The New Guide to Peterborough Cathedral | Page 6

covers the middle of the building was of his workmanship. He likewise added several houses to those which were already within the precincts of the abbey, and built the present gate which leads to the west front of the cathedral, with a chapel over it, which was dedicated to St. Nicholas.[8]
Benedict likewise obtained a charter for holding a fair upon the feast of St. Peter, and a market to be held every Thursday. The fair was to continue eight days.
This abbot ruled seventeen years, and died in 1194.
Andreas succeeded Benedict, and rose gradually from a monk to a prior, and finally to an abbot. It is said that he was a good man, and secured the esteem of the monks by giving them the lands of Fletton and Alwalton to enrich their table. He ordered likewise six marks a year to be given out of the monastery funds to the infirmary. This donation was continued by his successors for a long time, but Abbot Walter, during his rule, directed that it should be employed in purchasing wine for the "pitanciary."
During the reign of Andreas there were several lands given to the "Eleemossynary," and the monastery was very flourishing. He governed seven years, and died in 1201. His body was entombed in the south aisle, with two of his brethren, under a Norman arch, beneath which is the following epitaph:--
Hos tres abbates quibus est prior abba Iohannes, Alter Martinus, Andreas ultimus, unus Hic claudit tumulus; pro clausis ergo rogemus.
Acharius succeeded Andreas in 1200. He was originally a prior of St. Albans, but was presented by King John to the abbacy of this monastery, on account of his many virtues and distinguished talents. He seems to have had the interest of the monastery at heart as greatly as any of his predecessors, and was engaged in several lawsuits with different landowners, in order to recover the lost possessions of the abbey. He gained the marsh of Singlesholt from the Abbot of Crowland "for a yearly acknowledgement of four stones of wax," and increased the number of his monks. He endowed the church with many valuable articles--such as silver basins for the great altar, with a case of gold and silver, set with precious stones, for the arm of St. Oswald! He gave likewise two large silver cups to the refectory, with silver feet richly gilt, according to Gunton, and four table knives with ivory hafts. He paid money off the monastery debts, and purchased houses in London, which he added to the abbey possessions.
During the festival of St. Peter, a large wax candle, of five pounds weight,[9] was set before the altar, and burnt day and night, until the festival was completed. This custom was observed in all other feasts of the saints in the abbey; and during the rule of Acharius the festivals were remarkable for their pomp and splendour.
This abbot ruled ten years, died in 1214, and was succeeded by Robert of Lindsay, or Lyndesheye.
It was during the rule of this abbot that one of the most interesting changes was effected in the monastery: the windows until this time had been "stuffed with straw," to keep out the cold and the rain; and, at an immense expense, he had thirty-nine of them adorned with glass, which enterprise gained for him a considerable amount of fame and esteem. Not content with this change in his own monastery, he extended his generosity to other parts, and built a chancel to the church at Oxney. He was confirmed by the king at Winchester, and received the benediction of the Bishop of Lincoln.
Being thus installed in his new office with so much honour, he directed his attention to the forest lands by which he was surrounded. By virtue of the forest laws, foresters let their cattle run at liberty to graze, and they frequently did much damage to the possessions of the monastery, and to the property of the town inhabitants. Lindsay therefore wrote to the king to try to "disafforest" the lands which were contiguous to the monastery, and he effected his object by payment of 1320 marks. Of his other improvements we read that "he made in the south cloister a lavatory of marble, for the monks to wash their hands in when they went to meals--their hall being near on the other side of the wall, the door leading into it being yet standing; the lavatory continued entire until the year 1651, and then, with the whole cloister, it was also pulled down."
About this time, in the reign of King John, England was the scene of those civil contentions which terminated in favour of the barons, and the attainment of a charter of liberties. A large number of the monasteries in England were, however, despoiled by the king before the fate