Abbot Thomas of Marlborough -1236

Chronicle of the Abbey of Evesham. And afterwards, when the legate came to Evesham, he accused the abbot before him and convicted him of seven or eight offences by the abbot’s own confession, by the manifest evidence of the facts, and by the testimony of the brethren. And so, at the risk of Thomas the dean’s own habit and religious order, since he would have incurred the penalty of retaliation if he had failed to prove the charges, Abbot Roger was deposed, to the very great benefit of the church of Evesham. For after his deposition, immovable property which he had alienated under various titles, amounting to a revenue of twenty marks, was recovered, partly during the vacancy and partly during the time of Abbot Randulf. Randulf also redeemed all the privileges which that same dean had pledged to the Romans for five hundred marks. Therefore, in rejoicing at their redemption, the same dean caused it to be ordained that on the day on which they had received the privileges back in procession, a charity should be given annually to the monastic community from the revenues of the deanery. In the second year of Abbot Randulf, the same dean went with him to Rome to the General Council, where through his advice and diligence they obtained confirmation of the disposition of the revenues and many other necessary things. In the second year after his return from the Curia, he was made sacrist, and he made the lectern behind the choir, which had not previously existed in the church of Evesham, for before that the lessons had been read beside the tomb of St Wulfsige. He also made a fireplace in the church together with the base of the clock, and twelve albs. He repaired all the glazed windows which had been broken by the fall of the tower and all the shrines which had been damaged, and made a new shrine for St Wistan. He also repaired the three panels of the high altar and enlarged the one in front of the high altar together with the altar itself, spending more than ten marks on their repair. For all these things had been so destroyed by the fall of the tower that their restoration had seemed almost hopeless. He also blocked up five arches of the presbytery and one before the entrance to the crypts. He also increased the revenues of the sacristy by as much as two marks, for example by recovering the church of Norton and the tithes from the demesne at Lench for its own use. This sacrist was also the first to obtain the live livestock of deceased monks, the second-best of their dead stock together with their bodies, and the penny offered at the Mass for the dead. In return for the increase of these revenues, he caused it to be ordained in chapter that a lamp before the high altar and a lamp in the crypts before the altar of St Mary should burn continually. He accomplished all these things within a single year, and, leaving the office filled with all its goods, he was made prior.

Et postea quum venisset legatus Eveshamiæm, coram eo abbatem accusavit et super septem vel octo criminibus per abbatis confessionem et per rei evidentiam et per fratrum testimonium eum convicit. Et ita, sub discrimine habitus et ordinis ipsius Thomæ decani, talionem reportaturi si eum non convicisset, depositus est abbas Rogerus in maximam Eveshamiæ ecclesiæ utilitatem. Nam eo deposito revocata sunt immobilia ab eo diversis titulis alienata usque ad redditum viginti marcarum, tum tempore vacationis tum tempore abbatis Rondulphi, qui etiam omnia privilegia quæ idem decanus Romanis obligaverat pro quingentis marcis liberavit. Ob eorum igitur liberationis gaudium, fecit idem decanus constitui, ut in die qua cum processione receperunt privilegia de obventionibus decanatus annuatim detur caritas conventui. Secundo anno abbatis Rondulphi, ivit idem decanus cum eo Romam ad concilium generale, ubi de ejus consilio et industria confirmationem dispositionis reddituum et multa alia necessaria impetraverunt. Secundo vero anno reditus a curia, factus est sacrista, et fecit lectricium retro chorum quod prius factum non erat in ecclesia Eveshamiæ, sed legebantur lectiones juxta tumbam sancti Wlsini. Fecit etiam caminum in ecclesia cum pede horologii, et albas duodecim, et omnes fenestras vitreas quæ confractæ erant per casum turris et omnia feretra confracta reparavit, et feretrum sancti Wistani novum fecit, et tres tabulas majoris altaris reparavit et illam ante majus altare cum ipso altari ampliavit, in quorum reparatione expendit plusquam decem marcas. Nam omnia hæc per casum turris usque ad desperationem reparationis erant demolita. Quinque etiam arcus presbyterii et unum ante ostium cryptarum obturavit. Redditus etiam sacristariæ usque ad summam duarum marcarum adauxit, veluti ecclesiam de Norton et decimas de dominico de Lench in proprios usus revocando. Iste etiam sacrista primo obtinuit vivum averium secundo melius mortuorum cum corporibus eorum et denarium offerendum ad missam mortuorum. Pro quorum augmentatione fecit constitui in capitulo quod lampas ante majus altare et lampas in cryptis ante altare sanctæ Mariæ jugiter essent ardentes. Hæc omnia fecit infra unum annum, et, relicto officio omnibus bonis pleno, factus est prior.

