THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE
LIBRARY.
THE
GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE
LIBRARY:
BEING
A CLASSIFIED COLLECTION OF THE CHIEF CONTENTS OF
THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE FROM 1731 TO 1868.
EDITED BY
GEORGE LAURENCE GOMME, F.S.A.
ENGLISH TOPOGRAPHY, PART X.
(SHROPSHIRE — SOMERSETSHIRE.)
EDITED BY F. A. MILNE, M.A.
LONDON :
ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.G.
1898. ,<
qo
INTRODUCTION.
ONLY two counties — Shropshire and Somersetshire — have been
able to find room in this volume. Both appear to have been
of more than usual interest to contributors to the Gentleman's
Magazine, for we find more communications than the average, and, I
think it will be admitted, of somewhat greater interest.
In the first place, domestic architecture, which has been so much
neglected by archaeologists, is well represented in this volume. The
old farm cottage at Alberbury (pp. 21, 22) and the farmhouse at
Stanton (p. 148) are specimens of village homesteads, all too rarely
to be found described or noted except in such a book as Mr. Ralph
Nevill has compiled for Surrey. The moated mansion at Berwick-
Maviston, sketched before its destruction (p. 29), affords a good
example of the value of these collections, as probably this is the only
record of this house. Boscobel House (p. 38) has historical associa-
tions as well as architectural features of interest. Everything relative
to the King's concealment was preserved with the greatest care, and
even attended to with veneration in 1809. " The secret places in
which the King was concealed are chiefly in and adjoining the large
chimney shown in the annexed view ; the principal place was probably
that in the garret, or, as it is termed, the gallery, entered by a trap-
door. From this hiding-place you may descend by a step-ladder to
the next hiding-place, and from thence to a door near the bottom of
the chimney that leads to the garden, which is undoubtedly much
altered, though the tumulus with a seat upon it still remains. The
large wainscoted parlour is nearly in its original form ; the concealing-
place behind the wainscot has been long stopped up, and the gloves
vi Introduction.
and garters said to have been left by the King were lost before the
present possessor came to the house. The Royal Oak stands near
the middle of a large field joining the garden. This tree, which is
fine and thrifty, is said to have originated from an acorn of the old
oak." The birthplace of Wycherley, the poet, at Clive is described
on p. 54, and of Shenstone, at Halesowen, on p. 75. The mansion
at Longner, belonging to the Burtons (p. 89), was drawn in 1828,
before it was pulled down for the modern house. The note on
the mediaeval houses near Clevedon (pp. 197-203), and the description
of Clevedon Court in 1835 (?• 233)> are particularly useful con-
tributions. The manor-house of Ashington (p. 202), the Duke of
Monmouth's cottage at Grenton (p. 266), Hardington House in
1802 (p. 266), the manor-house of Hinton (p. 268), the old house
at Ilchester, temp. Henry VI., destroyed by fire in 1846 (p. 273),
the manor-house at Kingston Seymour (p. 274), Preston Abbey at
Preston (p. 289) in 1811, South Petherton mansion (p. 295), and
the manor-house of Tickenham (p. 298), afford sufficient indication
of the important contributions supplied in this volume to this neglected
branch of archaeology.
Illustrations and descriptions of houses that have been pulled
down or destroyed are of the utmost value to the proper under-
standing of the condition of the country at different periods of
history ; and I should be inclined to suggest that, in this branch of
archaeological research, there is to be found important contributions
to political and economical history. Thus, Mr. Clifford, in his
11 History of Private Legislation " (i. 29-30), states that in the reign
of Henry VIII. a series of Acts were passed giving remarkable powers
to municipal authorities. The wars of succession had probably led
to some confusion of ownership in towns. Country gentlemen, too,
had become unwilling or, through want of means, unable to maintain
their ancient residences in the chief provincial centres. The result
was, in the year 1540, "that many beautiful houses of habitation"
had " fallen down, decayed, and at this day ... do lie as desolate
and vacant ground," while other houses were feeble and like to
fall, and pits, cellars, and vaults were uncovered and dangerous
(27 Henry VIII., cap. i; 32 Henry VIII., cap. 18; 33 Henry VIII.,
cap. 36). Municipalities complained, with reason, that these ruined
mansions were "a hindrance and impoverishment" to them; that
Introduction. vii
the abandoned sites became no man's land, disturbing to the peace
of the community. Parliament listened to these representations, and
prescribed a certain period within which owners should restore their
houses. In their default, the lords of whom the land was holden
were allowed a further time to do so. If they, too, failed, local
authorities might enter and do all necessary work ; and, adds Mr.
Clifford, " every considerable provincial town in England was thus
dealt with."
Almshouses are noted at Ludlow (p. 96), Whitchurch (p. 159), in
Shropshire, and Bruton (p. 229) in Somersetshire; and in old days
these were built with regard to beauty as well as use.
Another subject of much importance in local topography is the
monumental remains in churches. These supply not only heraldic
and genealogical details, but also illustrations of costume. A
fourteenth-century example occurs at Ellesmere (p. 62): "The
dress consists of a short coat or tunic, extending to a little below the
knees, with close buttoned sleeves, tunica cum manicis botonatis; over
this is worn the surcoat or supertunic, of the same length as the
tunic, with short wide sleeves reaching to just below the elbows.
The supertunic is belted round about the loins, and the girdle or
bawdrick is buckled in front, and both the tunic and supertunic open
in front from the edge of the skirt eight inches upwards. From the
girdle on the left side of the effigy is suspended by a narrow strap an
inkhorn, and by another narrow strap a penner. The hands lie on
the breast, with a book compressed between them ; the shoes are
pointed at the toes, and the feet rest against a dog. The execution
of this effigy is rude, and altogether devoid of that elegance and
merit so apparent in many of the sculptured effigies of the same era ;
but that it was intended to represent a notary, scrivener, or country
lawyer of the fourteenth century, I have little doubt, and I believe it
to be the earliest effigy of the kind, and the only sculptured one at
present known, for, although there are some few incised brass effigies
of persons in the same profession, the earliest of those which have
hitherto been noticed are not prior to the latter part of the fifteenth
century, this effigy being of a period at least a century anterior to
that date." The Albrighton altar-tomb of Sir John Talbot (p. 22) is
a good example of Elizabethan costume, and another example occurs
at Claverley (p. 53). There is an unusual number of monumental
viii Introduction.
remains recorded in this volume, all giving important details in local
family history and genealogy, and in local charities and donations.
The example of giving a complete list of family monuments as in
the case of Bath Abbey monuments might be very well copied
by modern local antiquaries ; and, indeed, the whole of our monu-
mental remains are worthy of a thorough survey and record, which
could well be accomplished through the machinery of the local
societies.
Several interesting trees are noted: Shelton oak (p. 117), and
Boscobel oak (p. 36) ; but this is not a fruitful source of information
from the contributors to the Gentleman's Magazine.
We may now pass from material monuments of the past, the
descriptions of which are collected in these pages, to the few notes
on that equally important branch of historical knowledge, manners,
customs, and usages.
Of popular usages there is not much to note, because they have
been collected in special volumes of this series of reprints. But
important notes find their way into communications about special
localities, and, therefore, belong to the topographical volumes. Thus
we learn the custom of pelting with crabs at Halesowen (p. 72),
the guild pageant at Shrewsbury (pp. 145-147), the " Money Stone "
of Dundry (p. 236), all of them interesting monuments of a past
form of society which have not yet been adequately explained.
A glimpse of the travelling arrangements of last century is afforded
by the following note on Bridgnorth, dated 1783: "It is situate
about 140 miles from London, and has easy access to the Metropolis
by means of the great variety of stage-coaches, flys, diligences, etc.,
that perform the journey in a day to the neighbouring towns of
Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Worcester. I believe it has also
a diligence of its own. A post-coach or diligence regularly passes
through this town from Chester to Bath, which opens a com-
munication, either westward through Shrewsbury, to Holyhead for
Ireland, or northwards, through Kendal and Carlisle, for Scotland,
or southwards, through Worcester and Gloucester, for South Wales
and the West of England. But on the river Severn itself (a fine
navigable stream) safe and commodious stage-wherries constantly ply
through this town from Shrewsbury to Worcester and Gloucester,
and back again, wherein a whole family may be carried, with bag and
Introduction. ix
baggage, sixty or seventy miles for a very trifling fare, Bridgnorth
affording a central stage to all these places ; and at Stourmouth,
about twelve or fourteen miles below on this river, comes in the new
navigable canal, which opens a communication to every part of
England by inland navigation." The term " bag and baggage," it
should be noted, is here used in its literal and original sense, though
it has now become of special significance and use in a proverbial
sense.
Churchwardens' and other local accounts are always welcome
additions to our knowledge of the past. Those of Bitterley (p. 35),
of the seventeenth century, though containing but a few specimen
entries, are extremely interesting. The "ale and toobaccoe at ye
funerall, 2s." ; " for the proclamation of burialls in woollen, 6d. " ;
and " Tho8. ye roguish tradesman, 6d.," are entries which suggest a
good deal of attention to local matters which are not among the
subjects of government by Parish Councils. The extracts from the
Ban well accounts (p. 216) refer only to entries concerning the rood-
loft, but these include payments for labour in the early sixteenth
century.
The chained books referred to at Halesowen (p. 65) are curious:
"Sir Thomas Lyttelton, by will dated August 22, 1481, bequeaths to
the Abbot and Convent of Hales Owen his book called c Catholicon '
to their use for ever ; and another book, wherein is contained the
' Constitutions Provincial ' and ' De Gestis Romanorum,' and other
treatises therein, which he wills be laid and bounded with an iron
chain in some convenient part within the said church, at his costs, so
that all priests and others may see and read it when it pleaseth
them." To this may be added the note on p. 269 of the monastic
library at Hinton Charterhouse, about which institutions we should
know a great deal more than Mr. Hunter has told us in his work on
the subject.
As in previous volumes, there is a very large amount of topo-
graphical information here collected together which is not to be
found elsewhere. The importance of the collection does not lie in
its literary value, or even its archaeological value, if it is to be judged
by modern standards. It is important just because it consists for the
most part of locally collected information, written down by people
who either lived on the spot or who travelled to the spot in the
Introduction.
leisurely and time taking fashion of pre-railway days. We get
therefrom documentary evidence of great importance when properly
used by the modern inquirer. Family history is particularly well
represented, and the genealogist will find a vast amount of material
for which he would have had to search perhaps in vain in the
original.
All the communications are printed just as they stand in the
original, the design being not to correct or alter, but to let each
contribution speak for itself and declare its own value. People
interested in local history cannot read these memorials without
feeling the influence of their genuine local touch. In every case,
too, I have left in the references to illustrations, because of the
importance of these references to the inquirer.
LAURENCE GOMME.
24, DORSET SQUARE, N.W.,
November, 1897.
CONTENTS.
SHROPSHIRE : PAGE
General - - 3-20
Acton Burnell - - 20-21
Alberbury • 21-22
Albrighton • 22-25
Atcham - 25-27
Battlefield 27
Berwick ... . 27-28
Berwick-Maviston • • •'...". 28-29
Bitterley - 29-36
Boscobel - • 36-40
Bridgnorth - - - 41-45
Buildwas ... . 45-46
Burford • - 46-49
Bromfield • 49
Claverley - 49-53
Cleobury Mortimer 54
Clive - - 54-55
Clun - 55
Cound - - 56-57
Cressage 57-60
Ellesmere • - 60-63
Hadnall ... . 63-64
Halesowen .... . 64-76
Harley - 76-79
Haughmond • • 79-82
Hawkstone - . 82
Hodnet . 82-86
Ironbridge 86
xii Contents.
SHROPSHIRE (continued]—
PAGE
Leehotwood ....
86-88
Lilleshall
88-89
Longner ...
- 89-90
Ludlow ....
91-102
Ludlow and Neighbourhood •
- 102-103
Munslow
- 104-106
Newport •
- 107-109
Oswestry • • •
• 109-112
Pontesbury • •
• 113-115
Quatford • *
116
Richard's Castle -
• • 116-117
Shelton
117
Shrawardine • «-• '
- 117-119
Shrewsbury
- 119-148
Stanton • • •• ••
- 148-149
Stottesden * • ••• ••
;-• - 149-152
Tong -
• 152-154
Wellington • • • • • •
• 154-156
Wenlock
- 156-158
Whitchurch - - -»
• 158-160
White Ladies • .
- 161-166
Whittington ....
• 166-167
Willey
- 167-168
Worfield
168
TheWrekin - . •
- 168-169
Wroxeter ....
169
SOMERSETSHIRE :
^—
General - • ~ •
/•'. - I73I92
Tour into the Lower Parts of Somersetshire
- 193-196
Somersetshire Churches
- 196-197
Mediaeval Houses near Clevedon
- 197-201
Ashington - - .» .
- 201-204
Axbridge - - - •'
• 204-207
Banwell
- 207-219
Bath - - . ' 1, , .
- 219-228
Bathampton • • • •
228
Box -
- 228-229
Bruton - • • .
. 229-231
Charlton Musgrove - - •
231
Contents.
xin
SOMERSETSHIRE {continued} —
PAGE
Chelvey -
' 231-232
Chilton Cantelo -
232
Clevedon
' 232-233
Congresbury ...
' 233-234
Corscombe
' 234-235
Doulting
235
Dundry
' 235.238
Dunster
. 238-248
East Brent
" 248-251
East Cranmore -
251
Farley -
' 251-255
Frome
' 255-258
Glastonbury
• 258-265
Godney
- 265-266
Grenton
.266
Hampton
266
Hardington
. - - 266
Hinton Charterhouse
• 266-270
Hinton St. George
• - 27O-272
Ilchester
- 273-274
Kingston Seymour
• 274-275
Limington
• 275-278
Lullington
• " . 278
Maperton
. 278-279
Marston Magna ...
- 279-281
Mells -
- 281.284
Monkton Butleigh
284
Montacute • • -
- 284-285
Newton
285
North Curry
- 285-286
Norton Fitzwarren
- 286-287
Portishead ...
- 287-288
Preston - ' -
- 288-289
Puxton
- 289-290
Queen Charlton -
291
Rodden
- 291-292
Sand ford Orcas -
' 292-293
Seaborough
293
Seavington
- 293.294
Shepton Mallet -
- 294-295
xiv Contents.
SOMERSETSHIRE (continued] — PAGE
South Petherton - 295-296
Taunton 297
Tickenham - - 297-300
Uphill - - 301-302
Wells - - 303-307
Weston-super-Mare and Neighbourhood - 307-311
Winsham - 311-312
Woodspring Priory • • - 312-313
Wookey - ""•'• * 313
Wrington - 313-314
Yeovil - 314-318
INDEX OF NAMES - • - 321-343
INDEX OF SUBJECTS - ... 344.350
Shropshire.
VOL. XXII
SHROPSHIRE.
[1821, Part I., pp. 108-112.]
ANCIENT STATE AND REMAINS.
British Inhabitants. — Cornairi and Ordo vices.
Roman Province. — Flavia Csesariensis. Stations. — Braviniurn,
Rushbury ; Mediolanum, Chesterton, or Whitchurch ; Rutupium,
Rowton, or near Wem ; Sariconium, Burg Hill; Uriconium, Wroxeter;
Usacona, Red Hill ; Oconyate, or Sheriff Hales.
Saxon Heptarchy. — Mercia.
Antiquities. — British encampments of Brocard's Castle, Burrow Hill ;
Bury Ditches or Tongley Hill; Caer Caradock, near Church Stretton
(on which, according to some writers, was fought the last battle
between Caractacus and Ostorius Scapula ; but other authors, with
more probability, assign the scene of combat to Coxwall Knoll in
Herefordshire), on Clee Hills, near Clun ; the Gaer ; Hen Dinas, near
Oswestry ; and on the Wrekin. Roman encampments of Bury Walls,
near Hawkstone ; the wells near Chesterton, and the remains of
Uriconium at Wroxeter. Saxon Earth- works, Offa's dyke, and
Watts' dyke. Danish Camp, near Cleobury Mortimer. Abbeys of
Buildwas (founded in 1135 by Roger, Bishop of Chester); Hales Owen
(erected by Peter de Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester, in the reign of
John); Haughmond (built in noo by William Fitzalan, Lord of
Oswestry, who, with many of his descendants, was buried there) ;
Lilleshall (where the body of St. Alkmund was originally deposited,
but afterwards removed to Derby ; the west doorway is a very
beautiful receding Saxon arch) ; Much Wemlock (founded by
Milburga, daughter of Merewald, King of Mercia, who was its first
Abbess, and was buried there 666) ; Shrewsbury (a mitred abbey,
I — 2
Shropshire.
dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, founded in 1083 by Roger de
Montgomery, the first Norman Earl of Shrewsbury, who became one
of its monks, and was buried in the Church, where his monument
still remains ; the west window is particularly beautiful) ; and White
Abbey, near Alburbury (the first house in this Kingdom of Monks
of the order of Grandmont). Priories of Bromfield ; Chirbury, and
White Ladies. Churches of Burford, Cleobury Mortimer, Ellesmere,
Hales Owen ; Hodnet (a circular tower), Kinlet, Lilleshull, Ludlow
(220 feet long, 75 feet broad, length of transept 123 feet) ; Morville,
Newport, Shiffnall, St. Mary's, Shrewsbury (chancel window of curious
painted glass ; spire 216 feet high); St. Alkmund's, steeple (184 feet
high), and Tonge. Chapel of Edstaston. Fonts of Quatford and
St. Mary Shrewsbury. Stone pulpit, Shrewsbury abbey garden.
Castles of Acton Burnell, Alberbury, Bridgnorth (founded in 912 by
Ethelfleda, the heroic daughter of Alfred; its tower stands 17 feet
out of the perpendicular), Cause, Clun, Hopton, Ludlow (seat of the
Lords Presidents of the Marches), Middle, More ton-Corbet, Oswestry,
Red-castle, Shrewsbury (founded by Roger de Montgomery, its Earl,
in 1069), Sibdon, Stoke, Wattlesborough, and Whittington (scene of
Dovaston's Poem of " Fitz Guarine"). Mansions of Boscobell,
Shrewsbury Council-house (in which Charles I. kept his court),
Whitehall, Bellstone House, and Jones' Mansion. Statue of Richard,
Duke of York, father of Edward IV., taken from the gate on the old
Welsh bridge, and now on the Market House, Shrewsbury. Caves
at Burcot, near Worfield, Kynaston's at Ness Cliff, and Ogo at
Llanymynech.
Shrewsbury, called by the Britons Pengwerne, was the capital ot
the principality of Powis. Its Abbey contains the body of the chaste
St. Winifred, which was removed to it, in the reign of Stephen, from
Gwitherin in Denbighshire, where it was first entombed. The Seal
of the Corporation, engraved in 1425, exhibits a curious representa-
tion of the town.
At Woda House, near Cleobury Mortimer, was one of the earliest
establishments of Augustine Friars, or Friars Eremites, in this
Kingdom.
PRESENT STATE AND APPEARANCE.
Rivers. — Bell-brook, Bore-brook, Bow, Camlet, Ceriog, Clive, Clun,
Coal-brook, Corve, Dee, Elf-brook, Ketley, Ledwich, Mar-brook,
Meole-brook, Morda-brook, Morles, Oney or Ovy, Perry, Quenny,
Rea, Roden, Severn, Shel-brook, Strad-brook, Stratford, Teme,
Terne, Vyrnwey, Warfe, and Warren.
Inland Navigation. — Canals of Donington Wood, Dudley exten-
sion, Ellesmere, Ketley, Kington, Leominster, Montgomeryshire,
Shrewsbury (tunnel near Atcham 970 yards long), Shropshire, and
Marquess of Stafford's. Severn river.
Present State and Appearance.
Lakes. — Acton Burnell Pool, Ad Mere, Ancott Pool, Aston Pool,
Beau Mere, Berrington Lake, Black Mere, near Ellesmere, Black
Mere, near Whitchurch, Chetwynd Pool, Coal Mere, Grose Mere,
Elles Mere (116 acres), Fenny Mere, Isle Pool, Kettle Mere,
Llwynllys Pool, Marton Pool, near Middle, Marton Pool, near
Worthin, Newton Mere, Oss Mere, Showsden Pool, Shrawardine
Water (40 acres), White Mere, and Whitestick Pool.
Eminences and Views. — Acton Burnell Hills, Apley Park Terrace
(probably the finest in Europe) ; Armon Hill, Baiston Hill, Borough
Hill, Brierley Hill, Caer Caradock, Cause Castle, the Clee Hills
(viz., Tittensor Clee, 1,800 feet, and Brown Clee); Cainham, Clive
Hill, Cothercott Hill, Ellesmere Bowling Green, Frodsley Hills, Grin
Hill, Hawkstone Grounds (the Column, on the top of which is a
statue of Sir Rowland Hill, the first Protestant Lord Mayor of
London, the Tower, Paoli Point, and Red Castle) ; Haughmond Hill
(on which the Scotch Earl Douglas, on his flight from the battle of
Shrewsbury, \\as taken prisoner, his horse having fallen in galloping
down the hill) ; Hope Bowdler, Horse Hay, The Lawley, seat at the
Leasowes, inscribed " Divina Gloria Ruris"; Leaton Shelf, Lincoln's
Hill, in Coalbrook Dale ; Long Mont, Lyth Hill, Middle Hill, Ness
Cliff, Orton Bank, Pontesford Hill, Pym Hill, Seiattyn Mountain,
Shrewsbury Castle watch tower, and Lord Hill's Column, Sharp
Stones, Stiper Stones (on which, May 27, 1813, a cloud burst, and
swept away houses, mills, bridges, trees, cattle, and almost every
intervening obstacle between it and the Severn, which rose con-
siderably, and many lives were lost) ; Vinels, near Ludlow, Wenlock
Edge, Wrekin 1,090 feet above the Severn.
Natural Curiosities. — Oconyate, aluminous ; Coalbrook Dale and
Pitchford, bituminous ; Admarton, Boothby, Hanley, Kingley Wick,
Prolley Moor, and Sutton, saline and chalybeate springs. Scenery
of Coalbrook Dale, in which are found many extraneous fossils.
Morse Common, near Bridgnorth, 5 miles long by 2\ broad. The
Shelton Oak (which it is said Owen Glyndwr ascended to reconnoitre
before the battle of Shrewsbury), height of main trunk 41 feet
10 inches, circumference 44 feet 3 inches. Numerous peat mosses.
This county is famed for the longevity of its inhabitants ; some of
the more remarkable instances are noticed in the Biography and
Miscellaneous Remarks.
Public Edifices. — Shrewsbury, English Bridge founded 1769,
400 feet long, 7 arches (central arch, span 60 feet, height 40 feet),
cost ;£i6,ooo ; Welsh Bridge, completed 1795, 2^6 feet long,
5 arches, cost about ^14,000; both bridges were built by voluntary
subscription; Infirmary founded 1745, opened 1747; House of
Industry finished, for a Foundling Hospital, in 1765, cost ;£i 2,000 ;
St. Chad's Church, a circle, diameter 100 feet ; Town Hall com-
pleted 1785, cost ;£n,ooo; Gaol finished 1793, architect, Haycock
Shropshire.
(who built the Town Hall), cost .£30,000. Doric Column, com-
memorative of Lord Hill's victories, 116 feet 6 inches high, on which
is a statue of his Lordship, 17 feet, finished June 18, 1816, the
anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, cost .£5,973 135. 2d. ; Military
Depot, architect Wyatt, erected in 1806 ; Theatre ; School founded
by Edward VI. ; Market-house erected in 1595 ; Millington's Hospital.
Allats, Bowdlers, Subscription, Bell's, and Lancasterian Charity
Schools ; Buildwas Iron Bridge, one arch, span 130 feet, rise 24 feet,
cast by Coalbrook Dale Company from plan of Thomas Telford,
erected 1796; Cleobury Mortimer School, founded by Sir Edward
Childe; Coalbrook Dale Iron Bridge, one arch, span TOO feet
6 inches, height 40 feet, weight of iron 378^ tons, cast by the
Company from plan of Abraham Darby, erected 1779; Dorrington
School, founded by Thomas Allcock, 1627 ; Drayton School, founded
by Sir Rowland Hill, 1553; Hales Owen School; Ludlow Cross;
Market-house; Guildhall; School founded by Edward VI., 1552;
Hosier's Alms-houses ; Oswestry Town-house ; School founded by
Davy Holbeach ; Alms-houses erected by William Adams, 1656 ;
Wellington Church, and Chanty School ; Wem School, founded
by Sir Thomas Adams, 1650; Whitchurch Church, erected 1722;
School.
Seats. — Walcot Park, Dinham House, and Stone House, Earl of
Powis, Lord-Lieutenant of the County; Acton Burnell, Sir E. J.
Smyth, Bart. ; Acton, Reynold, Sir Andrew Corbet, Bart. ; Acton,
Round, Sir F. R. E. Acton, Bart. ; Adderley Hall, Sir Corbet
Corbet, Bart. ; Aldenham, Sir F. R. E. Acton, Bart. ; All Stretton,
Rev. Richard Wilding ; Apley, near Bridgnortn, T. Whitmore, Esq. ;
Apley, near Wellington, W. Charlton, Esq. ; Ash, Misses Benyon ;
Ashford Court, C. H. Walker, Esq. ; Ashford Hall, T. B. Ricketts,
Esq. ; Aston, near Owestry, W. Lloyd, Esq. ; Aston, near Shiffnall,
J. Moultrie, Esq. ; Attingham House, Lord Berwick ; Badger, late
J. H. Browne, Esq. ; Bank House, Mrs. Reynolds ; Belmont, J. V.
Lovett, Esq. ; Belsardine, H. Harnage, Ksq. ; Benthall Hall, F. B.
Harries, Esq. ; Benington, Hon. and Rev. R. Hill; Berwick House,
Mrs. Powys ; Berwick, Great, R. Betton, Esq. ; Betton Hall, W. C.
Norcup, Esq. ; Betton Strange, R. Scott, Esq. ; Bicton, Mrs. Jenkins ;
Birch Hall, Mrs. Mainwaring ; Bitterley Court, Rev. J. Walcot ;
Boreatton, Rowland Hunt, Esq. ; Bourton, B. Lawley, Esq. ; Bradley,
Mrs. Congreve ; Broom Hall, H. P. T. Aubrey, Esq. ; Buntingsdale
Hall, W. Tayleur, Esq. ; Burcott, R. Emery, Esq. ; Burford, Hon.
and Rev. G. Rushout ; Burwarton Hall, Viscount Boyne; Cainham
Court, Rev. W. Calcot ; Caughley Place, R. B. W. Browne, Esq. ;
Caynton House, W. Briscoe, Esq. ; Charlton Hill, E. Jenkins, Esq. ;
Cheswardrice, Henry Jarvis, Esq. ; Chetwynd Park, T. Borough, Esq. ;
Chickenhall, F. Taylor, Esq.; Childs Ercal, Sir Corbet Corbet, Bart ;
Chilton Grove, late W. Jones, Esq. ; Chorley, T. Crump, Esq. ;
Present State and Appearance.
Cleobury, North, T. Mytton, Esq. ; Cleverly Hall, R. Dodd, Esq. ;
Clungerford, Rev. John Rooke, Jun. ; Coalbrook Dale, F. Darby,
Esq. ; Condover Hall, E. W. Smith Owen, Esq. ; Coton Hall, H. L.
Lee, Esq. ; Cound Hall, J. C. Pelham, Esq. ; Crank Hill, F. Walrbrd,
Esq. ; Crickton, T. Harries, Esq. ; Darnford Hall, — Benyon, Esq.;
Davenport, W. Y. Davenport, Esq. ; Decker Hill, Thomas Bishton,
Esq. ; Diddlebury, or Delbury, Bishop of Worcester ; Dint Hill, J.
Bather, Esq. ; Downton Hall, Sir C. W. R. Boughton, Bart. ;
Dudmaston Hall, W. W. Whitmore, Esq. ; Eaton, J. Williams, Esq. ;
Edstaston Hall, Mrs. Payne ; Edgmond, Rev. J. D. Pigott ; Endness,
T. Barnfield, Esq. ; Eyton House, Thomas Eyton, Esq. ; Farmcott,
Richard Tyrwhitt, Esq. ; Fern Hall, Hurt Sitwell, Esq. ; Ferney Hall,
John Elliot, Esq. ; Frodesley Park, Sir J. T. C. Edwards, Bart. ;
Gatacre Park, Colonel Gatacre ; Glanyravon, Lawton Parry, Esq. ;
Grange, near Ellesmere, General Despard ; Great Ness, J. Edward,
Esq. ; Hall, The, near Shrewsbury, R. Wingfield, Esq. ; Halston, T.
Mytton, Esq. ; Hardwick, near Ellesmere, Sir J. K. Powell, Bart. ;
Hardwick, near Shrewsbury, Lord Hill ; Hatton Grange, Edmund
Plowden, Esq. ; Haughton Hall, R. Benyon, Esq. ; Hawkstone, Sir
John Hill, Bart. ; Hayes, J. Selway, Esq. ; Heath House, Thomas
Beale, Esq. ; Henley Hall, J. Knight, Esq. ; Hoarley Grange, Colonel
Swinton ; Hodnet, Reginald Heber, Esq. ; Hope Bowdler, late W. C.
Hart, Esq. ; Hopton Court, T. B. Botfield, Esq. ; Isle of Up Rossal,
F. Sandford, Esq. ; Kilsall, J. Bishton, Esq. ; Kinlet Hall, William
Childe, Esq. ; Knotton Hall, E. Kynaston, Esq. ; Leasowes, The, —
Attwood, Esq. ; Lexton Lodge, J. A. Lloyd, Esq. ; Leighton, Thomas
Kynnersley, Esq. ; Linley Hall, B. More, Esq. ; Llanworda, H. W.
Wynne, Esq.; Llwynygroes, J. Evans, M.D. ; Lodge, The, T. R.
Salway, Esq. ; Longford Hall, Ralph Luke, Esq. ; Longner, Robert
Burton, Esq. ; Longnor, Rev. Archdeacon Corbet ; Loton Hall, Sir
Baldwin Leighton, Bart. ; Ludford Park, N. L. Charlton, Esq. ;
Lutwyche, Ralph Benson, Esq. ; Lydley Hayes, Rev. John Witts ;
Lythwood Hall, T. Parr, Esq. ; Malinsler, W. B. Atfield, Esq. ;
Marton, R. Atcherley, Esq. ; Mawley, Sir Edward Blount, Bart. ;
Millington, W. Pugh, Esq. ; Millichope, Thomas Pemberton, Esq. ;
Mont Hall, Philip Benington, Esq. ; Moore Park, R. Salwey, Esq. ;
Moor, The, — Walcot, Esq. ; Moreton Corbet, Sir Andrew Corbet ;
Moreton Say, Mrs. Heber ; Morvill Hall, Henry Acton, Esq. ; Mount
Sion, H. P. T. Aubrey, Esq.; Neach Hill, T. Bishton, Esq.;
Nursery, The, J. F. M. Dovaston, Esq. ; Oakley House, Rev.
Herbert Oakeley ; Oakley Park, Hon. H. R. Clive ; Oatley Park, A.
Matthew, Esq. ; Oldbury, Rev. — Lyster ; Onslow, John Wingfield,
Esq. ; Orleton, William Chidde, Esq. ; Park Hall, C. Kinchant, Esq. ;
Pentressant, L. Shenton, Esq. ; Peplow Hall, Sir Arthur Pigott ;
Petton, William Sparling, Esq. ; Pitchford Park, Hon. Cecil Jenkin-
son ; Plas Yollen, C. Morral, Esq. ; Porkington, W. Ormsby Gore,
8 Shropshire.
Esq. ; Pradoe, Hon. Thomas Kenyon ; Prescott, Joseph Micclestone,
Esq. ; Preston Mountford, J. Parry, Esq. ; Prior's Lee, B. Rowley,
Esq. ; Prior's Lee, R. Mountford, Esq. ; Ross Hall, F. Knyvet
Leighton, Esq. ; Roveries House, Rev. E. Walcot ; Rowton Castle,
Mrs. Lyster ; Ruyton Hall, Misses Kynaston ; Rye Bank, Rev.
Richard Hill ; Ryton Grove, E. Pemberton, Esq. ; St. James, J.
Stanier, Esq. ; Sandford Hall, T. Sandford, Esq. ; Sansaw Hall, Rev.
Dr. Gardner ; Seifton, Rev. W. Johnston ; Shavington Hall, Viscount
Kilmorey ; Shawbury Park, Sir Andrew Corbet, Bart. ; Shiffnall
Manor, Sir G. W. Jerningham, Bart. ; Sibdon Castle, J. F. Baxter,
Esq. ; Spoonbill, Sir Robert Lawley, Bart. ; Stanley Hall, Sir T. J.
T, Jones, Bart. ; Stockton, Rev. C. Whitmore ; Stoke Castle, —
Harper, Esq. ; Styche, William Clive, Esq. ; Sundorne House, Mrs.
Corbet; Swan Hill, Mrs. Lloyd; Sweeney, T. N. Parker, Esq.;
Tedsmere Hall, T. B. Owen, Esq. ; Tong Castle, George Durant,
Esq. ; Tong Lodge, Robert Slaney, M.D. ; Totterton House, Rev.
J. B. Bright ; Walford, R. Mucclestone, E>q. ; Wallop Hall, S. A.
Severne, Esq. ; Wattlesborough, Sir Robert Leighton, Bart ; Welling-
ton, Rev. J. Eyton ; West Coppice, Mrs. Smitheman ; Whitton, J.
Topp, Esq. ; Willey, C. W. Forester, E-q. ; Wollerton Hall, — Clive,
Esq. ; Woodcote, John Cotes, Esq. ; Woodhill, Mrs. Venables ;
Woodhouse, William Owen, Esq.; V\ rockwardine, W. L. Childe,
Esq. ; Wytheford Hall, P. Charlton, Esq.
Produce. — Coal, iron, lead, limestone, marble, freestone, slate,
pipe-clay, marie, wheat, barley, rye, oats, peas, beans, turnips,
potatoes, hay, hops, timber, peat, cattle, sheep, cheese, butter,
brawn.
Manufactures. — Iron, nails, glass, china, earthenware, tobacco
pipes, flannels, Welsh webs, cotton, coarse linen, bags, thread, horse-
hair seating, paper, leather, gloves, hardware, cloth, stockings, d>eing,
Shrewsbury cakes.
[1821, Part L, pp. 209-213.]
HISTORY.
AD. 642, at Oswestry, then called Maserfield, St. Oswald, King of
Northumbria, defeated and slain by Penda, the hoary tyrant of
Mercia.
A.D. 777, from Shrewsbury, the Pengwerne of the Britons, the
Royal seat of the Princes of Powys, removed to Mathrafael.
A.D. 1016, Shrewsbury taken by Edmund Ironside, and the
inhabitants, who had joined Canute against Edmund's father
Ethelred, severely punished. Near Shrewsbury, Alphelm, a Prince
of the blood, murdered whilst hunting, by Godwin Porthund, a
butcher of that town, hired by Edric Streon, the execrable Earl of
Mercia.
History.
A.D. 1069, Shrewsbury besieged by Eric Sylvaticus or the Forester,
and Owen Gwynnedd, Prince of Wales ; but relieved, and the Welsh
defeated with great slaughter by William the Conqueror.
A.D. 1 102, Bridgnorth (after a long siege) and Shrewsbury, both
garrisoned for Robert Duke of Normandy by Robert de Belesme,
Earl of Shrewsbury and Montgomery, taken by Henry I.
A.D. 1116, at Shrewsbury the nobility of the realm swore fealty to
William, son of Henry I.
A.D. 1138, Ludlow, under Gervase Paganel, besieged by Stephen,
when Henry, son of David, King of Scotland, approaching too near
the walls, was dragged from his horse by a grappling hook thrown out
by the besieged, but rescued, though at the imminent peril of his own
life, by Stephen.
A.D. 1 139, Shrewsbury, which had been seized by William Fitzalan,
Lord of Oswestry, for the Empress Maud, taken after a brave defence,
and several of the garrison hanged by Stephen.
A.D. 1156-57, Bridgnorth, under Hugh de Mortimer, besieged by
Henry II., when Sir Robert Synclare, or Hubert de St. Clare, con-
stable of Colchester Castle, perceiving one of the besieged taking
aim at the king, stepped before him and received the arrow in his
own breast.
A.D. 1164, at Oswestry Henry II. assembled his army to attempt
the subjugation of the Welsh.
A.D. 1208, at Shrewsbury Gwynwynwyn, Prince of Wales, who
came before the Royal Council in this town to propose terms of
peace, treacherously seized and imprisoned.
A.D. 121 2, Oswestry, under its Lord Fitzalan, taken and burnt by
John ; at Shrewsbury, Rees ap Maelgwyn, a boy not seven years old,
who had been delivered as a hostage by the Welsh, inhumanly
hanged by order of Vipon, a retainer of King John.
A.D. 1215, Shrewsbury surrendered, without resistance, to
Llewellyn, Prince of Wales.
A.D. 1 22 1, at Shrewsbury a quarrel between Llewellyn, Prince of
Wales, and Rees ap Gruffyth, determined by the mediation of
Henry III.
A.D. 1233, Oswestry taken and burnt by Llewellyn, Prince of
Wales, and the Earl of Pembroke, who afterwards took Shrewsbury,
and plundered and slaughtered many of the inhabitants.
A.D. 1241, at Shrewsbury Henry III. assembled his army to attack
David ap Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, but on his submission, Henry,
after remaining there fifteen days, returned to London.
A.D. 1260, Shrewsbury taken by the insurgent barons, but shortly
afterwards retaken by the forces of Henry III.
A.D. 1263, Bridgnorth taken by Simon de Montfort, Earl of
Leicester.
A.D. 1267, at Shrewsbury Henry III. appeared with his army to
io Shropshire.
attack the Welsh, but peace was restored on the submission of their
Prince Llewellyn.
A.D. 1269, Shrewsbury town and castle placed under the govern-
ment of Prince Edward, afterwards Edward I.
A.D. 1277, at Shrewsbury the Courts of King's Bench and
Exchequer established for some months by Edward I.
A.D. 1281, to Shrewsbury the Courts of King's Bench and
Exchequer again removed from London by Edward I. and remained
here until he had accomplished the complete subjugation of Wales.
A.D. 1283, at Shrewsbury a Parliament held by Edward I. when
David, brother of Llewellyn the last Prince of Wales, was hanged,
his bowels torn out, and his body quartered ; being the first instance
of that horrid mode of execution which in cases of high treason is
prescribed by our present law. The Parliament removed to Acton
Burnell, where was passed the Act respecting Merchant Debtors,
entitled "Statutum de Mercatoribus," called also "The Statute of
Acton Burnell."
A.D. 1322, in entering Shrewsbury Edward II. received by the
Burgesses with great military parade.
A.D. 1327, at Shrewsbury Edmund Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, a
faithful adherent to the deposed Edward II. against the Queen and
her paramour Mortimer, seized by the inhabitants, and executed
without any form of trial.
A.D. 1396-97, at Shrewsbury a Parliament held by Richard II.
called, from the numbers that attended, " The Great Parliament."
In it many peers were created, Chester was made a principality, and
several oppressive laws were enacted, which formed some of the
subjects of accusation brought against Richard by Henry of Boling-
broke, when he usurped the throne. On its dissolution the King
went to Oswestry, where the Duke of Hereford (afterwards Henry IV.)
and the Duke of Norfolk appeared before him, and it was determined
that they should decide their quarrel by single combat at Coventry.
A.D. 1403, near Shrewsbury, July 22, the partizans of the Earl of
Northumberland defeated by Henry IV. when their commander, the
Earl's eldest son, Henry Percy, surnamed Hotspur, was slain. On
the King's part fell the Earl of Stafford, Sir Walter Blount, the royal
standard bearer, Sir Hugh Shirley, and Sir Nicholas Gausel ; Henry
had his horse slain under him, and the Prince of Wales was wounded
in the face. Of the vanquished, besides Hotspur, Sir Hugh
Mortimer, Sir John Calverly, and Sir John Massey were slain. The
Earl of Worcester, brother of Northumberland, Sir Richard Vernon,
and Sir Theobald Trussel were taken prisoners, and beheaded at
Shrewsbury high cross. The Scotch Earl Douglas, who is said to
have slain three persons who :vere clothed by the King in armour
resembling his own, was also taken prisoner on Haughrnond Hill.
The number slain in the battle and pursuit was about 9,000 men, of
History. 1 1
which two- thirds were of Percy's party. In gratitude for this victory,
Henry built and endowed a Collegiate Church on the spot where
most of the slain were buried, which has ever since been called
Battlefield.
A.D. 1451, at Ludlow, Richard, Duke of York, published a declara-
tion of allegiance to Henry VI., and that the army he had raised was
merely for the redress of grievances, and for the public weal.
A.D. 1459, at Ludford, October 13, Henry VI. having advanced
with a superior army, was joined by Sir Andrew Trollope with a large
body of troops that had deserted the Duke of York at Ludlow, on
which the Duke, with his sons the Earl of March, afterwards Edward
IV., and the Earl of Rutland, and his valiant friends the Earls of
Salisbury and Warwick, fled ; York and Rutland to Ireland, March,
Salisburyj and Warwick to Calais. The King then entered and
plundered Ludlow.
A.D. 1460, at Shrewsbury, Edward Earl of March assembled an
army of 23,000 men, with which he gained a victory over the Earl of
Pembroke and the Lancastrians at Mortimer Cross, in Herefordshire.
A.D. 1483, from Ludlow Edward V. and his brother Richard,
Duke of York, who were living at the castle under the tuition of their
maternal uncle, Widville Earl Rivers, set out for London, Edward
having been first proclaimed King at this place.
A.D. 1484, at Shrewsbury, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham,
having been betrayed by his servant, Ralph Bannister, was beheaded
by order of Richard III. before the High Cross.
A.D. 1485, into Shrewsbury the Earl of Richmond, afterwards
Henry VII., on his march from Milford Haven, admitted without
opposition, but the chief bailiff, Thomas Mytton, having sworn that
Richmond should not enter the town but over his belly (meaning that
he would defend the place against him till death), to comply with the
letter of his oath, laid himself in the highroad, and Henry walked over
him into the town. From Shrewsbury Richmond marched to New-
port, near which place he was joined by Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sheriff of
Shropshire, with 2,000 of the tenantry and retainers of the Earl of
Shrewsbury, a minor, to whom he was uncle and guardian.
A.D. 1502, at Ludlow, April, died Arthur, Prince of Wales, eldest
son of Henry VII., who, after his marriage with Katharine of Arragon,
had kept his court there with great magnificence.
A.D. i535,Oswestry,Whittington, Maesbrook, Knockyn, Ellesmere,
Down and Cherbury, by Act of Parliament severed from Wales and
annexed to this county.
A.D. 1542, the Jurisdiction of the Court of the Lords President of
the Marches at Ludlow confirmed by Act of Parliament.
A.D. 1616, at Ludiow, Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I., enter-
tained with great pomp.
A.D. 1642, at Wellington, September 20, Charles I. issued a
1 2 Shropshire.
Proclamation promising to preserve the Protestant Religion, Laws,
and Liberties of his subjects, and the privileges of Parliament. Thence
he marched to Shrewsbury, where he was joined by his two sons,
Charles and James, Prince Rupert, and great numbers of noblemen
and gentlemen, and established a mint in the town. He remained
there till October 12, when he marched to Bridgnorth, and thence
advanced to Edge Hill, in Warwickshire, where the first great battle
was fought.
A.D. 1644, Longford House, April 3, and Tong Castle, April 6,
taken from the Parliamentarians by Prince Rupert. Oswestry, June,
taken from the Royalists by the Earl of Denbigh, when the inhabi-
tants gave ^500 to prevent the soldiers from plundering. Oswestry,
July, besieged by the Royalists under Colonel Marrowe, but relieved
by Sir Thomas Middleton, who took Lord Newport's eldest son and
200 men prisoners.
A.D. 1645, February, Apley House, taken by the Parliamentarians
under Sir John Price, when Sir William and Sir Thomas Whitmore,
Sir Francis Oatley, and about sixty men, were made prisoners.
Shrewsbury, February 9, surprised, its Governor, Sir Michael Earnly,
slain, fifteen pieces of ordnance, about sixty gentlemen, and 200
soldiers, taken by Colonel Mytton, the Parliamentarian Governor of
Wem. At Stokesay, near Ludlow, June 9, Royalists defeated, and Sir
William Croft slain by the Parliamentarians.
A.D. 1646, Bridgnorth Castle, after a noble defence of one month,
surrendered to the Parliamentarians. Ludlow, June 9, surrendered
by the Royalists to Sir William Brereton.
A.D. 1651, at White Ladies Priory, at three o'clock in the morning
of September 4, arrived Charles II. and the brave Earl of Derby,
flying from the fatal battle of Worcester. Charles had his hair cut
off, and was disguised in the clothes of the Pendrills. Hence he was
conducted to Boscobel House, where he was concealed during the
night, and in the daytime he hid himself with Colonel Careless in the
" Royal Oak." From Boscobel he was conducted by the five faithful
brothers, the Pendrills, to Mr. Whitgrave's house at Moseley, in
Staffordshire. At Shrewsbury, October 15, Colonel John Benbow,
uncle to the renowned admiral, was shot on the Castle green.
A.D. 1654, Shrewsbury Castle ineffectually attempted to be surprised
by Sir Thomas Harries, for the King.
A.D. 1689, tne Jurisdiction of the Court of the Lords President of
the Marches held at Ludlow abolished by Act of Parliament.
EMINENT NATIVES.
Acheley, Sir Roger, Lord Mayor of London in 1511, benefactor,
Shrawardine.
Adams, Sir Thomas, Lord Mayor in 1641 loyalist founder of
school, Wem, 1586.
Eminent Natives.
Adams, William, divine, Shrewsbury (died 1739). .
Adams, William, founder of school and alms-houses, Newport.
Allestree, Richard, loyal divine, Provost of Eton, Uppington, 1611.
Arnway, John, divine, author in defence of Charles I., Shrewsbury,
1601.
- Astley, John, painter, Wem (died 1787).
Barnard, Nicholas, Dean of Ardagh, scholar, Whitchurch (died
1661).
Barnet, Andrew, nonconformist divine and author, Uppington.
Baxter, Richard, nonconformist, Rowton, 1645.
Baxter, William, antiquary and etymologist, Llanlergany, 1650.
Beddoes, Thomas, physician, ShirTnall, 1755.
Benbow, John, Colonel, loyalist (shot at Shrewsbury, 1651).
Benbow, John, Admiral, Shrewsbury, 1650.
Bowers, Thomas, Bishop of Chichester, Shrewsbury (died 1724).
Boydell, John, Lord Mayor, patron of the fine arts, Dorrington, 1719.
Bray, Thomas, benevolent divine, Marton, 1656.
Bromley, Sir George, lawyer, Chief Justice of Chester, Hodnet (flor.
1580).
Bromley, Sir Thomas, Chancellor to Elizabeth, Bromley, 1526.
Brooke, Sir Robert, Lord Chief Justice, Claverley (died 1558).
Broughton, Hugh, divine, author of " Consent of Scripture," Old-
bury, 1549.
Brown, Thomas, " Tom Brown," humorous writer, Shiffnall (died
1704).
Burnell, Sir Hugh, favourite of Richard II., Acton Burnell (died
1417).
Burnell, Robert, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Chancellor, Acton
Burnell (died 1292).
Burney, Charles, historian of music, Shrewsbury, 1726.
Caslon, William, letter-founder, Hales Owen, 1692.
Charleton, Sir John, Chief Governor of Ireland, Apley, 1268.
Charlton, Thomas, Bishop of Hereford, Chancellor of Ireland,
Apley (died 1344).
Cherbury, David of, Bishop of Dromore, Cherbury (died 1429).
Churchyard, Thomas, poet, author of " Worthiness of Wales,"
Shrewsbury (died 1604).
Clarke, Matthew, divine and orientalist, Ludlow (died 1702).
Clarke, William, divine and antiquary, Haughmond Abbey, 1696.
Clive, Robert, Lord, East Indian Conqueror, Styche, 1725.
Cooper, Joseph, nonconformist divine and author, Preston, 1635.
Costard, George, divine, biblical critic and mathematician, Shrews-
bury, 1710.
Davies, Sneyd, divine and poet, Shrewsbury, 1709.
Day, George, Bishop of Chichester (died 1556).
- Day, William, Bishop of Winchester (died 1596).
1 4 Shropshire.
Dovaston, John, antiquary and naturalist, Nursery in West Felton,
1740.
Edmondes, Sir Clement, commentator on Caesar, Shrawardine, 1 566.
Evans, John, topographer, author of " Nine Sheet Map of Nonh
Wales," Llwynygroes (died 1795).
Fanner, Hugh, presbjterian divine, author on Demoniacs, near
Shrewsbury, 1714.
Fitz-Guarine, Fulk, warrior, hero of French Romance, Whittington
(flor. 1200).
Gataker, Thomas, divine, Gataker Hall (died 1593).
Gentleman, Robert, dissenter, editor of " Orton's Exposition,"
Whitchurch (died 1795)
Gilbert, Thomas, nonconformist divine and author, Frees, 1613.
Glanville, pedestrian (walked 142 miles in 30 hours).
Good, Thomas, divine, author of "Firmianus et Dubitantius" (died
1678).
Green, Amos, Benjamin and James, painters and engravers, Hales
Owen.
Griffiths, Dr. Ralph, 1720 (founder of the Monthly Review in 1749).
Hales, Mrs., actress.
Harley, Sir William, warrior, at Conquest of Jerusalem, 1099,
Harley.
Herbert, Edward, Lord Cherbury, soldier, statesman, and historian,
Eyton, 1583.
Higgons, Sir Thomas, diplomatist and miscellaneous writer, West-
bury, 1624.
Hill, Right Hon. Richard, statesman, Hodnet (died 1727).
Hill, Sir Rowland, first Protestant Lord Mayor of London, Hodnet
(died 1561).
Holland, Thomas, divine and scholar, near the Welsh border (died
1612).
Hyde, Thomas, orientalist, Billingsley, 1636.
Ireland, John, illustrator of Hogarth, Cleeve, near Wem (died 1808).
Jenks, Benjamim, divine, 1646.
Jones, Sir Thomas, Lord Chief Justice, Shrewsbury (died 1683).
Kynaston, Sir Francis, translator of Chaucer into Latin, Ockley
(flor. temp. Car. I.).
Kynaston, Humphrey, " Wild Humphrey," outlaw, Middle (died
1534).
Langeland, Robert, author of " Pierce Plowman's Visions," Cleo-
bury Mortimer (flor. 1369).
Lawrence, Edward, nonconformist divine and author, Moston,
1627.
Leighton, Francis, divine and antiquary (died at Worcester, 1813).
Littleton, Adam, Latin lexicographer, Hales Owen, 1627.
Lloyd, Edward, naturalist and antiquary, Llanvarder (died 1709).
Eminent Natives. 15
Lutwyche, Sir Edward, judge, author of "Reports," Lutwyche
(died 1709).
Lyster, Thomas, author of "Blessings of the year 1688," Duncott
(died 1723).
Lyttleton, Edward, Baron Mounslow, Lord Keeper to Charles I.,
Mounslow, 1589.
Main waring, Arthur, poetical and political writer, Ightfield, 1668.
Mainwaring, Roger, Bishop of St. David's, Church Stretton (died
Mascal, Robert, Bishop of Hereford, Confessor to Henry IV.,
Ludlow (died 1416).
Millburgha, St., foundress of Much Wenlock Monastery (died 666).
Moore, Francis, author of the well-know almanack, "Vox Stellarum,"
Bridgnorth, 1657.
Mytton, Thomas, Parliamentarian general, Halstone (died 1656).
Mytton, William, antiquary, Halstone.
Neve, Timothy, divine and antiquary, Wotton, in Stanton Lacy,
1694.
Onslow, Richard, Speaker of the House of Commons to Elizabeth,
Shrewsbury (died 1571).
Orton, Job, nonconformist, friend and biographer of Doddridge,
Shrewsbury, 1717.
Owen, Sir Thomas, Justice of the Common Pleas (flor. temp. Eliz,).
Parr, Robert, great-grandson of Thomas, died 17571 aged 124,
Kinver, 1633.
Parr, Thomas, died 1635, at the age of 152 years 9 months,
Winnington, 1483.
Penderill, five brothers, who preserved King Charles II.
Percy, Thomas, Bishop of Dromore, poetical antiquary, Bridgnorth,
1729.
Plantagenet, George, youngest son of Edward IV., Shrewsbury
(died an infant, 1472).
Plantagenet, Richard, Duke of York, second son of Edward IV.,
Shrewsbury, 1472.
Plowden, Edmund, lawyer, author of " Reports," Plowden, 1517.
Price, Sampson, divine, Chaplain to James I. and Charles I.,
Shrewsbury.
Pridden, Sarah, beautiful, but licentious, Shrewsbury, 1690.
Rowley, William, gave name to some of the Caribbee islands,
Rowley (died 1731).
Sadler, John, law-writer, author of *' Rights of the Kingdom," 1615.
Scofield, Edward, Deputy Clerk of St. Chad's, Shrewsbury, only
3 feet 2 inches high,
Shenstone, William, poet, Leasowes, 1714.
Shrewsbury, Ralph of, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Shrewsbury
(died 1363).
1 6 Shropshire.
Shrewsbury, Robert of, biographer of St. Winifrid, Shrewsbury
(flor. 1140).
Shrewsbury, Robert of, Bishop of Bangor, Shrewsbury (died 1215).
Stanley, Venetia Anastasia, beautiful wife of Sir Kenelm Digby,
Tonge (died 1633).
Stedman, Rowland, nonconformist divine and author (died 1673).
Stephens, Jeremiah, antiquary, friend of Spelman, Bishop's Castle,
1590.
Stretch, Samuel, eccentric miser, Market Drayton, 1732.
Stuart, the ancestor of this royal family, viz., Walter Fitz Alan,
founder of Paisley Monastery (whose descendants took the name of
Stewart from their office of High Stewards of Scotland) was born at
Oswestry, and flourished in the reigns of Stephen and Henry II.
Talbot, John, first Earl of Shrewsbury, of his family, Blackmere
(slain at Chatillon in 1453)-
Talbot, John, Viscount Lisle, heroic son of heroic father, Black-
mere (slain at Chatillon, 1453).
Talbot, Richard, Archbishop of Dublin, Blackmere (died 1449).
Talbot, Robert, antiquary, friend of Leland, Shrewsbury (died 1558).
Tarlton, Richard, actor and jester, Condover (died 1589).
Taylor, John, "Demosthenes Taylor," classical critic, Shrewsbury,
1704.
Taylor, Silas, alias Domville, author of "Antiquities of Harwich,"
Harley.
Thomas, John, Bishop of Salisbury, Shrewsbury (died 1766).
Thynne, Sir John, warrior, founder of Longleat House, Wilts,
Stretton (died 1580).
Thynne, William, statesman, Receiver of the Marches, Stretton
(died 1546).
Vitalis Ordericus, historian, Atcham, 1074.
Wakeley, William, buried at Adbaston, aged 123, Shiffnall, 1591.
Walter, Sir John, Lord Chief Baron, Ludlow (died 1630).
Waring, Edward, algebraist, Mitton, 1734.
Wenlock, Walter de, Abbot of Westminster, treasurer to Edward I.,
Wenlock, 1307.
Whelock, Abraham, divine, Persic scholar, Whitchurch (died 1654).
Whichcot, Benjamin, divine, Whichcot Hall, 1609.
Wild, Jonathan, infamous receiver of stolen goods, Boninghale, 1682.
Withering, William, physician and botanist, Wellington, 1741.
Wooley, Edward, Bishop of Clonfert, Shrewsbury, consecrated 1664.
Wycherley, William, comic poet, Cleeve, near Wem, 1640.
Miscellaneous Remarks. \ 7
[ 1 82 1 , Part I. , //. 302 - 304. ]
MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS.
At Attingham House is a noble gallery of paintings, principally by
the first masters of the Italian school; and a fine collection of
Etruscan vases and other antiquities from Herculaneum.
At the Birches, between Buildwas and Coalbrook Dale, May 27,
1773, was an extraordinary convulsion of the earth, when several
fields, containing about 30 acres of land, were shifted from their site,
the ground broken up into irregular masses with immense chasms, in
one of which a barn was entirely swallowed up, and a grove with
twenty large oak-trees forced into the middle of the Severn, filling up
its bed for 290 yards, and diverting its waters into a new channel.
The turnpike road for 321 yards entirely destroyed. The principal
chasm extended 396 yards, its breadth was 42, and its greatest
depth 10. The devastation is described in a sermon by the Rev.
John de la Flechere, Vicar of Madeley, which he preached to a large
congregation at the place on the following day.
Bishops Castle was anciently the seat of the Bishops of Hereford,
whence its name.
In Condover Church, among several handsome monuments of the
Owens, is one for Roger Owen, Esq., by Roubiliac, remarkably fine.
In the Hall, which was built by Lord Chief Justice Sir Thomas Owen,
is a splendid collection of paintings.
At Dorrington school were educated Dr. Richard Allestree, Provost
of Eton, and Richard Baxter, the Nonconformist. Dr. John Douglas,
afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, " the scourge of impostors and terror
of quacks," was one of its masters.
In Ellesmere Church is the monument of Sir Francis Kynaston,
Esquire of the Body to Charles I., and translator of the " Loves of
Troilus and Cressida."
In Fitz Churchyard is the tomb of Dr. Edward Waring, mathe-
matician, 1798.
In Hales Owen Churchyard are the tombs of Miss Anne Powell
(poetical epitaph by Shenstone), 1744; and of William Shenstone
the poet, 1763. In the church is an urn erected to his memory,
with a poetical inscription by his friend Graves; and a handsome
monument, by Banks, for Major John Delap Halliday, 1794.
At Halston there is a good collection of paintings, and a curious
portrait of Charles I., carved by N. Bryant, on a peach-stone, set
in gold with a crystal on each side.
In Hawkstone beautiful grounds is the tent in which Sir Sydney
Smith signed the Convention of El Arish ; it was taken on the sur-
render of Cairo, June 25, 1801, and brought over by the Salopian
hero, Lord Hill. Among the paintings in the house, is the siege of
Namur, in which are introduced the portraits of William III., the
VOL. XXII 2
1 8 Shropshire.
Elector of Bavaria, the Duke of Marlborough, Count Cohorn, and
Richard Hill, great-uncle to the present baronet.
Hodnet was the rectory of Lord James Beauclerk, afterwards Bishop
of Hereford. In the church are several monuments of the Hills of
Hawkstone, and a handsome one for Henrietta, daughter of Sir
Thomas Vernon of Hodnet, the last of that ancient family. The
hall is the seat of Reginald Heber, Esq., the "Atticus ': of Dibdin's
"Bibliomania." It contains a noble collection of " Libri rarissimi!"
In Kinlet Church are many superb monuments of the Blounts.
The Leasowes was the seat of the poet Shenstone, who formed its
principal beauties, as described by Dodsley in an account prefixed to
his edition of Shenstone's Works. In this, his native place, he
composed most of his poems, his "School-mistress" being the old
woman by whom he was first taught to read. A view of the Cottage
school is engraved in the Gentleman's Magazine for November, 1795.*
In Longncr Garden was buried Edward Burton, Esq., a zealous
Protestant, who expired suddenly with joy at hearing of the death of
Mary I. in 1558, and whose body was refused burial by the Roman
Catholic curate of St. Chad's.
At Ludlow, Sir Henry Sydney, K.G., Lord President of the
Marches, kept his court with peculiar magnificence ; and on his
death in 1586, his heart was deposited in the tomb of his beloved
daughter Ambrosia, who died here in 1574, and was buried in an
oratory he had built in the church. In 1634, during the presidency
of the Earl of Bridge-water, the " Masque of Comus" was written by
Milton, at the request of his friend Lawes. who set it to music. It
was occasioned by the Earl's two sons, Viscount Brackley and the
Hon. Thomas Egerton, with his daughter, Lady Alice, afterwards
Countess of Carberry, being benighted, on their journey to Ludlow,
in Heywood forest in Herefordshire, when the lady for a short time
was lost. It was originally acted by the two brothers, the young
lady, Lawes and others. At the Restoration, Butler, who was
appointed Secretary to the then Lord President, the Earl of Carberry,
composed in this castle the three first cantos of his inimitable
'• Hudibras." In the church is an elegant marble tomb to the
memory of the Lord President Sir John Bridgeman. In this town,
in 1758, died John Davis, aged 112. It was for some time the
residence of Lucien Bonaparte. Round the castle is a beautiful
public walk.
In Madeley Churchyard, under a slab of cast-iron, was buried its
vicar, John William de la Flechere, pious enthusiast, 1785.
At Newport, May 16, 1665, 160 houses burnt, loss ^30,000.
At Oswestry, in 1797, died John Lloyd, attorney, the original
institutor of Societies for the Prosecution of Felons, of which that
at Oswestry was the first.
* See/ar/, p. 64.
Miscellaneous Remarks. 19
At Pitchford Park is a valuable collection of original portraits.
Plealey, near Pontesbury, was the seat of the mathematician, Dr.
Edward Waring.
Ross Hall was visited by his present Majesty and the Duke of
Clarence, in 1806.
At Shiffnall died, in 1776, Mary Yates, aged 128.
At Shrewsbury first commenced in this kingdom that terrible
disease the sweating sickness. April i, 1774, fifty houses burnt.
July 9, 1788, the old Church of St. Chad fell down. In the abbey
church is the monument (removed from old St. Chad's) of Sir
Richard Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons in 1565, an-
cestor of Sir Richard, afterwards Lord Onslow, who was Speaker in
1709, and of Arthur Onslow, who was Speaker during the whole reign
of George II. In St. Alkmond's Church is a finely-painted window
by Eggington, emblematic of evangelical faith, and the monuments
of Sir Thomas Jones, Lord Chief Justice, 1683; and of Thomas
Jones, once sheriff of the county, six times bailiff, and the first mayor
of the town. In St. Chad's chancel window is the "Resurrection,"
by Eggington, removed hither from the east window of Lichfield
Cathedral ; and in this church is a tablet for Job Orton, friend and
biographer of Doddridge, 1766. In its old church were buried
Rowland Lee, Bishop of Lichfield, 1543, and Thomas Mytton,
Parliamentarian General, 1656. In St. Giles's churchyard is the
tombstone of John Whitfield, surgeon, with only the inscription
"Composita solvuntur." In St. Julian's Church is a window of
painted glass, with a large figure of St. James, brought from Rouen.
In St. Mary's Church were buried its ejected minister Francis Tal-
lents, author of "Chronological Tables," 1708; and Robert Cadman,
with a curious poetical epitaph, recording his death in January, 1740,
by the breaking of a rope, on which he had attempted to descend
from the top of its steeple to a field on the other side of the Severn.
Among the eminent men educated at the Free School, were Sir
Philip Sydney; his friend Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke; Lord
Chancellor Jefferies; Lord Chief Justices Jones and Price; Prelates
Thomas of Salisbury and Bowers of Chichester; Dramatist Why-
cherley ; Poet Ambrose Philips; Antiquary Claike; Classical critic
Dr. John Taylor ; and Mathematician Waring. It contains an
excellent library ; a small museum of antiquities, principally Roman,
found at Wroxeter ; and some natural curiosities. Its present master
is Dr. S. Butler, editor of " Eschylus." Of the two children taken
by the eccentric but amiable Thomas Day, author of ''Sandford and
Merton," from the Foundling Hospital, now House of Industry, in
this town, there is a curious and interesting account in MissSeward's
"Life of Darwin." The Quarry Walk by the side of the Severn is one
of the finest promenades in the kingdom. The ancient pageant called
" Shrewsbury Show " is held on the second Monday atter Trinity
2 — 2
2O Shropshire.
Sunday, but has greatly fallen off in its splendour and attendance.
This town has been frequently honoured by Royal visits ; in 1490
Henry VII., his Queen Elizabeth of York, and his son Prince Arthur,
attended Mass at a solemn festival at St. Chad's. The last Royal
visit was by James II. in 1687. His present Majesty passed through
the town on his way to Ross Hall, in 1806.
In Tonge Church are many superb monuments, among which are
those of Sir Fulk Pembridge and his lady, who founded the church
in 1410; Sir Henry Vernon, Governor and Treasurer to Arthur,
Prince of Wales ; Sir Richard Vernon, Governor of Calais, and the
last person who held the high office of Constable of England for
life ; and a large tomb of Sir Edward Stanley, with an epitaph written
by Shakespeare. The great bell given by the Constable Vernon is
six yards in circumference, and weighs 48 cwts.
