# Rimed Chronicle of Stone Priory

Early 15th century English rhyming verse found inscribed on a tablet hanging at Stone Priory in Staffordshire, England, in 1537 at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Transcribed by William Dugdale (1605-1686) in his 1655 work Monasticon Anglicanum. Describes the succession of the de Stafford family of Stafford Castle, feudal barons of Stafford, from the first baron, Robert de Stafford (c.1039–c.1100) (alias Robert de Tosny/Toeni, etc.) who refounded the Saxon monastery of Stone Priory, ending with Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford (1378–1403), killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury.
All manner of men, that lust for to here
How this Monasterie was founded here,
Read out this Table, that here it is written,
And all this matter so may ye witten.
Saint Armemild that good woman,
Saint Wolfald’s mother this place first began,
Who soe lust to witt what wise, and why,
Read over this other Table that here is written by.
And all the whole matter there shall ye finde
In the life of Saint Wolfade and nothing left behinde ;
But who that .... canons began here first to dwell,
In this present Table here shall you here tell.
In the time of the Conquest was the lord of Stafford
Baron Robert, which here was chief lord;
And in his lifetime befel such a rase,
That two nunns and one preest lived in this place,
The which were slayne by one Enysan;
That came over with William Conquer, than. (sic) This Enysan slue the nuns and priest alsoe,
Because his sister should have this church thoe,
But for that offence he did to Saint Wolfade,
His sister soon died, and himself great vengeance had ;
And when Enisan this cruel deede had doon
Then blessed baron Robert bethaught himself soone,
To Killingworth anon that he would goe,
And tell Geffrey of Clinton there of this woe,
Which was in the castle of Killingworth then dwelling,
And was chamberlain to first Henry the king,
And founder of that castle, and abby alsoe,
Which counseled this blessed baron Robert tho,
To restore and helpe Saint Wolfad’s house again,
And make canons there in steed of the nuns that Enysan had slayne. So through baron Robert, and councel of Geffry yn fere,
Canons were first thus founded here.
And for love and devotion that baron Robert had,
He sate here cannons to serve in worship of Saint Wolfad;
And he sent a cannon after to Roome alsoe,
To cannonice this matter of Saint Wolfade tho ;
And let make this shrine that now is here,
In worship of Saint Wolfade, and his broder in fere.
And from Stafford, in pilgrimage with great devotion,
To visit the shrine, to Stone, hither he came,
And loved Saint Wolfade so entirely,
That this church he made all new to edify.
And when that he had builded this place.
Then he dyed as God’s will was,
In the entry of the cloyster he was buried sekerly,
And Avice de Clare his wife lyeth him by.
After this blessed Robert, came Nicholas his sonne,
Which to this place had greate devotion;
And to this place did many benefits sekerlie,
As by his charters appeareth apertlie.
After this blessed founder died, and whent to blisse,
And before the chapter house door buried is,
And Maude Moolte his wife lyeth him by,
One whose soules our Lord God have mercie.
After this Nicholas, then Robert his sonn
Was founder there, by heritane and succession.
And mainteined this place worthily with all his might,
As a blessed founder, and God’s true knight;
And when that he died, as God’s will was,
He bequethed his body into this place,
By Nicholas his fader, in the cloister to lye
Before the chapter house doore, and Avice his wife him by.
After this blessed baron Robert was laid on beyre,
Then was Harvey his sonne, lord and founder here,
Which to this place did benefits many one.
And augmented the lifelode and possession anon.
And when it pleased God, he died, and went to blisse,
And in the chapter house there buried he is.
Thidder he bequethed his body sekerly,
And Millysant his wife lyeth him by.
After this Harvey, cam Harvey his sonn,
And was founder there by herritage and succession;
Which many blessed deeds here did and made,
For great love he had to Saint Wolfade:
And when time came that he should dye.
He bequethed his body here to lye,
In the sextri he was buried tho,
And Parnel his wife by him also.
After he was buryed in this mannere,
Then was Robert his son founder here,
Which for great love he had to Saint Wolfade,
This church and the cannons from Killingworth free he made,
And granted to the prior of Killingworth full power
To give licens of election of priors here.
Thus he discharged this place and made it free,
And bequethed his body buried here to be.
Before Saint John Baptist auter sekerlie,
And his two wives Jone and Jone lye him bye,
And eyther side one I wis.
And himselfe in the middest buried is.
After this Nicholas, Edmond his son also,
And of this place was founder thoe,
And loved Saint Wolfade so intirely,
That he sojourned in this place sikerlie,
And many blessed benefits he did here,
As it openly by his charters doth appear;
But after, through the councel of a frier minor,
Which was that lorde confessor,
When he should be dead he bequethed his body
To Stafford in the fryer minors for to lye,
But Margaret his blessed wife ywys
Before the alter of Tyssho buried is.
After this Robert came his son Nicholas, ,
And after his father here founder was;
To Saint Wolfade he did great honour,
And was to this place full gratious governour.
He bequethed, at deathe, his body,
Before the high awter heere for to lye.
After this Edmond came Raufe his son than,
Earl of Stafford that worthy man,
And the worthiest that ever was,
And was here founder then of this place ;
To this place great love he had,
And worshipped much the martyr Saint Wolfade:
He appropred the church, and made lye co to this place,
And many a blessed dead he did through Gods grace ;
And at Tunbridge he is buried sekerlie,
And dame Margaret his wife lyeth him by,
And his brother sir Edward Stafford ywys,
In this church, in S. Peeters ile, buried he is;
And sir Thomas of Stafford, his son also,
In the same ile is buried, a little his fader fro.
After this earl Raufe, that blessed man,
Came earl Hugh his sonne, and was founder than ;
He loved this place full well also,
And over pilgrimage to Hierusalem can goo.
In his coming homeward, at Rodes sekerly
There it happened him to die ;
He bequeathed his bones to be buried here
At Stone, before the high auter here,
John Hinklay, that was squire with him thoe,
Brought hither his hart and bones alsoe ;
In a fayre tombe before the high auter he doth lye,
And dame Philippe his wife lyeth him by,
That daughter to the earl of Warwicke was,
And by her husband lieth in the same place.
After this earl Hugh came Thomas his son also,
And was founder of this place tho.
He dyed at Westminster, and bequeathed his body
In the north side of this quier by his fader to lye.
After this Thomas cam his brother William,
And so was founder of this place than ;
Which, ynneage at Plaishe, died ywys,
And by his grandfather Raufe buried he is.
After this William, came earl Edmond his brother ywis,
That was full of beauty and blessedness,
A full gratious founder he was to this place,
And mentained it worthely, through God’s grace:
He died at the battel of Shrewsburie,
On Saint Mary Maudelens even sekerly,
The year of our Lord one thousand four hundred and three,
And is buried at Stafford as you may see,
In the fryer Austins, in the quier,
In a tomb before the high auter.
And dame Anne his wife I wys,
In Launthonie Abby buried shee is.
And his brother sir Hugh, the lord Bouchier,
Is buried in the south side of this quier,
Besides his father earle Hugh, as you may see,
In a fayre new tombe here buryed is hee.