RELIGIOUS HOUSES 



spiritualities were very small, amounting only to 

 6 41. 4^.,' and the monastery had but the one 

 rectory of Kingswood. 1 In virtue of that pos- 

 session the bishop of Worcester took procurations 

 from the monastery, and in 1283* and 1293* 

 GifFard lodged at the monastery instead of 

 taking a fee. 



The resources of Kingswood were much 

 straitened after the Black Death, and although 

 the generosity of the Berkeleys again stood the 

 convent in good stead,* there were financial 

 difficulties at thr end of the fourteenth century. 

 In 1398 Boniface IX granted a very lavish 

 indulgence to penitents who visited the church 

 of Kingswood on Whit Sunday and the four 

 following days, and gave alms for the repair of 

 the church." It was stated in 14.02 that on 

 account of the lack of lay brothers the lands 

 of the monastery were more than usually 

 uncultivated, and that the revenues then scarcely 

 amounted to 100.* 



During the course of the fifteenth century the 

 house regained some measure of prosperity. 

 Manors and granges were let on lease, and 

 shortly before the dissolution the convent only 

 cultivated at their own expense a small portion 

 of their land around the monastery." 



The abbot and convent showed a painful 

 anxiety to stand well with Cromwell. On 21 

 January, 1535, the prior, Thomas Reading, sent 

 Cromwell a little book which he had written in 

 support of the royal supremacy, begging him 

 ' to close up the eye of justice and open the eye 

 of pity to me and the religious men of this house 

 who have no succour except in your evangelical 

 charity.'* On 9 September the abbot sent a 

 friar as prisoner to Cromwell because he had 

 preached in his church in support of the eccle- 

 siastical headship of St. Peter. 10 The monastery 

 was surrendered on I February, 1538, by the 

 abbot, twelve monks, and one lay brother. 11 

 Probably on account of their extreme complais- 

 ance they all received a small sum of money 

 ' for their reward and finding,' in addition to 

 the promise of a pension. The abbot received 

 j6 13*. 4^., and a pension of 50, the prior 

 j3 6;. SV. and a pension of 6 131. \d. 

 the rest of the monks the sum of 2 \y. i,d. 

 each and pensions of 4. 131. 4</., or 4." The 



1 Dugdale, Man. v, 424. 



1 Ibid. 428. 



1 Wore. Epis. Rfg. Giffard (Wore. Hist. Soc.), 210. 



Ibid. 434. 



' Smyth, Livei of the Berkeleji, i, 338, 347. 



Col. Papal L. r, 263. 

 7 Ibid, v, 514. 



Dugdale, Man. v, 428. 



L. and P. Hen. fill, viii, No. 79. 



"> Ibid. No. 315. " Ibid, xiii, pt. i,No. 199. 



" Dngdilc op. cit. v. 429. One monk was absent. 

 L. and P. Hen. 111. xiii, pt. i, IOJI7 



novice had only 2, and the lay brother at his 

 own request was sent to another religious 

 house. 



The clear yearly revenues of the monastery in 

 1538 amounted to 232 O. 4</, n and were 

 drawn from the demesne lands, the manors of 

 Kingswood, Ozleworth, and Bagpath, Culkerton, 

 the granges of Ilbery, Bagston, Redge, Hyll, 

 Hazleton, Calcot, and land and rents in Acton, 

 Wotton, Nibley, Dursley, Berkeley, Stone, New- 

 port, Tetbury, Bley, Bristol, and Gloucester, and 

 the rectory of Kingswood. 



ABBOTS OF KINGSWOOD 14 



Pagan occurs circa i 1 49 1 



Hugh deposed n8o 16 



William succeeded 1 1 80, deposed 1 1 8 1 " 



Eudo succeeded 1 1 8 i u 



William succeeded Ii88, w occurs circa 



1212* 



John occurs 1241 n 

 Samson occurs 1263 M 

 Robert of Tetbury occurs 1 303 w 

 Richard elected 1 3 1 9 ** 

 John Wodeland occurs 1441 ** 

 Walter Deryngs occurs 1435 : * 

 Thomas Neude occurs i^jo 37 

 Thomas Pyrton elected 1482 28 

 John Sodbury occurs 1503** 

 Robert Wolaston occurs 1 5 1 5 * 

 William Bewdley occurs 1535 " and 1538 ** 



An abbot's seal of the thirteenth century 

 represents the Virgin crowned standing under a 

 crocketed canopy with trefoiled arch supported 

 on slender shafts, the Child on her left arm ; in 

 the field outside a hatched pattern ; in base a 

 carved roundheaded arch, under it a destroyed 

 figure of the abbot.** 



11 Dugdale op. cit. v, p. 428. 



14 The abbots of Kingswood did not usually receive 

 benediction from the bishops of Worcester. No list 

 at all is given in the Monasticon. 



14 Dugdale op. cit. v, 426. 



" jinn. Man. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 242 ; Dugdale, op. cit. 

 v, 426. 



" Ann. Mm. (Rolls Scr.), ii, 242. 



" Ibid. " Ibid. 245. 



10 ]eye,Cata/cguf ofMun.ofLorJFttzharJinge, p. 36. 



11 Ibid. No. 273. "Ibid. No. 433. 

 Ibid. No. 468. 



" Wore. Epis. Reg. Cobham, fol. 13. 

 " Hiit. MSS. Com. Rep. v, App. i, 337. 



* Wore. Epis. Reg. Bourchier, fol. 10. 

 " Ibid. Carpenter ii, fol. 1 2. 



" Ibid. Alcock, fol. 97. 



** Ibid. Silvester de Giglis, fol. 33. 



* Ibid. fol. 142 d. 



" L. and P. Hen. fill, viii, No. 3 1 5. 

 ** Dugdale op. cit. v, 429. 



" Birch, Catalogue of Stall in Brlt'uh Museum, 

 i, 601. 



101 



