According to historian James Anthony Froude, William made the abbey "a nest of sodomy and fornication – the very aisles of the church itself being defiled with the abominable orgies of incestuous monks and nuns".
This is based on an account by Cardinal John Morton who investigated on behalf of Pope Innocent VIII after obtaining a papal bull, though it is not clear if a formal visitation took place.
The charge was seen as incredible by another historian, F. A. Gasquet, who noted that an obituary said "Nobody showed more care in the worship of God than our reverend father, abbot William Wallingford, or more kindness in works of piety.
[1] He was an administrator rather than a recluse, and at the time of the death of Abbot John Stoke, on 14 Dec. 1451, was already archdeacon, cellarer, bursar, forester, and sub-cellarer of the Abbey of St Albans.
[3] Faction raged high among the monks, and grave charges were then, or later, brought against Wallingford, which are detailed at great length in Whethamstede's 'Register'.
[5] Ramridge, Wallingford's successor as abbot, says that he first became distinguished as archdeacon for his care of education, training ten young monks at his own expense, and for the lavish attention he bestowed upon the abbey buildings and treasures.
[7] In 1473 he was granted, with others, a commission for the visitation of the curates and vicars of St. Peter's, St. Andrew's, St. Stephen's, and St. Michael's of the town of St Albans.
[8] As Prior, he kept up his interest in the maintenance of the monastic buildings, spending 360 pounds on the kitchen, and within eight years laying out a thousand marks on the repairs of farms and houses.
Thus, while he deposed John Langton, Prior of Tynemouth, for disobedience to his 'Visitors',[14] he gave letters testimonial for the absolution of a priest who, by misadventure, had committed homicide.
[16] Wallingford sent in 1487 John Rothebury, his archdeacon, to Rome in order to try to win certain concessions for the abbey, but the mission proved a failure.
However, Lord Hastings was put to death by Richard III soon after, and Forster, after being imprisoned in the Tower for nearly nine months, 'in hope of a mitigation of his punishment, did remit and release all his title and supreme interest that he had in his office of seneschal of St.
Thus, when he feared the loss of the priory at Pembroke, given by Duke Humphrey, through Edward's[clarification needed] resumption of grants made by his three Lancastrian predecessors, he applied humbly to the chancellor, George Neville, Bishop of Exeter, for his good offices, and through him secured a re-grant.
From the golden opinions of his immediate successor in the abbacy, Thomas Ramridge, no less than from the simple entries in Wallingford's own register, it is clear that he was efficient and thoroughgoing, an excellent administrator, and a diligent defender of his abbey.
His tomb bears the inscription:[21] "Gulielmus quartus, opus hoc laudabile cuius Extitit, hic pausat: Christus sibi præmia reddat".
The main interest of Wallingford's abbacy lies in the fact that the art of printing, brought into England a few years before by William Caxton, was then introduced into the town of St Albans.