Editing Pershore Abbey (section)

===Refoundation===
In the reign of King Edgar (959-975), Pershore reappears as one of the abbeys to be re-established (or restored) under the programme of [[Benedictine]] reform. Writing ''c''. 1000, the Ramsey monk [[Byrhtferth]] relates that under the auspices of [[Oswald of Worcester|Oswald, bishop of Worcester]], seven monasteries were founded in his diocese, notably including Pershore.<ref>Byrhtferth, ''Life of Oswald'', p. 494 (ch. 8).</ref> The first abbot was one Foldbriht,<ref>Byrhtferth, ''Life of Oswald'', pp. 494-5 (ch. 9).</ref> whose name is sufficiently rare to suggest that he may be the same Foldbriht whom Bishop [[Æthelwold]] previously installed at [[Abingdon Abbey|Abingdon]] and used to be a monk of [[Glastonbury Abbey|Glastonbury]] before that time.<ref>Hudson, ''Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis'', p. cciii.</ref>

The refoundation is what lies behind an exceptionally elaborate charter for Pershore, dated 972, in which King Edgar is presented as granting new lands and privileges as well as confirming old ones, such as the one granted by Coenwulf.<ref name=S786 /> The authenticity of this document, however, has been questioned. [[Simon Keynes]] in 1980 showed that it belongs to the so-called ''Orthodoxorum'' group of charters, so named after the initial word of their [[Preface|proem]], which he concluded were forgeries based on a charter of [[Æthelred the Unready|Æthelred II]]'s reign.<ref>Keynes, ''The diplomas of King Æthelred 'the Unready' 978-1016'', pp. 98-100</ref> Since then, Susan Kelly and John Hudson have vindicated the status of some of these charters, including the one for Pershore, which is written in square minuscule characteristic of some of Edgar's charters.<ref>Hudson, ''Historia Ecclesie Abbendonensis'', pp. cxcix-cciv</ref> More recently, Peter Stokes has brought to light a variant copy of the charter and suggests that two different versions may have been produced around the same time, somewhere between 972 and 1066. A possible scenario is that they were produced to make up for the loss of the original charter(s), perhaps shortly after the fire which is reported to have destroyed the abbey in ''c''. 1002 (see below).<ref name=Stokes72-3>Stokes, "King Edgar's charter for Pershore, 972", pp. 72-3.</ref>

The 12th-century historian [[William of Malmesbury]], who seems unaware of any pre-existing minster, claims that one Æthelweard (''Egelwardus''), whom he describes as "ealdorman of Dorset", had founded the abbey of Pershore in the time of King Edgar.<ref name=Gesta-iv.162>William of Malmesbury, ''Gesta pontificum'' IV, ch. 162, ed. and tr, Winterbottom and Thomson</ref> Similarly, [[Osbert de Clare|Osbert]]'s ''Life'' of [[Eadburh of Winchester]] alleges that one ''Alwardus'', who is styled ''comes'' and ''consul'', was responsible for the refoundation. Both authors also attribute to him a role in the translation of some of the saint's relics to Pershore. Osbert writes that an abbess of [[St Mary's Abbey, Winchester|Nunnaminster]] had sold some relics to Æthelweard (''Alwardus''), who in turn handed them over for the refoundation of Pershore.<ref name="ReferenceA">Ridyard, ''The royal saints of Anglo-Saxon England''</ref> Some scholars have identified him with [[Æthelweard (historian)|Æthelweard]], the well-known chronicler and ealdorman of the western shires.<ref name=World11-3>Williams, ''World before Domesday'', pp. 11-3.</ref> {{#tag:ref|A tradition at [[Tewkesbury Abbey]], only 10&nbsp;miles from Pershore, also remembers a royal kinsman called Æthelweard (''Haylwardus'') as its patron as well as that of [[Cranborne Abbey]] (Dorset), of which Tewkesbury was a dependency.<ref name=World11-3 /><ref name=reform347>Jayakumar, "Reform and retribution", p. 347.</ref> The account, which places his floruit in the time of King Æthelred and Dunstan, is recorded in a late chronicle of that house, written in the 15th century, but may very well be based on older sources.<ref name=World11-3 /><ref name=reform347 /> This Æthelweard is to be identified with the Æthelweard ''Mæw'' whose activities, including the foundation of Cranborne, are attested in sources closer to his day.<ref name=World11-3 /> Historian Jayakumar suggests that he may be the chronicler [[Æthelweard (historian)|Æthelweard]], ealdorman of the western shires, as both were royal kinsmen and in the Tewkesbury Chronicle, Cranborne is said to have been founded ''in suo dominio''.<ref name=reform347 /> Ann Williams, however, prefers to see them as separate persons.<ref name=World11-3 />|group=note}}

