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Abbot, and was summoned to Gloucester for that purpose. His connection with 

 the great Abbey of St. Peter must have been a great security to him, living in 

 such lawless parts as the Marches of Wales. If he were injured, or unjustly 

 deprived of his rights, his lord would be both able and willing to procure redress. 

 There was a diflference between Kilpeck and the other dependent Priories 

 of St. Peter. Whereas the others were at one time independent foundations, 

 and were led for security, or to please their patrons, to incorporate themselves with 

 the Abbey of Gloucester, Kilpeck was never entirely free, but was founded after 

 the Priory lands had been bestowed upon the Abbey. There are very few 

 references to Kilpeck in the Abbey Registers. The history of the Priory has 

 yet to be discovered. That it had a history may be considered certain, for Kilpeck 

 was on the road from Hereford to South Wales, and had a strong fortress in its 

 immediate neighboiirhood. For many years after its foundation the restless 

 Welsh made incursions in the direction of Hereford, and the monks had the 

 choice of taking refuge within the Castle walls, or suffering at the hands of an 

 unsparing foe. 



There were three Papal confirmations of the Priory of Kilpeck to the Abbey 

 of Gloucester : by Pope Clement III. in 1190 ; by Celestine III. in 1195 ; and by 

 Innocent III. in 1200. 



Hugh Foliot, Bishop of Hereford 1219—1234, with the assent of Richard, 

 Prior of Kilpeck, and Adam, vicar of Dewchurch, arranged what part of the 

 Priory tithes were to be received by the said vicar, and what privileges and 

 responsibilities belonged to him. 



Thomas de Bredon, Abbot 1224—1228, purchased eight acres of land below 

 the garden of St. Uavid, half a meadow and half a wood of Roger Walensis, son of 

 Roger, and then let them to him, to hold of the Priory of Kilpeck for twelve 

 shillings annually. This transaction shows us the relative positions of the Abbey 

 and the Priory. Whenever there was any important business to be transacted it 

 was done in the name of the Abbot. At other times the Prior was in command. 

 Still, as time went on, no doubt the authority was more and more centralised 

 until the Prior became simply an inferior officer of the Abbey. 



In 1266-7, the rents or fees which are said to be due to the Abbot for his 

 personal use from the Priory of Kilpeck are two shillings and sixpence. In the 

 same year there was a survey made of the Abbey manors. Kilpeck and Dew- 

 church do not appear, thus showing that the Priory was still comparatively 

 independent. In 1271, John Le Breton, Bishop of Hereford, in a confirmation of 

 the Abbey property in his diocese, mentions Kilpeck Priory as a dependent cell. 

 In 1276, Reginald de Homme, Abbot of St. Peter's, let the lands and premises, 

 which had been bought by Thomas de Bredon of Roger Walensis, to William 

 Shrivenham, Prior of Kilpeck, for seven shillings annually. These are stated to 

 be worth eight shillings a year, but the Prior made a reduction of one shilling 

 annually. This shows that the rental value of this land had decreased 33 per cent, 

 during the half -century, as Roger rented it at twelve shillings a year. 



In 1284, William de Shrivenham was summoned to Gloucester, as Prior of 

 Kilpeck, to assist in the election of a new Abbot ; and one of the Priors, John de 



