By tlie Rev. Canon Moherly. 



121 



repose of her soul and that of her husband (the late William 

 Longespee), her south close in Bentley wood, with a copse and waste 

 (bosco et assartoj, meadows, pastures, &c, and the close of Buckley, 

 to God, the Hospital of St. Nicholas of New Sarum, and Bishop 

 Richard of the same and his successors. 



The second deed 1 is copied as the first of the deeds which begins 

 the cartulary. It is a deed of Bishop Richard Poore, dated Friday, 

 8th September, 1227, from the priory of (Monkton) Farleigh. He 

 gives to the " Hospital of Sarum " certain rights in Wilsford 

 Church, reciting at the same time two deeds which he has previously 

 received: one from H(enry), prior, and the convent of Farleigh, 

 placing at his disposal the Churches of Box and Wilsford, which 

 belonged to their advowson ; the other from Humphrey Bohun, 

 Earl of Hereford (great grandson of another Humphrey, who was 

 founder of Farleigh Priory, and donor to it of the Churches of Box 

 and Wilsford), confirming the same. The property he thus gives 

 is to keep a chaplain to say mass at the hospital for the souls of all 

 its benefactors, and he casually mentions a steward (procurator) of 

 the house. 



II. — Bishop Bingham. 

 1229—1246. 



In 1229 Bishop Richard Poore was translated to Durham: and 

 Robert Bingham, the most learned of his canons (" a man of great 

 learning, and a long time master in theology," says his own dean), 

 was appointed his successor. 



Besides being a theologian he was great also in practical matters. 

 The Cathedral had been begun and consecrated while he had been 

 canon, and was now advancing towards completion ; but the city 

 which had slowly risen round it was only approachable from the 

 south with difficulty and sometimes danger. The Avon had been 

 apt to flood all the neighbouring tracts of land : to diminish the 

 trouble and risk of crossing it (there was only as yet a foot-bridge, 

 all horses had to pass by the ford, which at times was quite un- 

 discernible) an upper channel had some time before been dug some 

 1 See Appendix B. 



k 3 