At Wem, March 3, 1677, the church, market-house, and 140
dwelling-houses destroyed by fire. Here died in 1784, Mary Jones,
aged no.
Wenlock was represented in Parliament by the poet Isaac Hawkins
Browne.
In Whitchurch Church are monuments of John Talbot, first Earl
of Shrewsbury, of his family ; the valiant Lord Marshal of France,
slain at Chastillion with his heroic son, Viscount Lisle, in 1453; and
of its rector, Christopher Talbot, fourth son of John, the second Earl.
Here also were buried its rector, Dr. John Rawlinson, Principal of
Edmund Hall, Oxford, and author of "Sermons," 1631 ; and Nicholas
Bernard, Dean of Ardagh, 1661. The old church fell down in 1710.
At Wombridge, died in 1807, Mary Hey ward, aged 112.
In Wroxeter Church are handsome altar-tombs of Sir Thomas
Bromley, Lord Chief Justice, 1555; Sir Richard Newport, 1570;
Francis, first Lord Bradford, 1708; his brother Andrew, 1699; and
Thomas Earl of Torrington, 1719. BYRO.
Acton Burnell.
[l8ll, Part IL, pp. 17, 18.]
The subjects enclosed for your valuable museum are: No. i, a
view of Acton Burnell Castle, in which King Edward I. held his
Parliament, A.D. 1283; No. 2 is the remains of a large barn,
183 feet long and 41 feet broad (the gavel ends only remaining), in
which the Commons of England sat at the time the Lords occupied
the hall of the castle. " The Statutum de Mercatoribus " enacted
here is from the place known by the name of the " Statute of Acton
Burnell." These curious remains of antiquity are situated in the
hundred of Cundover, in the county of Salop, about eight miles from
Shrewsbury. The castle is a square building, with a square tower
at each corner. Its founder, or more probably its restorer, was
Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Treasurer, and afterwards
Acton Burnell. 2 r
Chancellor of England, who, in 1292, was sent to the M itches of
Scotland, where he was employed in a peremptory embassy, to
demand of the Scots what they had to object to the claim of his
master the King to the right and exercise of the superiority and direct
dominion over their kingdom. In this office he died, and was
interred in his cathedral at Wells. His successor in the castle was
Sir Edward Burnell, who served in many actions in Scotland under
Edward I., and appeared with great splendour ; he was alwa>s
attended with a chariot decked with banners, on which were depicted
his arms. In 1346, it came into the possession of Nicholas Lord
Burnell, who died in the year 1382, and was buried in Acton Burnell
Church, under an altar tomb, with a brass inlaid in it of the figure of
an armed man, and a brass plate thus inscribe d :
"<ljic .facet b'n'«, <|ttcli'u0 $urndl, miles, Jb'n's to pjolgflt, xfui obijt xb° iic
Jfanunrij ^|Un0 ^38'nt «Jttm0 <£ (£ Cms |£xxxtj Cm' a't'e p'pittet' b's am'."
The manor continued in the Burnell family till the 9th of
Edward II., when, Edward Lord Burnell dying without male issue,
he left this and other estates to his sister Maud, who, marrying to
John de Handlou, or Haudlow, transferred the estate into that family,
in which it continued till 8th of Henry V. Camden tells us the
above-named Maud married for her first husband John Lord Lovell,
and so brought this manor into his family ; but he does not make
it appear how, yet in the reign of Henry VI. the Lovells were in
possession of it, and Francis Lord Lovell, by his adherence to
Richard III., forfeited the estate. Henry VII. being seated on the
throne, gave it to Jasper, Earl of Bedford, with other estates in this
county ; but he dying without issue, they reverted to the Crown, and
Henry VIII. gave them to Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, whom
he created Duke of Norfolk, as a reward for his valour at Flodden
Field.
The present respectable possessor of this beautiful domain is
Sir Edward Smythe, Bart., whose family became possessed of it in
the reign of King Charles II.
D. PARKES.
Alberbury.
[1812, Part I., p. 9.]
I send you a view of the curious old Church of Alberbury, in
Shropshire. Probably some of your antiquarian friends will favour
the public with a descriptive account of it. Thomas Parr, who lived
to the great age of 152 years 9 months and some days, was born
at Winnington in this parish, and at the age of 105 years did penance
in the Church of Alberbury, for an amour with Catharine Milton.
The cottage in which he resided still remains, and retains the name
of Parr's Cottage. J. P.
2 2 Shropshire.
[1814, Part I., p. 217.]
Herewith you will receive a view of old Parr's cottage at the Glyn,
in the township of Winnington, in the parish of Alberbury and
county of Salop. The cottage is said to have undergone little altera-
tion since the days of Parr ; the erection being framed of timber,
filled with wattle-work, and covered with plaster, is easily repaired.
In a large uncouth chimney-corner is shown his sitting-place. The
county being extremely rude, yet picturesque in the neighbourhood,
I have chosen to give a general view rather than merely the cottage.
Rodney's Pillar, on the Breidden Hill, appears in the distance.*
From the cottage I visited Woolaston, a chapel-of-ease to Alberbury,
to see a brass plate commemorative of old Parr, thus inscribed :
"The old, old, very Old Man THOMAS PARR, was born at the Glyn, in the
township of Winnington, within the chapelry of great Williason, and Parish of
Alberbury, in the county of Silop, in the year of our Lord 1483. He lived in the
Reigns of ten Kings and Queens of England, i.e., K. Edward IV., K. Edward V.,
K. Richard III., K. Henry VII., K. Henry VIII., K. Edward VI., Q. Mary,
Q. Elizabeth, K. James I., and K. Charles I. i>ied the 13, and was buried in
Westminster Abbey on the 15 of November, 1635. Aged 152 years 9 months."
On the top of the plate is a head of Old Parr in a night-cap, very
neatly engraved. J. PARKES.
Albrighton.
[1794, Part I., pp. 709-801.]
Albrighton, in Shropshire, seven miles from Wolverhampton, is a
pleasant village in a flat situation surrounded with a beautiful and
rich country. The church consists of a nave, west tower, north aisle
(rebuilt), and chancel. On the north side of the latter is an alabaster
altar-tomb with a man in plated armour, collar of SS., and cross
penrtent, mail gorget plaited, straight hair, ruffles, rings on the first,
third, and fourth finger of the left hand, and first and fourth of the
right, belt adorned with quatrefoils, mail skirt, flourished knee-pieces,
lion at feet looking up to the left, sword and dagger ; under his head
a tasseled cushion, helmet, and mantlet. His lady is in a head-dress
studded in front, puffed, long close beads, collar of I !•••! !•••{ i "
CHI, ruffles, and the cuffs formed of four cords, rings on first and
fourth finger of the right hand, and first, third, and fourth of the left,
stomacher and gown tied in knots to the knees, then open, and straps
flying loose, petticoat close at feet. On the ledge this inscription :
"J)ic iacrt Joh'rs b* (irnftou, iniirs, .et b'na ^randsca uxrrr ci 'ffJii
<|Jx)h't$i ©uft.irb be (EhgUimgto' milit' xjut q'b, Jlflh & fil' & hev,c« mascul'
Joh'is fUii ©ilbcrti <<Ealb0t miJit' & b'nc Jttargarfte herfbts SSUU'.0 coLrotol-
bech milit' obitt bi° bie Junii, an0 ^8'ni m°b°lto0 , xpirrt' a'i'ab' p'ptdehn: be'
amc'. . C."
* See Gentleman s Magazine , 1803, part ii., p. 1109.
Albrighton. 23
At the head : Az. three stirrups o.
Crest, a beast or bird's head on a torse.
1. Az. a lion rampant o.
2. In a bordure engrailed a lion rampant o.
3. Bendy of ten o. and g.
4. ttarry of eight az. and g. ; on the g. 3, 2, 2, 3 ducks, or martlets.
5. A saltire g. in centre of it a martlet.
6. A fleur-de-lis a. between three Moors' heads.
7. G. three piles a.
8. G. a bend between six martlets a. ; G. a fret a.
9. G. two lions standing a.
n. G. a lion rampant o.
12. G. two chevrons a. ; in a canton dexter a cross patee fitchee.
13. Az. a lion g. or a.
In front the same quarterings impaling the stirrups between a man
in armour and one in a gown, and two women in gauze head-dress
and opening gowns as their mother.
This Sir John Talbot was son and heir of Sir John, and grand-
son of Sir Gilbert Talbot, K.G., of Grafton, co. Worcester, whose
pedigree may be seen in Dr Hash's *' Worcester Collections,"
i., 158.
On each side the east window scrolls of the institution of the
Sacrament in black letter.
On the altar rail in capitals :
"John Hilton and Thomas Howell, churchwardens, 1685."
On the south side an altar-tomb with a rude red slab, and in relief
a fair cross and inscription "INRI" over it, and four blank shields at the
corners. In the same wall are three level stalls, and east of them
a piscina and a locker over it. In the east window a shield of the
instruments of the Passion ; in another, a bald bishop or abbot, with
a crosier, kneeling to Christ blessing ; another figure sitting above.
In the east window angels with censers, a soul rising, etc.
The vestry is on the north side.
In the chancel, slabs :
11 In perpetual memory of the rev. and learned FRANCIS WEST, Doctor of
Divinity, born in the parish of St. Christopher, London, senior fellow of St. John
Baptist college, Oxford, vicar of this parish 21 years. He died the I5th of January,
1747, aged 55."
Arms gone.
" Hie terra reconditur tot tantisque notissimus ille cultissimus dominus D. GUL.
SCOTT, th. bacc. Prsedii de Cosford natus hseres, quem quondam sociis suis
doctrissimus annum .... lactitavit col. Sid. Cant, et in quo pastore suo per 17
annos glonata est hsec parochia. Csetera famam melius quam lapidem consulas.
In coelum abituram exhalavit animam 30 non. Feb. anno aer. Ch. MDCC. setatis
suae 50. Ecclesiae suse bonisque omnibus desiderium quam maxime flebile.
Uxorem tali dignam sortitus est Eliz. Fisher, r'di admodum D. G. F., rect'oris de
Hickling, in agro Nottinghamensis, ex qua suscepit filios sex, totidemque filias."
24 Shropshire.
"Hie iacet corpus AN 1MB, viduse & relictse Tho. Shadwell, gen. una filiar.
Lancelotti Lee, de Cotton, arm. quse ob. vicesimo primo die Jan. A.D. 1699."
Arms : Per pale, a chevron erm, between three annulets impaling
a sess cheque* between ten billets.
BENEFACTIONS.
Mr. Bromley ;£ioo, the yearly rent to be divided to the poor at
the trustees' election.
Mr. John Chapman 155. 4d. yearly to the poor on Christmas Day.
Mr. William Scot, late of Cosford, ^40, the interest yearly to the
poor.
The Duke of Shrewsbury, 1703 and 1704, ^40, disposed of among
the poor agreeably to his order.
Anne Marigold, widow, in her life a silver chalice.
Mr. Thomas Davenhill, interest of ^20 to the poor yearly.
The vicarage is in the alternate gift of the Haberdashers Company
and Christ's Hospital. The present vicar is Burfield.
In the churchyard, an altar-tomb for Anne, daughter of Thomas
Green of Wolverhampton, who died 1762, aged 24.
" Beneath this stone now rests inshrin'd,
Alas ! what once inclos'd the purest mind ;
A virtuous soul so free from every stain,
So try'd by fortune, and unmov'd by pain ;
Without a groan with agonies she strove ;
Heav'n, wond'ring, snatch'd her to the joys above."
^ " THOMAS GREEN, died 1783, aged 52."
As to the manor, "Norman held Albricistone in Elnoestriu
hundred. Algar and Godhil held it before, but the king was then
in possession of it. 2 Edw. I. Hugh de Bolinghale gave lands here
to the abbot and convent of Lilleshull. John Tregoz died seized of
it 28 Edward I. leaving John la Warre, son and heir of Roger la
Warre, by Clarice, his eldest daughter, and Sybil, the wife of William
de Grandison, his other daughter, his heirs. John la Warre had it
assigned for his purparty as heir to his grandfather John Tregoz.
3 [ Edw. I. he had a grant of a market on Tuesday, and fair on the
eve, day, and day after the translation of St. Thomas the Martyr, and
to hold two courts of view of frankpledge. 20 Edw. II. this John
la Warre, chev. son and heir to Roger la W. held this manor in chief
by one knight's fee; and, dying without issue 22 Richard II. was
succeeded by his brother Mag, Thomas de la W. rector of the church
of Manchester, who died without issue 4 Henry VI. Hugh Hcles, or
Holes, knt. 5 Henry IV. levied a fine of this manor, and died
seized of it 3 Henry V. 10 Henry V. Thomas Hewster and Simon
Hedrington had the custody of it during the minority of Margaret
Hale (Hole), daughter and heir of Thomas Hale, deceased. 37
Albrighton. 25
Henry VI. John Troutbeck, esq.* died seized of it. 22 Elizabeth
the queen gave leave to John Talbot, esq. to sell Albrighton to
Robert Caldewell, gent, and his heirs. 6 Edward III. it was found
that a chantry was erected in the church of St. Mary of Albrighton,
to which one messuage and 60 aqres of lands and two shillings rent
were annexed. The benefactor was Roger Careless. 38 Henry VIII.
John Waverton did homage for the rectory. u Elizabeth the
queen decreed to Thomas Calton, gent, the tithes of corn and hay
here for 21 years, paying lol. 195. 9jd. per annnm. 38 Elizabeth,
Jane Bromley, widow, was seised of this rectory, which, 9 James I.
Sir Edward Bromlev, knt. alienated to James Weston, esq. The
church a vicarage, value 5!." — (Mytton MSS.) R. G.
Atcham.
[1806, Part II. , pp. 1001, 1002.]
Enclosed you will receive a drawing of Atcham Church, in the
county of Salop (Plate I.), which I made from a sketch taken in one
of my rambles in search of church notes, scraps of antiquity, etc.
This church is situated in the hundred of Bradford South, and
deanery of Salop, about four miles from Shrewsbury on the London
Road. The situation is remarkably picturesque ; the river Severn
gently gliding by the western side of the churchyard, and the varied
foliage of the trees, planted near the church, produce the most
charming effect. The west doorway has the appearance of Saxon
architecture, but the upper part of the tower and body of the church
are of much later date. The interior is plain, and contains little
more than the common order of parish churches. The following
inscriptions, copied at the time, may amuse some of your readers.
On a brass plate, in capitals :
" Ileare was bvried >e bodys of Thomas Calcot, of Betton, and Margery, who
lived man and wife allmost 54 years. He ended this life ye 2Qth of March, in
ye yeare 1677, in the 8oth yeare of his age. She ended her life ye 26th of
February, 1685, ye 88th yeare of her age. They left issue, William, John and
Richard."
On a blue stone within the communion rails :
"Here lieth the Body of the late SAMUEL JONES, Vicar of this Church, who
departed this life Novembr the 9th, 1725, aged 66."
Arms : A lion rampant, with a crescent for difference, impaling
seven mascles, 3, 3, and i. Crest : a sun in its glory.
On a marble tablet against the north wall :
"JOHANNES WARING, A.M., Obiit 11 Oct. A.D. 1794. ^tatis suae, 78.'
* See the intermarriage of Troutbeck and Talbot on the monument.
2 6 Shropshire.
On a neat monument against the south wall :
"Sacred to the memory of SAMUEL FOWLER, M.A., who was forty-six y«.ars
the Minister, universally esteemed and beloved of this Parish. Exemplary in all
the duties of his function, and amiable in every relation of civil and domestic life.
He died Jan. 3d, 1772, aged 71 years.
Also of Mrs. ANN FOWLER, relict of the above Rev. Sam. Fowler, who departed
this life 26 Dec., 1788, aged 78 years."
Arms : Azure, on a chevron argent, between three lions passant
gardant or, three cross molines sable; impaling Ermine, three annulets
interlaced gules.
In a frame against the west wall :
On the top is the figure of Death ; below is a corpse in a coffin,
etc., as emblems of mortality, under which are the following lines.
[Omitted.]
On a table are the following memoranda of burials in this church :
1619. March 4. . Thomas Burton, of Longner, Esq. (eldest son
of Edward Burton,* Esq., buried in the garden at Longner), aged 77.
1622. October 4. Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Newton, of
Heighley, in this county, Esq., wife of Edward Burton, of Longner,
Esq.
1629. June 16. John, third son of Thomas Burton, of Longner,
Esq., and Catherine (Beist), his wife.
1671. November n. Catherine, daughter of Jacob Walton, of
Doveridge, in the county of Derby, Esq., wife of Francis Burton, of
Longner, Esq.
1680. May ii. Francis Burton, of Longner, Esq.
1691. July 13. Penelope, an infant daughter of Judge Thomas
Burton, of Longner, and Elizabeth (Berkeley) his wife.
1692. February 14. Edward, third son of the last mentioned
Thomas and Elizabeth Burton, of Longner, aged six years.
1693. Decembers. Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas Berkeley,
of Spetchley and Ravenshill in the county of Worcester, Esq., wife of
Judge Thomas Burton, of Longner.
1695. April 27. Thomas Burton, of Longner, one of his
Majesty's judges for North Wales.
1725. February 21. Robert Burton, of Longner, Esq., aged 48.
*733' November 17. Elizabeth Burton, second daughter of
judge Thomas Burton of Longner, wife of Joseph Jones of Chilton,
Esq., aged 58.
1739. May 10. Mary, fourth daughter of the last mentioned
Thomas and Elizabeth Burton of Longner, aged 59.
1758. June 25. Ann, second daughter of Robert Burton of
Longner, and Anne (Hill) his wife.
* For an account of this gentleman, and the troublesome times in which he
lived, see Foxe's "Acts and Monuments."
At chain. „ 27
1761. March 13. Thomas Lingen Burton, eldest son of the last
mentioned Robert and Anne Burton of Longner, aged 8.
October 16. Elizabeth, third daughter of the last mentioned
Robert and Anne Burton of Longner, aged 2.
1771. May 6. Anne, daughter of Thomas Hill of Tern, Esq.,
wife of Robert Burton of Longner, Esq.
1772. February u. John, fifth son of Robert Burton and Anne
his wife, an infant.
1775. August i. Mary, fourth daughter of Robert and Anne
Burton of Longner, aged 15.
1803. June 24. Robert Burton of Longner, Esq., aged 78.
A view of the old house at Longner, taken down last year, the
lomb which covers the remains of Mr. Burton, who died A.D. 1558,
and was buried in his garden, as mentioned before, with a copy of
the epitaph round the verge of the tomb, and the particulars of that
singular event would be worth preserving in your magazine.
A. n.
Battlefield.
[1792, Part II., p. 893.]
The enclosed view of the Battlefield Church (Plate III., Fig. i),
near Shrewsbury, was taken in November, 1792. The land on which
the church stands is supposed to be the place where the undaunted
Hotspur was encamped ; and here the memorable battle between him
and Henry IV. was fought on Saturday, July 21, 1403, the eve of
St. Mary Magdalen, to whom the church was dedicated. This was
a collegiate church of secular canons, built undoubtedly by order of
the King, but in what year I am uninformed, most probably soon
after the battle. At the east end, over the window, is a figure of
Henry IV., much defaced by the corroding hand of time. In a niche
in the south wall, wiihin the church, is a rude carving of the Virgin
and child in wood, of which I send you a drawing (Fig. 2). I
suppose the antiquity of this is nearly co-eval with the church. In
the east window is some stained glass, but it is so mutilated that little
can be learnt from it. I do not remember any monument in the
church, and in the churchyard only a few frail memorials not worth
transcribing.
I hope some of your intelligent correspondents will send a more
particular account of this church, and in what year it was built.
D. PARKES.
Berwick.
[1804, Part //.,/. 803.]
The following lines are over the door of what is termed The
Cottage, in the grounds at Berwick, the seat of T. J. Powis, Esq.,
near Shrewsbury :
28 Shropshire.
" Stay, passenger, and tho' within
Nor gold nor glittering gems are seen
To strike thy dazzled eye,
Yet enter, and thy ravish'd mind
Beneath this humble roof shall find
What gold will never buy.
" Within this solitary cell
Calm thoughts and sweet Contentment dwell,
Parents of bliss sincere ;
Peace spreads around her balmy wings,
And, banish'd from the courts of kings,
Has fixed her mansion here." — 1767.
D. P.
Berwick- Maviston.
[1838, Part II. , pp. 602, 603.]
The accompanying sketch represents an ancient moated mansion,
which formerly adorned the township of Berwick-Maviston, in the
parish of Atcham, in the county of Salop. Shortly after the
Conquest this township formed one of the places of residence
of the gallant and noble family of Malvoisin ; and until nearly the
close of the last century it was a place of some consequence, having
no less than four several mansions, besides farmhouses, within its
precincts. It was, however, the destiny of this township to lose
almost its entire population, and the Mansion House, which forms
the subject of the drawing, was the last erection left standing within
a vicinage that had for centuries been the residence of families of
considerable fortune and distinction. This last remnant of a once
happy community of the olden time was destroyed about forty years
ago, and its site, together with the appurtenant lands, was thrown
open to the adjoining park and pleasure grounds surrounding
Attingham House, thus rendering this devoted township to suffer
the fate of that spot which Goldsmith so touchingly describes in his
poem of the Deserted Village.
Berwick-Maviston was situated between three and four miles south-
east of the town of Shrewsbury. It was part of the possessions of
Earl Roger de Montgomery, from whom it passed, soon after the
Conquest, to Azeline, and from him into the family of Malvoisin.
This name, evidently Norman, has been variously spelt and pro-
nounced in succeeding ages as Malvesyn, Malveysin, Mauvosin,
Mauvesin, Mavesyn, Mausin, Mavistone, and fifty other ways. It
has been stated that it was derived from a castle or military tower*
situate on the confines of the Gastinois, and it stands proudly con-
spicuous in the ancient French records, which state that Sampson
Mauveisin was Archbishop of Rheims, and Sir Guy Mauvoson
* This appears to be an heraldic fiction. Names of this description, originally
soubriquets or nicknames, were exceedingly common among the Normans, as
Maltravers, Malcovenant, etc.
Berwick- Maviston. 29
fought under the banner of Saint Louis against the Saracens in
Egypt. The head of this house in the eleventh century was that
venerable chief Raoul Mauvosin, surnamed le Barbu, living in 1080
at the seigniory of Rosny ; his sons were Robert and Hugh, and his
grandson William, who all fell in battle. The younger branch, seated
on the lordship of Malveysin-Berwick in Shropshire, flourished there
for several centuries, and were a knightly race during the reigns of
our Henrys and Edwards.
In the reign of Henry I. or Stephen, Hugh Malveysin founded the
monastery of Blythbury in Staffordshire, at first intended as a double
monastery both for monks and nuns, but which was afterwards for
nuns only. William Malvoisin was Bishop of Glasgow and St.
Andrews, and Peter Bishop of Ossory. Sir Guy Malvoisin occurs
among the Crusaders. Peter and John died Governors of the Castle
of Oswestry, which they held under the Baron Marchers by the
harder tenure of Border Service.
John Malveysin, the last of the line of Berwick-Maviston, who
died without issue, was killed in a hunting match with men of
Shropshire, in the immediate vicinity of the Wrekin, in the reign of
King Henry IV., and Sir Robert, of the Mauvesine Ridware branch,
died fighting for that King at Battlefield, near Shrewsbury, in the
year 1403.
By the marriage of Edith, the daughter of Alan Malvoisin, and
niece of John who was slain at the Wrekin, the lordship and estates
at Berwick-Maviston were carried into the family of Wydecombe or
Whitcomb of Somersetshire, from whom a portion of it passed in
1689 to the family of Hambrook of Gloucestershire, and others.
This property has subsequently been in the several possessions of the
families of Grant of Berwick-Maviston, Burton of Longner, Russell
of Berwick-Maviston, Calcott of Abbat's Betton, Blakeway of Cronk-
hill, and others, from whom the late Noel Hill, Esq., who was
elevated to the Peerage, and his eldest son, the late Thomas Noel,
Lord Berwick, became possessed, by purchase and exchange, of the
lordship, and almost the entirety of the lands within the township of
Berwick-Maviston, which territory now forms part of the extensive
domain of Attingham, the seat and inheritance of the Right
Honourable Wm. Noel, Lord Berwick. T. F. D.
Bitterley. .
[1831, Part //.,//. 297, 298.]
Bitterley is four miles north-east of Ludlow, a rectory in the
deanery of Ludlow, the Hundred of Overs, andDiocese of Hereford.
The population in 1821 was 1,064, more than half of whom were
the families of colliers and miners.
The Ghurch of Bitterley, dedicated to St. Mary, is a handsome
it consists of a body, without side aisles ; the chancel is
Shropshire.
divided from the body by a screen of oak carved in open quatrefoils,
at the top are foliage and grotesque ornaments. There is a gallery
at the west end; the ceiling is coved without ornament. Opposite
the south door is an ancient stone font ; the pulpit is of oak finely
carved. The length of the body of the church 59 \ feet, breadth
22 feet; length of the chancel 33^ feet, breadth 22 feet. The tower
is 14! feet, by 13 feet n inches; it contains three bells. On the
first bell is :
" ^pc &ono qiu nults campana bocot gabmlis."
Round the second bell :
In the churchyard is an elegant stone cross raised on steps, which
support an hexagonal shaft, on the top are tabernacled niches ; that
on the north side contains the Virgin and infant Christ; the west
side the Crucifixion ; the east and south sides are nearly obliterated.
Adjoining the churchyard is Bitterley Court, the residence of the
Rev. John Walcott, Rector of Bitterley. It is beautifully situated
on a gentle rise of ground, at the foot of the Clee Hill, surrounded
by pleasure grounds. The Clee Hill is a bold and grand object ;
upon the top are the remains of an encampment, said to be Roman ;
its extreme point, called Titterstone, appears of volcanic formation.
Many parts of this hill afford very extensive prospects, varied and
beautiful. The interior of this immense mountain produces coal
and ironstone in abundance.
The following monumental memorials were taken at the time I
visited the church, July 10, 1827.
Against the east wall of the chancel under an arch, supported by
columns with Corinthian capitals, is a figure of an esquire in armour,
kneeling at a desk with a book before him ; over the entablature the
arms, and on the table below the figure the following inscription in
Roman capitals :
" Here is interred the body of Tymothye Lvcie, of Middleton, Esq., who godly
chainged this life the xxi of Janvary, 1616. He was the fovrth sonne to William
Lvcie, of Charlecott, Esqvire. He married Susanna, davghter to Henrv Kan-
shawe, Esqvire, by whom he had issue three sonnes and four daughters. He after
married Joahn daughter to Thomas Bvrghill, of Thingell, Esqvire, and shee, in
memorye and love of him her hvsband, erected this monument." . . .
Arms : Gules, crusilly or, three lucies haurient argent.
Against the south wall of the chancel a monument, ihe entablature
supported by two figures, one on each side the table, which bears the
following inscription :
" Memoriae Sacrum. Here lyeth, expecting a blessed resurrection, the bodyes
of THOMAS POWYS, of Snitton, Gent , and of ELIZABETH his wife. Hee deceased
ye i Qth of Nov., 1659, then aged 31. Shee was the daughter of Richd. Smythe,
of Credenhill, in the county of Hereford, Esq., and departed this life ye first day
of July, 1645. tnev having issue 5 sonnes, Thomas, Christopher, Peter, Robert and
James, and fower daughters, Winifrid, Anne, Mary, and Elizabeth."
Bitter ley. 3 1
Arms : Or, a lion's gamb erased between two cross crosslets
htchee, gules, Powys, impaling Smjthe.
On a marble tablet against the north wall of the chancel :
" In memory of Mrs. ELIZABETH WALCOTT, wife of John Walcott, Esq., second
and youngest son of John Walcott, formerly of Walcott, in this county, Esq. She
was the widow of Charles Colby, Esq., Commissioner of his Majesty's Navy at
Gibraltar, and a Captain in that service. She departed this life at her house in
Upper Berkley-street, London, on the 26th day of November, 1803, aged 71 years,
and is deposited in a vault under the west door of the parish church of Paddington,
in the county of Middlesex."
Arms : Argent, a chevron between three chessrooks ermine,
Walcot ; impaling, Azure a chevron or, between three crescents
argent, Colby.
On another tablet : i
"To the memory of CHARLES WAI.COTT, Esq. (late of Bitterley Court). He
died Sept. 2Oth, 1799, aged 61 years. Also of ANNE his wife, who died Sept. 8th,
1812, aged 82 years."
On stones in the chancel floor :
" Here lyeth ye body of Sr LITTLETON POWYS, Knt., who departed this life the
I3th March, 1731, aetat. 83. Also of Dame Agnes his wife, who departed this life
the 28th of Nov., 1720, aetat. 66."
Arms : Powys, impaling Smythe, as before.
"MARIA POWYS, 1668, setat. 36.
"ROBERTUS POWYS, Arm., ob. Apr., 1724."
A marble tablet, supporting two vases with drapery in bas-relief,
bears the following inscription :
" Sacred to the memory of the Rev. THOMAS ROCKE, A.M., Rector of Ludlow,
and formerly of this Church, who died respected and lamented, i6th Oct., 1603,
an. aetat. 86. Also of MARTHA his wife, of eminent piety and virtue, who died
June 21, 1772, aged 50. And of FRANCIS their son, possessed of many amiable
qualities, who died Dec. 6, 1783, an. setat. 26. This inscription is dedicated by
their sons, Thomas and Richard Rocke."
On a slab in the chancel floor :
" Here lieth the body of BENJAMIN MARSTON, late of Bitterley, Rector, died
Nov. 30th, 1736, aged 69."
Arms : Sable, a fesse dauncettee ermine, between three fleurs de-lis
argent.
On a slab in the floor of the nave :
"The Rev. Mr. WTILLIAM SHEPPARD, of this parish, and Vicar of Stanton
Lacy, died loth May, 1776, aged 47. MAGDALENE, his wife, daughter of George
Pardoe, of Cleeton, Gent., died July I, 1765, aged 32 years."
Arms : Azure, on a chevron or three etoiles gules, between as
many fleurs-de-lis of the second.
On a slab in the floor of the porch :
" WILLIAM, son of WILLIAM SMITH, Rector of Bitterley, dyed y* 7th day of
Aug., 1692."
3 2 Shropshire.
On a monument against the south wall :
" Near this place are deposited the remains of GEORGE PARDOE, Esq., of Cleeton,
who died 4th April, 1768, aged 74. As also of MARY his wife ; she died
1st July, 1772, aged 76. Likewise are interred in this church five of their
children — MILBOROUGH PARDOE, died Feb. 19, 1741, aged 24. EDWARD
PARDOE, died April 14, 1763, aged 34. MAGDALENE SHEPPARD, died July i,
1765, aged 32. MARY PARDOE, died Sept. 27, 1765, aged 37. SARAH PARDOE,
died Jan. 18, 1767, aged 26."
Arms : A cross counter-compone"e or and gules ; in the first quarter
a water bouget, in the second an eagle displayed, in the third a swan,
in the fourth an escalop shell, all sable ; on a chief Azure, a lion
passant guardant or. D. PARKES.
[1863, Part I., pfi. 93-95-]
The font of Bitterley Church is of black marble, Norman, round,
with an arcade. The tower and chancel are of Early English date,
but many of the windows have been inserted in the interval of
transition to Decorated, consisting of three trefoiled lancets under a
comprising arch. The rest are later, being of two trefoiled lights
under a reversed trefoil ; a few deeply splayed lancets remain. The
upper portion of the rood screen remains in a mutilated condition,
but retains some rich tracery ; the basement, whirh consists of panels
with the linen pattern under a row of quatrefoils, has been worked
up to form a clerk's desk. The fine Jacobean pulpit is dated 1630.
The east window consists of four cinque-foiled lancets, the two
central lights and the two lateral lights being respectively of equal
length. One of the south chancel windows has also a triplet with
cinquefoil heads. The capitals of the tower arch are boldly cut with
a pattern of foliage, stiff in character, like trefoils. The churchyard
contains a beautiful octagonal cross, terminating in a tabernacle
containing a "rood Mary and John." I regret to add that the
Powys monuments require immediate care, as they are in a very
dilapidated, not to say dangerous, condition.
I. Thomas Pardoe, Gent., died April 14, 1742, aged 38. Edward,
son of Thos. and Mary, died April 14, 1761, aged 33. Elizabeth
Pardoe, died July 13, 1790, aged 65.
II. Mary, daughter of Geo. and Mary Pardoe, died Sept. 27, 1765,
aged 47.
III. Mary Shepheard, died 1699.
IV. John Walcot, died Sept. 2, 1700, aged 34. Arms: I. Argent,
on a cross fleury azure five fleurs-de-lys or. II. Ermine, on a chief
three scallop shells.
V. William Walcot of the Moor, died Nov. n, 1857, aged 51.
VI. Marshall Child, died March 13, 1751.
VII. Ann, wife of Charles Walcot, died Sept. 8, 1812, aged 82.
VIII. Chas. Walcot, of Bitterley Court, died Sept. 20, 1799.
Bitter ley. 33
IX. Catherine, widow of Rev. Rd. Levitt, of Blithfield, Stafford,
dau. of Chas. Walcot, of Walcot, Salop, died June i, 1788.
X. A kneeling effigy. Timothy, fourth son of Wm. Lucy, Esq., of
Charlecote, who married (i.) Susanna, dau. of Henry Fanshawe, and
(2.) Johan, dau. of Thos. Burghill, of Thingell ; he died Jan. 21.
1616. Arms: I. (i.) Lucy; (2.) A lion rampant; (3.) Barry of six,
on a bend dexter three estoiles ; (4.) Billettee, a lion rampant. II.
(i.) An eagle displayed; (2.) A stag's head caboshed; (3.) Between
six estoiles, three in chief and as miny in base, a fess ; (4.) Between
four martlets a cross.
XI. Chancel, south wall. Thos. Powys, serjeant-at-law, of Henley,
in the parish of Bitterley, eldest son of Thos. Powys, of Snitton ;
and Anna, dau. of Sir Adam Littleton, Bart., of Stoke Milburgh, his
wife, by whom he had tour sons : Littleton, Edward, Thomas, and
John, and two daughters, both named Anna. She died June 30, 1655,
age 1 34; he died April 2, 1671, aged 54.
[XL* This inscription is partly repeated on a gravestone in the
floor.]
XII. Chancel, east wall, north side of the altar. Sir Littleton
Powys, Knt., of Henley, Judge of King's Bench, died March 13,
1731, aged 85 ; also his wife Agnes, died Nov. 28, 1720, aged
66. Arms : I. Powys. II. Argent, between three buckles a talbot
sable. [This inscription is partly repeated on a gravestone in the
floor.]
XII.* Maria Powys, died June 7, 1668, aged 36, first wife of
Thos. Powys, of Henley, dau. of John Cotes, of Woodmancote, and
Mary Bagot, of Shin field, Staffordshire.
XIII. Eliza, wife of John Walcot, younger son of John Walcot, of
Walcot, widow of Capt. C. Colby, died Nov. 26, 1831, buried at
Paddington. Arms : I. Walcott. II. Sable, an eagle displayed
argent.
XIV. Chas. Walcot, of Bitterley Court, died Sept. 20, 1799, aged
61. His wife Ann died Sept. 8, 1812, aged 82.
XV. Rev. John Walcot, Rector, of Bitterley Court, died Nov. 23,
1834, aged 66. Sarah, his wife, dau. of Sir J. Dashwood King, Ban.,
died March 22, 1834, aged 78. Also Katherine their dau., died
June 2, 1827.
XVI. Thos. Hen. Apperley, died Nov. 26, 1807.
XVII. Sir Thomas Walcott, of Bitterley, died Sept. 6, 1685.
Arms : Argent, between three chess-rooks a chevron erminois. A
reference to " Burke's Landed Gentry" will explain why the family
bore two coats of arms. Sir Thomas was a judge. See Gentleman*
Magazine for 1861.
XVIII. Thomas Powys, of Snitton, died July, 1645, and his wife
Elizabeth, dau. of Richd. Smyth, of Credenhill, Hereford, died
Nov. 19, 1659; they had five sons: Thomas, Christopher, Peter,
VOL. XXII. 3
34 Shropshire.
Robert, and James, and fouT daughters : Winifred, Mary, Anne, and
Elizabeth. Arms : I. Powys. II. A lion regardant.
XIX. Laura, wife of Geo. Pardoe, of Nash Court, died Dec. 23,
1807.
XX. George Pardoe, of Nash Court, died Feb. n, 1798.
XXI. Anne and Susanna Pardoe, died 1802.
XXII. Geo. Wood, died Dec. 16, 1743, aged 46.
XXIII. Transept. Anne, dau. of Rev. J. Stafford, of Penkridge,
died 1798.
XXIV. Anne, dau. of Major Walcot, of the Moor, died Aug. 22,
1844, aged 32 — first wife; Charlotte, dau. of Jo. Molyneux, died
Sept. n, 1845, aged 45 — second wife, of Rev. Chas. Walcot, of
Bitterley Court.
XXV. Mary S. B. F., wife of Rev. John Walcot, second dau. of
Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., of Middlehill, died Feb. 26, 1858.
XXVI. Jemima Ann, wife of Capt. W. Walcot, Adj. 47th Regt.
B.N.I., died Dec. 20, 1853, buried at Monghyr, India.
XXVII. Nave. Margaret, wife of Humphrey Walcot, of Bitterley,
Salop, dau. of Edmd. Pearce, of Wilcot, Salop, died Nov., 1715,
buried at Stanmore. Arms : I. Argent, between three chess-rooks
a chevron erminois. II. Azure, between four pheons a cross or.
XXVIII. Humphrey Walcot, of Bitterley, died Oct. 26, 1743,
aged 71 ; likewise John his son, died in his infancy. Arms: Walcott,
impaling, on a scutcheon of pretence, argent, between three scallop
shells a chevron sable — [Lyttleton].
XXIX. Rev. Wm. Sheppard, Vicar of Staunton Lacey, died
May 10, 1776, aged 76. Arms : between three fleurs-de-lys on
a chevron three estoiles.
XXX. Magdalene, wife of Rev. W. Sheppard, of Middleton, in
the parish of Bitterley, dau. of Geo. Pardoe, of Cleeton, died July i,
1763, aged 32.
XXXI. Richard Sheppard, Gent., died Sept. 13, 1721, aged 47.
XXXII. Richard Sheppard, Gent., died Aug. 3, 1749, aged 22.
XXXIII. Rich. Sheppard, Gent., of Middleton, died Aug. 15,
1721, aged 67 ; also Richard his son, died March 2, 1745, aged 49 ;
also Mary his wife, died July 24, 1790. Arms: Barry ermine and
, on a chief between two garlands a leopard's head. II. between
three fleurs-de-lys a chevron.
XXXIV. Martha Sheppard, died 1736.
The Sheppards lived at Hill-upon-Cot ; a gravestone commemo-
rates their last male descendant, who died in 1807.
CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS.
1716. At a parish meeting holden the 26th of Dec., 1716, it was then
agreed by the churchwardens that I, John Shephard, of
Hill-upon-Coat, should have the liberty to build a gallery
Bitter ley. 3 5
at the lower end of the old gallery, and to go up the old
stairs into the seat that shall be erected against the north
wall of the church.
1666. Pd for makeing ye old Mary's grave, 6d.
for fetching the bode, 6d.
1712. To Mary of the Mill and Widow Prince, 2s 9d.
1714. for two bushell of corne to March, 8s.
1715. For apron, a pare of cloggs, and a hat for the geirle, is 6d.
1716. for ale and toobaccoe at ye funerall, 2s.
1718. For two men 9 days at iod ye day and a boy 4 days at 4jd ye
day, 9s 2d.
1719. pd for ye new sirplis, 2U 5s 6d.
1 66 1. For 2 fox heads, 2s.
Church goods, one carpet, one tablecloth, 2 pewter flagons,
a silver cup with a cover, one plate, and an old bell clapper.
1662. 12 ells of holland at 6s per ell, and thread to make the sur-
plice, 3H i2s 6d.
for making the surplice, ios.
for the booke of Canons, is 4d.
for repayryng the church coffer, 5s.
2 little plates to gather money in, 4d.
1663. for a bag to preserve the surplice, 2s 4d.
1675. for 12 hedg hogs, 2s.
for pins to hange hats on, 6d.
1672. for putinge up the Clarke's seate, 7s 6d.
1678. for the proclamation of burialls in woollen, 6d.
for 3 boses to set by the font, 9d.
1 68 1. for the raile about ye Comunion table, 21'. 9s.
Mr. Walcot's charity money, 1691 : —
Wm. Piper, ye Prodigall, 6d.
Anne Piper, virgo, 6d.
Wid. Collins ye Scold, 6d.
1683. Beddo by ye cold oak, 4d.
1697. for a cay for ye bell house, 6d.
for chimney money for ye Scoole, ios.
1691. Pd. William Piper for sindling the alye in the church, is.
1694. Thos. ye roguish tradesman, 6d.
1697. Honest James of the Mill, is 6d.
THE REGISTERS.
Mem. — That in ye year 1707 the Hon. Sir Little'on Powys, of
Henley, in ye parish of Bitterley, Knt, one of the justices
of H.M. Court of Queen's Bench, ye patron of ye ch. of Bit-
terley, did, at the desire of the inhabitants, wholly at his own
charge build and erect a gallery across ye sd church at ye west
3—2
36 Shropshire.
end thereof, for ye use of ye young people of ye sd pari*h and
a pew therein for ye churchwardens. — B. MARSTON, Rector.
Nov. 30, 1658. Georgius Lucy, generosus sepultus.
1659. Timotheus Lucy, generosus, xxix. Apnlis sep. Hestera Little-
ton uxor Thomae xvii. Julii.
Nuptiae 1663 inter Thomam Walcott, arm. et magrm Mariam
Littleton, x. die Dec. 1663. He was afterwards Justice of
King's Bench, andof Bitterley Court.— JOHN LYDALL, Rector.
1669. Nuptiae solemnizatse fuere inter Johannem Slade, Cler. et
Elizabetham Powys de Henly, xxiii. Sept.
1677. Francesca Littleton gen. sep xv°. Nov.
1678. Thos Cheshire sepultus ix° Aug. nullo juramento sumpto de
sepultura lanata, contra suis relictos authoritati Littletoni
Powys, arm. ^Ediles perdebant 2m Statutum Regni die ix°
post sepulturam. — W. SMITH, rector (sic).
1685. Thos. Walcot, miles sep. viii° die sept.
1732. Sir Littleton Powys, miles sep. 28 Martii.
1735. Benjamin Marston (rector) sep. 3 die Dec.
1736. Henricus Baldwyn, rector.
1740. Thos. Rooke, rector.
1790. Jas. Hastings, rector.
1795. Sept. 25. John Walcot, rector.
MACKENZIE E. C. WALCOTT.
Boscobel.
[1784, Part I., p. 249.]
Having been lately on a tour in the neighbourhood of Boscobel,
and visiting the place where the Royal Oak flourished, I found it
had been enclosed by a strong wall of brick and stone, but at present
neglected and much in ruins. The old tree has been carried away
piecemeal by the curious visitors, and some, no doubt, from a loyal
motive and attachment to the memory of King Charles II., who was
providentially sheltered from the designs of his enemies by the means
of this tree. Many snuff-boxes and other toys have been made from
the pieces of this famous oak. At present there is another, of
middling size, growing within the wall, but not in the centre, which
was very probably planted when the old tree decayed. Upon a square
stone overgrown with moss, and placed above the arch of the door,
I observed a Latin inscription, which, after scraping with a knife,
became very legible. I herewith send it you, exactly as it is cut on
the stone, with a translation at the same time.
" Fselicis-arbore • Qua • inasilu. Potentiss. Regis • Car • 2DI • D9 • OP • MaX • p •
Quern Reges Regnat Hie Crescere Voluit Tarn in Per Pet. Rei Tantae Memoria
Quam in specimen Ferinse In Reges Fidei Muro Cinctain Posteris Comendant
Basilius Et Jana Fitzherbert.
Quercus Arnica Jovi.
Boscobel. 37
GOD, all-good & all-great, by whom Kings reign, was pleased that this auspicious
Tree shd here flourish for a safe Retreat to the most potent King Charles the
Second — Basil & Jane Fitzherbert. to perpetuate the Memory of so great an Event,
and testify their unshaken Loyalty to Kings, built the surrounding Wall, and
recommend the fortunate Tree to the care of future Generations.
The Oak Jove's favourite Tree."
OBSERVATOR.
[1789, Part II. , p. 1076.]
Not long ago I visited Boscobel, so much celebrated in the English
history. I inquired for the Royal Oak ; a servant-maid, instead of
showing the lions, pointed out the field where the tree once was,
and left me to find it out as I best could. I found a brick wall,
now ruinous, which encloses a laurel-hedge, now stunted and decayed,
and there stood the tree, which is now gone, and which, even in the
days of Charles II., was a lone and pollarded tree.
The house remains as when first erected ; but being built of wood,
it is very frail, and, unless it be varnished over, it will speedily share
the fate of that oak to which it owes its celebrity.
Mention is made by historians of the mount and bower where the
King passed a Sunday. The remains of the mount are still to
be seen ; but the view is a reverse of the truth. The mount and
bower are on the opposite side of the garden from that in which the
view has placed them.
From the mount there is a little park, overshadowed with bushes,
which leads to a garden-seat in good taste, and which, as I conjec-
ture, is formed out of small branches of the fatal oak.
Much of the wood between Whiteladies and Boscobel has been
felled, not from extravagance, but from the necessity of time, for the
trees appeared in a state of decay.
A just delineation of this celebrated spot would be acceptable to
many of your readers; and I doubt not that the lady who now pos-
sesses Boscobel would, on its being suggested to her, order it to be
made at her own expense. PHILARCH^EUS.
[1790, Part /.,//. 36, 37.]
I have now before me the fourth edition of the " History of Boscobel,"
printed in 1725, with cuts ; one of them an irregular prospective, or
bird's-eye view of the house, woods, and garden, either a copy, or
perhaps the same plate used in the former editions. It is very
ill-executed, of no just proportion, inaccurate as to distance, and
false in point of view, the house and ruins of Whiteladies being
thrust in at one corner, as if they were in the same wood with Bos-
cobel, though at the real distance of three-quarters of a mile.
You seem to wish for a drawing of Boscobel ; had I known it
would have been acceptable, you should have received, long ere this,
a sketch from my own pencil, at the same time that I sent you the
facsimile of a Latin inscription, taken from a stone in the wall which
Shropshire.
surrounded the royal oak, with other particulars relating thereto. . .
A drawing of these two places would be an interesting subject for
a plate, and not incurious to the antiquary, especially the ruins at
Whiteladies, which are respectable, where the remains of the church,
a Saxon edifice, as also the gatehouse, now converted into a shep-
herd's dwelling, are yet standing. . . .
It is difficult to understand in what humour, or under what appear-
ance, the visitor made his address to the people of the house. Of
this, however, I am certain, that so far from any slight to respecta-
bility, they have always shown a proper attention to every curious
stranger, and a kind hospitality within doors, when a politeness of
behaviour entitled those strangers to such distinction. The wall,
which once enclosed the celebrated oak, is now indeed ruinous, the
door gone, as is likewise the inscribed stone, fragments whereof were
to be seen amongst the bricks at my last visitation; but is the
succeeding memorial tree also gone, as he takes no notice of it? It
was most assuredly standing four or five years ago. What authority
has your correspondent for asserting that the old tree was a lone or
pollarded tree ? That it was a large thick-leaved oak we may readily
suppose, as most proper for concealment, but, so contrary from being
alone, tradition says, more naturally, that it was in the thickest part
of the wood, which wood reached up to the garden pales, if not still
nearer to the house ; and the garden, if any on that side, a very small
one, having been much enlarged in the course of years.
The house, so far from remaining what it was originally, has, in
part at least, undergone considerable alterations at different periods,
even some within my own memory. When this house was first
erected, it was intended as a lodge fora keeper and other woodmen,
with a large wainscoted parlour, and a lodging-room over it, of
the same size, for the occasional accommodation of a hunting party.
The garret over all has been called a gallery, for what reason is
unknown, where the secret place in which the King was concealed
is yet to be seen. From this upper story there is a good look-out,
and, being high, it commands an extensive view. These apartments
are supported at the east angle by a semicircular building, in which
it may be supposed were the stairs, though now converted into large
closets, new stairs having been since contrived in another part. What
I have just described may be considered, from its construction, as
the original structure, to which many additions have since been made
from time to time, as convenience or necessity required. The old
building is of wood and plaister, that is, half-timbered, as it is some-
times called, a fashion very prevailing in the neighbourhood, where
wood was formerly in greater plenty, and less valuable than bricks.
Many old mansions of the kind in Staffordshire stand firm to the
present day, and are likely to outlast, if suffered to remain, even
several of our modern brick buildings. The old stately chimney of
Boscobel. 39
Boscobel House, made of brick and stone, rises like a tower, and is
too substantially built to fall into ruins ; neither does it or the house
stand in present need of varnish, which is a term I never before knew
applicable to building.
The mount is still visible, and upon it an arbour formed of
different genera of shrubs to those which composed the same in
King Charles's day, with a stone table in the middle, but whether
the same or not is uncertain. It is probable that this mount was
raised for the site of a windmill, yet some antiquaries might suppose
it a Roman tumulus, being at no great distance from the Watling
Street. Worse conjectures have been formed on such occasions.
There is another stone table, an octagon, which is placed up against
a wall of the house that formerly stood near the corner of the wood,
as described in the plate, and not far from the royal tree. This table
is referred to at No. 7 in the plate now before me ; and therein the
mount is exactly placed, that is, on the right hand going down the
garden walk. The great chimney faces the south-west as he will
recollect if ever he was in the garden, and that the arbour is at a
little distance from it on the right side of the walk. It is very certain
he formed again a wrong judgment in saying there is a little park
overgrown with bushes : no such appearance ; a pretty large kitchen-
garden planted with nut hedges, currant and gooseberry bushes
cannot be extended to the idea of a park. It is true there is a
rustic seat at the bottom of the long walk painted white, and
curiously formed of the crooked branches of some knotted oak (not
the royal oak), very ingeniously wrought into a kind of lattice-work,
the workmanship of an humble worthy carpenter. A few years since
I saw the man on purpose to commend his contrivance, who, with
the same kind of materials, and in the same style, executed a long
railing on both sides of a wooden bridge over a canal in Mr. Giffard's
park at Chillington, which has a very pleasing romantic effect.
There are at present few large timber-trees growing betwixt
Boscobel and Whiteladies ; none, however, of any account have been
felled for a number of years ; the enclosures that way are rather too
bleak and open. In the middle of a large field, on a raised mount,
may be seen a solitary clump of tall ash ; from this spot there is a
most extensive prospect of the Wrekin, the country beyond Severn,
and of the Welsh mountains. Boscobel was lately the property of
Mr. Fitzherbert, and I have since understood it as the present in-
heritance ot his brother Bazil Fitzherbert, Esq., of Swinnerton, in the
county of Stafford. How it came into the possession of a lady is
unknown to me ; your correspondent may in this particular poss:bly
be better informed, but if he m. ans the tenant, I can assure him it
is no lady. The person who rents the house and land is a widower.
OBSERVATOR.
4O Shropshire.
[1792, Part L, p. 113.]
The enclosed drawing (Plate II., Fig. i) is a view of Boscobel
House, remarkable for being an asylum to King Charles II. This
view was taken in July last, and is an exact representation of the
front in its present state. A. n.
[1809, Part L, p. 105.]
Boscobel House, rendered remarkable in English history as an
asylum to King Charles II. after his defeat at Worcester in 1651,
stands on the very border of Shropshire, in the hundred of Brimstry,
and nearly adjoining the county of Stafford. The end and back
part of the house remain nearly in the original state ; but some of
the other parts have been much altered, even since I visited the place
in 1791, particularly a sitting-parlour constructed from an outbuild-
ing, the principal entrance removed and the area of uninclosed land
in front of the house laid out with taste as pleasure ground. The
inside of the house has likewise been much altered ; but I am happy
to say that everything relative to the King's concealment is preserved
with the greatest care, and even attended to with veneration. The
secret places in which the King was concealed are chiefly in and
adjoining the large chimney shown in the annexed view ; the
principal place was probably that in the garret, or, as it is termed, the
gallery, entered by a trap door. From this hiding-place you may
descend by a step-ladder to the next hiding-place, and from thence
to a door near the bottom of the chimney that leads to the garden,
which is undoubtedly much altered, though the tumulus with a seat
upon it still remains. The large wainscoted parlour is nearly in its
original form ; the concealing-place behind the wainscot has been
long stopped up, and the gloves and garters said to have been left by
the King were lost before the present possessor came to the house.
The Royal Oak (see Plate I.) stands near the middle of a large field
joining the garden. This tree, which is fine and thrifty, is said to
have originated from an acorn of the old oak. I do not vouch for
the authenticity of this remark. The wall, which was ruinous, is
rebuilt of brick, and an inscription graven on a brass plate, of which
the following is a copy :
" Quercus arnica Jovi. Felicissimam hanc Arborem, quam in Asylum Poten-
tissimi Regis Caroli II. Deus Optimus Maximus, per quern Reges regnant, hie
crescere voluit, tarn in perpetuam Rei tantae Memoriam, quam in specimen firmse
in Reges Fidei, Muro cinctam Posteris commendant BASILIUS et JANA FITZ-
HERBERT, Quod pietatatis monumentum jam vetustate collapsum paternarum
virtutum Haeredes, et avite in Principes Fidei ^mulatores, in integrum
restituerunt BASILIUS et ELIZA FITZHERBERT, mi cal. Junii An. Hum. Sal.
MDCCLXXXVII."
D. PARKES.
Bridgnorth. 4 r
Bridgnorth.
[1764, Part 1 1., pp. 262, 263.]
Bridgnorth is seated upon the river Severn, in the south-east part
of the county of Salop. The river divides it into two parts, the
higher and lower town, which are joined by a bridge. The higher
town stands upon a hill encompassed by a deep valley, which is
bounded by rising hills ; it is by much the largest, and contains the
High Street, which is long and wide, and would appear better if the
view was not spoiled by the market-house, which stands in the middle
of it, the Raven, Lissley, and Hurgril, and the two Castle Streets,
and the cartway which leads from the bridge. The lower town
contains only two streets, and is on the east of the river, as the high
town is on the west.
The situation of Bridgnorth is said by travellers to resemble that
of the old Jerusalem. There are two churches in the high town,
both in the gift of Sir Thomas Whitmore. The high church, dedi-
cated to St. Leonard, consists of a nave, a chancel, and two side
aisles, with a tower steeple at the west end. The low church stands
near the castle, and is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen ; it consists
of a nave, a chancel, and an aisle on the north side, and a tower
steeple. Both these churches are old mean buildings of red stone.
The present minister of the high church is Mr. Littleton; the minister
of the low church is Mr. Yeates. In the high churchyard is a library
built and furnished by subscription; the books are chiefly the Fathers,
divinity, and Church history.
In the high churchyard is also a free school, the salary £24 per
annum, and a house ; there are two meeting houses in the high
town, one for the Presbyterians, the teacher Mr. Andrews, the other
for the Anabaptists, the teacher Mr. M'Gowan. The market is kept
on Saturday ; the fairs are held on June 30, August 2, October 29,
and a movable fair held on February 10 in 1763.
Bridgnorth is a peculiar belonging to Sir Thomas Whitmore,
exempt from the bishop and archdeacon, and governed in ecclesias-
tical matters by an official, who is at present the Rev. Mr. Whitmore,
brother to Sir Thomas, rector of Stockton, near the town. The town
is governed by two bailiffs, chosen annually, and sends two members
to Parliament, the present members being the Honourable John
Grey, Esq., brother to the Earl of Stamford, and General Whitmore,
brother to Sir Thomas. The situation of the town is very pleasant,
and the views amongst the hills exceeding delightful. There is a
walk round the Castle Hill kept in good order, which commands
a prospect of the low town, the river, and the common called Morfe,
where the races are kept ; Charles I. said he esteemed it the most
pleasant place in all his dominions. There is also a pleasant walk
on Morfe which affords a charming view of the adjacent country.
4 2 Shropshire.
There are several houses and cellars hewn out of the rock as you go
from the bridge to the upper town.
On the west side of the river there is an old priory, now converted
into an ale-house, which was founded by John Talbot, Earl of
Shrewsbury, for Grey Friars of St. Francis.
There were also two hospitals in the town, one called St. John's,
the other St. James's, now the house of Mr. Sanier ; there is a
bowling-green near the castle. On the opposite side of the valley
that encompasses the town is still to be seen the mount on which
the rebels, in the time of Charles I., planted their cannon against
the castle. The way that leads to the north gate of the town is cut
through a rock.
Bridgnorth was first built by ^thelfleda, sister of Edward the
Elder, and wife of Etheldred, King of the Mercians, whom she
governed, after her husband's death, for the space of eight years.
The castle was in all probability built by Roger of Montgomery,
whose son, Robert de Bellesmo, Earl of Shrewsbury, built the walls.
When he rebelled against Henry IM that prince besieged and took
the town and castle. At the siege Sir Raulph de Pitchford behaved
so valiantly that Henry gave him the little town hard by, now called
the low town, to hold by service, viz., " To find dry wood for the
great chamber of the castle against the coming of the king." When
Roger Mortimer rebelled against King Henry II., that prince besieged
and took both town and castle ; at the siege of the castle, an arrow
being levelled at Henry, Sir Robert de Syncler, or Santa Clara,
interposed himself, and, to save his prince, received the arrow into
his own body, which killed him.
Bridgnorth espoused the cause of Charles I., and was taken by the
rebels by surprise. After the town was taken, the governor, perceiv-
ing the rebels made their approaches against the castle under cover
of the houses, set the town on fire, which consumed the greatest part
of it, together with the church of St. Leonard. The castle was at
length taken, and is now demolished, except the north-ea^st part,
which is forced, by the balls shot against it, many yards from the
perpendicular, and seems ready to fall, to the great surprise of all
who see it. The church of St. Mary Magdalene was the magazine
for the garrison of the castle. Henry of Huntingdon hath left us
these verses in praise of JEthelfleda, the foundress of the town.
" O Elfleda potens, O terror virgo virorum,
Victrix naturae, nomine digna viri,
Te, quo splendidior fores, natura puellam,
Te probitus fecit, nomen habere viri,
Te mutare decet, sed solum nomina sexus,
Tu regina potens, rexque trophea parans.
Tarn nee Caesarei tantum meruere triumphi,
Caesare splendidior, virgo, virago, vale."
The principal seats near Bridgnorth are : Apley, the house of Sir
Bridgnorth. 43
Thomas VVhitmore ; Enville, of Lord Stanford ; Dudmaston, of
Lady Woolrick ; Morvil, of Miss Weaver ; Davenport House, of —
Davenport, Esq ; Stanlaw, of Sir Thomas Jones ; Kinlet, of Charles
Baldwyn, Esq.
A mile from Bridgnorth is Quat, formerly a collegiate church,
founded by an Earl of Montgomery, in memory of meeting his lady
in that place. PALEOPHILUS.
[1783, Part L, pp. 373, 374.]
The site of Bridgnorth is most beautiful and romantic. It stands on
the banks of the river Severn (which has here a fine clear rapid stream),
and is built at the foot, sides, and summit of a sloping rock, formerly
decorated with a castle, a very stupendous fragment of which still
astonishes the spectator with its hanging tower. Round the edge of
this rock runs a most beautiful walk, called the Castle Hill, that looks
down on a delightful vale, wherein the river Severn winds its course
through the most lovely meadows, over-hung with woods, and ex-
hibiting the most enchanting variety of hill and dale, slope and lawn,
with the constant moving picture of boats and barges gliding through
them.
But the situation of this charming little town is no less healthy
than it is pleasant ; the air is most salubrious, the soil light, clean,
and dry. In all directions round it there is not an inch of boggy,
swampy ground. The light sandy rock, on which the town is chiefly
built, absorbs, or its quick descent to the river speedily carries oft,
all impurities. For many miles adjoining to the town is the ancient
forest of Morfe, long since cleared of trees, and now presenting only
a fine open common of dry gravelly soil, covered with a delightful
verdure, and affording most agreeable walks or rides, equally con-
ducive to health and pleasure. From the healthiness of its situation
and the long life of its inhabitants, Bridgnorth has been called the
Montpellier of this country, it having been observed that the inhabi-
tants of this town frequently escape epidemical and contagious dis-
eases when they are most prevalent or fatal elsewhere. It has
indeed one peculiar convenience, that valetudinarians of every kind
may find a situation nicely adapted to their peculiar case ; for the
town is divided into two parts, separated by the river Severn. The
High Town, as it is called, seated on the top of the hill, is happily
adapted to such constitutions as require a clear sharp air. The Low
Town, situated in the vale beneath, and sheltered on all sides, affords
a temperature the most mild and soft imaginable ; while such as
wish for a residence not so exposed as the one nor so confined as
the other, may choose it in any intermediate degree on the side of
the hill from the foot to the summit. And to persons in the decline
of life, who wish to be supported by the comforts of religion, it may
be desirable to know that this town has two spacious churches, in
44 Shropshire.
one of which morning prayer and in the other evening prayer is daily
performed throughout the year, and in both are two sermons every
Sunday. Let me add that there is a taste for music also cultivated
in this town and neighbourhood, and some ingenious persons meet
at their own houses to play in concert, to whom any stranger that
cultivates this enchanting art would be a most desirable acquisi-
tion. . . .
Though well seated for commerce, this town has been robbed of
its trade, like several others lately on the Severn, by the new naviga-
tion on the canal to Stourmouth, lower down the river. . . .
It is situate about 140 miles from London, and has easy access to
the Metropolis, by means of the great variety of stage coaches, flys,
diligences, etc., that perform the journey in a day to the neighbour-
ing towns of Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Worcester. I believe
it has also a diligence of its own. A post coach or diligence regu-
larly passes through this town from Chester to Bath, which opens a
communication either westward through Shrewsbury to Holyhead,
for Ireland, or northwards through Kendal and Carlisle for Scotland,
or southwards through Worcester and Gloucester for South Wales
and the West of England. But on the river Severn itself (a fine
navigable stream) safe and commodious stage wherries constantly
ply through this town from Shrewsbury to Worcester and Gloucester,
and back again, wherein a whole family may be carried, with bag
and baggage, sixty or seventy miles for a very trifling fare, Bridgnorth
affording a central stage to all these places ; and at Stourmouth,
about twelve or fourteen miles below on this river, comes in the new
navigable canal, which opens a communication to every part of
England by inland navigation. A HALF-PAY OFFICER.
[1801, Part //., /. 978.]
I send you a slight sketch (Fig. 3) of the building that was made
to succeed to the old collegiate church of St. Mary, within the castle
at Bridgnorth. When the church of St. Chad, at Shrewsbury, fell
down about 1792, the parishioners of this church took it into their
heads that it also threatened ruin, and accordingly rebuilt it, of which
they now heartily repent. Mr. Grose has given a distant view of the
old structure in his print of the castle ; and the different views of the
town preserve the remembrance of it. In the churchyard are no
monuments of consequence ; and in the porch of St. Laurence, or
the upper church in the town, is fixed up an inscription, removed from
hence with the remains of John and Samuel Dickinson, who died
1773 and 1779, and were deposited in a vault, November 7, 1793.
P.Q.
The only remains of the castle is " part of a tower, which by under-
Buildwas.
45
mining was made to incline so much that it appears to threaten
destruction to such as approach it. It makes an angle of 13 degrees
with the horizon, or 17 from the perpendicular." GROSE.
Buildwas.
[i773» /A 281, 282.]
On Thursday, May 27, Samuel Wilcocks and John Roberts, who
live at a house called The Birches, near Buildwas Bridge, looking out
of their window about four o'clock in the morning, saw the earth
open in an instant, and move, with amazing velocity, towards the
Severn, which it soon reached, and entirely stopped the current for
more than three hours.* Next the river, on the east side, there was
a coppice, in which grew between twenty and thirty large oaks. This
coppice was forced into the Severn, and entirely choked up the
channel, one side resting upon the opposite shore. Most of the
trees still stand erect ; some few lean on one side, and three or four
are fallen down. The land, which came down from the higher part
of the hill, brought the hedges and trees standing in their proper
position, a few only excepted. A turnpike road, at the bottom of
the hill, which ran parallel to the river, is removed about 30 yards
nearer to the river, and is, in all probability, made for ever impass-
able. A barn was carried about 40 yards from its place, and then
fell down, and now lies in ruins. The land, for about 30 acres
compass, is full of deep cracks, from 6 inches to above a yard wide.
