The Spirit and Mission of the Cistercian Order

This work consists of the lives of Saint Robert of Newminster and Saint Robert of Knaresborough with an account of the foundation of Fountains Abbey The historical part of this work is taken from ancient authentic documents; the mystical portions are principally from Gorres' "Mystik." The history of S. Robert of Knaresborough is appended to that of S. Robert of Newminster, because many authors have supposed these two saints to be one and the same person, which is found to be a mistake. "S. Robert was born at Gargrave, near Skipton, in Craven, in the diocese of York, towards the end of the eleventh century. He was, therefore, it would seem, about contemporary with the great S. Bernard. The exact date of his birth has not been handed down; but the circumstances of his life will hardly admit of any other time being fixed for it than the above. Neither the name nor the rank of his parents have been told us by the historians of his life. It is evident, however, from the education he received, and from what is said of his childhood, that they were persons of good station, and in easy circumstances as regards the things of this world." Of Saint Robert of Knaresborough we read: "About the year of our Blessed Lord, 1159, this Saint was born in the ancient City of York, when Roger, surnamed the good, who built the famous choir of the Cathedral, was Archbishop of the See, whilst Savaric presided, as fourth Abbot, over the Monastery dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. His father's name is by some authors given as Tockless or Took Floure, who was Lord Mayor of York, in the year 1195; and also a second time later on in the reign of Richard Coeur de Lion. By others, however, the surname of S. Robert is said to have been Coke, or de Cokcliff. Thus is there an apparent difficulty as to what his real family was. It must be remembered, however, that in those days, surnames were not of the fixed nature, which they have acquired in our own times. Many persons even took for a surname the town or village from whence they came. In the life of William of Wickham, we find that the dissimilar names of Perrot and Long are given by different authors of his life, as the surname of his parents; whilst for himself he had none but that of his village."