Miles Salley (died 1516) was a late 15th-century

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

of Eynsham Abbey and

Abingdon Abbey Abingdon Abbey (formally Abbey of Saint Mary) was a Order of St. Benedict, Benedictine monastery in Abingdon-on-Thames in the modern county of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. Situated near to the River Thames, it was founded in 675 AD and was ...

and an early 16th-century

Bishop of Llandaff The Bishop of Llandaff is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. Area of authority The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The bishop's cathedra, seat is in the Llandaff Cathedral, Cathedral Chu ...

. Salley was Abbot of Eynsham in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

in the 1490s. He was appointed Bishop of Llandaff, where he is remembered for his building work at the Bishop's Palace in Mathern in

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

. He also rebuilt the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

and south

aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...

of The Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol, and donated the

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...

Biography

Salley was a monk in

during the 1480s, and probably entered the decade before as a youth. In 1486, he was caught delivering money to supporters of John de la Pole's Rebellion against Henry VII. Salley was ordered to forfeit all goods and was imprisoned for a time. He was pardoned in 1492, and by 1496 he was acting as

almoner An almoner () is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing money to the deserving poor. The title ''almoner'' has to some extent fallen out of use in English, but its equivalents in other languages are often used f ...

and in charge of the kitchen at Abingdon, effectively the fourth most senior monk there. He was elected as abbot of Eynsham Abbey in 1498, and around that time he was given the title of

by the king. In this role, he was able to sit in parliament, was given a house in The Strand, as well as one in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. He attended state occasions, such as the funeral of Henry VII, and

Thomas Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal (catholic), cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's Lord High Almoner, almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and ...

's appointment as cardinal.

Legacy

Salley died in December 1516. His heart and bowels were buried at the high altar in

St Tewdric's Church St Tewdric's Church is a Church in Wales parish church in Mathern, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is purportedly built over the resting place of Tewdrig, Saint Tewdrig for whom it is named. A church has been located on the site since the 6th century. I ...

and his body was buried in The Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol, where a fine chest tomb surmounted by his effigy exists on the north wall of the chancel. In his will, he left items and money to a number of organisations including

Llandaff Cathedral Llandaff Cathedral () is a Church in Wales cathedral and parish church in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and ...

, Mathern church, Eynsham Abbey and St Mark's hospital

Sources

Parker, W.R., St Mark's or The Mayor's Chapel, Bristol (Formerly Called the Church of the Gaunts), Bristol, 1892
pp. 163–165

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salley, Miles Abbots of Eynsham Bishops of Llandaff 16th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Year of birth missing 15th-century births 1516 deaths 15th-century English clergy People of the Tudor period 15th-century Christian abbots