A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



the greater part of the lands belonging to the canons of St. Oswald at 

 Gloucester were in the possession of another great pluralist, Stigand, arch- 

 bishop of Canterbury. 1 It was perhaps because the monastery at Deerhurst 

 was in decay that about 1059 Edward the Confessor granted much of the 

 property to the Benedictine monastery at St. Denis, reserving the remainder 

 for the new foundation of St. Peter at Westminster. 2 Tewkesbury was only 

 a small cell of the Benedictine house of Cranbourne in Dorset. 8 In 1058, 

 after the monastery of St. Peter at Gloucester had been destroyed by fire, it 

 was rebuilt by Aldred, bishop of Worcester; but in 1061, on account of 

 the expense, he took possession of some of the lands of the monks and 

 annexed them to the see of York.* Monastic life at St. Peter's languished 

 under the rule of Abbot Wilstan ; and when he died in 1072, while on a 

 pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the convent consisted only of two monks and eight 

 novices. 6 It is probable, however, that zeal and energy were conspicuous in 

 the monastery of Winchcombe ; Abbot Godric, who began to rule there in 

 1054, was one of Edward the Confessor's own chaplains. 6 



William of Malmesbury has given a striking account of the condition of 

 the diocese of Worcester under Bishop Wulfstan (106295), from the 

 biography by his chaplain, Coleman. 7 Wulfstan was of English birth, and 

 was educated in the monasteries of Evesham and Peterborough, and at 

 Worcester he filled the offices of schoolmaster and prior before he became 

 bishop. He had not the learning of the Normans ; indeed, he neither knew 

 nor cared to know ' the fables of the poets and the tortuous syllogisms of 

 dialecticians.' 8 In 1078 Lanfranc contemplated deposing him on account of 

 his ignorance, but wisely stayed his hand. 9 It is scarcely an exaggeration to 

 say that no other bishop in England was in such close personal relations with 

 his people. 10 Not only in his vigorous youth, but even when his hair was 

 white with age, he travelled constantly throughout his diocese, holding large 

 confirmations, 11 and never passing a church without going in to celebrate 

 mass or to preach to the people in their own Saxon tongue. 12 He was a 

 homely preacher, adapting his sermons to the understanding of his congrega- 

 tion, and everywhere the people flocked in great numbers to hear him. 13 He 

 made a regular visitation of his see once a year, clergy and people being 

 summoned to meet him by the two archdeacons of Worcester and Gloucester. 14 

 He was not only beloved by the poor, but high-born youths came under his 

 influence, and put off their pride to serve the weak and lowly at his bidding. u 

 He exerted all his power to stop the slave trade of Bristol, sometimes making 

 a stay of two or three months to preach against it, until his efforts were 

 successful. 16 It was perhaps in order that the bishops of the diocese might 

 have a place of residence near the rapidly-growing port of Bristol that he 

 restored the monastery at Westbury-on-Trym, rebuilding the church and 



1 Taylor, 'Domesday Surv. of Glouc.' (Brist. and Glouc. Arch. Sot.), 14, 95. 



' V. C.H. Glouc. Relig. Houses, Deerhurst, 103. 3 Ibid. Tetvkeibury, 61. 



I Hist, et Cart. Glouc. (Rolls Ser.), i, 9. Ibid, i, 10. 

 6 cf. V. C. H Glouc. Reiig. Houses, Winchcombe, 66. 



' Wharton, Vita S. Wulstam, Angl. Sacr. ii, 241-70. 



8 Will, of Malmes. Gesta Pontif. (Rolls Ser.), 279. Ibid. 



10 Wharton, Angl. Sacr. ii, 261, &c. 



11 Ibid.257- The numbers illustrate the usual exaggeration with regard to figures of the mediaeval writer. 



II Ibid. 257. "Ibid. 252. " Ibid. 262. 

 "Ibid. 261. "Ibid. 258. 



