2. THE ABBEY OF ALCESTER
About half a mile north of Alcester, in the
year 1140, Ralph le Boteler of Oversley founded
a Benedictine abbey dedicated to the honour of
the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, St. Anne,
St. Joseph, St. John Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, and All Saints. The site was encompassed
by the River Arrow on the north and east and
by a connecting moat on the south and west, so
that it became known as the church of Our
Lady of the Isle. It was founded specially for
the souls of William the Conqueror, William
Rufus, Henry I, and their consorts, various
magnates of the land, and for the souls of Ralph
the founder and Avice his wife. Robert, a
monk of Worcester, was appointed the first
abbot at Martinmas, 1140, the founder enjoining that his successor should be chosen from the
chapter of Worcester or that of Alcester as
might seem most meet.
The endowments, besides the island site, consisted in the main of the founder's churches of
Alcester, Tanworth, Marston and Glen (Leicester), and the chapel of his castle of Oversley;
the whole tithe of his lordship of Oversley,
Dorsington, Milcote, Broom, and 'Whitlasford,'
half of the tithe of Pebworth and 'Cherleton,'
various mills and lands at 'Cockmerse,' Pebworth, 'Waltford,' 'Chalbruge,' and 'Blinchesfelde'; reserving a yearly rent of 60s. which
the abbot was to pay to the monks of Bec,
Normandy. This foundation charter was confirmed by Robert, earl of Leicester (the founder's
overlord), and by Stephen and Henry II. Among
other early benefactions were the churches of
Beoley, Worcestershire; Pebworth, Gloucestershire; and Edgbaston, Warwickshire. (fn. 1)
Simon de Cotton (Coughton) and Alexander
de Kynewarton, in the time of Henry II, granted
the monks leave to have a load of wood weekly
for fuel out of their woods at Coughton, with
liberty to erect pig-styes (hogscotes) in the same
woods. (fn. 2)
By an undated charter of about 1158-60
Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, certified
that the monks of Alcester had the right of free
election of their abbot as against the claim of
the bishop and monks of Worcester. (fn. 3)
In 1283 an agreement was entered into between
John, abbot of Owston (Osolveston) and Walter,
abbot of St. John the Baptist's, Alcester, concerning the advowson of the chapel of St. Giles, Stretton, in Leicestershire, by which the former gave
up all claim to the advowson on condition of
Alcester paying an annual sum of 40s. to
Owston for the quitclaim. (fn. 4)
In 1307 the monks had a grant from William
le Boteler of Wem of 60 acres of heath at
Hinstoke, Salop, with the advowson of that
church, together with common pasture for
8 oxen, 6 kine with their calves, and 200 sheep,
in addition to an annuity of 100s. issuing out of
lands in Shaftesbury, Dorset. (fn. 5) There were
very few subsequent benefactions.
In 1216 William, sub-prior of Worcester,
was elected abbot, but without his consent. On
his refusing to accept the office, Maurice, another
Worcester monk, was chosen in his place. (fn. 6)
Abbot Maurice was present at the dedication
of Worcester cathedral church in 1217. (fn. 7)
Upon his death in 1232 he was succeeded by
Bartholomew, cellarer of Worcester. On his
election he gave to the sacristan of Worcester
(apparently as a due) his cope with a vestment
of little worth; he also sent to the convent of
Worcester, by his cellarer, half a mark for procuration. (fn. 8) While he was abbot, namely in
1238, the reconstructed conventual church of
Alcester was dedicated by Bishop Walter de
Cantilupe. (fn. 9)
On Septuagesima Sunday, 1283, while Archbishop Peckham was staying in the abbey of
Alcester, the men of the town for some unknown reason attacked his servants and beat
them, pursuing them even up to the gate of the
abbey. The official of the archdeacon of Worcester was therefore ordered to excommunicate
the offenders. (fn. 10) Peckham paid another visit to
the abbey on 11 August, 1284. (fn. 11)
The monks were visited by Bishop Giffard on
27 July, 1284, when he preached to them from
the text Aufer rubiginem de argento (Prov. xxv, 4),
and tarried that day at the charge of the house. (fn. 12)
On 3 February, 1290, the bishop paid another
visitation at the cost of the house. (fn. 13) He stayed
over the following day to visit from thence the
Cistercian nuns of Cookhill, Worcestershire, but
at his own charge.
