Middle Ages

Timeline

Saxon

St Mary’s

St Giles’

St Laurence’s

The Abbey

The Monks Day

The Abbot

Pilgrims

The Grey Friars

Quakers

Baptists

Congregation-alists

Catholic Church

St Mary’s Castle Street

The Abbot

The Abbot of the abbey was in charge. he was chosen by his fellow monks, although in the first few years of the abbey the King had a say in who became abbot. This meant that an able person who was not rich could become powerful through the abbey. The Abbot had power not only over the Abbey, but also over the town of Reading. He collected taxes from the townspeople and chose who was to be mayor. From the 14th Century the Abbot was allowed to mint coins and a mint was set up in the abbey grounds.

The Abbot was also responsible for looking after important visitors. 13 Kings of England stayed at the Abbey, sometimes for weeks at a time. The Abbot also went to Parliament which was unusual. The Abbot also had to look after all of the properties of the Abbey, which included land in Kent, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Scotland. This land was given to the abbey to pay for the things that the abbey needed.

The Abbey was organised so that the Abbot gave orders to a team of monks who each then told the abbeys servants what to do. Many people from the town worked at the abbey, such as cooks, craftsmen, gardeners, stableboys, (ostlers)

On the abbey grounds, on the south side were the Holy Brook and the River Kennet. The Holy Brook was used to power the Abbey Mill, a watermill which ground the corn into flour for the abbey. Nearby was the Abbey Wharf, where goods for the abbey, such as the stone used for building, was brought in. As the roads at this time were very poor, most of the things that the Abbey needed were brought in through the wharf. The Abbey Mill closed in 1959 and was later demolished.