The abbey of St Peter, which later became Gloucester Cathedral, had its origins in the seventh century and was re-established in the eleventh. It benefited considerably from Norman patronage, growing in importance, size and wealth. Henry III was crowned there in 1216, and it is where Edward II was buried. It subsequently became a place of pilgrimage, and received several benefactions from Edward III. Volume 2 of the abbey's records, edited by W. H. Hart and published in 1865, contains charters 424-908. They are arranged by location, rather than date, and are a valuable source of information on manorial landholding in the West Country in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It is clear that St Peter's had become an extremely wealthy establishment by this time. | Historia et cartularium Monasterii Sancti Petri Gloucestriae by William Henry Hart, Paperback | Indigo Chapters