, CROXDEN ABBEY. 117 



his labour, but, beginning it afresh, he completed it, at 

 last, about the feast of All Saints. In 1319, Alveton 

 Castle and the patronage of the Abbey passed to the 

 Furnivals, Lords of Worksop and Sheffield. At this time 

 a plague or murrain visited the cattle through the whole 

 land, and this house sustained thereby a loss in cattle of 

 200 marks. The new Lord of Alveton, Thomas de Furnival, 

 made many exactions upon this house, to wit, certain daily 

 distributions of alms at the gate, the keeping of his horses 

 and hounds in any numbers he pleased to fix, the mainten- 

 ance at table of seven of his bailiffs from Alveton, every 

 sixth day throughout the year, in a room specially set apart 

 for their use. Thus and otherwise he caused great trouble 

 to the monks, until at length, under a writ, terms were 

 made by agreement as to these matters between the Lord 

 of Alveton and this house. In 1320, on the llth of 

 June, Richard de Esseby was again elected, nothing being 

 said of the death of Thomas de Castreton. From infirmity, 

 Richard de Esseby resigned his office a second time on 

 the 23rd May, 1329. He died in November, 1333, in the 

 52nd year of his profession and the 70th year of his age, 

 and was interred before the altar of St. Benedict, in the 

 south transept of the church. 



On the second resignation of Richard de Esseby in 1329, 

 Richard de Schepished was called to the charge on the 

 12th of June. In the following year it is said an eclipse 

 took place of the sun, in the afternoon of the 16th of 

 August. Before this, for two months and more, and after- 

 wards for three months, so great a fall of rain burst forth, 

 and so unusual and unseasonable was the state of the 

 atmosphere, that the crops could not ripen ; consequently 

 in several places of the country they did not begin to reap 

 until Michaelmas ; so that at Croxden they had scarcely 