There are two deep chasms, supposed to be more than 20 yards
wide, and 30 feet deep. That to the left extends down to the place
where the turnpike road lay, but that to the right doth not extend
so far.f At the uppermost part of the chasm, to the left, there are
several pyramids standing apart, and heaps of earth of an amazing
bigness separated from the land, which went down the hill. One
Cookson, a farmer, who lives above half a mile lower down, says that
an uncommon wind, which attended the eruption, greatly astonished
him, and rattled against his windows, as if great numbers of hail-
stones had violently beat against them.J The stoppage of the river
caused a sudden inundation above, and a fall below, which happened
* Previous to this, in the night of the 251!), the wife of Samuel Wilcocks, who
lived in the same house, perceived the bed to shake under her, and saw some
balm-tea in a cup so much agitated as to spill over, without any visible cause.
t The crack which formed these chasms ran very quick upwards from the river,
which shows that the ground first gave way there ; yet the men perceived the
house to shake, and had quitted it with all the rest of the family before the earth
gave way.
J The coppice, when it moved, forced the waters of the Severn in columns, like
a fountain, into the air, heaving the bed of the river up, and throwing out the fish
upon the dry land, and leaving the channel dry below. It is not said how far ;
but we may suppose, from the time that the current was stopped, that it must have
been so for some miles.
46 Shropshire.
so quick that some boats were heeled over, and when the stream
came down were sunk. There are many cracks in the coppice that
now fills up the old channel of the Severn, through which the eels
crept, and were taken by the people who happened to be the first
spectators.
This convulsion of the earth was perceived at Wenlock and Bridg-
north. A field of oats* next the coppice is entirely destroyed, and
the land now appears as if it had been blown up with gunpowder.
Where the moving earth was stopped by the coppice, it is now
formed into a small hill. The land shakes in many places as you
pass over it, especially in the coppice.
The Severn has formed a new channel through a meadow that lay
on the west side of the river ; and one part of this meadow, about
30 yards in breadth, is now joined to the coppice, which before lay
opposite to it on the other side of the water.
The resort of company to view this most astonishing scene is very
great, it being believed that three thousand persons went there on
Sunday, the 3oth. Mr. Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, which is the
next parish, preached in the coppice on Friday, the 28th, to a
numerous audience, among whom, it is said, there were twenty-three
clergymen.
When Wilcocks saw the earth begin to open, he immediately
alarmed his wife and four children, and fled from the place. One
boy, who is lame, expressed great anxiety that he should lose his life,
because he could not run away. . . .
The present appearance of the place presents us with a melan-
choly prospect of nature in ruins, and ought to impress the most
careless mind with reverential fear. S. W.
Bur ford.
[1808, Part //.,//. 984, 985-]
I send you the following monumental inscriptions, to be found in
Burford Church, a village in Shropshire, about two miles distant from
Tenbury in Worcestershire.
i.
On a marble mural monument by the side of the chancel window :
" Near this place lie the remains of William Wormington, M. A., Rector of the
second portion of Burford, Vicar of Stanton Lacy, in the county of Salop, and
Chaplain to the Right Honourable Lord Craven. Ob. 7 December, MDCCLIV.
anno astatis 57."
* This field was observed by Wilcocks and Roberts to heave up and roll over
like a wave of the sea, before ever they saw the crack begin to run that formed
the chasm.
Burford. 47
2.
Below the above, on a small circular marble tablet, in Roman
letters, having a coat of arms at the top :
" In memoriam Elizabeths Thomse Cornewel militis et Baronis de Burford, et
Annse uxoris ejus, filise natu quartae, hie depobitse vicessimo sexto die Octobris
anno D'ni 1675.
" Si pietas & prisca fides, virgine digna,
Et senis & juvenis, mira pudicitia ;
Si charitas inopes pascens, medicansque cubantes,
Consequitur laudes, justaque ferre rogi ;
Hanc merito celebrent pnesens & postera secla,
Prsebentem hoec oculis conspicienda suis.
Sex nempe undenos & tres impelverat annos,
Sanctaque fide manens castaque larga manu ;
Nunc linquit mundum immundum, coeloque potitur,
Et Christi sponsi semper amore nitet.
Heu fuit ! heu vitam consumpsit flam'ula febris,
Viva ast virtutis gloria morte caret."
3-
On the south wall of the chancel is a handsome monument to the
memory of Thomas Cornwall. Within a circular-arched niche are
male and female images kneeling on cushions, having a desk between
them, on each side of which is a book open. The images have their
hands uplifted as in prayer, and appear looking at the books, over
which is inscribed the following :
" O Lord, our souls receive,
And eake our sins forgive ;
With joy this world we leave,
And hope with thee to live ;
Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Round the arch is inscribed :
"This monument was made by the appointment and charge of Sir Thomas
Cornwall, Knt., in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and thirty."
Under the image is :
"TRIVNI DEO SIT HONOR ET GLORIA."
Below the whole, in two compartments :
" Here lyeth the body of Thomas Cornwall, son of Richard, brother to Sir
Edmund Cornwall, Baron of Burford, who tooke to wife Katherine, daughter to
John Harley, of Bromtonbrian, in the county of Hereford, by whom he had issue
four sons, videlicet, Sir Thomas Cornwall, Sir Francis Cornwall, Sir Edward
Cornwall, and Sir Richard Cornwall."
This monument has coats of arms affixed, the motto to which is :
" LA. VIE. DVRANT."
4-
On the north wall of the chancel, without the altar rails, is a mural
monument corresponding to the above, having male and female
48 Shropshire.
figures kneeling in a square niche, with a desk between them, and
over them the above lines, " O Lord, our souls receive," etc.
The inscription recording the particulars of those to whom the
monument was erected is obliterated.
5-
Below the above, within a pointed arched niche, lies a female
effigy as large as life. Against the wall within the niche, and above
the effigy, is this inscription :
" Here lyeth the body of the most noble Elizabeth, daughter of John of Gaunt,
Duke of Lancaster, own sister to King Henry the Fourth, wife of John Holland,
Earl of Huntingdon, and Duke of Exeter ; after married to Sir John Cornwall,
Knight of the Garter, and Lord Fanhope. She died the fourth year of Henry the
Sixth, Anno Domini MCCCCXXVI."
6.
Very near to the above is a movable wooden tomb, or chest, the
sides of which have been adorned with coats of arms ; and there are
marks of an inscription, which is now effaced. On the top is a
male effigy in armour, as large as life. This tomb is between 6 and
7 feet long, and nearly 2 wide ; and may possibly contain the
remains of Sir John Cornwall.
7-
Against the south wall, near the chancel door :
" O Lord, my contrite heart and meek
Do not refuse, I thee beseek.
" Here lyeth the heart of Edmond Cornwall, Esq., son and heyre to Sir Richard
Cornwall, Burford, knight, who, travelling to know Foreign Countries, died at
Colene, the I4th year of Henry the Sixth, and willed his servant to bury his body
there, and to inclose his heart in lead, and carry it to Burford to be buried.
"The said Edmond married Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Thomas Barr,
knt., of Herefordshire, by which Elizabeth the said Edmond had a son named
Thomas, and a daughter named Elenor. This Thomas married Elizabeth,
daughter and heyre to Sir Robert Lintall, of Hampton, in Herefordshire, by his
wife Dame Lucy, one of the cousins and heyres unto the last Lord Grey of Codner,
and had issue by her Sir Edmond Cornwall. The daughter named Eleanor was
married unto Sir Hugh Mortimer, of Cuyre Ward, by whom she had one daughter
and heyre, who was married to Sir Thomas Worst, knight, ancestor to the Lord
Delaware now living, who had by her a daughter, married to Sir Edward Guild-
ford, knt., who had issue by her Ann, the most beautifull lady, wife unto the
valiant Duke of Northumberland, father and mother to the noble Ambrose Earle
of Warwick, and the right excellent Robert Earl of Leycester, and to the Lady
Catheryne, wife of Henry Lord Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon, and to Lady Mary,
wife of Sir Henry Sidney, Knight of the Garter, by whom he had issue Sir Philip
Sidney, knight, and Sir Robert Sidney, created Earl of Leycester."
Against the south wall of the chancel is a wooden frame, orna-
mented with a pediment and pilasters, the lower part of which has
Bur ford. 49
folding doors, which protect a painting of the corpse of one of the
entombed.
The two following inscriptions are on the frieze of this frame :
" Here lyeth Richarde Cornewayll, esquier, and Jenet his wife; which Richarde
was sonne and heire to Sir Thomas Cornewayll, of Burford, knt., which Jenet was
doghter and heire vnto He'ry Woga', esq., and Katherin his wife, one of the
heires of Dauid Matheu, of Rhaidre, by his wyf, which was heyr to Vcell, of
Tortwo'th ; which He'ry was son and heyr to Sir John Wogan, of Wiston, knt.
Rich, died a° do. 1568, ret. 75. Jenet died a° do. 1547, set. 40.
" Here lyeth Edmonde Cornewayll, son and heyre to Richard Cornewaylle and
Jenet his wyfe, who, beinge neuer marryed, died wythowte issue, in the yere of his
age 50, in the yere of our Lord 1585, leaui'g his lands and goods u'to his well
beloued brother, Thomas Cornewayie, nowe liuinge, who has caused this monume't
to be made for the memory of his worshipfull pare'ts and most loui'ge brother, in
the yere of our Lord 1587."
to. ff.
Bromfield.
[1816, Part //.,/. 209.]
The pleasant village of Bromfield is situated about two miles short
of Ludlow, on the Shrewsbury road, in the hundred of Munslow,
adjoining the beautiful domain of Oakley Park.
The priory or cell of monks (see Plate II.) belonged to Gloucester
Abbey, which had prebendaries ; they were of the Benedictine Order.
The canons of it, A.D. 1159, by the authority and with the concur-
rence of Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury, gave their church to
the abbey of St. Peter at Gloucester. King Henry II. confirmed all
the estates belonging to it, under the title of the Church of St. Mary,
of Bromfield, to the monks there serving God, to hold of him and
his heirs in perpetual alms ; the like confirmation was made to it by
King Henry III. It was valued at ,£77 i8s. 3d. per annum clear at
the Suppression.
The situation of this house was most delightful, between the rivers
Oney and Teme. The Oney flowed by the back part of the priory,
nearly touching it with its left bank, and a little below was the con-
fluence of the two rivers. It is not, therefore, surprising that a place
like this should have been chosen for retirement and meditation.
The flat-pointed arch of the gatehouse is standing, with the western
portion of the church, patched up and made parochial. These are
represented in the annexed view. Adjoining the south-east part of
the church are a few fragments of broken walls. Whatever ancient
monuments or inscriptions there may have been, not a vestige remains
excepting a large coffin-shaped stone in the chancel floor, with a
cross fleury, the inscription round the verge of which is nearly
obliterated. D. PARKF.S.
Claverley.
[1822, Part //., //. 489-491.]
" The church, with the great and small tithes of the parish of
Claverley, formed a part of the possessions of the Deans of Bridg-
VOL. xxii. 4
5 o Sh ropsh ire .
north till the reign of Edward VI., when they were vested in the
Crown by an Act of Parliament passed in the second of that reign.
From this period it became a perpetual curacy, and its clergy merely
stipendiary, with a very inadequate income, till the late grants, being
within the royal peculiar and exempt jurisdiction of Bridgnorth. It
was dedicated to All Saints, and is an interesting structure, being
considered the third erected here since the Christian era, at present
possessing a small portion of the Saxon with a much larger one of the
Norman style of architecture. It is capacious, being 103 feet long,
and 49 feet 4 inches broad ; and though built of excellent stone,
procured from a mine in the township of Claverley, had been for
many years suffered to proceed to ruin. Many of its ornaments,
despoiled fragments of pinnacles, portions of windows, and other
stones of early workmanship, had long lain scattered around the
edifice, to the disgrace of its wardens and the higher circles of its
votaries, and the no little regret of the admirers of this antique pile.
Through the perseverance of Richard Cotton, Esq., who, appre-
ciating its former grandeur with sentiments of grief and respect, on
account of its dilapidated state, began the great work of repair in
1819, which had been so long refused, and by his means most
happily and comprehensively carried into effect at a very consider-
able expense to himself, whilst he was executing the office of
warden. It was probably built in the reign of Richard II., the
oldest memorial therein being in 1448 ; so that it is evidently prior
to that period.
" The patrons and parish chancel, with that of Edward Gatacre,
Esq., on the north, the porch and west end of the nave or choir, and
the lower part of the tower,- are of masonry coeval with the before-
mentioned reign. The south chancel, belonging to the Gatacre
family, which is of the same style of architecture, is supposed to
have been added about twenty or thirty years afterwards. A very
general repair took place about the year 1494, when about one half
of the tower and the whole outside wall of the nave and side aisle were
re-erected. The campanile or bell tower stands lofty, having had
pinnacles at each corner, and in the centre between the parapets.
Within is a loud ring of six bells, with a clock and dial ; these two
latter were the gift of the Rev. Richard Dovey of Farmcote, the last
male of that family.
" In the interior of the church are four chancels, divided from the
choir on the south by elliptic arches, and by circular ones on the
north sprung from three heavy Norman pillars with wooden screens
underneath. Three of these chancels were doubtless originally
erected by some of the mesne lords of the several manors within
that of Claverley ; in each of which were altars where the priests used
to chant the Roman service of obiits, masses, prayers of requiem,
etc., for the safety of the souls of the departed great, and of such
Claverley. 5 1
others as had been benefactors to the priesthood and the chantry.
The one situated on the south side of the edifice, through which the
inhabitants pass into the choir, is the mausoleum of the Gatacre
family ; two of its chiefs with their wives are interred under raised
tombs covered with alabaster slabs. In its eastern window are some
specimens of stained glass giving a perfect figure of the Virgin Mary
with a scroll thus inscribed : * Sanctae Matri,' and that of an Agnus
Dei inscribed as before ; the colour of the raiment of these figures
is mostly yellow.
" The other chancel on the north side adjoining to that of the
Gatacre family belongs to Thomas Astley Crowther, Gent., but
formerly to the ancient and respectable family of Spicer, who prob-
ably founded the chapel there, and that perhaps in right of the
manor of Sutton. The chief of this family with his wife was
interred therein under an alabaster slab level with the floor, having
the following inscription in old English characters :
" 'B. 6. R. S. K. S. Hie jacet Richardus Spicer, Merchator, et Alicia ux. ejus,
qui quidem Richardus feliciter obiit die Mensis Marcii, anno D'ni Mill'iino
ccccrao XL octavo, cuj. animae misereatur Deus. Amen.'
" After the death of Richard Spicer this chancel, with his other
possessions in this parish, fell to his descendants, the Brooks of
Claverley, who disposed of a part of their estates in this township to
the Astleys, a branch of those once resident at Patshull from whom
the present proprietor, Thomas Astley Crowther, Gent., is descended.
At the east end of the north chancel of the Gatacre family, and
adjoining on the north side to that of the patron, once stood the
vestry, which must have been taken down prior to the interment of
Lord Chief Justice Brook in 1558, whose costly monument is placed
against the entrance.
" The principal chancel, and somewhat more spacious, is that in
which the communion table stands, and belongs to the patron. It
was erected by some one of the Deans of Bridgnorth, as Prebendary
of Ludstone and lord of that manor, to which this rectory was
attached. This chancel has lost its originality, its battlements have
been removed, and a high, ponderous-tile^ roof now covers its walls.
It is much to be lamented that these edifices should be thus
mutilated, and such hideous deformity suffered to remain without
calling upon the parties liable to restore them to their ancient
respectability. Its ceiling had no doubt been of the like beautiful
wood carving as that over the choir, but had carelessly gone to ruin
and the present introduced in 1601 as appears by that date carved
on the end of one of the trussels supporting the larger timbers of
the roof, and on another of these trussels are carved the arms of
Gatacre : impaling a cross pattee fleury, i and 4, the like invected 2
and 3 ; this probably signifies that the Gatacre family took upon it
a part of the expense of that repair. At the east end is a very
4—2
52 Shropshire.
handsome and spacious window reaching from within a short space
of the communion table to the roof divided by four mullions ; on
the north and south are two small windows with some few traces of
stained glass remaining. Within are three ancient wooden stalls
facing the communion table, and on the south side are three niches
arched probably for the holy water-pots, and another much smaller
for the piscina. On each side of the communion table is a pro-
jection in the wall, acting as a stone bracket for placing some of the
images thereon relating to the ancient worship, or perhaps for the
larger lights. The ceiling over the choir is curiously formed of large
massive wooden framework in panels ; the part over the desk and
pulpit is most beautifully decorated with richly embossed carving,
covering each connected joint, nowhere equalled in this part of the
country.
" In the windows in this church, it is said, were formerly displayed
the arms of Ferrers, etc., and the ancient lords of this manor,* and
near to the top on the north compartment of the large window of
the patron's chancel is still to be seen the arms, viz., Gules, a fesse
between six cross crosslets, 3, 2, and i, or, of Thomas Beauchamp,
Earl of Warwick, who succeeded to that earldom in 1389, and
married Margaret, youngest daughter of William, fourth Lord Ferrers
of Groby, lord of this manor, by Margaret, daughter and coheiress
of Robert de Ufford, Earl of Suffolk, and died 2 Henry IV., 1400."
The following monumental memorials were taken when I visited
the church, July n, 1821.
At the north-east corner of the Gatacre chancel is an alabaster
tomb ; on the table are three cumbent figures, the Lord Chief Justice
in his official robes in the centre, a wife on each side with ornamented
head-dresses, flowing mantles, single ruffs round their necks, three
rows of chain necklaces hanging loose, ruffles with braids at their
hands. Round the tomb their numerous progeny in the respective
dresses of their time. Round the verge of the tomb the following
inscription in old English characters :
" Here lyeth the body off Robert Brooke, famous in his time for virtue and
learning ; advanced to be Com'on Serjaunt of the Citie of London, Recorder of
London, Serjaunt at the Law, Speaker of P'lyament, and Cheife justice of the
Com'en Pieace, who, visiting his frendes and country, deceas'd the 6th day of
September, 1558, after he had begotten of Anne and Dorothea, his wiefs, xvii.
children. Upon whose sowles God have mercy."
On an alabaster slab, a little raised from the floor, in a mutilated
state, are the effigies of a man in armour, beard pointed, short hair,
spurs, 5 point rowels. The lady — loose robe, with embroidered
sleeves, ornamented head-dress, a single ruff round her neck, and
ruffles at her wrists. At their feet are portrayed eleven children.
* Harl. MSS., a small folio vol., p. 42.
Claverley. 5 3
Round the verge of the slab is the following inscription, in old
English :
" Hie jacent corpora Willielmi Gatacre, Armigeri. et Helene uxoris ejus, qui
q\iidem Willidmus obijt xxii° die Decembris, anno Domini 1577, quorum ani-
marum propitietur Deus. Amen."
On an alabaster slab, raised from the floor, with common bricks
and in a very mutilated state, are the effigies of a man, with a loose
robe and curled hair, and a lady with flowing mantle, open sleeves,
and ruff round her neck. Under the figures the annexed inscrip-
tion, in Roman capitals :
"Devs misereatvr. Here lyeth bvried Francis Gatacre, of Gatacre, esq., who had to
wife F;iizabethe. the davg'ter of Hvmphrey Swynerton, of Swy'erton esqvire, in the
covnty of Stafford, and they had issve between them 4 sonnes, William, Tho',
Thomas & lohn, and three davghters, Margaret, Elizabeth and Dorothie. She
died the igth of Ivne, in the yeare of ovr Lord 1599, on whose sole God. . . .
Amen."
Arms : Quarterly, Gules and ermine ; on the second and third 3,
piles of the first on a fesse azure five bezants : impaling, Argent, a
cross formee flory sable.
On a tablet against the north wall :
" Hie jacet humatum corpus Thomae Astley, gen. qui die quarto Mail, anno
Dom'. Millesimo septingentesimo decimoq' septimo, et aetatis suae septuagesimo
sexto, animam efflavit."
On a table against the north wall of the choir :
"Richard Dovey, of Farmcott, gent., died nth day of Sept., 1711, aged 44
years.
"Margaret, his wife, daughter of Edward Fregleton, of Powk-hall, gent., died
23d of August, 1734."
Arms : Azure, a fess argent, between 3 doves of the same, beaked
and legged gules.
On a marble tablet against the north wall :
" Non procul ab hoc loco inhumatur corpus Henrici Hawkins, gen., qui ex hac
vit& migravit decimo quarto die Januarij, 1680. Panterq' corpus Margarettae
uxoris Edvardi P'regleton, gen. et sororis prasdicti Henrici Hawkin?, quae hanc
vitam deposuit viccsiino quinto die Aprilis, 1701."
On a tablet of white marble against the south wall :
"William Woolryche Lea, late of Ludstone, in this parish, gentleman, died the
I2th day of June, 1815, in the 39th year of his age."
In the village of Claverley, facing the south gateway into the
churchyard, is an ancient stone cross, raised on steps ; the base and
shaft are plain, but the capital is canopied, and the niches were
formerly decorated with sculpture. D. PARKES.
54 Shropshire.
Cleobury Mortimer.
[1793, Part L, p. 19-]
In the parish church of Cleobury Mortimer is the following in-
scription on a plain stone :
" The Reverend Mr. William Edwards, late Vicar of this church, departed this
life Feb. 16, 1738, aged 77."
[Verses omitted.] D. PARKES.
Clive.
[1811, Part //.,/. 3°9-]
Fig. 2 is the remains of a mansion at the Clive, about seven miles
from Shrewsbury, in which William Wycherley, Esq., the Thalian
bard, was born, in 1640. The house was a handsome structure, but
much has been let go to decay, and the remainder repaired in a
clumsy, incongruous manner for a farm-house. The large walnut-
tree shown in the view is said to have been planted by the poet ;
but I cannot vouch for its authenticity. The late Mr. Gardner, of
Sansaw, whose beautiful grounds reach near Wycherley's mansion,
intended to have erected an urn, and to have placed it in a rocky
recess in his grounds, the walk to which was called " Wycherley's
Walk "; I believe it was not erected, through the negligence of the
statuary in Shrewsbury, who deferred it from time to time, till it was
finally given up.
The following inscription was to have been placed on the
pedestal :
"To WILLIAM WYCHERLEY, Esq., the celebrated Dramatic Poet, this
Urn is dedicated."
D. PARKES.
[1812, Part /., p. 609 ]
As you have so faithfully recorded the birth-place of Wycherley
the poet, you will probably have no objection to a view of the Clive
Chapel, near the Hall, the place of sepulture of his ancestors (see
Plate I.). The poet was buried at St. Paul's, Covent Garden, but I
believe no monumental memorial is to be found there, at least I
sought for it without success in 1804. The following memorials are
at the Clive.
On a plain stone, within the communion rails :
"HERE LYES THE BODY OF DANIEL WYCHERLY, ESQ., WHO DECEASED THE
FIFTH DAY OF MAY, ANNO DOM. 1697, IN THE 8lst YEAR OF HIS AGE."
On a plain tomb in the chapel-yard :
" HERE LYETH THE BODY OF JOHN WYCHERLEY, GENT., 30. SONNE OF DANIEL
WYCHERLEY, ESQ., WHO DECEASED THE 20th DAY OF IVNE ANNO DOM. 1691."
The subjoined pedigree of the Wycherley family may be worth
preserving.
55
Clive.
Roger Wycherley, of Clive, 10 Henry lV.=j=
John Wycherley, of Clive, 2 Edward IV.=f=
John Wycherley, of Clive, 16 Henry VII.=f=
Win. Wycherley, of Clive, 8 Hen. VIII.=f=
I '
Wm. Wycherley, of Clive, 3 Phil. & M.=f=Mary, daughter and coheir of Richard
I 1 ' Geary, of the Clive.
William. Richard, 22 Eliz.n=Eliz. dau. Thos. Richardson, of
r~
Whitchurch, co. Salop.
Daniel Wycherley, of Clive=pMargaret, dau. of Wm. Wolfe, of Acton Reynold.
1 —
John, baptized at
Shrewsbury,
May 1 6, 1663.
Daniel, of Clive,=f=Bethia, daughter, of Eliz.
1672, a Teller of 1 Wm. Shringston, of Alice,
the Exchequer. | Whitchurch, Hants. Mary.
William WycherUy,
the Dramatic Poet.
i i i ' " i
George. Henry. Eliz. Frances.
D. PARKES.
Clun.
[1793, Part L, p. 18.]
I make no apology for sending you the enclosed view of Clun
Castle (Plate II., Fig. 2), and hope you will not think it unworthy
a place in the Gentleman's Magazine. Clun* is a small market town
in Shropshire, about six miles from Bishop's Castle, in the same
county ; it contains little worth notice beside the castle, which is now
in ruins, and an hospital founded by Henry Howard, Earl of
Northampton, for twelve men and a master, in the reign of James I.
Clun Castle was built by the Fits Alans, descendants of Alan, son
of Flaold the Norman, afterwards Earls of Arundel. The manor
of Clun was originally in the family of the Says, and came to William
Fits Alan, grandson of Flaold, by marriage with Isabel, daughter of
Helias de Say. Their son William built the castle 24 Henry III.
His son John was captain-general of the forces for guarding the
Marches. In this family, afterwards Earls of Arunde), it continued
till Queen Elizabeth's time, when the last earl died. About 1549,
Mary Fits Alan married to Philip Howard, son of Thomas, Duke of
Norfolk ; it came to that noble family, and from them to the Walcots,
from whom it was purchased by the late Lord Clive. f
Near Clun is Caer Caradoc, a hill famous for being the place
where Caractacus, the renowned British king, about A.D. 53, defended
himself so bravely against Ostorius and the Roman legions.
There are the remains of some other camps in the neighbourhood,
which appear to be Roman work, and were probably thrown up by
Ostorius. D. PARKES.
* "Colun," British "Colunwy," and by contraction " Clun."— " Camd. Brit."
t Cough's " Camden," vol. ii., p. 404.
56 Shropshire.
Cound.
[1820, Part //., pp. 201, 202.]
Counde, or Cund, is situated about seven miles north-east of
Shrewsbury ; it is a Rectory in the Deanery of Salop, and Hundred
of Condover. The church is rather a handsome structure, dedicated
to St. Peter ; it consists of a broad aisle, chancel, and side aisle to
the south, divided by four pointed arches supported by circular
columns with plain lined capitals ; there is a piscina on the south
side in an ornamented niche. The font appears of considerable
antiquity ; it is banded round the top with foliage much mutilated,
under which, with roses in circlets, the lower part is quite plain.
There are some remains of stained glass in the east window of the
south aisle. The exterior of the south side of the chancel has been
repaired in a most incongruous manner with common brickwork.
The following monumental memorials were transcribed at the time
I visited the church, September 18, 1810.
On a marble tablet against the south wall of the chancel :
" M. S.
"Juxta manent Resurrectionem Justorum, JACOBUS CRESSETT, Rector istius
Ecclesise, Filius Edvardi Cressett, Arm. Natu quartus, et Elizabetha uxor ejus,
Filia Johannis Edwardes, Generosi, Parentes quatuor filiorum, Johannis, Andrea,
Edvardi, et Jacobi.
Obijt Jacobus, Obijt Elizabetha,
Feb. 8, Jan. 16,
A.D. 1683, A.D. 1692.
JSMBA. 69. Misii. 77."
Arms : Azure, a cross engrailed or, Cresset ; impaling, per bend
sinister Ermine and ermines, a lion rampant or, Edwardes.
On a handsome monument against the north wall of the chancel :
" Near this place lies the body of ROBERT CRESSETT) esq., whose good-nature
gained him the love, his probity the esteem, and his sincerity the friendship, both
of his equals and superiors. His affability got him the respect of his dependants,
and his charity the prayers of the poor, so that he preserved the dignity of his family,
and died lamented by all. t jTo his memory, BARBARA, his beloved and disconso-
late Relict, erected this Monument, as a token of her unfeigned love to him when
living, and unalterable respect now dead.
"He departed this life May the 5th, 1728, in the 32d year of his age, leaving
behind him EDWARD, the only son and child he had by her, to inherit their estates
and fortune."
On an elegant monument on the north side of the chancel :
" To the memory of Dr. EDWARD CRESSETT, Bishop of LLANDAFF, second
son of EDWARD CRESSETT, esq., who died Feb. 13, 1755, in the 58th year of his
age. He married first ALBINA, the youngest daughter of GRIFFITH RICE, of
Newtown, in Carmarthenshire, esq., by whom he had no issue. He afterwards
married FRANCES, the eldest daughter of Thomas Pelham, esq., of Lewes in
Sussex, by whom he had one daughter, ELIZABETH, who survives him, to whom
he bequeathed his whole estate."
Arms : The See of Llandaff, impaling Cressett.
Coiind. § 7
On a monument against the north wall :
" In memory of HENRY CRESSETT PELHAM, esq., of Crowhurst, in Sussex, and
Cound-Hall, in Shropshire, who departed this life the 1st. of Jan. 1803, in the
73d year of his age. He married in 1767, JANE, daughter of Nicholas Hardinge,
esq., of Canbury, in Surrey, who survives him. Also one son, JOHN CRESSKTT
PELHAM, who succeeds to his estates, and two daughters, Frances and Anne. The
above HENRY CRESSETT PELHAM was the son of THOMAS PELHAM, knight, who
married JANE, sister and co-heir to ELIZABETH, daughter of JAMES HUXELY, esq.,
of Darnford, in Oxfordshire, who married ROBERT CRESSETT, esq., grandfather to
EDWARD CRESSETT, Lord Bishop of Llandaff."
The Lady Oak in this neighbourhood is nearly demolished. A
fire was carelessly made too near the tree, which, communicating with
the hollow and decayed pans, caused its destruction. On June 25,
1814, I fortunately made a sketch of the then venerable tree, and
took the dimensions, which may be worth preserving.
Girt at bottom 41 ft. 7 in.
Girt in the middle . . . . 24 „ 2 „
Girt under the boughs . . . 26 „ 8J
The height . . . . . 42 „ 5 „
D. PARKES.
Cressage.
[1852, Part II. , pp. 58-60.]
Cressage, in the county of Salop, is a chapelry annexed to the
parish of Cound, eight miles south-east of Shrewsbury, and contains
1,670 acres. It was a manor in Saxon times, being held in the reign
of Edward the Confessor of one Edric, who was a freeman, when
there was one hide of land taxed.
After the Conquest it was held by Ranulph Peverel under Roger de
Montgomery, the first Norman Earl of Shrewsbury, being then
written Cristesache. There were then in demesne three carucates
and Servi, seven villani, eleven bordarii, and four cottarii, having
four carucates and two more. There was a fishery of the value of
8 shillings, and a wood sufficient to fatten 200 hogs. It was valued
in the time of Edward the Confessor at no shillings; after the
Conquest at 10 pounds ; 6 pounds had been formerly received. This
manor in 7 Edward II., 1315, was written Cristseigh, being then the
property of John de Lacy. It for ages subequently belonged to the
family of the Newports, Earls of Bradford, and afterwards passed
with Harley to the Duke of Cleveland.
In reference to this village the following translation of an extract
from the Hundred Rolls of the county is curious, as showing the
oppression exercised towards the lower orders of society in the first
year of Edward I.: "And the jurors say, that on the Sunday after
St. Matthew's Day, Richard Russur, constable of Salop, gave a page
named William de Somersete four pence to cry Wekare^ Wekare^
as he went through Cristesech, to the reviling of the men and women
58 Shropshire.
there : and as the page cried out in this manner, a woman came and
said, 'Thou speakest ill,' and the page struck her with his sword;
and then came one William Madoc, and said, ' Why did you smite
the woman ?' and the page struck him and cutt off ... and he fell as
if he was dead. Then the page fled out of the road, and the woman
raised a cry, and William Wolfrich came following after him, and shot
him with an arrow that he died : and having done this he fled
towards the wood, and the township followed him with the suit of
the sheriff to the wood ; and on this pretence the sheriff compelled
the lord of Cristech and the township to pay him sixty-six marks and
a half."
On the road leading from Shrewsbury to Cressage stands a large
venerable tree, known of late years as " The Lady Oak."* The
trunk is hollow, and well bleached from the tempests and changes
of probably more than a millennium period. It has been supposed
that the adjacent village, in Domesday Cristesache (" Christ's Oak,"
now, by corruption, Cressage), took its name from this oak. It may
also, from the circumstance of the manor courts being held under its
spreading branches, have derived an attached veneration that might
have been continued to it from those remote times, when documents
were confirmed by the sign or mark of the cross. It is on the verge
of the manors of Cound and Cressage.
The girth of this interesting relic is 41 feet 6 inches, and in the
middle 24 feet. The height in 1814 was 42 feet. The effects of
time and other causes have, however, now reduced it. The upper
portion received considerable damage about thirty-four years ago, in
consequence of a party of gipsies having kindled a fire so close to it
that the flame, communicating with the hollow and decayed parts,
ascended to the boughs, and destroyed most of them ; after which it
was found necessary to cramp the sturdy trunk with iron to prevent
its falling. Within the hollow of the trunk a young oak has been
planted, which has so far flourished as to exceed in' height its ancient
predecessor, some of the remaining arms of which even still shoot
forth leaves. The situation of this tree on the public footpath has
likewise exposed it to the wanton injury of mischievous persons, and
probably modern improvement, in the desirability of widening the
road at this point, may, before the close of the present year, require
its total demolition. t
At the intersection of two roads in the village formerly stood a
wooden building, which inclosed an ancient stone cross; this was
removed about forty years ago by direction of the then incumbent of
the church, on the plea of its being used as a place for gossiping.
* See ante, p. 57.
t Conjecture would associate this oak with the far distant time of the early
missionaries of Christianity, who- may have exercised their itinerant instruction
under the shadow of its blanches.
Cressage. 59
Near this, and contiguous to the road leading to a ford through the
Severn (over which there is now a bridge), is a conical mound about
15 feet high.
The old church stood adjoining the north entrance to the village,
in a piece of meadow ground about one acre in extent, no portion
of which had ever been consecrated for burials. The edifice was
possibly the third erected here since the introduction of Christianity ;
a timber edifice of the Saxons being probably replaced about the
time of the Conquest by a stone building. The late structure was
decayed and ruinous, and consisted of a nave and chancel, with a
btll-turret rising from the roof at the western end. The outer walls,
probably built about the period of Edward I. were composed of
rubble masonry, the interstices being filled (as was discovered on
pulling down the church) with stones apparently taken from the bed
of the adjacent river Severn, which in the time of floods occasionally
inundated the building. On the south side, near the entrance, a
modern pointed window had been opened ; adjoining this was a more
ancient one, divided by mullions into three lights, and containing
fragments of stained glass.
The interior was approached by an early pointed doorway, and the
nave separated from the chancel by a semicircular arch of great
thickness, evidently of Norman workmanship. On each side of this
arch was a square aperture forming a " hagioscope," through which
to witness the elevation of the host. The rood-screen remained
until late years. The seats were of oak, open and primitive, with
carved finials at the end, the floor of the aisle being laid with curious
small figured tiles. The pulpit, octagonal and panelled in carved
oak, is removed to the new church ; along its base is inscribed :
" Hovmfry Dalle, the elder, made this for lames Dalle ; which I pray God to
bles vnto his end. Amen : 1635."
The old Norman font is also preserved; the basin is large and
round, and encompassed with a series of eight semicircular arches,
springing from piers and regular bases and indented capitals.
The dilapidated edifice being taken down, another was commenced
at the southern end of the village on an elevated spot of land pre-
sented by the Duke of Cleveland. The situation commands a bold
view of picturesque scenery, and — not the least remarkable feature of
the landscape — affords one of the best prospects of the famed Shrop-
shire Wrekin.
The new structure dedicated as "Christ's Church," received con-
secration October 19, 1841. It is composed of stone found in the
vicinity and designed in the Early English style of architecture, having
a tower, nave, and small chancel. The interior is finished in a manner
corresponding as far as possible with the style adopted. A pointed
arch divides the nave and chancel, the three lancet lights of which
are filled with ten scriptural subjects delineated in stained glass, and
60 Shropshire.
comprising the principal events in the life of Christ. This was the gift
of the late Rev. R. Scott, B.D., of Shrewsbury, and executed by Mr.
Evans of that town. The roof is open, with ornamental principals
resting on corbels, and the seats are fixed forms with backs. The
estimated cost of the fabric was ;£ 1,200, raised by subscription.
Architect, E. Haycock, Esq.
Sir Thomas Lodge, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1563, when
(according to his epitaph in St. Mary's Aldermary) " God did visit
this Citie (of London) with a great plague for our sins," was the son
of William Lodge of Cressage. He was a member of the Grocers'
Company, and married the daughter and heir of Sir William Laxton,
Lord Mayor in 1544, the founder of the grammar-school at Oundle,
in Northamptonshire. Other particulars respecting him will be found
in the " Diary of Henry Machyn," edited by Mr. J. G. Nichols for
the Camden Society. HENRY PIDGEON.
Ellesmere.
[1829, Part II., pp. 115, 116.]
About three hundred feet of stained glass of the most exquisite
workmanship has lately been placed in the eastern window of the
parish church of Ellesmere, co. Salop, and which certainly may be
considered as one of the finest specimens of the art of glass-staining
in this kingdom.
The principal part of the window consists of five well-proportioned
figures of the four Evangelists, with St. Paul in the centre, standing
on hexagonal pedestals, and surmounted by lofty and beautiful
canopies of the most delicate tabernacle work. On each base is an
highly ornamented quatrefoil, the centre of which, within a circle,
contains the respective emblems of the Evangelists, whilst that under
the figure of St. Paul has the following concise, but beautiful inscrip-
tion, in Roman capitals :
"Ecclesise de Ellesmere, propter magnam vicinorum in se benevolentiam,
hanc fenestram pictoratam pio gratoque animo D.D. Robertas Clarke, A.S.
M.DCCC.XXIX."
The figure of St. Matthew shows deep and serious meditation,
added to a countenance the most benign ; in his right hand is a
halbert, and in his left a Greek manuscript; his tunic is red, over
which is a green vest.
St. Mark is a fine venerable figure, whose head appears covered
with the frost of hoary years ; he is clad in purple and yellow drapery,
and pointing to an open Gospel which he holds in his left hand.
St. Paul is attired in a flowing mantle of marine blue drapery, bear-
ing his emblem — the drawn sword ; his countenance is striking and
characteristic, seemingly in the act of dictation ; whilst St. Luke, with
a pen and an open volume, which he holds in an attitude for writing,
Ellesmere. 6 1
shows the utmost attention to record an account of the Acts of the
Apostles from the lips of St. Paul.
St. John the Evangelist, and beloved disciple of Christ, has a most
pleasing appearance ; he holds in his right hand a golden chalice —
the sacramental pledge of affection, and his uplifted countenance
seems earnest in love and affection to his heavenly Friend and
Master, who said not only to him but to all, "Do this in remembrance
of Me."
The tracery of the upper compartments of the window is filled
wich different devices, among which are these armorial bearings :
1. David Prince of Wales, and Emma his wife, who was sister to
King Henry II., who granted to her the Hundred of Ellesmere as her
dowry.
2. Llewellyn the Great, Prince of Wales, and Joan his wife, who
was a natural daughter of King John, by Agatha, daughter of William
or Robert Ferrars.
3. Sir Roger Le Strange and his wife, who was the daughter of Sir
William or Robert Ferrars.
4. Sir Roger Le Strange and his wife, who was the daughter
of Sir Oliver de Ingham ; this gentleman granted the charter of
Edward III. to the burgesses of Ellesmere, which was the second
charter granted to that town.
5. The Lord Chancellor Egerton, quartering Basset de Blore. A
female descendant of the family of Bassett married a descendant of
a Duke of Brittany, in France.
Also the arms of the See of Lichfield, the cross of St. George, the
Maltese cross, or that of St. John of Jerusalem, to which order the
Church of Ellesmere first belonged, and the title of which a manor
in the parish still retains ; under this is a celestial crown, with some
resplendent rays issuing from a cloud. The smaller divisions of the
window are filled with a chalice — the Book with the seven seals — the
Alpha and Omega in ruby glass — the Portcullis — the White and Red
and Union Roses, and the Agnus Dei surrounded by cherubs, which
form the apex of the window.
Whilst the execution of this truly splendid window reflects the
highest credit on the talents of Mr. David Evans, of Shrewsbury, and
is considered to outvie in effect even his recent and much admired
productions in some of the sacred edifices in Shrewsbury, Winchester,
and other places, we trust it will be preserved to many subsequent
generations as a noble example of private munificence. H. P.
[1850, Part I., p. 72.]
On October n, the fine parish church of Ellesmere was re-opened,
with the service for consecration, by the Lord Bishop of Lichfield,
who preached an able sermon on the character and duty of public
worship. The 'contributions of the congregation amounted to "
62 Shropshire.
The whole cost of the restoration is said to have been ^£8 ooo, the
subscription list having been headed by ^3,500 from the Bridgewater
family, .£500 from C. K. Mainwaring, Esq., and other handsome
sums.
[1851, Part I., pp. 58, 59.]
In the recent restoration and refitting of the large parish church of
Ellesmere, Salop, a discovery was made of an ancient sepulchral
effigy of a highly interesting character, and of the class of diminutive
effigies we sometimes meet with representing persons who had
attained to manhood or an advanced period of life. This effigy,
which is recumbent, measures 3 feet 5 inches in length ; the slab
out of which it is sculptured is 4 feet long, i foot 8 inches wide at
the head, and i foot 6 inches wide at the foot, and the material is
free or sand stone. The effigy is sculptured in relief, the most
prominent part being raised 3 inches only from the surface of the
slab. It represents an elderly man, bareheaded, with the hair curled
in flowing locks on each side of the face, in the fashion prevalent
during the fourteenth century, but the upper lip and chin are close-
shaven : the absence of the clerical tonsure evinces 'the person
represented not to be an ecclesiastic, as many notaries were anciently.
The head reposes on a double cushion, square in form, and the neck
is bare. The dress consists of a short coat or tunic, extending to a
little below the knees, with close buttoned sleeves, tunica cum mantels
botonatis ; over this is worn the surcoat or supertunic, of the same
length as the tunic, with short wide sleeves reaching to just below
the elbows. The supertunic is. belted round about the loins, and the
girdle or bawdrick is buckled in front, and both the tunic and super-
tunic open in front from the edge of the skirt 8 inches upwards.
From the girdle on the left side of the effigy is suspended by a
narrow strap an inkhorn, and by another narrow strap a penner.
The hands lie on the breast, with a book compressed between them ;
the shoes are pointed at the toes, and the feet rest against a dog.
The execution of this effigy is rude, and altogether devoid of that
elegance and merit so apparent in many of the sculptured effigies of
the same era ; but that it was intended to represent a notary, scrivener,
or country lawyer of the fourteenth century, I have little doubt, and
I believe it to be the earliest effigy of the kind, and the only sculptured
one at present known ; for, although there are some few incised brass
effigies of persons in the same profession, the earliest of those which
have hitherto been noticed are not prior to the latter part of the
fifteenth century, this effigy being of a period at least a century
anterior to that date. This monument was preserved a few weeks
ago in the garden belonging to the vicarage house at Ellesmere
adjoining the churchyard ; but I believe it is destined to be placed
again in the church.
Ellesmere. 63
The few incised brasses which represent notaries are of a much
later date than this effigy. One in St. Mary Tower church, Ipswich,
without date or name, cannot be earlier, from the costume, than the
reign of Edward IV. In this the inkhorn and penner, which are
connected by a double lace or cordon, are suspended from the girdle
on the right side. In the incised brass effigy in Holme Hale church,
Norfolk, of William Curteys, notary, who died A.D. 1490, the inkhorn
and penner, connected by a single cordon, are suspended from the
girdle on the left side, the cordon being placed over the girdle with
the inkhorn suspended from the outside, and the penner from the
inside. This was probably the mode of adjustment or suspension
partially concealed by the sleeve of the left arm, as exhibited on
another incised brass at St. Mary Tower church, of Robert Wymbyll,
notary, which brass bears date 1506.
The figure of a notary or scrivener, of the reign of Mary or Eliza-
beth, with the inkhorn and penner hanging from the girdle on the
right side by a double cordon, is represented in an engraving in
Strutt's "Dress and Habits of the People of England."
With none of these appears the book upheld between the hands,
as with the effigy at Ellesmere ; but Mr. Waller, in his work on brasses,
mentions a painting by Peter Brenghel of the early part of the
sixteenth century, in which, amongst other figures, is that of a notary
with girdle, penner and inkhorn, holding a book in his right hand ;
and the book, with the penner and inkhorn, is adverted to by
Shakespeare in his character of the Clerk of Chatham, whom he
introduces as a lawyer ordered to be executed by Jack Cade. It is
possible that the person whom this effigy was intended to represent
. . . may have been a benefactor to the church of Ellesmere, as the
arches which divide the choir from a north aisle or chapel, the
external walls of which are of the fifteenth century, may be ascribed
to the same period as this effigy, i.e., to about the early part or middle
of the fourteenth century. MATTHEW HOLBECHE BLOXAM.
Hadnall.
[1812, Part /., pp. 609, 610.] .
I send a view of Hadnall Chapel, a small ancient building in a
township belonging to the parish of Middle, though it has a separate
assessment; but the minister for the chapel is appointed by the
Rector of Middle.
The east window was formerly adorned with stained glass, and
contained several coats of arms, six of which are shown in the
annexed drawing. This place, though at the distance of several
miles from the parish church of Middle, was not privileged with the
right of sepulture till the year 1808, when the ground was conse-
64 Shropshire.
crated, and is now used for a burying-place for that township and
neighbourhood.
The interior of the chapel is plain ; it consists of a middle aisle and
chancel ; at the west end is a circular stone font of considerable
antiquity. On four shields, at the ends of brackets which support the
roof, are the letters " T. D. I. D.," and " 1699," and on the fourth
shield a chevron between ten cross pattees 6 and 4. The wooden
turret at the west end contains one small bell.
D. PARKES.
Halesowen.
[1795. Part 2 1. > p. 905-]
I have enclosed a drawing of a cottage near Halesowen, in
Shropshire, once the infantile school of the celebrated poet Shen-
stone ; and, as he hath delivered his humble dame to posterity in his
beautiful poem " The School Mistress," I hope you will preserve this
representation of the house in your valuable museum (see Plate II.).
A. n.
[1799, Part /.,/. II3-]
The enclosed are two drawings of Hales Owen Abbey, situated
about half a mile south of the town of Hales Owen, county Salop.
(See Plate II.) . . .
This was an abbey of Premonstratensian Canons built by Peter de
Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester (temp. reg. John), to the honour of
the Blessed Virgin. Its yearly revenues were worth ^280 133. 2d.
ob. Dugd., ^337 155. 6d. ob. Speed.*
Very little of the abbey church remains ; the distance on the right
in No. 3, and the view No. 2 (beautifully mantled with ivy), are all.
The distance is the spire of Hales Owen and Gent Hill. The view,
No. 3, is the abbey house, now the residence of a substantial farmer ;
this, it is conjectured, was the abbot's kitchen. When we look upon
its extent and the massiveness of the walls, it is not to be admired
merely as a curious remnant of antiquity, but as a monument ot
monkish hospitality. The large tree on the right in this view is a
sycamore ; this tree is noticed by most people who visit the place
for its size and beauty. The mutilated tile, No. i, was dug up by
a labourer in 1792. In 1787 a stone coffin lid with curious sculpture
was found in repairing the cellar floor. . . .
Few visible remains of this once extensive place are now to be
seen. Foundations are often found, and if a person versed in
ancient buildings had time to investigate it much of its original
magnitude might be discovered. D. P.
* Tanner.
Halesowen. 65
[1808, Part II., p. 577.]
The enclosed is a view of the remains of the Abbey Church at
Hales Owen. The church when entire must have been a stately
edifice ; the chancel (and probably other parts of the floor) was
paved with curious painted tiles, many have been discovered in
removing rubbish from the ruins, some of which are preserved at
the Abbey House. The following persons of distinction appear to
have been buried here, viz., John Lord Botetourt, Baron of Weoleigh;
Sir Hugh Burnell, Baron also of Weoleigh, who married Joyce,
daughter and heir of the before-named Lord John Botetourt ; Sir
William Lyttelton of Frankley, and Elianora his first wife ; the figure
of this lady (in a cumbent position) was removed from the ruins in
1753, and placed in the churchyard at Hagley by order of the late
George Lord Lyttelton.
Sir Thomas Lyttelton by will dated August 22, 1481, "bequeaths
to the Abbot and Convent of Hales Owen his Book called 'Catholicon '
to their use for ever, and another Book wherein is contained the
Constitutions Provincial, and c De Gestis Romanorum/ and other
treatises therein " ; which he wills be laid and bounded with an iron
chain in some convenient part within the said church, at his costs,
so that all priests and others may see and read it when it pleaseth
them.
The Commune Sigillum or Chapter Seal in the reign of Henry IV.
was a representation of the Blessed Virgin in a sitting posture; on
her left knee the infant Christ ; in her right hand a sceptre. The
arms of the abbey, according to Tanner, were : Azure, a chevron
argent, between three fleurs-de-lis or. D. P.
[1803, Part II., pp. 613-616.]
With this you will receive a drawing of the parish church of Hales
Owen. It is situated in an insulated district belonging to the county
of Salop, though more than thirteen miles from any part of the
county to which it belongs. This spacious and venerable structure,
which is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, consists of a large nave
and two aisles which are divided from the nave by handsome Gothic
pillars ; the chancel is large. The west end, the south entrance, and
curious old font appear to be Saxon or of the early Norman age.
The window over the western entrance is of the kind which prevailed
in Henry III.'s time. I am sorry to observe that several of the
windows have suffered by modern innovation, some are deprived of
their elegant tracery, and others much mutilated. The painted glass
is almost gone ; when I visited the church in January last I found
only the arms of Lyttelton in an east window, and a few ornaments
in a north window. In the churchyard near the south porch is a
cumbent figure in stone much mutilated, but whom it was intended
VOL. XXII. 5
66 Shropshire.
to represent I can obtain no certain information. Many of the
Lyttelton family have been interred here : John Lyttelton, Esq., in
1530; Sir John Lyttelton of Frankley, Knt, in 1589; and Gilbert,
his son, in 1599, to neither of whom is there any memorial now to
be seen. Against the wall at the end of the north aisle is the
following inscription in capitals on a neat monument :
"Dilectissimo svo filio Edvardo Lyttelton, ex tribus natu minimo, Ultimo
Aprilis Anno Dom. 1614 ; et anno setatis suae 14 diem. Obeunti tristissima mater
Meriel Lyttelton, uxor Johannis Lyttelton, arm. filia Thome Bromley, Militis,
Cancellarii Angl. hoc posuit. Ut moneant mentes hominum monumenta creantur,
hoc monet, ut discat virque puerque mori.
Arms : Argent, a chevron between three escalops sable, with a
mullet for difference.
On brass plates on the floor within the communion rails in
capitals :
"Here lieth the bodie of Mrs. REBEKAH LITTELTON, late wife of Thomas
Littelton, Master of Arts, rector of Suckley, and some time vicar of this place ; who
departed this life September the XXII., 1669."
Arms : Argent, a chevron between three escallops, sable.
Motto : " VN : DIEV : VN : ROY."
"In memory of the Rev. PYNSON WILMOT, A.B., who died Jan. 21, 1784, aged
78. Vicar of Hales Owen 51 years."
Arms : On a fesse, between three eagles' heads, two escalops.
Crest : An unicorn couchant.
On a plain stone in the floor near the north entrance :
"Sacred to the memory of the Rev. WILLIAM SUTTON, sen., rector of
Clocaenog and Llanychan, in the county of Denbigh and diocese of Bangor, who
departed this life May I4th, 1794, aged 70."
" Here lieth the body of Mr. JOHN WESTWOOD, who was vicar of Hales Owen
14 years, and departed this life the I2th of April, 1676."
Arms : Westwood, a chevron, between three mullets, impaling
Lyttelton.
The pedestal which supports a plain neat urn within the com-
munion rails contains the following elegant tribute to the memory
of a pleasing poet and a truly amiable man :
"WILLIAM SHENSTONE, Esq., obiit nth Feb., 1763, set. 48."
[Epitaph omitted.]
Against the north wall of the chancel is an elegant monument by
Banks, for J. D. Halliday, Esq. The lower part of the monument
has the appearance of a tomb to which the vestry door seems the
entrance. In the centre of the monument is the inscription in
Roman capitals on a square pilaster with an urn on the top, on which
is a bass-relief representing Benevolence clothing the naked. On
the left side the monument is the figure of the deceased ; on the
Halesowen. 67
right a female figure with a dog at her feet, and in a kneeling posture
seems to represent Fidelity paying her devoirs at his tomb. The
major is dressed in that clothing which represents him as having put
off mortality yet sympathizes with and feels that attention which is
paid to his memory.
" To the memory of JOHN DELAP HALLIDAY, esq., late of Castlemaine, in the
stewartry of Kirkudbright ; and of the Leasowes in the county of Salop ; and a
major in the army. He was born Sept. 29th, 1749. He married Oct. 23d, 1771,
Jane, youngest daughter of Sir Lionel Tollemache, baronet, 4th Earl of Dysart,
and knight of the antient order of the Thistle, by the Lady Grace Cateret, eldest
daughter of John Earl of Granville, by whom he had issue four sons and one
daughter. He died at the Leasowes, June 24th, 1794, and was buried in this
church. . . .
" This tomb was raised by his widow, the Lady Jane, and by John, William,
and Francis, his surviving sons, as a testimony of their affection for his virtues, and
of deep regret for their own irreparable loss."
On a neat monument against one of the north pillars in the nave :
"M.S.
" Humfri Peshall, huj. par. fil. D'ni. Joh'is de Horsly Hall, in agro Staff. B'ti,
uxorem duxit Maria' fil. R. Blount de Rowley, ex qua suscep't Joh. Laur. Hum.
Maria' Eliz. Jana'. Ob't Jul. 12, 1650, ret. 51. Joh. fil. et hoer. de Halle, huj.
par. ex Maria filia R. Dolman de Clent, filia reliq't. sup'stes Eliz. Tho. Maria".
Sara'. Lydia'., obt. Mar. I, 1670, set. 50. Thomas praed. de Hallen, B'tus (post-
mortem Tho. Peshall de Staff". K'ti. Anno 1712, s.p.), obt. Mar. 29, 1714, aet. 62,
huic pept. uxor ei Eliz. fil. J. Grove de Hasbury. Thomam B'tum, defunct'
Sept. 14, 1759, set. 77. f. Sam Saunders de Ombersly Vig. nuptias contraxit, et
prolem hab't Eliz. Tho. Joh. Saunders, Sam. Tho., obt. Dudlie., Jan. 6, 1759,
s.p., Id. Sam., Nov. 18, 1753, et Saunders, Sept. IO, 1754. Antique et Eliz.,
Sep. 5, 1774, Cum. Anna (quae obiit), Jul. 6. 1770, ae. 77."
Arms : Argent, a cross flory, sable ; on a dexter canton, Azure, a
wolfs head, erased argent. On a sinister canton, Argent, a lion
rampant double queued gules, ducally crowned, or, with the arms of
Ulster.
Crest : A boar's head, couped at the neck, tusked and crined, or.
Motto : " Suum cuique."
On a plain stone :
" Here lieth the body of THOMAS PESHALL, late of Hawn, gent., who departed
this life the 2Oth day of March, A D., 1714, and was buried on the 22d of March,
in the 63d year of his age. Memento mori."
On a large stone against the north wall :
" To the memory of JOSEPH HINCHLEY, gent., of Hales Owen, late surgeon in
the service of the Hon. East India Company, who died at ihe Cape of Good Hope,
on his voyage homewards towards his native country, the 2ist day of Jan., 1776,
aged 51." %
On a neat monument against the south wall :
" In memory of ELIJAH UNDERBILL, who departed this life Feb. the 2cl, 1732,
aged 71. Also of MARY his wife, who departed this life March 4, 1742, aged 51.
Likewise in memory of JOSIAH GREEN, who died Feb. I3th, 1769, in the 47th
year of his age. Reader, delay not, for thine hour is at hand. Also in memory
of MARY, the wife of Jusiah Green, who departed this life on the I2th day of
January, 1774, aged 57. Memtnto mori."
5— 2
68 Shropshire.
On a small stone near the above :
" Here lieth the body of ANN, wife of ELIJAH UNDERHILL. She departed
this life Dec. 3, M.DCC.XIV., aged about 60." . . .
On a handsome monument near the font :
"To the memory of WILLIAM GREEN. ... On the 28th of Feb., 1754, he
departed this life in the 58th year of his age."
On a large blue stone in the floor near the west end :
" In memory of JOHN SCOTT HYLTON, esq., late of Lapall house, near Hales
Owen, who died 23d. Feb., 1793, aged 67 years. A safe companion, and an easy
friend."
On a gravestone near the south-east corner of the churchyard is
the following inscription, written by William Shenstone, Esq. :
"Here lies interred the body of ANN,* the (loving and beloved) daughter of
SAMUEL and MARY POWELL, of this town. She departed this life on the xxix.
day of July, in the year of our Lord M.DCC.XLIV., in the xxth year of her age."
[Rest of epitaph omitted.]
On a small headstone :
" In memory of JOSEPH SMITH, late schoolmaster at Harborne, who died the
Ilth of May, 1775, aged 26 years.
" Lo, here I lie within the dust,
In hopes to rise among the just."
On a handsome tomb at the west end of the churchyard :
"Sacred to the memory of the Rev. JOHN PARKES, A.B., last minister of
Oldbury, and master of the free grammar school in this town, who died the 29th
day of Feb., 1796, aged 36. Also of MARY and MARY ANN PARKES, two of his
daughters, who died in their infancy."
Hales Owen is a vicarage in the patronage of Lord Lyttelton.
The present worthy vicar is the Rev. Wm. Sutton. In the tower are
eight musical bells which have a pleasing effect in the adjacent
neighbourhoods.
It may be proper to mention that the annexed view was taken
before the trees were cut down which surrounded the churchyard, so
that its present appearance is not so rural as when the lofty trees
spread out their shadowy branches. The tomb in the drawing
inscribed with the name of " Shenstone " shows the spot where he
lies ; it was intended that the urn in the church should have been
placed over his grave, as alluded to in the last line of the epitaph ;
but it was placed in the church from the idea that it would soon be
injured in the churchyard. D. PARKES.
[1803, Part II., p. 724.]
On revisiting Hales Owen last month, and looking over the
numerous inscriptions on tombs and gravestones in the churchyard
* This young lady fell from her horse as she was going on a visit, and was
taken up dead, without any external appearance of hurt from the fall.
Halesowen. 69
I transcribed the following, which I send in addition to what you
gave in page 613.
On a plain stone :
"Janae ux. T. Higgins, gen. de Hasbery, fil. Joh. Whitwick, gen. nuper de
Ledcomb, co. Berc. ex p'tre Hum. de Whitwick, Staff), et Susan fil. Rob. et
Mari. Perot de N. Leigh, co Oxon. fil. reliq't Joh. Ric. Eliz. et ob. Jun. I, 1661.
Marise ux. R. Higgins, fil. R. Egerton de Cheadle, Staff., et Annse gnatae T. Win-
ford, fil. Eatu 2di Joh. de Glasshampton ex qua unigena Eliz. nupsit Sam Sandes,
arm', de Ombersley, co. Vig. ob. Sept. 2, 1675."
On a plain stone :
"To the memory of Mr. JOSEPH SHENSTONE, who died November 3Oth, 1751,
aged 39. Also to the memory of WILLIAM SHENSTONE, esq., late of the Leasowes,
who died February nth, 1763, aged 48. O Viator! Tales animas in ccelis
requiescere confide : tales ne terris desint precare."
On a large gravestone :
" In memory of ESTHER, the wife of THOMAS GREEN, who departed this life
December the i4th, 1751, aged 75. Also of THOMAS GREEN, who departed this
life February the i8th, 1753, aged 73."
[Verses omitted.]
"EDWARD GREEN, of Green Hill, departed this life Jan. the 26th, 1794,
aged 80."
[Verses omitted.]
On a handsome tomb :
" PHEBE PARGETER departed this life, after a lingering illness, on the 23d July,
^83, aged 31. PHILIP PARGETER was released from all the ills of mortality on
the 25th March, 1801, aged 45."
[Verses omitted.]
"Sacred to the memory of ANN PARKES, daughter of James and Mary Parkes,
of the Quintan. She departed this life April 6th, 1789, aged 23 years. JAMES
PARKES ^died Oct. 23, 1802, aged 69. MARY PARKES died April i8th, 1803,
aged 69." . . .
D. PARKES.
[1829, Part II., pp. 590,59L]
The little town of Hales Owen, composed of several small streets,
is seated on a rising ground in one of the most beautiful and pictur-
esque parts of the kingdom, seven miles west of Birmingham, and
five south of Dudley. It is a place of great antiquity, and though a
borough, boasts not the privilege of sending members to Parliament,
and its market has long since fallen into disuse. The ancient cross
is slill standing ; the shaft is of one stone, about 7 feet high (placed
on a single stone, about 2 feet square, and the same in height), sur-
mounted by a modern gilt ball and cross. Besides the church
(which is interesting to the tourist as the burial-place of Shenstone),
there are two meeting houses and a grammar-school in the town.
The church, a large and ancient edifice, built at different periods,
consists of three aisles, the ground-plan being a parallelogram. From
the centre arises a plain but neat embattled tower, divided into three
70 Shropshire.
stories, supporting a slender and rather elegant spire. The north
porch is built of brick, but the south one is of the same kind of stone
as the rest of the church. Under the eaves of this porch project
stones at equal distances, each ornamented with a grotesque head or
animal ; the door leading from it into the body of the church, as
well as that at the west end, are good specimens of the style called
Saxon, consisting of a head of circular receding arches, adorned with
zigzag bands. Over the western door is a long narrow lancet-shaped
window, and by the side of it a neat tablet to the memory of James
Augustus and Linnaeus Brisco, sons of James Augustus and Elizabeth
Hunter; the one died in 1809, aged thirteen years and six months,
the other in 1811, aged seventeen years and seven months; also of
their four brothers and two sisters, who died in their infancy. A few
feet above the chancel window, the tracery of which has been re-
moved, is a row of eight small Saxon arches ; and several grotesque
carvings are to be observed in different parts of the church.
The interior is plain. The unceiled roof, the low Saxon arches in
the choir, together with the dilapidated state of the pews in the body,
many of which are carved, present a very antique appearance. The
choir is divided from the body of the church by a wooden partition,
and is by far the most ancient, for its roof, as before mentioned, is
supported by Saxon arches, while that of the body is upheld by
lofty pointed ones. The chancel is also separated by a Saxon
arch ; over it are the Royal arms and the Decalogue; the Creed and
Lord's Prayer are in the north aisle. There are several tablets of
charitable donations. The pulpit is curiously carved. A gallery
was erected against the partition the whole breadth of the church, in
1735, as is seen by an inscription in front of it.
In the south aisle of the choir is the font, of great antiquity ;
it consists of a circular basin, standing on a low massy pillar, raised
on a step about a foot high ; four human figures are placed at equal
distances round the basin, each supported by a slender column.
Near it is a white marble monument, commemorative of Rebecca
Powel, wife of William Powel, Esq., who died in [847, and her two
grand-daughters.
In the north aisle is a tablet to the memory of William Hinchley,
who was for fifty- eight years a faithful servant and friend in the
family of James Male, Esq., of Belle-vue in this parish. He died in
1812, aged seventy-two.
The altar is composed of a slab of white marble supported by an
iron frame-work. Against the east end of the north aisle are the
remains of an ancient fresco painting : in one part the Virgin is seen
wilh the infant Jesus ; in another a man leaning on a gallows with a
bishop standing beside him ; in a third compartment are several
figures in a ship, doubtless alluding to the history of Christ's stilling
the tempest. Portions of other figures are plainly discernible.
Halesowen. 7 1
Immediately beneath is an inscription to the memory of the Rev.
William Hume, vicar of the parish eleven years, who died in 1721 ;
also of the Rev. Thomas Jukes, vicar, twenty-four years, who died
in 1779.
In the same aisle in one of the pews is a stone, upright, against
the wall, in memory of several members of a family named Cox of
Cradley in this parish. The inscriptions on the floor are numerous.
Jos. CHATTAWAY.
[1791, Part //., pp. 1097, 1098.]
