VOL. XVII. (3) WATER SUPPLY OF GLOUCESTER 353 



HISTORICAL NOTE 

 By ROLAND AUSTIN 



Until nearly the middle of the fifteenth century, Gloucester 

 must — so far as any supply to the community was concerned 

 — have been dependent for water on the River Severn, and on 

 shallow wells sunk into the gravel. Extant records show, how- 

 ever, that from an early date these sources did not meet the 

 requirements of the Monastic Houses in the City, and evidence 

 exists of the use of the springs at Matson and the neighbouring 

 hill of Robins Wood from early in the thirteenth century. 

 It seems reasonable to suppose that for communities such as 

 the Abbey of St. Peter's, the Grey Friars, and others, it would 

 be necessary to secure an adequate supply of fresh water, and 

 probably very early in their history the springs of Matson 

 were drawn upon, for the Abbey was possessed of the Church 

 of " Mattesdon " in the time of Wilham the Abbot (Wilham 

 Godeman, 1113-1130)', and in the reign of Henry III. held 

 the Manor from the Crown. The Cartulary of the Monastery 

 of St. Peter records a grant made by Henry I., permitting the 

 monks the use of 



" the water which is called Fulbrook, which runs beside their Abbey, 

 that they may turn and dispose it and draw it off through their offices 

 at their pleasure."^," 



and also that a conduit was made by Helias of Hereford, who 

 was sacrist in 1222, and till 1237."* The Fullbrook was an 

 overflow from the Twyver, which crosses the present Cattle 

 Market and runs down the Black Dog yard. The brook took 

 the hne of the ditch on the north side of the City and turned 

 the Abbey mill-wheel in Miller's Green, now Palace Yard.' 

 Another almost contemporary record concerns the Friars Minor, 

 or Grey Friai^s, of Gloucester. Among the City muniments is 

 a copy of a grant from 



" William Gerard, of Matesdon, to the Friars Minor of Gloucester, 

 of the use of the spring on his land of Matisnoll in the place called 

 ' Breresclowe '."« 



This copy is stated by Mr W. H. Stevenson to be in a late 

 fifteenth century hand, and from the witnesses' names it is 

 evident that the original dated from about 1220-1260. 



1 W. Bazelev, Trans. Bristol and Gloucs. A. S., vol. ii., p. 243. 



2 " Historia et Cartularium Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucestrije," cd. W. H. Hart (Rolls 

 Series), vol. i., p. 78. 3 St. John Hope, " Notes on the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter 

 at Gloucester." Archsological Journal, vol. liv., p. 115. 



4 " Hist, et Cart." vol. i., p. 28. 5 W. Bazelev, Trans. Bristol and Gloucs. A. S., vol. xvi., 



p. 198. 6 " Calendar of the Records of the Corporation of Gloucester." Ed. by W. H. Stevenson 

 (1893), p. 351. 



