=William Ramsey= (1471-1496) appears to have devoted his time to the management of the estates and to upholding the territorial privileges of the house.  If the epitaph formerly to be seen on a brass on his tomb is to be believed, he was a man prudent, just, pious, esteemed by all, chaste, kind, and adorned with every virtue.

=Robert Kirton= (1496-1528) has left several proofs of his energy in building, signing, as it were, the stones with his autograph.  His rebus, a kirk on a ton, sometimes accompanied by the initial of his Christian name, is to be seen in the New Building, which he completed, on the Deanery gateway, and on the graceful oriel window in the Bishop’s Palace.  The chamber to which this window gives light still retains the name originally given of “Heaven’s Gate Chamber.”  Much other work done by him towards the beautifying of the church and buildings has perished.

The last abbot was =John Chambers= (1528-1540).  One incident of considerable interest is related as having taken place in his first year.  “Cardinal Wolsey came to Peterburgh, where he kept his Easter.  Upon Palm Sunday he carried his palm, going with the monks in procession, and the Thursday following he kept his Maundy, washing and kissing the feet of fifty-nine poor people, and having dried them, he gave to every one of them 12d. and three ells of canvas for a shirt; he gave also to each of them a pair of shoes and a portion of red herrings.  On Easter day he went in procession in his cardinal’s vestments, and sang the High-Mass himself after a solemn manner, which he concluded with his benediction and remission upon all the hearers.”  This abbot was a native of Peterborough, and was sometimes known as John Burgh; and on the brass placed on his tomb he was called “Johannes Burgh, Burgo natus.”  A monumental effigy was also erected to him, “made of white chalkstone”; and this is almost certainly the figure now placed (temporarily) at the back of the apse.  This abbot was B.D. of Cambridge and one of the king’s chaplains.  It was during his time that Queen Katherine of Arragon was interred in the minster.  The well-known story that the building was spared by the king out of regard to the memory of his first wife is told by Dean Patrick in these words:—­[34]"There is this traditional story goes concerning the preservation of this church at the dissolution of abbeys:  that a little after Queen Katherine’s interment here (which Mr G. mentions), some courtiers suggesting to the king how well it would become his greatness to erect a fair monument for her, he answered, ’Yes, he would leave her one of the goodliest monuments in Christendom,’ meaning this church, for he had then in his thoughts the demolishing of abbeys, which shortly after followed.”  Abbot Chambers surrendered the monastery to the king in 1540, and was appointed guardian of the temporalities, with a pension of L266, 13s. 4d. and 100 loads of wood.  The king divided the whole property of the abbey into three parts, retaining one-third for himself, and assigning the other parts upon the foundation of the see to the Bishop and Chapter respectively.  If the annual value of the portion he reserved for his own use may be taken to be exactly one-third of the possessions of the abbey, the entire property must have been worth as nearly as possible L2200 per annum.  The last abbot became the first bishop.