1903 ABBOTT SAMSON [1135-1211]. Monastic Life and Leadership in a 12th Century Spiritual Community.

A beautiful volume and a fascinating look at the life of Abbot Samson by his first-hand biographer, Jocelin of Brakelond. This work published in the wake of Carlyle's use of Abbot Samson as a model of leadership for his work in the 12th century monastic community at St. Edmunds. 

Samson of Tottington [1135–1211] was an English Benedictine monk who became Abbot of Bury St. Edmunds. Renowned for his piety and his effective leadership and training of new monks, his life was used by Thomas Carlyle as a exemplary leadership model in his book Past and Present.

Born at Tottington, near Thetford, in 1135, after taking his M.A. in Paris, Samson returned to Norfolk and taught in the school at Bury St. Edmunds. In 1160 the monks of St. Edmunds sent him to Rome on their behalf to appeal against an agreement of the Abbot Hugh and Henry II of England, and for this, on his return, he was thrown in the goal. His reputation secured his release in time. By 1166 Samson, he had become a leader in the monastic community, filling the roles of sub-sacrist, guestmaster, pittancer, third prior, master of novices, and master of the workmen.

Samson was elected Abbot Hugh’s successor on February 21, 1182 and was by all accounts an effective leader. A man of his times, he does seem to have promoted the cult of the alleged boy-martyr Robert of Bury at a time when the Abbot of Norwich was attempting to assert authority over Bury. Norwich was the home of the rival boy-martyr William of Norwich.

Pope Lucius III made Samson a judge delegate in ecclesiastical causes; he served on the commission for settling the quarrel between Hubert Walter and the monks of Canterbury; and on the Royal Council in London, where he sat as a baron, opposing the efforts of William of Longchamp to curtail the rights of the Benedictine Order.

He did in 1211, having ruled his abbey for almost thirty years.

[Jocelin of Brakenlond]. The Chronicle of Brakelond: A Picture of Monastic Life in the Days of Abbot Samson, Newly Edited by Sir Ernest Clarke. London. Alexnader Moring at the De La More Press. 1903. 285pp.

A spectacularly preserved example, printed on fine laid paper, bound in half vellum with the simplest of titling to spine. The boards are vellum and the whole is subtly enhanced by pastel tone marbled endpapers. Really lovely. It's a shame our binder hasn't signed their work.

Very good condition with only the slightest wear. A bit foxed at foredge. Binding tight and pages clean. Discrete pencil signature on flyleaf, small stamp on the blank flyleaf, an attractively on the title, "Guilsborough Hall"