The prebende of Plympton self was the title of one, and the prebend of S. Peter and Paule at Sultown, now caullid Plymmouth, another. Bisshop Warwist, to recompence the prebendaries of Plympton, erectid a college of as many as wer ther at Bosenham in Southsax, and annexid the gift of them to his successors, bisshops of Excester. Then he set up at Plympton a priorie of canons regular, and after was ther buried in the chapitre house. Diverse noble men gave after landes to this priorie, emong whom was Walterus de Valletorta, lord of Tremerton, in Cornewal, and, as sum say, of Totnes, who gave onto Plymtown priorie the isle of S. Nicholas cum cuniculis, conteyning a two acres of ground, or more, and lying at the mouthes of Tamar and Plym ryvers. There were buryed sum of Courteneis and diverse other gentilmen in the chirch of the priorie of Plymtoun. The second establishment, then—dedicated to the Virgin Mary and SS. Peter and Paul—of the Order of St. Augustine, was founded in 1121 by William Warelwast, Bishop of Exeter, the nephew and chaplain of William the Conqueror. He was one of the most gifted and energetic ecclesiastics of his day, and to him we are indebted for the earliest existing portions of Exeter Cathedral, including the two noble Norman towers. He seems to have set his heart on making Plympton priory the richest and most important in this part of the kingdom, and conveyed to it very large properties in Exeter. Many noblemen followed his example. The rental of the priory shows that certain lands and rents were attached to the several conventual offices of almoner, precentor, cellarer, and chaplain of the infirmary. Some idea of the wealth of the monastery may be gathered from the fact that at the dissolution it was rated at £912 12_s._ 8_d._ per annum, whereas the whole annual revenue of the 173 Augustine priories in the kingdom amounted to £33,027, the average being about one-fourth that of Plympton. The founder, Bishop Warelwast, was buried here (as Leland says) in the chapter house of the priory, as were also the remains of his nephew, the fifth Bishop of Exeter. “Whoever is acquainted,” says Dr. Oliver, “with the deeds and writings of subsequent bishops, the immediate patrons of Plympton Priory, must have observed how closely they imitated the zeal of the founder in watching and guarding its interests and promoting its welfare.” Amongst other privileges, the prior and convent possessed the right of appointing the rural dean of Plympton. The venerable building had been destroyed before Leland’s time, as is evident from his saying “the chirch that there a late stood,” meaning, of course, the priory church. “At present,” says Dr. Oliver, “scarcely a vestige remains of any of the conventual buildings”; but in this respect, as we shall hereafter see, he is not quite correct.