CROXDKN ABBEY. 115 



To him may be attributed the cellary or west wing of the 

 monastery, called in later times the Billysdon building 

 (corrupted into Botelston). He "departed to Christ" on 

 the 8th July, 1293, and was buried in the chapter house 

 on the north side of Thomas the first abbot. The Abbey 

 was then vacant for nearly a year. 



On Holy Trinity day (1st June, 1294,) Richard de 

 Twyford, " a man excelling in all religion and devotion," 

 was elected father of this monastery. He, after three years' 

 faithful ministration, paid the debt of human life, also on 

 Trinity day, 1297, after special devotion from his first 

 profession at the altar of the Holy Trinity. He was buried 

 in the chapter house, " beyond the pulpit," next to Walter 

 de Chacumb. The ordination to the priesthood of the 

 author of the chronicle was in his time, and in the night 

 after his burial it is recorded "that the church of Lek 

 (Leek) was burnt down, together with the whole town, 

 by accident." A vacancy of more than seven months 

 followed. 



William de Over was elected abbot on the 30th December, 

 1297. In 1300 the underkeeper emptied a large pool and 

 found but little fish, with the exception of 500 eels or 

 thereabouts. In 1301, on the day of the Blessed Mary 

 Magdalene, about the sixth hour, a great earthquake took 

 place, to such an extent that all the persons in the convent, 

 being at their first refection, were dismayed with a sudden 

 and unlooked-for trembling. In 1302, the bell of colloca- 

 tion was first hung in the church. The Chronicle records, 

 in 1303, " our wood of Lyewode was burned at our grange 

 of Chedle." In 1308 the abbot of the house being cited 

 to the general chapter, and not going, was deposed from 

 his office by the said chapter. He augmented the library 