Chronicle of the Abbey of Evesham. When Abbot Randulf had died [on 17th December 1229], the king sent to the abbey two clerks and one knight, who, sparing neither free tenants nor villeins, took from them three hundred marks for the use of the lord king. The king kept the abbey in his own hand for three quarters of a year and converted all its revenues to his own use, except those revenues specially assigned to the obediences of the monks. Meanwhile two brethren were immediately sent with letters from the monastic community to the lord king, and they obtained licence to elect an abbot. Returning on the fifth day, namely on the vigil of St Thomas the Apostle [20th December 1229], they immediately elected their prior Thomas. On the morrow of Christmas Day they presented him to the lord king, who was then staying at York. The elect met the king on his return journey, and on the Epiphany [6th January] of the Lord he was admitted by him. There he obtained letters from the lord king, expressing the royal consent and addressed to the lord pope, so that he might obtain confirmation from him. Two brethren were then sent to Rome. They remained at the Curia for eight weeks but were unable to obtain confirmation. At length, although they were unwilling to make payments to the lord pope and the Curia, they obtained letters from the lord pope in the following form.

Abbate Rondulpho defuncto misit rex ad abbatiam duos clericos et unum militem, qui nec libere tenentibus nec villanis parcentes ceperunt ab eis ad opus domini regis trecentas marcas, et tenuit rex abbatiam in manu sua per tres partes anni, et omnes proventus in usus suos convertit, exceptis redditibus specialiter ad obedientias monachorum assignatis. Interim statim missi sunt duo fratres cum literis conventus ad dominum regem qui impetraverunt licentiam eligendi abbatem; et redeuntes quinto die, scilicet in vigilia sancti Thomæ apostoli, statim elegerunt Thomam priorem suum, et in crastino Natalis Domini præsentaverunt eum domino regi qui tunc agebat apud Eboracum, cui revertenti occurrit electus, et in Epiphania Domini eo est admissus, qui literas domini regis ibi obtinuit de consensu regio directas domino papæ, ut ab eo confirmationem impetraret. Et tunc missi sunt duo fratres Romam, qui in curia per octo hebdomadas moram facientes non poterant impetrare confirmationem. Sed tandem, quamvis domino papæ et curiæ nollent servire, impetraverunt literas a domino papa in hac forma.

Chronicle of the Abbey of Evesham. Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his venerable brother the bishop and his beloved son the prior of Coventry, greeting and apostolic blessing. Since our beloved sons, the monks of the monastery of Evesham, presented to us the election which they had seen fit to make of Thomas, prior of that same monastery, humbly supplicating that we would deign to confirm that election as having been duly celebrated in the person of a suitable man, we, having examined the procedure of the election and carefully considered the other circumstances of the matter, did not think fit to grant their petition. But lest the said monastery suffer serious loss through a prolonged vacancy, by apostolic letters we command your discretion that, if the aforesaid monks shall proceed to an election within one month after your admonition, you are to confirm their election by apostolic authority, provided that it is canonical and that the person elected is suitable; and you, brother bishop, are to confer upon the elect the blessing. Otherwise, by the same authority you are yourselves to provide the aforesaid monastery with an abbot, choosing a learned man of praiseworthy conduct and life, from the body of that same church if a suitable person can be found there, otherwise from another church. Given at the Lateran, on the Nones [7th] of May, in the fourth year [1230] of our pontificate.

