In
gratitude for this benefit, he built a chapel in honour of St. Cuthbert
in his own Abbey. For some reason the Abbey, though no doubt used, had
not hitherto been consecrated. This omission was made good on the
festival of the Holy Innocents, 1115, by Geoffrey, Archbishop of Rouen,
the Bishops of Lincoln, London, Durham and Salisbury assisting. Henry
III., his Queen Matilda, the chief nobles and prelates of the kingdom,
were present and stayed at the Abbey from December 27th until the Feast
of the Epiphany (January 6th). Wymondham Priory in Norfolk was founded
by William, Count of Arundel, and conferred on St. Albans during Abbot
Richard's rule. Like his predecessor, he enriched his relations at the
expense of the Abbey, and is further blamed by the chronicler for having
promised that the Abbey should be subject for the future not to the
Archbishop but to the Bishop of Lincoln.[11] This change seems to have
led to a stricter rule and so was displeasing to the monks, though it is
admitted that the Archbishop had not treated the Abbey well.
[11] The church remained in this diocese until 1845, when it was
handed over to Rochester, although, as will be seen afterwards,
the Abbey was made independent of the Bishop of Lincoln's
jurisdiction.
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