114 CROXDEN ABBEY. 



wall round half of the Abbey. At his death it is said he 

 had completed the Abbey to the utmost. The dedication 

 of the church took place under his rule in 1253. He 

 departed this life on the 28th June, 1268, "leaving the 

 memory of himself in blessedness to posterity." 



The Abbey was then vacant for four months and three 

 days, but on St. Peter's day, 1268, William de Howton 

 succeeded to the chair, who built the upper and lower 

 abbot's chambers in an admirable manner, giving for the 

 work 100 sterling. He also bought a Bible in nine 

 volumes, with excellent notes, for fifty marks sterling, glossed 

 by Master Solomon, archdeacon of Leicester. He died 

 abroad on the 16th September, 1274, probably attending 

 a chapter of the order, and was interred at the parent 

 abbey of the Cistercians, Citreaux, more than 400 abbots 

 attending his obsequies. On the 20th October in this 

 year died John de Verdun, " a mighty patron of this house," 

 and was buried before the high altar of the church. 



On the 13th December, 1274, Henry de Moysham 

 succeeded to the abbacy. He finished the wall round the 

 Abbey. He released himself from the burden of the pastoral 

 care, and retired from his charge by reason of weakness, 

 on the day of St. Barnabas the Apostle, 1284, and died 

 in 1286. 



John de Billysdon, " a man exceeding all in gentleness," 

 succeeded on the same day that his predecessor resigned. 

 "This man could in truth and reality be called by the 

 name of John :" he was greatly beloved in the eyes of all 

 who beheld him. " He abounded also in richness of corn, 

 wine, and oil." So plentiful was the harvest in 1288, 

 that carts eould not be found to carry the hay and corn. 