The enclosed (Plate III., Fig. 4) is a slight but true sketch of the
lid or cover of a stone coffin, found about four years since, inverted,
beneath the pavement at the manor-house at Hales Owen Abbey, in
Shropshire. It is now fixed against a wall there for the inspection of
the curious antiquaries ; none of whom, though many have visited it,
have given a decided opinion as to what the sculpture may allude.
The figure on his knees (which do not touch the steps under him),
with uplifted hands, seems, by the little square grate fronting him, to
be a penitent in the act of confession. The book open beneath, and
the crucifixion above, are merely emblematical. The star and crescent
at top may be supposed to have appeared during the eclipse of the
sun at the time of Christ's passion. The star is a mint-mark upon
the later coins of Henry III., who granted the lands to Peter de
Rupibus, Bishop of Winchester, who founded this monastery for an
abbot and Praemonstratensian canons, in 1218.*
Your correspondent G, page 722, supposes the Leasowes, the birth-
place of Shenstone, in Shropshire, to be surrounded by Worcestershire
and Warwickshire ; but the Leasowes is surrounded for more than a
mile by various farms and lands belonging to Shropshire only. One
or two hamlets of Hales Owen parish belong to Worcestershire ; ten
or a dozen more to Shropshire : but insulated districts of various
counties are common throughout the kingdom. L. H.
[1797, Part II., pp. 738, 739.]
The enclosed drawing (Plate II.) is a view of St. Kenelm's Chapel,
situated on the south-east side of Clent Hill, in the parish of Hales
Owen, and county of Salop; although part of the chapel-yard is said
to be in Staffordshire. On the other side the hill is Hagley, the
beautiful seat of Lord Lyttelton.
Kenelm was the only son of Kenulf, King of the Mercians, who
died 819. Kenelm, then a child of about seven years of age, was
murdered by the artifice of his eldest sister, Quendrida, assisted by
the young king's guardian, or tutor, Ascobert, who took him into
Clent Wood, under pretence of hunting, and there cut off his head,
and buried him under a thorn-tree. The author of " Polychronicon "
* Nash's "Worcestershire," vol. i., p. 510.
72 Shropshire.
says that the corpse was thrown into a well. Several old historians
mention the murder of this prince, and the miraculous manner of
its discovery. Concerning the latter, William of Malmesbury and
Matthew of Westminster give the following legendary account:
"After the perpetration of this bloody deed, the inhuman sister soon
seized the kingdom, and prohibited all inquiry after her lost brother.
But this horrible fact, concealed in England, was made known at
Rome by a supernatural revelation; for, on the altar of St. Peter
there, a white dove let fall a paper, on which, in golden letters, was
inscribed both the death of Kenelm and the place of his burial, viz. :
" ' In CUnt Coto-batchc, ^fUiulme lung heame lji)£ih ttnber a thoriu, luatob
& bmafrcb.'
"The Roman priests and monks could not understand the
inscription ; but an Englishman, being accidentally present, inter-
preted it to the following effect :
11 ' In Clent cow-pasture, under a thorn,
Of head bereft, lies Kenelm, king born.'
Upon which the Pope sent over an envoy to the English kings, to
inform them concerning the murdered Kenelm. The whole being
thus miraculously revealed, the body was taken out of the hole where
it had been hid, and with great solemnity carried to Winchelcombe,
in Gloucestershire, of his father's foundation, and there honourably
buried." The present chapel is supposed to stand where the body
was found; and the well, which was said to gush out at the time, is
now dry, and nearly hid with weeds and briers. The chapel consists
of only one aisle, and its interior is very plain. It is maintained by
the parish of Hales Owen, and has divine service performed in it
only once each Lord's-day. It is a donative of Hagley, and generally
given to the rector of that place in conjunction with Frankley Chapel.
The views hence are fine ; the Leasowes, the beautiful seat of the
plaintive Shenstone, stands just in front. See his twenty-third elegy :
" Born near the scene for Kenelm's fate renown'd,
I take my plaintive reed, and range the grove,
And raise my lay, and bid the rocks resound
The savage force of empire and of love.
" Fast by the centre of yon various wild,
Where spreading oaks embow'r a Gothic fane,
Kendrida's arts a brother's youth beguil'd ;
There Nature urg'd her tenderest pleas in vain."
Although this place consists only of a few farm-houses, and the
roads are deep and dirty that lead to it, there is a fair held there on
July 28 annually, for cheese, etc. At the wake held there, called
Kenelm's wake, alias Crab wake, there is a singular custom of pelting
each other with crabs; and even the clergyman seldom escapes, as
he goes to, or comes from, the chapel. As I have never heard any
Halesowen.
73
reason assigned for this whimsical custom, I shall be glad of any
information. D. P.
[1802, Part II. , p. 1177.]
Having given a very accurate north-west view of St. Kenelm's
Chapel, I am induced to send you a south-east view of that remark-
able structure. The other view was accompanied with a legendary
account of St. Kenelm ; with this, you have a few observations on
the building, etc.
The general appearance of the building seems not of higher
antiquity than Henry III.'s time; but the south entrance, over
which is some ancient sculpture, is undoubtedly part of the old
Saxon Chapel, which was erected soon after the discovery of King
Kenelm's body. The tower is a very elegant specimen of Gothic
architecture. On the outside the chapel wall, fronting the south, is
carved a rude figure of a child, with two of his fingers lifted up, in
the ancient form of giving the benediction. Above the head of the
figure is carved a crown, which projects considerably from the wall ;
no doubt the whole was intended to represent St. Kenelm ; see
Fig. 2. As this chapel was never privileged with the right of sepulture,
no monuments or inscriptions appear, nor are there any arms, etc.,
in the windows. Fig. 3 represents the end of a seat facing the south
entrance, which seems the only original seat left, the other being of
modern erection.
The following is an inventory of the plate, etc., which belonged to
St. Kenelm's Chapel, before the dissolution :
A lytyll shryne with odur relyques therein.
A heade of Seynt Kenelme, sylver and gylt.
A crown e of sylver and gylt, with a cepter of sylver.
A pyx of sylver.
A chalys gyld with pax-brede sylver and gyld.
A schypp of sylver for incense. D. PARKES.
[1795, Part I., p. 457.]
The enclosed (Plate I., Fig. i) is a drawing of the ruinated priory
at the Leasowes, in Shropshire, erected by the late worthy Mr. Shen-
stone. It was intended by Mr. S. as an object from several points
of view in the grounds, and it certainly has a good effect.
The Leasowes being so generally known, any description would
be superfluous; but the following elegant inscription may be accept-
able to some of your readers. It is in a root-house facing a romantic
cascade, and was written and placed there by a late possessor of the
place (E. Horne, Esq.) :
"GULIELMO SHENSTONE, ARMIG°. QU1 PRIMUS HUJUSCE RURIS AMOENI-
TATES (NEC GRATAS OLIM, NEC COGNITAS) INGENIO SUO INDAGAVIT, MORIBUS
COMMENDAV1T, LITERIS EXORNAVIT, SEDEM CUM R1VULO DICAVIT E. H."
A. n.
74 Shropshire.
[1804, Part //., //. 802, 803.]
I send you an inscription formerly on an urn at the Leasowes,
placed there by the amiable bard of the place to his brother, Mr.
Joseph Shenstone :
" Fratri ejus unico fratrum amantissimo, juvenum suassimo hominum integer-
rimo. MDCCLII.
Postquam te fata tulerunt
Ipsa pales agros, atque ipse reliquit Apollo."
The urn was removed some years since by Mr. Home, the then
possessor, and placed facing the root-house and romantic cascade
which he dedicated to the poet, and inscribed the urn, "Genio loci."
D. P.
[1807, Part //.,/. 809.]
The enclosed is a drawing of the urn (see Plate II.) erected by
Mr. Shenstone, at the Leasowes, to the memory of his friend Somer-
ville, the poet ; and as it hath been admired for its elegant simplicity,
I shall be glad to see it preserved in your Magazine, as the stone
seems considerably decayed, and in time a representation on paper
will be all that will remain. The inscription on the pedestal as
under :
"INGENIO ET AMICITIAE GVLIELMI SOMERVILLE, G. S. POSVIT. Debita
spargens lacryma favillam Vatis amici."
Fig. 2 is a sepulchral stone found under the gallery staircase, on
taking down the old church of Meole Brace, near Shrewsbury, in
1799. The length 2 feet 8 inches, breadth at top i foot if inches,
at bottom 9^ inches. The sculpture of it will bear the appellation,
extremely rude. May not the cross placed over the circle allude to
Druidism being superseded by Christianity? The observations of
your antiquarian friends are requested.
Fig. 3. Sculpture, formerly at St. Margaret's Well, an ancient holy
well in the township of Hasbury, in the parish of Hales Owen. Dr.
Nash, in his " History of Worcestershire," gives the following account
of it : " One of the stones contained some curious sculpture ; the
figure of a man (in the first compartment) in the posture of hasty
walking ; in the next compartment, that of another man leaning on
crutches. From hence we may fairly conclude that the sanative
virtue of good cold water (for it is impregnated with no mineral as I
could discover), especially when accompanied with exercise and a
strong faith in St. Margaret, was sometimes effectual here in the cure
of lame and otherwise disordered persons." A. II.
[1810, Part /., p. 424.]
In a late visit to the Leasowes, I was sorry to observe several seats
destroyed, and the inscriptions no more to be seen, which formerly
adorned scenes for which they were so well adapted, probably
Halesowen.
through the negligence or caprice of the different possessors. As I
many years back, took an accurate copy of everything at that cele-
brated Ferme ornee> as left by the poet Shenstone, I have enclosed
such inscriptions as in all probability will never be restored, except a
person of true Shenstonian genius should once more possess the
place.
In the centre of a fine clump of beech-trees was a seat thus in-
scribed :
"IOSKPHO SPENCE, F.XIMIO NOSTRO CRITONI ; CVI DICARI VELLET MVSARVM
OMNIVM ET GRATIARVM CHORVS, DICAT AMICITIA. MDCCLVIII."
On the back of a seat, in the shrubbery near the house, was the
following inscription :
"AMICITIAE ET MERITIS RICHARDI GRAVES: IPSAE TE, TITYRE, PINVS,
1PSI TE FONTES, IPSA HAEC ARBVSTA VOCABANT."
A little farther on, upon another seat, was :
"AMICITIAE ET MERITIS RICHARDI JAGO."
A. n.
[181 1, Part //.,/. 309.]
Plate I., Fig. i, represents the house formerly at the Leasowes, near
Hales Owen, in which William Shenstone, Esq., was born A.D. 1714 ;
this is from a drawing by the poet in my possession taken in 1744.
This house, by considerable additions and alterations, aided by the
ingenuity and taste of Shenstone, was rendered a very respectable
dwelling, and remained till 1775, when it was entirely taken down,
and an elegant modern house erected. D. PARKES.
[1823, Part //.,/. 105.]
The enclosed drawing is a view of the Leasowes as it appeared in
the time of the late Mr Shenstone, and as there is not any engraved
view of it in that state, I am induced to consign this to your care, not
doubting but many will be much pleased with the representation.
(See Plate I.)
Dr. Johnson insinuates that the poet's house was mean and much
neglected, which was not by any means correct; for, as his friend
Graves observes : " There was the same genius discovered in im-
proving his house as in whatever else he undertook ; for he often
made his operators perform what they represented as impracticable."
He gave his hall a considerable magnificence by sinking the floor
and giving it an altitude of 12 feet instead of 9 feet. By his own good
taste and mechanical skill he acquired several very respectable, it not
elegant, rooms, from a mere farmhouse of diminutive dimensions.
Several of the rooms were fitted up in the Gothic style, in which he
evinced great taste ; and one was painted to imitate trellis-work,
overhung with hazel-trees, etc. This room produced the following
anecdote : Mr. Baskerville, who was intimate with Shenstone, one
76 Shropshire.
day took his friend Dr. S 11 to see the Leasowes. After admiring
the tasteful disposition of the grounds, Mr. Shenstone conducted
them into the house to take some refreshment, which was prepared
in the room alluded to. " How admirably this apartment is fitted
up!" exclaimed Dr. S . "Those surely cannot be artificial"
(pointing to one of the painted walls) — "they must be real hazel-
nuts." " Wall-nuts, if you please," replied Mr. B. dryly. For once
the sombre countenance of Shenstone disappeared, and, after various
efforts to suppress a smile, he at length left the room in a complete
laugh ; and was not less pleased on his return at Dr. S 's elegantly
concluding the conversation by saying : " Whatever the nuts may be,
this I am sure of, that I may here exclaim with Voltaire : ' II n'y
est jamais une annee sans printemps, un printemps sans fleurs.' "
The house remained till 1766, when it was entirely demolished,
and the present characteristic mansion erected by Edward Home,
Esq., the then possessor.
The ruinated priory on the left was erected by Mr. Shenstone, and
one apartment fitted up with the arms of his friends on Gothic
shields, and decorated with various antique reliques.
DR. PARKES.
Harley.
[1853, Part /.,//. 50-52.]
The old church of Harley, Shropshire, so long associated with
the name of the Rev. Benjamin Jenks,* was an object strikingly
picturesque to the traveller as he journeyed from the town of Wenlock
to Shrewsbury. It consisted of a tower, nave, north aisle, and
chancel. The walls were of red stone, partly covered with clusters
of ivy, and further overshadowed by a venerable yew-tree of large
girth.
The masonry of the nave had evidently been raised 4 feet above
its original height, and was flanked by two buttresses, to which, as
indication of weakness became apparent in the building, an addition
of stone-work was placed, until each presented an unique, ill-shapen
mass. A porch of timber frame-work stood before the south door-
way— a low arch of the earliest Pointed style. Above this, in the
roof, was a high-pitched dormer-window of the time of Charles II.
The eastern end of the chancel was pierced by three well-propor-
tioned lancet-windows, and, on the north side, were two round-
headed loop-holes, 5 inches in width, but splayed internally to the
extent of 3 feet. The tower appears to have been erected upon an
old foundation, and probably, from its debased style, early in the
sixteenth century. It is of freestone, and finished with a plain
embattled parapet and pyramidical roof. Each face of the belfry-
story shows a window of two lights, with heads nearly semicircular.
In the basement is a late Perpendicular window of three lights ; and
* See Gentleman's Magazine, 1852, Part II., p. 605.
Harley. 77
within a pointed arch, springing from square piers, opens into the
nave.
The interior of the building had altogether a primitive simplicity.
A small pointed arch of the thirteenth century divided the nave
from the chancel ; and four octangular columns of timber, roughly
worked, and resting on square stone pedestals, supported the roof of
the former on the north side, forming an opening to a narrow aisle,
built probably in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and, as tradition
relates, by the family of Harnage of Belswardine (an adjoining town-
ship in the parish of Leighton), for their convenience in attending
Divine worship, and where, in a vault beneath, several members of
the same family have been interred.* In the east wall was a square-
headed window, divided by a mullion into two trefoiled lights. The
pulpit and desk were of the time of Charles I. ; the former octangular
and panelled in upper and lower compartments, with a lozenge and
sunk flower in each. The roof was open, and from the principals
were suspended carved pendents of fir-cones. The font, large and
cylindrical without ornament, stood on a round base, and, with the
ancient oaken parish chest, has been removed.
Within the basement of the tower is preserved a finely-executed
monumental brass, which formerly rested on the floor of the church.
It displays a male figure in armour, bareheaded, with his lady attired
in a horizontally-framed head-dress, each having the hands joined on
the breast, as in prayer. The former is clothed in a suit of plate-
armour of elegant design, the head reposing on a tilting-helmet.
Around his neck is the livery collar of SS. The sword is suspended
on the left side by a belt crossing the loins diagonally. On his right
side is the anelace, or dagger. Below his feet is the following inscrip-
tion in black letter :
Putrida lapsa caro cosumit vt fun9 agro
Came cu flato de9 erigat ethere claro
Et cui p dextra ponai corde repulsa
Gta afiexa sit lacryma semp avulsa.
Quisquis eris qui trasieris sta plege plora
Su quod eris fuerao^, quod es p me pcor ora
Mors vita mactat aiam xpscfce revivat
Terram tra tegat spiritus alta petat.
* The church of Leighton being situated at a distance on the opposite side of
the River Severn, access thereto was at some periods of the year, in consequence
of floods, difficult and dangerous, and by road very circuitous. The Shropshire
family of Harnage derived its name from a neighbouring hamlet in the parish of
Cound, and became resident at Belswardine 33 Henry VIII., when Thomas
Harnage purchased it from Sir John Dudley, afterwards Viscount Lisle, Earl of
Warwick, and Duke of Northumberland. The present representative of the
family is Sir George Harnage, of Belswardine, Baronet.
78 Shropshire.
Small figures of eight sons and five daughters with their hands
clasped stand beneath the effigies of their parents, and between
these are the following armorial bearings : i. Lacon. Quarterly, per
fess indented, ermine and azure, in the first quarter a bird ; impaling,
Sable, three bends argent. . . . and, Argent, on a chief or a raven
proper (Hood).
This memorial probably denotes Sir Richard Lacon, Sheriff of
Shropshire, 17 Edward IV. (1477), and 2 Henry VII., who married
Alice, daughter of Thomas Hood. There was a shield of stained
glass with the arms of Lacon in the south window in 1736. The
name previously to 1534 was written Laken, or Lakyn.
The fabric above noticed being deemed ruinous, it was resolved in
1 8 5 to rebuild the same, with the exception of the tower. For this
purpose a subscription was commenced, towards which his Grace the
Duke of Cleveland (patron of the living), Sir George Harnage, Bart.,
and other individuals liberally contributed; and the Rev. John
Gibbons, rector of the parish, undertook to rebuild the chancel.
The new edifice is from a design by Mr. S. P. Smith, of Shrewsbury,
and composed of stone found in the vicinity. It comprises a nave
and chancel ; the former, 43 feet in length, has three windows on the
north and two on the south side, of double lights, in the Perpen-
dicular style ; the chancel is 22 feet long and terminated by triple
lancet windows, the head of the centre division rising higher than
the side lights, and resting internally on slender columns. This
contains tastefully-painted subjects in stained glass of the "Salutation "
and the " Nativity," copied from designs by Guido, and the " Flight
into Egypt " from Rubens, the others being filled with rich mosaic
designs. These, with five more windows of foliated patterns, were
the gift of the late Rev. Richard Scott, of Shrewsbury, and executed
by Mr. D. Evans, of that town. A good pointed arch separates the
nave from the chancel, and the pews of the old church have been
refitted and placed along the side wails, the middle space being
occupied with free sittings. Divine service commenced in the new
church July 5, 1846.
There are no registers at Harley earlier than the year 1745 ; there-
fore I have no means of noticing the rectors of the parish before
those that follow, viz. :
1668. Benjamin Jenks.
1724. J. Painter.
1747. James Dewhurst.
1781. Edmund Dana.
1803. John Gibbons.
The situation of the village is on the slope of high flat land (hence
probably its name), near the base of the precipitous barrier of Wen-
lock Edge. Helgot was possessed of Harlege at the time of the
Harley. 79
compilation of Domesday. Richard de Harley, 30 Edward L, had
a grant of free warren in Harley, Kenley, Wylely, and other manors.
He married Burga, grand-daughter and heiress of Warner de Wilileg,
and was ancestor of the Harleys, Earls of Oxford. Sir Richard
Lacon, Sheriff of Shropshire in 1415, having married Elizabeth,
daughter and heir of Hammond Peshall, who had married Alice, the
daughter and heir of Sir Robert de Harley, Knt., ot Wyleley, the old
Shropshire estates of the Harleys were separated from the name.
The manor now belongs to the Duke of Cleveland.
Tradition states that there was formerly a castle at Harley; a
residence in the village is still called Castle Hill, and which is con-
nected with a small estate (tithe free), the property of Samuel Meire,
Esq., who derived it from his maternal ancestors.
Silas Domville, alias Taylor, a great lover of antiquities, was born
at Harley. He wrote a "History of Gavelkind " (London, 1663),
and several pamphlets in the time of the Rebellion. He also pub-
lished a description of Harwich, at which place he was keeper of the
stores, and where he died in the year 1678.
HENRY PIDGEON.
Haughmond.
[1813, Part I L, pp. 539, 54O.]
Haughmond Abbey, about four miles north-east of Shrewsbury,
was an abbey of Canons Regular, whose retired situation was suited to
the solemnities of religion, and whose now scattered remains attract
not the notice of a common observer. The standing ruins are
principally the once habitable parts : the only fragment of the church
or its appendages remaining is the chapter-house, and the original
Saxon entrance to the church from the cloisters ; but these two
fragments leave us to guess at the magnificence of what has been
destroyed ; and we cannot but lament the loss of any part of so
curious and interesting a specimen of architecture. The scattered
fragments of capitals, bosses, arches, and mouldings, as perfect as if
just finished, lie neglected about the ruins ; they are exquisite and
delicate both in design and execution — which make us sensibly feel
for their present useless and unornamental situation. The door
leading from the cloisters to the church is semicircular; the pro-
portions are elegant, the ornaments few, but chastely disposed, and
bespeak an age when sculpture was at great perfection. The cornice
(or rather moulding) is an 'assemblage of the most intricate and
beautiful patterns of leaves and stalks entwined ; and a row of
curious intersected zigzag, springing from the outer column, and
continued round the arch, are all the ornaments contained in the
archivolt. The piers of the doorway have two columns on each side,
with bases and highly-decorated capitals of heads and leaves ; between
which, on either side, under ornamented canopies, are two finely-
8o Shropshire.
executed statues of St. Peter and St. Paul, the former on the right
side, the latter on the left, measuring in the extreme height 5 feet.
Fortunately they have both escaped with very little injury, except
the prominent features of the faces, which are partly destroyed ; in
other respects, the hands, feet, and drapery are perfect ; the folds of
the latter in both figures are beautiful specimens of diversified forms,
and examples worthy of imitation. We now turn our attention to
the chapter-house, whose triple arches in front, of Saxon workmanship,
have a most majestic and dignified appearance; on nearer approach
we are struck with the singularity of design, and filled with admiration
at the invention displayed, in almost every part, and the variety of
ornaments that decorate them. In every figure we find a lesson, and
every part speaks its utility. The centre arch of entrance has no
ornaments, except one row of leaves in the outer moulding or cornice :
the side arches, though unlike in themselves, yet partake of the same
simplicity ; the left has no ornaments at all, and the right but one
row like the centre, though of different pattern, and the mouldings
different from either of the other arches. They are supported by
columns whose capitals are from the simplest to the most ornamented
kind ; the side arches are filled in with two pointed arches of Saxon
mouldings, resting on capitals and columns of the same age ; these
were undoubtedly to lighten this end of the room, in the original
chapter-house.* From the introduction of the pointed arches above
mentioned, we may perhaps guess with some degree of accuracy the
date of the building, which cannot be rated much higher than the
reign of Henry II. On the different piers between the columns are
whole-length statues of saints, bishops, and kings, standing on
pedestals of crowned heads, birds, beasts, etc. These figures are
finely executed, and almost every feature in their faces perfect ; but
it is truly lamentable to observe, that within these few months, not
only features have been partially obliterated, but one of the heads
nearly destroyed. It is somewhat remarkable that the internal part
of this building is left entire; that is to say, the room remains
perfect, though filled with rubbish : this is of modern construction,
and perhaps built but a few years before the time approached when
it was to be no longer preserved for its sacred purposes, but degraded
as a hovel to shelter cattle from the inclemency of the weather. Its
form is a long square, with an angular bow window at the east end
the roof flat, of timber, divided each way into numerous compart-
ments, forming panels, the recesses of which are nearly a foot in
depth. The walls and beams are of excessive thickness ; the latter
* It is worthy of remark that the original Saxon chapter-house for some reason
was taken down, and by the extent of the west front must have been of large
dimensions. In rebuilding it, it was not thought necessary to have it so large as
before, and the side walls were built against the two original windows, half of
which are consequently stopped up, the other half remain open.
Haughmond.
cut into a variety of mouldings, and seem constructed as if to remain
a thousand years ; the fine old oak colour adds to its venerable
appearance. Beyond these two curious fragments my observations
did not extend ; compelled to leave by the approach of night ; but,
anxious to preserve a faint representation of such valuable relics, I
walked round the habitable walls, for every part demands attention,
each portion offering fresh delight from the variety of styles of our
ancient architecture. A noble fragment of the magnificent hall
remains, a fine example of masonry ; the windows are of exquisite
but simple design, the whole south range of which are perfect. The
gable end also still subsists, with two venerable turrets at its base,
over whose crumbling sides the ivy creeps, while its hollow recesses
are a sure refuge for those of the feathered tribe who delight in ruins.
In a room near the hall was an enriched oriel window, which till
lately remained perfect; its unprotected and delicate tracery weathered
many a pitiless storm, till at last the tottering Irame gave way, and
above half now lies in ruins.
It now becomes the painful task to notice the existing state of
these valuable ruins. At the same time it must be observed that
means have been adopted to which we are principally indebted for
the standing of some of the most valuable fragments. The supposed
entrance to the church from the cloisters is in the north wall, adjoin-
ing the north-west angle, and is protected by that wall, the whole
length of which is nearly perfect, and a part of the north wall forms
a buttress to the right pier of the arch ; part of the head of the arch
is unprotected, and it is only owing to the superior masonry that it
still subsists against the weather, not a joint being scarcely visible,
or an ornament imperfect. Walking from thence to the chapter-
house, we step upon the ruins of the low-laid wall of the church,
which lie scattered in hillocks over the site where once they raised
themselves with dignity and solemn magnificence. The west front
of the chapter-house is somewhat disfigured by two very strong
buttresses, which have been built against the tottering walls at the
extreme angles for its support ; without these, we should probably,
ere this, have had to lament the falling of this most curious and
principal feature of the whole ruin. To counteract the pressure of
these, two might be built inside against the piers of the great arch ;
such an addition could not disfigure the internal appearance, and
would materially add to its safety, the standing of which is at
present doubtful, the inner line forming a bow of 6 or 8 inches, and
the masonry fractured in many places. Near the north side of the
chapter-house are still to be seen small memorials, which covered the
ashes of the deceased who were buried in the choir of the church,
whose graves are now exposed, and trampled on by cattle who come
to feed on the turf which, by length of time, has grown around. The
shattered fragments of an oriel before mentioned, from its delicacy of
VOL. XXII. 6
82 Shropshire.
design, gives us little reason to hope that it can subsist much longer
in so ruinous and hair falling condition as it is now in ; still, we may
venture to say that, if nothing of less incongruous appearance than
buttresses were built against it, it would long remain to be admired
by the curious. Though this may in some measure be considered a
defect, yet, if it preserves the last few stones from oblivion, it should
be done ; for what ought we not to do to rescue from destruction
and hand down to posterity such noble works as make us acquainted
with the skill and magnificence of former ages ? But let a due share
of praise be given for what has already been done ; it is an instance
rarely met with, and an example worthy of imitation. B. C.
Hawkstone.
[1797, Part L, p. 377.]
The enclosed drawing (Plate II., Fig. i) is a representation of the
column lately erected on the terrace in Hawkstone Park, county
Salop, the seat of Sir Richard Hill, B irt. The statue on the top of
the column represents the great person ige alluded to in the inscrip-
tion, in his Lord Mayor's gown and other insignia of office, holding
the Magna Charta in his hand. From the base of the pedestal to
the top of the statue is no feet; a beautiful and grand piece of
workmanship. Indeed, whatever is done here by art should be
great, for at Hawkstone Nature has been profusely lavish. The
inscription, which is graven on a brass plate on the south side of
the pedestal, was written by the worthy pjssessor of the place.
D. S. P.
Hodnet.
[1821, Part IL.pp. 393-395-]
The communication enclosed contains some account of Hodnet,
in the hundred of Bradford North, 13 miles north-east of Shrews-
bury, on the road to Drayton.
Llomarchus, or Llowarchus, a Welsh poet, uses the word Hyd-
nydh for the name of a place, which Mr. Llwyd conjectures to be
Hodnet ; others are of opinion the name is Saxon, from OJo, the
owner, or some person of note before the Conquest. Earl Roger
held Odenett, which gave name to the hundred in Domesday that
has since gone under the name of Bradford North. That Earl held
here a presbyter and a prepositus. A presentment was made by a
jury at the assizes in the 56th of Henry III. touching the forest
of Hodnet. George de Cantelupe, Baron of Bergeveney in the ist
of Edward I. was seised of this manor, as one of the fees appendant
to the barony of Montgomery. It appears that this George had two
sisters, his coheirs — Johanna, married to John de Hastings ; and
Millecent, married to Eudo De-la-Zouch — who hid for their pro-
perty one knight's fee, which Odo de Hodnet held in Hodnet. In
the 2oth of Edward I. a qno-warranto was brought against William
Ho duet. 83
de Hodnet for holding a market, and claiming the emendations of
assize of bread and beer, with the liberty of free warren in the manor
of Hodnet. For plea he produced his charters, and so was dismissed
with honour. The jury at the same assizes found that the ser-
jeantry of William de Hodnet was to be steward of the castle of
Montgomery, and to defend the outworks of the castle with his
family and servants, and that the serjeantry had been given to his
ancestors by Robert de Belesme, Earl of Shrewsbury. The daughter
and heir of William de Hodenet was married to William de Ludlow.
In the 23rd of Edward III. Lawrence de Ludlow, son and heir of
Maud, wife of William de Ludlow, paid iocs, for the relief of his
manor of Hodenyth, holden by the service of one knight's fee,
by Lawrence de Ludlow, chevalier in Hodnet. In the igth of
Richard II. William la Zouch de Harringforth, Knt, was seised of
this manor. Escheat in the 22nd of Richard II. Roger de Mortimer,
Earl of Marsh, was seised of the whole knight's fee of John de
Ludlow in Hodnet In the igth of Henry VII. Gilbert Talbot did
homage for this manor. In the 32nd of Henry VIII. Thomas
Madlicote and Henry Townrowe did homage and fealty, " pro situ
de Hodnet manerii." In the i4th of Elizabeth, the Queen gave
permission to John de Vernon and Elizabeth his wife to alienate
this manor to Walter, Earl of Essex, and his heirs. In the 2nd of
James I. Sir Robert Vernon, Knt., makes an alienation hereof to
Robert Needham, Esq., and others. In the i2th of Charles II.
Henry Vernon of Hodnet was created a baronet of this kingdom.*
Henrietta Vernon, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Vernon
of Hodnet, died in 1752, and bequeathed the manor and advowson
of Hodnet, with other estates, to her cousin, Elizabeth Heber, wife
of Thomas Heber, Esq., of Marlon, in Yorkshire, in whose family
they still remain, being now in the possession of Richard Heber,
Esq., M.P. for the University of Oxford.
Hodnet Church (see Plate I.), situated on a gentle eminence, is a
handsome structure, of considerable antiquity, bat, like many of our
old churches, several of the windows are bereft of their tracery and
mullions, and fitted up with modern glazing, which detracts much
from its venerable aspect. It is a rectory in the deanery of Newport,
dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. The church consists of a north
and south aisle, divided by six pillars, five circular and one oc-
tangular, which support five circular and two obtusely pointed
arches, with plain lined capitals. In the south chancel are three
trefoil-headed stone stalls ; the north and south chancel have the
old panelled oak ceilings with flowered bosses. Betwixt the south
aisle and chancel the king's arms are placed, with the date 1660.
Near the south door is a large octagonal stone font, and opposite,
against the wall, a box, inscribed " Remember the Poore." In the
* Mr. Dovaston's MSS.
6—2
84 Shropshire.
north chancel is an ancient reading-desk, on which are chained, in
very old bindings, Erasmus's " Paraphrase upon the Gospells,"
"The Booke of Martyres," "The Defence of the Apologie of the
Churche of Englande," and Stanhope's " Christian Patterne."
The tower, which is in the form of an octagon, contains six bells.
The following are the principal monumental memorials in Hodnet
Church :
On a large blue stone in the floor of the north chancel :
"Sepulchre of the HILLS of HAWKSTONE, ah Anno 1500."
Against the north wall of the chancel is a handsome monument
of the pyramidal form, containing the arms of Hill, and on the base-
ment the following inscription :
"Subtus inter avos, et proavos, jacet RICHARDUS HILL, de Hawkstone, filius,
nepos, ahnepos, frafer, et avunculus Rolandorum, notus in suos animi paterni.
Qui per novem annos Regis Gulielmi Quaestor in Belgio, et ad plures reversus
Commissionarius fuit Regis Thesauri usque ; ad obitum magni istius Regis ; sub
initium veto Annse, unus e quatuor Consiliariis a Serenissimo Principe Georgio
Daniae pro rebus Admiralitatis constitutus, sed alam illis navabat operam, donee
ab Augustissima Regina ultra Alpes, cum plena potestate missus ablegatus
Extraordinarius ad omnes Italise Principes preter Romanum Pontificem, cum
Victore Amedo Duce Sabaudise postea Rege Sicilice magni et invicti, Animi
Principe foedus felicissimum fecerit. Hie tandem spe resurgenHi requiescit Militia;
fessus et Viarum. Hie sibi monumentum F. A. D. MDCCXXVI. aetat. suae
LXVIII. — Vixi, et quem dederat cursum Deus ipse peregi.
" Arms : Ermine, on a fess sable a casile argent. Crest : A tower argent,
surmounted with a garland of laurel proper. Motto : AVANCEZ."
On a handsome monument of white marble against the north
wall:
11 Near this place lie the remains of Sir ROWLAND HILL, of HAWKSTONE, Bart.,
who, having represented the city of Lichfield in two Parliaments, chose to retire
from the more public scenes of life and spend his days in his native county.
Actuated by motives of humanity and public spirit, he found constant employment
for the poor on an extensive demesne ; and while he displayed his taste in im-
proving the place upon which his ancestors had long resided, he promoted
industry, and showed the benevolence of his heart. In his intercourse with man-
kind in general, and with all in particular, who vi-ited his hospitable mansion,
there appeared such consistency of deportment as made him an admired pattern
of every moral and social virtue. His reputation, unsullied by one ignoble action,
justly entitled him to universal respect ; his condescension and gentleness of
manners, added to his works of kindness an 1 charity, endeared him to neighbours,
domestics, and dependents of every description. When his departure from this
world was approaching, the Gospel of Peace, on which he had formed his
principles, and by which he had regulated the tenor of his life, yielded him support
and comfort, and opened, through the merits of his blessed Redeemer, the prospect
of a better country, on which he entered the 7th day of August, 1783, in the 78th
year of his age.
" By JANE, daughter of Sir BRIAN BROUGHTON, of Broughton, in Staffordshire,
Bart., a prudent and affectionate wife and tender mother, he left six sons and two
daughters. After her decease he married MARY, daughter of German Pole, Esq.,
of Radbourn, in Derbyshire, and relict of the late THOMAS POWYS, Esq., of
Berwick, with whom he lived near seven years in great conjugal felicity. His
eldest son, now Sir RICHARD HILL, Bart., one of the Knights of the Shire for
the county, hath erected this monument to the memory of his highly honoured and
justly beloved parents."
Hodnet. 85
Against the south wall of the north chancel is a monument of
white marble ; the tablet, which contains the inscriptions, supports a
vase with loose drapery :
" In memory of Sir RICHARD HIIL, Bart., of Hawkstone, in this county, eldest
son of Sir ROWLAND HILL, Bart., and in several successive Parliaments one of
the representatives of the same, who, in the lively hope of a blessed resurrection,
through the alone righteousness of Christ his Redeemer, resigned his soul into the
hands of his htavenly Father on the 28th day of November, in the year 1808, and
the ;6th of his own age. He doired that as little as possible might be said of
him in newspapers or on his tombstone. The character he most delighted in was
that of a sinner saved by Sovereign Grace. His religious sentiments were those
established in the Church of England at the time of ths Reformation, as expressed
in the doctrinal articles of that Church, to which he was always steadily attached,
though maintaining a truly Catholic spirit towards all good men of different
persuasions."
Against the north wall, on an elegant monument : on the upper
part a weeping female, kneeling at a tomb, with an infant; on the
basement, the following inscription :
"Sacred to the memory of JOHN HILL, Esq., eldest son of Sir John Hill, of
Hawkstone, Bart., Lieutenant-Colonel of the first Regiment of Shropshire
Yeomanry Cavalry, and one of the Magistrates of this county. He was called
from the bosom of an affectionate family to meet his God, after a few days' illness,
in the 44th year of his age ; and to lament his early removal from this life, has
left a widow, seven children, an aged father, and twelve brothers and si>ters, who
in him are bereaved of the protection of an attached and beloved friend. Zealous,
conscientious, and active in the discharge of his duty, tender and indulgent in all
his domestic relations, kind and benevolent to the poor, and ever attentive to
their wants. With a high sense of honour, he exhibited through life an example
of strict integrity and the purest morals, and has left a name \\hich will ever be
dear to his family, his friends, and the public, and long survive this frail and
imperfect record of his virtues, the last sad testimony of the affection, gratitude,
and respect of his afflicted widow. He expired full of humble hope in Jesus Chiist,
the 27th day of January, 1814."
On an elegant monument of marble against the north wall of the
chancel is the following inscription :
" In a vault near this place rest the remains of HENRIETTA VERNON, daughter
of Sir Thomas Vernon, of Hodnet, Bart., by whose death that ancient family
became extinct. An uncommon strength and clearness of understanding, a steady
course of the sincerest piety, and a most benevolent disposition, made her worthy
of universal love and esteem.
" That some honour, though unequal to their merit, may be paid to the memory
of these her good qualities and virtues, one who was favoured with frequent and
eminent instances of her affectionate friendship and liberality, inspired by the
warmest sense of gratitude, has caused this humble record to be made. Yet whilst
we are paying this just tribute to our natural friends, let us remember that
thankfulness ought not to stop with them, but through these dear and honoured
instruments of good, raise itself up to its proper object, the Author of them, and
every good gift. To Him who both forms our hearts, and puts into our hands the
power to be His ministers of kindness and beneficence to one another, to whom,
therefore, at all times be supremely and ultimately attributed all praise and glory.
" The above-named HENRIETTA VERNON died the 25th of June, 1752, aged 69.
The manor and advowson of HODNET, with other estates in the same parish, she
bequeathed to her cousin, ELIZABETH HEBER, niece to the abovesaid Sir THOMAS
86 Shropshire.
VERNON, and wife of THOMAS HEBER, Esq., of Marlon, in Yorkshire, by whose
son this monument is erected.
•' Arms : On a lozenge argent a fret sable."
Ironbridge.
[1792, Part IL, p. 625.]
Enclosed you have a view of the iron bridge (Fig. 4) lately erected
at Coal brook Dale, on the road between Birmingham and Shrews-
bury, and which may enlarge the number of curious matters com-
prised in your valuable collection. N. J. M.
[1793, Part Il.tp. 1107.]
The iron bridge, of one arch only, over the Severn is built where
an ancient horse-ferry lately was, and is now the most public road
from Bridgnorth to Shrewsbury. The views only two miles round
are often very grand ; and the road through Much Wenlock im-
famously bad, and the inns intolerable. It was cast at Colebrook
Dale in the year 1778, erected in 1779 and 1780 — about fourteen
years less time than was occupied in building Worcester bridge.
Expansion, 90 feet within the arch ; height from the water, 40 feet,
which, with the height of the walls it is supported on, makes it near
50 feet. The road over it is covered with strong iron plates, and is
supposed to contain between 500 and 600 tons of iron. It was
built by way of tontine ; and every person pays each time he goes
over, if it be twenty times a day.
The country abounds with. coal, lime, and iron. Here are also tar
springs, mineral springs ; and gold and silver are sometimes said to be
found. The most curious manufacture is the making pitch from
coal. CHARLES CARLETON.
Leebotwood.
[1831, Part I.tpp. 393, 394.]
As a further illustration of Shropshire topography, you will receive
enclosed a view and description of the church of Leebotwood, and
of the neighbouring chapel of Longnor, which makes a pleasing
feature in Longnor Park, the residence of the Ven. Archdeacon
Corbett.
Leebotwood is a parish in the hundred of Condover, the diocese
of Lichfield and Coventry, and deanery and archdeanery of Salop.
The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an unadorned structure of
considerable antiquity. It is of one pace; the ceiling is coved;
there is a gallery at the west end ; the chancel rises one step from
the body of the church. The tower contains three bells. The
whole length of the church is 59 \ feet, the breadth 21 feet. From
the churchyard is a beautiful and extensive view, including the cele-
brated Caer Caradoc Hill. As this church may be considered the
Leebotwood. . 87
mausoleum, or at least the burying-place of the Corbetts of Longnor,
I have subjoined the several inscriptions belonging thereto.
On a brass plate in the floor, within the communion-rails :
" Here lyeth the body of THOMAS CORBRTT, of Longnor, Esq., who took to
wife Jane, one of the daughtf rs and co-heirs of Robert Morton, of Haughton, in
ye county of Salop, Esq., and had issue by her 7 sonnes and 3 daughters, and
departed this lile the 2jd of December, An0 D'ni, 1645, setatis suae 83."
On plain stones in the chancel floor :
"Here lyeth the body of GEORGE CORBETT, fifth son of Thomas Cor belt, of
Longnor, who was buried ye i8th of July, Anno D'ni 1665."
" Here lyeih ye body of HUMPHREY, the seventh son of Thomas Corbett, of
Longnor, Esq., who was buried the igth day of September, Anno Dom. 1663."
" Here lyeth the body of ELEANOR CORBETT, of Longnor, who dyed ye 1st of
December, 165..."
" Here lyes Sr UVEDALE CORBETT, Bart. Near this place lyes also the remains
of EDWARD CORBETT, Esq., second son of the above-named Sir Uvedale, who
departed this life July ye I3th, 1764, aged 66."
On a handsome monument against the north wall of the chancel :
" Beneath this marble is deposited what remains of the most worthy and
ingenious Sr UVEDALE CORBETT, Bart., who, after he had seen and known the
world, left it Oct. 22, 1701, in the 34th year of his age. He was son and heir to
the most excellent Sir Richard Corbett, by the Lady Victoria, his wife, who was
daughter and co-heiress to Sir William Uvedale, of Wickham, in the county of
Southampton. He married the Right Honble the Lady Mildred Cecil,* youngest
daughter of the Right Honble James Earl of Salisbury, by whom he had issue four
sons, Richard, Edward, Thomas, Francis, and one only daughter, Elizabeth.
*' Relictae Honorabili revera Dominse, necnon ramusculis bonus spei singulis,
omnia det Deus, nunquam non prospere." . . .
Arms : quarterly, i and 4, Or, two ravens in pale, within a bordure
gules, bezantee, Corbett of Longnor ; 2 and 3, Argent, a cross moline
gules, Uvedale; impaling, Earry of ten, argent and azure, six
escutcheons sable, each charged with a lion rampant of the first,
Cecil. Crest : a raven proper, in his beak an olive-branch vert,
fructed gules.
On a monument against the east wall of the chancel :
"In memory of Sir RICHARD CORBETT, Bart., son of Sr UVEDALE and Lady
MILDRED CORBETT, a friend to the Constitution, to liberty and toleration. He
served his county as a true patriot in many Parliaments, in his retreat as an useful
Magistrate, and a zealous patron of all such designs as promised ornament or
utility to the public. In his manners he was gentle, kind, and condescending,
engaging the love, as well as the esteem, of all who knew him. He died the 2Slh
of Septr, 1774, in the 79th year of his age, having survived his younger brother
Edward ten years, with whom through lite he had been most intimately united in
all the offices of the most tender and unreserved friendship, and with whom he
desired to be joined in this last memorial ol his fraternal regard and affection."
Arms : Or, two ravens in pale within a bordure gules, bezantee,
with the badge of Ulster. Crest : as before.
* Her ladyship was remarried to Sir Charles Hotham, Bart. Her epitaph, and
those of her daughter Elizabeth, and of Sir Richard Corbett, from St. Margaret's,
Westminster, will be found in Wotton's "Baronetage," 1741, vol. ii., p. 321.
88 Shropshire.
On a monument against the east wall of the chancel :
"In a vault beneath this chancel are deposited the remains of ANNE, wife of
ROBERT CORBETT, Esq., uho in testimony of his sincere and affectionate regard
to her memory hath erected this monument. She Departed this life April 4th,
T79J> aged 60 years. She was daughter of Thomas Russell, of Lydley Hayes, in
this county, Esq., and her remains, together with this monument, were removed
from Longnor Chapel to this chancel, pursuant to the will of the said Robert
Corbett, Esq., Oct. 31, 1804, tthose body was then here deposited. He was the
3d son of John Flint, by Jane, daughter of \Vatess Corbett, Esq., and departed
this life at Longnor Hall, Octr 25th, 1804, aged 78. He married to his second
wife ANNE, daughter of Ambrose Isted, of Ecton, in the county of Northampton,
Esq."
Arms : Corbett, as before. Impaling, on the dexter side, Argent,
on a chevron between three cross-crosslets fitchee sable, an escallop
shell argent — Russell ; Sinister, gules, a chevron vaire, between three
talbots' heads erased or— Isted.
On an ornamented tablet, against the south wall of the chancel :
" Underneath are deposited the remains of JOSEPH PLYMLEY, Esq. He closed
a long life of usefulness to others, and of credit to himself, at Longnor, in this
county, May 29th, 1802, in the 86th year of his age. He married to his first wife
DIANA, daughter of JOHN FLINT, by JANE, daughter of WATIES CORBETT, Esq.
This monument records the esteem in which the moiher and daughter were holden
whilst living, and their sepulture in this chancel.
" DIANA PLYMLEY departed this life Nov. 2, 1779, aged 54.
"Near this spot also was buried, June 3oth, 1793, a8ed 61, HANNAH, the
second wife of the said Joseph Plymley, and daughter of Thomas Russell, of
Lydley Hayes, in this county, Esq."
On a neat marble tablet, against the north wall of the chancel :
" In the Church-yard near this wall are deposited the remains of JANE, 2d
daughter of JOSEPH CORBETT, of Longnor Hall, Clerk, by his first wife JANE
JOSEPHA. Amidst the discouragement of ill-health her mind had attained un-
common excellence, and when qualified in everything but bodily strength for
whatsoever is useful or elegant in this life, she was removed to one more suitable
to her views and aspirations, March loth, 1807, aged 19 years.
*' Near the same spot are the remains of MATTY, second wife of the said
JOSEPH CORBETT, and third daughter of DANSEY DANSEY, of Brinsop, in the
county of Hereford, Esq. Disinterested and unaffected in every situation, she
was exemplary as a faithful wife, an affectionate mother, and a liberal benefactor
to the poor. She had passed through many years of bodily pain, which as it did
not diminish the patience of her mind, so neither had it injured the beauty of her
person, when by a short illness she was lost to this world January the 5th, 1812,
aged 40 years."
D. PARKES.
Lilleshall.
[1819, Part L, pp. 596, 597.]
There was at Lilleshall, in the Saxon times, an o'd rtligious house
which first belonged to secular canons or prebendaries, and then to
nuns, which was reduced to a state of desolation by the Welsh in some
of their incursions, and so remained till the year 1145. Philip de
Beaumeys gave all that track of land between Watling Street and
Merdiche, to build a religious house in honour of the Virgin Mary,
and for the use of the canons regular of St. Peter, of Dorchester, who
Li lie shall. 89
were styled the regular canons of Donington. Richard de Beaumeys,
dean of the church of St. Alkmond, translated his secular canons
from Shrewsbury to the new foundation in Bosco de Lilleshall. The
principal benefactors were Atlanta Zouche and John de Strange, who
gave the church of Hulme ; and Hillaria de Trussebut, the first wife
of Robert de Budlers, who gave several parcels of land, and here she
devoted her corpse to be interred. In 1 1 Edward IV., the Hospital
of St. John at Bridgnorth was put under the direction of this abbey.
In 17 Henry VI., a commission was granted to Humphrey, Earl of
Stafford, and others, to inquire what enclosures had been made out
of St. Mary's of Lilleshall. In 33 Henry VIII., the Earl of Rutland
obtained a grant of the manor of Braunston, in the county of North-
ampton, that belonged to this abbey. In 35 Henry VIII., the King
granted to James Leveson the manor of Lilleshall. Lady Katharine
Leveson lent ^120 per annum to be paid from the rents issuing
from lands at Foxley for the maintenance of twelve poor widows,
whereof three were to be chosen by the minister, churchwardens, and
overseers of the poor of Lilleshall ; and to each of them a gown of
gray cloth, with the letters " K. L." in blue cloth affixed thereto ; as
likewise for placing ten poor boys apprentices, whereof two were to
be of Lilleshall parish. The revenues of this abbey at the Dissolution
were valued at ^229 35. per annum. This house lying near the
Chester road, frequent complaints were made by the abbots that
their income was too scanty for the entertainment of the passengers
travelling that road. This superb building appears to have suffered
but little at the Dissolution ; but the place being made a garrison for
Charles L, the abbey was reduced to ruins. The roof of the choir
fell down one night about the commencement of the eighteenth
century. There have been found amongst the ruins an image of the
Virgin with Christ in her arms, many beautiful earthen tiles, coins of
Henry III., scissors, knives, spurs, and stone coffins with skeletons
in them. T.
Longner.
[1828, Part //., //. 577, 578.]
I send you a drawing of the old mansion at Longner, county Salop,
long the residence of the Burtons ; but more particularly worthy of
notice from being not only the residence, but the burying-place, of
Edward Burton, Esq., temp. Queen Mary (see frontispiece to this
volume).
The following account is mostly taken from Burton's "Com-
mentary upon Antoninus's Itinerary." Longner is a small village on
the banks of the Severn, about three miles from Shrewsbury, in the
same hundred where the family of Burton have a seat. The Burtons
of Shropshire were a family much in favour with the House of York,
and we are informed in history that Sir Edward Burton, Knt., served
that side in fourteen set battles. From him, in a direct line, de-
90 Shropshire.
scended Edward Burton, Esq., who had his seat in this village. He
was a zealous assertor of the Gospel all Queen Mary's days, and is
named by Fox in his "Acts and Monuments " among those who by
various ways and means escaped the persecutions then carried on.
He being one day sitting alone in his upper parlour at Longner,
meditating on the troubles of the times, and the deliverances he and
other lovers of the truth had experienced, though many had suffered,
heard the ringing of all the btlls in Shrewsbury, which he guessed
must be for the accession to the throne of the Lady Elizabeth by the
death of Queen Mary. Wishing with certainty to know the truth,
and yet not daring to send his servants to inquire, he sent his eldest
son, about sixteen years of age, desiring him, if it happened 'o be so,
that he should throw up his hat to gratify his expectation. His son,
finding it so, did as he was directed, which, when his father obseived,
he was suddenly affected with such extremity of joy for the liberty
and comfort that God's people had a prospect of, that he retired from
the window, with difficulty reached his chair, and immediately
expired. By his will he had ordered his burial to be in the parir>h
church of St. Chadd, in Shrewsbury ; and that no Mass-monger
should be present at his interment, which his friends designing to
execute, brought his corpse to the church, but were met thrre by the
curate, Mr. John Marshall, who said that he should not be buried
in his church, being a heretic (for the Popish priests wtre yet in
place, Queen Elizabeth being crowned the same day). One of the
friends of the deceased replied to the curate ** that as to his being a
heretic, God would judge him at the last day." To whom the
curate replied : *' Judge God, or judge devil, he should not be buried
in his church." Whereupon his friends being forced to carry his
body back again, buried it in his own garden, and set a monument
over him, which, being much defaced by time and neglect, it was
repaired in the year 1614, under the direction of Sir Andrew Corbet,
Lieutenant of Shropshire, who composed the following epitaph,
which is placed round the tomb in old English characters.
At the end of the tomb :
"EDWARD BURTON, ARM., ob. A.D. 1558."
[Round the upper part of the tomb [verses omitted].
On the side of the tomb are the following arms : the field quartered
azure and purpure, counterchanged ; a cross engrailed or, between
four roses argent; this, according to the Heralds at Arms, was given
by King Edward IV. to Sir Edward Burton, of Longner, for his
eminent services, who also created him a Knight Banneret in the
field of battle under the royal standard.
The old house at Longner was taken down in 1803, and a char-
acteristic mansion in the ancient baronial style erected by Robert
Burton, Esq., the possessor of this fine domain. D. PARKES.
Ludlow.
Ludlow.
[1808, Part 11., pp. 1087, 1088.]
Ludlow Church is a fine Gothic and venerable building, though in
its exterior appearance from some points it suffers from the surround-
ing houses, which are much too near, and obstruct an advantageous
view. It consists of a fine tower, a nave, and side aisles, a cross aisle,
or north and south transept, and a fine chancel (called the high
chancel), together with two smaller chancels or chapels, one on each
side the west end of the great or high chancel, which, in reference to
their situation, I will call the north and south chapels.
The principal entrance is through a large hexagonal porch on the
south side, which is embattled at top, and its upper story serves as a
dwelling for the sexton and his family. The height from the ground
to the battlements is about 32 feet. There is also a large door at the
west end, and one in the north side opposite the entrance through the
porch.
The tower rises from the middle of the cross aisle between the
nave and chancel ; it is square and embattled at top ; each of its
corners is strengthened by an octagonal turret, which turrets rise
gradually tapering, except at the highest story, which is larger than
that beneath, and ornamented. Each of these turrets is higher than
the battlements of the tower; they likewise are embattled and
crowned with a pinnacle. The height from the battlements of the
tower to the roof of the high chancel is 79 feet, and from thence to
the floor of the nave 52 J feet ; which makes the whole height from
the battlements 13 ij feet. Near the top of the tower are some
mutilated remains of ancient statues. It has a ring of eight bells,
and a small one, together with a good clock and chimes.
The interior of the church is handsomely pewed ; and the lofty
pointed arches which support the tower, and those which divide the
nave from the side aisles, give the whole a solemn and majestic
appearance. The arches are supported by clustered columns, the
smaller shafts of which are attached to the main support. Those in
the nave are about 9 feet in girth, and the four which support the
tower are about 45 feet in girth.
The nave is separated from the side aisles by six pointed arches on
each side, from the ceiling of which are suspended two handsome
brass chandeliers. At the west end is situated the font. There are
two neat galleries, one in each aisle, which do not extend to the west
wall by the distance of two arches. In each gallery is a small brass
chandelier. The length of the nave and side aisles is about 30
yards ; the breadth of them, inclusive, 25 yards.
The cross aisle between the nave and chancel is principally
remarkable for the grand arches which support the tower, and are
nearly 50 feet in height. The breadth of this aisle is about 7 yards,
Q 2 Shropshire.
and its length from end to end about 43 yards. This length in-
cludes the north and south transepts, or the ends which project at
right angles beyond the side aisles, and are separated by wood
screens about 12 feet high. In the south transept is an old coffer,
containing some pieces of ancient armour ; and on the east wall
thereof is fixed a board, having printed thereon the Ten Command-
ments, above which is another board with a coat of arms.
[1808, Part II., pp. 1142-1144.]
The north and south chapel on each side of the chancel correspond
in size, etc., with each other, and may be considered as a continua-
tion of the north and south aisles beyond the cross aisle, being
respectively of the same breadth. They are separated from the
adjoining parts by wood screens and wainscot, and each contains a
table and seats, adapted for holding courts and visitations, purposes
to which they are usually applied.
The chancel is spacious and elegant, being 27 yards long, and
nearly 8 yards broad. Its entrance is under a handsome organ, and
ascended by a few steps, through iron folding gates painted green ;
and as you proceed, on each side are fourteen stalls, adorned with
divers carved figures. Approaching the altar is a balustrade, or
railing, across the chancel, and the space enclosed thereby is
ascended by two steps. Two or three yards further is another wooden
balustrade or railing, enclosing the altar, which space is ascended by
three steps.
The altar is a strong wooden table of no remarkable workmanship.
The altar-piece is a neat wainscot, consisting of six large and small
panels, having two fluted columns in the middle, two panels
distant from each other, and a fluted pilaster at each end supporting
an entablature, the middle part of which, over the columns, is
heightened by a round pediment. The height of the whole is
13 feet.
The whole of this church is remarkably well enlightened by
numerous windows, some of which are of considerable size, and
those in the north chapel and the chancel are chiefly of painted glass;
the east window, over the altar-piece, has upwards of fifty compart-
ments, and the paintings thereon are said to represent the history of
St. Lawrence, to whom the church is dedicated.
Monumental inscriptions are numerous in the different parts of this
church, particularly those on slabs. The following are all that I
selected :
i.
At the west end of the north aisle is a modern mural marble
monument, inscribed :
Ludlow.
93
" Near to this place lieth the body of Benjamin Karver, late of Ludlow, in the
county of Salop, Gentleman ; son of John Karver, of Upton, in ye parish of
Little Hereford, and county of Hereford, Esquire. He was elected one of
ye Com'on Council of the Corporation of Ludlow the 2d day of August, 1692 ;
and on ye I4th day of August, 1717, one of ye Aldermen of ye said Corporation ;
and oftentimes was elected and served as one of his Majesties Bayliffs and Justices
of the Peace for the said town of Ludlow. He departed this life the 28th day of
July, 1737, setatis suae 72°."
2.
In the south chapel, on a slab on the floor :
" In memory of Mary, the wife of Edward Baldwyn, Esq. She died June the
1st, 1769, aged 48 years. Edward Baldwyn, Esq., died May 7, 1772, aged 63."
3-
Against the east wall of the same chapel, on a plain monument of
marble :
" Near this place are deposited the remains of Mr. Tames Wilde, bookseller,
one of the Aldermen of this ancient Corporation. He died 7th July, 1769, aetat.
73. As also Frances, his wife, who died 7th August, 1754, setat. 61. Likewise
their son, the Rev. Mr. Francis Wilde, Rector of Knucking, in this county, who
died July , 1761."
4-
In the north chapel, called by name St. John's chancel, on the
south side, adjoining the wainscot which separates it from the high
chancel, is a handsome altar-tomb, to the memory of Sir John
Brydgeman, enclosed by iron palisades. On the top lie two effigies,
as large as life ; the male in robes, the female with a book in her
right hand.
A tablet of black marble, ornamented with festoons of fruit and
foliage, and three coats of arms, together with a cornice, all of white
marble, is placed on the tomb against the wainscot, and is thus
inscribed in gilt letters :
" SACRUM MEMORISE D'ni Joh'is Brydgeman, militis, servientis ad legem et
capitalis justiciary Cestrise. Qui maximo omnium bonoru' mcerore (cum 70 annos
vixisset) 510 Febr., anno 1637, pie placideq. anima' Deo reddidit. Francisca
vxor mcestissima posuit."
5-
On the north pillar, upon entering into the high chancel out of the
nave, on a marble monument :
" Neare to this place lieth the body of the Honble Alice Burrard, relict of John
Burrard, late of Lymington, in the county of Southampton, Esq., daughter of the
Right Honble Richard Lord Herbert, Baron of Cherbury, in the kingdom of
England, and of Castle Islands, in the kingdom of Ireland, by Dame Mary, his
wife. She departed this life the first day of December, Anno\D'ni 1703, setatis
buae 56."
6.
The following are all in the high chancel, on the north wall of
which is a monument to the memory of E. Wattes and his wife ; it is
94 Shropshire.
a square niche, framed of stone, within which are a male and female
figure, kneeling on cushions, with a pedestal or desk between them,
sloping on each side at the top. On the top of the niche are two
coats of arms ; and underneath the whole on a long and narrow
marble, divided in the middle, is inscribed :
"THIS MONVMENT WAS ERECTED BY EDWARD WATTES, ESQVIER, ONE OF HIS
MAties COVNCKLL IN ORDINARY IN THE PRINCIPALITY AND MARCHES OF
WALES IN HIS LIEF-TIME, ANNO ^TATIS SV& 70, IN MEMORIAL OF HIMSELFE
AND OF MARTHA, HIS LATE WIEFE, DECEASED, WHO WAS DAVGHTER TO
SIR CHARLES FOXE, KNIGHT, AND DAME ISABELL, HIS WIEFE. SHE DEPARTED
THIS LIEFE THE SKCOND DAY OF OCTOBER, 1629. THEY HAD ISSVE BETWEENE
THEM THREE SONNES, CHARLES, EDWARD, AND TIMOTHE, AND FOVRE
DAVGHTERS, MARGARET, ISSABEL, MARGARET, AND ANNE, OF ALL Wich ONLY
TWO ARE NOW LIVINGE, MARGARET THE YOVNGER, WHO IS MARRIED TO
EDWARD CORBET, OF LONGNOR, IN THE COVNTY OF SALOP, ESQVIER, AND
ANNE, WHO IS MARRIED TO EDWARD FOXE, OF LVDFORD, IN THE COVNTIE
OF HEREFORD, ESQR."
7-
Next to the above, on the same wall, on a white marble tablet :
" Beneath lyeth Ann, relict of John Price, D.D. He was of the ancient family
of the Prices of Gogerthan, in Cardiganshire, by the male side ; by the female of
the ancient and noble line of the Agards of Forston, in Darbyshire. His grand-
and her great-grandmother were two of the co-heiresses of that family. She was
his wife 42 years. He departed May nth, 1722, and lies buried at \Vestbury, in
com. Salop, of which he was Rector. She was 2d daughter of Henry Sprott, Esq.,
of Ashmore Brooke, in com. Stafford, by Anne, sole daughter arid heiress of Tho.
Lockier, of the Marsh, in com. Salop, Gent. She dyed 28 November, 1748,
leaving no issue, aged 91."
[Rest of inscription omitted.]
8.
On the same wall, on a black marble tablet, in gilt letters :
" O quisquis ades, reverere manes inclytos Edvardi Vavghan, equitis herois,
haeredis ex traduce, proin patris magn' ad instar, per omnigense literaturse, sive
academicse, sive forensis, spatia, hu'c acerrime vel a puero contendit ; ut principi
et patrise egregie inserviret. Quod feliciter assecutus est, utriq. gratus et amabilis,
et spectatissimus civis in ipsa temporum vertigine ; ut scias hie condi quern antiqui
dixere virum cubicum et divinum. Talis tantusque, flentibus etiam inimicis,
commorientibus paenfc amicis, ipso solo Icete et lubente, receptus est in beatorum
patriam
( D'ni MDCLXXXIV.,
anno i yEtatis suae 48°.
Conjugi parentique desideratissimo vidua cum liberis, perpei'im lugens, hoc
mortale mouumentum P. Ipse sibi immortale epitaphium."
[1809, Part I., pp. 37,38-]
9-
Near to the altar, but without the inner rails, is a fine altar-tomb
to the memory of Sir R. Townshend, which stands part within a
pointed arch niche in the north wall. Above the niche on the
wall is,
11 MEMENTO MORI ; RESPICE FINEM."
Liidlow.
95
The space within the arch above the tomb is ornamented with
coats of arms and tracery ; beneath the large coat is,
"ANNO DOMINI 1581. ANNO REGNI . . . ELIZABTEH/E REGIN."
On the top of the tomb lie the effigies of Sir R. Townshend and
his lady ; and the sides and ends of the tomb are divided into
compartments by small neat pillars, within which are the effigies of
their children. The inscription is,
"20rare Itcth t!u bobgea of cSur ilabart lEutottesheitb, ^itgght, Chief
Justr* of the (EouuseU, in the JRardus of SitaUesaitb (Ehester/anb Jaine,
his elltufe, boug'iter anb one of the hesps of Robert ]9otoue, CfEsqnier. toho
hab bettotm* them ttoao xii .children, bi sounes arcb bi boughters latofttll|)
begot."
10.
Opposite the above, adjoining the south wall, is a tomb to the
memory of Lady Eure, whose effigy is on the top in a recumbent
posture ; above which, a black stone fixed on the wall is thus inscribed
in gilt capitals :
" Here lyeth expectinge a joyfvll Resvrrection the body of Dame Mary Evre,
late wife to the Ho. Ralphe Lor 1 Evre, Baron of Malton, Lord President of the
Principallitie and Marches of Wales, and Lievetenant of the same, and Davghter
of Sir lohn Dawney, of Sessey, in the Covnty of Yorke, Knight. She departed
this mortall lyfe the 19 day of March, Anno Domini 1612, setatis svse 55."
II.
Below the second window on the south side is an ancient plain
tomb to the memory of Ambrozia Sydney, whose sides have been
adorned with armorial bearings, etc. Above the tomb on the wall
are three coats of arms, and underneath the middle one, on a plain
stone painted black, is inscribed in gilt letters :
"l^eare l^cth the bobvz of Jtmbrozia <Si?biteo, iiijth bxmghter at the
right Honourable <Syr ^enrge cSgbnei), Anight of 'the mast |lobk (Dcber of
tlu Ciarter, |Corbe ^'resibcnt of tlw (£oims*ll at cSBalle*, etc., iwb of th*
i^abj) ^arjer his togef, bottghter of the fstmws ^ukexrf ^orthmnberlanb,
toho boeb in |Cu:blotoe Ca&tell the 22 of (Jfebruarg, 1574."
