Countess Ela of Salisbury was born in Amesbury, England. She was the only child of William, 2nd Earl of Salisbury. She inherited large estates in Wiltshire, England from her father. The estates had been given to Ela's 3-ggrandfather, Walter, by William the Conqueor after the defeat of King Harold, when English lands were taken from previous Saxon owners and redistributed among new Norman hierachy. Ela married William Longespee(illegitimate son of King Henry 11 of England and Ida de Tosny.) She was the mother of eight children. Ela joined Lacock Abbey as a nun in 1238 and became it's first abbess in 1241. She was buried in the choir of the abbey church before the High Alter. The church was demolished and today her tombstone is in the center of the Cloister Court at Lacock Abbey.
Transcription from Latin: Below lie buried the bones of the venerable Ela, who gave this sacred house as a home for the nuns. She also lived here as holy abbess and Countess of Salisbury, full of good works.
Transcription from Latin: Below lie buried the bones of the venerable Ela, who gave this sacred house as a home for the nuns. She also lived here as holy abbess and Countess of Salisbury, full of good works.
Countess Ela of Salisbury was born in Amesbury, England. She was the only child of William, 2nd Earl of Salisbury. She inherited large estates in Wiltshire, England from her father. The estates had been given to Ela's 3-ggrandfather, Walter, by William the Conqueor after the defeat of King Harold, when English lands were taken from previous Saxon owners and redistributed among new Norman hierachy. Ela married William Longespee(illegitimate son of King Henry 11 of England and Ida de Tosny.) She was the mother of eight children. Ela joined Lacock Abbey as a nun in 1238 and became it's first abbess in 1241. She was buried in the choir of the abbey church before the High Alter. The church was demolished and today her tombstone is in the center of the Cloister Court at Lacock Abbey.
Transcription from Latin: Below lie buried the bones of the venerable Ela, who gave this sacred house as a home for the nuns. She also lived here as holy abbess and Countess of Salisbury, full of good works.
Transcription from Latin: Below lie buried the bones of the venerable Ela, who gave this sacred house as a home for the nuns. She also lived here as holy abbess and Countess of Salisbury, full of good works.
Family Members
See more Longespee or fitzPatrick memorials in:
- Lacock Abbey Longespee or fitzPatrick
- Lacock Longespee or fitzPatrick
- Wiltshire Unitary Authority Longespee or fitzPatrick
- Wiltshire Longespee or fitzPatrick
- England Longespee or fitzPatrick
- Find a Grave Longespee or fitzPatrick
