DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6913#0088
4G
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
ignorance and errors of the transcriber, that no dependance can be placed on its
contents; though it seems to have been the source whence the account in Dugdale's
Baronage was collected.
Sir Titus de Leighton, Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, an ancestor of a very
ancient family of that name in Shropshire, who formerly possessed estates at Leigh-
ton, a parish adjoining Buildwas, is said to have attended Robert of Normandy to
the Holy Wars, and, upon his return, to have become a co-founder of Buildwas
Abbey. That gentleman is supposed to have died early in the reign of Henry the
Second. Sir Richard de Leighton, of the same family, gave lands to Buildwas, by
several deeds, without date ; and Richard, his son, was also a benefactor, in a similar
manner. Many of the Leightons are reported to have been buried in this monastery.
At the dissolution of the abbey two monuments remained there ; the one a cross-
legged knight, in armour, with sword, shield, &c. which tradition has assigned to Sir
Titus de Leighton ; the other an alabaster slab, engraven with the figures of a man
and a woman, bearing an inscription round the margin, describing it as the monu-
ment of Sir William de Leighton, Knight, and Margaret his wife. These relics
were deposited in the church at Leighton, when the monastery was destroyed, and
are still remaining.
Besides the donations presented to the monks of Buildwas, by Roger, Walter,
Richard, and Hugh, Bishops of Lichfield, many other persons of consequence be-
stowed liberal gifts of lands, and granted privileges. William Fitz-Alan, Governor
of Shrewsbury, at the siege before-mentioned, when restored to the estates of which
he had been deprived by King Stephen, bestowed his village of Little Buildwas ;
and soon afterwards the manor of the same was confirmed to the abbey. Among
the early and principal benefactors also, may be enumerated the following persons :
Gilbert de Laci, Sir Richard Corbet, and others of that family; Philip de Belmeis,
Hamon de Walton, Alan de la Zouche, Richard de Leighton, Waltar de Dunstan-
ville, Galfrid Randulf, Robert Traynel, Edmund de Leynham, Reginald de Charnes,
Galfrid de la Holt, and Hugh Burnell.
Notwithstanding the ample property derived from the liberality of these, and of
other benefactors, the Abbey was so much impoverished in the time of Henry VIII.
that, at the dissolution, it was classed with the lesser monasteries. An Inquisition
was taken by the King's Commissioners, April 24th, 28th Henry VIII. from which
it appears, that the number of monks, at that time, was reduced from twelve to eight.
These were all priests advanced in years, and all men of good character, except the
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
ignorance and errors of the transcriber, that no dependance can be placed on its
contents; though it seems to have been the source whence the account in Dugdale's
Baronage was collected.
Sir Titus de Leighton, Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, an ancestor of a very
ancient family of that name in Shropshire, who formerly possessed estates at Leigh-
ton, a parish adjoining Buildwas, is said to have attended Robert of Normandy to
the Holy Wars, and, upon his return, to have become a co-founder of Buildwas
Abbey. That gentleman is supposed to have died early in the reign of Henry the
Second. Sir Richard de Leighton, of the same family, gave lands to Buildwas, by
several deeds, without date ; and Richard, his son, was also a benefactor, in a similar
manner. Many of the Leightons are reported to have been buried in this monastery.
At the dissolution of the abbey two monuments remained there ; the one a cross-
legged knight, in armour, with sword, shield, &c. which tradition has assigned to Sir
Titus de Leighton ; the other an alabaster slab, engraven with the figures of a man
and a woman, bearing an inscription round the margin, describing it as the monu-
ment of Sir William de Leighton, Knight, and Margaret his wife. These relics
were deposited in the church at Leighton, when the monastery was destroyed, and
are still remaining.
Besides the donations presented to the monks of Buildwas, by Roger, Walter,
Richard, and Hugh, Bishops of Lichfield, many other persons of consequence be-
stowed liberal gifts of lands, and granted privileges. William Fitz-Alan, Governor
of Shrewsbury, at the siege before-mentioned, when restored to the estates of which
he had been deprived by King Stephen, bestowed his village of Little Buildwas ;
and soon afterwards the manor of the same was confirmed to the abbey. Among
the early and principal benefactors also, may be enumerated the following persons :
Gilbert de Laci, Sir Richard Corbet, and others of that family; Philip de Belmeis,
Hamon de Walton, Alan de la Zouche, Richard de Leighton, Waltar de Dunstan-
ville, Galfrid Randulf, Robert Traynel, Edmund de Leynham, Reginald de Charnes,
Galfrid de la Holt, and Hugh Burnell.
Notwithstanding the ample property derived from the liberality of these, and of
other benefactors, the Abbey was so much impoverished in the time of Henry VIII.
that, at the dissolution, it was classed with the lesser monasteries. An Inquisition
was taken by the King's Commissioners, April 24th, 28th Henry VIII. from which
it appears, that the number of monks, at that time, was reduced from twelve to eight.
These were all priests advanced in years, and all men of good character, except the