12.
Near to the above is a modern mural monument of white marble,
the tablet of which is inscribed,
" In memory of Theophilus Salwey, Esq., who was the eldest son of Edward
Salwey, Esq., a younger son of Major Richard Salwey, who in the last century
sacrificed all and everything in his power in support of Publick Liberty, and in
opposition to Arbitrary Power. The said Theophilus Salwey married Mary, the
daughter and heiress of Robert Dennet, of Walthamstow, in the county of Essex,
Esq., but left no issue by her. Obiit the 28th of April, 1760, setat. 61. Pro Rege
saepe ; pro Republics, semper."
13-
Near to the above is a handsome marble altar-tomb, standing in
part within an ornamental circular-arched niche in the south wall,
having on the top the effigies of Justice Walter and his lady; its
g6 Shropshire.
sides are divided into compartments by small columns, containing
the figures of their children in the attitude of kneeling. The tomb
is enclosed by iron palisades. Within the niche on a black stone in
gilt capitals is this inscription :
" Heere lye the bodies of Edmvnd Walter, Esqvier, chieffe Ivstice of three
Shiers in Sovth Wales, and one of His Majestie's Covncill in the Marches of
Wales ; and of Mary, his Wife, davghter of Thomas Hacklvit, of Eyton, Esqvier,
who had issve three sonnes, named lames, lohn, and Edward, and two davghters,
named Mary and Dorothy. He was bvried the 2Qth daye of lanvarie, Anno
Domini 1592."
14.
The following is on a slab in the chancel :
" Here lieth Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Lord Folliott, Baron of Balli-
shannon, in the Kingdom of Ireland, married first to Samuel Powell, of Stannage,
in the county of Radnor, Esq., afterwards to Thomas Jones, of Goodrich, in the
county of Hereford, Clcr. She died the 1 2th day of May, A.D. 1725, aged 64
years."
The living is a rectory, valued in the King's Books at £ig 123. 6d. ;
its reputed value is upwards of ^200 a year.
It is in the Bishopric of Hereford and Archdeaconry of Salop, and
gives name to the deanery in which it is situate. The King is patron ;
and the living, being under ^20 a year in the King's Books, is, of
course, at the disposal of the Lord Chancellor.
Near to the church is a well-built almshouse, containing, as I
understand, thirty-three comfortable apartments, over the door of
which is the following inscription :
"Domum hanc Eleemosynarium munificentia Johannis Hosyer mercatoris, anno
Salutis MCCCCLXXXVI primitus extructam, temporis injuria labefactam dein et
ruituram ; in Dei Optimi Maximi gloriam, pii Fundatoris memoriam, et
com'odiorem Pauperum receptionem, ab ipsis usque fundamentis propriis sumptibus
resuscitarunt, ampliarunt, ornarunt, Ballivi, Burgenses, et Communitas villae hujus
de Ludlow, Anno Domini MDCCLVIII, augustissimi Regis Georgii Secundi
tricessimo primo."
Ludlow Castle is a fine ruin, standing on the west side of the
town, upon a high rock, at the bottom of which flows the river, after
meandering through a rich vale north of the castle. Over a gateway
which leads into the interior are the arms of Queen Elizabeth and
the Sidney family, with the following inscriptions, in capitals :
" Hominibvs ingratis loqvimini lapides.
" Anno Regni Reginae Elyzabethae 23.
"The 22 year co'plet of the Presidency of Sir Henri Sidney, Knight of the
most noble Order of the Garter, etc., 1581.
"Anno Domini Milesimo Qvingentesimo Octuagesimo Completo. Anno
Regni serenissimae illustrisssimae Reginae Elizabethae vicesimo tertio cvrrente,
1581."
In regard to the last inscriptions, I should be obliged to Mr. Urban's
correspondents to state the cause why the charge of ingratitude is so
Ludlozv. 97
strongly preferred against the inhabitants of Ludlow in time past ; for
to whom else are we to suppose the ingrafts hominibus to allude ?
o>. <r.
[1810, Part //., p. 305.]
Lillo's celebrated "Tragedy of George Barnwell," having by some
been imputed to fiction, and by others to an event said to have
happened at Cambcrwell, and the whole still remaining in apparent
obscurity, the following observations, which come from visiting a
place near Ludlow, in Shropshire, may be deemed worthy of notice.
The place alluded to is called Hucks Barn, a short mile from Ludio\v,
on the Leominster road, which is said to have been the residence
of the uncle of George Barnwell ; and a plot of land near it still
bears the name ot Barnvvell's Green, so called from his waiting there
to rob his uncle, as he returned from Leominster Fair. Near to this
green is a wood, or thicket, in which he perpetrated the horrid
deed. The following extract from the old ballad will further corro
borate the fact of its being at or near Ludlow :
" Nay, I an uncle have ;
At Ludlow he doth dwell ;
He is a grazier, which in wealth
Doth all the rest excell."*
The uncle might reside in Ludlow, and keep the house and land
in his possession at Hucks Barn for the convenience of keeping
cattle, and as an occasional residence. The house is likewise a
pretty clear index to the ballad, its being, according to its general
appearance, of the time of James I. From the above observations
it seems evident that the play was founded on a sad catastrophe that
really happened at this place. ... I enclose a view of the house
taken at the time I visited the place, July 2, 1805. (See Plate I.)
D. PARKES.
[1812, Part II.) p. 209.]
I send you enclosed a drawing of the church of Ludlow (see
Plate I.), which I think has never been engraved, though one of the
most stately parochial churches in England. It is cruciform, with a
beautiful lofty tower in the centre, in which is a melodious peal of
eight belU. The architecture is less florid than is usual in the larger
ecclesiastical buildings of the fifteenth century. The nave has six
pointed arches on each side, reposing on clustered pillars, which are
light and graceful. The four arches under the tower are remarkably
lofty, and richly overspread with mouldings. The choir retains its
ancient stalls ; and in the large windows are very abund.mt remains
of painted glass. On the screen of the choir stands an admirable
organ by Snetzler. There are no monuments of much antiquity,
though several handsome ones of the reigns of Elizabeth and
* Percy's " Reliques," vol. iii., p. 260.
VOL. XXII. 7
98 Shropshire.
James I., chiefly of the Lords Presidents of the Council of North
Wales. The length of the church from west to east is 220 feet; the
breadth of the nave and ais!es 75 feet; length of transept, north to
south, 123 feet. This spacious and lofty structure crowns the
summit of the gentle eminence on which the beautiful town of
Ludlow stands, and is a grand object as viewed from the surrounding
country. H. O.
[1834, Part //., pp. 585-588.]
The church of Ludlow is undoubtedly one of the finest eccle-
siastical buildings in the county of Salop, and perhaps the most
stately parochial edifice in England, the architecture being in the
style of the latter part of the fifteenth century, though it is less
florid than is usual in buildings of that period.
The whole of the windows in this interesting building bear
evidence of having once been enriched with a profusion of stained
glass, the splendour of which, judging from what remains, must
have been inferior to none in point of colouring, since it appears to
have been executed by perfect masters of the art, and at a period
when glass-staining was at its highest perfection; and, notwithstanding
the devouring hand of Time, or more probably the mistaken zeal of
the Puritans, has despoiled the nave of that majestic solemnity and
religious awe emanating from the mellowed tints of
" storied windows richly dight,"
the choir, chancel, and chantry chapels, still retain specimens of no
ordinary beauty, although in places so barbarously mutilated by
modern repairs as to present a strange mixture of patchwork. The
large eastern window of the high chancel, containing the legendary
history of the life of St. Lawrence, the patron saint of the church,
was particularly defaced, and wantonly broken ; so much so, indeed,
that the various subjects displayed could with difficulty be traced,
though it appears, from a date near the top of the window, to have
been repaired in a bungling manner about a century ago, when the
numerous fractures it then contained were filled with common painted
glass, quite opaque.
In this state it remained until 1828, when the corporation of
Ludlow fortunately directed Mr. David Evans, of Shrewsbury, to
restore the window according to its original design, which under-
taking has lately been completed in a manner that has excited the
admiration of everyone who has seen it, and even caused astonish-
ment at the elaborate skill displayed by the artist in overcoming the
difficulties he had to encounter in replacing many portions of the
window which had been destroyed, and of so restoring the whole as
to form a harmonious display of the most brilliant colouring,
whereby it is impossible to distinguish the old from the new glass.
Ludlow. 99
The window occupies the whole breadth of the chancel, 18 feet,
and is 30 feet in height ; the muilions have recently been renewed ;
and it contains 540 feet of glass, in 65 compartments. The subject
displayed is the history of the life, miracles, and martyrdom of Saint
Lawrence, which is represented in 27 designs, as follows :
1. Lawrence introduced to the Pope. The saint, accompanied
by his confessor, is kneeling before the Pope, whose train is supported
by a bearer. Inscription :
"ICittmnc' nbfcuritwr <SixiV
2. Lawrence ordained a deacon. The saint, in a kneeling posture,
is approached by the Pope, who is in the act of ordaining him, in
the presence of the various officers of the church. Inscription :
" 3"MC <Sixt' orfci'at l/.iurctu' ^piacV
3. Lawrence appointed treasurer. The son of the Emperor is
represented bringing his treasure in bags, and delivering them to the
saint before the Pope and the Church. Inscription :
"(dffili' i'p'atorte ICvumnc' t'fcit thesanr'."
4. Lawrence relieving the poor. — The saint is here presenting a
piece of money from his bag to the lame, the halt, and the blind*
Inscription :
" ICattrenc' tlusaur' mrgat paup'b's."
5. Lawrence captured. — The saint in his canonicals appears secured
by his enemies. Inscription :
"^)ic ^Cattr' capit' ab i'iqais."
6. Lawrence brought before the Emperor, attended by the captain
and a posse of soldiers. Inscription :
"|C.uti' p'sent.it' cora' imp'at'."
7. Lawrence before idols. — The saint is led by the Emperor before
idols, who appear as falling to pieces by the sanctity of his presence.
Inscription :
' fcudt' cora'
8. Lawrence imprisoned. — The captain is thrusting the saint into
prison, by command of the Emperor ; on the roof of the prison, seen
in the background, are spectators witnessing his incarceration. In-
scription :
' htc i'camratur."
9. Lawrence restoring the blind. During his imprisonment, the
saint miraculously restores Lucillus to sight in the presence of the
gaoler. Inscription :
" ICanr' apmt otul' ludlli."
10. Lawrence converts Ypolitus the gaoler, who is kneeling, and
7—2
ioo Shropshire.
with uplifted hands seems earnestly imploring mercy from above ;
his sincerity appears to make him unmindful of his office, his keys
lying on the ground beside him. Inscription :
"IDattr' -cxmberiii jjpaJitti'."
11. Lawrence commanded by the Emperor to deliver up his
treasures, presents before him the poor, the lame, and the blind, and
with his outstretched hands seems to declare that "these are his
treasures." Inscription :
M|p»dt pawp'rs cora' imp'at'."
12. The Emperor, probably enraged at the answer of the saint, is
beating the poor cripples with a heavy cudgel, who appear as falling
in the greatest confusion beneath the weight of his wrath. In-
scription :
"Imp'ator htrbmt pimp'.c0."
13. Lawrence threatened with torments. The saint is led before
the Emperor, and the various instruments of torture displayed before
him. Inscription :
"ICanr' iemnit torments,"
14. This appears to be the first scene of his sufferings. The
saint, nearly naked, is led by ruffians to be stoned. Inscription :
"i^atmiu' lapibatur."
15. Lawrence scourged with rods, a superior officer standing to
see the punishment effectually performed. This figure appears to
witness the various acts of violence to which the saint is sub-
jected. Inscription :
"ICatrr' berb-trat' birgis."
1 6. Lawrence beaten with clubs. The saint lying on the ground,
several men appear trampling upon him, and severely beating him
with clubs. Inscription :
"IC.tttr' baculis abitwr."
17. Lawrence flogged with whips. The saint being tied to a
pillar, several barbarians are flogging him with whips, to which are
attached large knots of lead. Inscription :
"ICaur' c*bit' flagtll' plu'beis."
1 8. Lawrence torn with hooks. The hands of the saint being
fastened to a pillar, several men are in the act of tearing his flesh
with iron hooks. Inscription :
"|Caur' la*'ra' hamis ftmis."
19. Lawrence burnt with irons. The saint, again tied to a pillar,
is tormented by men applying red-hot irons to various parts of his
body, some of whose faces appear tinged with the heat of the irons,
and even seem to experience more feeling than the tormented ; one
Liidloiv. 101
figure, in the act of catching the saint with the hot iron under the
right ear, is particularly expressive. Inscription :
"|Cimr' crucial* la'i's ur-ctttilms."
20. The sufferings of Lawrence are here terminated by roasting
him on " a gridiron "; hence his symbol : he appears enveloped in
flames, while his executioners are adding more fuel and increasing the
blaze by means of a long fork. In the background appears the
Saviour encircled in glory. Inscription :
assatur craikttla."
21. Lawrence buried. The tragic scenes of his life and sufferings
being over, the saint, wrapped in a winding-sheet, is about to be laid
in a tomb amidst a concourse of spectators, a priest performing the
burial rites after the manner of the Romish Church. Inscription :
"Itet' hie' scp'tur."
22. Is the representation of a cruciform church, with a small
octangular turret in the centre, and is a curious specimen of ancient
architecture, the windows of the chancel and transepts having the
flat kind of arch introduced about the close of the fifteenth century.
In the foreground is a deacon, apparently in much trouble, in con-
sequence of a golden chalice having fallen from his hands and
broken ; he has recourse, however, to the prayers of the saint, and it
is restored. Inscription :
'<;p' <piacxr' fttg't calk*' . . . Him."
23. The reappearance of St. Lawrence by the prayers of a priest,
who afterwards causes a dry piece of timber to sprout into foliage.
Inscription :
"^ic JiQtttt' dKdt rtbixtsc."
24. A table appears to be covered with a cloth, at which a figure,
apparently by the command of the saint, is distributing bread and
drink. It is difficult to assign a meaning to this subject.
25. Lawrence pointing to a church, and giving instructions to
some bystanders ; perhaps emblematical of the church erected to his
memory by the Empress Pulcheria.
26. Three figures within a church in the attitude of devotion.
The inscriptions of this and the two foregoing subjects are, unfor-
tunately, wanting.
27. Several workmen in the act of forming materials for the
erection of a church under the direction of a superintendent. In
explanation of this, it may be remarked that Justinian is said to have
enlarged or rebuilt the edifice erected by Pulcheria. Inscription :
". . . stnmt capellam."
These designs contain in all upwards of 300 figures. At the spring
i o 2 Sk ropsh ire.
of the arch, beginning at the left side, are full-length figures of the
Virgin and Child, and St. John ; an angel holding a shield, Azure, two
crosiers in saltire, and a mitre in chief, or; St. Anne teaching the Virgin
Mary to read ; a bishop in the attitude of prayer, and seemingly
advising St. Anne. The only part of the label remaining is " media
precor Anna." Before the bishop is a table with the inscription :
"Thomas <Spof0rb ^ri (Sraiia gfjercfarb
On the corresponding side is another angel bearing a shield, Gules,
a saltire argent ; a king seated on his throne, holding in his left hand
a globe ; St. Lawrence, in a devotional attitude, supporting his symbol
— a gridiron. The upper portion, being divided by tracery into
smaller compartments, contains fourteen figures of angels and arch-
angels ; the division at the apex is of larger dimensions, and has a
representation of the Trinity.
The whole of the subjects depicted in the window are under
elegant canopies of delicate tabernacle work, differing in design ; the
costumes of the figures throughout the various scenes are particularly
curious ; and, on the whole, the window is inferior to some of the
ancient specimens of stained glass, either in richness of colouring or
in general effect. It is supposed, from the above inscription, to have
been originally put up during the episcopacy of Thomas Spoford, who
was promoted from the Abbacy of St. Mary, York, to the see of
Hereford, November, 1421, and this conjecture is strengthened by
the above armorial bearings — two crosiers and a mitre. He governed
the diocese twenty-six years, and withdrew from his charge previously
to his death in 1448. HENRY PIDGEON.
Ludlow and Neighbourhood.
[1797, Part L, pp. 475»476-l
The castle of Ludlow, immortalized by the first representation of
Comus within its walls, and by the writing of Hudibras over its gate-
way, exhibits now the most melancholy ruins. Its roofs and very
floors are at length gone, and tumbling walls alone remain.
The town of Ludlow is one of the handsomest country towns in
England.
The small church and ancient mansion of Ludford, in Here-
fordshire, stand at the foot of the bridge on the entrance into
Ludlow. The river Team here divides the counties of Hereford
and Salop, though a few paces forward the banks on each side of
the river are in the latter county, as in its previous course they have
sometimes been entirely in the former.
Ludford is a very poor old seat, surrounded entirely by roads, and
separated by the Leominster road irom its well-wooded park. It
Ludloiv and Neighbourhood. 103
formerly^ belonged to a family of the name of Fox, of ancient stand-
ing in these parts, whose arms— a chevron between three foxes'
heads erased — are to be seen in many parts of Ludlow, and was
lately the seat of the Charltons, from the last of whom, Sir Francis
Charlton, Bart., it came by descent to Colonel Lechmere, the present
owner, who has taken the name of Charlton, and resides here. To
him belongs the adjoining lordship of Steventon, or Steinton.
The Moor, a seat in the adjoining parish of Richard's Castle,
belongs to Mr. Salwey, jun., as does the lodge — a romantic box — to
his uncle ; and to this family the ruins of the castle itself now belong.
Richard's Castle, at the Conquest, was a barony of a branch of the
illustrious house of Mortimer.
Nearer Leominster Alderman Harley has built a large mansion,
and laid out some picturesque grounds at Berrington, in the parish
of Eve; and to him also the whole seat of the Georges in this parish
has come by purchase.
At Ashford-Carbonel, by the roadside, stands a seat of the family
of Green. At Camham, the Rev. Mr. Calcot, rector of Great
Whitley, county Worcester, has purchased the manor and a con-
siderable estate, and erected a handsome mansion. To the right of
his house, on a hill, are the remains of a very strong encampment.
At Bitterley is the seat of the Rev. Mr. Walcot, eldest son of
Mr. Walcot, of Ludlow, one of the sons of the late Mr. Walcot, of
Walcot, near Bishop's Castle. At Henley Hall, in this parish, which
lies under the Gee Hills, famous for coal, is the seat of another
family of Knight.
Not a mile distant from Ludlow Castle, overlooked by its walls, is
Oakley Park,* in the parish of Bromfield, bought by Lord Clive of
Lord Powis, and now inhabited by his mother. The house is of red
brick, and appears modern. There is a pretty park, well-timbered,
but not large. ...
Stone Castle, which has for many years been a ruin, but was
formerly owned by a branch of the ancient family of Corbet, is said
now to belong to Lord Craven, subject to the remainder of a bene-
ficial lease granted to the Baldwins of Aqualate.
Hopton Castle, over the hill, now also a ruin, belongs to Mr. Beale,
of the Heath, in that parish.
Lord Powis or Lord Clive has a modern house in the town of
Ludlow, close to the castle walls, at which during public meetings
and on other occasions they reside.
The Hay, an ancient and romantic park in the parish of Richard's
Castle, has had its lodge lately refitted by Mr. Salwey, father of
Mr. Salwey, of the Moor (which latter was lately captain in the
25th Light Dragoons), that he might retire to it on his son's
marriage ; and he resides there. O. Y.
* See ante, p. 49.
1 04 Shropshire.
Munslow.
[1833, Part L, pp. 9-n.]
I have enclosed you a view (Pl;ite I.) of Munslow Church, county
Salop, with some account thereof, and the monumental memorials,
transcribed at the time I made the sketch, on July 15, 1827.
Munslow, a parish in the lower division of the hundred of Munslow,
is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Wenlock, and
archdeaconry of Salop. In 1821 it contained 108 houses, and 708
inhabitants. It is 19 miles south east of Shrewsbury, and 9^ miles
north of Ludlow.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Michael, is a fine ancient
structure ; it consists of a body and side-aisle to the north, divided by
two pointed arches, and a broad obtuse arch ; the chancel, the same
breadth as the body of the church, is divided by an oak screen.
On the south side of the chancel is a chantry-chapel, in a dilapidated
state. The ceiling of the church and chancel are coved, resting on
strong oak brackets. There is a gallery at the west end ; under the
gallery, near the great south door, is a handsome font ; the basin,
which, like all our ancient fonts, will admit of complete immersion, is
octagonal, 2 feet 7 inches in diameter, and rests on a pedestal of the
same shape ; the whole height is 4 feet 2 inches. Each compart-
ment of the sides is carved into a rich panel, containing a quatrefoil,
in which is a double rose, or a shield alternately. The shaft or
pedestal is pierced through in each division, with a narrow trefoil-
headed arch. In the north and east windows of the north aisle are
considerable remains of stained glass. In the second window, the
Virgin and Infant Christ ; St. John, in rich colours ; an ecclesiastic,
under the figure, Jfoh'0 JClovjb. In the east window of the north
aisle is the Crucifixion, much mutilated. In this window are two
shields of arms : the first, Argent, a chevron between three escallops
sable ; impaling, Argent, a lion rampant sable, debruised with a fess
counter-componee azure and or. The other shield is much mutilated.
The length of the church is 72 feet; the breadth, including the side-
aisle, 31 J feet. The tower contains four bells; the second is thus
inscribed :
"viREiNis . eriRecie . VOCOR CTGOPSNS . craRie."
On an alabaster slab in the floor, on the south side of the chancel,
is the figure of an ecclesiastic in his robes, his hands joined in
prayer ; round the verge the following inscription :
"*£• $§ic jacrt torjms ii'iti Jtohan'is ^lo^t, mt0r' tccltzit fa
JEo'sIoru* »|« .gut joJbijt bita bttimxr k'l . . . 4- Jtlii ^°<BX£(£<£<E toitesinw
.oftabxr, oijtts 4" »V* pwytitiettt ^Pttta, Qmt'* Hh"
On a marble tablet against the north wall of the chancel :
"To the memory of the Rev. Richard Powell, M. A., thirty years Rector of
this parish, who departed this life Feb. 6, 1806, aged 55 years. Likewise of his
Munslow. 105
son Thos. Powell, who died Dec. 20, 1781, aged one year and eight months. —
Also, sacred to the memory of Elizabeth Powell, relict of the above Rev. Rich.
Powell, who departed this life July 23, 1819, aged 68 years. A bright example
of every Christian virtue."
Against the south wall of the chancel, on a table, supporting a
handsome sarcophagus, is the following inscription in Roman capitals :
" Sacred to the memory of Maria Powell, the deeply-lamented wife of the Rev.
Richard Powell, Rector of this parish, who departed this life in the humble hope
of a blessed immortality, Sept. 27, 1819, aged 32 years, leaving three surviving
children and an afflicted husband, by whom this monument is erected." . . .
On a plain stone against the north wall of the chancel :
"The Rev. Thomas Hotchkiss, M.A., late Rector of this parish, and of
Forton, in the county of Stafford, died Jan. 27, 1748.— Mary, his wife, died
July II, 1739, and their five daughters, Mary, Catharine, Jane, Beatrick, and
Anne, who honoured their parents and inherited their virtues."
On a tablet against the east wall of the north aisle, in capitals :
" Henry More, of Millichope, in the parish of Munslow, gent., departed this
life the 28th day of June, in the year of our Lord God 1689."
Arms : Sable, a swan with her wings expanded argent, membered
gules within a bordure engrailed or; impaling, Azure, on a chevron
or, three etoiles gules, between as many fleurs-de-lis argent.
On another tablet :
" To the memory of Mary, widow of Henry More, of Millichope, gent., daughter
and sole heiress to Richard Sheppard, of Balcot, in the parish of Tugford, gent.,
obit. 1705."
On a monument against the east end of the north aisle :
" In memory of Margaret, 46 years wife of Thos. More, esq., fourth daughter of
Richard Leighton, of Leighton, esq., and co-heiress to her brother, Richard
Leighton, esq. She had four sons and four daughters, of which seven survived
her ; but her third son, Leighton More, Lieutenant of the Burford man-of-war,
who spent his life in the service of his country, and signalized himself in many
actions in the West Indies and Mediterranean, died before her, with the character
of a most gallant Englishman and pious Christian. . . . Obijt Julij 12, 1757,
set. 66."
Arms : More, as before; impaling, Quarterly per fess indented or
and gules.
Inscription on a table, which supports a weeping figure leaning on
an urn, backed by a pyramid :
" Sacred to the memory of Katherine More, daughter of Thos. More, esq., of
Millichope, and relict of Robert More, of Linley, esq., who departed this life on
the 23d day of December, 1792, aged 67." . . »
On a brass plate against the north wall, having on the top over the
inscription emblems of mortality, the Trinity, etc. In the left corner
the following arms : Argent, a saltire sable.
" Richardus Baldwin de Munsloe, philosophus, medicus, spagiricus, misterijsque
Nature in gremio absconditis indagator exquisitus, vitam cum morte commutavit
8'vo die Maij, anno setatis suse 73, anno D'ni 1689."
io6 Shropshire.
On a brass plate against the east end of the church, outside :
"The remains of the late Rev. Mr. Samuel Hammond, A.B., are underneath
deposited, who, in full hope and assurance of a blessed immortality, died universally
lamented 23d of Jan., 1763, aged 33 years, to whose memory Mrs. Sarah
Hammond, his once happy wife, inscribed this plate, an unsuccessful testimony of
his worth and her affection." . . .
On a tablet against the north wall of the chancel :
"Edward Stedman, gent., of Aston, died Nov. 12, 1777, in the 7ist year of his
age. John Stedman, gent., late of Rindleford, son of the above, died March 28th,
1804, in the 7<Dth year of his age."
Arms : Argent, a chevron gules between three boars' heads couped
sable.
On a large tablet against the north wall is represented a corpse in
a winding-sheet ; over it, " Can these bones live ? O Lord God, thou
knowest " (Ezek. xxxvii. 3). Under the corpse a triangle, emblematic
of the Trinity ; at the angles, "Watch — Fast — Pray." On one side
a hour-glass ; on the opposite side a Death's head and bones :
" To the memory chiefly of his dear father, William Churchman, of Holloway,
in this parish, who there dyed Sept. 23, 1602, whose body is interred in this aisle.
"Also in remembrance of Roger Churchman, his grandfather, William Church-
man, his great-uncle, and Andrew Overton, his uncle, by the mother, to whose
care was committed his education, who was buried in St. Peter's ye Poore in
London ; and of all the rest of his ancestors that sleep in this dust, William
Churchman, Priest, ye only sonne and heyre of the first-named William, caused
this heer to be affixed Sept. 23, anno 1602."
[Verses omitted.]
Edward, Lord Lyttleton, eldest son of Sir Edward Lyttleton (one
of the Justices of the Marches and Chief Justice of North Wales),
was born at Munslow in 1589. He had his University learning at
Christchurch, Oxford, and studied the law in the Inner Temple,
where he became so eminent that the City of London chose him
their Recorder, and Oxford their Counsellor, and the King his
Solicitor-General, after which his merit so much recommended him
to the King's favour that. he conferred on him the honour of knight-
hood, and made him Chief Justice of the Common Pleas j and soon
after raised him to the highest station of his profession by entrusting
him with the keeping of the Great Seal, to which his Majesty added
the honour of a baron, creating him Lord Lyttleton, Baron of
Munslow, in the county of Salop, being then in high esteem for his
knowledge of the law and his signal fidelity and loyalty. When the
war between King Charles I. and the Parliament became a formidable
concern, not thinking it safe to remain about London, he first sent
the seal to the King, then at York, and soon after went there him-
self, where he served his Majesty with the greatest fidelity till the
time of his death. He died at Oxford in 1645, and was buried in
Christchurch Cathedral, where a monument records his memory.
At Hagley Hall, county Worcester, is a good portrait, three-quarter-
length, of Lord-Keeper Lyttleton, Baron Munslow. D. PARKES.
Newport. 107
Newport.
[1763, //. 386,387.]
The parish of Newport is bounded on the east by Forton, on the
south and south-west by Edgmond, and on the north by Chetwynd;
and is but of small extent : the town was incorporated in the reign
of Henry I. but never sent members to Parliament. The arms are
three fishes. The town chiefly consists of one long, wide street,
which would appear to more advantage if the market-house, cross,
and church did not, in some measure, spoil the view. There are
many good houses in the town ; there is no trade or manufacture
carried on in it, the inhabitants depending mostly on travellers, as
the road from London to Chester passes through it. The chief inns
are the Swan, now empty, the Bear, the Red Lion, and the Elephant.
The market is kept on Saturday. There are five fairs in the year :
viz., on May 28, July 27, September 10, December 10, and on Palm
Saturday.
Newport is in the hundred of South Bradford, and in the diocese
of Lichfield and Coventry, and deanery of Newport ; the arch-
deaconry of Salop, in the church of Lichfield, being divided into
two deaneries, Newport and Shrewsbury. The church was once
collegiate, being founded by one Draper, in the reign of Henry VI.,
who purchased lands from the Abbot of Shrewsbury, for the main-
tenance of a warden and 4 priests.* At the Dissolution ;£io per
annum was reserved for the minister, which was ordered to be paid
out of the Crown rents. Wm. Robson, Esq., left ^5, and Wm,
Adams, Esq., ^20 more for the same use. TheSalters' Company
pay Mr. Robson's^5.
In the beginning of the present century, Bishop Lloyd, then of
Lichfield, and afterwards of Worcester, procured ,£200 from the
Queen's Bounty, and so much more money was raised by contribu-
tion as bought the tithes of the parish ; the Earl of Bradford gave
.£200, Bishop Lloyd and Bishop Hough, ^20 each. At the same
time a house was bought for the minister, which was called the
site of the college of the Virgin Mary in Newport, for which he pays
75. a year to the Crown rents.
The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas; the patron is the Lord
Chancellor ; the church consists of a nave, a chancel, and two side
aisles. At the west end is a tower with a clock and six bells. The
church is now a perpetual curacy, and it is a custom here to have
prayers by candle-light in the morning of Christmas Day, and two
Sacraments on Easter Sunday, the first at seven in the morning.
The ministers have been Mr. John Maiden (on whom there is
this remark in the register : " Honest Mr. Maiden forced from
the ministry for non-conformity, August 24, 1662."^ Mr. Clarke,
* See Dugdale's " Monasticon."
io8 Shropshire.
Mr. Pritchard, Mr. Gilbert, Mr. Mtllington, Mr. Greenwood, Mr.
Perks ; the present incumbent is Mr. Binnel.
There is an ancient almshouse in the churchyard, founded by
Thomas Reynolds, canon residentiary of Lichfield, and John his
brother, canon of York, for four poor folks, now given to widows
only, who have a room and about £4. los. a year, and is in the gift
of eleven trustees.
There is a free school in the town, founded by Wm. Adams, Esq.,
of the Haberdashers' Company. The masters have been Mr.
Edwards (brother to Dr. Edwards, the antagonist of the famous
Mr. Locke), Mr. Greenwood, and Mr. Symmonds ; the present is
the Rev. Mr. Lee. The ushers have been, as far as I could trace
them, Mr. Haynes and Mr. Dickinson ; the present usher is the
Rev. Mr. Forrester. The salary of the master is £40 a year and a
house, and that of the usher ,£20 and a house. The Haberdashers'
Company appoint the master. Mr. Adams left a collection of books
for the use ot his school, consisting of the classi . authors, the fathers
and divines. He purchased the manor of Knightley, in Stafford-
shire, and appropriated it for the payment of the minister, the
masters, and other charitable uses.
There is likewise an English school in the town of a very ancient
foundation, now free to all the inhabitants, worth about ^30 a year,
and in the gift of the Crown. The master receives £$ a year from
the Crown rents, ^5 from the Salters' Company in London, and a
benefaction from Mr. Adams. The parish register is dated in
1659.
Newport is 20 miles from Whitchurch, 10 from Drayton, 8 from
Shiffnall, and about the same from Wellington ; it gives the title of
Baron to the noble family of the Newports of Eyton and High
Arcall, in Shropshire, which family had afterwards the title of Earl
of Bradford and Viscount Newport from King William III. in 1694;
these titles are now extinct.
The Earls of Shrewsbury and Gower are joint lords of the manor.
That facetious poet Thomas Brown was a native of this town, his
father being a tanner in it. Coals are about 4d. a hundred.
The gentleman to whom I am obliged for most of these particulars
told me that his butcher had entered into an agreement with him to
furnish him with all kinds of flesh meat at twopence three farthings
a pound. There is no meeting-house for any sectaries in the town.
Several Roman Catholic families live in the town, who resort to
Longford for the performance of their worship.
The nature of the soil is a gravel, and the lands are chiefly used
for mowing and grazing. Nicholas Audley, who was lord of the
manor, gave a large piece of land, called the Marsh, to the town, on
which every inhabitant who opens a door to the street hath the
privilege of keeping a cow, or other beast.
Newport. 109
A great fire happened here in the last century, of which there is
this account in the register :
" Mem. — On Friday in the afternoon, being the iQth of May, 1665,
happened a sudden furyous fire, which began in the house of Richard
Shelton, a smith, then living at the Antelope, which by Saturday
afternoon following were burned out of habitation about 162 familyes,
besides the better part of ten more houses pulled to pieces, and much
prejudiced. Thomas Munck. — Newport sin no more lest a worse
punishment befall the*-." The loss amounted to about ^30,000.
August 30 is kept a festival in memory of Mr. Adams, and five
shillings allowed to the ringers by an order of the register. There is
a traditionary account in Newport that Charles II., being informed
what large sums Mr. Adams had expen-ied in charitable uses, expressed
a desire to see him, when he was on a visit in the city, and Mr. Adams
being introduced to his Majesty, the King asked him, "whether he
had not straitened his fortune by his great benefactions." Mr. Adams
replied, "that he had not, and that if his Majesty pleased, he would
present him with a thousand pounds, provided he would procure an
Act of Parliament to exempt his lands from taxes," which the King
consented to do. Whether this be true or not, certain it is that such
an Act was passed, and that his estates are now free from taxes.
One Mr. John Symmonds agreed with the lord of the manor of
Church Aston to enclose a spring, called the Wall head, from whence
he conveyed the water in lead pipes to Newport, and built six reser-
voirs in the town for the water. He also left a piece of land, now
let at about ^i i a year, to keep the pipes in repair.
PHILO ANTIQUUS.
Oswestry.
[1799, PartlL,p. 655.]
Oswestry and its hundred were part of Wales at the making of
Domesday. The hundred was taken out 8 Edward I. Isabel
Mortimer, mother of Richard, Earl of Arundel, had the custody of the
castle of Blanchminster and the hundred of Oswaldstre for her son.
It was formerly in the Fitz-Alans, earls .of Arundel.
The hundred is bounded west by Denbighshire and Montgomery-
shire, north by Denbighshire and the river Carrog, east by Pimhill
hundred and Perry river, south by the Severn. In the extensive
charter granted to the town of Oswaldstre by Thomas, Earl of Arundel,
1406, the inhabitants of the lordships of Oswaldstre, Melverley,
Kinardsley, Egerley, Ruyton, and the eleven towns, Old Ryton,
Cotton, Shelvoke, Shottaton, Wykey, Eardeston, Tedsmere, Rednall,
Haughton, Sutton, and Felton, which form a manor. Oswaldstre
hundred were under penalty of 6s. 8d. to carry any cattle or goods
to any foreign fair or market before the same had been first exposed
to sale in the town of Oswaldstre. (Pennant, /£., 256, 257.)
D. H.
i j o Shropshire.
[1810, Part I., pp. 409-411.]
Oswestry, a considerable market-town of Shropshire, was a place
of much celebrity in Saxon times ; it was formerly called Maeser-
felth, or Maeserfield, in the kingdom of Merria. It obtained the
name of Oswaldstre, or Oswaldstown, from the following event :
In the year 642, Penda, the daring and ferocious pagan King of
Mercia, defeated Oswald, King of Northumberland. Oswald ap-
proached with his army to what is called the Churchfield, then open.
At a small rise of ground, about 400 yards from the church, the
battle began. Penda's forces appear to have been driven to a field
near the town called Cae Nef, or Heaven-field, where, it is said,
Oswald fell, and his army was completely defeated. Penda caused
the breathless body of Oswald to be cut in pieces, and hung on poles
or crosses, as trophies of his victory.
" Three crosses, rais'd at Penda's dire commands,
Bore Oswald's royal head and mangled hands,
To stand a sad example to the rest,
And prove him wretched who is ever blest."
Every posthumous honour was heaped on Oswald by the monks,
who represented him as a martyr to Christianity. His sainted reliques
were efficacious in all disorders ; and many wonderful tales are related.
A monastery was founded, and dedicated to St. Oswald. Leland
says, "The Chirch was sometime a Monasterie, called the White
Minster. After turnid to a Paroche Chirch, and the Parsonage
impropriate to the Abbey of Shrewsbury. The Cloister stood 'in
hominum memoria, ubi monumenta monachorum.' " Oswald's Well,
a remarkable fine spring of water, was formerly covered by a small
chapel or oratory, little of which remains, except the walls which
protect the well, on one of which is carved the head of King Oswald,
banded with a royal fillet. Tradition gives the following origin of
this famous well : "When Oswald was slain, an eagle tore off one of
his arms, and was endeavouring to make off with it, but fell and
perished on this spot, when a spring of water instantly gushed out,
and remains to this day a memento ot the event."
Oswestry, by its walls and castle, must have been a place of con-
siderable strength ; and in the Civil Wars held out for King
Charles I. till June, 1644, when it surrendered to the Parliamentary
Army under General Mytton and the Earl of Denbigh. The castle
was built upon an artificial mount ; a few fragments of the walls only
remain, which indicate little of its former strength ; of the ancient
gates and walls little is left.
The church suffered much at the time the town was besieged ; it
is a spacious structure ; and, before this event, must have been very
handsome ; in many parts it has been patched up, without any
regard to style or regularity ; yet, as will be seen by the view annexed
(Plate I.), it has still a bold and venerable appearance; ihe tower
Oswestry. 1 1 1
has a very picturesque effect, from the bold tufts of ivy which clasp
its lofty sides. The interior of the church is plain, and does not
contain anything particularly worthy of notice; probably it was bereft
of its ornaments, as well as its ancient monuments and inscribed
brass plates, at the time the church was so much mutilated, as
mentioned before. The church is a vicarage, under the patronage
of the Eail of Powys, who is lord of this extensive manor. Part of
the parish still uses the Welsh language ; and part of the service is
read, at stated times, by the minister in that language. On the north
side the churchyard is a pleasant walk, shaded by a double row of
trees ; at the top is a handsome alcove,
"From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade."
. The following church notes were taken in July, 1807 :
Against the north wall is a clumsy monument ; a man and woman
kneeling, above which is the annexed inscription :
" In memory of Mr. Hugh Yale, Alderman of this Town, and Dorothy, his
wife, daughter of Roger Rodon, esq., of Burton, in ye county of Denbigh, whose
bodies are interred within the Chancel of this Church, commonly called St. Mary's
before the demolition in ye late Wars, anno 1616. They gave to the Poor of this
Town ye yearly interest and benefice of one hundred pounds, to continue for ever,
beside other good acts of Charity."
Arms : Ermine, on a saltire gules, a crescent or ; impaling Rodon.
Crest : On a chapeau, a boar in a net.
On a brass plate against a south pillar, in Roman capitals :
"The body of Susanna, the wife of Richard Edwards, vicar of the parish,
daughter of John Parry, of Llanbeder, in the county of Denbigh, esq., was here
interred the I3thday of June, 1668.
" Here also the body of her husband, Richard Edwards, vicar of Oswestry, son
of Robert Edwards, of Rhyd-y-Groese, in the parish of Llansillin, in the county
of Denbigh, genr., was interred the 24th of June, 1680. ' The memorie of the just
is blessed.' — Prov. x. 7."
On a handsome monument at the east end :
"Robert Powell Lloyd, son of Robert Lloyd, of Swan Hill, esquire, by Sarah,
his second wife, died nth March, anno Domini 1769, and was interred in the
vault beneath, aged 5 years. Sarah, mother of the above R. P. Lloyd, died igth
of August, 1790, aged 59 years. Also Robert Lloyd, esq., the father, died 5th of
April, 1793, aged 72 years."
Arms : Quarterly, i and 4, Or and gules, four lions passant,
counterchanged ; 2 and 3, Azure, a fess ermine between three lions
rampant, or. Crest : a lion rampant gules.
On a monument against the north wall :
" Sacred to the memory of Captain Robert Watkin Lloyd, of Major-general
G Wynne's regiment of cavalry, only son of Robert Lloyd, esq., of Swan Hill, aged
17. He fell a victim to the yellow fever on the 2oth of June, 1794, at Port-au-
Prince, in Saint Domingo, having survived the capture of that place. . . .
" Sacred also to the memory of Robert Lloyd, esq., of Swan Hill, father of the
above-named Robert Watkin Lloyd, who departed this life on the 3d day of
October, 1803, aged 58." . . .
1 1 2 Shropshire.
On a neat monument against the east end :
" Sacred to the memory of Thomas Trevor, Clerk, M. A., son of Roger Trevor,
of Bodynfol, in the county of Montgomery, esq., vicar of this parish 50, and of
Khuabon 15, years ; chaplain to Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, bart. ; and one of
his Majesty's justices of the peace for the counties of Salop and Denbigh, who
died the 29th of February, 1784, aged 76. ... He married twice : First,
Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Maurice, of Trefedrhyd, in the county of Mont-
gomery, esq., who died the 4th of June, 1762; afterwards Ann, daughter of
Gabriel Wynne, of D.>larddyn, esq., and relict of George Robinson, of Brithdir,
esq., both in the county of Montgomery, who survives."
Arms : Per bend ermine and erminois, a lion rampant or ; impaling,
Argent, a lion rampant sable.
On a tablet in the chancel :
"Sacred to the memory of the Rev. Turner Edwards, LL.B., vicar of this
Parish, and of Llansyllin, in the county of Denbigh, Rural Dean of Marchia, in
the Diocese of St. Asaph, and one of his Majesty's justices of the peace for the
county of Salop, who departed this life on the i6th January, 1803, aged 44, leaving
an afflicted widow, with five children, to deplore his untimely loss."
On a neat tablet against the south wall :
"EDVARDO . BROWNE DE . OSWESTRY . IN . COMITATV . SALOPIENSI .
ARMIGERO . QVI . VIXIT . ANN . LXXX . DECESSIT . VIII . CALEND . MART. ANNO
SACRO . CID . IOCC . LXXXXIIII . SARA . CON IVX . THOM^ . NETHERTON . PARKER .
HAERES . EIVS . EX . ASSE . PIO . GRATO . QVE . ANIMO . IN . AVVNCVLVM . OPTIME.
DE . SE . MERITVM . HOC . MONVMENTVM . FACIVNDVM . CVRAVIT."
Arms : Quarterly i and 4, Ermine, on a fess counter-embattled
sable, three escallops argent ; 2 and 3, Azure, on a chevron or,
between three storks' heads of the second, as many cinquefoils gules.
Crest : A stork's head argent, issuing out of a mural coronet.
These are the principal inscriptions within the church ; in the
churchyard the "frail memorials" of the dead are very numerous,
but I did not see any of particular note.
On July 9, 1807, in company with a gentleman well acquainted
with the scenery, I visited a place called Old Oswestry, Hen Ddinas,
about a mile west of the town of Oswestry. This strong military post
is situated upon a considerable eminence, inclining to an oblong form,
and seems to have had, in its original state, but one entrance. The
area of the top is about 16 acres, surrounded by two ramparts and
fosses of great height and depth. The foss at the foot of the hill,
which surrounds the whole, must make the area together, I suppose,
more than 50 acres. Some have attributed this stupendous work to
the Britons, some to the Romans, and others to Oswald or Penda ;
but this must be left for the discussion of veteran antiquaries. The
whole of this ancient fortification was covered with timber, mostly
oak, when I visited it, which had a fine effect on the bold and
picturesque scenery of which it formed a part ; but I am informed the
whole of the timber is since cut down, D. PARKES.
Pontesbury.
Pontesbury.
[1827, Part L, pp. 297-299-]
I enclose you a view of the fine old church of Pontesbury, taken
down in 1825, with the exception of the chancel, being considered in
a dangerous state. It is rebuilding in the Pointed style of archi-
tecture.
Pontesbury is a rectory, divided into three portions, in the
hundred of Ford, and Deanery of Pontesbury. The church, which
was dedicated to St. George, was a large irregular building of several
styles of ancient architecture. It consisted of a nave, a north and
south aisle, and chancel, divided from the nave by a pointed arch.
The north aisle was separated from the nave by three semicircular
arches, supported by clustered columns, each capital with different
ornaments. The south aisle was divided from the nave by four
pointed arches, supported by irregular fluted columns, with plain
lined capitals. On the south side the chancel was a piscina. The
ceiling of the nave was plain; that of the chancel coved, the cornice
ornamented with small quatrefoils. At the west end was an ancient
stone font. The length of the nave, 76 ft. 6 in. ; breadth, 58 ft.
2 in., side aisles included ; length of the chancel, 49 ft. 8 in. ; breadth,
21 ft. 6 in. The tower, which stood on the north side, was 27 ft.
3 in. by 24 ft. 5 in., contained five bells; round the tenor, "Thomas
Roberts, of Salop, cast these five, 1681. William Medlicott,
Nicholas Brockson, Wardens."
The following monumental memorials, taken when I last visited the
church, previous to its demolition, you will probably deem worthy of
preservation.
On stones in the floor, within the communion rails :
"Here lyeth interred the body of Thomas Niccolls, of Boycott, esq., who
departed this life ye i6th day of April, in the year of our Lord God 1646."
" Here lyeth interred the body of Thomas, the sonne of Rowland Niccolls, esq.,
and Anne, his wife, who was buried ye6th day of Jvly An0 Dui 1659."
" The remains of Mrs. Ann Wingfield, wife of the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Wing-
field, A.M., rector of the first portion of Pontesbury, who died 2ist Jan., 1755,
aged — ."
" The Rev. Benjamin Wingfield, M. A., rector of the first portion of this Church,
died 26th Sept., 1763, aged 53."
" In memory of Arthur Ward, of Kinton, gent., who died the nth day of Aug.,
1682, aged 82."
Against the east wall of the chancel, secured by folding-doors, is
the portrait of a boy, in a loose mantle, over which an serial form,
with a wreath or chaplet, with which she is going to crown him ; in
the clouds are several cherubs' heads, and below the portrait the
following inscription :
" Hie subtus jacet ingens Naturae partus et conamen, quod cum absolvere non
potuit iniqua delevit ; natus in tumuli tristepatrimonium, parentum in luctusolum
primigenise jus retulit ; indolis tantae, de qua maxima sperare licuit, nunc vero
VOL. XXII. 8
i T 4 Shropshire.
maxima lugere. Annis tenerrimis virtutibus (hei prodigium) prmaturis. ut plus
ab utero crederes, quam a disciplina excelli. Obijt quinto die IVlartij An0 Dom'
1636, oetatis n. Ea virtus innocentia in Paradisum recipi, qua primus homo
deperdita exulavit."
[Verses omitted.]
On a flat stone in the floor, under the monument :
" Here lyeth the body of Thos. Ottlev, eldest son of Francis Ottley and Lucy,
his wife, son and heir apparent of Thos. Ottley, of Pitchford, esq., who departed
this life the 5th of March, 1636."
On a neat marble tablet, against the east wall of the chancel :
"Joannes Mac Gilvray, A.M. In Inverness! agro natus, A.D. 1751. Christi
meritis humiliter fretus, mortalitatem exuit, A.D. 1823."
On a brass plate, against the north wall of the chancel :
" MORS PUS LVCRVM. Hunc prope locum jacet corpus Oeni Davis, Colleg'
Omnium Animarum Oxon. socii senioris, ac hvius ecc'liae per spaciurn xvni*
annor' univs pastoru'. qui senio confectus xii° die Mali AnnoSalvtis Nostrae 1614,
et peregrinationis suae 72, ab hac vita Deo et hominibvs charvs ad evm in qvo
confisvs est pacifice migravit ; in cujvs piam memoriam Maria vxor eivs filia
Richardi Fosteri Evang. Divini dispensatoris fidelis ab antiqua Evelensi familia
orti, viri doctrina, pie ate, et moribvs approbat. Coll. s'c'toe Trinitat', Cantabr.
socii, hie etiam Anno Christi 1596 sepult. moeroris plena hoc monvmentvm
posvit."
Against the north wall of the chancel a handsome monument of
marble ; on the right side a figure of Hope, on the left Charity ;
under the tablet, in bas-relief, a ship in full sail ; on the table the
following inscription :
"M. S.
" THOM^E DAVIES, Mercatoris Lond. filii natu minimi . . . hujus Ecclesise
unius olim e Rectoribus, cujus Industriam spe tantum fulcitam, cujus integritatem,
probitatemq' negotiis obeundis, cujus postea indigentibus charitatem pariterq' in
gentem propriam (nee numero nee inopia minimam) munificentiam, divitiarum,
amicorum, precii gratitudinis, affluentia Divini Numinis providentia (in cujus
tutelam ab ipsisincunabiliscom'issus fuit utpote patre orbatus) abinde compensavit.
Quod reliquum est, his virtutibus non solum exemplar se voluit esse, sed patronum,
qui ut industriam promoveret centum lib. pueris egenis apud Hospitale Christi
Lord, hujusce autem natalis soli emeritis senibus ducentas largitus est. Obiit xm.
Cal. Sept. A.D. CID.ID.LXXIV. yEt. LXT. R.D. NEPOS POSUIT.
" Arms : Sable, a chevron gules, between three swans' heads or ; on a chief
of the third a fleur-de-lis sable."
On a monument against the south wall of the chancel :
" Revdus HENRICUS BALDWYN, A.M. Rector primse et tertise portionis hujus
Ecclesiae, obijt 17° Julij, 1757. ^Eta\ 56. Multis ille bonis flebilis occidit.
" Arms : Argent, a saltier sable. Crest : On a mount vert a cockatrice argent ;
wattled, combed, and beaked or, ducally gorged and lined of the last."
On a monument at the east end of the south aisle :
" In memory of WILLIAM BOYCOTT, of Boycott, esq., who died the 2d day of
August, 1707, aged 46, this monument was erec'ed by his affectionate and mournful
widdow. He was steady to the principles of the Church of England, of great
probity, justice, and integrity, charitable and liberal to the poor, hospitable and
generous to his friends, affable and courteous to all, generally beloved whilst he
lived, and much lamented at his death."
Pontesbury. 1 1 5
On a tablet against the north wall :
"Near this place are deposited the remains of JOHN OLIVER, of Shrewsbury,
esq., who died Nov. 24, 1789, aged 48.
"Also of BOLD OLIVER, of the same place, esq., who died May 8, 1791, aged
44 years.
"Also of ELIZABETH OLIVER, widow of the above Bold Oliver, esq., who died
May 17, 1 80 1, aged 54 years."
On a monument against the north wall of the chancel :
" Beneath are interred the remains of RICHARD WARD OFFLEY, of Hinton,
esq., who died 29th May, 1762, aged 46 years. He was a gentleman of an ancient
family, acted in the Commission of the Peace for this county, and was not only
assiduous of doing good in general, but particularly attended the true interests of
this parish and neighbourhood. He married SARAH, daughter of George Penbury,
of Wotherton, esq., by whom he left issue a daughter, SARAH, and one son,
WARD OFFLEY, who, whilst in the service of his country, fell a sacrifice to the
malignant influence of the climate at Antigua, on the 24th of November, 1793, in
the 33d year of his age.
"Arms : Argent, on a cross pate^e flory azure a lion passant gardant or, between
four Cornish choughs proper ; impaling Penbury."
On a plain stone in the chancel :
" Here lieth the body of JOHN HARRIS, of Cruckton, esq., who departed this
ife Oct. 21, 1746, aged 55. As likewise of SARAH, his wife, daughter of Robert
Hill, esq., who died 3d Dec., 1772, aged 80. ALICIA HARRIS died igih Nov.,
1798, aged 79.
" Arms : Barry of eight, ermine and azure, over all three annulets ; impaling
Ermine, on a fesse sable a castle triple-towered argent. Crest : A hawk argent,
beaked and belled or, preying on a pheasant argent."
On a tablet against the north wall of the nave :
"Near this stone lie the remains of ROBERT PHILLIPS, of Cruck-Meole, esq.,
and CATHARINE, his wife, daughter of Sir Edward Acton, of Aldenham, bart.
He died i8th of April, A.D. 1772, aet. 96 ; and she the I4th of Oct., 1743, aet. 58.
They had issue Edward and Mary. Edward died young. MARY married
Thomas Harris, of Crunkton, esq. ; she died 23d Jan., A.D. 1767, aet. 48.
THOMAS HARRIS, esq., died Sept. 27th, A.D. 1798, aged 82."
On a plain stone in the chancel floor :
" Here lyeth the body of Mrs. JANE DALE, sister to the Rector of the second
portion of Pontesbury, daughter of HUGH DALE, M.A., formerly fellow of
Brasenose College, Oxford, Chaplain to ye Duke of Bridgewater, Rector of
Moddle, afterwards of Settrington and Donnington, in Yorkshire, who married a
daughter of Pontesbury Owen, Esq. She died the 14th of Oct., 1738, aged 31."
On a tablet against the north wall of the chancel :
" In memory of the Rev. WILLIAM PUGH, formerly curate of this parish. Died
Feb. i8th, 1775, aged 74."
There are several other memorials to the families of Phillips,
Heighway, etc. D. PARKES.
8—2
Tl6
Shropshire.
Quatford.
[1818, Part /.,/. 17.]
In addition to the views you have already given of Shropshire
churches, permit me to present you with a view of Quatford Church,
with some remains of antiquity belonging to it. (See Plate II.)
Quatford is in the jurisdiction of Bridgnorth and hundred of
Stottesden. The church, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, was
built and endowed with great possessions by Roger de Montgomery,
Earl of Shrewsbury, at the desire of Adelaisa, his wife, who made a
vow thereof in a tempest at sea upon her first coming to England.
The nave and part of the tower were rebuilt in 1714; but the
chancel and interior of the church retail their original appearance —
plain benches for seats, with quatrefoil ornaments at the ends. The
chancel is divided from the body by a circular arch, supported by
four pilasters on each side, round and square alternately ; in the
south wall is an ornamented piscina. Nos. i, 2, 3, 4, as represented
in the plate, are ancient sepulchral stones, with crosses, etc., and
Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, are figured floor-tiles, or quarries. Opposite the
south entrance is an ancient stone font ; the upper part is ornamented
with quatrefoils, deeplv recessed ; below are cable mouldings.
On a plain stone within the communion-rails :
" Here lieth the body of JANE SPENCER, spinster, daughter of Sir Thomas
Spencer, Baronet, by Dame Elizabeth, his Wife, who departed this life the I5th
day of April, 1765."
On a tablet against the south wall :
"JOSEPH CORBETT, Gent., died July 17, 1790, aged 66."
On a monument against the south wall :
" Sacred to the memory of THOMAS CRUMP, late of Oldbury, in this county,
Gent., who departed this life July 29, 1788, aged 72.
" Also to the memory of ELIZABETH, his Wife, the daughter of Geo. and Eliz.
Corfield, of Oldbury ; she departed this life Nov. 3, 1793, aged 82."
D. PARKES.
Richard's Castle.
[1797, Part 11., p. 75I-]
Richard's Castle, near Ludlow, the seat of the Salways, has long
been in the possession of that family. John Salway died seised of
Stanford, in Worcestershire (now the seat of the Winningtons), and
of Richard's Castle, 8 Henry V. (see Nash's "Worcestershire,"
vol. ii., p. 366).
If Stoke Castle be Stoke Say, it belonged to Sir John Ludlow, of
Hodnet, whose daughters and coheirs, Anne and Alice, married
Thomas and Humphry Vernon, brothers to Philip and Mary, from the
former of whom are descended the Curzons. Who was the wife of
Sir John Ludlow has been a matter of great dispute, the Vernons
asserting her to have been Elizabeth, sister of John, Lord Powis,
Shelton. 1 1 7
grandfaiher of Edward, last Lord Powis. Hut Mr. Powis. who
counter-claimed the Barony of Powis as the descendant of Eliza-
beth, aunt of Lord John, denied the existence of such a person
as Elizabeth Gray, wife of Sir John Ludlow. O. Y.
Shelton.
[1810, Part //.,/. 305.]
As you have recorded and given delineations of many trees re-
markable for size, or some history attached to them, I am induced
to send you a drawing of the Shelton Oak (see Plate I.), not more
remarkable for its size than its traditional history.
Mr. Gough, in his edition of Carnden's "Britannia," introduces the
following notice of it :
" About a mile and a half from Shrewsbury, where the Pool road
diverges from that which leads to Oswestry, there stands an ancient
decayed oak. There is a tradition that Owen Glendwr ascended
this tree to reconnoitre ; and finding that the King was in great
force, and that the Earl of Northumberland had not joined his son
Hotspur, he fell back to Oswestry, and immediately after the battle
of Shrewsbury retreated precipitately to Wales."
This tree is now in a complete state of decay and hollow, even
the larger ramifications. It is visited by many people from the
above tradition. A gentleman whom I accompanied was so charmed
with the old tree that he gave it the name of Owen Glendwr's Ob-
servatory, and wrote the annexed inscription for a brass plate to be
fixed to the tree :
"On July XXIL, A.D. MCCCCIII., OWEN GLYNDWR ascended this Tree to
reconnoitre on his march to Shrewsbury to join the daring Hotspur against King
Henry IV., but finding his friends were defeated, returned from this spot into
Wales."
The following are the dimensions of the Shelton Oak :
ft. in.
Girth at bottom, close to the ground . . . 44 3
Ditto, 5 feet from ground . . . . 25 i
Ditto, 8 feet ditto 274
The height of the tree to A 41 6
Within the hollow of the tree, at the bottom, there is sufficient
room for at least half a dozen to take a snug dinner; and he whose
signature follows would have no objection to make one of the
party, and drink to the memory of Owen Glyndwr. D. PARKES.
Shrawardine.
[1813, Fart //.,/. 320.]
The following extracts from Shrawardine Parish Register, in the
county of Salop, may be an acceptable addition to your historical
and topographical notices :
" In the time of our late unnatural civil and unhappy wars that
Shropshire.
were between the King and Parliament, Shrawardine Castle was
made a garrison for the King, September 28, 1644. Sir William
Vaughan, Colonel, was made the Governor of it. This Castle was
the headquarters of all his forces. While this garrison continued,
the church and chancel were pulled down ; the outbuildings of the
Castle, the Parsonage-house, with all edifices thereunto belonging,
and ye greatest, fairest, and best part of the town, were burnt for the
safety (as it was pretended) of the said garrison. In this firing
the Register Book, among many books of the minister's, was burned.
Now here followeth a register of all such weddings, christenings, and
burials, as have been since that lime, only by the way, some things
are to be noied and remembred. . . .
" Shrawardine Chancel was thrown down on Saint Matthias Day,
February 24, 1644. The Church was pulled down on Whitsunday
Eve, June 8, 1645. The town was burnt on Midsummer Eve and
Midsummer Day, 1645. The garrison was cowardly surrendred up
to the Parliament Forces after five dayes seige. And, within less
than a fortnight after, all the timber-work of ye Castle, and much
goods that were in it, were all consumed with fire, upon a sudden
report that Sir William Vaughan was coming to surprize it. After-
wards the stone-work was pulled down and carried to Shrewsbury,
for the repairing of the Castle there, and the making-up of Rousal
Wai!, standing on ye Severn side. The Church was rebuilt by a
voluntary collection thro' the county in the year 1 649. All ye mean
while the parish assembled for the publick worship of God in the
Castle stable. Richard Typton ye elder was a diligent, careful
churchwarden, while the Church was builded.
" One Mr. Edgerlye is said to have been parson here for above
ye space of 40 years.
" After him succeeded Mr. Corbet, rector of Westenstow, and also
parson of this parish. He is reported to have lived to a very great
age. He enjoyed this place for above 50 years.
"Richard Harrison, a Cumberland man, Master of Arts and
Fellow of Queen's College, in Oxford, was chosen parson by Sir
Henry Bromley. He enjoyed this place 46 years, and then dyed,
being aged 86. He was buried September 15, 1638.
"Francis Browne, born in Newport, Master of Arts, of Lincoln
college, in Oxford, was vicar of Monford seven years, and after ye
death of Mr. Harrison (by the free donation of Henry Bromley, esq.,
Lord of this manour, and patron of the rectory), was removed from
Monford to be parson of this parish. He was inducted into this
rectory by Mr. Clark, parson of Fitz, vicar of Alberbury, and rural
dean of Pontesbury, November 26, 1638. The Sunday following he
read openly in the Church the Book of Articles. On July ye 25, ye
year foregoing, he was rnarryed to Priscilla Morris, the daughter of
Rowland Morris, yeoman, and bayliffe of this lordship.
Shrawardiue. 1 1 9
"Note. This year, 1658, we bad neither churchwarden nor con-
stable, Rowland Owen, a soldier in ye county troop, being chosen
to both offices, but refusing to serve, as a priviledged person, he was
fined in fifty shillings for his obstinacy. Thomas James, gent., was
constable for part of ye year, and John Clark remained in his office
of churchwarden, but did nothing, being removed out of the parish
to Cilcott, in the township of Bicton. And this year was a tyme
of great sickness and diseases in these parts, and generally all the
land over, for ye ceasing of which we had a day of humiliation, and
after that, thro' ye mercy of God, ye sickness abated in all places.
" May 29, 1660. His gracios Majesty or dread Soveraign King
Charles the Second came to London, attended with the greatest part
of ye nobility and gentry of ye land, where, with all demonstrations
of joy, he was welcomed and received. Never was more cordial
joy, love, and honor, shewed to any King, than to this exiled Prince,
at his reception into ye Kingdom, in all places." S. W.
Shrewsbury.
[1763, /A 481, 482.]
The town of Shrewsbury is seated on the north side of the river
Severn, not very far distant from the centre of the county of Shrop-
shire, it being twenty computed miles from thence to Ludlow at the
southern extremity of the county, and fourteen computed miles to
Whitchurch at the northern extremity. The town stands upon a
hill of red earth, and is almost encircled by the river Severn, which
runs by the walls in the form of a horse-shoe. This town is sup-
posed to have risen from the ruins of Uriconium, a Roman station
at the conflux of the Severn and Tern, now called Wroxeter. The
Saxons termed it Scrobbers-lyrig, because it was anciently a thicket
of shrubs upon a hill. The Welsh named it Pengwerne, whence
Leland writes thus of it :
" Edita Penguerni late fa^tigia splendent,
Urbs sita lunato veluti mediamnis in orbe,
Colle tumet modico, duplici quoque ponte superbit,
Accipiens patria sibi lingua nomen ab alto."
They named it also Ym Withig, which, as Camden tells us, some
learned in the Welsh language derive from the word " Mewithan,"
signifying pleasant, because the old Welsh princes greatly delighted
in it. The Normans named it Scropesbery, Sloppesbery, and Salop,
which Camden supposes to be corruptions of the old S »xon name.
At the first entering of the Normans it was a place well inhabited
and of good trade.
In Edward the Confessor's time, according to Domesday Book,
it paid gelt for 100 hides. In the reign of the Conqueror it paid
nearly^y i6s. de gablo. There were numbered there 252 citizens,
of whom twelve was obligated to guard the Kings of England
I2O
Shropshire.
when they lay in this town, and as many to accompany them in
hunting. Carnden refers this custom to the murder of Prince Ashelm,
who was slain in hunting by Edrick Strema, Duke of the Mercians.
William I. gave this town to Roger of Montgomery, who pulled
down fifty houses and built the castle. His son Robert, when he
revolted from Henry I., built the walls. In the year 1403, Sir
Henry Piercy, his uncle the Earl of Worcester, and the Earl of
Dunbar laid siege to the town, but Henry IV., coming up with his
army, engaged and defeated them in the place since called Battlefield.
Tradition tells us that his Queen stood upon Haghmond Hill to see
the battle, where there is a place still called the Queen's Bo^er.
Shrewsbury zealously espoused the cause of Charles I., and
endured a long siege from the Rebel forces, but was at length taken
by surprise at the time of the Treaty of Uxhridge.
