=Source.=--_The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_, ed. Thorpe, vol. i., p. 345.
(Rolls Series.)
1070. In this year earl Waltheof made peace with the king; and in
Lent the king caused all the monasteries that were in England to be
plundered. Then in the same year came Sweyn, king of Denmark, into
the Humber, and the country folk came to meet him and made peace with
him, deeming that he should overcome that country. Then came to Ely
Christian, the Danish bishop, and Osbarn the earl, and the Danish
housecarles with them; and the English folk from all the fenlands
came to them, deeming that they should win all the country. Then the
monks of Peterborough heard say that their own men would plunder the
monastery; that was Hereward and his company. That was because they
had heard say that the king had given the abbacy to a French abbot
named Turold and that he was a very stern man, and was then come to
Stamford with all his Frenchmen. Now there was a church-warden there
named Yware, who took by night all that he could, to wit, gospels,
mass-mantles, cantor copes and vestments, and such little things as he
could, and went forthwith, ere day, to the abbot Turold, and told him
that he sought his protection, and informed him how that the outlaws
were coming to Peterborough, and that he did all by the advice of the
monks. Then forthwith on the morrow came all the outlaws with many
ships, and would have entered the monastery; and the monks withstood
them, that they might not come in. Then they set fire thereto and
burned all the monks’ houses, and all the town but one house. Then
they came in through the fire at Bolhithe gate, and the monks came to
meet them, praying them peace. But they recked nothing thereof, went
into the monastery, climbed up to the holy rood, and then took the
crown from our Lord’s head, all of beaten gold; then they took the
foot-spur that was underneath His foot, which was all of red gold.
They climbed up to the steeple, and brought down the crosier that was
there hidden; it was all of gold and of silver. They took there two
golden shrines, and nine of silver, and they took fifteen great roods,
both of gold and of silver. They took there so much gold and silver,
and so many treasures in money and in raiment and in books, as no man
may tell another, saying that they did it out of reverence for the
monastery. Then went they to the ships, fared to Ely, and there put
all the treasures. The Danish men deemed that they would overcome the
Frenchmen; they then drove away all the monks, none being left there
but one monk, who was named Leofwine Lange; he lay sick in the sick
man’s ward.
Then came abbot Turold and eight score Frenchmen with him, and all
fully armed. When he came thither, he found all burned within and
without, save the church only. The outlaws were then all afloat,
knowing that he would come thither. This was done on the fourth of June.
The two kings, William and Sweyn, were reconciled; and the Danish men
went forth out of Ely with all the aforesaid treasures, and took the
same with them. When they came into the midst of the sea, there came
a great storm and scattered all the ships wherein the treasures were;
some fared to Norway, some to Ireland, some to Denmark, and all that
came thither were the crosier and some shrines and some roods and many
of the other treasures; and they brought them to a king’s town and put
it all there in a church. Then afterwards, through their heedlessness,
and through their drunkenness, the church was burned one night, and all
that was therein. On this wise was the monastery of Peterborough burned
and plundered. May God Almighty have compassion upon it of his great
lovingkindness. And on this wise came the abbot Turold to Peterborough,
and the monks came then again, and did Christ’s service in their
church, which had stood a full sennight without any sort of rite. When
bishop Aegelric heard tell thereof, he excommunicated all the men who
had done that evil deed.