Gregorius episcopus, servus servorum Dei, venerabili fratri episcopo et dilecto filio priori de Conventre salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Quum dilecti filii monachi monasterii elecde Evesham præsentassent nobis electionem quam de persona Thomæ prioris ejusdem monasterii duxerant faciendam, humiliter supplicantes ut dignaremur electionem eandem tanquam celebratam de persona idonea confirmare; Nos, ejus examinato processu aliisque negotii circumstantiis attente pensatis, supplicationem eorum non duximus admittendam. Ne vero dictum monasterium longa vacatione grave dispendium patiatur, discretioni vestræ per apostolica scripta mandamus quatenus si præfati monachi infra mensem post monitionem vestram ad electionem duxerint procedendum, vos electionem eorum, si fuerit canonica et electi persona idonea, auctoritate apostolica confirmetis, tuque, frater episcope, munus electo benedictionis impendas. Alioquin, vos eadem auctoritate provideatis de persona literata quæ laudabilis sit conversationis et vitæ, de gremio ejusdem ecclesiæ si ibi invenitur idoneus, alioquin de alia, præfato monasterio in abbatem. Datum Laterani, nonas Maii, pontificatus nostri anno quarto.

Chronica Majora by Matthew Paris. September 1236. The pope, on hearing such profound reasonings, in order that he might not seem opposed to such incontrovertible arguments, pretended to give his consent; and that he might cross the mountains and enter Italy according to his purpose, his holiness promised, without fail, as far as he was able, to afford him his paternal assistance in every necessity. The emperor, encouraged by this, having by an imperial edict collected all the forces he could muster, entered Italy, followed by a large body of troops. The Milanese, not without reason, fearing his terrible anger, sent to the pope, asking advice and effectual assistance from him; and he, after receiving a large sum of money, with a promise of more, sent them much relief and assistance, to the injury of the emperor, and this seemed incredible and contrary to every one's opinion, that in siicli case of necessity the father would be converted into a stepfather. The citizens then sallied forth from the city in great force, to the number of about fifty thousand armed men, and proceeded with their standard (which they called "carruca," or "carrochium,") to meet the emperor, sending, word that they were ready to fight him. About this time, a certain knight named Baldwin de Yere, had come from England as a messenger from the English king to the emperor, to arrange some secret business concerning the said king and the emperor; and on all these matters he afterwards gave his hearers full information. When the emperor heard that the Milanese had broken out into such audacity as to kick against him, he at once prognosticated that they liad conceived this boldness, depending on the support of others than themselves; and after the matter had been carefully weighed in council with his nobles, it was agreed by acclamation that all who were present on the side of the emperor, from the highest to the lowest, should, without delay, fly to arms and attack this Milanese rabble, which dared, like mice coming from their holes, to provoke their lord to battle and to try their strength with the imperial forces. When this determination was made known to the Milanese, they halted for a little, and one of the elder citizens, on whose judgment the opinion of all depended, arranged the others in a circle around him and spoke a^ follows: "Hear me, noble citizens. The emperor is at hand in great power and vnih a large army, and he, as is known to the whole world, is our lord. If this lamentable struggle should take place, irreparable harm will arise from it; for if we are victorious in it, we shall obtain a reproachful and bloody victory over our lord, but if we are conquered, he will destroy our name, and that of our people and our city for ever, and we shall be a disgrace to every nation. Since, therefore, in every event it is dishonourable and dangerous to proceed further in a hostile manner, I consider it a wise plan to return to our city, where, if he chooses to attack us, it will be lawful for us to repel force by force; and whether he allows us to make peace with him, or compels us to drive liim from our territory by force, our city will be preserved and our good name will remain unimpaired." All the rest acquiescing in this plan, they acted upon it, which was a pleasant sight to the emperor; however, that no fear or alarm might be shown on his part, he pmvsuecl them and prepared for a siege. Whilst all these events were passing, either by the instrumentality of the Roman church, or the enemies of the emperor, an internal discord was stirred up in the German provinces, by the duke of Austria, to quell which, letters and messengers were sent with all haste, explaining the great urgency of the case, and to summon him to return immediately. The emperor therefore raised the siege, for which he had made preparations, and returned into Germany, and the Milanese, on hearing this, seized by force on some castles, which the emperor had taken, and their garrisons, and put all the knights and soldiers of the emperor to death. When the emperor heard of this, he was much enraged, and not without good reason, and poured forth all his just indignation against the author of this evil; and punished the duke of Austria, by depriving him of his honours, lands, castles, and cities, scarcely granting him hislife; so that vengeance for the crime perpetrated by him against King Kichard, on his return from the Holy Land seemed even at this time unsatisfied, as the prophet says, "Although late, God severely punishes wickedness," and "visits the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation."

