A monastic official involved with the daily running
of the monastery, such as the cellarer,
porter, sacrist, novice-master, guest-master,
infirmarer, refectorer. The honour of such a promotion could be
undermined by the stress and strain involved; in the early thirteenth
century Matthew of Rievaulx,
precentor of the abbey, wrote at length
of the overwhelming burden of his office, complaining of ill-health
and insomnia.