▁William ▁re - gr anted ▁the ▁bar ony ▁to ▁Ju hel ▁de ▁Tot nes , ▁formerly ▁fe ud al ▁baron ▁of ▁Tot nes . ▁In ▁about ▁ 1 1 0 7 , ▁Ju hel , ▁who ▁had ▁already ▁founded ▁Tot nes ▁Pri ory , ▁founded ▁Bar n st ap le ▁Pri ory , ▁of ▁the ▁Cl un iac ▁order , ▁dedicated ▁to ▁St ▁Mary ▁Mag dal ene . ▁After ▁Ju hel ' s ▁son ▁died ▁without ▁children , ▁the ▁bar ony ▁was ▁split ▁into ▁two , ▁passing ▁through ▁the ▁de ▁Bra ose ▁and ▁T racy ▁families , ▁before ▁being ▁reun ited ▁under ▁Henry ▁de ▁T racy . ▁It ▁then ▁passed ▁through ▁several ▁other ▁families , ▁before ▁ending ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁Margaret ▁Beau fort ▁( d ied ▁ 1 5 0 9 ), ▁mother ▁of ▁king ▁Henry ▁VII . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 3 4 0 s ▁the ▁mer ch ants ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁a ▁free ▁bor ough ▁had ▁been ▁granted ▁to ▁them ▁by ▁King ▁Ath el stan ▁in ▁a ▁lost ▁char ter . ▁Although ▁this ▁was ▁challeng ed ▁from ▁time ▁to ▁time ▁by ▁subsequent ▁l ords ▁of ▁the ▁man or , ▁it ▁still ▁allowed ▁the ▁mer ch ants ▁an ▁unusual ▁degree ▁of ▁self - g overn ment . ▁The ▁town ' s ▁wealth ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁was ▁founded ▁on ▁its ▁being ▁a ▁st ap le ▁port ▁lic ensed ▁to ▁export ▁w ool . ▁It ▁had ▁an ▁early ▁merchant ▁gu ild , ▁known ▁as