Walter Froucester facts for kids

Walter Froucester (died 1412) was an important leader, known as an abbot, at St. Peter's Abbey in Gloucester, England. He helped the monastery become strong and successful during his time.

Walter Froucester used to be the chamberlain of the monastery. This meant he was in charge of managing the monastery's money and property. In January 1382, when the previous abbot, John Boyfield, passed away, Froucester was chosen to take his place. He became the twentieth abbot of St. Peter's.

Leading the Monastery

The abbot before Froucester, John Boyfield, had a tough time. He often had problems with other church leaders and usually lost out, which wasn't good for the monastery. When Froucester took over, he worked hard to make things better for the monks and the abbey. He was very successful at this.

Fixing Finances

Froucester was very smart with money and managed the monastery's finances carefully. He managed to pay off most of the huge debt that the monastery had when he started. He even used his own money to buy many beautiful things for the church, like special decorations, books, ceremonial clothes, and silver items.

Building and Improving

One of Froucester's most famous achievements was finishing the amazing cloisters (covered walkways) of the abbey. These cloisters were very expensive to build and had been started by an earlier abbot but left unfinished for many years. Froucester made sure they were completed, making the abbey even more beautiful.

Protecting Abbey Property

To make sure the monastery owned its lands and churches properly, Froucester sent one of the monks, William Bryt, to Rome. William stayed there for several years and successfully arranged for the churches of Holy Trinity and St. Mary de Lode in Gloucester, and the church in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, to officially belong to the monastery.

Special Privileges

Froucester also managed to get special permission from Pope Urban for the abbot of St. Peter's to wear special church items: a pontifical mitre (a tall hat), a ring, sandals, and a dalmatic (a special robe). The previous abbot had tried to get these permissions but failed. Froucester received these special items on April 10, 1390. This was a big day because it was when the remains of St. Kyneburgh the Virgin were moved to St. Peter's. The ceremony was a grand event with the Bishop of Worcester, many church leaders, and important people like the Duke of Gloucester attending.

He also got permission from the Pope for the monks at St. Peter's to eat meat during a certain time of year, from Septuagesima to Quinquagesima. This was a special exception to their usual rules.

Recording History

Under Froucester's orders, the monastery's important records were organized and rewritten. It's also thought that the history of St. Peter's Abbey was updated around this time. Some people used to think Froucester wrote this history himself because it ends during his time as abbot. However, we now know it was put together by different people over time.

Walter Froucester passed away in 1412. He was buried under an arch in the southwest part of the choir (the area where the choir sings) of St. Peter's Abbey.