The Abbot of Rievaulx was the head of the Cistercian monastic community of Rievaulx Abbey, founded in 1131 by Walter l'Espec in North Yorkshire, northern England. The Abbots of Rievaulx were amongst the most powerful Christian leaders in northern England until the dissolution of the monastery by Henry VIII of England in 1538. List of Abbots of Rievaulx William I, 1131, died 1145 Maurice, 1145 Waltheof Ailred, 1147, 1160, 1164, died 1167 Sylvanus, occurs 1170 (previously Abbot of Dundrennan) Ernald, 1192, resigned 1199 (previously Abbot of Melrose) William Punchard, occurs 1201–2, died 1203 Geoffrey (or perhaps Godfrey), 1204 Warin, occurs 1208, died 1211 Helyas, resigned 1215 Henry, 1215, died 1216 William III (William de Courcy), 1216, died 1223 Roger, 1224 to 1235, resigned 1239 Leonias, 1239, died 1240 Adam de Tilletai, 1240–60. Thomas Stangrief, occurs 1268 William IV (de Ellerbeck), 1268–75 William Daneby, 1275–85 Thomas I, 1286–91 Henry II, 1301 Robert, 1303 Peter, 1307 Henry, occurs 1307 Thomas II, 1315 Richard, occurs 3 June 1317 William VI, 1318 William de Inggleby, occurs 1322 John I, 1327 William VIII (de Langton), 1332–4 Richard, 1349 John II, occurs 1363 William IX, 1369–80 John III, occurs 1380 William X, 1409 John IV, occurs 1417 William (XI) Brymley, 1419 Henry (III) Burton, 1423–29 William (XII) Spenser, 1436–49 John (V) Inkeley, 1449 William (XIII) Spenser, 1471, 1487 John (VI) Burton, 1489–1510 William (XIV) Helmesley, 1513–28 Edward Kirkby, 1530–1533 Rowland Blyton 1533–8 References Notes Sources Chartulary of Rievaulx,ed J.C.Jackson, Surtees Society, 1887 Chronicle of Melrose, Bannatyne Club, 1835 External links "Houses of Cistercian monks: Rievaulx", in A History of the County of York, Volume 3 (1974), pp. 149–53. URL: URL: Date accessed: 2 June 2006