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Robbers at Roche
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In August 1304, the abbot of Kirkstall
embarked on his long journey to the Annual General
Chapter at Cîteaux,
that was held every September. Robbers, who knew of his plans, hid
in the woods by Roche and lay in wait for the abbot to pass. Luckily
their wicked intentions were uncovered. The abbot of Kirkstall was
alerted of their whereabouts, diverted his route, and arrived safely
at Dover, ready to set sail for France. 1
The abbot of Kirkstalls experience was not unusual. Travel
by road could be extremely dangerous, with the threat of robbery
and ambush. Woods, such as those at Roche, were a favourite hiding-place
for robbers and could be particularly unsafe. The Cistercian abbots
travelling to the General Chapter at Cîteaux were easy prey
for robbers, who knew when they would be on the roads, and that
they would be laden with supplies for the journey; a successful
ambush could be extremely lucrative. It was clearly anticipated
that some abbots would be attacked on their way to the meeting,
for the General Chapter ruled that in such cases victims should
be helped by other Cistercian abbeys. To avoid attack, abbots generally
sought safety in numbers and travelled to the meeting at Cîteaux
in convoy; the English abbots usually congregated at London. As
a further precaution, the stablehands or grooms who accompanied
the abbots carried arms and were thus ready to ward off attackers.
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