RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



William Isaac, appointed 1262* 

 Henry, occurs 1310* and 1311* 

 William of Campden, occurs 1347* 

 Thomas Norton, occurs 1 374 'and in2i Ric.II. 

 Richard Worcester, occurs 1394 * and 1400' 

 William Newport, occurs 1454* 

 William, occurs 1465 ' 



John Aston, occurs 1486" 

 Robert Cheltenham, occurs 1523" 

 Robert Circeter, occurs 1535 " and 1539" 



The prior's seal attached to a deed dated 

 1486 " is a small signet, and represents an eagle 

 displayed, within a cabled border. 10 



HOUSES OF AUGUSTINIAN CANONS 



6. THE ABBEY OF ST. AUGUSTINE 

 AT BRISTOL 



The monastery of St. Augustine was founded 

 as a house of Augustinian canons by Robert 

 Fitzharding, 10 a rich citizen of Bristol. During 

 the civil war he supported the cause of the 

 Empress Matilda and her son, and in reward was 

 granted the lordship of Berkeley. 11 In 1142 he 

 resolved to found a religious house in his manor 

 of Billeswick. 1 * The church and monastic 

 offices were six years in building. On 1 1 April, 

 1148, the church was dedicated by the bishops of 

 Worcester, Exeter, Llandaff, and St. Asaph, and 

 six canons from Wigmore entered into possession 

 of the new monastery. 1 * The endowment con- 

 sisted of the manors of Billeswick, Almonds- 

 bury, Horfield, Ashleworth, Cromhall, Leigh near 

 Bristol, Cerney, Fifhide, lands and tenements at 

 St. Katherine's of the fee of Portbury, at Arling- 

 ham, at Blakenford, rents in Bristol, the churches 

 of Tickenham, Were, Poulet, Portbury, Berke- 

 ley, Wotton, Cromhall, Beverstone, Ashleworth, 

 Almondsbury, Cheshull, Portishead, Langstone, 

 Rualach, and St. Nicholas, Bristol, the gift of 

 Robert Fitzharding and his sons. 14 As some of 

 the manors were held by Fitzharding of the crown 

 in chief, and were confirmed to the canons ' in 



1 Aim. Mm. (Rolls Ser.), i, 1 60. 



1 Cal. of Pat. 4 Edw. II, pt. i, m. 22^. 



' Birch, Orig. Doc. relating to Bristol, n. 36. 



4 Wore. Ep'u. Reg. Bransford, fol. 1320". 



' Nicolls and Taylor, Bristol Past and Present, 

 ii, 30. 



' Ibid, ii, 36. Birch, op. cit. No. 77. 



7 Birch, op. cit. No. 132. Cal. of Pat. 2 Hen. IV, 

 pt. 7, m. n. 



' Bickley, Little Red Book of Bristol, i, 236. 



' Bickley, Calendar of Bristol Deeds, n. 262. 

 " Dugdale, Man. vi, 363 ; Smyth, Lives of the 

 Berkeley s (ed. Maclean), i, 36. 

 11 Ibid, i, 42. u Ibid. 26. 



u There is some confusion about the date; cf. Ricarfs 

 Calendar (Camd. Soc.), p. 22. Brist. and Glouc. Arch. 

 Soc. Trans, xiv, 125 5 Smyth, op. cit. i, 35 ; Dug- 

 dale, op. cit. vi, 344. 



14 Dugdale, op. cit. vi, 366 ; Smyth, op. cit. i, 36, 

 45, 51, 66. Some of these possessions were granted at 

 the dedication. The manor of Berkeley and Bcrkle- 

 herness was not made over to Robert Fitzharding by 

 Henry, duke of Normandy, until 1152 ; Brist. and 

 Glouc. Arch. Soc. Trans, viii, 205. 



perpetual alms ' by Henry, duke of Normandy, 

 he was reputed a founder of the house." He 

 granted the canons a rental of 10 marks, and 

 promised another gift of equal value when he 

 came into his kingdom." The monastery pros- 

 pered greatly; before 1189 the canons had 

 received numerous other benefactions, including 

 the churches of Clevedon, Finemere, Halberton, 

 Grantendon, All Saints, Bristol, and in Wales 

 lands at Penarth and the church of Romeney.** 

 In or before the reign of Richard I they acquired 

 lands and several churches in Ireland.* 4 Thus it 

 is clear that the monastery was liberally endowed, 

 and successive lords of Berkeley ** showed them- 

 selves generous patrons of the foundation of their 

 ancestor, Robert Fitzharding, who died a canon 

 of the house. 5 * However, its history is marked 

 by financial embarrassment and a lack of govern- 

 ance which led to internal dissensions. 



The monastery was subject to the visitation of 

 the bishops of Worcester. In 1234 William of 

 Blois deposed Abbot David on account of his 

 quarrels with the convent. 87 One of the first 

 acts of his successor, William of Bradstone, was 

 to conclude an important agreement in 1234 

 with the mayor and commonalty of Bristol, by 

 which they acquired for nine marks sufficient 

 land on St. Augustine's Marsh to make a new 

 quay.* 8 In the following year the abbot and 

 convent began to build the church of St. Augus- 

 tine the Less for persons dwelling on their side 



15 Harl. Chart. 75, A. 29 (Brit. Mus.) 



" Jeayes, Catalogue of Muniments of Lord Fitzhardinge, 

 p. 107. 



" Valor Eccles. (Rec. Com.), ii, 484, 485. 



" Dugdale, op. cit. ii, 57. 



" Harl. Chart. 75, A. 29 (Brit. Mu.) 



" Birch, Catalogue of Seals in Brit. Mus. MSS. Def. i, 

 461. 



" Red Book of St. Augustine's, Berkeley Castle MSS. 

 fols. 17, 1 8. 



n Ibid. fol. 1 8. "Ibid. fol. 18-20. 



14 Ibid. fol. 2 if. The possessions in Ireland included 

 the rectories of Casteldonagh, Dissert, and Kilfcragh, 

 the rectory of Inhorollyn, besides lands ; L. and P. 

 Hen. Ylll, xii, pt. ii, No. 1310 (26) and (39). 



K Smyth, op. cit. i, 86, 109, 127, 201. 



* Brist. and Glouc. Arch. Soc, Trans, xiv, 125. 

 17 Ann. Mon. (Rolls Scr.), i, 93. 



* Ric art's Calendar (Camd. Soc.), 28, 29 ; c Bickley, 

 Little Red Book of Bristol, i, 22. 



75 



