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Rh William Kirkby, elected 1468, resigned 1475 William Pemberton, elected 1475, died William Eynsham, elected 1499, resigned Thomas Yorke, elected 1501, resigned Thomas Broke, elected 1503 Thomas Parker, occurs at the dissolution, 1524

Pointed oval seal of late fourteenth century taken from an impression in gutta-percha gilded, represents the Blessed Virgin with crown seated in a niche with tabernacle work at the sides. The Holy Child with nimbus is on her right knee, in her left hand she holds a sceptre fleur-de-lizé. In base in a niche with round-headed arch an ecclesiastic is kneeling, turned three-quarters to the left, in prayer. Legend: SIGILLŪ: CŌOIE: DOMUS: BEATE: MARIE: DE: TYKFORD.

8. THE ABBEY OF BIDDLESDEN

The Cistercian abbey of Biddlesden was founded in the year 1147 by Arnold de Bois (or de Bosco), steward to the Earl of Leicester, and one of the keepers of the royal forest. The traditional account of its foundation, if true, does not reflect much credit upon Arnold. For the lands with which he endowed it were a gift from the Earl of Leicester, to whom they had escheated during the civil war by the failure of the former tenant, Robert of Meppershall, to do the homage and service due for them ; and it is said that Arnold de Bois determined to found an abbey there in order to avoid the difficulty of a disputed tenure. When peace was restored, Robert did indeed lay claim to the lands, and impleaded Arnold; but the monks paid him ten marks, and persuaded him to grant them a charter of confirmation. Matthew Paris however speaks of Arnold as strenuus, facetus et optimis moribus adornatus, so perhaps his motives in founding the abbey have been misrepresented. At any rate he received all the honours of a founder, and was buried in the conventual church before the high altar.

The first monks of Biddlesden were probably sent from the abbey of Gerondon in Leicestershire, for the earliest charters were made out to the abbot of that house; but after the custom of Cistercian foundations, it became an independent abbey almost at once. The original endowment was confirmed by Robert, Earl of Leicester, by Stephen and Henry II., by Theobald of Canterbury, and Robert of Lincoln. Many well-known names in this county are reckoned amongst the benefactors of Biddlesden: William and Ralf de Cheinduit, Roger and Miles de Bray, Roger Foliot, Ralf de Pinkeney, Thomas de St. Walery, and Beatrice, wife of the younger William de Beauchamp. Their gifts were bestowed for the most part during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The church of Ebrington in Gloucestershire was granted to the abbey as late as 1378. But it was not a wealthy house at any time, and its revenue never rose much above £100.

Little is known of its external history. In 1260 the vicar of Thornborough complained to the abbot that he did not receive tithes from the monastic lands in his parish; and the abbot, for the sake of peace, granted him three acres out of these, being careful however at the same time to assert the Cistercian pri-