Roger of Montgomery was the first Earl of Shrewsbury, being
so created by the Conqueror, who gave him also the greatest part
of Shropshire. Hugh, his eldest son, succeeded him, and was slain
in Wales without issue. Robert, his brother, succeeded him, but
having rebelled against Henry I., was sentenced to perpetual im-
prisonment, and the earldom assigned to Queen Adaliza for her
dowry. From that time Shrewsbury had no Earl till Henry VI., in
the year 1442, created John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury, of which
noble family there have been fourteen earls of this place, one of
which was created Duke, but that title died with him. There are in
Shrewsbury the following churches, viz. : St. Chad's, which was once
collegiate, and valued at the Dissolution at -£14 145. 4d. ; St.
Mary's, which was likewise collegiate, and valued at £18 is. 8d. ;
St. Alkmund's ; St. Julian's ; St. Giles's ; and the Abbey Church.
The Abbey was founded by Robert of Montgomery in the year 1081,
in honour of St. Peter and St. Paul and St. Melburga, and was
valued at ^615 45. 3d. The other religious houses were : a house
of Augustine Friars, founded by Lord Stafford ; of Carmelite Friars,
by De Teneville ; of Franciscan Friars, by Geoffrey, Lord Powis ; of
Dominican Friars, by De Charleton. The market is kept on Wed-
nesdays and Fridays. The fairs are htld on August 12, October 2, and
December 12. The movable fairs were kept this year on March 19,
April 13, May 18. The infirmary in this town, which was opened
April 25, 1747, is a very handsome edifice, and pleasantly
situated; the subscription, according to the last report, amounts to
^1,044 6s. 6d.
The chief trade of this place is for Welsh cottons and flannels.
A new and elegant theatre hath been lately built here. The Foundling
Hospital is a handsome building, and pleasantly seated on a hill
near the river. The chief inns are the Raven, the Talbot, and the
Red Lion. The best streets are the Raven Street, the High Street,
and Mardol. Shrewsbury is, in general, wtll built, and many gentle-
Shrewsbury. \ 2 1
men re-side in it. The situation is exceedingly pleasant, amidst rising
hills and beautiful meadows. The quarry is justly esteemed one of
the finest walks in the kingdom. The principal seats near Salop
are: Berwick, the seat of Thomas Powis, Esq.; Sundon, of --
Corbet, Esq. ; Tern, of Thomas Hill, Esq. ; Longnor, of Robert
Burton, Esq. ; Cundover, of Lord Clive ; Underhill, of Henry Powis,
Esq. The Free School is a very handsome structure, and well
endowed. VERAX,
[1794, Part //.,/. 1086.]
The venerable church of Sr. Alkmond, in Shrewsbury, being to be
taken down and rebuilt, I went to transcribe some old monumental
inscriptions, for fear they should be destroyed by the workmen; but,
to my surprise, there were several inscriptions on brass plates gone.
This led me to make inquiry, and I was informed they were sold, by
order of the churchwardens, to a brazier; on which I went and
drsired to see the plates, and carefully copied the inscriptions.* . . .
i. On a brass plate, one foot and three-quarters by six inches and
a half:
"ijljcrc luetlt (Seorgc |30ntcsburj). t\\t <Sont of TEhomas -Pxrntesbnrn, Jate
of ;3Vbbrightlrje,t tohich bucb the tenth bar of (October, ^n0 §~ni 1550, anb in
' als
the fourth nere of the ^larjgne of |fiin0e'(£btr.nrb the ^irst ; anb also Jahne
his luiffc, one of the baufjhters of <Sir <ltteharb |Cac~on, Anight, to huh bieb
the hist fcai) of June, in the setoenth rjere 0f the jtl.iygne of the abobenameb
toorthic $'nce glinge dJbtoarbe tlu Jfirst ; on tohom tlu'iCxrrb, for Jesus Christ
sahe, Itabe mcrcjtj."
Second plate :
"©eorgius ^3ontesbur^e, obut ^nno Domini 1589, J^p. bit."
Third plate :
"GEORGIVS HIGGONS, GENEROSVS, ALDERMANV', & QUINQVIES BALIVVS
nvivs VILL^; SALLOPI^;, EX HAC VITA EMIGKAVIT, VICESIMO TERTIO DIE
OCT°BRIS ANO D'NI M1LLES1MO QVINGENTESIMO NONAGESIMO PRIMO ^TATIS
SV^E SEPTVAGESIMO SECV^DO."
Fourth plate :
" PlERE LIETH THE BODY OF THOMAS BARKER, OF ADBRIGHTLEE, ESQ.,
WHO HAD TO WIFE MARGARET, THE DAVGHTER OF EDWARD OWEN, OF
ADBRIGHTLEE, ESQ., BY WHOM HE HAD ISSVE 3 CHILDREN, AMY, SARAH,
AND JOHN. HE DEPARTED THIS LIFE MAY 10, ANNO DOMINI 1652.
JUSTORUM ANIM^E IN MANU DEI SUNT."
[1796, Part L, pp. 369, 370.]
The enclosed drawing represents the east end of the old church of
St. Alkmond, Shrewsbury, taken down in 1794; which I shall be
glad to see engraved (Fig. 2) to accompany the following monumental
* That is all I could find, but there were more taken from the church, which I
fear are lost.
t About four miles from Shrewsbury.
2 2 Shropshire.
inscriptions, copied from brass plates, etc., in the above church, in
1790, long before the ravages complained of by your correspondent
(Gent. Mag., 1794, Part II., p. 1089). The plates belonging to the
Pontesbury family, and those of Higgins, Barker, etc., were loose, and
thrown behind a chest in the vestry. I am happy it is in my power
to send the following in addition to those you have published. Monu-
mental inscriptions are evidence ; and those of a date prior to parish
registers are most essentially so, and ought to be carefully preserved ;
that they have on many occasions been instrumental in deciding the
fate of property is well known.
Upon slips of brass that had gone round the verge of a stone (the
blanks are to show the pieces lost) :
" (fetoxQinst $0ttt*sbttri, tt Jaita »x' . . . fiUarum gUcharoi ^atltji), be
39tt£hforb.e, armijjeri, qux fuit, . . . tnttt' awte' secunfcnm boln'iatem patris
Urn fecit fflitts t]nz ftontt shurg, nattt maximum a° ^OTTOC&jy: jEl£.n
On another :
" mamas fcHmtesbti', obijt a $'ni ^OrorarCCOrBI.''
On the back of Higgons's plate was this, in Roman capitals :
" Heare lyeth the body of THOMAS BENYON, draper, deceased the xxth day of
July, 1587.
" Heare lyeth ANNE BENYON, the wyfe of Thomas Benyon, deceased the xvth
of June, 1638."
On a blue stone, near the chancel-steps, were the figures of a
woman and her two husbands ; at their feet the following inscription.
The figures and inscription brass.
" "jjjic jzttnt J0h'e0 HJtrhep tt Joh'.e ? ^ptttufreston, burgene-es bille <Salopif,
tt ctfHargeria nxox tor\ tt p'bict Jah'ts ^rbej) 0bijt a° b'ni millo TCCCC&^J:,
tt y'lbut Joh'^s tj)nmfrts>ton obijt ultimo bie mc'0 ^tarcii ao b'ni millo CCCCC
n0na5f£iim0 nno, ac ttixm Jftargiria u.xot p'ii-ctor', obiit ... bit mcnsis . . .
a° b'ni miU'0 qttin0,*ntesim0. 0,u0r' animabus y 'pic jet' >bt' am*'."
On a large stone on the north side the church, the letters arranged
as under. The letters of this inscription are sunk in the stone; but
the whole appears to have been covered with slips of brass, which
undoubtedly contained one of later date. At the head :
"MARY, DOUGTER TO IHON OTTELEY."
On the side :
"GENT., AND WYFE TO RICHARD OWEN, MERCER, GENT., DECESSED A'NO
D'NI 1568."
On a blue stone near the font was a brass plate with the following,
in Roman capitals :
" Here, in assurance of a joyful resurrection, lyeth the body of ANDREW
STUDLEY, master of arte, and eldest sonne of Peter Sudley, gent., who married
Elizabeth, the second daughter of Humphre Owen, gent., and had issue by her
2 daughters, Elener and Mary, who departed this life ye 17th day of July, an'o D'ni
1628, the one and fortieth year of his age, in the feare of God and peace of con-
science, ending a holy life wth a happy death."
Shrewsbury. . 123
On a brass plate, in Roman capitals :
"Here lyeth the body of RICHARD PROWDE, draper, husband of Alice Prowde,
deceased the 25th day of Avgvst, 1608, and had issue 2son'es, Richard and James;
and 6 davghters, Anne, Mary, deceased, Elienor, Mary, Sara, Margaret."
As my intention was only to mention the inscriptions that are
destroyed, I shall beg leave to observe that the other monuments,
tombstones, etc. (most of which are of more modern date), are placed
in the new church and churchyard. D. P.
[i8ir, Part I., p. 9.]
I beg to offer you a sketch of the north-east view of the ancient
and very curious church of St. Alkmund, in Shrewsbury, which,
excepting its most beautiful steeple, was destroyed by the parishioners
in 1793. The drawing from which the enclosed is copied was made
by me a few days previous to the unnecessary demolition of the
venerable fabric, and is, I believe, the only existing representation of
its northern elevation. (See Plate I.) H. O.
[1807, Part L, p. 297.]
I send you a north-west view of the ancient collegiate and parochial
church of St. Chad, in Shrewsbury (Plate I.), which fell down in the
>ear 1788, undermined by graves. The drawing is a faithful copy
of one made by me not long before the accident.
As no tolerable engraving has ever appeared of this large church,
I am very desirous that a print of it may adorn your valuable
magazine ; by which means some public memorial of its form will be
preserved.
The church stood in the cemetery, the present indecent state of
which has been so justly reprobated by some of your correspondents,
and on the spot which once contained a palace of the ancient princes
of Powis. One of the Saxon Kings of Mercia founded this collegiate
church, for a dean, ten prebendaries, vicars choral, etc., which existed
till the ist of Edward VI., when the college was dissolved, and the
church remained parochial only; served by a curate. The deanery
was in the patronage of the Bishops of Lichfield and Coventry, and
had been filled by many persons of eminence. Although unadorned,
the exterior aspect of St. Chad's was stately and interesting; within,
it possessed a venerable dignity seldom seen in a parish church.
The walls of the nave rested on round Saxon arches. Four noble
pointed arches sustained the square tower in the centre, in which
hung a peal of ten bells. The arches of the choir and transept were
round, while the windows were narrow and lancet-shaped, adorned
with slender shafts and foliated capitals. In the large east window
was the painted glass, now in St. Mary's Church ; and at the western
extremity of the nave was a very handsome organ. The length,
1 24 Shropshire.
from east to west, was 160 feet; of the transept, from nonh to
south, 94 feet. H.
[1820, Part If., p. 303.]
I enclose you the inscription on a monument recently erected in
the church of St. Chad. The monument consists of a table deeply
panelled, flanked with a fluted pilaster on each side, and sur-
mounted with a richly-carved frieze; round the v\hule runs a
guillochi, charged with roses, and enclosing above the table a circular-
headed niche, containing a fine bust of the deceased by Chantrey.
The whole is executed in beautiful statuary marble. The inscrip-
tion is in Roman capitals.
"John Simpson, born at Stenhouse, in Midlothian, 1755, dird in this parish,
June 1 5th, 1815. As a man, he was moral, gentle, social, and friendly ; in his
professional capacity, diligence, accuracy, and irreproachable integrity, insured
him esteem and confidence wherever he was employed. And lasting monuments
of his skill and ability will be found in the building; of this church, which he
superintended ; the bridges of Bewdley, Dunkeld, Craig Ellachie, and Bonar ; the
aqueducts of Pontcysylte and Chirk ; and the locks and basins of the Caledonian
Canal. The strength and maturity of his Christian faith and hope were seen con-
spicuous in his last illness. To his exemplary conduct as a husband and a father,
his afflicted widow and daughters erect this memorial of affection and regret "
D. PARKES.
[18115, Part //., p. 8.]
A handsome marble tablet, commemorative of the Rev. F.
Leighton, of Ford, near Shrewsbury, has lately been erected in the
new church of St. Chad, with the following inscription :
"H.S. E. FRANCISUS LEIGHTON, Ecclesiae Anglicanse presbyter, e pervetusta
sui nominis in hoc comitatu prosapia oriundus : Vir quem silere nefas ; laudare
arduum ; adeo summas Naturae dotes, ingenium acre, et venam Poeticae ubertrm,
optimarum artium discipline, et multiplici linguarum peritia excoluerat : gravi-
tatem sermonis colloquio lepido, sententiarum vim facetiis honestis temperavit :
adeo pius in Deum, liberalis erga pauperes, amans Regis ac Patrise, comis, facilis,
idemque constans amicus evasit. Decessit 7mo die Septemb. A. S. MDCCCXIII.,
anno natus LXVI. Nemini nisi malo civi infensus. Consortein habet sepulchri,
quse fuerat tori, CLARAM, Johannis Boynton Adams, de Caml>lesfurth in agro
Ebor. arm. sororem ex semisse haeredem, omnibus, quae matrem-familias decerent
virtutibus exornatam, demortuam 30 die Octobris MDCCCI., setatis anno LXVI. Juxta
avitos cineres contumulantur ST. LEGER et CAROLINA LEIGHTON, Ille infra
biennium extinctus, Haec undecimo vitae men>e vix exacto frairi addita, Franciscus
Knyvett Leighton optimis parentibus et liberis H. M. P. C."
D. PARKES.
[1832, Part I., pp. 589, 590.]
At a meeting held in the vestry of St. Chad's Church, on August 6,
1825, under the immediate patronage of the Hon. and Right Rev.
the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, and several gentlemen inter-
ested in the spiritual welfare of the increasing and populous suburb
of Frankwell, in the town of Shrewsbury, it was proposed to erect
an additional church in that district of St, Chad's parish. The
Shrewsbury. 1 2 5
death of the vicar, the Rev. T. Stedman, M.A., stopped, however,
for a time, farther proceedings in the matter; and it was not until
July 16, 1827, that any decisive measures were adopted, when a
committee was formed and a subscription immediately entered into,
to carry the plan into effect. Subsequent disputes in the parish,
which it is unnecessary to detail, having further delayed the under-
taking, the foundations were not commenced until September,
1829; and the building, being completed, received consecration on
Monday, January 30, 1832 ; on which occasion the mayor and
corporation, with several clergymen of the town and neighbourhood,
walked in procession from the parish church to the new edifice,
and after the usual service of consecration had been performed, the
Rev. Edw. Bather, M.A., Archdeacon of Salop, preached, from the
1 8th chap, of Matt. 28th verse, an eloquent exposition of the
presence of Jesus Christ in the assemblies of His worshippers, and
the nature and greatness of the benefits vouchsafed to them.
The church is situated in a confined situation at the upper end
of Frankwell, and is dedicated to St. George, the tutelar saint of
England, a name selected from its proximity to the site of an ancient
religious foundation, called in old writings, " The Free Chapel of
St. George." The structure is cruciform, having a small tower
rising at the west end, and is built with fine Grinshill stone. The
architecture adopted throughout the building, with the exception of
the tower, is of the lancet or early Pointed style which prevailed in
the thirteenth century.
The west front, which is by far the best part of the building, is
made into three divisions, guarded by projecting buttresses, the
centre division being occupied by the principal entrance, a plain
pointed arch, bounded by a sweeping label; above this is a lancet-light,
succeeded by a panel intended for a clock-dial ; from this part the
tower shows itself above the roof to the height of about 20 feet, and
has, on three sides only, a handsome mullioned window, in the style of
the sixteenth century, surmounted by an embattled parapet and four
crocketed pinnacles, crowned with finials, which are quite out of
character with the other parts of the building. The tower contains
one small bell. The flanks of the west end are quite plain, having
in their centre narrow blank loopholes. The nave has on each side
four lancet windows, bounded by labels ; and the northern and
southern extremities of the transepts, with the chancel, or eastern
end, have triple lancet windows, with recessed mouldings, terminat-
ing in bosses, at present uncarved. The transepts and chancel
terminate with gables, having on their apex a crocketed pinnacle,
crowned by a finial.
The extreme length of the church is 84^ feet, and 30 feet in
width ; the transepts, from north to south, are 66J feet, and the
tower, to the summit of the pinnacles, 60 feet.
126 Shropshire.
The interior is plain and neat, possessing rather a pleasing appear-
ance. The basement of the tower forms the vestibule, being flanked
on one side by the vestry, and on the other by the stairs leading to
the gallery. The aisles and transepts are occupied by free benches,
with a passage on either hand, the pews being placed along the side
walls of the entire building.
The pulpit is placed on the south side of the chancel, and the
reading-desk on the opposite. The Decalogue, etc., is painted on
two wooden panels, divided by a transom, and affixed on cor-
responding sides of the eastern window; and on each side of the
altar are two handsome carved Gothic chairs, presented by the Rev.
Richard Scott, B.D.
Attached to the west end is a capacious gallery of free seats,
extending over two-thirds of the nave.
The ceiling is flat and of plaster, intersected by ribs springing
from embattled trusses, and decorated with embossed ornaments,
devices, etc. ; it has a modern appearance, ill-suited to the general
character of the building, but which defect may, at some future
period, be obviated by painting it in appropriate compartments.
The font is of freestone and octagonal, having its side compart-
ments ornamented by a small quatrefoil sunk within a square panel ;
it rests on a slender pedestal in the area between the transepts.
The church was erected by a public subscription, and a grant
from his Majesty's Commissioners for building churches. The total
cost, exclusive of the site, which was presented by R. Drinkwater,
Esq., was nearly .£4,000 ; of which sum, however, ,£400 has been
invested in the name of trustees, as a fund for future repairs — a
plan \vhich it is hoped will be followed in other instances.
There are fifty-seven pews, which will accommodate 290 persons,
and 460 free and unappropriated sittings.
The structure was designed by Mr. Edward Haycock, and finished
by the contractors, Messrs. Joseph Birch and Sons, of Shrewsbury.
Without attempting to criticise further the merits of the building as
a piece of architecture, it may be observed that it possesses one
paramount advantage, viz., usefulness ; and it is to be desired that
as the inhabitants of Shrewsbury become possessed of greater
facilities for hearing the Word of God, they may value the blessing,
and support it practically by their influence and example.
H. PIDGEON.
[1794, Part II., p. 694-]
The enclosed (see Plate II., Fig. i) is a faithful view of St. Giles's
Church, Shrewsbury, situated at the end of the Abbey Foregate. By
tradition it is the oldest church in Shrewsbury. There is nothing
particularly worthy of remark in the building ; and, as it is now only
an appendage to the parish of Holy Cross, service is performed in it
Shrewsbury. 1 2 7
but seldom. As I have never seen the monumental inscriptions
noticed by anyone who has visited this church (even Mr. Phillips in
his " History and Antiquities of Shrewsbury " has omitted them), I
have transcribed the most particular in the church and churchyard.
Within the church : In the chancel floor is a stone which seems of
great antiquity, of which I send you a slight but correct drawing.
The legend on the edge is much defaced ; but I hope, from what is
here represented, some of Mr. Urban's correspondents, versed in
antiquities, will be able to give a satisfactory account. See Fig. 2.
Against the south wall, on a plain stone, is the following inscription :
" HERE LYETH THE BODY OF WALTER NICCOLLS, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE
THE 8th DAY OF NOVEMBER, IN THE YEAR OF OVR LORD GOD 1685.
" ' STYR NOT MY BONES, WHICH ARE LAYDE IN CLAYE,
FOR I MVST RISE AT THE RESURRECTION DAY."
Against the north wall, on a neat marble tablet :
" MARTHA, uxor Gulielmi Gorsuch, cler. efflavit animam Maii, 1761, set. 56.
Etiam, GULIELMUS GORSUCH, hujus parochire vicarius 31 ann. Obiit Nov., 1781,
set. 73."
In the churchyard: on a pedestal, which supports a beautiful urn,
s the following inscription :
" Ut nemini noceret mortuus, Qui unicuique pro re nata succurrere voluit
vivus, Hie extra urbem sese conturnulandum pnecipiebat CHENEY HART, M.D.
Warringtoni in agro Lancastrians! natus E schola ibidem publica rudimenta
literarum humaniorum hausit ; Exinde ex celeb. Glasguse academiam admissus, et
doctrinis liberaliter institutus, philosophise cursum absolvit ; Edinam dein se con-
tulit ; Ubi scientise anatomicae, botanicae, chemicoe, et therapeutices, Operam
dedit, et Grandum doctoratus in medicina adeptus, Londini demum proxi clinica
ultra imbutus, Artem salutarem apud Salopienses exercuit per annos xxxui.
Diem clausit extremum, setatis suae LVIII. Mense Junii, anno M DCC LXXXIV.
Con viva satur ; Integer vitse, vir honestus ; Amicus, civis, maritus, pater, optimus
desideratissimus ; Medicus sagax, peritus, salutifer ; Pacis curator in comit. Salop,
assiduus, fidelis, sequus ; Libertatis publicse vindex vigilans, strenuus, probus ;
Veri unius Dei in nomine Jesus Christi salvatoris, cultor pius, constans, sincerus,
Ut moriens viveret, vixit ut moriturus A. D. O. M. denique renovandus. Abi,
lector, et tuse mortis memor esto ; Virtus sit tibi famse decus, Hora namque, dies,
annus, cum tempore fugit ; Manet unica virtus."
On one side a handsome tomb, inclosed by iron palisades, is
inscribed :
" Sacred to the memory of WILLIAM CONGREVE, esq., of Shrewsbury, formerly
lieutenant-colonel of the I7th regiment of foot ; who, after a life conscientiously
employed in the uniform practice of those virtues which make up the character of
a good man and sincere Christian, died 8th June, 1779, aged 79, deservedly
regretted by his numerous friends, and sincerely lamented by the poor, to whom
he was a generous and most humane benefactor."
On the other side :
"Mrs. JANE CONGREVE, relict of lieutenant-colonel Congreve, died 8th of
April, 1790, aged 84."
128 Shropshire.
On a large tomb on the south side of the church, without name or
date, may be seen :
" Composita solvantur."
D. PARKES.
[1794, Part //., p. 909.]
The sketch of a tombstone in St. Giles's Church, Salop, which was
engraved in your last month's magazine, being exceedingly incorrect
in many respects, but more particularly in the inscription, I have
herewith enclosed an exact drawing of it (see Plate III.). It lies
directly under the east window of the church, and was probably the
tomb of an ecclesiastic belonging to the neighbouring monastery of
St. Peter and St. Paul.
In the churchyard are the following lines upon the gravestone of
one William White, who was a quartermaster of the horse in the reign
of King William III :
" In Irish wars I fought for England's glory ;
Let no man scoff at telling of this story ;
I saw great Schomberg fa!lv likewise the brave St. Ruth,
And here I come to die, not there in my youth.
Thro' dangers great I have passed many a storm ;
Die we must all as sure as we are born."
R.
[1794, Part II., p. 976.]
I was much surprised at seeing a second sketch of the old stone in
St. Giles' Church. From Mr. R.'s positive language I expected to
have found him correct. I took both prints, and minutely examined
them with it, and must say Parkes's drawing is the best. R. has
given the inscription as perfect ; there is indeed the remains of one,
but the truth is, the verge of the stone is so bruised that there are
many scratches on it which have as much the appearance of letters as
those he has drawn, and he might with as great certainty decipher
them. The feet of the figure rest on a plinth, as in P.'s, and the foliage
at the extremity of the cross is well executed, not quite so clumsy as
in R.'s ; the something that he found at the left ear of the figure, and
which, from his drawing I could not make out, proves to be a bell.
The bell, book, candlestick, and chalice, being expressed by lines
sunk in the stone, and nearly filled with rubbish, are easily over-
looked. ACADEMICUS.
[1830, Part 1 Y., p. 199.]
The church of St. Giles, Shrewsbury, situated at the eastern
extremity of the aforenamed town, consists of a nave, chancel, and
north aisle, and is unquestionably as old as the twelfth century.
Being unencumbered with pews, it maintained much of its original
character; and though rude in appearance, was, until lately, a
wretched spectacle of "damp, neglect, and decay" — the improve-
Shrewsbury. 129
ments, however, that have recently been effected in and around it,
being of no common interest, I am tempted to offer a brief detail of
them to the notice of your readers.
The soil of the cemetery having from repeated interments
accumulated to near the basement of the windows, and causing a
descent of five or six steps to the church, has been removed and made
to its original level with the floor. The north entrance, probably
used by the lepers of the adjoining hospital, for whom the church was
no doubt originally erected, and which had been bricked up probably
soon after the demolition of that building, with the exception of its
Norman arched head, which served the purpose of a window, has
been reopened, and a new doorway placed therein. The roof of the
building, long dilapidated, has been replaced, and a declension which
appeared in the wall of the north side strengthened by appropriate
buttresses.
In addition to the foregoing exterior improvements, which are done
at the expense of the parish, the Rev. W. G. Rowland (to whose
indefatigable zeal and exertions Salopians are particularly indebted,
for the appropriate and much admired decorations of the ancient
structures of the abbey and St. Mary's in their town) has undertaken
at his own expense to repair and beautify the chancel. His first
measure was thoroughly to repair and ceil the roof, which was here-
tofore unceiled, to reopen a small lancet window on the north side,
and a large pointed one, which had for years been plastered over on
the south side. The former has been filled with a small figure of
Saint Giles, and is an exquisite imitation of ancient stained glass ;
whilst the latter has been filled with fragments of painted glass. The
floor in front of the Communion has been lowered, and more
appropriate rails placed before the altar. The eastern window has
likewise been filled with a noble collection of stained glass, executed
by Mr. David Evans of Shrewsbury. The four compartments of the
lower division of the window contain full-length figures of the
evangelists standing upon hexagonal pedestals, through the external
circular arches of which is very strikingly exhibited the groined roof
of a crypt supported by slender pillars, under which are their names
in black letter, and over each figure a beautiful canopy of tabernacle
work, above which, in the smaller compartments of the upper portion
of the window, are the several symbols of the evangelists, each sup-
porting a tablet, on which is respectively inscribed in small characters :
" Mattheus Christi stirpem et genus ordine narrat.
Marcus Baptists m clamantem inducit eremo.
Virgin e prognatum Lucas describit lesum.
Prodit loannes verbi impenetrable lumen."
The three principal compartments in the upper division are filled
with fine representations from ancient designs of "the Visitation,"
"the Wise Men's Offering," and "the Presentation in the Temple";
VOL. XXII. 9
r 30 Shropshire.
beneath each of which is a Latin inscription, the first being taken
from Luke i. 28; the second, Psalm Ixxii. 10; the third, Luke ii.
29, 30. At the bottom of the window " Gulielmus Gorsuch Rowland
dono dedit."
The alterations in the nave consist in levelling and repairing the
floor, ceiling, and appropriately colouring the walls, roof, and rafters ;
removing trie pulpit from the south corner of the fine arch leading
into the chancel to the south-east corner of the nave, to which an
elevated antique reading-desk has been attached, the officiating
clergyman at the former one being obliged to stand on the floor;
removing also the wooden frame and " patched glass," which had for
many years disfigured a large pointed window on the south side of
the nave, very properly substituting stone tracery of handsome design,
the quatrefoil head being filled with fragments of stained glass, whilst
the windows of the south aisle contain similar pieces ingeniously dis-
posed, so as to represent the outline of figures. H. P.
[1830, Part IL, pp. 402, 403.]
I herewith send you a notice ot a memorial which has just been
completed to the Ven. Hugh Owen. The memorial is erected on
the north side of the chancel of St. Julian's Church, over which
parish the archdeacon presided with assiduous attention to the welfare
of his flock for the space of thirty-five years. It is a plain tablet,
with a Grecian pediment inserted on a square slab of dove-coloured
marble, having the following inscription in Roman capitals :
"Sacred to the memory of the Venble Hugh Owen, M.A., F.A.S., Archdeacon
of Salop, Prebendary of Salisbury and Lichfield, one of the Portionists of Bampton,
Oxfordshire, formerly Minister of this Parish, and afterwards of St. Mary, in
Shrewsbury. He was the only son of Price Owen, M.D., and Bridget his wife,
and the lineal representative of an ancient British family. , . . He died Dec. 3,
1827, aged 67 years. Harriet, his wife, daughter of Edward Jeffreys, Esq., died
April 3, 1825, aged 59 years."
H. P.
[1831, Part I., pp. 594-596.]
I send you a description of a church recently erected in the parish
of St. Mary, Shrewsbury.
The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is a respectable building in
the Grecian style, composed of brick with stone dressings. In plan
it consists of a tower, nave, side-aisles, and an elliptical recess for
the Communion, and a vestry in the base of the tower.
The tower is of three divisions, and rises to the height of 70 feet ;
the basement is square, on which rests an octagonal belfry, crowned
by a similar one of smaller dimensions, with a cornice charged with
heads, devices, etc. ; the whole being surmounted by an angular lead
roof and a gilded cross. The body of the church is in length 70 feet
6 inches, and 40 feet 6 inches in width, and has a stone plinth,
Shrewsbury. 1 3 1
cornice, and parapet. The windows are circular-headed, having an
unbroken stone architrave surrounding them, and are glazed in lead
after a peculiar and neat pattern. The angular exterior of the recess
for the Communion has a plinth and cornice, but terminating under
the principal cornice of the building, having a circular - headed
window in each of the three angles.
The interior is approached by two entrances, north and south,
beneath a stone pediment, sustained on antae, and if not splendid in
decoration, it has that simplicity which becometh the house of God ; it
possesses, however, one great advantage, in being capable of comfort-
ably accommodating a congregation of eight hundred persons, six hun-
dred and twenty of whom may possess free sittings. On the floor are
thirty-six pews, the other portion being free. There are galleries
over the north and south aisles, the whole of which are free, as well
as a spacious one erected at the west end, at the expense of the
Rev. W. G. Rowland, for the use of poor children. These galleries
are sustained on cast-iron columns, which are also continued for the
support of the roof. The fronts of the galleries are quite plain,
having moulded plinths and capping only.
The ceiling has a good effect, being panelled in large square com-
partments, and judiciously coloured. The pulpit, which is octan-
gular, is on the north side of the church. The reading-desk is on
the opposite side, and in a corresponding style. The eastern end
is finished by three square panels, inscribed according to the canon
of the Church. Three windows of splendid stained glass decorate
the chancel ; the subject of the centre one is the Nativity, from the
celebrated painting (commonly called " La Notte ") by Correggio,
and is a most masterly production of the art of glass-staining, and
peculiarly interesting in the management of light suitable to the time
and scene of the subject. Underneath is the inscription in Roman
capitals, " And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph
and the Babe lying in a manger."
The windows on each side of the above are designed from the
"Annunciation " and the "Presentation in the Temple," the former
from a painting by Guido in the chapel of the Palace, on the
Monte Cavallo at Rome. The angel, a beautiful figure arrayed in
yellow drapery displayed in the nicest form, is in the act of present-
ing to the Virgin a lily, whilst his attitude and expressive countenance
seem to speak the emphatic words of the motto inscribed beneath :
'* Hail ! thou that art highly favoured among women ; the Lord is
with thee." The latter is from the celebrated picture at Antwerp by
Rubens, and founded on the words of holy Simeon : " Lord, now
lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word."
These windows, perfect gems of the art, add much to the soemnity
of the interior of the sacred edifice in which they are placed. They
have been erected at the expense of the Rev. W. G. Rowland, M. A.,
9—2
1 3 2 Sh ropsk ire.
Minister and Official of St. Mary, Shrewsbury; and whilst they
reflect credit on the abilities of the artist, Mr. David Evans, of
Shrewsbury, will, we trust, long remain a monument of the muni-
ficence of the donor.
Mr. Rowland has likewise presented a flagon, two cups and two
patens, for the use of the Communion, a good peal of six bells, and
a clock for the steeple. Upon the whole, the church is highly credit-
able to the talent of the architect, Mr. John Carline, and to the
workmanship of the builders, Messrs. Joseph Birch and Sons ; and
when we consider that it was erected at an expense of little more
than ^£2,000, criticism is disarmed in the solid and chaste appear-
ance which it possesses.
The ceremony of consecration was performed by the Bishop of
the diocese, assisted by the venerable Archdeacons Bather, Butler,
and Hodgson, the Chancellor of the diocese, and other clergymen
of the town, on which occasion the Rev. Dr. Butler delivered an
appropriate discourse from Acts vii. 48, 49, 50, in the course of
which he adverted to the bad practice of pews being used in the
churches of this country, a custom little known to other nations, and
by which church accommodation is much infringed upon, whilst he
was persuaded that in many instances it was not a spirit of hostility
that kept numbers away from the church, but an idea among the
more wealthy of not wishing to intrude into the seats of others,
and of a belief among the poor that there was no accommodation
for them. To the exertions of the Commissioners and the Incor-
porated Society we are, however, indebted, for having provided
400,000 sittings, upwards of 250,000 of which are free ; at the same
time he mentioned a striking historical fact, that although we have
no means of knowing exactly the population of Shrewsbury at the
time of the Reformation, yet we might fix it at somewhere near
7,000, when there were five churches, with four large priory churches,
and eight chapels; in 1695 it was 7,383, with five churches; in
1750, 8,141; in 1821, 18,000; and now probably about 20,000,
and this with only the five churches. The necessity, therefore, of
increasing church accommodation in this town was obvious to every
reflecting mind ; and that the building now erected might be well
filled was his earnest hope, as well as that it might be supported by
a faithful minister, who will dwell on the great practical truths of
Christianity.
It must be a source of gratification to know that the erection of
this edifice in a populous suburb hitherto very dimly illumined with
Christian light was begun in a spirit of unanimity, and has pro
ceeded throughout without the slightest opposition or dissension of
the parishioners ; and if this favourable result was occasioned by the
indefatigable exertions of the zealous minister of the parish, it forcibly
demonstrates that good understanding which should at all times
Shrewsbury. 133
subsist between a pastor and his flock — a solid foundation for a
superstructure conducive to the promotion of true religion.
H. PIDGEON.
[1813, Part /., /. 9.]
Fig. 3 on the accompanying Plate II. represents the remains of the
Chapel of St. Nicholas, Shrewsbury. It is situated in the Castle
Street, on the left hand entrance to the Council House, and is now
used for stables. Of its origin I have not been able to get any satis-
factory account. The form is oblong, of about 50 feet by 20, it
consisted of a nave and chancel without aisles. The western window,
shown in the drawing, is pointed, divided by a single mullion, part
of which is destroyed, and a piece of timber placed across. The
lower part is used as a window for a hay-loft. On the south side is
a very small round-headed window. The semicircular arch, which
divided the nave from the chancel, is supported on each side by
short circular pilastered columns. The building is undoubtedly
of great antiquity. D. PARKES.
[1813, Part L, pp. 305-308.]
The enclosed is a view of the Abbey Church, Shrewsbury (see
Plate I.).
The great mitred Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, founded A.D.
1083, by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, was built on
the site of a timber church, erected by Siward, who exchanged with
the Earl for the village of Langafielda, which Siward at his death
bequeathed to the new foundation. It was peopled with Benedictine
monks from Seez in Normandy. The Earl endowed the house
largely, and encouraged all over whom he had any influence to con-
tribute liberally. Roger himself, with the permission of his lady
Adelisa, was shorn, and became a monk of his own abbey, and
enriched it with the coat of St. Hugh, of the monastery of Cluni,
which precious relic the Earl himself sometimes wore. The founder
died in 1094, and was buried here, as was Hugh his son, slain in
the Isle of Anglesey. The first abbot of this house was Fulcheredus,
said to have been a man of great eloquence. Robert Pennant, the
fourth abbot, obtained with great difficulty the relics of St. Wene-
frede, and enshrined them, which added much to the emolument of
the abbey. Thomas Butler was the last abbot ; he appears to have
been rather a tool to the Dissolution party, by whom he was
rewarded with an annuity of ^80. At the general Dissolution, Dr.
Lee, and Masters Kendle, Harley, etc., the King's Commissioners,
were sent down. They convened the abbot and monks to the
chapter- house, caused some deeds to be signed with the common
seal of the house, then ordered an officer to break it, and declared
the convent to be dissolved. The revenues were valued by Dugdale
at £532 4s- iod., and by Speed at ^656 45. 3d. The site of the
1 34 Shropshire.
abbey, with its buildings, was purchased by E. Watson, Esq., and
W. Herdson, a tanner, dealers in monastic plunder, and soon after
sold to W. Langley, of Salop, tailor ; and it continued in that family
till 1702, since which it has been in possession of the Baldwins and
Powises. Of tli is once famous abbey the present remains are small ;
of the chapter-house, cloister and refectory, not a single vestige
remains. The church of the abbey appears to have been spacious
and magnificent, but great devastations were made at the Dissolution.
The nave, western tower, and northern porch remain, under consider-
able mutilation j but of the choir, transept, and chapels, scarce a frag-
ment remains. The great western aisle, or nave, from its earliest
date, was appropriated as the parish church, for the use of ihe
neighbouring inhabitants ; and this probably prevented the entire
destruction of the building. In Queen Elizabeth's time the church
was made parochial, and called the Church of the Holy Cross,
which name it still retains. The western part, represented in the
annexed view, is the most entire. The tower, though plain, is finely
proportioned ; the entrance a round Norman arch recessed, and a
pointed arch inserted within it, undoubtedly of later date. In a
niche on each side the great west window were formerly statues of
St. Peter and St. Paul. Between the bell-windows, within a niche,
is a statue, which has been generally supposed to be the lounder,
Roger de Montgomery ; but others, with more probability, conjec-
ture it to be King Edward III., not merely from the costume of the
figure, but from the tower having been erected about that period.
In this tower formerly hung the great bell of St. Wenefrede, thus
inscribed :
"<Sancta ®$Uttcfreia, ^Un hot tomtnimbare mtnuntfl
(£t pietate *aa, nxxa sprint ab haste c ru.ent.o."
This bell remained till the year 1673, when it was sold towards
defraying the expense of a new peal of eight bells. The interior of
the church, though in so mutilated a state, retains a solemn grandeur.
On each side the middle aisle (the ancient nave) are five arches,
which separate it from the side-aisles. The two which join to the
tower are pointed, as are the windows over them. The other arches
are semicircular, with immense round pillars, short and plain. Above
was a gallery of smaller arches in the same style. Within the second
arch from the west end are vestiges of what is supposed to have been
an ancient chantry chapel ; there are several niches, but much
mutilated, and the statues gone. The church has of late been very
judiciously improved and decorated, by the addition of a handsome
new organ, placed on an appropriate Gothic screen, and likewise
with an east window of stained glass. In the centre compartments
are large figures of St. Peter and St. Paul ; above are the arms of
England, the see of Lichfield, the founder of the abbey, and of
Lord Berwick, the patron of the living ; on each side are the arms
Shrewsbury. 135
of the vicars from the year 1500. In the east window of the south aisle
are three ancient shields : England and France quarterly, Roger de
Montgomery, the sword and keys — symbols of the patron saints. In
the corresponding window on the north side are the arms of Mor-
timer, Beauchamp, Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and Fitz Alan quarter-
ing Maltravers.
The font near the west entrance is very ancient, and has the
appearance of the capital of a large Norman pillar, supported by a
part of the shaft. Near the north door is another very elegant font,
lately removed from the abbey garden.
The ancient monuments and brasses are all gone, excepting a
figure in mail, at the east end of the south aisle, placed there by his
Majesty's Heralds-at-arms, at their visitation of the county in 1622,
with the following inscription :
" The Figure underneath, which was at first placed within the MONASTERY of
St. PETER and St. PAUL, and was afterwards found in the ruins, was removed
hither by directions of his Majesty's Heralds-at-Arms, in their Visitation of this
County, 1622, to remain, as it was originally intended, in perpetual memory of
ROGER DE MONTGOMERY, EARL OF SHREWSBURY, who was kinsman to the
Conqueror, and one of his chief Commanders in the victorious battle of Hastings.
He erected many useful buildings here, both publick and private ; and not
only fortified this town with walls, but built the castle on the Isthmus. As
also the Castles of LUDLOW and BRIDGNORTH, with the monastery of Wenlock.
He founded and endowed in an ample manner this large Benedictine Abbey ;
and, when advanced in years, by the consent of his Countess ADELAISA, he
entered into Holy Orders, and was shorn a Monk of this his own foundation,
where he lies interred. He died July 27th, 1094."
Of the modern monumental memorials the following seem most
worthy of notice.
On a handsome monument against the east wall of the chancel :
"M.S.
"Richard! Prynce, equitis aurati, necnon suae conjugis Marias, fiHse Gwat.
Wrottesly de Wrottesly in agro Stafford, armigeri. Ille optimus maritus, hsec
uxor consummatissima : pietatis in Deum, in Regem fidei, in Vicinos benevo-
lentiae, diu in hac parochia inclaruerunt exempla. Iniquissimis temporibus, gras-
sante sanguinea belli civilis rabie, rem familiarem illi a majoribus demissam,
sed per infortunia Fratris minus providi pene elapsam, inter aliorum fraudes et
rapinas, honestis artibus et laudanda solertia ita redintegravit, et auxit, ut
numerosam prolem, natos scilicet duos natasque octo, ipsi superstites, ingenue et
pie educavit, dote sate ampla ditavit. Hisce peractis, bonorum operum semper
memor, inopum fautor, pacis custos, justitise vindex, legum assertor, animam
tandem Deo, corpus terrse reddidit, anno Dom. 1665, setat. 76. Hseredem
reliquit Philippum filium, cum Elizabetha, filia Johannis Banks, equitis aurati,
Communium Placitorum Justiciarii Capitalis, et serenissimse Maj. Car. J. a secre-
tioribus Consilijs, in matrimonio conjunctum ; qui cum per plura in Patris
vestigiis pr , et progeniem omnem sublatam deplorasset, a charissima consorte,
dissolvi et esse cum Christo indies exoptante, aliquandiu sejunctus, obijt an. Dom.
1690, aet. 60."
Arms : Gules, a saltire or, surmounted of a cross engrailed ermine.
— Crest, out of a ducal coronet or, a cubit arm habited gules, cuffed
1 36 Shropshire.
ermine, holding in the hand proper 3 pine-apples of the first, stalked
and leaved vert.
On a neat marble monument against the east wall :
" H. S. E.
"E<hvardus Baldwin, armiger, et Comitatus Salopiensis ad pacem Justiciarius.
E generosa et antiqua siirpe ortus, natales virtutihus suis illustriores reddidit.
Dotibus ingenij egregijs ornotus, turn libros, turn homines perspectos habuit,
quorum inter lectissimos innocuas societatis delicias nemo benignius exhibuit, aut
elegantius degustavit ; quippe qusedam concinnitas perspicua et erudita (nee sine
decora gravitate) sermonibus inerat, quse socios delectavit et detinnit. Adeo
deniq. se omnibus commendavit, ab omni perturbatione animi alienus, judicio
perspicax, consilio promptus, agendo efficax, ut omnes amicum sibi certatim arri-
puerint. Amplissimis clientelis bonorum amicitijs, opibus non exiguis, beatus
vixit, desideratus obijt anno setatis suse 64, MDCCXXXV. Soror ejus, Thomse
Powys de Berwick, arm', in agro Salopiensi, conjux, grato aniino hoc memorise
charissimi fratris sacram posuit."
Arms: Argent, a saltire sable. — Motto: "Per Deum meum
transilio murum."
On a plain stone against the south wall :
" Inf a deposit* sunt reliquiae Johannis Waters et Margarita thalami consortis,
Illa I obiit i Feb' *?' '727-
Ille j ol llt j Xbris 27, 1732.
Innocuos ambos, cultores Numinis ambos."
On a monument against the south wall :
"M.S.
" Heic juxta jacet Thomas Rock, armig. vita functus Jan. 3,
aetat. 62.
___ 10 j Dom. 1678."
[Rest of inscription omitted.]
Arms : Or, 3 chess-rooks, and a chief embattled sable ; impaling,
Argent, a lion rampant sable, a canton of the second. — Crest : On a
rock proper, a martlet, or.
On a neat monument against the north wall :
"Sacred to the memory of Thomas Jenkins, esq., and of Gertrude his wife.
This Monument, erected in obedience to her last will, and designed by her as
a tribute of respect to his virtues, remains at the same time an instance and
memorial of her own."
On a vase at the top of the monument :
" T. J., died 29 Dec., 1730, aged 53.
G. J., died 28 Oct., 1767, aged 84."
Arms : Or, a lion rampant regardant sable ; impaling, Argent, on
a bend gules, cotised sable, 3 pair of wings conjoined and inverted
of the first.
Inscriptions on plain stones in the chancel floor :
"This stone is placed in memory of William Prince, esq., whose body lies
buried here. He died 2Oth October, 1703, aged 40. Here also lies the body of
his relict, M. Frances Prince, whose singular virtues and extensive charity justly
gained her universal esteem. She departed this life 3d Nov., 1721, aged 47 ;
whereby the Poor are deprived of a most tender friend and liberal benefactrix.
Shrewsbury. 137
Also Frances, their only daughter, relict of Andrew Corbett, of Morton Corbett,
esq., who died Nov. 21, 1760, aged 59."
" Here lie the remains of Judith Prince, of the ancient family of the Princes, who
died, the last of that name, August the I7th, 1733."
"Here lyes Fr. Gibbons, D.D., chaplain to K. Charles, and minister of this
parish, who died 7th Jan., 1639 ; also his youngest son, James Gibbons, esq., who
faithfully served Three Kings in a Civil employment, and died 2ist Nov., 1712."
" Depos-itse sunt in hoc tumulo exuviae Annae Pearson, quae fide Christi religiose
vixit ; et spe beatae resurrectionis animam pie et Isete efflavit die nono Junij, 1721."
"M.S.
" Samuelis Pearson, A.M., hujus ecclesiae per 51 annos Pastoris, qui obijt
1 6 die Novembris
( Salutis 1727.
anno \ ^tatis suse 80.
Resurgam. "
On a neat marble tablet :
" Sacred to the memory of Nathaniel Betton, who died Nov. 29th, 1800, aged
61 years. Also of John Betton ^son of the above), Captain in his Majesty's 3d
Dragoon Guards, who died Nov. 2Oth, 1809, at Merida, in Spain, aged 31 years."
These are the principal memorials in this sacred mansion of the
dead. The elegant stone pulpit in the abbey garden, with the
scattered fragments of different parts of this once noble abbey, will
probably occupy a future page in your Literary Museum.
D. PARKES.
[1817, Part L, p. 105.]
In addition to what you have given of Shrewsbury Abbey, I send
you the enclosed as a further illustration of that once extensive
monastery. The building shown in the drawing is about 200 feet
from the western part of the church, and represents what it is con-
jectured was the infirmary of the invalid and aged monks, with its
chapel and dormitory.
'mpgttibe anb &$t a la«te astern* fxmnbt."
The length of the embattled wall is about 112 feet ; in the upper
part are square-headed windows, once mullioned, under which are
smaller windows without mullions ; under these are pointed arches
filled up. The high gable ends form part of two oblong buildings ;
that to the right, now used as a barn, appears to have been the
chapel, 45 feet 6 inches long and 23 feet broad ; it has pointed
windows, and on the south side a large arch, worked in the wall ;
that on the left (next the street) is patched up for a dwelling-house ;
on the north side is a trefoil-headed window, and the sides of a door-
way ornamented with raised roundles.
The space between this ruin and the abbey church, it is supposed,
contained the almonry and great gate-house. Buck, in his plate of
this abbey, gives part of the gateway. This was taken down about
the year 1765, and a high brick wall erected, so that what was not
138 Shropshire.
accomplished by monastic depredation at the Dissolution fell a prey
to false taste, or, more properly speaking, no taste at all.
D. PARKES.
[1773, /. 281.]
The seal (Fig. 2) on the plate opposite to p. 271 is the ancient
seal of the Abbey of Shrewsbury, and is a present to our curious
readers from the Right Hon. the Earl of Warwick.
[1802, Part I., p. 210.]
The drawings shown on the accompanying Plate (ihe exact size of
each seal) are taken from seals kept in the Exchequer, Shrewsbury.
Fig. 4. Arms of England; back of shield ornamented with
branches. — Seal of the bailiffs.
Fig. 5. A lion couchant behind a tree. — Seal of the bailiffs. The
tree I take to be a mode of ornamenting seals at that period, as this
King's mother's, and that of his victorious son Edward, with several
others I have seen, are sufficient proof. I should be glad if some
learned gentleman would inform me for what particular business
this last seal was made. Perhaps it was a smaller seal of the same
office.
Fig. 6. The bust of Edward II. full-faced. The castle on each
side, with the lion at base, are parts of his mother's arms which he
introduced to denote his descent from a daughter of Castile and
Leon ; he also used them on his great seal. Inscription :
"8. GDW. Ren.ftNEL. £D R6EOEN. D6BITOR SPD'
SftLOP'."
The seal is silver, and intended to seal recognizances for debt at
Shrewsbury. J. B.
[1788, Part //., pp. 765, 766.]
In that invaluable record, Domesday Book, it is recorded that
out of 252 taxable burgesses which were in Shrewsbury in the time
of Edward the Confessor, the houses of 5 1 were taken up in the
area of the castle built by Roger, Earl of Montgomery, 50 lay waste,
43 were held by the Francigenae, and 39 were annexed to the abbey.
The burgesses, having their houses pulled down, and no abatement
of their taxes, complained of the grievance ; but the Earl's two sons,
who succeeded him, were haughty, and regardless of their com-
plaints, though these, no doubt, were in some measure redressed
when the castle came into the possession of the Crown, upon the
forfeiture of Earl Robert.
When Shrewsbury Castle (see Plate II.) became a royal fortress
the lands and demesnes that followed it were parcelled out in
serjeanties for the defence thereof upon occasion. The first tenure
of that kind was the serjeanty of Robert, the son of Adam de Ley ton,
Shrewsbury. 139
who was obliged to abide in this castle fifteen days, cum una balista ;
William, the son ofWarine, did the same 20 Edward I. William de
Wychard held the manor of Cold Hatton, to keep ward in this
castle for twenty days, in time of war, at his own charges, besides
many others. But such tenures, by degrees, grew obsolete long
before the statute was made that totally abolished them. Commonly
the sheriff of the county had the custody of this fort, the better to
enable him to defend his bailiwick.
Henry de Alditheley, n Henry III., was sheriff and constable of
this casile, and, 17 Henry III., constituted governor, in the room of
John de Lacey, Earl of Lincoln. 41 Henry III., John de Grey of
Wilton was governor. 44 Henry III., James de Alditheley, son of
the above-named Henry, was sheriff and governor. 3 Edward III.,
William de Mountacute was governor. 16 Henry VI., Bowes
Hampton, Esq., was appointed constable with a fee of ;£io per
annum, i E.iward IV., the office of constable and keeper of the
gaol in the castle was committed to Roger Eyton. 7 F^liz., Richard
Onslow had a grant of the site of the castle for 31 years, paying a
mark yearly.
Another officer belonging to this castle was the chamberlain ; it
being esteemed a place of great importance, great care was taken to
have it kept in good repair, for the security of the marches. 7 Henry
III., Robert Lenfant and others had the keeping of this castle, and
were allowed ,£27 for repairs, by virtue of the King's writ directed
to them for that purpose, which money the sheriff paid out ot
the tallage of the county, and it was allowed him in his accounts,
i Henry IV. Hugh Burnell, William Slepe, and Thomas Inkhole,
were commissioners to inquire " de vasto et dilapidatione in castro
Regis Salop tam in plumbo ferro fenestris."
After the surrender of this castle to the Parliamentary forces, in
the year 1644, Colonel Mytton was made governor, but disliking the
proceedings against the King, he laid down his commission, and
Humphry Mackworth, son to Judge Mackworth, of Betton, was
made governor. This governor appointed as lieutenant of the castle
one Captain Hill, a prodigal drunken fellow, who before the war was
a barber in Shrewsbury ; but the townsmen and garrison hating him,
when there was a prospect of the return of Charles II., they con-
spired against him, and, in order to bring about their design, one of
the townsmen was instructed to send for him out of the castle, to
drink with him at the Logerheads (now the Grapes) an alehouse near
the castle. When Hill was got without the gates, the soldiers shut
them to, and cast his clothes, boots, etc., over the wall. Imme-
diately the town was in an uproar, and Hill fled for fear of his life.
Soon after, Colonel Hunt was made governor, and Mr. John
Bromley, a honest and substantial burgess, was made lieutenant ;
but when Charles II. was restored, he made Richard Hosier, eldest
1 40 Shropshire.
son of Colonel Hosier, governor. In the i5th of Charles II. a quo-
warranto was brought against the charter of the town, and they were
constrained to deliver up the castle to the King. They afterwards
purchased a confirmation of their charter, whereby all their liberties,
etc., were confirmed, except the possession of the castle, which
remained in the King's hands. In the time of James II. all the
cannon and match, of which there were several hundred-weight,
together with the greatest part of the muskets, were by the King's
order removed to some other place.
This castle was granted by Charles II. to Francis Lord Viscount
Newport, afterwards Earl of Bradford ; after him it came into the
possession of his son Richard, Earl of Bradford, and is now in
possession of John Newport, Esq.
[1809, Part Il.,p. 1097.]
The accompanying drawing represents the last of the many towers
which formerly strengthened the fortifications of Shrewsbury. The
northern and eastern ramparts have been long destroyed ; on the
south side there are yet considerable remains, but so mutilated as to
retain but little of their ancient formidable appearance.
No. 2 is a view of the house at Coton Hill, Shrewsbury, where the
renowned Admiral Benbow was born about the year 1650. It would
be superfluous here to repeat what is so well told of him in the
"Biographia Britannica," and by the Rev. Mr. H. Owen, in his
account of " The Ancient and Present State of Shrewsbury," lately
published ; but I shall give a traditional anecdote of him, which
redounds much to his praise as a Christian, as well as a great
admiral. " After many years hard service (for he had only merit
to recommend him) he visited his native town, whether before or
after he became an Admiral is not said, and on his arrival proceeded
to the house of his nativity, which, it seems, was then occupied by
people no way related to him. He entered the house, walked
upstairs, went into the room where he first drew breath, fell on his
knees, and returned thanks to the Great Disposer of Events for his
protection and support." In the Grand Jury Room, at the Town
Hall, the admiral's portrait is preserved, presented by his sister,
Mrs. Eleanor Hind. He has the appearance of a handsome man,
and the painter has given him the intrepid appearance of a true
British hero. D. PARKES.
[1795, Part I., p. 13.]
I have enclosed a view (Fig. 2) of the Franciscan, or Grey Friary,
in Shrewsbury, and hope you will give it a place in your useful
Miscellany. This view was taken in December, 1793, and was an
exact representation of the building then ; but its appearance now
Shrewsbury. 141
is different, being made into small dwellings, by which the windows,
etc., are much altered. As I have not been able to find any better
account of this building than that which Mr. Phillips, in his "Anti-
quities of Shrewsbury," has given, I shall take the' liberty of quoting
his words as far as I have occasion :
" We have no particular account of the time this house was
founded, neither how endowed or valued at the Suppression ; prob-
ably it was founded before Austin's Friars,* as in the 3oth
Hen. III., A.D. 1246, John, son of Ralph de Mortimer, is men-
tioned as a Grey Friar there. Geoffery Lord Powis, is said by some
to be the founder; but Leland, in his 'Itinerary,' vol. vi., p. 10, says :
1 My Lord Powis saith, that Hawise, wife to the Lord of Powis,
was the causer that the Grey Friers college, in Shropshire (where
she lyeth buried, under a flat marble by Chorlton's tombe) was
builded.'"
A stone coffin, which was found in the building, had lain in the
path adjoining for many years, and was only a receptacle for filth ;
was last month cleaned and removed into my garden, which adjoins
the building, and was undoubtedly once the burying-ground belong-
ing to it.
This building stands on the banks of the Severn, near the East
bridge. The inside, before the late alteration, contained nothing
worth notice, having been used as a malthouse more than forty years.
D. PARKES.
[1818, Part //.,/. 297.]
The enclosed is a southern view of the Grey Friary at Shrewsbury
as it appeared in 1794, before the alteration it underwent about that
time, when it was made into small tenements. Leland, in his
"Itinerary," vol. iv., p. 100, says : "The Grey Fryers of Shrowesbury
of the Charletons* foundation, and there laye the Lady Charleton,
whome they tooke as their Foundresse. And this House stoode
upon Severne banke a little above the Bridge of 5 arches. . . .
One D. Francis, a Frere of late dayes, re-edified almost a great
part of this Fryer's House."
The remains of the Friary represented (see Plate I.) are supposed
to be the refectory; the window with an obtusely pointed arch
remains, but the lancet windows have been extended and modernized.
In an adjoining garden is a large stone coffin, discovered in 1747,
length 7 feet 3 inches, breadth at top or head 2 feet 3 inches, at
bottom i foot 6 inches, depth i foot 6 \ inches (exterior dimensions).
In 1786 a silver ring was found which contained the following motto,
or posey, *n bonn an, intended originally as a New Year's gift. In
1814, on removing some foundation of the outer buildings, several
floor tiles were found, but none of particular note, the ornaments
consisting of the fleur-de-lis, the single rose, etc.
* Founded about 1255.
142 Shropshire.
St. Francis, the founder of this order, was born at Assise in Italy,
and founded this sect about 1206. Through humility these monks
styled themselves Friars Minor, and Grey Friars from the colour of
their garments ; their habit was a loose gown, reaching to the ankle,
with a cowl of the same, and a cloak when they went abroad ; they
girded themselves with cords, and went barefooted. This order was
at first remarkable for its severity and strictness ; but it afterwards
relaxed, and divided into what were called Conventuals, Observan-
tines, and the Third Order of St. Francis. D. PARKES.
[1808, Part //., /. 1057.]
The first drawing in the accompanying plate represents the remains
of St. Mary's Water-gate, Shrewsbury, which is the only gateway
remaining there, though it appears there were formerly seven. Some
of the Parliamentary army, under the command of Colonel Mytton,
first entered the town at this gate, A.D. 1644, soon after which the
town surrendered to the forces of the Parliament.
Figs. 1-5 are tiles or quarries found in the floor of the fine old
church of St. Alkmund, which was taken down in the year 1794.
Fig. 6 is a Hales- Owen tradesman's token, and the only one I
have met with. D. PARKES.
[1817, Part //., pp. 393, 394.]
The enclosed is a drawing of the column erected at Shrewsbury
to commemorate the noble and valorous actions achieved by Lord
Hill (see Plate I.).
The column is situated on a rising ground at the entrance of the
town from the London and Bath roads. The first stone was laid
in Masonic order by the Salopian Lodge of Free and Accepted
Masons, assisted by deputies of adjoining lodges, on the 27th day of
December, A.D. 1814, being the festival of St. John the Evangelist.
This is said to be the largest Grecian Doric column in the world.
The diameter at the base is 18 feet.
Height of the pedestal ... 13 feet 6 inches
Shaft and capital 91 „ 6 „
Pedestal for the figure ... n „ 6 „
Statue of his lordship ... 17 ,, o „
The whole height, 133 feet 6 inches.
The pedestal is square, with a pier or buttress at each angle, on
which are placed lions couchant, worked of Grinshill stone by Mr.
Carline, of Shrewsbury. The statue was designed and executed by
Messrs. Coad and Scaly, of London, in their artificial stone,
modelled by Panzetta. The original design of the column was by
Shrewsbury.
Mr. E. Haycock, architect, of Shrewsbury, with some slight alterations
by Mr. Harrison, of Chester. Messrs. Simpson and Lawrence were
the contractors. On the death of Mr. Simpson, the contract
devolved upon his successor, Mr. John Straphen, who completed
the column, he also designed the staircase within the column, and
erected it at his own expense. The column was erected in eighteen
months and eighteen days without the least accident. The last
stone was laid on June 18, 1816, the anniversary of the glorious
Battle of Waterloo. It contains 326 stones, their weight 1,120 tons;
cubic feet in the whole 17,993, exclusive of the staircase. On
the pedestal (see Plate I.) are the following inscriptions :
On the south side: "Civi suo Rolando Domino Baroni Hill
ab Almarez et Hawkstone populares ejus ex agro atque municipio
Salopiensi columnam hancse cum statua p. c. AS. MDCCCXVI. I
in re militari quadmodum se gesserit testes sint Lusitania, Hispania,
Gallise harbonensis ac Belgica Arturius Dux A. Wellington sociorum
et quidem hostium exercitus.'' On the north side : " To Lieutenant
General Rowland Lord Hill, Baron Hill of Almarez and Hawk-
stone, G.C.B., not more distinguished for his skill and courage in
the field during the arduous campaigns in Spain and Portugal, the
South of France, and the memorable plains of Waterloo, than for his
benevolent and paternal care in providing for the comforts and
supplying the necessities of his victorious countrymen, and for that
humanity and generosity which their vanquished foes experienced and
acknowledged, the inhabitants of the town and county of Salop have
erected this column and statue as a memorial of their respect and
gratitude to an illustrious contemporary, and an incitement to emula-
tion in the heroes and patriots of future ages. A.D, MDCCCXXI.
East side :
" Roleia.
Vimiera.
Corunna.
Douro.
Talavera.
Busaco.
Arrogo del Molinos.
Almarez.
Vittoria.
Pyrenees.
Nive.
Neville.
Hillette.
Orthes.
Aire.
Tarbes.
Toulouse.
Waterloo."
The erection of this splendid memorial, with other incidental
expenses, amounted to ,£5,973 133. 2d., exclusive of staircase, stone
plinth, and palisading round the base of the column.*
D. PARKES.
* The committee have presented the Doric column, and a lodge built for the
person appointed to show the same, to Lord Hill and his heirs for ever, as a lasting
memorial of their high esteem. Sergeant Davis, who has been nearly twenty years
in his service, and orderly-sergeant to his lordship, has been appointed to reside in
the lodge. — EDIT.
144 Shropshire.
[1829, Part II., p. 489-]
I take the liberty of sending you the annexed view of a curious
timber house situated at the bottom of the Wyle Cop, adjoining the
East or English Bridge in the town of Shrewsbury, which has been
taken down during the present year (see Plate I.).
The mansion is supposed to have been erected in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth, by William Jones, an alderman and opulent draper
of the town, and father of Thomas Jones, Esq., six times Bailiff and
first Mayor of Shrewsbury.
The building was spacious and rude, its exterior, unlike the
generality of our ancient mansions, being void of the usual carved
ornaments, grotesque heads, etc. The entrance from the street was
by a remarkably low archway, which led to a small area surrounded
by the house and its former appendages, and formed a communica-
tion to a few smaller buildings adjoining the riverside, which were
doubtless the warehouses of the original occupier of the house.
A portion of the great chamber or withdrawing-room remained
nearly in its original state, having a large chimney-piece, adorned
with grotesque carving, and a variety of devices and armorial bear-
ings in plaster displayed upon the ceiling, and, with the other prin-
cipal apartments, fronted the street. H. PIDGEON.
[1833, /ferf //.,#. 356,357.]
The very ancient and spacious structure of St. John's Hall, Shrews-
bury, in modern times occupied as a theatre, has been razed to the
ground. The walls were more than 4 feet thick; but, in conse-
quence of passages having been cut out of the walls, they, as well
as the roof, were utterly dangerous ; and some deaths were occa-
sioned in June, 1821, by the falling of a wall. When or by whom
the structure was built is unknown. Phillips, in his " History of
Shrewsbury " (published in 1798), states that, in the year 1326, it
was then " in the possession of John de Charlton, Lord of Powis,
who obtained leave of King Edward to fortify it with a wall of stone
embattled." This Hall was afterwards granted to the family of
Waring, at 135. 4d. rent. In taking down this ancient structure,
nothing of importance has been discovered, except a few Gothic
tiles, and ancient pipes for smoking. A human skull was found in
the roof, and some consternation was visible among the workmen,
who expected thence to trace a horrid murder. But it had been
used for Hamlet's grave-digger, or other theatrical representations.
Mr. Bennett, proprietor of the Worcester and other theatres, is about
to erect a new theatre on this spot.
[1833, Part IL.pp. 30-32.]
A somewhat similar festival to the Coventry Show is annually
observed in the town of Shrewsbury ; a brief notice thereof may
Shrewsbury.
be acceptable to your readers, and afford some memorial to posterity
in illustration of a custom fast approaching, it is to be feared, to the
eve of its dissolution.
