113 
THE MONUMENTS IN THE NAVE AND AISLE 
OF LANERCOST ABBEY. 
By THE Rev. H. WHITEHEAD. 
(Read at Brampton, March 8, 1892.) 
ENTERING by the west doorway, and turning at once to the left, 
we see on the north wall of the aisle a stone tablet, erected in 
1761 by the Rev. G. Story, vicar of Lanercost, in memory of the 
founder of the priory, Robert de Vallibus, and of his wife Ada 
_Engaine. The date of the foundation, incorrectly recorded on 
this tablet as 1116, is known to have been 1169. Robert de 
Vallibus, second Norman lord of Gilsland, was a notable man. 
He successfully defended Carlisle against William the Lion, king 
of Scotland, who vainly endeavoured by bribes and threats to 
induce him to surrender the city. It is difficult to believe that 
so brave a warrior could have been guilty of a cowardly murder. 
Yet it has been traditionally supposed that at a conference for the 
settlement of all differences between himself and the Celtic lord, 
_ Gils Bueth, who disputed his right to the barony, he treacherously 
caused his rival to be assassinated, and in expiation of this crime 
_ founded the priory. But historians are now agreed in acquitting 
him of this imputation ;* and we are therefore under no necessity 
_ to attribute the foundation of the priory to any lower motive than 
3 a sincere desire to establish a centre of religion and civilization in 
this once lawless and turbulent district. 
__ *On which subject see a paper on ‘‘Lanercost Priory” by Messrs. R. S. 
_ and C. J. Ferguson in the Cuméerland and Westmorland Archaological Trans- 
a 
ations, vol. i, pp. 95—8. 
7 8 
