William of Wallingford facts for kids

William of Wallingford (died June 20, 1492) was an important leader, the 47th abbot of St Albans Abbey. He was a Benedictine monk from Holy Trinity Priory in Wallingford, England. Like some other monks, he moved from Wallingford to the main St Albans Abbey.

William was a favorite of John Stoke, the 44th abbot. When Abbot Stoke died in 1451, he was said to have left William and another monk in charge of a large sum of money (1000 marks). After Stoke's death, they could only account for a smaller amount (250 marks). The next abbot, John Wheathampstead, was suspicious about the missing money.

Despite this, William of Wallingford became abbot in 1476 after William Albone died. He was chosen because he was very good with money, and the abbey was in debt. William of Wallingford successfully paid off the abbey's debts. He also spent money on improving the abbey. He built the beautiful high altar, known as the Wallingford Screen, which cost a lot of money (£733). He also finished the chapter house. The statues on the screen were destroyed later but were replaced in Victorian times.

Some historical accounts, like one by Cardinal John Morton, suggested there were problems. However, another historian, F. A. Gasquet, found these claims hard to believe. An obituary for William of Wallingford praised him highly. It said he showed great care for God's worship and kindness in good deeds. It also mentioned his strong faith and generosity in building for the monastery.

William's Early Life and Roles

William of Wallingford joined St Albans Abbey as a monk when he was young. He only left the abbey to study at a university, probably Oxford. He was known more as an administrator, someone who managed things, rather than a quiet monk.

By the time Abbot John Stoke died in 1451, William already held many important jobs. He was the archdeacon, cellarer (in charge of supplies), bursar (in charge of money), forester (managing abbey lands), and sub-cellarer.

Choosing a New Abbot: John Whethamstede

When Abbot Stoke died, William of Wallingford was considered as a possible new abbot. However, John Whethamstede was chosen unanimously on January 16, 1452. During Whethamstede's time as abbot, Wallingford continued to hold important positions. He was the 'official general,' archdeacon, and chamberlain.

There were some disagreements among the monks. Serious accusations were made against Wallingford, but Abbot Whethamstede did not act on them. He kept Wallingford in all his roles. In 1464, as archdeacon, Wallingford was part of a group chosen to investigate heretics.

Ramridge, who became abbot after Wallingford, said that William was known for his focus on education. He paid to train ten young monks himself. He also spent a lot of effort and money on the abbey buildings and valuable items. He built "many fair new buildings," from the library to a stone bakehouse. He also repaired buildings that were falling apart. William also gave the abbey many valuable treasures. These included a gold chalice and rich gold-embroidered vestments, worth 980 marks.

Choosing a New Abbot: William Albon

After Abbot Whethamstede died in 1465, William Albon, the Prior, was elected as the new abbot. William of Wallingford played a key role in this election. In March 1465, the new Abbot Albon made Wallingford the Prior of the monastery. He also continued to be the archdeacon.

In 1473, Wallingford was part of a group given the job of visiting the curates and vicars of several churches in St Albans. As Prior, he continued to care for the abbey's buildings. He spent 360 pounds on the kitchen. Within eight years, he spent a thousand marks repairing farms and houses. He also built a Prior's hall and added everything needed for it.

William Wallingford Becomes Abbot

After Abbot Albon died in 1476, William of Wallingford was chosen unanimously to be the next abbot. This happened on August 5. Wallingford's official record book covers the years from 1476 to 1488.

Wallingford did not get involved much in outside affairs. He successfully fought against some claims by Archbishop Bourchier over the abbey. These claims were decided in the abbot's favor after an appeal to Rome. In 1480, Wallingford was asked to visit all Benedictine monasteries in the Diocese of Lincoln. However, he sent two other monks, William Hardwyk and John Maynard, to do it for him.

How Abbot Wallingford Managed the Abbey

Keeping Order

Abbot Wallingford managed the abbey with a mix of strict rules and kindness. For example, he removed John Langton, the Prior of Tynemouth, for not obeying his visitors. But he also helped a priest who had accidentally caused a death, giving him official papers for absolution. He also freed some villeins (people tied to the land) and their children. In 1487, Wallingford sent his archdeacon, John Rothebury, to Rome to try and get some special permissions for the abbey, but this trip was not successful.

Challenges and Decisions

Wallingford's time as abbot showed some of the common challenges of monasteries in the 1400s. Sometimes, the abbey's lay offices (jobs for people who were not monks) were used in ways that benefited individuals. For example, in 1479, Wallingford gave the job of seneschal or steward of St. Albans to William, Lord Hastings. This job came with many benefits. However, Abbot Albon had already given the same job to John Forster for life in 1474. Three years later, Wallingford gave the job to both Lord Hastings and John Forster together.

Lord Hastings was later killed by Richard III. Forster was put in the Tower for almost nine months. To get a lighter punishment, he gave up his claim to the seneschal job. This is one example that shows how some of the abbey's jobs were sometimes used for personal gain.

Working with Bishops

Wallingford usually tried to be friendly and cooperative with bishops. For instance, when he worried about losing the priory at Pembroke, he humbly asked George Neville, the Bishop of Exeter, for help. Through the bishop, he managed to get the priory back. In return, the bishop was later allowed to choose the next rectory of Stanmore Magna in Middlesex. Some historians have been quite critical of Wallingford's actions, but others see them differently.

William Wallingford's Good Qualities

People who knew William Wallingford, like his successor Thomas Ramridge, said he was very good at his job. He was efficient, thorough, and an excellent manager. He worked hard to protect his abbey. He willingly paid off 1,830 pounds of debts left by the abbot before him.

He built a magnificent altar-screen, which was considered the most beautiful piece of architecture in the abbey for a long time. He spent a lot of money (eleven hundred marks) on this. He also spent another thousand marks finishing the chapter house. He built a small chantry (a chapel for prayers) near the altar on the south side, costing 100 pounds. In this chantry, he built his tomb with his statue made of marble.

He also gave the abbey two beautiful windows, a valuable mitre (a bishop's hat), and two rich pastoral staves (staffs carried by abbots). When he died around 1488, he left the abbey completely free of debt.

The St Albans Printing Press

A very interesting part of Wallingford's time as abbot is that the art of printing came to St Albans. Printing had only been brought to England a few years earlier by William Caxton. It's not entirely clear how the St Albans press was connected to other printers. We also don't know the name of the St Albans printer or their exact connection to the abbot.

What we do know is that between 1480 and 1486, this unknown printer published eight books. The first six were in Latin, and the last two were in English. The most important and final book was the famous 'Boke of St. Albans.'

The only clear information about the St Albans printer comes from a later reprint of the 'St. Albans Chronicle.' It says that the book was "compiled in a book and also emprinted by one sometime schoolmaster of St. Alban." There's no strong proof of a direct link between Wallingford and this 'schoolmaster of St. Alban.' However, it's very likely they had a close connection. St. Albans was a small place, and the abbot was very interested in education. The 'schoolmaster' was helping education by printing books. This idea is supported because two of the eight books printed between 1480 and 1486 have the coat of arms of St. Albans town.

When William Died

Most people agree that William of Wallingford died in 1492. This is when the next abbot took over. However, some historical records suggest he might have died earlier, in 1484 or 1488.