This pageant, which is, perhaps, with the exception of Coventry, the
only one of the kind in the kingdom, originated in the Popish feast
of Corpus Christi, which splendid festival of the Church of Rome
was, from remote times, celebrated in Shrewsbury by the masters
and wardens of the different trading companies, the members of
the corporation, the parochial clergy, and other religious fraternities
of the town, with much pomp and solemnity, by following the Holy
Sacrament to the Collegiate Church of St. Chad, where each com-
pany had its peculiar place in the choir.
Several of the guilds were obliged to provide the necessary means
to support the procession, which is evident from their "Composi-
tions," or by-laws containing regulations to that effect. That of the
Weavers, anno 1444, provides that certain fines shall be applied to
the " sustentacon and encreece of the lyght of the seyd crafte of
Wev's. and her successors at the feast of Corp' Xp'i daye." The
composition of Mercers, Ironmongers, and Goldsmiths, directs that
they shall provide " 300 mede of wax yearly to be burnt in the
p'cession of the feaste of Corpus Xp'i." That of the Fletchers,
27 Henry VI., states the procession to have been "tyme owt of
mynde."
This procession, originally on the Thursday, was followed by three
days of " disport " or recreation in the ensuing week. After the
Reformation, the religious part of the ceremony was abolished, and,
as a substitute, the second Monday after Trinity Sunday was set apart
as a day of feasting at Kingsland,* where each company had a
small enclosure, within which is a building called an "Arbour,"
surrounded by trees, where refreshment is liberally provided by the
respective trades. Only seven of the arbours now remain, each of
which has the arms of the company over the entrance.
The anniversary is always anticipated by Salopians with feelings of
delight, as affording an annual treat of no ordinary recreation and
hospitality. In fact, whoever has witnessed the social pomp of the
different trading companies marching in procession through the
streets to Kingsland, the goodly array of tradesmen, walking as it
were hand in hand together, could not but feel that as union,
brotherhood and mirth were thus combined in one delightful scene,
every countenance being brightened with these moral virtues, it does
* Kingsland, or Chingsland, as it is written in an early Norman grant, is a piece
of land belonging to the burgesses of Shrewsbury, and is, delightfully situated on
an eminence near the town, from whence is a fiie panoramic view of the fertile
plain of Shropshire, richly diversified with hills and mountains, whilst the vener-
able spires of the Shrewsbury churches, rising above the trees, combine to form a
most pleasing landscape.
VOL. XXII. 10
146 Shropshire.
much to cultivate good fellowship and harmony, which is at least
conducive to the interests and well-being of society.
About forty years ago, Shrewsbury Show was in high repute, and
conducted with considerable splendour ; but, owing to the party
spirit engendered by frequent elections, it had for many years
become a custom " more honoured in the breach than the observ-
ance,"
An attempt, however, was made about ten years ago to revive
the pageantry, and it must be acknowledged, with much success
and satisfaction ; but, during the last three years there has been a
falling off in the display, and, it is to be feared that the manifold
changes of the present times, and the refined, though perhaps not
more honourable, dispositions of many modern minds, are causes
that will soon hasten to a discontinuance what remains of this
ancient custom and lively picture of old English manners. . . .
The annual festival, as before stated, is held on the second Mon-
day after Trinity Sunday, when the town at an early hour assumes
an appearance of bustle ; the bells of the different churches send
forth their melodious and enlivening peals ; the incorporated com-
panies are passing to their stations of muster, and at one o'clock
assemble together at the castle, from whence they proceed through
the streets to Kingsland, the course of procession being lined with
spectators.
The following was the general arrangement of the procession on
the late anniversaries :
" Master Cordwainers, preceded by their beadle, bearing a battle-
axe, and Crispin and Crispianus, patrons of the 'art, mystery,
calling, or occupation' of shoemaking. The former attired in a
leather surcoat, bearing his mace surmounted by a boot, and the
latter dressed in the uniform of an officer of the last century, with
sword and gorget and cocked hat — their horses led by squires.
** The Apprentice Shoemakers have their * king,' dressed in trap-
pings and finery not easily to be described.
"The Master Tailors, preceded by two * knights,' bearing swords
and shields, and a purple and orange flag.
"The Apprentices have two men dressed in long 'gowns,' of
* leaves sewed together,' representing ' Adam and Eve,' the first of
their craft ; and though they do not generally rank as ' beauties
of the creation,' yet, as ' Eve ' ever and anon plucks an apple
from a large branch of a 'tree' borne before them, and gives it
to ' Adam ' to taste, the figurative representation has not a bad
effect.
" Master Butchers, preceded by their beadle and shield-bearer.
" The Apprentice Butchers are followed by their * monarch ' on
horseback, crowned with a lofty cap of various-coloured plumage,
and bearing in his hand a cleaver. The clean appearance and florid
Shrewsbury. 147
countenances of this portion of the procession (being dressed in white
frocks) is highly attractive.
" The Master Smiths are represented by a ' knight ' on horseback
in a complete suit of armour, carrying a sword, and a shield in-
scribed, 'With hammer and hand all arts do stand,' his attendants
occasionally firing blunderbusses ; the wardens in scarlet gowns.
" Master Builders are preceded by their 'king,' bearing a sceptre,
and who personates with tolerable effect that most potent monarch
Henry the Eighth, being portly, well ruddled, sufficiently whiskered,
and robed in a scarlet mantle and> embroidered vest.
"The Apprentice Bricklayers have a gaudily dressed personage.
"Apprentice Hatters have for their leader an Indian Chief, dressed
in tolerably good Eastern costume, and mounted on horseback, per-
forming his part judiciously.
"Barber Chirurgeons follow a banner inscribed, 'Chartered by
Edward I., 1304 ; incorporated with the Wax and Tallow Chandlers
by Charter of June 2d, 1686.'
"Apprentice Hair Dressers and Weavers are preceded by a ' queen'
with a long flowing train, and riding on a gray horse led by a page.
She appears working at a spinning-wheel.
"The Combrethren of Saddlers, Painters, Booksellers, etc., etc.,
are headed by a horse caparisoned with blue tapestry, and led by a
dressed jockey with a beautiful flag, on which are emblazoned the
armorial bearings, quartered, of the several trades of this com-
position; the members mounted on horseback, booted, and spurred.
"The Apprentice Painters. Then comes the representation of
the Painters' Company, in the character of Sir Peter Paul Rubens,
the illustrious prince of design and king of allegory, whose imagery
was as splendid as the dreams of fairy land.
" Four Armorial Banners, Flags, Music, Stewards, etc."
In the foregoing manner, accompanied by music of all sorts,
flags and streamers of various sizes, banners and mottoes of appro-
priate import, did the "Trades" move towards Kingsland, accom-
panied by their several wardens in their robes of office, and a
considerable number of the different combrethren.
The Mayor and a respectable attendance of the body Corporate
and their friends, preceded by the Town Crier, Marshal, and Ser-
geants at Mace, soon follow on horseback, visiting their different
arbours. About nine o'clock the companies return into Shrewsbury
by a different route. The Company of Drapers and the Guild of
Mercers, Ironmongers, and Goldsmiths have long ceased to form
part of the procession. HENRY PIDGEON.
[1800, Part I., pp. 109, no.]
Domesday, vol. L, p. 252. — In the city of Shrewsbury, in the
time of King Edward, were 252 houses, and as many burgesses in
10 — 2
148 Shropshire.
those houses, paying by the year £7 i6s. 8J. rent. There King
Edward had these customs :
If any one knowingly broke the peace of the King, given under
his own hand, he should be outlawed ; but whoever broke the peace
of the King given by the sheriff forfeited 100 shillings; and he gave
as much who assaulted a person in the highway, or fled for murder.*
These three forfeitures King Edward had in demesne, over and
above his rents.
When the King lay in this city, 12 men of the best citizens served
him as watchmen; and when he Bunted there, the better sort of
burgesses, having horses, guarded him in like manner with arms.
But the sheriff sent 36 footmen to the stand for shooting deer when
the King was there ; but to the park of Marstelie he found 36 men
by custom eight days.
When the sheriff would go into Wales, he who was summoned by
him, and did not go, forfeited 40 shillings.
A woman taking a husband in any manner,! if she was a widow,
gave the King 20 shillings; if a damsel, 10 shillings., in whatever
mannerj she should take a husband.
If the house of a burgess was burnt by any accident or event,
or by negligence, he gave the King 40 shillings for a forfeiture, and
2 shillings to each of his two next neighbours as a relief.
When a burgess who was in the King's demesne died, the King
had 10 shillings.
If any burgess broke the time fixed by the sheriff, he forfeited 10
shillings. He who spilt blood forfeited 40 shillings.
When the King went from the city, the sheriff lenteurde\\ sent
him 24 horses, and the King took them to the first mansion-house
in Staffordshire.
The King had there three moneyers, who, after they had bought
dies for the money, as other moneyers of the country, gave each of
them 20 shillings on the i5th day; and this they did when money
was coined.
The city paid in the whole, by the year, 30 pounds. The King
had two parts, and the sheriff the third.
In the preceding year, under this description, 40 pounds were
paid to Earl Roger.
Stanton.
[1808, Part L, p. 401.]
It may perhaps be agreeable to some of your readers to have a view
of the plain farmhouse now standing in the village of Stanton, in the
county of Salop, in which the late much-respected Alderman Boydell
h " Qui forstel' vel heinfare faciebat." + "Quocunque modo."
+ " Quolibet modo." || Qy. the meaning of this word.
Stanton. 149
first drew his breath, and which was honoured by a last and farewell
visit from him not much more than a year before his death. . . .
Stanton, Staunton, or Stone-town, is supposed to have been so
named from its situation on a rock, which is laid bare by the wheels
of carriages passing through the village. The small river Roden
separates its north-west boundary from the parish of Morton or Moor-
town, so also named in centra-distinction to Stanton, from the soil
being low and marshy.
Both these parishes belong to the ancient and respectable family of
the Corbets, of which the elder branch now resides at Acton Reynold,
while their stately mansion, Morton Corbet Castle, though splendidly
re-edified soon after the Reformation, stands in ruins on the south
side of Morton Church.
The church of Stanton and its chancel are small, of one pace, and
built in the Saxon or early Norman style ; the walls are 3 feet in
thickness, the windows small, of the lancet form, round-headed, from
1 8 to 30 inches in height, and from 6 to 10 in width ; round-headed
doors in the north and south walls towards the west end; that in the
south but little ornamented, the north more so. In a window of
three lights, under an obtusely-pointed arch which has been broken
through the north wall, are the following pictures in stained glass :
first, the Trinity ; second, the Annunciation ; third, an archbishop,
and the detached head of a saint in the upper part of that light ;
beneath the whole, in black letter, " Will'm heigh Vicari — ."
A large square embattled tower at the west end is of a later age,
and was strengthened by two graduated buttresses in the year 1666,
as appears from an inscription to that effect on one of them.
There arc in this church no memorials of any importance.
T. FISHER.
Stottesden.
[1853, Part I., pp. 510-512.]
The following account of the descent of the manor of Stottesden,
Salop, is arranged from a manuscript in my possession, and may be
acceptable as relating to the history of that county, and showing the
succession of a manor from a remote period.
Stottesden gives name to one of the hundreds of the county of
Salop, and was known in the time of the Saxons and at the Conquest
as Condetret. At what period the latter designation ceased to be
used cannot now be exactly ascertained.
Edwin, the great Earl of Mercia, held this manor before the
Conquest ; upon that event it was granted to Roger de Montgomery,
Earl of Shrewsbury, who kept it in his own hands. The church is
mentioned in Domesday as possesing revenues worth twenty shillings
annually, and was by Earl Roger granted to the abbey of his founda-
tion at Shrewsbury.
150 Shropshire.
On the death of Roger, Count Palatinate of Shropshire, the manor
devolved to his eldest son, Earl Hugh, and subsequently to the
brother of the latter, Robert de Belesme, third Earl of Shrewsbury,
who, revolting from Henry I. in 1102, forfeited this manor, with the
hundred of Condetret and the rest of his estates, which thereby
became annexed to the Crown.
By inquisition 12 John, 1210, it was found to be held by William
de Gamages, but by what service does not appear. From him it
descended to his son, Matthew de Gamages, who, dying in the same
reign without issue, it escheated to the Crown, under whom Yvo
Pantulf and Hugh Pantulf, the sons of Hugh Pantulf, Baron of Wem,
and sheriff of Shropshire from 1180 to 1189, held it as bailiffs to
King John, who, in the seventeenth year of his reign, 1215, took the
manor into his own hands ; but lands here still continued in the
families of the former possessors, for in 3 Henry III., 1218, William
de Gamages had seisin of lands in Siotterden, but by what service
the jurors were ignorant.
In 1240 King Henry III. granted this manor, to which it is appre-
hended the hundred was attached, to John de Pltssetis, Earl of
Warwick, in right of Margery de Beaumont his second wife (the
sister and heiress of Thomas de Newburgh, Earl of Warwick). He,
in the 28th of that reign, obtained the king's charter to hold a weekly
maiket here on a Tuesday, and an annual fair for three days, viz., the
eve, the feast, and the day after the feast of the Assumption of our
Lady, with the privilege of free warren over the manor, of which he
died possessed 47 Henry III., and also of the hundred of Stottesden,
this being the first notification of the existence of the hundred under
that name. He had a son, Sir Hugh de Plessetis, Knt., of whom
we only know that he left one daughter, lady of this manor, who, in
53 Henry III., married John de Segrave, Lord Segrave (who was
thirty-nine years old at the death of his father, Nicholas Lord Segrave,
in 23 Edward I.), to whom, with other possessions, she brought the
manor of Stottesden. John de Segrave, Lord Segrave, died in
Gascony in 18 Edward II., having survived his eldest son, who died
the same year, leaving Sir John de Segrave, his eldest son, lord ot
this manor. He died 27 Edward III., having married Lady
Margaret, daughter and heiress of Thomas de Brotherton, eldest
son of King Edward I. by his second Queen, Margaret of France.
Lady Margaret was created Duchess of Norfolk in 1398, and, dying
in the following year, was interred in the church of the Friars Minors
in London, when this manor descended to John Lord Segrave their
only son. He married Blanche, daughter of John Lord Mowbray ;
but, dying without issue, this manor descended to his only sister,
Elizabeth, the wife of that John Lord Mowbray who was slain near
to Constantinople 42 Edward III., when this manor descended to
their eldest son, John Lord Mowbray, who in i Richard II. was
Stottesden. 1 5 1
created Earl of Nottingham, and died a bachelor sixth of that reign.
The manor then vested in his brother Thomas, who was created in
the same year Earl of Nottingham and subsequently Duke of Norfolk ;
but being banished the kingdom for challenging Henry Duke of
Lancaster, afterwards Henry IV., died of the plague at Venice in
1400, having married first Elizabeth, daughter of John Lord Strange,
by whom he left no issue, but by his second Duchess, Isabel or
Elizabeth (eldest daughter of Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, and
sister and coheiress of Thomas Fitzalan, seventh Earl of Arundel),
he had Thomas Mowbray, Earl Marshall, his eldest son. He was
beheaded at York 6 Henry IV., having married Constance, daughter
of John Holland, Duke of Exeter ; by whom he left a son, John de
Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, who enjoyed this manor, and died
i Edward IV., having married Eleanor, daughter of William Lord
Bourchier; by whom he had a son, John Mowbray, fourth Duke of
Norfolk, created Earl of Warren and Surrey 29 Henry VI., and died
seised of this manor 15 Edward IV. He married Elizabeth, daughter
of John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, by whom he had a daughter,
Anne, betrothed to Richard Duke of York, second son of King
Edward IV. She died young, when this manor was vested in William
Marquis of Berkeley and Earl of Nottingham, eldest son of James
Lord Berkeley, and his wife Isabel, daughter of Thomas Mowbray,
Duke of Norfolk, and sister of Thomas Mowbray, Earl Marshal, who
in 3 Henry VII. obtained a license and disposed of this manor to
John Russell, Bishop of Lincoln, and other feoffees to his use. He
died 6 Henry VII., 1491, without issue. Maurice Berkeley, in
9 Henry VII., levied a fine of the manor of Stottesden to Humphrey
Coningsby, of Neen Sellers, and his wife, whose descendants seem to
have held lands in this manor in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.*
The manor, having reverted to the Crown, was granted 36
Henry VIIL, 1544, to Richard Purslow, Esq., with the manor of
Walton in this parish. John Purslow, Esq., died April u, 36
Elizabeth, 1594, seised of the manor of Walton in Stottesden. In
31 Elizabeth, license from the Queen under the great seal in con-
sideration of ;£8 6s. 8d. to Thomas Throckmorton and Margaret his
wife, and John Throckmorton, gent., to grant and alienate to William
Norton the manor of Stoterton, alias Stotersdon (with other adjoining
manors and lands), to hold to the said William, his heirs, etc., for-
ever, of the Queen and her successors, by the accustomed services,
and which sale was completed to the said William Norton in the
following year.f
In 1714 the manor, etc., was sold by Sir George Norton, Knt., to
* An interesting account of the family of Coningsby will be found in Gentle-
man's Magazine, 1823, Part II., p. 583.
f The family of Norton were eminent stationers in London, one of whom held
the office of treasurer of Christ's Hospital.
1 5 2 Shropshire.
Henry Newport, second Earl of Bradford, and was by him devised
to Mrs. Ann Smith, who left it, together with other large estates, to
the celebrated William Pulteney, Earl of Bath, from whom it passed
to his brother, General Harry Pulteney, who, leaving no issue, devised
it to Frances, daughter of his cousin-german, Daniel Pulteney, Esq.,
who married William Johnstone, writer to the signet (afterwards Sir
William Pulteney, Bart., M.P. for the town of Shrewsbury during
thirty-one years), after whose death in 1805, and that of his only
child, the Countess of Bath, without issue in 1808, it came to his
heir-at-law, William Harry, Earl of Darlington, created Duke of
Cleveland in 1833, and is now possessed by his son, the present
Duke of Cleveland. HENRY PIDGEON.
Tong.
[1763, pp. 162, 163.]
Tong is situated in the hundred of Bradford South, diocese of
Lichfield, and the deanery of Newport. The first lord of this ancient
inheritance whose name I can meet with was Sir Foulk Pembroke,
whose daughter, being married to Sir Richard Vernon, of Nether
Haddon, in Derbyshire, brought the estate into that family, where it
continued for several generations, till it descended at last to Sir
Edward Stanley, Knight of the Bath, son of Sir Thomas Stanley,
Km., second son of Edward, the third Earl of "Derby, by his wife
Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Howard, second Duke of Norfolk,
which Sir Thomas Stanley married Margaret, one of the daughters
and coheirs of Sir George Vernon, of Haddon aforesaid. It after-
wards fell to the family of Harris, and, by a female branch, to the
noble family of Pierpoint, Duke of Kingston.
Tong Castle is an old, irregular edifice, built of stone, except the
east wing, which being demolished in the Civil Wars, was re-built
with brick in the same style of building with the rest. The church
was once collegiate, being founded in the year 1400, 2 Henry IV.,
by the lady of Sir Foulk Pembroke. It consists of a nave, two side
aisles, a cross aisle, and a choir, in which there are still remaining
eight stalls on each side. There is also a chantry on the south side
of the church : and on the north side of the choir another detached
building, now used as a vestry. The steeple is in the middle of the
church, and consists of a lofty tower with a spire upon it. There are
in the steeple six bells, besides the great bell, which weighs 48 cwt.,
and a small bell. In the nave of the church on the left hand are
the monuments of Sir Foulk Pembroke and his lady, and Sir Richard
Vernon and his lady, which last figures are, in my opinion, executed
with great elegance. On the right hand are the monuments of Sir
George Vernon and his lady, Sir William Vernon and his lady, and
Sir Henry Vernon and his lady. At the east end of the chantry
there is this inscription on the wall : " Pray for the soul of Sir Henry
Tong. 153
Vernon, Knight, and Dame Anne, his wife, which Sir Henry, in the
year of our Lord 1515, made and founded this chapel and chantry,
and the said Sir Henry departed the i3th day of April, in the year
above- said, and of your charity for the soul of Sir Arthur Vernon,
priest, son of the said Sir Henry, on whose souls the Lord have
mercy, Amen." At the west end of the chantry there is the bust of
Sir Arthur Vernon, and on the floor his portrait in brass, with the
usual inscription of " Orate pro anima," etc. On the north*side of
the choir lie the figures of Sir Thomas Stanley and his lady on a
table monument, supported by pillars of marble, curiously gilt and
carved, with their arms. At each end is a pyramid of black marble,
one of which, at the head, is thrown down. There are four marble
figures on the top of the monument, but all broke. Under the table
lies the image of Sir Edward Stanley, son to Sir Thomas. On the
south side of the monument is this inscription in three compartments :
11 Thomas Stanley, Knight, second son of Edward Earl of Derby,
Lord Stanley and -Strange, descended from the family of the Stanleys,
married Margaret Vernon, one of the daughters and co-heirs of Sir
George Vernon, of Nether Haddon, in the county of Derby, Knt.,
by whom he had issue two sons, Henri and Edward ; Henri died an
infant, and Edward survived, to whom this lordship descended, and
married the Lady Lucy Piercy, second daughter to Thomas, Earl of
Northumberland ; by her he had issue seven daughters and one son ;
18. 16. 15. 13.
she and her four daughters, Arabella, Marie, Alis, and Priscilla, are
interred under a monument in the church of Waltham in Essex.
Thomas his son died in his infancy, and is buried in the parish
church of Winwick in the county of Lancaster. The other three,
Peronilla, Francis, and Venisse, yet living."
[Inscription omitted.]
Venetia, the youngest daughter mentioned here, married Sir
Kenelm Digby, by whom she had John Digby, of Gothurst, in the
county of Bucks. On the south wall of the chancel is the monu-
ment of Mrs. Ann Wylde, with this inscription : " Here lyeth the
body of Ann Wylde, late wife of William Wylde, of Droitwich, in the
county of Worcester, Esq., eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Harris, of
Tong Castle, serjeant-at-law and Bart., and of Dame Elinor, his wife,
whose virtue, modesty, rare and excellent parts, exceeding her age,
have fitted her for a more heavenly habitation, leaving behind these
spectacles of grief and proofs of true affection ; she died the 6th of
May, in the year of our Lord 1624, and of her age the i6th, being
then delivered of her first-born." At the east end is also this inscrip-
tion : " Here lyeth interred the body of William Skeffington, late of
the White Ladies, Esq., sonne and heir of Sir John Skeffington,
some time of London, Knight, obiit 1550"; and near him lies his
wife Elizabeth. On the north side of the chancel there is a bust in
154 Shropshire.
the wall of a daughter of the Pierpoint family, but no epitaph. The
ancient college where the clergy lived is mostly demolished, and
what remains is partly inhabited by some poor people, and partly
converted into a stable, long is now a perpetual curacy, and the
Duke of Kingston allows the minister ^80 per annum. At the west
end of the church there are almshouses, founded by some of the
Harris family, for six poor widows, who have 405., a shift, and gown
per annum. Tong is distant five miles from Newport, two from
Shiffnall, and eight from Wolverhampton, the road from Newport
to that place leading through it, the lands produce great plenty of
all sorts of grain, and the nature of the soil is dry and sandy.
[1800, Part II., p 934.]
The church at Tong seems to have been built about 400 years,
and is a good Gothic structure in form of a cross, having a tower and
spire over the centre; and the same stairs that lead up to the pulpit
lead also into the steeple, in which are a ring of six bells, the ropes
of which hang down to the nave. In another room in the tower is a
small bell and a very large one, the inscription round the skirt of
which says it was the gilt of a gentleman whose name was Vernon.
This bell, as I was informed, is between 4,000 and 5,000 Ibs. in
weight, and five yards round at bottom.
In the church the pews are much out of repair, and should be re-
newed ; but there are several curious monuments and memorials of
the dead, among which I noticed one of alabaster to the memory of
a Vernon. The effigies lie on an altar-tomb, and had the remains of
a garland of flowers (then nearly reduced to dust) round the neck and
breast. The sexton told me that on every Midsummer-day a new
garland was put on, and remained so until the following, when it was
annually renewed. As this is a singular custom, I could not forbear
noticing it, and wish to be informed what was the origin of it. G.
Wellington.
[i758« PP- 574. 575-]
The parish of Wellington, formerly so-called, is bounded on the
east by that of Wombridge, on the west by Wrockwardine, on the
north by those of Longdon and Highercall, and on the south by
Little Wenlock. Its greatest length is about 6 miles, and greatest
breadth about 3^. There are in the parish fourteen villages, viz.,
Watlingstreet, Streetway, Lawly, Lawleybank, Kettley, Kettleywood,
Hadley and Arlston, on the east and south-east ; Walcott on the
west ; Horton, Leegomery, Wappenshall, part of Preston and part of
Eyton, on the north and north-east ; the Streetlane on the south, and
Aston on the south-west. There are 780 houses and about 4,000 in-
habitants in the parish. The Church stands in the manor of Dothill,
archdeaconry of Salop, diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, and
Wellington. 1 5 5
hundred of Bradford south, is built with rough stone, covered with
slate, and has a large tower steeple on the north side. It was conse-
crated on November i, and dedicated to All Saints ; there is an
excellent ring of six bells, which were cast in 1713, and a clock and
chimes at the north side. The motto on the treble is, " Peace and
good neighbourhood " ; on the second, " Let us ring for peace and
plenty " ; and on the tenor, " The living I to church do call, and to
the grave do summon all." The church consists of a nave and two
side aisles ; has a very good gallery on the west end, but the pews
below are very indifferent.
It is a vicarage, and is worth about .£140 per annum. Mr. Richard
Smith is the present incumbent, whose predecessors were, as far back
as I can trace, Mr. Wright, Mr. Langley, Mr. John Eyton, Mr.
Henry Wood, and Dr. Eyton, who was succeeded by the present in-
cumbent. Thomas Eyton, Esq., and Sir John Charlton, are the
patrons ; the great tithes belong to the latter, and are valued at
^128 per annum. The glebe land is worth about ^50 per annum.
There are two manors in the parish, those of Dothill and Hadley,
the former belongs to Brook Forrester, Esq., the latter to Mr. Roe ;
the families of Charlton, Forrester and Eyton, bury in the church.
The wake is kept on November i if it be Sunday, or else on the first
Sunday after. The great Watling-Street Road leads through the
parish, about half a mile on the south side the town ; the only
common in the parish is part of that at the foot of the Wrekin ; the
fuel is coal at 35. 8d. per ton. The town is distant from London 146
miles, from Salop n, from Newport 8, Shiffnal 7, and from Wem 14 ;
the carriage from London is 95". per cwt. in the winter, and 75. in
the summer. There are no crosses, obelisks, or ruins of religious
houses ; no Roman, Saxon or Danish antiquities in the parish.
There is one park, belonging to Brook Forrester, Esq., about 3 miles
in circumference, well stocked with deer. There are no manufactures
carried on in the town ; the inhabitants of the parish are chiefly
employed in getting lime, coal and ironstone ; there are two furnaces
lately erected, about a mile and a half on the east side the town, and
a steam engine, by means of which the water that works the bellows
of the furnaces is returned into the pool above ; this engine, which
is one of the largest in England, consumes upwards of twenty ton of
coals every twenty-four hours ; there is another engine about half a
mile further for draining the water from the coal-pits, but not so large
as the former.
The market is kept weekly on Thursday ; there are three fairs in a
year; the chief commodities exposed to sale are horned cattle,
horses, pigs, hempen cloth, all sorts of grain and butchers' meat ;
the prices of provisions are very variable, but chiefly as follows : a
goose for 25., a duck iod., a fowl for 8d., and a rabbit for is., beef,
veal, mutton, lamb and pork, 36. ; butter from 4d. to 7d., and cheese
156 Sk ropsh ire.
at 36. ; labourer's wages is. per day, carpenters, bricklayers and
masons is. 6d., and tailors 8d. with victuals.
The appearance of the country is partly level, but rather hilly on
the south side the great road. The land consists chiefly of arable and
pasture, and some little meadow ground ; the manure chiefly used is
dung, at is. 3d. per load, and lime, at 4d. per bushel ; the chief pro-
ducts of the lands are wheat, rye, barley, oats, peas, beans, and hay,
but the land about the town is chiefly grazed. The springs lie near
the surface, but the water is for the most part brackish; the best
pasture and meadow ground lets for 505. per acre, and arable
ground for 205. The ploughs now in use were invented by one
Lummis, whose name they bear. In the ironstone which is got
about Ketley there are found figures of herbs, sea-shells, and many
other impressions which merit the observation of the curious.
W. W.
Wenlock.
[1806, Part II. i p. 1017.]
The enclosed sketch (Fig. 3) represents the remains of Wenlock
Abbey, in Shropshire, and is sent to accompany its seal in your
antiquarian miscellany.
The seal is of brass, a little larger than Fig. 4, and was found about
fifty years back in digging a foundation to the church at Clun in the
same county. It represents St. Michael encountering the dragon,
from which circumstance I conclude the Abbey of Wenlock to have
been dedicated to that saint. The legend :
"S(igillum) Eccle(sise) conventualis de Wenlo(c)k ad causas tantum."
In the last word, "tantum," the first t is a Roman, and the last /
a Saxon one.
The sketch of the abbey was taken in the autumn of 1802 by
E. D.
[1829, Part II., pp. 398, 399.]
In the list of Priors of Wenlock, as given by Brown Willis and
others, no prior of the name of Reinald occurs, yet I have now
before me a charter without date, whereby " Robertus nlius Aberii,"
in the day of the dedication of the cemetery of Eston (Aston Aer,
co. Salop), for the health of his own soul and those of his prede-
cessors and successors, grants to that chapel a virgate of land con-
taining sixty acres, also all the tenths of his demesne in the same
town, together with a mansion, which charter is attested by Robert,
Bishop of Hereford, " Reinaldus," Prior of Wenlock, Peter, the
Archdeacon, etc. From the names of the parties mentioned in this
ancient document, it is clear that Reinald must have been Prior
between the year 1164, when Robert de Melun was promoted to the
See of Hereford, and 1186, about which time his successor, Robert
Foliot, died. Consequently, his station in the list of priors must be
Wenlock. 157
placed either between Humbert (written in a grant of his own in my
possescion, Umbertus), Prior in 1145, and Peter de Leja, promoted
to the See of St. David, 1176 ; or between Peter de Leja and Joy-
bertus, who occurs in 1198. My own opinion, founded on two other
documents relating to Aston Aer, without date, but certainly written
before the year 1200, is that he succeeded Peter de Leja.
I am in possession of another valuable and beautifully written
document relative to this monastery. It is no other than the original
charter of King Henry III., whereby that monarch grants to our
chosen in Cnrist Aymo, Prior of '• VVenloc," and the convent of that
place, that the said prior and his successors, and their tenants, should
be quit of murage, toll, pontage and passage, throughout the whole
of the kingdom. It is dated at Westminster, December 5, in the
fiftieth year of his reign, i.e.y 1265. This charter is, I believe (with
the exception of a grant of a market and fair confirmed by the same
King in the eleventh year of his reign), the earliest document that
confers any privileges upon the inhabitants of that ancient town.
G. MORRIS.
[1842, Part II,, pp. 146, 147.]
St. Milburga, daughter of King Merwald, and niece of Wolphere,
King of Mercia, erected a nunnery at this place, anciently called
Wimnicas, about the year 680, and presided as abbess over it. The
Danes having destroyed the building, Leofric, Earl of Chester,
restored the nunnery in the reign of King Edward the Confessor ;
but, it being again destroyed and forsaken, Roger de Montgomery,
Earl of Arundel, Chichester, and Shrewsbury, a person of extensive
possessions, rebuilt and endowed this house in 14 William the
Conqueror, placing therein a prior and convent of Cluniac monks.
During the wars between England and France this monastery suffered
a similar fate to those of the alien priories, until 18 Richard II.,
when it was naturalized.
This monastery exceeded in magnificence all other monastic
establishments in Shropshire \ but the buildings are now falling fast
into decay, and, excepting the cloister and prior's house, are nearly in
ruins. The revenues of the society at its dissolution in 26 Henry VIII.
amounted to ^434 is. 2{d., and, after deducting ^32 145. 2^d.,
the outgoing therefrom, produced a clear annual income of
^"401 73. ojd. In 31 Henry VIII. the commissioners of pensions
awarded to John Baylie, the last prior of Wenlock, ^"80 per annum ;
to seven of the ex-presbyters of the same house, namely, Richard
Fishewyke, Thomas Acton, John Caslett, Richard Fenymore, Richard
Benge, Richard Norgrave, and Thomas Ball, the annual sum of ^6
each ; and to the remaining ex-presbyters, namely, William Mosthouse,
John Lee, William Chamberlain, and John Hopkins, the annual sum
of 6s. 8d. each.
158 . Shropshire.
Of this monastery the remaining buildings on the eastern and
north sides thereof are still nearly entire, and were the living apart-
ments of the prior, which are now inhabited by an agriculturist, and
such of the buildings as could be rendered into useful farming pur-
poses, are converted into stables, warehouses, sheds, and pigstyes.
The eastern side of the priory, of which the accompanying view is
a representation, has a singular cloister consisting of narrow arches,
now open, but once evidently glazed, which lead to the principal
rooms, two of which are but little altered from their ancient state.
Below is the abbot's or prior's private altar or oratory, the interior of
which is represented by the annexed view of it ; the altar, being a
very fine slab of red stone, still remains entire, and at present is
appropriated to the use of a dairy. The projecting gable, containing
a triple lancet window, which appears on the right hand of the
exterior view, is the wall of this oratory.
This monastery soon after its dissolution came into the possession
of Thomas Lawley, Esq., who lived in the house. By a marriage
with a lady of the Lawley family it devolved to Robert Bertie, Esq.,
of the Ancaster family, and from him it passed to the family of Gage.
Sir John Wynne, of Wynnstay, in the county of Denbigh, purchased it
of Lord Viscount Gage, and devised it to his kinsman, Sir Watkin
William Wynne, Bart., in whose descendant it still remains.
T. F. D.
Whitchurch.
[1756, PP. 120, 121.]
The name of Whitchurch in Latin is " Album Monasterium," the
White Monastery, but whence it obtained that name I cannot
discover. The parish is bounded on the west and north by those of
Malpas in Cheshire and Hanmer in Flintshire, and on the south
and east by Frees and Ightfield in Shropshire, and Wrenbury and
Marbury in Cheshire. It extends near four miles in length, and is
nearly of the same breadth.
There are in the parish three small hamlets — Great and Little Ash
on the east and Tilstock on the south. The town is very populous
and the parish well inhabited. The church stands in the manor of
Whitchurch, diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, archdeaconry of
Salop, and hundred of North Bradford.
Brown Willis, in his "Thesaurus Rerum Ecclesiasticarum," says
that this church is dedicated to St. Alkmund, wnich I suppose is
meant of the old church, the new one being dedicated, as I am
informed, to St. Ann. The church is a beautiful modern structure.
Consecrated on October 8, 1713, it is built of stone, and has a
tower with eight bells, a clock and chimes at the west end. It
consists of a nave or body and two side aisles ; has galleries on the
south, north, and west sides, and is very regularly pewed. The
living is a rectory, said to be worth .£700 per annum. The inc im-
Wkitckurch. 159
hents, as far back as I can trace them, have been Thomas Fowler,
S.T.P., who was sequestered in the Great Rebellion, and died in
1652 ; Matthew Fowler, S.T.P., who was presented soon after the
Restoration, and died in 1683 ; Thomas Rawlinson, S.T.P. ; Clement
Sankey, S.T.P. ; Peter Leigh, S.T.P. ; the Hon. Henry Egerton,
LL.D., brother to the Duke of Bridgewater, advanced to the see of
Hereford in 1723. He held this living in commendam with his
bishopric till his death, in 1746, and was succeeded here by Rich.
Newcomb, S.T.P., promoted to the see of Llandaff in March, 1755.
The Duke of Bridgewater is the patron. There is a very good
rectory house built by the present incumbent, and a considerable
extent of glebe land. There are two manors in the parish, Whit-
church and Doddington, both belonging to the Duke of Bridgewater.
The two families of Boycott and Whitehalls bury in the church.
Camden has preserved the following inscription for John, Earl of
Shrewsbury, who was buried in the old church, where his effigy and
that of his brother still remain :
"Orate pro anima prcenobilis Domini Johannis Talbott, quondam comitis
Salopice ; Domini Talbott, Domini Furnival, Domini Verdon, Domini Strange de
Blakemere, et Mareshalli Francise, qui obiit in fillo apud Burderos, vii Julii,
MC.CCCLIII."
Darnford, Ash, and Hinton are the chief seats in the parish.
There is a chapel- of-ease at '1 ilstock, the minister being paid by the
rector of Whitchurch. The Rev. Mr. Appleton was the late curate,
and Mr. Saunders is the present. There is a free school, well
endowed for a master and an usher, and a house for the master.
The right of choosing the master is in feoffees, chosen out of the
principal inhabitants. There is also a school founded by one Mr.
Higginson, where poor children are taught gratis to write and read
English. The same gentleman likewise built six almshouses, which
his wife and daughter endowed with ^5 per annum each. The right
of filling up the vacancies in them is in Thomas Yates, of Darn-
ford, Esq.
The wake is kept on October 8, if it be Sunday, or else on the next
Sunday after. The road from London to Chester leads through the
town, and from Chester to Shrewsbury. The only common in the
parish is one part of Prees Heath. The fuel is coal and turf. . . .
There are no crosses, obelisks, or remains of monasteries or re-
ligious houses; no Roman, Saxon, or Danish antiquities in the
parish. Some coins, I am told, were once dug up in sinking a well,
and sent to the old Countess of Bridgewater. . . . The ancestors of
John, the great Earl of Shrewsbury, had their seat at Blakemere in
this parish, whence they took the title of Baron Strange. The market
is kept weekly on Friday ; there are two fairs yearly, one upon the
Monday in Whitsun week, and the other on October 28, for cattle,
horses, hogs, linen cloth, and other commodities. There is a meeting-
1 60 Shropshire.
house for Dissenters in the town, who are not very numerous, the
inhabitants being in general zealously attached to the Established
Church. . . . There are two meres in the parish, Blakemere and
Osmere. . . . The town is well supplied with good water, and the
air is dry and healthy. . . . INGENIUS.
[1792, Part IL, pp. 979, 980.]
It is well known that the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, inherited
the great lordship of Whitchurch, in Shropshire, from the Lords
Strange, of Blakemere. A note in a volume of the Harleian MSS.
(viz., 2129, folio 177) mentions the tomb of John Talbot the famous
warrior, and first Earl of Salop, there, as " under an arch in the wall,
his figure recumbent on an altar-tomb in armour, and robes over it,
with a coronet on his head and a dog at his feet, all under an arch."
In the chancel window of the same church were the arms of Talbot
quartering, Azure, two bars engrailed gules; impaling France and
England quarterly within a bordure az. ; and the same with another
impalement ; and in the windows of the left hand of the choir the
arms of i. Bohun, 2. Beauchamp, 3. Fitzalan and Warren quarterly,
4. Strange; and on the right hand of the choir, i. Fitzalan, 2.
Clifford, 3. Beauchamp, 4. B. three stags tripping o. (qy. Greene),
impaling Talbot, 5 and 6, Talbot. This estate was bought by Lord
Chancellor Egerton, temp. Eliz., and is now owned by his descendant,
the Duke of Bridgewater, who has presented his cousin, the Rev.
Francis Egerton, Prebendary of Durham, younger son to the late
bishop of that diocese, to this most valuable living. The Duke also
owns the neighbouring baronies of the Stranges of Ellesmere and
Knockin, being one of the representatives of the latter of those
ancient peerages. But I wish some of your correspondents would
send you an account of the modern state of these places, which has
been my principal inducement for throwing out these imperfect hints.
But farther of the Talbots it is said, in the before-mentioned MS.,
folio 22, that in the priory of Wormesley, co. Hereford, was buried
Gilbert Talbot, Lord of Longhope (second of that name), with this
epitaph :
" GILBERT TALBOT gist yci
Dieu de sa alme ayet mercy " —
and that Richard Talbot lies buried under the same stone with his
grandfather Gilbert. This Gilbert died 2 Edward i. His grandson,
Richard, was the second son of his son Richard, and married Joan,
daughter and co-heiress of Hugh de Mortimer, of Rica-d's Castle, co.
Hereford, by whom he left issue John, who died 12 Richard II., and
three daughters, who became co-heirs to their brother.
K. Z.
White Ladies. 161
White Ladies.
[1785, Part /.,/. 89.]
I am surprised to find no account of a monastery in Shropshire
called White Ladies, situated neir Tong Castle, the ruins of which
are still considerable. From the circular arches in the church walls,
and having no pillars, I conclude it to be Saxon. It is an extra-
parochial place, yet the area of the church is still used as a burying-
ground. On digging a grave to the depth of 5 or 6 feet, some
figured quarries were brought up ; having myself directed the man to
go as near to the wall as possible, I succeeded by this means in pro-
curing some that were perfect from the undisturbed floor, which now
lies 6 or 7 feet from the surface, being filled up with stone and
rubbish. I herewith send you a drawing (see our Plate, Fig. 4).
OBSERVATOR.
[1809, Part II. , p. 809.]
I send a view of the remains at White Ladies, a Priory of White
Cistercian Nuns. This curious piece of antiquity is about three
quarters of a mile from Boscobel, and one of those sequestered
scenes so favourable to meditation. All our antiquaries, ancient and
modern, are silent respecting this building ; and I have not been able
to ascertain by whom it was founded or how endowed. The view
annexed shows the principal part of the church, which, with the gate-
house, of more modern erection than the other building, now a
labourer's dwelling, are all that remain. The circular arches in the
walls, and having no pillars, indicate it to be of Saxon origin ; but
this I shall leave for the decision of more veteran antiquaries. The
place is extra- parochial, and the area of the church is still used as
burying-ground, I believe mostly for Catholics. On opening a grave
a few days before I visited the place a figured quarry was dug up
(represented in Fig. i), different from any before discovered there.
Figs. 2 and 3 are remains of doorways on the north and south sides,
now stopped up. Fig. 4 is a small gravestone, with the inscription
in the following uncouth style :
"Here lyeth the Bodie of A Friende the King did CaLL, Dame Joane, but
Now Shee is deceast and Gone. Interr'd Anno : Do'. 1669."
There are other gravestones, but none that contain inscriptions
worthy of notice. I was so delighted with the scenery in this neigh-
bourhood, and so lulled into contemplation in surveying this lonely
remain of ancient art, that I did not leave it till the setting sun and
the clouds of approaching night reminded me of my distant home.
D. PARKES.
[1853, Part I., pp. 504-506.]
I have the pleasure of communicating to you a very interesting
account of the destruction and restoration of Dame Joan's headstone
VOL. XXII. II
1 62 Shropshire.
in the ruins of the priory church at White Ladies, with which I have
been furnished by the Vicar of Bolney. BERIAH BOTFIELD.
Memoranda of the Headstone of " Dame Joan," the wife of
William Pendrell, buried within the walls of the ruinated church of
the " White Ladies," near Boscobel, which is extra-parochial to
Donington, in the county of Salop.
In the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE for 1809, Part II., p. 809, Mr.
David Parkes, of Shrewsbury, exhibits a view taken in July, 1807, of
a small headstone at the White Ladies in memory of Dame Joan.
The headstone and the inscription I saw and read about in the year
1807 whilst on a visit at Kilsall, in the parish of Donington, where I
often passed a part of my vacations on my way to and from Oxford.
The stone stood on the north side of the ruins within the chancel
of the chapel, on the left as you entered the chancel door.
When, however, I became Curate of Donington in the year 1811,
it had disappeared, and I well remember how disconcerted I felt,
upon lionizing a bridal party to the White Ladies, to find that " the
place thereof knew it no more," and how I was further annoyed by a
young lady of the company, Miss B , who declared that it never
had stood near the chancel door, but in the middle of the nave ;
nay, she undertook to direct me to the spot, which I had some
difficulty in reaching, as, besides that elder and other bushes were
flourishing there, I was compelled to beat down a luxuriant crop of
nettles and other weeds ere the party could approach the place our
mis-informant had pointed out ; and then it turned out, as I knew it
would : there was indeed a headstone, but of a later date than Dame
Joan's by a century or so.
I made frequent inquiries afterwards, at intervals, of the cottagers
and others as to the disappearance of the monument, but without
obtaining any satisfactory information.
Many had seen and remembered it well, but they all gave it as
their opinion that it had been broken down by some of the cattle of
Mr. Lockley, who at that time occupied the united farms of Bosco-
bel and White Ladies, and whose cows and horses had free entrance
into the chapel from the meadow in which it stands.
I was far from agreeing with this supposition, for if the headstone
had been thus broken down the fragments would have remained,
and I searched for them in vain ; and often in subsequent visits to
the place I have lamented the loss of what I thought an interesting
relic, connected as it was with the history of the troublous times of
England, and commemorative of the poor but honest family who
had sheltered their outcast Sovereign in his extremest need.
More than twenty-five years passed away since I first missed the
headstone, when, about the year 1837-38, in company with a relative
from Lancashire, to show him the Royal Oak, Boscobel House, and
White Ladies. 163
the White Ladies ruins, I found at the latter place several masons
and labourers at work repairing the outer walls (so far, at least, as to
prevent any entrance into the chapel except through the Norman
doorway at the north-west angle), levelling the turf, and bringing to
light several gravestones which had lain flat on the ground, and had
been concealed, some probably more than two centuries, others for
a shorter space of time, with decomposed vegetation and sods which
spread rapidly over such momentos in so neglected a spot. I at
once inquired of one of the workmen whom I happened to know
(Colley by name), " if he remembered where old Dame Joan's head-
stone stood," when he told me " that he had dug up the lower part
of a headstone about the very place, and had laid it care'ully aside
as it had a few letters upon it." He showed it to me, and on in-
spection I felt satisfied that it was a remnant of the stone that had
marked the good dame's grave. Why I had not discovered it before
arose, I conclude, from there having been graves opened for the
interment of some of the Roman Catholics in the neighbourhood,
and the soil thrown over the fragment. The piece of stone found
retained the letters :
"Anno Do 1669."
Having lately dipped into Blount's " Boscobel," and now ob-
serving (in addition to the evidence afforded by the spot where this
relic was discovered) the corresponding date, and the rather unusual
(I believe) abbreviation "Do" for Domini, which on most monu-
ments is Dom: or Dni, or the monogram D., — I had not any doubt
on the subject, and desired Colley to take care of the fragment and
to inform Mr. Richmond (the then priest at the Black Ladies, under
whose direction the repairs were going on) when he came to inspect
the work, with my compliments, that it was a portion of Dame Joan's
headstone.
On my return home I referred to the note in Blount's " Boscobel,"
and was, if possible, strengthened in my conviction of its identity.
The fate of this fragment was singular. Colley, as desired, laid it
carefully and, as he thought, securely by ; at dinner-time he took his
wallet into the meadow to eat his noontide meal there — the masons
either remained in the chapel or were quicker at their lunch ; how-
ever, they returned to their work before he did, and when he came
back the stone was gone : they had broken it into small pieces and
mixed it with mortar to place on the top of the wall which now fills
up the lower portion of the handsome Norman arch of the north
transept.
Had I not thus accidentally fallen in with this remnant of Dame
Joan's headstone, I might possibly have been inclined ;to entertain
the idea expressed in a note of one of the Boscobel Tracts — a collec-
tion in octavo with which I had but lately become acquainted —
" that the headstone had found its way into the museum of some
II 2
1 94 Shropshire.
antiquary," though its removal must have been attended with con-
siderable trouble, and nothing can be well conceived more absurd
than its abstraction from the place which alone gave it any interest.
But the discovery of the fragment in question showed that this was
not the case, for if any collector of ponderous curiosities had been
the depredator, he would have had the sense to assure himself that
he had taken the entire stone, and not have left behind the portion
containing the date.
Another period of seven or eight years wore on, and in this interval
I had the sad satisfaction, however trifling, of pointing out to all who
inquired after Dame Joan's headstone the spot where its last remains
were imbedded in mortar.
I was fortunate enough also to discover the octagon stone table
which appears in the old engraving of Boscobel House and the
Royal Oak. It is now in two portions, one of which forms the
threshold of Boscobel House, the other forms the upper step at the
wicket at the end of the path which leads from the said threshold
into the pasture field before the house in which stands the oak.
I had also the luck to trace out an old millstone, which had been
mentioned to me as having lain " time out of mind" near the site of
the mill of Humphrey Pendrill — one of the five loyal brothers— but
which had never fallen under my notice. Richard Radford, an old
blacksmith at Shakerley in the parish, affirmed that " he had seen it
there not so many years ago." On this hint I examined the spot, but
no vestige of the millstone was to be found "under the big oak in
the mill meadow," as he described it, and it is still so called, though
there is not now a trace of the mill, or its pond, or pool, remaining.
It struck me that the stone might have been used for some purpose
in or about the house called the White Ladies farmhouse, built about
the year 1814, and upon inquiring of the mason employed on that
occasion, after some recollection he well remembered that it was
brought from the meadow and placed as a cover over the grating of a
sough, or drain, which carries the superabundant water from the fold-
yard ; and there, sure enough, I found it the day following, buried in
straw and manure, and perhaps it does not see the light for a month
in each year.
In one of my colloquies with the old blacksmith, the name of a
sick parishioner, Martha Willock, was mentioned, and he chanced to
remark that he had known " Matty and her husband many years, for
they lived at the White Lady Chapel before he did." I observed to
him that " that could not be, as the Willocks had only come into the
parish about five-and-twenty years since, and lived at Neachley near
the Brook, the husband being shepherd to Mr. George Bishton,"
adding "that the cottage at the White Ladit-s had been pulled down
more than thirty years ago." u That's very true, Mr. Dale," said he,
*' but please to hear me : the Willocks left the White Ladies about
White Ladies. 165
thirty years ago, for Mr. George Bishtoa sent all of them off to the
other side of Shrewsbury, to his farm at Wallop in the Forest there,
and there they stopped I do not know how many years, but it was a
good while before they came back again."
Here, thought I, is a possible chance of my learning somewhat of
the mysterious disappearance of Dame Joan's headstone, and I lost
no time in calling upon old Martha (since deceased) and foiled Rad-
ford's account correct. As he stated, she had lived with her husband
and children for some years at the White Ladies. (The cottage in
which they lived had been run up by the late Mr. Lockley, the tenant
of Boscobel, for the accommodation of his nephew and two nieces of
the name of Handford, or, rather, had been converted from a stable,
or shed, with the materials of some old buildings hard by,, into a
tolerably convenient residence. The Handfords, however, did not
remain there long, and it was tenanted successively by labourers, and
amongst others by the Willocks and the old blacksmith.)
To my inquiries Martha said "she remembered Dame Joan's
headstone very well ; that strangers and gentlefolks who came to the
ruins noticed it much, and that once she lent one of them a knife to
scrape the moss out of the letters, whilst another wrote them down in
a little book, and said how glad their friends at home would be to
read them." "Well," said I, "it is gone long ago. Do yoa know
what became of it?" "To be sure I do, sir. It was broken all to
pieces by Molly Stocking. I saw it with my own eyes."1 " How did
this happen, Martha ?" " If you'll listen to me, sir, I'll tell you all
about it. Molly was servant at the Meese Hill Farm (about half a
mile off, in Tong parish). She often came down to the White
Ladies, for a woman from Albrighton used now and then to bring
Molly's young child to see her. Well, one day after harvest she
came down — not to see the child, though — but she came into the
house, and, after talking a bit, she said, * Martha, will you lend me
your axe ?' ' Yes, Molly/ says I, * you're welcome to it, but bring it me
again.' And she went out with it, and in less than a minute I heard
a knocking in the chapel, and I thought I'd go and see what she was
about, and, if you'll believe me, there she was, knocking the stone all
to pieces ! ' Why, gracious ! Molly,' says I, ' what are you a-doing ?
Do you know that you've destroyed the tombstone of my Lady
Dame Joan, who brought the King to his throne ?' It gave me quite
a turn to see what she had done." " And pray, Mrs. Willock, what
did she say ?" " Why, she said, * Well, it cannot be helped now, if
it is so ; and whether it's Lady Joan's or Lady anybody else's, I
must have some stones to scour the floors well at the Meese Hill, for
my missus " lies in " before Christmas, and she'll have the house well
cleaned from top to bottom before then,' and she began to fill her
brat with the broken pieces. I remember," said Martha, " it was as
beautiful, sparkling, bright-coloured stone as ever I saw. She asked
1 66
Shropshire.
Nanny Shingler, who was standing by, to help her, but Nanny — she
was a Catholic, you know — said she would not touch a piece of it
for the whole world."
I then inquired if she could tell me about what year all this
happened, and she at once satisfied me on that point from the best
of cottage mother's chronicles — the birth of her children, saying :
<k It was at, or soon after, Michaelmas that we left the White Ladies,
and Eliza was born at the Forest in the next year ; besides, sir, here's
the Bible with all their names and ages written down." I examined
the family birth-roll and found, "Eliza, August n, 1808."
And thus, after thirty-five years' uncertainty as to the cause of the
disappearance of Dame Joan's headstone, it was from an accidental
word dropped by old Richard Radford that I at length became cog-
nizant of its violent and untimely fate by the rude hands of a
thoughtless servant-woman.
Had I been aware when the Willocks returned to the parish that
they had ever lived at the White Ladies, the suspense of my little
antiquarian research might have had an earlier termination — by a
quarter of a century. J. DALE.
P.S. — Several persons have expressed a wish that the memorial of
Dame Joan should be restored, and the Rev. Mr. Jones, R..C., priest
of Breewood, who has charge of the burying-ground within the walls
of the White Ladies Chapel, having given his consent, a subscription
was entered into, headed by a member of the " Roxburghe Club,"
and during the last summer a facsimile of the demolished headstone,
with its quaint inscription, was placed in statu quo. J. DALE.
Whittington.
[1833, Part L, p. 290.]
The birthplace of the celebrated Richard Whittington, three times
Lord Mayor of London, is supposed to have been in Shropshire,
either at Newn's near Ellesmere, or in the parish of Whittington in
that county, whence his name Richard de Whittington.
[1814, Part I I., p. 105.]
Whittington Castle, of which a view is enclosed, is situated near
Oswestry, in the county of Salop. Its situation is flat : the gateway
(now used as a farm-house) and remains of two immense round
towers, with small vestiges of other parts, may yet be traced. It
was surrounded by a moat ; several vast ditches, and other works,
are yet discernible. The fine wych elms and ash trees which
environ part of the ruins give a fine finish to the picture. In 1797,
on removing some rubbish in a part of the ruins, three curious bottles
were found, of a depressed form, bearing the appearance of having
been highly gilt. Lately, on clearing the bottom of one of the
Wh ittington . 167
towers, there were found some huge iron fetters, a gyve of ponderous
size, and a great quantity of the heads and antlers of deer.
According to Bardic tradition, this place was once the property of
Tudor Trevor, a British nobleman, who lived in the year 924. After
the Conquest, it was held by Roger de Montgomery ; and being
forfeited by his son Robert, it was given to William, a sister's son of
Pain Peverell, whose daughter Millet was the fair object of contention
to the warlike youths of the time. Peverell offered his daughter in
marriage, with Whhtington Castle as a dowry, to him who should
display the greatest prowess at a tilting-match. Peverell's Castle, in
Derbyshire, was appointed for the place of combat. Among the
knights who repaired thither was Guarine de Metz, of the house of
Lorraine, lord of Alberbury, who carried off his fair prize, and
received the Castle of Whittington as her dower. His posterity
continued lords of this place near 400 years, every heir, for nine
descents, preserving the Christian name of Fulke, to which was
added the memorable appellation of Fitz-Guarine. Fulke, son of
Guarine, displayed the high spirit of his race in a quarrel with Prince
John, afterwards King John, whom he highly offended by breaking
his head with a chess-board. He was one of the glorious band who
compelled that monarch to sign the Great Charter of Liberty, the
boast and pride of Englishmen. In 1419 this illustrious race became
extinct ; and the manor, after various transfers in succeeding ages,
devolved to William Albany, citizen of London, whose great-grand-
daughter and sole heiress married Thomas Lloyd, Esq., of Aston, in
whose descent it still continues.
The ancient and present state of this beautiful domain are elegantly
and poetically described by John F. M. Dovaston, Esq., M.A., in his
Border Ballad of Fitz-Gwarine. D. PARKES.
Willey.
[1822, Part //., /. 306.]
The following description of the mansion erected by Lord Forester
in Willey Park, Shropshire, is extracted from a pleasing account, in the
Wolverhampton Chronicle, of the festivities given at Willey Hall, on
the son of that nobleman attaining the age of twenty-one.
" As the stately mansion of the family is an entirely new structure,
built of stone, the following description of it may not be uninterest-
ing : The grand entrance hall is lighted by twenty-eight large lamps.
The balcony is supported by massy pillars, between which the floor is
paved with slabs of polished marble. The balcony and staircases
are railed in by a burnished brass rail, which is said to have cost
^2,000, and the ornaments round the cornice (the subjects of which
are taken from Grecian history) are of the most chaste and beautiiul
kind, and produce a grand effect, aided by the profusion of light
which the lamps reflect from below. A bronze tripod, supporting
1 68 Shropshire.
three massy lamps, is placed in the midst of the hall ; on one side,
between two family paintings, is a picture of the Duke of Wellington
on horseback ; on the other side is a beauti ul portrait of Napoleon
Buonaparte, surrounded with paintings of the Rutland and Forester
families ; the effect of the whole is of the grandest description, and
may well serve as a specimen of the taste and opulence which is
displayed in every apartment of the noble mansion. Many costly
pictures are scattered over the principal apartments, and a full-length
portrait of Lord Forester, accompanied by one of his Lady, grace
the dining-room. The library is lighted up with two large lustres,
which cast a brilliant reflection on the walls, that are covered with
books in fanciful and superb bindings. The drawing-room (which
was fitted up on this occasion for the ball, and in which a temporary
orchestra was raised) is a lofty and spacious apartment. Lord and
Lady Forester's morning rooms contain some historical paintings,
portraits, and a collection of valuable books."
Cecil Weld Forester, Esq., was created Baron Forester, July 9,
1821. His lordship married, June 16, 1800, Lady Katherine Mary
Manners, sister to the present Duke of Rutland, by whom he has
had eleven children, of whom the eldest, the Hon. John George
Weld, has just attained his twenty-first year. This noble family
possess a grant from King Henry VIII. to John Forester, of Watling
Street, in the county of Salop, Esq., to wear his hat in the presence
of his Majesty, which grant is now in the possession of the present
peer.
Worfield.
[1764, p. 458.]
List of the Vicars of the parish of Worfield, in the county of Salop,
and diocese of Lichfield and Coventry, for 200 years past :
The last Romish vicar was Dominick, who conformed to the
Protestant religion during the first six years of Elizabeth. He died
in 1564.
To him succeeded Barney, sen., who was vicar forty-four years ;
died in 1608.
Next, Barney, jun., was vicar fifty-six years, and died in 1664.
Next, Hancocks, vicar forty-three years ; died in 1707.
Adamson, vicar fifty-six years ; died 1763.
The Wrekin.
[1797, Part II. , p. gig.]
The prospect from the Wrekin is not only very extensive, but
amazingly fine ; for the lands below being rich and level, the observer
looks down upon the beautiful enclosures as upon a map — the map
of Nature. Round the summit are the traces of a British camp, con-
sisting of two trenches and two ramparts, one elevated 30 or 40 yards
Wroxeter. 1 69
above the other. Each of them circle the hill, and each admits of
but one entrance, narrow as a gateway, with a small eminence on
each side by way of portal. The lower, or outward trench, is more
than a mile round ; the inner much less.
This spacious camp would accommodate 20,000 men, who would
find it a cold berth, suited only to a hardy Briton.
I cannot attach any historical fact to this camp; but as it is not
certainly known upon what hill in Shropshire Caractacus, King of
Wales, was encamped when forced by Ostorius, the Roman general,
there is great probability of its being his. OSWESTRY.
Wroxeter.
[1810, Part /., p. 617.]
The drawing which accompanies this is the representation of an
ancient seal, found in 1808 by a person ploughing in a field near the
Roman wall at Wroxeter, the ancient Uriconium, Shropshire.
Plate II., Fig. i, is an impression of the seal ; Fig. 2, the exact
form and size of the seal. Several have attempted to decipher the
legend, but no one has yet been able to give a satisfactory reading.
D. PARKES.
[1816, Part /.,/. 201.]
On reading the life of that extraordinary character, Edward Lord
Herbert of Chirbury, written by himself, and finding that he was born
at Eyton, an ancient mansion of the Newports, in the parish of
Wroxeter, county Salop, I was determined to visit the spot, which I
accordingly did on September 21, 1814. . . . Part is fitted up for a
private dwelling ; some remains an ivy-mantled ruin ; but the greater
part is entirely destroyed. The enclosed drawing was made at the
time (see Plate I.).
Edward Herbert was born at Eyton in 1583. After the accession
of James I. he was made a Knight of the Bath, and went into France
to interpose on behalf of the Protestants of that kingdom. In 1625
Sir Edward was made a Baron of Ireland, and in 1631 of England
by the style and title of Lord Herbert of Chirbury, in Shropshire.
He died in 1648, and was interred in the chancel of St. Giles's-in-the-
Fields. A marble slab that covered his remains had the following
inscription upon it, drawn up by himself:
" Hie inhumatur corpus Edvardi Herbert, Equites Baluei, Baronis de Cherbury
et Castle Island, auctoris libri, cui titulus est, ' De Veritati.' Redder ut herbse,
vicesimo die Augusti, anno Domini 1648."
D. PARKES.
[1828, Part I. , p. 1 8.]
The small seal, from an impression of which the enclosed drawing
is taken (Fig. 4), is of an opaque greenish substance, and was lately
discovered at Wroxeter, county Salop. W. A. LEIGHTON.
Shropshire.
The following articles, which contain nothing of special interest or importance,
are omitted :
1804, part ii., p. lOOO. St. Chad's, Shrewsbury.
1805, part ii., pp. 624, 625. Five churches in Shrewsbury.
References to previous volumes of the Gentleman s Magazine Library :
Prehistoric Remains : Ancient oak timber at Buildwas ; cave at Burcott.
— Archeology, part i., pp. 23, 24, 39.
Anglo-Saxon Remains : The place of St. Oswald's death. — Arch(eologyt
part ii., p. 242.
Roman Remains : Bishop's Castle, Linley Hall, Ternbridge, Wem,
Wroxeter. — Romano- British Remans ', part i., pp. 263-284.
Architectural Antiquities: Position of Ludlow Chapel. — Architectural
Antiquities, part ii., p. 232.
Folklore: Lifting at Shrewsbury; superstitions of Shropshire. — Popular
Superstitions^ pp. 42, 133. Game of whipping the cat at Albrighton ;
tenure of land called the Moors ; placing garlands on monuments in
Tong Church; verses on bell-ringing in Tong Church. — Manners and
Customs, pp. 223, 230, 231, 258, 259.
Somersetshire.
SO M ERSE TSHIRE.
[1823, Part /.,//. 407-4".]
ANCIENT STATE AND REMAINS.
British Inhabitants. — Belgse.
jRoman Province. — Britannia Prima. Stations. — Aquis Solis, Bath;
Ischalis, Ivelchester.
Saxon Heptarchy. — Wessex.
Antiquities. — Druidical Temples of Chew Magna (the stones form-
ing a circle of a reddish colour) ; Stanton Drew. British Earthwork,
Wansdike (the boundaries of the Belgaeans, and the Aborigines).
Roman Encampments of Blacker's hills, Bowditch, Brompton Bury
Castle, Burwalls, Cadbury, Camalet, Chesterton, Chew Magna, Cow
Castle, Doleberry, Douseborough, Godshill, Hawkridge Castle,
Hampton-down, Masbury, Mearknoll, Mod bury, Mounceaur Castle,
Neroche, Newborough, Norton Hautville, Stantonbury, Stokeleigh,
Tedbury, Trendle Castle, Turks Castle, Wiveliscombe and Worle-
berry. Roman Temples at Bath (dedicated to Minerva), a very
superb one (supposed to have been dedicated to Apollo, or the Sun),
a Sacellum (dedicated to Luna). Saxon Earthwork, Salisbury Hill
(thrown up at the siege of Bath in 577). Saxon Encampment of
Harold at Porlock. Danish Camp, Jack's Castle, Kilmington.
