Page:Calendar of the Tavistock parish records.djvu/133

 The Abbots. 1 19

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��To make the personal view of the ancient history of Tavastock as full as possible within the present limits, lists of the Abbots, Vicars, and Members of Parliament are here appended ; while the record of the parish documents is rendered complete by the accounts of the Register Books, &c., and the description of the Communion Plate, kindly drawn up by the Rev. D. P. Alford.

Cbe abbots.

The Abbey of St. Mary and St. Rumon of Tavistock was founded about the year 961, probably by Ordulf, son of Orgar, ealdorman of Devon ; and in 997 was burnt by the Danes. At the Conquest it was the wealthiest convent in Devon, owning the manors of Tavistock, Milton Abbot, Lidelton, Hatherleigh, Thornbury, Hame, Hurdwick, Ber- nintone, Raddon, Leigh, Houndtor, Denbury, Welle, and Plymstock. At the surrender, March 20, 1538, its revenues were valued at ;!^902 5s. /d. The latest Abbey Church was dedicated by 13ishop Stapledon August 21, 13 18; the parish church of St. Eustachius May 21st in the same year. Roger Millaton, in 1380, obtained a license for divine worship in a chapel which he had lately built adjoining the parish church ; and there is record that in 1445 Constantia, daughter of William Coffyn, and relict of John Wyse, with Robert Bonefas and Maurice Berd, had erected an aisle or guild of St. Thomas the Martyr in the church.

The following list of the Abbots of Tavistock is mainly that of Dr. Oliver, annotated and revised :

Aimer, in whose time the monastery was burnt by the Danes. Lyfing, who became Bishop of Crediton (uniting the sees

of Cornwall and Devon) and Worcester. 1032 iEldred, afterwards Archbishop of York, who crowned the

Conqueror.

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