In this year, about Michaelmas-day, Baldwin de Vere, a discreet, faithful, and eloquent man, returned to England and brought the emperors reply to the king, and gave a full account of all those matters to all who chose to listen to him.

About the same time, too, Peter, bishop of Winchester, returned from the continent, deprived of his bodily strength by disease. Near about the same time, too, namely on the Monday following that feast, deluges of rain fell in the northern parts of England, to such a degree that the rivers and lakes, overflowing their usual bounds, caused great damage by destroying bridges, mills, and other property near the banks.

In the same year, on the 16th of August, died Thomas de Blundeville, bishop of Norwich. And about the same time died William of Blois, bishop of Worcester, and Henry de SANFORD, bishop of Rochester. Thomas, abbat of Evesham, also died in this year, and was succeeded by Richard, prior of Hurle.

Chronicle of the Abbey of Evesham. This abbot also caused certain parcels of land in the demesne at Badby, amounting to five acres, to be cultivated, which within living memory had either never previously been cultivated at all or had not been cultivated for as long as anyone could remember. He also gave Walter de Beauchamp twenty-four marks for licence to make a ditch between Priest Meadow and certain other lands at Wickham Ford and the meadow of Morcote, and for licence to cultivate those same lands and to do so whenever the abbots wished, and for licence to impound the livestock of the same Walter and of his men if they should be found doing damage to the abbot at a time when those lands were under crops. None of the aforesaid things had been successfully accomplished by any previous abbot, although they had often been attempted, since there had been dispute and contention between them concerning these matters from beyond living memory. This abbot also assigned to the monastic community a revenue of ten shillings from half a virgate of land at Littleton which Adam le Boteler holds of the community, for performing the suit of Bretfortone at the county court of Worcester. The sacrist is to pay those ten shillings to the infirmarer on that account. And because the aforesaid ten shillings are assigned for providing misericords, the monastic community must assign another ten shillings from the bursary for observing the anniversary of the aforesaid Thomas. When this abbot had governed his church for almost seven years, he fell asleep in the Lord on the day before the Ides [12th] of September, namely in the year of the Lord 1236.

Fecit etiam iste abbas colere in dominico apud Baddesey quasdam particulas terrarum ad valentiam quinque acrarum quæ supra memoria hominum vel nunquam prius fuerunt cultæ. Dedit etiam Waltero de Bello Campo viginti quatuor marcas pro licentia faciendi fossatum inter Preste Mede, et quasdam alias terras in Wikewaneford, et pratum de Morcote, et pro licentia colendi easdem terras et faciendi sibi in hoc quotienscunque abbates voluerint, et pro licentia imparcandi averia ejusdem Walteri et hominum suorum si inventa fuerint in damno abbatis tempore quo terræ illæ fuerint inbladatæ, quæ prædicta a nullo abbate prius (quamvis sæpius attentata) poterant consummari, quum super his supra memoriam hominum fuerit inter eos lis et contentio. Iste etiam abbas assignavit conventui redditus decem solidorum de dimidia virgata terræ in Luttultone quam Adam le Boteler tenet de conventu, pro secta de Bratfortone facienda ad comitatum Wygorniæ, quos sacrista pro eo solvet infirmario. Et quia decem solidi prædicti assignantur ad misericordias faciendas, oportet quod conventus assignet alios decem solidos de bursaria ad anniversarium prædicti Thomæ faciendum. Quum autem iste abbas fere per septem annos suam rexisset ecclesiam, pridie idus Septembris in Domino obdormivit, anno videlicet Domini millesimo CCXXXVI.