Thomas de Musca.
Author of Dale Chronicle (WARD): .Cartulary Brit. Mus. Vesp. E xxvi Plut. xxvi H (18), vellum 11" x 8" 186 pp. (C41).
The cartulary shows him as alive in 1277 - 1286, so the chronicle can be dated to between 1253 and 1286. the earliest fragment is 13th century and probably the original CLARK).
Thomas names himself by starting the paragraphs of his chronicle with his initial letters --implying that 2 chapters are missing, as his name was probably De Muscamp. The Cartulary has a Thomas de Muskham or Muschamp.
2 branches of the family are mentioned: 1 with estates in North Notts, 1 in Stanton by Dale, holding lands at Stanton and Kirk Hallam etc etc and being benefactors of the abbey (PAGE). Thomas was *most likely to have belonged to the north Notts. branch because Thomas knew Peter Cook of Bathley well, and Bathley adjoins North Muskham (CLARK, SALTMAN) Thomas *probably belonged to the Stanton branch of the family (C41).
Thomas joined Dale Abbey as a boy - voluntarily - *about 1235 (SALTMAN) *in the late 1230s or early 40s, so he was probably born about 1225. He received the habit from Abbot John Grauncurth *(1233-53) (CLARK) *1229-49 (H79) when William de Hagnaby was the prior. He was a contemporary of Geoffrey de Southwell and Roger de Derby (CLARK).
· Thomas *wrote the chronicle *late in the 13th century (WARD) *c. 1240-50 (C40C) when he had been a Dale Abbey canon about 4 years (WARD).
· Thomas *heard the material from Matilda de Salicosa Mara in the early 1240's but wrote it up later, between 1253 and 1286 (CLARK, SALTMAN).
He was a good and accurate historian, a bit prone to exaggeration, quite widely read or informed (e.g. refs to Cicero, Ulysses, Sirens, Homer, St Benedict) (CLARK); a man of literary tastes with a clear style and a cultured mind having suffered a recent sorrow (WARD).
SALTMAN disagrees: the Chronicle has not ‘much literary merit’; but the ‘irritating stylistic device’ of a ‘series of passages in rhyming prose’.
Thomas’ purpose was to show how Newhouse Premonstratensians were of superior sanctity, and to praise the wealthy founders (SALTMAN).