The Church may have had a more dominant role in society than it does now, but its dignitaries were not always treated with respect. This extract from the Bishop of Lichfield’s register tells of the warm reception which some of the townspeople gave to the Bishop and his retinue during his visitation of Repton Priory in 1364.

"certain satellites of Satan, the whole commonalty of the town, with swords and staves, bows and arrows, noise and tumult, while we were actually engaged in visiting in the Chapter House, came and villainously hindered and alarmed us and our clerks. They rushed up to the gates of the priory and attacked without cause one of our household who was there; then, having broken down the gates - we keeping humbly and harmlessly within - they presumed in their malice to besiege the priory with continual going about it from the eleventh hour of that day until the first of the day following, and shot through the windows of the chamber where we were, with utter indifference and inhumanity at us or any of our servants. And neither we nor any of our household could go out of the gates meanwhile for fear of death, or at least of grievous bodily harm, until the noble Sir Alueric de Sulny, knight, and Robert Fraunceys came, and by their power and counsel directed our feet into the way of peace."

Sometimes the residents of religious houses themselves might indulge in violence, as you will find out by clicking on Monastic Mayhem.