A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



was to provide two good and sufficient courses 

 on fish and flesh days,** for by this time it was 

 permitted to eat meat. The amount of clothing 

 to be allotted yearly was fixed, and not left as 

 heretofore to the discretion of the chamberlain.** 

 There was to be a fund to supply the monks with 

 a few luxuries,** and this, with the money con- 

 tributed in like manner by obedientiaries and 

 priors of cells for the maintenance of scholars at 

 the university, was to be administered by a 

 committee of three chosen by the abbot, prior 

 and convent respectively.*^ For the encourage- 

 ment of learning at the monastery the abbot 

 provided special quarters for students and 

 changed the hour of one of the masses for 

 their convenience.*' 



As the result of actual losses *' Michael 

 forbade priors of cells and obedientiaries to act 

 as proxies or executors of wills or undertake any 

 public duty without the abbot's consent. Con- 

 stitutions were made by him also for the hospital 

 of St. JuHan and for Sopwell.** 



Michael's goodness and charm attracted to 

 the abbe/ an old knight. Sir Ralph Wedon, who 

 boarded there for a time and gave the convent 

 his manor of ' Heymundescote ' (possibly in 

 Amersham, co. Bucks.). For this, which it 

 was judged more prudent to sell, they received 

 500 marks.*' The stone quarry at Eglemount, 

 another of Michael's acquisitions, was useful 

 for his expensive building operations.*" From 

 motives of economy, since residence at Tytten- 

 hanger involved expensive hospitality, he pulled 

 down and sold his predecessor's hall there and 

 built a house at Bradway which was more 

 retired. *i He did much to the cloisters"^ and 

 finished the restoration of the south side of the 

 church.*' The abbot gave many books to the 

 church,** and costly oflFerings were made by 

 Dame Parnel de Banstead, who deserved remem- 

 brance, moreover, for her practical lesson to 

 the convent.*' 



^^ Gesta Abbat. ii, 304. *' Ibid. 309. 



** Ibid. 307-9. The sum given to each monk 

 varied according to his rank in the convent. 



*5 Ibid. 305. *8 Ibid. 306. 



*' The Prior of Wymondham had seriously involved 

 his house by acting as collector of wool (ibid. 313; 

 Cal. Pat. 1345-8, p. 404). 



** Gesta Abbat. ii, 315-16. 



«9 Ibid. 364. 90 Ibid. 363. 



" Ibid. 362-3. *2 Ibid. 362. 



*' Ibid. 361-2. The altars were consecrated by 

 Hugh Bishop of Damascus. 



** He spent over /lOO in this way (Cott. MS. 

 Nero, D vii, fol. 21). 



** Gesta Abbat. ii, 365-6. To secure herself from 

 robbers she brought into the abbey a box supposed to 

 contain treasure, but really filled with lead and sand, 

 as the monks found to their dismay when requested 

 to give it back. She reassured them, but pointed 

 out how unwise it was to receive any deposit without 

 examining it before witnesses. 



Abbot Michael fell a victim to the Black 

 Death in 1 349. He was taken ill on Thursday in 

 Holy \^'eek,*' grew rapidly worse and died on 

 Easter Day. He was gende, modest and just, 

 and was deeply mourned by all. 



Michael's speedy burial did not prevent the 

 spread of infection. The plague wrought havoc 

 at the abbey, where forty-seven monks died,*' 

 including the prior and sub-prior.** 



The abbot's election was as usual by way of 

 compromise, and the electors *' after Henry de 

 Stukle, Prior of Wymondham, had absolutely 

 declined office, chose another of their number, 

 Thomas de la Mare, Prior of Tynemouth.^"" There 

 could have been none better fitted for the post. 

 He had shown his ability in the offices of 

 kitchener and cellarer at St. Albans and in his 

 rule at Tynemouth ^ ; his goodness was as un- 

 doubted as his devotion to religion '' ; and, points 

 by no means unimportant, he was handsome, 

 well bred and well connected.* At that time 

 he was about forty years of age, in the prime of 

 life and vigour. His journey to Avignon was 

 not without dangers. One of the two monks 

 accompanying him died of the pestilence at 

 Canterbury, and owing to the disturbed state 

 of France the party separated at Calais, 

 where secular dress was assumed by all. At 

 the papal court one of the examiners, Cardinal 

 Gillelmo, hoping for presents, tried to delay the 

 proceedings, but his efforts were frustrated by 

 Cardinal Perigord, who had conceived a great 

 liking for the abbot-elect.* When confirmation 



** Gesta Abbat. ii, 369. Nevertheless he performed 

 all the services of that day without help. 



*' Gesta Abbat. ii, 370. What proportion of the 

 total number died is not known. There is no clue 

 to the size of the convent in early times except the 

 ordinance of John de Cella limiting the number of 

 monks to 100. 



9* Ibid. 381. The convent made Thomas de 

 Risburgh, S.T.P., prior, and he created John Wode- 

 rove sub-prior. 



** Nine in number {Cal. Papal Letters, iii, 339)- 



i«> Gesta Abbat. ii, 382. 



1 A full account is given in the Gesta Abbat. (ii, 

 373-5) of his profession under Abbot Hugh, who 

 placed him in the cell of Wymondham, of his life 

 there for ten years, his transference to St. Albans 

 under Abbot Michael and his promotion to be Prior 

 of Tynemouth. 



^ He is said to have been devout from childhood 

 (ibid. 372). As abbot he rose long before the 

 convent for private devotions and was regular in his 

 attendance at service, hearing three or four masses 

 daily and celebrating one (ibid, iii, 400). 



' His father John de la Mare was a knight, his 

 mother, the daughter of Sir John de Herpesfeld, and 

 he was related to William Montagu Earl of Salisbury, 

 William de la Zouche, lord of Harringworth, the 

 Grandisons, John de Seintleger, John Argentein, &c. 

 (ibid, ii, 371). 



< Ibid. 384. 



390 



