RELIGIOUS HOUSES 





In 1175 Abbot Henry obtained from 

 Alexander III a bull confirming the lands and 

 churches then held by the monastery, and at the 

 same time restraining the abbots from alienating 

 any of them without the consent of the chapter. 1 

 The pope also exempted the monks from pay- 

 ment of tithes on land newly brought into 

 cultivation by them or at their expense, or on 

 the young of their flocks and herds. In a 

 general interdict he allowed them to hold ser- 

 vices with closed doors and without ringing of 

 bells. Prior Crispin, a man of pure and reli- 

 gious life, was elected by the monks in 1 1 8 1 .* 

 His skill in worldly matters showed itself 

 in the policy, continued by his successor, of 

 buying up lands and rights. 1 He proposed to 

 rebuild the cloisters, but died suddenly within a 

 year. 4 



The name of Abbot Robert III (1194-1221) 

 was gratefully remembered at Winchcombe. 

 During his rule the new church was completed, 

 and the building of the cloisters and monastic 

 offices followed.* 



In or about 1194 Henry de Soilli, bishop of 

 Worcester, allowed the convent to draw a yearly 

 pension of five marks from the church of 

 Sherborne for the building and maintenance of 

 their church.* In 1206, with the consent of 

 the chapter, Abbot Robert set aside the tithes of 

 Stanton and Snowshill for a fabric fund, decree- 

 ing that except at a time of famine and distress 

 the endowment should not be diverted to any 

 other purpose. 7 At a considerable cost he made 

 an aqueduct by which water was carried in 

 leaden pipes to the abbey from a spring at 

 Hanwell. 8 He increased the revenues of the 

 obedientiars,* and assigned certain rents in 

 Gloucester to provide wine for the convent on 

 St. Margaret's Day. 10 He instituted a solemn 

 mass of the Virgin on the morrow of St. Kenelm, 

 and ' because the labourer is worthy of his hire,' 

 he decreed that all who took part in it should be 

 present at a feast of geese and wine afterwards. 11 

 As a provision for charity he decreed that 100 

 poor should be feasted each year on the morrow 

 of All Saints. 11 In or about 1 200, at the heavy 

 price of over 558, he obtained from William 

 de Bethune the manors of Yanworth, Hazleton 

 and Hailing at a fee farm rent of 20 a year, 13 

 which was reduced in 1208 to ^IO. 14 In 1217 

 Daniel de Bethune remitted another i, and gave 

 the monastery the advowsons of the churches in 



1 Royce, op. cit. ii, 89 ; Dugdale, op. cit. ii, 303. 

 ' Royce, op. cit. i, 69. ' Ibid. 107, 108. 



4 Ibid. 70. 



* Ibid. 73 ; Dugdale, op. cit. ii, 3 1 2. 



4 Royce, op. cit. ii, 275. ' Ibid, i, 73. 



* Dugdale, op. cit. ii, 312. 



' Royce, op. cit. i, I 50, i 56. 

 " Ibid, i, 167. Ibid. 242, 243. 



" Dugdale, op. cit. ii, 312. 

 " Ibid. ; Royce, op. cit. i, 109 ; ii, 309, 310. 

 14 Royce, op. cit. ii, 312. 



& 



the three manors. 11 In or before 1251 the rent 

 was remitted altogether. 1 * 



About 1224 the church of Sherborne was 

 appropriated to the monastery for the use of 

 hospitality. 17 It was probably in accordance with 

 the constitution of the legate Otho, 18 that the 

 abbey church was solemnly dedicated by Walter 

 Cantilupe, bishop of Worcester, on 1 3 October, 

 1239." 



The abbacy of John Yanworth (1247-82) 

 was marked by somewhat reckless expenditure. 

 The acquisition of land was pursued at all costs. 

 About 1250 the manor of Dry Marston was 

 purchased from the prior and convent of Coven- 

 try for the large sum of 1,130 marks and a 

 yearly rent of i. K In 1251 rights of free 

 warren were granted by Henry III in the 

 demesne lands of nineteen manors belong- 

 ing to the convent.* 1 Another of the abbot's 

 early acts was to petition Alexander IV to 

 allow him to cancel long leases granted by his 

 predecessors, which he urged were greatly to the 

 detriment of his house.* 1 On 4 January, 1254, 

 Alexander IV sent a mandate to Robert, abbot 

 of Tewkesbury, to recover any of the lands 

 of Winchcombe which had been unlawfully 

 alienated.* 1 Abbot Kidderminster noted that 

 Yanworth increased the property of the monas- 

 tery in tithes, possessions, and spiritualities.* 4 

 The building of the Lady Chapel in the 

 cemetery continued.** During the last few years 

 of his rule very lavish corrodies were granted 

 in exchange for sums of ready money or as a 

 reward for faithful service. In 1276 Henry 

 Addie and Agnes his wife purchased a bountiful 

 supply of daily food for life for fifty-five marks. 1 * 

 In 1278 a wise provision was made for Walter 

 the mason of Hereford, who bound himself to 

 serve the abbot and his successors all his life, to 

 finish the new work as well as he knew how, 

 and to undertake no other building except for 

 the king.* 7 He was allowed to build a chamber 

 for himself next the granary, for which the abbot 

 was to find the stone and timber. He boarded 

 with the abbot's chief servants, but if he were ill 

 and confined to his room he was to have an 

 allowance of two monk's loaves, two noggins of 

 beer, and two dishes from the abbot's kitchen. 

 Food, clothes, and provender were provided for 

 his two servants and two horses. Each year he 

 was promised a robe for himself like that of the 

 steward, and if incapacitated by continuous sick- 

 ness or old age he was to have the same allow- 



" Ibid. 313. "Ibid. in. "Ibid. 275. 



' Wilkins, CmeiKa, \, 650. 

 * Ann. Mm. (Rolls Ser.), i, 112. 

 " Dugdale, op. cit. ii, 312 ; Royce, op. cit. i, 1 1. 

 " Cat. Chart. R. 35, Hen. Ill, m. 7. 



Royce, op. cit, ii, 87. Ibid. 



Dugdale, op. cit. ii. 312. 



Royce, op. cit. ii, xliv ; i, 245, 247. 

 * Ibid, i, 124 ; cf. 121, I2C. 

 "Ibid. 138. 





