Chapel consecrated. Work on Great Church begun. | 1184 (25 May). Great Fire |
| Henry de Sully | 1189–1193 | | supposed tomb of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere discovered in the cemetery c. 1190 Later Bishop of Worcester 1193–1195 |
| Savaric FitzGeldewin | 1193–1205 | | also Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury |
| (Master William Pica) | (1198–1200) | | (elected 1198 but election quashed 1200) |
| Jocelin of Wells | 1206–1219 | | also Bishop of Bath and Glastonbury from 1206 to 1242 |
| William of St Vigor | 1219–1223 | | |
| Robert of Bath | 1223–1235 | | Deposed 29 March 1235 |
| Michael of Amesbury | 1235–c.1252 | Carried work on the choir forward | |
| Roger of Ford | 1252–1261 | | died 2 October 1261, buried at Westminster |
| Robert of Petherton | 1261–1274 | Built abbot's chamber | died 31 March 1274 |
| John of Taunton | 1274–1291 | Choir completed; west end of nave and galilee built. King Arthur's remains transferred to new tomb 1278. | died 7 October 1291 |
| John of Kent | 1291–1303 | | |
| Geoffrey Fromond | 1303–1322 | Spent £1,000 on buildings: completed various parts of the Great Church | |
| Walter of Taunton | 1322–1323 | Built pulpitum at west end of choir | died 23 January 1323 |
| Adam of Sodbury | 1323–1334 | Completed vaulting of nave of Great Church; worked on great hall and built a new chapel on the Tor | Concealed Hugh le Despenser and Robert Baldock, Lord Chancellor at the end of Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer's Overthrow of Edward II in 1326 |
| John of Breynton | 1334–1342 | Completed abbot's great hall and worked on various other related buildings including prior's hall | |
| Walter de Monington | 1342–1375 | Extended choir by 40 feet, adding 2 bays. Completed abbot's chapel and infirmary. King Arthur's tomb transferred 1368. | |
| John Chinnock (John Chynnock) | 1375–1420 | 1382. Restored chapel and rededicated it to SS Michael & Joseph; rebuilt cloisters, erected or repaired the dormitory and fratry. | |
| Nicholas Frome | 1420–1456 | Finished chapter house, rebuilt misericord house and great chamber; constructed bishop's quarters and a wall around abbey precincts. Probably responsible for the abbot's kitchen. | |
| John Selwood | 1456–1493 | Built parish church of St John Baptist. Erected pilgrims' inn. | |
| Richard Beere | 1493–1524 | Began Edgar Chapel; built crypt under Lady Chapel and dedicated it to St Joseph; built a chapel of the Holy Sepulchre at south end of nave; built the Loretto chapel; added vaulting under central tower and flying buttresses at east end of choir; built St Benignus' Church and rebuilt Tribunal | |
| Richard Whiting | 1525–1539 | Completed Edgar Chapel | Hanged on Glastonbury Tor, 15 November 1539. |