A HISTORIAN has uncovered some fascinating details about a serial killer monk who lived in Malmesbury Abbey while conducting research for his latest book. 

Author and Malmesbury resident Tony McAleavy will be sharing some grisly details about a monk called John of Tintern who was a gangster in the 14th Century at a talk in October. 

Tony is one of the volunteers who helps organise the annual Wessex Week and this year he will be giving talks on the findings in his latest book Malmesbury Abbey 670-1539: Patronage, Scholarship and Scandal. 

Wessex Week is a celebration of the region's history and culture through the centuries, with a particular emphasis on Malmesbury and the Anglo-Saxon period.

During the week, Tony will be giving two talks on his research.

The first will be a broad-sweep history of the Abbey from the 7th to the 16th centuries, charting the rise and fall of the monks of Malmesbury.

Tickets cost £15 and the talk will take place in Malmesbury Abbey between 7pm to 9pm on Saturday, October 14.

His second talk will take place in the Garden Room at Old Bell Hotel on Wednesday, October 18 and will reveal the links between medieval Malmesbury and the Queens of England.

Tickets cost £10 and the talk will start at 7.30pm and aim to end at 9pm.

Tony said: "I have lived in Malmesbury for more 40 years, and over the last few decades I have become completely obsessed with the history of the town.

"It has got lots of history and there are lots of sources that have yet to be explored.

“The stories are brilliant and the people associated with medieval Malmesbury are so interesting, full of saints and sinners and this extraordinary gamut of characters that were associated with the Abbey.

"The most startling discovery is that I’ve come across a monk, John of Tintern, who became an abbot in the 14th century who turned to be a serial killer.

"He travelled with a hitman and was accused by local people of ‘bumping off’ anyone who crossed him."

Tony came across the criminal file while researching in the National Archives in Kew.

Tickets are available to purchase online via the Wessex Week website or at the Tourist Information Centre based at Malmesbury Town Hall.