18 - Robert De Gorham

Summary

Robert, the eighteenth

Abbot Robert. Robert succeeded him. He was called ‘reformer of the liberties of the church of St Alban’. He was descended from a noble family living in Normandy and Maine and was the nephew of that venerable abbot, Geoffrey, about whom I wrote earlier. He applied himself with unusual keenness to the study of the liberal arts, and won a glittering reputation for his industry in matters both secular and spiritual.

Now this Abbot Robert had taken up the habit of a monk in lands across the sea, and when he heard that his uncle had been elevated to the abbacy in the house of St Alban, he conceived a desire to see the man himself and his house. He sought and obtained permission from his own abbot, and came to England to visit so mighty a friend. He was received with all respect by Abbot Geoffrey and his monks and, once he had seen the completely commendable discipline in the house of St Alban, the rigour of its rule, the observance of its way of life and the freedom of its possessions, he formed the wish to be taken into the ranks of the monks as their brother monk and to live his life entirely in their monastery. When he put this request to Abbot Geoffrey, the abbot replied with an oath that Robert would never be received in his abbey as a brother and remain there, unless he first obtained from his own abbot a letter of commendation and a dimissory letter. On hearing this, Robert the monk went back home and, as Abbot Geoffrey had required, obtained from his own abbot, though with difficulty, a dimissory letter to be taken to Abbot Geoffrey.

So then as a result of his own persistence and with Abbot Geoffrey as a sponsor Robert was gladly received as a brother monk of the church of St Alban. Later indeed he took up the post of vsacristan in this church, and, while going from good to better in this office, he got the larger part of the church properly covered with lead. Then, after the lapse of the period of a little time, he was duly elected prior in the days of Abbot Ralph of happy memory, as I have already mentioned.