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A brief history of Rushen Abbey

1134 to 1257

Founded as a Savignac Abbey in 1134.

The Abbey of St. Mary of Savigny in France was founded in 1112, and the Abbey of St. Mary of Furness in 1124. It is recorded in the "Chroniclesof the Kings of Man and the Isles"(which may have been written at Rushen Abbey c 1250-7) that "King Olaf granted to Ivo, Abbot of Furness, part of his land in Man to build an abbey in the place called Russin. He is also granted lands and privileges to the churches of the Isles (Sodor, or the southern Hebrides including Man); and he was devout and enthusiastic in matters of religion and was welcomed both to God and men, except that he over-indulged in the domestic vice of kings". This is said to have happened in 1134, and followed on from a previous offer earlier in the same year by Olaf to the Yorkshire Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx, who presumably declined (probably because they were only a couple of years into building Rievaulx, and had already sent out several missionaries to found new abbeys elsewhere.

The Order of Savigny was taken over by the Cistercians in 1147-8.

It is also recorded in The Chronicles that in 1176 King Godred gave as an offering to the Venerable Abbot Silvanus (Abbot of Rievaulx) the portion of land at Myroscough (Lezayre Curraghs) where he presently built a monastery. But in the course of time the whole estate, monks and all, was ceded to St. Mary's Abbey, Rushen". It is also noted that in 1192 the Abbey "was transferred to Douglas, and there lived for four years, then returned to Rushen".

The Chronicles record that in "1228 (King) Olaf sailed to the Isles with all the nobles of Man and the more resolute part of his populace. A little while after Alan, Lord of Galloway, Thomas, Earl of Athol, and King Reginald came to Man with a large army; they laid waste the entire southern part of Man and plundered the churches, killed as many men as they were able to capture, and the southern part of Man was practically reduced to a desert." Seven years later in 1237 "on the 21st May Olaf, son of Godred and king of Man and the Isles, died on St. Patrick's Isle and was buried in St. Mary's Abbey, Rushen".

In 1238 "Gospatrick and Gilchrist, son of Muircheartach (King of Ireland), sent by the king of Norway came to Man and expelled Harald from the Kingdom of Man, as he refused to go to the court of the king of Norway". Two years later Gospatrick died "at St. Michael's church and was buried in St. Mary's Abbey Rushen".

The Church was finally completed in 1257 an dedicated to St Mary the Virgin by Richard, Bishop of Sodor and Man.