Whatever high-level patronage the foundation may have received, it was not enough to sustain its fortunes for very long. Precisely what happened to Pershore in the later 10th century is poorly documented, but some sources seem to hint that it went into decline during the succession crisis which emerged in the wake of King Edgar's death.<ref name=Williams167-8>Williams, "''Princeps Merciorum gentis''", pp. 167-8</ref> William of Malmesbury says that "it, too, like the others, decayed to a pitiful extent, and was reduced by more than a half".<ref name=Gesta-iv.162 /> According to Leland, the ''Annals of Pershore'' hold an earl called ''Delfer'' responsible for depriving the abbey of several of its lands. This ''Delfer'' has been interpreted as a misreading for [[Ælfhere, Ealdorman of Mercia|Ælfhere]] (d. 983), ealdorman of Mercia<ref name=Williams167-8 /> (whom Leland mentions elsewhere).<ref name=LelandIter>"Oswaldus ''primum instituit Canonicos seculares apud'' Persore.{{Clear}} ''Postea fuit ibidem chorus monachorum''.{{Clear}}''Rursus Canonici inducti''.{{Clear}}''Postea monachi per'' Edgarum.{{Clear}} Elferus ''abstulit prædia monachis''.{{Clear}}Odda ''comes ejus filius restituit''.{{Clear}}''Monasterium conflagravit & à monachis desertum est''.{{Clear}}''Monachi'' Westmonasterienses ''prædia usurpabant''.{{Clear}}Wada ''comes attulit reliqias S.'' Eadburgae, & ''per'' Oswaldum ''episcopum'' Fulbrightus ''abbas inductus''.{{Clear}}''Olney'', alias ''Alney'', about ''Deorhirst'' in ''Glocester-shire. Deorhurst'' yet remainith in ''Glocestre-shire'' as a Celle to ''Twekesbiri''." John Leland, ''Itinerarium'', ed. Hearne, vol. 5, p. 2.</ref> While himself a patron of Ely and Abingdon, Ælfhere was also charged with despoiling reformed monasteries during [[Edward the Martyr]]'s brief reign (975-978). The targets included houses refounded by Bishop Oswald or Bishop Æthelwold and considerably enriched under the patronage of Æthelstan Half-King's sons, notably [[Æthelwine, Ealdorman of East Anglia|Æthelwine, ealdorman of East Anglia]]. [[Evesham Abbey]], for instance, as later reported by [[Chronicon Abbatiae de Evesham|its own chronicle]], also claimed to have lost several of its lands in this way, and [[Winchcombe]] was disbanded altogether. Æthelwine, in his turn, was remembered at Ely as a despoiler of its lands. Tensions between Ælfhere and Bishop Oswald, whose authorities overlapped, and between Ælfhere and Æthelwine, with whom Oswald maintained a close relationship, are therefore likely to have been the principal cause of the upheaval.<ref name=Williams167-8 /> Whether a liberty similar to that of [[Oswaldslow (hundred)|Oswaldslow]] was an extra cause for concern, compromising Ælfhere's authority as ealdorman, cannot be ascertained from the sources.<ref name=Williams167-8 />