After an
interval, in which the church was governed by Gilbert de Dousgunels,
who set out for Rome to get the Pope's leave to refound the house, but
died upon the journey, Henry I. gave manor, town and church to his cousin,
Richard de Redvers, who proved a great benefactor to the Priory, and
established a Dean over the canons, one Peter, who was succeeded by
Dean Ralph. Then in 1150 came Dean Hilary, who as Bishop of Chichester,
petitioned Richard de Redvers to establish Christchurch as a Priory of
Canons Regular of St Austin. This was done; a certain Reginald was
appointed first prior, and he ruled Christchurch for thirty-six years
till, in 1186, he was succeeded by Ralph. It was not, however, till the
time of the third Prior that the high altar of the new church begun by
Gilbert and continued by Richard de Redvers and his priors was
dedicated upon the feast of St Thomas of Canterbury, 1195. This would
seem to prove that the Norman choir was not finished until then;
similar consecration of other altars would lead us to believe that
perhaps the vault and the clerestory of the nave were completed in
1234.
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