Bishop Cobham in 1325 had occasion to
impose salutary penance on the abbot of Alcester for incontinency. (fn. 14)
Bishop Montacute visited the abbey in January,
1336-7, and received procuration; he preached
from the text ' Abba, Father.' (fn. 15)
Abbot Robert de Adbrython on 11 August,
1335, was summoned to appear in person before
the king at York, on the morrow of the Nativity
of the Virgin, to inform the king upon certain
affairs specially touching him, and to do what
further should be ordained there by the king and
council. (fn. 16)
The bishop of Worcester in 1339 wrote to
the rectors of Alcester, Haseley, and Billesley,
concerning the grievous complaint of the abbot
and convent of Alcester that certain sons of
iniquity had cut down and extirpated their woods;
they were commissioned to find out and excommunicate the offenders. (fn. 17)
Bishop Whittlesey (1364-8) visited the house;
his subsequent orders directed that a competent
refection according to the facilities of the house
was to be served in the refectory; all kinds of
brawling were forbidden, and also all wandering
outside the precincts except by the abbot's special
leave. (fn. 18)
Richard de Tutbury, the last abbot, resigned
his office 22 April, 1467. (fn. 19) This resignation
came about through the absorption of the abbey
by the great neighbouring abbey of Evesham.
Technically Tutbury ceased to be abbot in
March, 1465, though he may have been allowed
to retain the title and act as prior. The property
of the abbey of Alcester had been so mismanaged
that about this time there was actually no monk
to keep the abbot company. The neglect of
divers abbots was the reason assigned for the suppression of the independent life of this house on
19 March, 1465, when Edward IV granted to
Richard, abbot of Evesham, and his convent, in
free alms, the right of patronage and the advowson of the abbey of Alcester, with licence to treat
it henceforth as a cell of Evesham. (fn. 20) This absorption of the smaller abbey was consummated
on 2 April, 1466, by Bishop Carpenter, when it
was arranged that three of the Evesham monks
in priest's orders, whereof one was to be termed
prior, were to reside at Alcester to say daily mass,
remembering the souls of the founders, and other
divine offices. The bishop reserved for himself
a pension of 13s. 4d.; for the prior and convent
of Worcester one of 6s. 8d.; and the like for the
archdeacon of Worcester. (fn. 21)
In 1515 the abbot of Evesham obtained the
sanction of the bishop of Worcester to rebuild
the conventual church of Alcester, much of which
was then in ruins, changing its form and reducing
its size, as more fitting for the monks who were
resident. (fn. 22)
The Valor of 1535 mentions Alcester as a
priory cell of Evesham, but gives its value apart
from that of the abbey. Its clear annual value
is stated as only £65 7s. 11d. (fn. 23) John Norton
was then prior. (fn. 24) The commissioners of 1536
delivered a privy seal to Charles Bradweye, prior
of Alcester, on 15 August, as he alleged that
his house was a cell of the abbey of Evesham,
ordering him to appear before the Court of
Augmentation in London at the ensuing
Michaelmas. (fn. 25)
Eventually the old abbey of Alcester that had
been a mere priory cell for nearly a century, was
suppressed among the smaller houses, 27 Henry
VIII. (fn. 26) In the list of pensions assigned to the
abbot and brethren of Evesham, dated 27 January,
1539-40, occurs the name of C. Bradwaye,
cellarer, sometime prior of Alcester, £20. (fn. 27)
Abbots of Alcester
Robert, (fn. 28) appointed 1140
Maurice, elected 1217, (fn. 29) died 1232
Bartholomew, elected 1233 (fn. 30)
Hugh, elected 1253 (fn. 31)
William de Whitchurch, elected 1254, (fn. 32) resigned 1266
Hugh, elected 1266, (fn. 33) died 1275
William de Ilmedon, elected 1275, (fn. 34) died
1276
John de Ippeley, elected 1276, (fn. 35) died 1279
Walter de Wigornia, elected 1279, (fn. 36) died
1300 (fn. 37)
Robert de Oudeby, elected 1301, died (fn. 38) 1335
Robert de Adbrython (Albrighton), elected
1335, (fn. 39) died 1362
Maurice de Mynstreworth, elected 1362, (fn. 40)
died 1369
John Bradewey, elected 1369, (fn. 41) died 1390
John Merston, elected 1390, (fn. 42) died 1413
Thomas Gloucester, elected 1413, (fn. 43) resigned
1426
William Pole, admitted 1426, (fn. 44) died 1436
William Berdon, elected 1436, (fn. 45) died 1444
Richard Barton, elected 1444, (fn. 46) resigned
1454
Richard de Tutbury, elected 1454, resigned
1467 (fn. 47)
PRIORS OF ALCESTER
William Upton, elected abbot of Evesham
1477 (fn. 48)
William Grafton, occurs 1517 (fn. 49)
John Norton, occurs 1535 (fn. 50)
Charles Bradweye, surrendered 1536
The seal of this abbey is a pointed oval: St.
John Baptist in carved niche, pointing to the
Agnus Dei held in his left hand, diapered background. In the field a [crescent and] star, and
on each side a wavy sprig.
SIGI . . . . ALENCESTRIE (fn. 51)