<g>Kingswood Abbey.</g>--“ROGER DE BERKELEY received by gift of William Rufus certain lands, upon condition that he should confer them upon some monks or canons; but being prevented by death, he bequeathed them to William de Berkeley[128] his nephew, upon the same terms. And of which William, I find that he bestowed upon the monks of <g>Tynterne</g>, in Wales, a certain <g>Desart</g> near Berkeley, called <g>Kingswood</g>, there to found an abbey of the <g>Cistercian Order</g>; and that Maud the Empress, daughter to King Henry the First, confirmed that grant. The convent was built, but during the troublous reign of Stephen they removed to Haselden; but thence, on the return of peace, they were expelled by the proprietor, and again took up their abode at <g>Kingswood</g>. Reginal D. S. <g>Walerick</g> repenting, invited them back to Haselden; but, after a time, the place being found very inconvenient for lack of water, they were removed by him to <g>Tetbury</g>, Kingswood all this time being left as a mere _grange_ of the monastery. Of this the heir of the founder complained, and required that the convent should return thither, according to the conditions upon which it was given by his ancestor. A general chapter of the whole <g>Order</g>, however, decided against him, and determined that Kingswood should remain as a mere farm belonging to the convent of Tetbury; but that mass should always be sung at <g>Kingswood</g>, privately, by one monk, who was to have for his labour twenty-seven _marks_ and a half. But after this, by another general chapter of that Order, it was agreed that the Abbot of Waverley, in Surrey, should rebuild _Kingswood_ with the consent of the founder, and confirmation of the King; which being done without the privity of the convent at Tetbury, and Abbot of <g>Tynterne</g>, who opposed the same. Upon a meeting of divers other abbots at _Kingswood_, it was concluded, that the monks placed at Kingswood should be recalled, and that place reduced unto the state of a _grange_ to Tettebiry, as it was before.” These transmutations, however, were not yet concluded: “for Tettebiry being found a narrow place, too little for an abbey, and having no fuel but what was brought from Kingswood, which was far distant, Bernard de S. Walerick came to accord with Roger de <g>Berkley</g>, the founder of Kingswood, and therefore, obtaining a grant from him of forty acres of land adjoining to Kingswood, translated those monks from Tettebiry thither, and called it <g>Kingswood</g>, as a name of most note.”[129] Such were the vicissitudes of this abbey.