A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



His own gifts besides contributions to these 

 works consisted of 17 choral copes, 5 chasubles 

 and several books." Before his death, which 

 occurred 3 November 1290," the prior John 

 Maryns approached the king" about the 

 vacancy, but to no purpose. The convent's 

 worst fears of the escheator's rapacity were 

 reaHzed.^ 



When the new abbot John de Berkhampstead 

 returned from the papal court he found the 

 abbey so impoverished that he was unable to 

 discharge the obligations contracted in Rome 

 at the terms fixed.^* His benediction had been 

 delayed through a grievance of the Friars 

 Minors against his predecessor.'" For the 

 moment restitution of temporalities, too, seemed 

 likely to be deferred owing to a defect in the 

 seal of the bull of confirmation .'' However, the 

 abbot was at last installed on 22 June 1291, 

 and gave a splendid feast.'^ 



In November 1292, apparently at the sugges- 

 tion of the Prior and convent of Tynemouth, 

 the king laid claim to the advowson of that 

 priory, of which he said he had been wrongly 

 deprived.^^ The abbot wisely decided to submit 

 to Edward's favour, and in May 1293 received 

 a grant of the advowson in perpetuity.'* Pro- 

 bably John was at that time unaware of the 

 part played by the prior, for he made no move 

 until two or three years later. Then he effected 

 a sudden and secret entrance into Tynemouth 

 with an armed force, seized the prior and several 

 of the convent and sent them in fetters to 

 St. Albans, on the ground that they had intended 

 to revolt.'^ The abbot had also difficulty, 

 though of a difiEerent kind, over Wymondham 

 Priory. Sir Robert de Tateshall, out of revenge 

 for the withdrawal of a liver)','* twice prevented 

 him holding a visitation here." Possibly the 

 abbot lacked tact. It seems at least that a 

 little pliability would have saved him these 



" Gesta Jiiat. i, 482-3. 



^* Roger was ill for three years or more before he 

 died. 



*' When he was at the abbey (ibid, ii, 4). 



'^ Ibid. 4-6. He turned out the tenants of the 

 abbot's manors and even seized the convent's estates, 

 but these he was forced by royal writ to relinquish. 



^ Ibid. 19. He had borrowed 1,300 marks. 



'" Ibid. l2-l6. Roger as conserv.itor of the privi- 

 leges of Westminster Abbev and of the Cistercians 

 had been obliged to oppose them. 



" Gfsta Abbat. ii, 18. 



32 Ibid. 



3' Ibid. 19-20 ; Plac. de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 

 58;. 



'■* Cal. Pat. 1292-1301, p. 1 1 ; Gesta Abbat. ii, 

 20-1. 



'' Gesta Abbat. ii, 21-3. 



'* The liver}' was due to the patron, and Tateshall's 

 right to the patronage was questionable. 



3' Gesta Abbat. ii, 63-6. 



affronts and the unpleasantness with Arch- 

 bishop Winchelsey.'* 



The villeins again gave trouble and the 

 abbot used excommunication," and in 1297 

 invoked the law against those who tried to 

 injure St. Albans." 



On the financial side the abbot had many 

 anxieties. He began his rule in pecuniary 

 embarrassment, and taxation at this time was 

 very heavy. The bull clericis laicos made 

 matters, of course, no easier : the abbot still 

 paid a subsidy to the king, and had to endure 

 also cessation of all services at the abbey until 

 he could buy papal absolution." In 1300 he 

 was disturbed by the pope's demand for 

 1,000 marks *^ deposited in the abbey by the 

 papal collectors and borrowed in 1286 by the 

 king.** The abbey had to find the money," 

 but over this transaction it did not make a bad 

 bargain. The king on 20 July 1 301 confirmed 

 their charters,^^ and granted that the prior and 

 convent should have the custody of the house 

 at every vacancy for 1,000 marks *° ; he, more- 

 over, remitted all their debts to him.*' 



The abbot's shortcomings appear to have 

 been the result of financial straits. He sold 

 much wood and burdened the house with pen- 

 sions and hveries.** Though kind and affable, 

 he was hated by many because he removed the 

 priors of cells for very slight reasons after he 

 had received large sums of money from them. 

 He was religious, too, yet he made no provision 

 for masses for his soul and deprived the con- 

 vent of the manor of Childwick, given to them 

 by Abbot Roger to keep his anniversary.^' 

 He died, worn out by cares, in October 1301.^" 



3' When Winchelsey in I 300 asked to stay at the 

 abbey, John required him first to seal a letter of 

 indemnity. The archbishop declined and lodged in 

 the town, and naturally saw intentional slighli to 

 himself in every pretension of St. Albans to exemp- 

 tion (ibid. 47-8). Abbot John had made no diffi- 

 culty about receiving Archbishop Boniface in 1253 

 {Chren. Maj. v, 414), nor Abbot Roger about Arch- 

 bishop Peckham's stay in 1280 {Geita Abbat. i, 



444)- 



'' Gesta Abbat.'n, 23-4. 



*° Ca/. Pat. 1 292-1 30 1, p. 316. 



^1 Gesta Abbat. ii, 26-7. 



« Ibid. 28. 



*' Cal. Pat. 1281-92, p. 232. 



** Cal. Close, 1296-1302, p. 430. 



" Gesta Abbat. ii, 35 ; Cal. Chart. R. 1300-26, 

 pp. 17-21. 



*^ Gesta Abbot, ii, 31-4; Cal. Pat. 1292-1301, 

 p. 604. If the house vras vacant for more than a 

 year a proportionate amount was to be paid in 

 addition. 



*' Abbrev. Rot. Orig. (Rec. Com.), i, 114 ; Gesta 

 Abbat. ii, 34. 



** Gesta Abbat. ii, 51. 



" Ibid. 



'« Ibid. 50. 



384 



