The Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond Part 21

1279 Dec. 28. John of Northwold, guest master of the abbey, solemnly received in the Abbey Church as 16th abbot, after having gone to Rome to be blessed by Pope Nicholas III. Cost of his journey, 1,175 marks, his credit from abbey being only 500 marks.

1281 A new division between the property of the abbot and that of the convent, sanctioned by Edward I in consideration of 1,000.

1285 Feb. 20. The King with the Queen and her three daughters make a pilgrimage to Bury.

1292 April 28. The King, with his son and daughters, again at Bury, remaining either at the abbey or the manor of Culford for ten days. Granted charter that none of his justices should sit within the banlieue of St. Edmund.

1292 Dispute between monastery and town. Royal Commission of inquiry sent down. The burgesses to present annually an alderman for confirmation by the abbot: the alderman to present four persons to the sacrist as keepers of the four gates.

1294 Mar. 18. Edward I again at St. Edmundsbury "with great devotion."

1296 Nov. Edward I holds a Parliament at Bury to obtain an aid from the clergy and people. Difficulties in its collection.

1301 Oct. 29. Death of Abbot John I: buried in the church before the choir altar.

1301 Nov. 30. Edward's I's letter giving permission for a new election.

1302 Jan. 2. Election of Thomas of Tottington (Samson's birthplace) as 17th abbot.

1305 Further disputes between the convent and the town. The king's justices impose fines on the aldermen and burgesses.

1312 Jan. 7. Death of Abbot Thomas: buried in north aisle of abbey church (part of his memorial bra.s.s now at Hedgerley church, Bucks). Succeeded by Richard of Draughton.

1326 Edward II spends Christmas at Bury.

1327 Great riots at Bury: the abbey plundered. The abbot seized and carried off, and eventually deported to Diest in Brabant.

The outlying manors ravaged, and nearly the whole of the conventual and domestic buildings burnt: loss of property a.s.sessed at 140,000. Charter extorted by the townsmen from the convent. (French text in Arnold III. 302-317.)

1330 Sept. 13. Charter of Edward III granting free warren in all demesnes of the Abbey of St. Edmund, and a weekly market at Melford, with an annual fair of nine days.

1335 Death of Abbot Richard: buried in north aisle of the church.

The sub-prior, William of Bernham, hastily elected 19th abbot for fear of the Pope's interference.

1345 Jan. 24. Completion of Richard of Bury's _Philobiblon_.

1345 Quarrel between the abbey and Bishop Bateman of Norwich.

Morality and discipline of the abbey reported bad by diocesan commissioners.

1346 The abbot appeals to the Pope, and also sues Bishop Bateman in the King's Court, pleading the Charter of Hardicanute (1035): the judges give sentence in the abbot's favour.

1346 (_circa_). Completion of abbey gateway, erected after destruction of a previous gateway by the townspeople in the riots of 1327.

1351 Presentation to the abbot of three names for selection of an alderman to have charge of the munic.i.p.al government of Bury.

Admission by the abbot of John Ewell as a matter of favour.

1361 Death of Abbot William: buried in Lady Chapel. Henry of Hunstanton elected his successor, and proceeds to Avignon, but dies of the pestilence near that city before obtaining confirmation by the Pope.

1361 John of Brinkley appointed as 20th abbot by Pope Innocent VI.

1375 Date of last miracle recorded in Bodleian MS. 240 (Symon Broun, nearly lost at sea, vows to St. Edmund and is saved.

_Nov. Leg. Anglie_ (1901) vol. II. _p._ 678).

1379 Death of John of Brinkley at Elmswell: buried in the Lady Chapel. John of Timworth, sub-prior, elected by the monks 21st abbot. Urban VI appoints Edmund de Bromfeld instead, and a controversy ensues, lasting five years.

1381 Rebellion in East Anglia under Jack Strawe. Murder of John de Cambridge, the prior, and Sir John Cavendish, the chief justice. Town of Bury outlawed and fined 2,000 marks.

1383 Richard II and Anne of Bohemia visit Bury and remain ten days at the monastery, at an expense of 800 marks.

1384 June 4. Matters having at length been arranged with the Pope, John of Timworth's election as abbot is confirmed (died 1389).

1390 William of Cratfield elected 22nd abbot.

1400 Oct. 1. Thomas of Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury, visits Bury: received as a visitor with much respect, but without a procession.

1408 Nov. 25. Letters patent of King Henry IV finally deciding, in favour of Bury Abbey, the disputed question as to the jurisdiction of the Liberty of St. Edmund over Hadleigh and Eleigh. _pp._ 76-8, 239.

1410 Catalogue of 195 Monastic Libraries (including that of Bury), compiled by John Boston, monk of Bury.

1415 June 18. Death of Cratfield. William of Exeter elected 23rd abbot.

1424 William Exeter causes the marble tomb of Ording (and (?) of Samson) in the chapter-house to be renewed. _p._ 247.

1424-33 Building of the present St. Mary's Church on the site of an older church in S.W. corner of the cemetery of the abbey.

1427 Thomas Beaufort, second son of John of Gaunt, buried in Abbey Church (coffin discovered and re-interred 1772).

1429 Death of William Exeter. William Curteys or Curtis elected 24th abbot.

1430 Dec. 18. Fall of Southern side of western tower.

1430 Dec. 30. Fall of Eastern side of western tower. Immediate steps taken to contract for a new tower.

1430 Abbot Curteys builds a library for the abbey (see his regulations for use of books in _James, pp._ 109-11).

1432 Ruins of tower cleared away. Rebuilding commenced: estimated cost, 60,000 ducats of gold.

1433-4 Visit of Henry VI to Bury Abbey from Christmas till St.

George's Day. The monastery presents him with a magnificently illuminated _Life of St. Edmund_, by John Lydgate (now in Brit. Mus. Harl. MS. 2278).

1446 Sept. 17. Henry VI writes to Abbot Curteys to ask him to be present at laying of foundation stone of King's College, Cambridge, on Michaelmas Day.

1446 Death of Curteys. Succeeded by William Babington as 25th abbot.

1447 Feb. 10. Parliament at Bury, in the Abbey refectory. Duke Humphrey of Gloucester present, and arrested (Feb. 18) for high treason.

1447 Nov. 13. Charter of Henry VI confirming the abbey privileges.

(Text in Arnold III. 357.)