The Disputed Election at Fountains Abbey Revisited

Abstract

The election dispute at Fountains which began sometime after August 1410 has previously been explored by E. F. Jacob, who considered that the affair had lasted for six years ( Jacob, ‘Disputed Election’, in Ruffer and Taylor, eds, Medieval Studies, pp. 78-97 and reprinted in Jacob, Essays, pp. 79-97; citations refer to the latter work). This article supplements Jacob’s work, and presents additional evidence to show, first, that far from concluding in 1416, disruptions to monastic life continued sporadically for almost two more decades; second, it affirms that both contenders were supported by rival magnates and it identifies the two most likely candidates; third, it suggests why the winning candidate defeated his rival, and finally it shows how repercussions from the incident continued to influence the abbey half a century later.