Glossop and the Monks of Basingwerk

‘Henry King of England, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, to all his Archbishops, Bishops (etc, etc)’

‘Greetings.

Know ye that I have given and confirmed, and by the present Charter do confirm to God, Saint Mary and the Monks of Basingwerk for a free and perpetual gift, land to the value of £10 a year in Langdendale; that is to say, Glossop with the church that is there, with all the lands and things that belong to it; just as William Peveril held them in the time of Henry my grandfather.

Witnesses:
Thomas the Chancellor, Richard Humestt the Constable, Robert de Dunstanville, Jocelon de Bailliol, William FitzHamon.

Given at Chester’.

Basingwerk was an abbey in North Wales, on the shores of the Dee estuary between Flint and Prestatyn. It was founded in 1131 by Ranulf, Earl of Chester.

William Peverill was an illegitimate son of William the Conqueror. The High Peak was given to him as a Manor and he built a castle at Castleton. William Peverill II was involved in civil war in England and was accused of murder in 1153 or 1154. He fled from England and all his property was confiscated in 1157.

King Henry II was fighting in North Wales. It is quite likely that he spent some time staying at the Abbey of Basingwerk and that he rewarded the monks by giving them this charter. However, it has no date on it. By giving them the Manor of Glossop, Henry gave the monks the right to collect wood, mine lead, and to ‘tax’ the people by collecting animals and grain from them. 

Abbot’s Chair, Monks Road In 1289 a charter was granted the monks the right to hold a market in Glossop each week. At first it was on Wednesdays, but it soon changed to Mondays; there was also a three day fair in July – traders might come from all over the north-west to that. The market and fair brought a certain amount of income for the monks in fees and fines, but would also bring more chance of prosperity to the people of the Glossop area by giving them the opportunity to buy and sell.

All over the country they developed sheep farming, and by the end of the middle ages England’s wool was its chief export. The Basingwerk monks probably encouraged the people of Glossopdale to increase wool production too, making both monks and villagers richer.

Even so, it is likely that in 1500 and possibly even in 1600, there was only one stone building in the village – the church.