family and their allies, who dominated Shropshire in the 12th century, and with whom Robert was evidently on good terms. About 1190 he witnessed an agreement by which William Fitz Alan and his heirs rented land at Henley and advowson of Tasley chapel, both parts of Morville, near Bridgnorth, from Shrewsbury Abbey. At about the same time Fitz Alan also gave the advowson of Oswestry church to Shrewsbury Abbey. Between 1204 and 1210 Robert was witness to a charter of Reiner, Bishop of St Asaph, confirming the grant. Several times he helped in donations to Wombridge Priory, a small Augustinian house founded by the Hadley family, vassals and close friends of the Fitz Alans. Probably in 1186-7 Robert witnessed a charter by which Madoc, son of Gervase Goch, donated advowson of Sutton Maddock church to Wombridge Priory. Later he was witness to a charter by which William of Hadley gave land to the Priory. Probably in the 1190s he witnessed John de Cambrai gave a virgate and eight acres of land, as well as a meadow, at Wappenshall in his manor of Lee Cumbray (now Leegomery), north-west of Hadley. Around 1196 he and Richard, his brother, witnessed a deed by which Galiena, widow of Roger Musson, gave the Priory half a virgate of land in frankalmoin at Harrington in Sutton Maddock. To this web of alliance with local and regional magnates, Robert seems to have added some influence with the most powerful of allies: Hubert Walter, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who acted as Chief Justiciar, effectively regent for the absent King Richard I. The Pipe Roll for 1195 has an addendum showing accounts for the royal silver mine at Carreghofa, which was administered by Joseph Aaron, the archbishop's clerk. This shows that Robert had been appointed custos or guardian of the mine and paid the large sum of £16 14s. for his services. This appointment must have complemented one of his other known appointments of the 1190s - as warden of Shrewsbury mint. As he was literally making money, Robert must have prospered greatly in this period, with access to numerous emoluments and perquisites. Bishop Robert was appointed Bishop of Bangor by Hubert Walter, apparently without being elected. Giraldus Cambrensis, another of Henry II's officials, but now out of favour, remarked on the lack of canonical election in his autobiography. He was consecrated by the archbishop in 1197, probably on