TAUNTON TRIORY. Ö 



well, into a prebend in the Cathcdral Church of Wells. 

 The instrument * asserts tlmt altbougli the land in queg.- 

 tion, a hide in extent, as indeed its name implies, had 

 been known of ancient times to be the property of 

 the Church, it had been by the favour of the bishop's 

 predecessors so transferred to the power and possession 

 of many persons both clerical and lay, among whom 

 were Walter de Moretan, Alfred, and E.ichard de Mon- 

 tacute, tliat it was in danger of being altogetber alien- 

 ated from its rightful ownership; and tbat therefore, to 

 ävoid any such mischance, it was released from its dan- 

 gerous uncertainty of tenure, and constituted a perpetual 

 prebend as aforesaid. The document bears date the 4th of 

 November, 1159; and the wltnesses — which, I may add, 

 constitute a very valuable list, as more than one among 

 them are the earliest superiors of their monasteries whose 

 names have as yet been recovered — are Ivo, Dean of Wells, 

 and bis Convent ; Peter, Prior of Bath, and bis Convent ; 

 Alan, Abbat of Muchelney ; Benedict, Abbat of Athelney ; 

 Robert, Prior of Glastonbury ; William, Prior of Mon- 

 tacute ; Stephen, Prior of Taunton; William, Prior of 

 Bruton ; and the Archdeacons ßobert and Thomas. This 

 is the earliest Prior in our list of those dignitaries, and the 

 present is the earliest date at which he appears. 



The same Stephen, togetber with bis fraternity, made to 

 Eeginald, Bp. of Bath, who governed that sce from the 

 year 1174 to 1191, various concessions of episcopal dues in 

 respect of thcir churches and chapels, with express reser- 

 vation, bowever, of the chapels of S. James, S, George 

 de Fönte (Wilton), S. Margaret's hospital chapel (near the 

 almshouse beyond the East-reach turnpike-gate), and S. 



* MS. Harl. G9C8, pp. 24, 25. 



