Abbot number three:  John  Grauncorth
Abbot John ruled for 19 years 39 weeks, from October 1233 to August 1253. There is, however, a strange discrepancy in the accounts of his life: one source says he was abbot of Lavendon in Buckinghamshire in 1236! and others maintain that he was a close associate of Augustine of Lavendon, mentioned in 1233, 1236, 1237.  Other canons recorded in this period include Geoffrey de Guwell or Southwell, and one Roger de Derby who was still alive in 1289. At one stage, William de Hagnaby, an original Depedale Priory canon, was prior.

During Abbot John’s reign the abbey received quite a few gifts: in 1233 Henry III gave four oaks for shingles for the dormitory roof, and in 1235 seven oaks for the same purpose;.in 1246 the Sheriff of Nottingham gave a cup worth six marks, and the king gave 20 sides of bacon; in 1251 the king gave 20 oaks from Sherwood Forest. There seem to have been reasonably good relations with the king: on 11th September 1235 at Burton-on-Trent, Henry III confirmed a long list of past benefactions to St Mary’s Abbey; however, at some date in Abbot John’s reign he had to reclaim some land in Sandiacre which the king had seized.

The year 1234 saw two typical events: the Archbishop of Canterbury was instructed by the Pope to excommunicate people who had taken possession of some abbey lands and tried to make the abbey pay tithes on them; and the abbot inducted, according to papal mandate, the Prior of Lenton to the church of St Mary, Nottingham.

By 1235 St Mary’s Abbey had lands in Ashover, Kniveton, Brassington, Kirk Hallam, Selston, Wansley, Breaston, North Muskham, Bathley, Croxton, Stainton, Derby, Nottingham and Hopton. It held the patronage of Kirk Hallam church, which was given, along with a site for a quarry, adjoining lands and a mill, by Sir Richard de Sandiacre, a gift confirmed by his son John, who also gave lands from his own manor.  The profits from Kirk Hallam were attached to St Margaret’s Chapel.

On 1st January 1236 the abbey granted 40s. per annum to Lichfield for the celebration of masses.

Other events in Abbot John’s reign included legal activities, witnessing a covenant on 2nd February 1238/9 and a quitclaim in 1241/2.; three undated documents from this period also survive, as does the original charter of a grant to John de Lokintone of land in Breaston for his homage and service (the latter is in Derby Museum). Canons serving St Mary’s in his time included Geoffrey de Southwell and Roger de Derby; the latter was still alive in the time of Abbot Lawrence.