Description:The charter says the grant is to the canons regular of Donnington showing that they had already moved from their original site at Lizard between Watling Street and Merdich which Philip de Belmeis had granted them. VCH Shropshire vol.2 thinks that the reference to ‘Donnington’ meant that they had a temporary settlement there, but U. Rees believes that this probably means that they had settled not actually in Donnington but in their permanent site at Lilleshall which was in Lilleshall Wood between Donnington and the village of Lilleshall.
Richard the Archdeacon was Richard de Belmeis, at that date archdeacon of Middlesex, having established his claim to that position in 1138. He was dean of the collegiate church of St. Alkmund which Henry I had granted him soon after the death of his uncle Richard de Belmeis, Bishop of London in 1127. He granted the abbey his prebend in the church of St. Alkmund, Shrewsbury and all its other prebends as they became vacant. Richard de Belmeis’ prebend consisted of Lilleshall and Atcham.
In the 1140s times were uncertain and the canons obviously thought it expedient to have their grants confirmed at the highest level. Henry I died in 1135 leaving no male heir; his only legitimate son, William, died in 1120 when the White Ship sank crossing the Channel. Henry’s daughter Matilda married as her first husband, Emperor Henry V of the Holy Roman Empire, and Henry made the barons swear to support her, but they were reluctant to support a female ruler, and her arrogant behaviour always made her unpopular. Stephen was the son of Henry I’s sister Adela. In spite of the barons’ promise they did nothing to prevent Stephen seizing the throne on Henry’s death. For a few years Stephen was popular but in 1139 Matilda mounted a challenge and gained some support. A civil war followed with plundering raids and besieging of castles rather than pitched battles. Some areas of the country suffered more than others; the main areas of fighting were around Gloucester and Bristol where Matilda’s power was strongest. For a few years neither party could seize complete power; Matilda was not popular, but Stephen was not a strong ruler. However in 1145 the war turned in Stephen’s favour; it is interesting, therefore, that three years after this in 1148 the canons thought it advisable to get a confirmation of this charter from Empress Matilda, although her power was by then waning. In 1148 Matilda gave up her attempt to gain the throne and left England.
The canons also felt that their endowment needed official endorsement because much of it came from the former prebendal church of St. Alkmund’s, Shrewsbury which was originally a royal foundation, said to have been by Aethelfleda, daughter of King Alfred. Papal approval was thought to be necessary because of the suppression of the secular canons. Pope Eugenius III and Archbishop Theobald specifically confirmed Richard de Belmeis’ gift of St. Alkmund’s, not the whole foundation.
To learn more about Medieval life in Shropshire, follow the link below to the article 'Aspects of Medieval Life: The Lilleshall Collection' written by Dr. Sylvia Watts and Robert Cromarty.
The transcripts and translations of Medieval deeds in the Lilleshall Collection and the stories written about Medieval life were produced by Dr. Sylvia Watts and Robert Cromarty at Shropshire Archives.