FORD ABBEY. 137 



of the abbey is there composed were largely taken from Mrs. 

 Maria Allen's History of Ford Abbey, which had been published 

 about four years after the change of Ford Abbey from Devon to 

 Dorset, supplemented by Pulman's Book of the Axe (Ed. 1854), 

 who again was largely indebted for his information to the same 

 source. To these authorities I have added that of Dr. J. H. Pring, 

 who published his Memoirs of Thomas CJiard (which contains 

 some very fine plates of Abbot Chard's part of the building the 

 Tudor part ) in 1864, having had in turn the advantage of con- 

 sulting both these writers. Both Mrs. Allen's and Dr. Pring's 

 works are, I believe, now scarce. 



My present paper therefore cannot but be in the main a mere 

 compilation from these authorities, and as such I must disclaim 

 any credit in the way of literary merit for the following hurried 

 and somewhat disjointed notes notes which, however they may 

 satisfy the interest for the time being of our Society when in 

 the field, yet are now subjected to a much more severe test 

 when criticized by those members in the silent pages of our 

 " Proceedings." 



Romantic as is the scenery amidst which Ford Abbey stands, 

 still more romantic were the circumstances which gave rise to 

 the foundation of this famous Abbey. Baldwin de Brionne in 

 Normandy married Albreda, niece of William the Conqueror, and 

 by her had a son Richard and a daughter Adeliza or Adelicia. 

 To this Richard was given by the king the barony of Okehampton, 

 in the county of Devon, and in his old age he became as devout as 

 in his youth he had been valiant. He gave his lands at Bnghtley, 

 within the honour of Okehampton, to an abbey of the Cis- 

 tercian order, which he founded there in 1133, and procured 

 Gilbert, Abbot of Waverley, in Surrey, to send a convent of his 

 own monks there, and raised the necessary buildings for them. 

 Richard himself died and was buried there ; and, leaving no 

 issue, left the whole of his estates to his sister Adeliza, amongst 

 which was the manor of Thorncombe. The monks resided five 

 years at Brightley, but owing to great want and the barrenness of 



