A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



of St. Guthlac's, Hereford, but sixteen voted 

 for John Huntley, the cellarer, and appealed to 

 the bishop of Worcester. However, Newton 

 was declared elected. On his death four years 

 later William Malvern or Parker, also an Oxford 

 scholar, who had taken the degree of bachelor 

 of divinity, was peacefully chosen. 1 The 

 registers of the last three abbots have survived, 8 

 and relate chiefly to the granting of leases and 

 presentations to livings. The manumission of 

 bondmen occurs not infrequently, and corrodies 

 were granted to faithful servants. In 1507 a 

 doctor entered into a contract to live in the 

 monastery and give his services ; he was allowed 

 to go away and see his friends for a week in 

 each quarter. 8 In 1515 an annuity was granted 

 to John Tucke, a bachelor of arts, in exchange 

 for his services as master of the grammar school 

 and of the song school. 4 He was appointed 

 to instruct in grammar the younger monks, 

 thirteen boys of the almonry, and five or six 

 boys who ' were apt in learning to sing.' 

 A special building in the monastery was set 

 apart and known as the schoolhouse in or 

 before isyS. 6 



In 1516 Abbot Parker made a fresh provision 

 for the distribution of a portion of the alms, 

 which were charged on the manor of Standish. 

 In accordance with the ordinance made by 

 Bishop Wulstan de Bransford in 1346 it was usual 

 every year to give away corn, gowns, and money 

 within the monastery. These occasions were 

 marked by much unseemly behaviour, ' brawling, 

 swearing, blaspheming, and fighting,' ' sick and 

 unthrifty persons ' resorted thither to the great 

 disquiet of the monastery. 6 As a remedy the 

 abbot and chapter founded a fraternity of the 

 Holy Cross of thirteen poor and honest men to 

 be called Peter's men, who were to be supported 

 chiefly out of the alms from Standish. They 

 were to be chosen from among the fathers and 

 brethren of the monks, servants who had spent 

 their youth in true service to the house, or from 

 impoverished and decayed tenants, preferably 

 those of Standish. 



The acknowledgement of the royal supremacy 

 was signed by the abbot and thirty-five monks, 

 31 August, I534- 7 In 1538 Henry VIII sent 

 an imperative request to the abbot and convent 

 to recall the prior and monks from the cell of 

 Stanley St. Leonard and grant a lease thereof to 

 Sir William Kingston. They had no choice 



1 Hist, et Cart. Glouc. (Rolls Ser.), Hi, pp. xlviii, 

 xlix. 



' Registers of Braunche, Newton and Parker 

 (2 vols.). (MSS. of Dean and Chapter of Glouc.) 



3 Reg. Braunche, fol. 145. 



4 Reg. Parker, I. fol. 24; Hist, et Cart. Glouc. 

 (Rolls Ser.), iii, 290 ; cf. Valor Ecdes. (Rec. ConO, 

 ii, 411. 



5 Hist, et Cart. Glouc. i, 53 (Rolls Ser.). 



6 Ibid, iii, Ixxvi-lxxxix. 

 ' Ibid. 1-liii. 



but to comply. 8 In 1539 Abbot Malvern died. 9 

 The monasteries were being surrendered every- 

 where. On 9 June, 1539, the prior, Gabriel 

 Morton, wrote in the name of the convent to 

 notify the abbot's death to Cromwell and to ask 

 how to proceed in petitioning for a new elec- 

 tion. 10 No reply seems to have been vouchsafed. 

 On 2 January, 1540, the monastery with its 

 cells was surrendered, 11 and the prior was dis- 

 charged with a pension of 20. The receiver 

 had the same amount, and twelve other monks 

 had pensions varying from 10 to 5." Other 

 monks and some of the servants of the house 

 who were left at the monastery under the charge 

 of Thomas Bisley, late prior of St. Guthlac's until 

 a scheme should be framed for a bishopric, also 

 received pensions. 13 



The clear yearly value of the property of the 

 monastery in 1535 amounted to 1,430 4*. 3</., 

 and including the four cells of Stanley St. 

 Leonard, Ewenny, St. Guthlac's, Hereford, and 

 Bromfield, 1,846 5*. 9^." 



The possessions of the monastery included 

 rents and tenements in Gloucester of the value 

 of over 150 a year, the manors of Tuffley, 

 Hartpury, Maisemore, Highnam, Droiscote, a 

 third of Lassington, Abload, Barnwood, Brook- 

 thorpe, and Harescombe, Abbot's Barton, Mat- 

 son, Wotton, Longford, Upton, Preston, King's 

 Barton, the hundred of Dodeston, the manors of 

 Boxwell and Leighterton, Frocester, Rudge and 

 Farley, Upleadon and Highleadon, Cubberley, 

 the borough and manor of Northleach and 

 Eastington, the manors of Aldsworth, Coin 

 Rogers, Coin St. Aldwyn, Eastleach, Ampney 

 St. Peter, Duntisbourne, Buckland and Staverton, 

 Hinton, Clifford, Standish, Churcham, Rudford, 

 and Rodley in Gloucestershire ; in Hampshire 

 the manors of Linkenholt and Littleton ; in 

 Herefordshire of Hope Mansel, Brompton, 

 Monkhide, Ullingswick, Dewchurch and Kil- 

 peck ; in Glamorganshire of Tregoff; and the 

 rectories of St. Mary de Lode, Holy Trinity 

 with the chapel of Grasslane in Gloucester, 

 Hartpury, Maisemore, Barnwood, Frocester, 

 Northleach, Coin St. Aldwyn, Kempsford, 

 South Cerney, Standish, Churcham, Cowarne, 

 Tregoff, Glasbury and Devennock, Newport 



8 Reg. Parker, ii. fol. 163. (MSS. of Dean and 

 Chapter of Glouc.) 



L. and P. Hen. VIII, xiv, pt. i, No. 1096. The 

 belief that Abbot Parker refused to surrender his 

 house and therefore lost his pension is first found in 

 Brown Willis. Cf. Dugdale, Man. i, 536. Cf. 

 Hist, et Cart. Glouc. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 1-liii. It has 

 also given rise to the theory that Abbot Parker's body 

 was not buried in his tomb in the choir. 



10 Ibid. 



11 Ibid, xv, No. 139 iv. 



18 Hist, et Cart. Glouc. (Rolls Ser.), iii, p. liv. 

 13 L. and P. Hen. VIII, xv, No. 139, iv ; Aug. Off. 

 Bk. 494, fol. 93. 

 " Valor Ecclei. (Rec. Com.), ii, 422. 



60 



