Walter of Hereford, Abbot of Vale Royal facts for kids
Walter of Hereford, also known as Walter of Dore, was an important leader at Vale Royal Abbey in Cheshire. He was the Abbot (the head of the monastery) from about 1294 to 1307. His time as abbot was quite challenging for the abbey, mainly because they had a difficult relationship with the people living nearby.
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Who Was Abbot Walter?
Writers from Vale Royal Abbey often described Abbot Walter in very positive ways. They said he was "greatly respected" and always dedicated to God. They also mentioned he was "a man of most beautiful appearance."
He was also known for his strong religious discipline. He wore a rough "hair shirt" to challenge himself and rarely ate meat. This showed his deep commitment to his faith.
"For once it came to pass that the greater part of the district in which [Abbot Walter] dwelt, at the instance of a certain tyrant, then justiciar there, raised the standard of revolt against him and his monastery; and when he came into the court before the abovesaid tyrant, and had brought with him a great number of notable people, they were all struck with terror and fled, leaving the abbot, their lord, alone..."
Protecting the Abbey's Rights
A history book from Vale Royal Abbey, written around the 1330s, says that the early abbots faced many attacks from unhappy local people. Abbot Walter spent much of his time defending the abbey's rights and special powers.
Legal Battles and Royal Support
For example, in 1302, he made sure the abbey had the right to collect all the dead wood in Peak Forest. At the same time, he asked the government for overdue payments to help pay for building work at the abbey.
The abbey had been given the right to hold a five-day market and fair at their Kirkham manor (a large estate) in 1287. But a local noble, Sir Theobald Butler, argued against this. He claimed his family had the rights to the church at Kirkham and its income since the time of King Richard I.
Abbot Walter asked the King to tell the traveling judges (called Justices of the Eyre) to help the abbey. He successfully proved the abbey's rights to the Kirkham fair and market in a special court called Quo Warranto. This court checked if people had the right to do what they claimed.
Papal Approval
Abbot Walter also got approval from the Pope for the abbey's right to choose the priest for Kirkham forever. This was arranged through Otton de Grandson, who was the English Ambassador to St Peter's in Rome. However, some historians, like Peter Coss, have noted that even the abbey's own writer doubted if the original grant was fair.
Abbot Walter was also strong enough to stop an armed group that tried to force their way into the abbey's special religious area.
Standing Up for the Abbey
Abbot Walter continued to claim that local tenants were "villeins" (people tied to the land and their lord). For example, in 1307, a man named Richard Payne said he was a free man, not a villein of the abbot. Walter strongly defended the abbey's claim.
He also bravely stood up to the King's own local judge in Chester. The abbey's writer even called this judge a "tyrant" because of his actions against the monastery.
Later Life
Records show that Walter was still alive in November 1311. By this time, he was no longer the Abbot of Vale Royal.
