Abbot Ælfweard -1044

Chronicle of the Abbey of Evesham. Later, however, the glorious Ælfweard, bishop of the church of London, as we have said above, and most devoted pastor of this church, fell ill and ordered his attendants to bring him here, wishing, if God so ordained, that his frail body should rest for ever in this place, which he had greatly loved in earlier days. But certain monks and laymen whom he himself had previously raised to great wealth and honour and placed in positions of authority in this place, stirred by the devil and rebelling against him to the very great detriment of this holy church, sent messengers to tell him that if he came here all the monks would leave. When the venerable man heard this, he was grieved beyond expression and, deeply angered with this place because of these most wicked traitors, turned his whole affection towards the church of Ramsey [Map], where he had formerly been a monk, and had himself taken there. All the ornaments he was carrying with him, namely chasubles, copes, many vestments, and numerous other ornaments which he had intended to offer to this place, he instead gave entirely to the aforementioned church of Ramsey. And so, in the year of our Lord 1044, he ended his mortal life there and was buried there, where he rests.

Postea vero gloriosus Ailuuardus Londoniensis ecclesiæ, ut prædiximus, antistes, hujus ecclesiæ pastor piissimus, in ægritudine constitutus, jussit suis ut huc eum deducerent, cupiens, si Deus disponeret, in hoc loco quem plurimum ante dilexerat, membra sua fragilia perpetualiter requiescere. Sed quidam fratres atque laici quos ipse antea divitiis et honoribus plurimum exaltans huic loco præfecerat, diabolico instinctu ad maximum damnum hujus sanctæ ecclesiæ contra eum rebelles effecti, per legatos sibi mandaverunt quod si huc veniret omnes monachi discederent. Quo audito, vir ille venerabilis plus quam dici valet contristatus, et pro his nefandissimis traditoribus suis nimium huic loco iratus, toto animo ad Ramesiensem ecclesiam conversus, ubi prius fuerat monachus fecit se deduci, et omnia ornamenta quæ secum portabat, videlicet casulas, capas, pallia plurima multaque alia ornamenta quæ huic loco offerre cogitabat, versa vice præfatæ ecclesiæ Ramesiæ omnia condonabat. Et ita millesimo quadragesimo quarto anno ab Incarnatione Domini vitam temporalem ibi sepultus requiescit.

Chronicle of the Abbey of Evesham. The same Ælfweard, bishop and abbot, purchased almost all the most holy bodily relics of the blessed confessor Odulf from merchants who were carrying them to London, paying a worthy price for them, namely one hundred marks. He then sent them to this place, which he greatly loved, to be honourably preserved here for ever. He also sent from London a great many books, both theological and grammatical. After Aldulf, Bishop of Worcester, had subjected this abbey to himself and his successors, this same abbot [Ælfweard] was the first of the abbots to assert its claim to liberty. He succeeded to such an extent that he appointed the venerable Avitius, prior of this church, as dean of the whole Christian community of the Vale, a liberty which this church never afterwards lost. This prior and dean was greatly loved and honoured by King Cnut and by many other leading men of this country on account of his holiness. This prior restored to this holy church, as though from his paternal inheritance, the two manors of Badby and Newnham. The blessed Wulfsi later did the same when his own kinsmen had once again unjustly occupied those manors, for they [Avitius and Wulfsi] belonged to the same family. At his urging, Earl Leofric and Countess Godgifu, since he was their confessor, most wisely renounced worldly concerns in many respects and devoted themselves diligently to almsgiving and prayer. For the love of God they gloriously built the abbey of Coventry and several other churches, enriching them with lands, possessions and many splendid ornaments. They also greatly loved and honoured this abbey, building here an impressive church in honour of the Holy Trinity. In it they caused to be set up a large cross and images of the holy Mother of God, Mary, and of St John the Evangelist, honourably fashioned in silver and gold. They also gave to this place a certain manor called Shouckham, a green chasuble, a smaller black cope and many other precious ornaments. We have already related above what we found in the privileges of our father Ecgwine, namely that he acquired for this place one hundred and twenty hides on both sides of the river called the Avon: this manor of Evesham and Lenchwick on this side, and Hampton and Bengeworth on the other. But these two, Hampton and Bengeworth, together with many other lands, were taken away and possessed by various men, as has been said above, from the time of King Edmund until the reign of King Cnut, during the abbacy of this Bishop Ælfweard.

Idem vero Æiluuardus episcopus et abbas sanctissimas corporis reliquias fere omnes beati Odulfi confessoris a mercatoribus eas Londonias portantibus mercatus est digno pretio, id est, centum marcis, atque ad istum locum quem maxime dilexerat transmisit, laudabiliter reservandas hic perpetuo. Libros etiam plurimos tam divinos quam grammaticos de Londonia transmisit. Iste etiam abbas, postquam Aldulfus episcopus Wigorniæ hanc abbatiam sibi et successoribus suis subjecerat, primus abbatum in libertatem proclamavit, et in tantum obtinuit quod venerabilem virum Avitium hujus ecclesiæ priorem decanum Christianitatis totius vallis constituit, quam nunquam libertatem ecclesia ista postea amisit. Qui prior et decanus fuit a rege Cnutone et ab aliis principibus hujus patriæ plurimis valde dilectus et honoratus pro sua sanctitate. Iste prior quasi ex paterna hereditate duas villas Baddebi et Neueham huic sanctæ ecclesiæ reddidit. Hoc idem fecit postea beatus Wlsius quum parentes sui easdem villas iterum injuste occupassent; de una enim erant parentela. Ejus etiam hortatu Leoffricus comes et Godgiva comitissa, eo quod pater erat confessionum suarum, prudentissime mundum in plurimis spernentes, eleemosynis et orationibus diligenter instantes, Coventreiam abbatiam pluresque alias ecclesias pro amore Dei gloriose ædificantes, terris et possessionibus et plurimis ditabant ornamentis honestissimis. Hanc etiam abbatiam valde diligentes honorabant, facientes hic honorabilem ecclesiam in honore Sanctæ Trinitatis, in qua fecerunt constitui crucem non modicam et imaginem sanctæ Dei Genitricis Mariæ sanctique Johannis Evangeliste argento et auro honorabiliter fabricatas; nec non etiam villam quandam, Shuocham nomine, et viridem casulam et minorem nigram capam et multa alia ornamenta preciosa huic loco contulerunt. Supra namque retulimus hoc quod in privilegiis patris nostri Ecgwini reperimus, videlicet, quod ipse centum viginti hidas huic loco ex utraque parte fluminis hujus quod dicitur Avene acquisivit, hane villam videlicet Eovesham et Lenewike ex parte ista, Hamtunc quoque et Beningwrthe ex alia; sed hæ duæ Hamptone et Beningwrthe cum aliis terris plurimis ablatæ et a diversis hominibus, sicut superius dictum est, sunt possessæ a tempore Ædmundi regis usque ad tempora Cnutonis regis sub hee Ailuuardo episcopo et hujus loci abbate.