Abbeys of Athelney Isle (built by King Alfred) ; Banwell (in the time
of Alfred); Bath (built in 1137, by Oliver King, Bishop of thajfe
diocese); Bruton (founded by St. Algar, Earl of Cornwall, in the
reign of Ethelred) ; Cliff (founded by William de Romare, before
1 1 88); Glastonbury, Hinton (founded by the first Earl of Salisbury) ;
Keynsham (founded by William Earl of Gloucester); Muchelney
(founded by King Athelstan, now a barn) ; Wells (first founded by
King Ina, re-erected by Bishop Joceline de Wells in 1239 ; the palace
1 74 Somersetshire.
of the Bishop is like a castle). Priories of Barlinch ; Barrow ; Bath
(built by King Osric in 676); Berkley (founded in the reign of John,
by one William a Norman Baron) ; Buckland Sororum (founded
about 1167, by William de Erleigh, Lord of the Manor of Durston);
Cannington (founded by Robert de Courcy, sewer to the Empress
Maud); Chewton ; Dunster (built by William de Mohun, temp.
William I., now the parish church) ; Frome (erected by Aldhelm,
Bishop of Sherborne, before 705) ; Hinton Charterhouse (founded
by Ela, Countess of Salisbury, in 1227, finished building 1232);
Ilchester (founded temp. Edward II.) ; Kew Stoke (founded by
William de Courtenye, about 1210); Montacute (erected by the
nephew of William I.) ; Portbury ; Stavordale (founded temp.
Henry III., now a farmhouse and barn); Stoke Courcy (cell to the
Abbey of Lonly in Normandy) ; Taunton (erected by William
Giffard, Bishop of Winton, temp. Henry I.) ; Woodspring ; and
Yeanston. Nunneries of Nunney ; Walton ; and Whitehall (founded
about 1226, by William Daius). Churches of Allen; Ashill ; Axbridge
(on the tower of which are two statues, supposed to have been set up
under the Kings of Wessex) ; Barton David (the north doorway is
composed of a fine Saxon arch) ; Bath, St. James's (a curious
specimen of ancient architecture) ; Batheaston ; Cadbury, North
(built in 1427); Camerton; Chew Magna; Crewkerne; Dunster
(built by Henry VII. in gratitude for the inhabitants having assisted
at the battle of Bosworth field*) ; Goathurst ; Ilminster ; Keynsham ;
Lansdown ; Martock ; Nunney ; Taunton, St. Magdalen, and St.
James ; Walton (in ruins) ; Wincanton ; and Yeovil. Chapels of
Burrough : Chard (an ancient Gothic building, now used as the
Town Hall); Glastonbury (erected in 1246, by Abbot Michael) ;
Hanging Chapel at Langport ; Hardington ; Hatrow ; Hinton ;
Holloway (built by John Cantlow, prior of Bath from 1489 to 1495) >
Ilchester, 2 (upon the bridge, and at its foot, now dwelling-houses) ;
Orchard (built by John Sydenham about 1490) ; Ranehill (dedicated
to St. Ranus) ; Rowdon ; Stoke-under-Hambden ; and Widcombe
(founded in the i2th century). Fonts of Beckington ; Corfe (very
ancient) ; East Camel (curiously decked with sculpture) ; and
Pendomer. Stone Pulpit in Wells Cathedral (erected by Bishop
Knight). Castles of Bridgewater ; Cadbury (built by the Romans) ;
Castle Gary (in which Charles II. sheltered himself after the battle
of Worcester) ; Douseborough ; Dunster (built by the Moions Earls
of Somerset) ; Ilchester (built by the Romans) ; Inglishcombe (the
seat of the Gournays) ; Kenn ; Montacute (built by the Earl of
Moreton, brother of William L, on this spot there is now a tower
60 feet high) ; Somerton (built by the Kings of Wessex, no remains) ;
* Most of the churches in this county exhibit fine specimens of the florid
Gothic, so prevalent in his reign, which makes it probable that they were rebuilt
by order of that prince, in gratitude for their attachment to his house.
Ancient State and Remains. 175
Stoke-umler-Hambden ; Stowey • Taunton (built by King Ina, now
in ruins); Trende ; Turk's; Walton; and Wiveliscombe. Mansion
of Combe Sydenham (the ancient seat of the Sydenhams). Caves
at Wokey (the most celebrated in the West of England).
Glastonbury Abbey is said to contain the bodies of Joseph of
Arimathea, King Edgar, and King Arthur. The body of Arthur
was searched for by order of Henry II., when a leaden coffin was
discovered with a Latin inscription in rude Gothic characters, which
was thus translated : " Here lies the famous King Arthur, buried in
the isle of Avalon." Beneath was found a coffin hollowed out of a
solid rock, wherein were the bones of a human body supposed to
have been those of Arthur, which were then deposited in the church,
and covered with a sumptuous monument.
In Wells Cathedral lies the body of its founder, Ina, King of
Wessex.
PRESENT STATE AND APPEARANCE.
Rivers. — Avon, Axe, Barl, Bey, Brent, Brew, Cale, Car, Chew,
Dunsbrook, Ex, Frome, Ivel or Evil, Ordred, Parret, Severn, Thone,
Tor, Wessitire, and Yow.
Inland Navigation. — Canal from Frome to Stalbridge (branches to
Wells and Bradford), Avon river (through Bath to Bristol), Parret
river (to Bristol, Bridgewater, and Langport), Tone river (from Frome
to Bridgewater) ; Canal at the bottom of Hampton Down.
Lakes. — Culbone, Gamely brooks.
Eminences and Views. — Ash Beacon (655 feet high); Blackdown
(bordering on Devonshire) ; Bradley Knoll (973 feet high) ; Brendon
Hills, near Quantock ; Broadfield Down ; Camalet Mount ; Dundon
Hill (360 feet high); Dundry Hill (700 feet high); Enmore Castle
(a fine view of Mendip Hills) ; Helston Roundhill (rises to a vast
height above the bed of the river) ; Hinton St. George ; Lansdown
Hill (513 feet high; the summit of this hill is attained by a steep
ascent of 3 miles) ; Leighdown ; Mendip Hills (extend from Frome
on the east to Axbridge, and from Bedminster on the north to
Glastonbury) ; Moorlinch (330 feet high) ; North Hill ; Poulton
Hill ; Prior Park ; Quantock Hills (an extensive ridge which runs
from East Quantoxhead, through a rich country, as far as the vale of
Taunton ; a fine view of the Welsh coast) ; Taunton ; Thorney Down
(610 feet high) ; and White Down.
Natural Curiosities. — Alford mineral spring ; Ashill mineral spring;
Castlecary mineral spring (resembling that at Epsom) ; Bath bitumen,
nitre, and sulphur springs ; Chard spring (conveyed by leaden pipes
to four conduits, which supply the inhabitants with water) ; Cheddar
Rocks (about a mile and a half long) ; Culbone ; Dunkerry Mountain
(the base of which is 12 miles in circumference, rising 1,770 feet above
the level of the sea) ; Dundry Hills (produce Cornua ammonis, and
1 76 Somersetshire.
Echinis} ; East Chenock salt spring (20 miles from the sea) ; Enmore
(the source of the river Ex) ; Glastonbury mineral spring (near the
Chain Gate) ; Langport (the source of the river Parret) ; Mendip
Hills (the source of the river Frome) ; Neroche Forest ; Nether
Stowey spring (running from a hill above the church, covers every-
thing it meets with a stony crust) ; Queen's Camel mineral spring ;
Selwood Forest (beginning at Frome and extending near 15 miles) ;
Vallis Rocks (near Frome) ; Wellington mineral springs ; Wells
mineral spring ; Wokey Hole (the source of the river Axe).
Public Edifices. — Avon river, stone bridge over, from Keynsham to
Gloucester, of 15 arches. Bath General Hospital, foundation stone
laid July 6, 1738; Guildhall, foundation stone laid February n, 1768;
in Queen's Square an obelisk 70 feet high, erected by Rich. Nash,
Esq., Master of the Ceremonies, to the memory of Frederick Prince
of Wales, who visited Bath in 1738; in a grove near the Abbey
Church, since called Orange Grove, an obelisk 30 feet high, to the
memory of the Prince of Orange, who here recovered from a dangerous
sickness; Free Grammar School, founded by Edward VI. in 1553;
King's Bath, handsome building ; Parade ; St. John's Hospital, built
in 1728, by Mr. Wood the architect, upon the site of an old hospital
erected temp. Elizabeth ; St. Catherine's Hospital, founded on the
site of an ancient almshouse, built by two sisters of the name of
Bimberry ; Bellott's Hospital, founded by Thomas Bellott, temp.
Jac. I. ; Casualty Hospital, founded by a few inhabitants in 1778;
Puerperal Charity, established in 1792; Charity School, founded by
Robert Melson in 1711; Bath West of England Society for the
encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, etc., established 1777; Philo-
sophical Society, established 1 799. Bridgewater Free School, founded
by Queen Elizabeth in 1561 ; Church, the spire the loftiest in the
county ; Town Hall ; Bridge over the Parret, commenced by William
de Briovere in the time of King John, and finished by Thomas
Trivet, a nobleman of Cornwall. Bruton Cross ; Free Grammar
School, founded by Edward VI. Crewkerne Free Grammar School,
founded by Dr. Hody, temp. Edward VI. Exford Charity School,
founded by Mr. Cox and Mrs. Musgrave. Frome Church, 150 feet
long and 54 broad, from the towers rises an octagonal spire 120 feet
high ; Free School, founded by Edward VI. ; Almshouse for widows,
erected by subscription in 1720. Glastonbury Cross ; St. Michael's
Tower or Tor (where the last Abbot of Glastonbury was executed),
stands on a high hill north-east of Glastonbury ; Glastonbury pump-
room, opened August 12, 1753; Ilminster Free School, founded by
Edward VI. At Kilmington, 2 miles from the church, is Alfred's
Tower, erected by Henry Hoare, Esq., of Stourhead, stone bridge.
Langport Grammar -School, founded by Thomas Gillet in 1670.
Martock Grammar School, founded by WilHarci Strode in 1661.
Mells Charity School. Shepton Mallet Church ; Cross Fridewell
Present State and Appearance. 177
for the county ; Almshouse founded 1699. Somerton Free School;
Almshouse. Taunton Free Grammar School, founded temp.
Henry VII. by Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester ; Almshouses,
one founded by Robert Gray, Esq. ; Hospital ; Bridewell. Wellington
Hospital, founded by Lord Chief Justice Popham, temp. Jac. I.
Wells Charity School, founded in 1714; Town Hall, situate over
Bishop Bubwith's Hospital. Wiveliscombe Almshouse, founded by
Sir John Coventry. Yeovil Church, fine Gothic structure ; Market
House, very commodious.
Seats. — Longleat, Marquis of Bath, Lord-Lieutenant of the County;
Alcomb, Sir George Hewett, Bart; Alfoxton, St. Aubyn, Esq.; Alston
Court, Huntspill, late R. Buncombe, Esq. ; Ammerdown, Samuel
Jolliffe, Esq. ; Ashwick Grove, Richard Strachey, Esq. ; Avishayes,
J. J. Fortescue, Esq. ; St. Audries, Miss Balch ; Babbington, Charles
Knatchbull, Esq. ; Bailbridge House, Val. Jones, Esq. ; Barford,
Joseph Jeffery, Esq. ; Barren Down, Stukely Lucas, Esq. ; Bath, T.
J. Parker, Esq. ; Berkley House, Frome, Rev. J. M. Rogers ; Berwick
House, J. Newman, Esq. ; Box, near Bath, W. Northey, Esq. ;
Brimpton House, Earl of Westmorland ; Brymore near Bridgewater,
Sir P. Hales, Bart. ; Burton Pynsent, Earl of Chatham ; Butleigh
Court, Lord Glastonbury ; Cadbury House, Blackford, Mrs. Bennet ;
Camerton Park, Mrs. Jarret; Ch Icompton, Miss Tooker; Claverton
House, John Vivian, Esq. ; Compton Pauncefoot, J. H. Hunt, Esq. ;
Coomb Hay, Mrs. Leigh ; Countesbury Lodge, J. Knight, Esq. ;
Cranmore, East, J. Paget, Esq. ; Cricket Lodge, Lord Bridport ;
Dillington House, Wm. Hanning, Esq. ; Dunster Castle, J. F. Lut-
trell, Esq. ; Enmore, A. Guy, Esq. ; Enmore Castle, Earl of Egmont ;
Euston House, Sir J. C. Hippisley, Bart. ; Fairfield, Sir John Palmer
Acland, Bart. ; Fairfield, P. P. Acland, Esq. ; Farley Park, Duke of
Somerset; Ford Abbey, T. F. Gwynn, Esq.; Godminster, Col.
Strangways ; Hadspan House, near Wincanton, H. Hobhouse, Esq.;
Halsewell House, C. K. K. Tynte, Esq. ; Hampton House, — Allen,
Esq. ; Hardington Wraxall, Sir C. W. Bamfylde, Bart. ; Hatch Court,
Thomas Clifton, Esq. ; Havisheys House, near Chard, Gen. Stevens ;
Haydon Seat, J. Haughton, Esq. ; Hazlegrove, Sir Henry Carew St.
John, Bart. ; Heatherton Park, William Adair, Esq. ; Hestercombe
House, Mrs. Warre ; Hill House, Langport, Vincent Stuckey, Esq.,
High Sheriff; Hinton St. George, Earl Poulett; Hinton Charterhouse,
Sam. J. Day, Esq.; Holnicutt, Hon. Matthew Fortescue; Horsington,
Samuel Bailward, Esq. ; Horsington, Samuel Doddington, Esq. ;
Huntspill, G. Saunders, Esq. ; Huntspill, J. Jeffreys, Esq. ; Ilchester,
Richard Troward, Esq. ; Jordans House, Horton, W. Sheke, Esq. ;
Kelston, Sir John Caesar Hawkins, Bart. ; Kilmington, Sir Richard
Colt Hoare, Bart. ; King Weston, W. Dickenson, Esq. ; Leigh Court,
P. J. Miles, Esq. ; Lottiford House, Rev. J. Serrell ; Lydford Rectory,
Dr. Colston ; Lynmouth, J. Lean, Esq. ; Lynmouth House, East, J.
VOL. XXII. 12
1 7 8 Some rsetsh ire.
Lock, Esq. ; Lynmouth House, R. Harris, Esq. ; Marston Biggott,
Earl of Cork and Orrery ; Maunsell, Col. Slade ; Mells Park, T.
Homer, Esq. ; Mellyfont Abbey, Sir James William Weston Wolfe,
Bnrt. ; Mellyfont Abbey, Rev. W. Phelps ; Meyners, Lord King ;
Midford Castle, Charles Conolly, Esq.; Montacute House, John
Phillips, Esq. ; Mount Pleasant, Gordon Gray, Esq. ; Nettlecomb,
near Taunton, Sir John Trevelyan, Bart. ; North Cad bury, — New
man, Esq.; Northover, H. Chichester, Esq.; Nunney Castle, Thomas
Theobald, Esq. ; Orchardley, Sir Thomas Champneys, Bart. ; Orch-
ardley House, T. S. Champneys, Esq. ; Orchard Wyndham, H. Tripp,
Esq. ; Orchard Wyndham, near Watchet, Earl of Egremont ; Parrett,
near Crookhorn, Mrs. Hoskins ; Pennard, East, Park, G. M. B.
Napier, Esq.; Pitcomb, Rev. Mr. Dalton; Pixton, Earl of Carnarvon;
Plash House, R. J. S. Escott, Esq. ; Pyrland, Sir Wm. Walter Yea,
Bart. ; Queen's Camel, Sir H. P. St. John Mildmay, Bart. ; Redlynch
Park, Earl of Ilchester ; Redlynch Park, N. Webb, Esq. ; Sandhill
Park, Sir T. B. Lethbridge, Bart. ; Shanks House, Bayford, Nath.
Dalton, Esq. ; Shapwick House, Rev. Elias Taylor; Sharpham Park,
Rev. C. H. Pulsford ; Shepton Mallet, Wm. Powis, Esq. ; Shocker-
wich, W. Wiltshire, Esq. ; Southhill, — Strode, Esq. ; Stock House,
Rev. H. F. Yatman; Stone Easton House, Sir John Cox Hippisley,
Bart. ; Stratton House, Chilcompton, C. G. Gray, Esq. ; Stroney Lane
House, Little Elm, J. Fussell, Esq. ; Sutton Court, Sir Henry Strachey,
Bart. ; Sutton Court, Oulddown, Edward Strachey, Esq. ; Thornhill
House, J. M. Cree, Esq.; Upton, Lord Wellesley; Venn House,
Milborne Port, Sir Wm. Coles Medlycott, Bart. ; Walford House,
Arthur Chichester, Esq. ; Warley, near Bath, Henry Skrine, Esq. ;
Wellington Court, Mrs. Culm ; Wells, Bishop of Gloucester ; Welton
Palace, Bishop of Bath and Wells; Wilsham, Lord Somerville; Wilton
Batts, J. Snork, Esq. ; Woodbarrow House, — Purnell, Esq. ; Wool-
ston House, Rev. A. Askew ; Wootton, near Glastonbury, Sir Alex-
ander Hood, Bart. ; Yarlington Lodge, J. Rogers, Esq.
Produce. — Stone, iron, salt, manganese, bole and red ochre. Cattle,
corn, oxen, fruits, copper, lead, marl, coal, hemp, crystal, coral, sea
liverwort, lapis calaminaris. Fuller's earth, alabaster, sea-weed for
glassmakers, and woad.
Manufactures. — Woollen cloths, hats, gloves, serges, druggets,
sagathies, duroys, stockings, Spanish medley-cloths, dowlas, ticking,
kerseys, baize, bone lace, knitting of hose, pottery, Cheddar cheese.
[1823, Part /.,//. 493-496.]
HISTORY.
A.D. 493, a large body of Saxons, under the command of Ella and
his three sons, encamped on Lansdown, and laid siege to Bath.
King Arthur being apprised of these operations, hastened after Ella,
attacked and defeated him in a bloodv battle.
History. 1 79
A.D. 520, King Arthur again defeated an army of the Saxons com-
manded by three Saxon lieutenants, and preserved Bath again from
their fury.
A.D. 577, the Saxon leaders, Caewlin and Cuthwin, the former of
whom was King of Wessex, led their arms towards the north-east
part of this county, and advanced to Deorham, a village in Gloucester-
shire, about eight miles from Bath, and encountered the three British
Kings, Commail, Candidan, and Farinmail, who had united their
forces to defend the yet unsubdued part of Britain. After a bloody
engagement the Saxons prevailed, and Bath, together with Gloucester
and Cirencester, was added to their conquests.
A.D. 658, a conflict happened at Pen between the Danes and
Saxons.
A.D. 722, Taunton Castle destroyed by Ethelburga, Queen of
King Ina.
A.D. 733, Ethelbald took Somerton.
A.D. 775, Bath seized by Offa, King of Mercia.
A.D. 788, Glastonbury desolated by the Danes, but rebuilt by
King Edmund.
A.D. 845, a memorable battle was fought at Stoke Courcy between
the Saxons and an army of Danish marauders, in which the latter
were defeated ; and Elstan, Bishop of Shirburn, routed a straggling
army of the Danes at Evelmouth.
A.D. 873, Glastonbury entirely demolished by the Danes.
A.D. 877, Somerton laid waste and plundered by the Danes, but
was rebuilt.
A.D. 879, Alfred the Great erected his standard at Kilmington
against Danish invaders, on the spot where there is now a stately
tower, erected to commemorate that event.
A.D. 886, Watcher,, then called We-ced-poort, suffered greatly from
the Danes.
A.D. 918, the Danes, under the command of the Earls of Ohton
and Rhoad, landed at Porlock, but being soon discovered, were
attacked with great bravery by the inhabitants ; so that the greater
part were killed, while the remainder were compelled to re-embark.
A party of the Danes likewise landed at Watcher, but met with the
same reception as at Porlock.
A.D. 955, King Edred died at Frome on St. Clement's Mass-day,
and lies buried in the old minster.
A.D. 973, Edgar hallowed King of England with great pomp at
Bath.
A.D. 987, the Danes ruined and plundered Watchet.
A.D. 997, the Danes again burnt Watchet, and killed all the
inhabitants.
A.D. 1001, a conflict happened at Pen between the Danes and
Saxons.
12 — 2
1 80 Somerseshire.
A.D. 1016, a battle was fought at Pen between the Danes and
King Edmund.
A.D. 1018, when the English Lords had formed a wicked design
to cut off William Rufus to make his brother Robert, Duke of Nor-
mandy, King, Robert Mowbray, a great warrior, after burning Bath,
vigorously assaulted Ilchester, but without success.
A.D. 1052, King Harold landed at Porlock about midsummer
from Ireland after his banishment, when he effected his return.
A.D. 1107, Henry I. paid a visit to Bath in the Easter of this year.
A.D. 1 1 22, a great earthquake over all the county on the eighth
night before the calends of May.
A.D. 1184, a great fire consumed the abbey and town of Glaston-
bury.
A.D. 1260, Bridgewater seized upon by the Barons.
A.D. 1271, a great earthquake happened which destroyed numerous
edifices.
A.D. 1449, Yeovil suffered considerably by a fire, which consumed
117 houses.
A.D. 1607, the county was overflown almost twenty miles in
length, and four in breadth, by an irruption of the Severn Sea, and
yet but eighty persons drowned.
A.D. 1642, a skirmish took place at Martial's Elm which made
much noise.
A.D. 1643, July 5, a great battle was fought at Lansdown between
the Royalist forces and the Parliamentarians, at which Sir B. Granville,
who headed the Royalists, fell.
A.D. 1644, Lieutenant F. Doddington and Sir W. Courtney, of
the Royalist party, engaged in a long narrow lane five miles from
Bridgewater Lieutenant General Middleton, of the Parliamentarians,
in which engagement the Parliamentarians lost 220 men — 80 killed
and 140 taken prisoners. In October the loyal inhabitants of this
county presented a petition to the King, asking liberty to arm them-
selves in his cause, which was granted them. A battle was fought at
Aller between the Royalists and Parliamentary forces, commonly
called the battle of Aller Moor.
A.D. 1644-45, Colonel Blake, of the Parliamentarians, offered
Captain Byham, of the Royalists, ^1,000 to betray the town of
Bridgewater into their hands, to which he seemingly agreed ; accord-
ingly, Colonel Blake assembled his troops, amounting to TOO horse
and foot, near the bridge ; but when near enough, Captain Byham
fired a piece of ordnance charged with case shot, by which fifty
of the Parliamentarians were killed. At Wiveliscombe (February 9)
Colonel Lutterell, the mock sheriff of Devonshire, with twenty more,
were shot dead by the Royalists. The same day Colonel Lutterell's
major came with the rest of that regiment from Taunton to beat up
Sir Francis Mackworth's quarters at Langport, but Sir Francis re-
History. \ 8 1
reived them so gallanily that very few of them escaped. The major
(Major Stephens), two captains, and all the chief officers were taken
prisoners and conveyed to Bristol ; by this means the regiment was
entirrly destroyed.
A.D. 1645, the Parliamentarians from Taunton having fixed their
quarters at VViveliscombe, came thence (March 20, 1644-45) to Sir
Hugh Windham's house at Saundle, where they intended to surprise
Colonel Francis Windham, Governor of Dunster Castle, but failing
in their plan, they pillaged the house, not even respecting the gentle-
women, whose clothes they tore off their backs. Sir Hugh escaped
at a back door, and sent word to Colonel Windham at Dunster
Castle, who, with what horse was ready (only thirty), instantly
marched after and overtook them in a field near Nettlecombe, full
250 horse strong, and defeated them, taking five prisoners, fourteen
horses, besides ammunition. At Langport (July 12) the King's
forces under Lord Goring defeated by the Parliamentarians. Nunny
Castle burnt down by the Parliamentarians.
A.D. 1645-46, the siege of Dunster Castle was raised. The Parlia-
mentarians, who were the besiegers, sent the following message to the
Governor, in the hopes of inducing the Royalists to deliver up the
Castle : " If you will yet deliver up the Castle, you shall have fair
quarter ; if not, expect no mercy, your Mother shall be in the front
to receive the first fury of your cannon : we expect your answer."
The Governor returned the following answer, which is worthy of a
Briton : ** If you doe what you threaten, you doe the most barbarous
and villainous act [that] was ever done ; my Mother I honour ; but
the cause I fight for, and the masters I serve, God and the King, I
honour more ; Mother, doe you forgive me, and give me your blessing,
and lett the rebells answer for spilling that blood of yours, which I
would save with the losse of mine owne, if I had enough for both
my master and your selfe." The mother replies : " Sonne, I forgive
thee, and pray God to blesse thee for this brave resolution. If I live
I shall love thee the better for it— God's will be done." Upon a
sudden came Lord Wentworth, Sir Richard Greenvil, and Colonel
Webbe, rescued the mother, relieved the castle, took 1,000 prisoners,
killed many upon the place, and put the rest to flight.
A.D. 1685 (July 4, 5), the King's forces encamped at Sedgmoor.
On the following night they were attacked by those of the Duke
of Monmouth, who displayed great spirit and unanimity, considering
their want of discipline. The horses of the Duke's tavalry being
unaccustomed to the din of arms and warlike drums, could not be
made to come up to the support of his infantry, in consequence of
which he lost the day. A dreadful carnage ensued, which can
be equalled by none but such inhuman monsters as Jeffreys and
Kirke.
A.D. 1688, the Prince of Orange, shortly after his landing at
1 8 2 Some rsetsh ire.
Torbay, attacked a party of the King's guards at Wincaunton, and
put them to the sword.
EMINENT NATIVES.
Adamus de Marisco, a great writer and Bishop of Ely, ftor. about
1257, Brent Marsh.
Allein, Richard, Nonconformist divine and author, Ditchet, 1611.
Amory, Thomas, Dissenting minister, Taunton, 1700.
Bacon, Roger (Friar Bacon), astronomer, chemist, and philosopher,
near Ilchester, 1214.
Baker, Thomas, mathematician, Ilton, about 1625.
Batman, or Bateman, Rev. Stephen, pott, Bruton (flourished in the
sixteenth century).
Beckington, T., Bishop of Bath and Wells, a good statesman, "a
good churchman, a good townsman, a good kinsman, a good master,
and a good man" (Fuller), Beckington (died 1464-65).
Bennet, Christopher, eminent physician, Raynton, 1617.
Berkley, Alexander de, learned writer of the sixteenth century,
Berkley.
Biss, Philip, learned writer (died about 1614).
Blake, Robert, celebrated admiral and Parliamentarian, Bridge-
water, 1599.
Bond, Sir George, Lord Mayor of London, Trull, 1588.
Bond, John, grammarian and commentator, 1550.
Boys, or Bois, John, translator of the Bible, Nettlestead, 1560.
Brocklesbury, Richard, eminent physician, Minehead, 1722.
Brooke, Sir David, Chief Baron of the Exchequer, Glastonbury.
Browne, Simon, learned dissenting minister, Shepton Mallet, about
1680.
Brydal, John, lawyer and antiquary, about 1683.
Buckland, Ralph, Popish divine of some note, West Harptre, about
1564.
Bull, George, Bishop of St. David's, Wells, 1634.
Bull, Dr. John, celebrated musician, about 1565.
Butler, John, benefactor, Martock.
Byam, Henry, D.D., loyalist and learned preacher, Dunster, 1580.
Castleman, Richard, benefactor to his native town of Bridgewater.
Champneis, Sir John, Lord Mayor of London in 1534, Chew.
Charleton, Walter, physician and voluminous writer, Shepton
Mallet, 1619.
Chetwynd, John, Prebendary of Bristol, Banwell, 1623.
Collington, John, Jesuitical priest (living 1611).
Coriat, Thomas, fool to Prince Henry, Odcombe (died 1616).
Coventry, Sir John, the person who occasioned the Coventry Act.
Courcy, John, Baron of Stoke Courcy (died 1210).
Cudworth, Ralph, divine and philosopher, Aller, 1617.
Cuff, Henry, unfortunate wit and scholar, Hinton St. George, 1560.
Eminent Natives. 183
Dampier, William, celebrated circumnavigator, East Coker, 1652,
Daniel, Samuel, dramatic writer, historian, and eminent musician,
Taunton, 1562.
Dunstan, St., Archbishop of Canterbury, Glastonbury, 925.
Dyer, Sir James, Chief Justice of Common Pleas, Roundhiil, 1512.
Edwards, Richard, dramatic writer, 1523.
Elphage, St., Archbishop of Canterbury, Weston (martyred ion).
Essebie, Alexander of, ancient English poet, flor. 1220.
Every, Sir Simon, celebrated loyalist, Chard.
Fen, John, Romish exile, writer, Montacute (died 1613).
Fielding, Henry, celebrated novel writer, Sharpham Park, 1707.
Fitz-James, Sir John, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, Redlinch
(died 30 Henry VIII.).
Fitz-James, Richard, LL.D., Bishop of London, and an excellent
scholar (died 1512).
Forde, Roger, Abbot of Glastonbury in 1235, Glastonbury (died
1261).
Frome, Nicholas de, fifty-fifth Abbot of Glastonbury, Frome (died
Fulwell, Ulpian, dramatic writer, 1556.
Gardiner, John, D.D., eminent divine, Wellington, 1757.
Gibbon, John, Romish exile writer (died 1589).
Gilbert, William, Prior of Brewton in 1498, Brewton.
Gildas the Wise, a learned writer, Bath (died 570).
Godwin, Dr. Thomas, learned writer, and an excellent school-
master, 1586.
Good, William, author of " Ecclesise Anglicanae Trophae," Glaston-
bury (died 1587).
Gournay, Sir Mathew, valiant soldier, temp. Edward III., Stoke-
under-Hamden (died 1406).
Gray, Robert, benefactor, Taunton (died 1635).
Grove, Henry, dissenting divine, Taunton, 1683.
Hales, John, divine and critic, distinguished by the appellation of
"The Ever Memorable," Bath, 1584.
Harrington, Dr. Henry, musical poet and physician, Kelston, 1727.
Harrington, Sir John, witty knight and poet, Kelston.
Hellier, Henry, learned divine, Dundry (flor. in 1687).
Hody, Humphrey, eminent divine, Odcombe, 1659.
Hood, Lord Viscount, Admiral of the Red, 1724.
Hooper, John, a linguist, Bishop of Gloucester, and martyr, 1495.
Hopton, Arthur, mathematician (died 1614).
Inge, Hugh, Archbishop of Dublin (died 1528).
Jeanes, Henry, presbyterian divine, Albersay, 1611.
Jennings, James, poetical writer, Huntspill, 1772.
Joceline, of Wells, Bishop of Wells, and builder of the Cathedral,
Wells, 1242.
1 84 Somersetshire.
Latch, John, lawyer (died 1655).
Locke, John, the immortal philosopher, Pensford, 1632.
Lockyer, Nicholas, nonconformist, 1612.
Lovel, Christopher, said to have been cured cf the evil by applica-
tion to the Pretender, Wells.
Malmsbury, William of, celebrated historian (died 1143).
Matthew, Tobias, Archbishop of York, 1546.
Miles, Richard, benefactor, Ashcot.
Mohun, Lady, wife of John, first Lord Mohun (died in the reign
of Henry V.).
Musgrave, Dr. William, physician and antiquary, Charlton Mus-
grave, 1657.
Parsons, Robert, celebrated Jesuit, Nether Stowey, 1546.
Plantagenet, Margaret, niece of Edward IV., Farley Castle (be-
headed 1541).
Popham, Sir John, Chief Justice of England, Huntworth, 1531.
Portman, Sir John, Chief Justice of King's Bench, Portman
Orchard.
Poulett, Sir Amias, privy counsellor to Queen Elizabeth, and
keeper of Mary Queen of Scots, Hinton St. George (died 15 — ).
Preston, Sir Amias, naval hero, Cricket, near Crewkerne.
Prynne, William, distinguished lawyer, Swannick, 1600.
Robins, Benjamin, mathematician, Bath, 1707.
Rodney, Lord, celebrated admiral, about 1718.
Rosewell, Thomas, presbyterian divine, 1630.
Rowe, Elizabeth, poetess and accomplished lady, Ilchester,
1674.
Samford, Fulke of, Archbishop of Dublin, Samford (died 1271).
Samford, John of, brother of above, and Archbishop of Dublin at
his brother's death (died 1294).
Samwaies, Richard, learned divine and loyalist, Ilminster (died
1669).
Sandford, John, eminent divine and author, Chard, sixteenth
century.
Sheldon, G., Archbishop of Canterbury, Stanton Prior, 1598.
Shute, Henry, divine and benefactor, Kilmersdon.
Sidenham, Humphrey, commonly called " Silver-tongued Siden-
ham," for his eloquent preaching, Dulverton (died 1650).
Slater, William, learned divine and poet, 1587.
Somerset, Maurice, Cistercian monk, flor. 1193, Ilchester.
Stoneaston, John, last prior of Keynsham, Stone Easton.
Tantone, Geffery de, a monk of Winchester, 1170, Taunton,
Tantone, Gilbert de, Prior of Winchester, 1249.
Tantone, Walter de, almoner of Glastonburj Abbey, 1274.
Tantone, William de, abbot of Glastonbury, 1322.
Venner, Tobias, physician, Petherton, 1577.
Miscellaneous Remarks.
Wadham, Nicholas, founder of Wadhaui College, Oxford (died
1609).
Walter, Sir Edward, historian and herald (died 1676).
Webb, Francis, poet, Taunton, 1735.
Wicke, John, pious divine and friend of Dr. Lardner, Taunton,
1718.
Witham, John de, Prior of Charterhouse, Witham, in 1539 (W.
Witham).
Winter, Rev. Christopher, chaplain to East India Company, Stoke-
under-Ham, 1789).
Wulfric, St., prophet and hermit, Compton (died 1154).
Young, Mr., benefactor, Trent.
[1823, Part I. , pp. 583-588.]
MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS.
On the north wall of the body of Ashill Church, under elliptic
arches, are the crumbling remains of two very ancient tombs. One
of them was designed to perpetuate the memory of a woman, who,
according to a foolish tradition, had seven children at one birth.
Round the mother are displayed the effigies of the seven children.
The father of the learned Ralph Cudworth was Rector of Aller, at
which place our philosopher was born. Jn the parish church lies the
effigies in armour of Sir Reginald de Botreaux, Knt., who died in
1420. In this parish the sacrament of baptism was administered to
the whole Danish army when they embraced Christianity; King
Alfred, who stood sponsor for the Danish Chief, gave him the name
of Athelstan, and adopted him as his son.
Thomas Gordon, the celebrated translator of Tacitus, lived awhile
at the court-house of Abbots Leigh, in the capacity of amanuensis
to Mr. Trenchard, in conjunction with whom he published his
" Cato."
Under the foundation of the Abbey House at Bath, taken down
in 1775, was found the remains of very august Roman sudatories,
constructed upon their elegant plans, with floors suspended upon
square brick pillars. In 1727 a head of Apollo and a hypocaust
were discovered. The Cross Bath received its appellation from a
cross erected in its centre by the Earl of Melfort in the time of
James II., which is now removed. In the Free School were educated,
amongst many other celebrated characters, Sir Sidney Smith, the
Hero of St. John d'Acre ; the Rev. Daniel Lysons, M.A., Rector of
Rodmarton ; and the late Samuel Lysons, Esq., Keeper of his
Majesty's Records in the Tower.
At Bathford, in digging a cellar, was discovered in the seventeeth
century a Roman pavement, and likewise a hypocaust, and two
Roman altars.
1 8 6 Somersetsh ire.
The sides of the Cheddar Rocks in many places are 130 yards
high, and there is a subterranean passage to VVookey Hole, six miles
distant, through which flows a stream of water.
On the south wall in the chancel of Bathwick Church is a plain
black stone, with this inscription :
" Here lies the body of Mr. John Mackinnon, of the Isle of Skye, an honest
man. N.B. — This Mackinnon was with the Pretender in the battle of Culloden,
and the very man who carried him off. After his escape, by wandering about and
lying in woods and bogs, he lost the use of all his limbs ; and some years after
came to Bath for the benefit of the waters, and dyed there."
The brave and successful Admiral Blake was educated at the Free
Grammar School at Bridgewater.
In South Brent Church are some old benches exhibiting a variety
of curious grotesque carvings. One is a fox hanged by geese, with
two young ones yelping at the bottom. The second a monkey at
prayers, having below another of his own species, holding a halberd,
and an owl perched on a branch over his head. A third represents
a fox, habited as a canon, with a crosier in his hand, and a mitre on
his head ; above appears the figure of a young fox chained, with a
bag of money in his right paw. He is surrounded by geese, cranes
and other fowls, chattering at him. Below is another young fox,
turning a boar on a spit, and on the right a monkey, with a pair of
bellows, puffing the fire.
In the churchyard of Brimpton D'Evercy are several stone effigies,
which formerly lay in the church. One of them represents a Knight
Templar, cross-legged ; another a nun ; a third a monk in his cope
with his crown shaved, and holding a chalice in his hand.
At Brislington is an old tombstone, whereon is this inscription :
" 1542. Thomas Newman, aged 153. This stone was new faced in the year
I77!» to perpetuate the great age of the deceased."
Collinson says : " The original numerals on this tomb were simply 53,
but some arch wag, by prefixing the figure i, made the person here
interred one year older than the celebrated Thomas Parr, who died
in 1625 at the age of 152.
At the Free Grammar School of Bruton was educated Hugh Saxey,
Auditor to Queen Elizabeth and King James I.
At Burton Pinsent, the seat of the Earl of Chatham, is a fine old
painting of our Saviour when taken down from the cross.
In North Cadbury Church is a curious epitaph to the memory of
Lady Magdalen Hastings. This epitaph, which is on brass, has,
besides the necessary memoranda in prose, no fewer than ninety-six
lines of poetry, divided into stanzas of six lines each. This elaborate
effusion informs us that the lady was a very good virgin :
"When choice of friends brought her to marriage bed,"
much against her will, as her
" Youth were tyde to age fare spent."
Miscellaneous Remarks. 187
Her first lord dying,
*' Her ears she stopt from all disswader's voice,"
and took to herself a husband more congenial to her taste than the
first, though it should seem
"Of meaner state than herself."
With this husband she lived twenty-nine years, and devoted herself
to works of piety and benevolence. The epitaph then goes on to
state her last sickness, and how that she employed three preachers,
who " by turns " assisted her in her devotions till she died, on
June 14, 1596. Leland, speaking of the castle, bursts out in the
following strain of rapture, seldom allowed to the feelings of an
antiquary : " Good God ! what vast ditches ! what high ramparts !
what precipices are here ! In short, it really appears to me to be a
wonder of nature and art !"
In Camerton Church are several monuments to the memory of the
Carew family, with the effigies of Sir John Carew and his lady, etc.
The churchyard is one of the prettiest in the kingdom, rendered so
by the proprietor of the neighbouring mansion. The tombs are
almost hid by laurels, arborvitses and roses; the walls are mantled
over with ivy and pyracanthas.
Charterhouse Witham Priory was the first house of the order of
Carthusians founded in this kingdom.
Richard Nikke, LL.D., Bishop of Norwich, was Rector of
Chedzoy in 1489 ; Walter Raleigh, S.T.P., in 1620, murdered by the
rebels in 1646, and the learned Anthony Pascal, were also rectors of
this parish.
Chew gave birth to Sir John Champneis, Lord Mayor of London,
who stands recorded for being the first person who ever built a turret
to a private house in London.
In Chew Magna Church lie the effigies of Sir John St. Loe and
his lady. He is of a gigantic size, being 7 feet 4 inches long, and
2 feet 4 inches across the shoulders, etc. In the south aisle are the
effigies of Sir John de Hautvil in armour, cut out of one solid piece
of Irish oak.
In Chewton Mendip Church is an old tombstone 8 feet long and
3j high, whereon are the effigies of William Lord Bonville in armour,
and Elizabeth his wife.
Claverton deserves celebrity from the living having been the rectory
of the late excellent and ingenious Richard Greaves, M.A.
Coombe Down is the place where the greatest quantity of free-
stone comes from ; the land is undermined for miles, and persons are
allowed to go down to see the works, but that is very unpleasant on
account of the damp and continual dripping from the top.
In Crowcombe Church lie several of the ancient house of Carew,
descended from Nesta, daughter of Rees, Prince of South Wales.
1 88 Somersetshire.
At Dishcove, a romantic hamlet in the parish of Bruton, in 1711,
were found the remains of a Roman tessellated pavement.
At Ditcheat was born, in 1765, a stout boy without arms or
shoulders. He was named William, and in 1791 was living without
the usual appendages of arms, but possessing all the strength, power
and dexterity of the ablest man, and exercising every function of life;
he fed, dressed, undressed, combed his hair, shaved his beard with the
razor in his toes, cleaned his shoes, lighted his fire, wrote out his
own bills and accounts, and did almost every other domestic busi-
ness ; being a farmer by occupation, he performed the usual business
of the field, foddered his cattle, made his ricks, cut his hay, caught
his horse, and saddled and bridled him with his feet and toes ! etc.
(Collinson).
Dundon and Dunkerry Mountains appear to have been used as
beacons to alarm the country in cases of invasion, etc., several fire
hearths being observable at them.
Enmore Castle forms a quadrangle 86 feet long by 78 broad, and
is surrounded by a dry ditch 16 feet deep and 40 wide. It is in the
Antico-modern style, and was built by John, Earl of Egmont, who
designed and planned the whole with his own hand. The drawbridge
is curious : it is 13 feet long and 10 broad, weighs 4,900 pounds, and
is manageable by one man, who can raise or lower it at pleasure.
Farley Chapel contains some very rare curiosities. Under its arch
stands an old table tomb, highly sculptured on the sides and ends
with coats of arms, knights, and a woman, in niches ; the full-sized
representations of a knight and his lady are recumbent upon the top,
the former cased in armour, with a lion at his feet, the latter in the
dress- of the times ; the effigies of Sir Thomas Hungerford, who died
December 3, 1508, and Johanna his wife, who followed him in 1512
Adjoining to the east end of Frome Church is a burial-place where
lies the body of Bishop Kennet, who died in 1711. The noted
author of the work on Witchcraft, Mr. Joseph Glanville, was some
time Vicar of the New Church.
At Glastonbury, according to a ridiculous story related in the
"Golden Legend," printed by Caxton in 1493, St. Dunstan took the
devil by the nose with a pair of red-hot tongs. The abbot lived in
all the state of regal splendour, with an income of ,£40,000 per
annum; he had the title of Lord, and sat among the barons in
Parliament. The last abbot, refusing to surrender his abbey to
Henry VIIL, was with two monks drawn on a hurdle to the Torr
near the town, and there hanged ; the head of the abbot was set on
the gate of the abbey, and his quarters were sent to Bath, Wells,
Bridgewater, and Ilchester. In the abbey churchyard stood a
miraculous walnut-tree, which never budded till the feast of St.
Barnabas (June n), and on that day shot forth leaves, and flourished
in the usual manner; in its stead now stands a fine walnut-tree of
Miscellaneous Remarks. 189
the common sort. The George inn was anciently a hospital for
the accommodation of pilgrims resorting to the shrine of St. Joseph.
The front is curiously ornamented with carved work, and was
formerly decorated with twelve figures, said to be the Caesars, two of
which, with the mutilated figure of Charity, are still to be seen. The
virtue of the mineral spring near the Chain Gate was found out in
April, 1751, by a man afflicted with an asthma, who dreamed that he
saw near the Chain Gate, in the horse-track, the clearest of water,
and that a person told him if he drank a glass of water fasting seven
Sunday mornings, he should be cured, which proving true, and being
attested upon oath, in the following month upwards of 10,000 came
from Bath, Bristol, etc., to receive its benefits. South-west of the
town is Wearyall Hill, so called from a tradition that St. Joseph and
his companions, weary with their journey, sat down here, and that
St. Joseph stuck his staff, a hawthorn stick, in the earth ; it struck
root, and constantly budded on Christmas Day. This famous thorn
had two trunks, one of which was destroyed in the reign of Elizabeth,
and in the great rebellion the other was cut down ; but there are still
trees originally obtained from the old stock. Near the town are
found several petrifactions resembling snakes, eels, oysters, shells, etc.
In Goathurst Church is a very handsome white marble monument
in the shape of an altar, and terminated by a statue in a canonical
habit. It was erected in 1742 by Sir C. K. Tynte, in honour of his
brother the Rev. Sir J. Tynte, Bart , who died Rector of this church.
In the churchyard is an old tomb, having upon it a square pillar of
peculiar appearance, ornamented with emblematical carvings, and
surrounded by a flaming urn.
Halsewell House, the seat of Mr. Tynte, contains many excellent
paintings of Vandyke, Lely, and others.
At Hinton Charterhouse, the seat of Sam. J. Day, Esq., are many
excellent pictures, particularly two three-quarter lengths of Henry
VIII. and Edward VI. by Holbein; Mary Queen of Scots, in a
richly-worked dress, by Zuchero ; the Lord Keeper Guildford, and
Lord Strafford and his Secretary, by Vandyke ; Archbishop Robin-
son, by Sir Joshua Reynolds ; and Chas. Jas. Fox, by Abbot ; beside
some good family pictures by Woodford and others.
The celebrated Richard Brinsley Sheridan was returned a Member
for Ilchester in the year 1807.
In Ilminster Church is a monument erected in the beginning of
the seventeenth century to the memory of Nicholas Wadham and
Dorothy, his wife, the founders of Wadham College, Oxford.
On the tower at Kilmington, erected by Henry Hoare, Esq., is
the following inscription :
"Alfred the Great, A.D. 879, on this summit erected his standard against
Danish invaders. To him we owe the origin of Juries, and the creation of a naval
force. Alfred, the light of the benighted age, was a Philosopher and a Christian ;
the father of his people, and the founder of the English monarchy and liberties."
i go Somersetshire.
At King's Weston was buried a person of the name of Newman,
aged 132. In the chancel of the church is deposited a chair
belonging to Glastonbury Abbey. It is of oak, the back divided
into two compartments, embellished with Gothic carvings in relief ;
on one side a shield bearing a crosier, with the initials R. W.
[Richard Whiting, last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey], and on the
other side a shield charged with a cross botone between two leopards'
heads in chief, and in base two cinquefoils. This chair was pur-
chased by the late Mr. Dickinson of Mr. More, of Greinton, and
deposited here as a relic of monastic antiquity.
On Lansdown Downs the Bath races are held. Here is likewise a
monument erected to commemorate the battle in 1645, when Sir
Beville Granville fell ; it was erected in 1720 by Lord George Lans-
down, grandson of Sir B. Granville, and is inscribed : "To the memory
of his renowned and valiant Cornish friends who conquered dying in
the Royal cause."
The parish of Lymington was the rectory of the famous Cardinal
Wolsey. There is an anecdote of him that soon after his preferment
to this living he was put into the stocks by Sir Amias Pawlet, a
neighbouring justice of the peace, for getting drunk and making a
riot at a fair — a kind of discipline which Wolsey did not forget when
he arrived at the high station of Lord Chancellor of England ; he
summoned his corrector up to London, and after a severe reprimand,
enjoined him six years' close confinement in the Temple.
Martock Church formerly contained some excellent paintings on
glass. It has a superb altarpiece. In the centre of the town stands
the market-place, and near it a handsome fluted column with a dial,
being a model of the celebrated pillar of Trajan at Wilton House, the
seat of the Earl of Pembroke.
Mendip Hills were anciently called " Moinedrop," having many knots
upon them of steep ascent. On the highest part is a considerable flat
containing some swamps, which often prove dangerous to travellers.
They are now covered for a vast extent with heath and fern, and large
flocks of sheep are kept upon them.
In Middlezoy Church is a brass to the memory of " Louis Chevalier
de Misiers, a French gentleman, who behaved himself with great
courage and gallantry 18 years in the English service, and was unfortu-
nately slaine on the 6th of July, 1685, at the battle of Weston, where he
behaved himself with all the courage imaginable against the King's
enemies commanded by the rebel Duke of Munmuth."
Minehead is reckoned the safest harbour in the county ; for in the
great storm of 1703, when the ships were blown on shore, wrecked
and lost in every other harbour in the county, they suffered little or no
damage in this.
In Nunney Church are the tombs of the De la Mere family,
adorned with escutcheons on the side and end.
Miscellaneous Remarks. 191
In Paulton Church lie the mutilated effigies of Sir John
Palton, Knt., who was engaged in the wars of Edward III.
South Petherton Church was the vicarage of Dr. James Harcourt, a
great benefactor.
Prior Park, a magnificent mansion (which, together with the wings,
offices, etc., forms a front of above 1,000 feet), was formerly the
residence of Ralph Allen, Esq., who kept open house for men of
known genius, and was particularly fond of Pope. He was also the
Allworthy of Fielding's " Tom Jones." It was afterwards possessed
by Bishop Warburton, in consequence of his marriage with Mr.
Allen's niece, and after several changes it got into Chancery, became
the seat of Lord Hawarden, and is now possessed by Mr. John
Thomas.
The mineral spring at Queen's Camel is very cold to the touch and
offensive to the smell, being not much unlike burnt gunpowder mixed
with water.
At the irruption of the Severn in 1607 it was observed that
creatures of contrary natures— dogs, hares, foxes, conies, cats and
mice — getting up to the tops of some hills, dispensed at that time with
their antipathies, remaining peaceably together, without sign of fear
or violence one towards another (Fuller).
Somerton was formerly a considerable town, and gave name to the
county. In the castle King John of France was kept prisoner, after
his removal from Hertford.
In the south aisle of Stoke Courcy Church is a large handsome
mural monument of various kinds of marble, to the memory of Sir T.
Wroth, Bart., of Petherton Park, M.P. for Bridgewater, Wells and
the county. He maintained the ancient spirit of English hospitality,
and .died 1721.
In Stoke Gifford Church are several monuments of the family of
the " right worthy" Rodneys.
In Suckham Church was buried the learned divine and loyalist,
Dr. Byam, who raised both men and horse for Charles II., and
engaged his five sons (four of whom were captains) in the service of
his Majesty.
In St. Magdalen Church, Taunton, is a handsome monument
erected to a benefactor of this town, Robert Gray, Esq., whose
effigy thereon represents him in his sheriff's robes.
In Trent Church is a very curious arch, the bend of which is painted
over with laurel branches and leaves, among which are forty armorial
shields, representing the alliances of the families of Coker and
Gerard.
At Warley, the seat of Mr. Skrine, was found the capital of a
Roman pillar of very curious workmanship.
At Wedmore, in 1670, were found, in sinking a well at the depth
of 13 feet, the remains of one of the Cangick giants, a people
1 9 2 Somersetshire.
supposed to have formerly inhabited these parts. The top of the
skull was said to be an inch thick, and one of his teeth 3 inches
long above the roots, 3^ inches round, and after the root was broken
off weighed 3 \ ounces !
At Wdlow, in 1737, were found some tessellated pavements.
They were in a fallow field called the Hayes, near the village.
Wells Abbey is a spacious Gothic structure in the form of a cross,
being 380 feet long and 130 wide. The entire west front is a pile of
statues of most excellent carved stone work, and one of the principal
windows contains some beautiful paintings on glass. In this abbey is
a curious clock, the work of a monk of Glastonbury. It has an
astronomical dial, surmounted by a barrier of small figures on horse-
back, representing knights at tilts and tournaments, which, by a
movement of the machinery, are ludicrously hurried round in rapid
circumvolutions. The episcopal palace is reckoned the handsomest
in the kingdom, yet small ; and the moat gate of the palace still
remains. The pious Bishop Ken and. his lady were killed here in
their bed by the palace falling in during the great storm in 1703.
The name of this city is said to be taken from a remarkable spring
called St. Andrew's well, which rises near the palace, and, emitting a
copious stream, surrounds that structure, thence flowing through the
south-west part of the town. Near the site of the market cross stands
the public conduit (an engraving of which is in the Gentleman's
Magazine, 1813, pt. i., p. 624). In 1613 Anne, consort of King
James L, visited Wells.
The entrance to Wookey Hole is very narrow ; after a length of
15 feet it expands into a cavern resembling the body of a church, the
parts of which are very craggy and abound with pendent rocks, from
which there is a continual dripping of water, the bottom is extremely
rough and slippery, with irregular basins of water. From this cavern
there is a passage leading into another of similar dimensions and
appearance, from which another long and low passage leads to a
third vault covered with an arched roof; on one side of this is a
sandy bottom about 20 feet broad, and on the other side a stream of
water very clear and cold, about 10 feet wide and 2 or 3 deep. After
passing through the rock the stream descends 40 or 50 feet to a level
with the ground, driving a mill near the foot of the mountain and
forming the first source of the river Axe. Wookey was the vicarage
of that "great refiner of the English language," Alexander de
Berkley.
In Yatton Church are several ancient monuments, with effigies of
the persons interred beneath, one of which is intended to represent
Judge Newton and his lady, with the arms of Newton and Sherborne.
S. T.
Tour into the Lower Parts of Somersetshire. 193
Tour into the Lower Parts of Somersetshire.
[1791, Part I., pp. 229 231.]
I do not know when I have received greater pleasure than in a
tour made with a friend into the lower parts of Somersetshire, and
shall therefore present you with a few remarks on some particular
spots we have seen. We did not take the direct great road, but
crossed off at Keynsham, a little town seven miles from Bath, and
the great thoroughfare between that place and Bristol. Here was
formerly an abbey, granted by Edward VI. to one of the Brydges
family, on the site whereof a descendant of his erected a sumptuous
mansion, but now taken down. The Duchess of Chandos has large
property here. Travelling on about four miles, we reached Hound-
street, where is a magnificent house, built by Mrs. Popham, widow
of Edward P., Esq., of Littlecot, formerly M.P. for Wilts. The
apartments are handsome, and highly decorated, and the view from
the front windows takes in a large extent of country. About eight
miles further is Wrington, the birthplace of the great Mr. Locke, and
situate in a charming valley. The late rector was Dr. Waterland ;
the present is the Rev. Mr. Reeves, a gentleman who unites to
learning an agreeable refinement, is married to an amiable lady,
daughter of the late Dr. Wathen, and, with their father and mother,
live in the most pleasant state of rural happiness. Being fond of
music and performers themselves, little concerts are held at their
house, to which the neighbouring gentry are constantly invited.
Miss Hannah More, a lady well known for her elegant poems, has
furnished a cottage in the prettiest style near this place, to which she
has given the name of Cowslip Hall. Mendip now begins to rear its
lofty head, at the foot of which is Langford Court, the property of the
Rev. Mr. Whaley, then rented by General Gunning,* whose beautiful
daughter is in possession of those graces for which her aunts, the
late Duchess of Argyle and Lady Coventry, were so justly famed.
Ascending the heights, a delightful prospect opens to the view, the
Bristol Channel, with the mountains in Wales in the background ;
on the other, the rich vale of Taunton and Quantock Hills. Such a
scene riveted our thoughts for some time, till the lowering clouds
foretold a storm, and we had scarcely attained the famous cliffs of
Cheddar before the most furious tempest commenced which imagina-
tion can describe. We had no resource but sitting quietly on our
steeds, under the canopy of an immense rock, till the rain dispersed.
These cliffs in some degree resemble Matlock, are well worth
seeing, but inferior in point of altitude. In the village and environs
is made the famous cheese, so well known in the West of England,
* Mr. Bosanquet is the present occupier, who married the daughter of
Christopher Anstey, Esq.
VOL. XXII. 13
1 94 Somersetshire.
and of which great quantities are sent to London. It has a good
taste, but falls short of Stilton and the Double Gloucester.
Having recruited ourselves, we pushed on for Bridgewater, a large
town which has sustained several sieges. It was first garrisoned by
the Parliamentary army, but reduced by the King's forces, and after
that surrendered to Cromwell. The Duke of Monmouth came
hither in 1685, but was defeated, when a dreadful carnage ensued,
which can be equalled by none but those inhuman monsters Jeffreys
and Kirk.
Lord Egmont hath a seat, called En more Castle, about three
miles from Bridgewater. The drawbridge is curious: it is 13 feet
in length, and 10 in breadth, weighs 4,900 pounds, and is manage-
able by one man, who can raise or lower it at pleasure. Haleswell,
belonging to Lady Tynte, is likewise a handsome edifice, and is not
far from Enmore. It is situated on the brow of a hill, and finely
placed in the middle of an extensive park. The prospects from the
different grounds command the channel, which is ten miles over, the
flat and steep Holmes, and, beyond, the mountains of Glamorgan
and Brecknock, rising one above the other. . . .
Colonel Bampfylde's, at Hestercombe, is the next place worthy of
notice ; his house is an excellent one, and may be truly called the
seat of old English hospitality. This gentleman has to boast what
few men of fortune arrive at, a thorough knowledge of painting.
The house is chiefly furnished with his own performances. His
copy from Vandyke of King Charles on horseback is charmingly
executed. The drawing-room is elegantly furnished, and we re-
marked some birds in needlework of Mrs. B.'s very curious. Mr.
Bampfylde has shown as great taste without as within, for in his
gardens are displayed all that elegance for which a Brown hath been
so much and deservedly admired. One of the winding paths leads
to an hermitage, or witch-house, from the figure of an old hag
painted ; and Dr. Langhorne wrote the following lines on it :
" O'er Bampfylde's woods, by various Nature grac'd,
A witch presides, but then that witch is Taste."
Having quitted this elysium, we soon found ourselves in Taunton,
from whence it is about two miles, where we spent the remainder of
the day, and the next morning proceeded homeward, intending to
take Stourhead, Fonthill and Wardour, in our way. After traversing
a rich and fertile country, we arrived at Redlynch, a scat of the Earl
of Ilchester. . . . The grandfather of this nobleman was Sir Stephen
Fox, who followed the fortunes of Charles II., and was with him in
exile during his stay at Cologne and Paris. He was born at Farley,
near Salisbury, where he built a church and endowed an almshouse,
and was a considerable benefactor to his native county. He died at
a very advanced age.
About seven miles from Redlynch is Stourhead. After looking
Tour into the Lower Parts of Somersetshire. 195
over the house, which is more habitable than the generality of those
kind are, we mounted our horses, and soon gained the summit of
that hill on which is placed Alfred's Tower, 155 feet in height, and,
although we had feasted on the most delicious prospects, we could
not help thinking this surpassed them all. Over the door of the
building is written in large characters :
" In memory of ALFRED THE GREAT, who on this summit erected his standard
against Danish invaders. He instituted juries, established a militia, created and
exerted a naval force. A Philosopher and a Christian, the Father of his People,
the Founder of English Monarchy and Liberty."
We took a view of the church, where there is a monument to his
memory. . . .
Upon descending the hill, which is everywhere planted with laurel
and the sweetest shrubs, we arrived at the convent, and from thence
made a tour of the gardens, where, in a grotto near a gurgling rill,
is placed a square piece of marble, on which is inscribed this verse
from Pope :
" Nymph of the Grot, these sacred springs I keep,
And to the murmur of the waters sleep.
Ah, spare my slumbers, gently tread the cave,
Or drink in silence, or in silence lave."
Having gratified ourselves with a sight of the gardens, every part
of which was planted under the eye of the late Henry Hoare, Esq.,
we now rode gently on to Fonthill, the seat of Mr. Beckford.
Having refreshed ourselves at Hindon, a famous electioneering town,
we prepared for seeing the house, to which you arrive through a
spacious portico. This palace, for such it may be called, was built
by the late William Beckford, Esq., Alderman of London, on the
ruins of another equally splendid, but destroyed by fire in the year
1755. It is reported that when the news was brought to him of the
accident, he took out his pocket-book, and, being asked the reason,
answered coolly, he was reckoning how much it would cost him to
rebuild it. The house is in every respect grand, and Cassali has con-
tributed much to its embellishment by his numerous pictures. The
plantations around are well disposed, and the noble sheet of water
adds much to its grandeur.
About five miles from Fonthill is Wardour, the magnificent seat of
Lord Arundel. On arriving, we were struck with the beautiful
amphitheatre of woods which overhang the ancient castle \ it is now
a perfect ruin, and a fine object from the house. In this castle Lady
Arundel exerted great prowess against a formidable attack made by
Ludlow, one of the Parliamentary generals, during the Civil Wars ;
and, after holding out a fortnight, finding her provisions exhausted,
was obliged to capitulate. The present mansion was built by Mr. Paine,
and is a splendid structure. It abounds with capital pictures from
the first masters, collected by his lordship in Italy. There is one of
13—2
196 Somersetshire.
our Saviour taken down from the cross, painted by Joseph Ribera,
commonly called Spagnioletto, which is very fine. We now took our
leave, well pleased with everything we had seen in this agreeable and
pleasant excursion. JOHN ELDERTON.
Somersetshire Churches.
[1819, Part I., pp. 611, 612.]
In Warton's observations on the "Faerie Queene"of Spenser*
is a short dissertation on the ancient architecture of this kingdom, in
which the learned annotator states that most of the churches in
Somersetshire are built in the style which he calls Florid Gothic.
He assigns for the reason that Somersetshire, in the civil wars
between York and Lancaster, was strongly and entirely attached to
the Lancastrian party, and that in reward for this service Henry VII.,
when he came to the crown, rebuilt their churches. The facts men-
tioned by Warton are, I believe, correct. Edmund, Duke of Somer-
set, who espoused the cause of King Henry VI., and was his
greatest supporter, fell in the first battle at St. Albans, 1455. Henry,
the Duke's son, who succeeded him in the title, was taken prisoner
in the battle at Hexham, 1463, and afterwards beheaded by King
Edward IV. in cold blood. Edmund, the brother of Henry, and
the last of this family, was the chief commander at the battle of
Tewkesbury, and after .the defeat of his army, took sanctuary in the
abbey there, from which he was violently taken out, and arraigned
before the Duke of Gloucester, and immediately suffered upon a
scaffold erected in the Tower. As Margaret, Countess of Richmond,
the mother of King Henry VII., was the niece of Edmund, Duke of
Somerset, and as that family had suffered so much in support of the
Lancastrian cause, it was very natural for the King, on his accession
to the crown, to show his gratitude to the inhabitants of Somerset-
shire by rebuilding their churches. There are evident indications
that Warton was correct in his statement, though he cites no
authority. The roses are profusely scattered on the cornices and
fasciae of the towers and porches. In the very beautiful west front
of the church of Crewkerne there is a figure of the King holding a
scroll on the right or north side of the doorway, and a figure of the
Prior of Caen, who held the impropriate rectory in right of his con-
vent, on the left or south side. Between the figures are two magni-
ficent roses. These also are conspicuous in other parts of the church,
and, as there is a very striking resemblance in the style of building
of the greater part of the Somersetshire churches, I have no doubt
that they were erected at the same period. The tower of Beminster,
on the confines of Somerset, was certainly built in the reign of
Henry VIL, as in 1503 a legacy was given towards its building.
* Vol. ii., pp. 184-198.
Somersetshire Churches. 197
Besides, it exhibits the roses in great profusion in the hands or
fasciae which go round it. I shall feel myself obliged to any of your
correspondents who can point out any record, or other authority,
which authenticates the fact of the King's erection of these buildings.
J. B. R.
P.S. — I would observe, by way of postscript, that perhaps no
county in England possesses such fine stone quarries as the county of
Somerset, and they are found in various parts thereof, viz., in the
neighbourhood of Bath, at Doulting, near Shepton Mallett, which
supplied the greater part of the stone for Wells Cathedral and the
Monastery of Glastonbury ; and on Hambdon Hill, near Yeovil.
The latter stone is remarkable for its durability. The numerous
statues which adorn the west front of Wells Cathedral, the richest of
the kind in England, seem to be of the Bath stone ; but I am sorry
to observe that the frost has done more injury than the rude hand of
man.
[1864, Part L, p. 225.]
When first I began to notice the churches of Somersetshire I used
to fancy (as no doubt many persons do) that there was nothing in it
but long, low, Perpendicular churches with lofty western towers.
But on closer examination I found that the ordinary type of church
which preceded the present overwhelming type was a cross church
with central octagon. My list of such is very imperfect, but such as
it is I give it :
Doulting. — Early English ; cornice, battlements, and spire Perpen-
dicular.
Stoke St. Gregory. — Early Decorated, with an additional Perpen-
dicular belfry.
North Curry. — Late Decorated, a fine example.
South Petherton.
Barrington.
These two last I have not visited, and cannot therefore be certain
of their dates.
Bishop's Hull has an octagonal tower, if I remember rightly, of
Perpendicular work at the west end.
I should be thankful for any additions to this list. WM. GREY.
Mediaeval Houses near Clevedon.
[1861, Par//.,/)/. 489-497.]
Clevedon Court is a house of the time of Edward II. , or the
first half of the fourteenth century, much altered and added to, and
witji parts rebuilt, but of which the main walls remain, and the original
plan may still be traced. This may be said roughly to be the common
plan of the Roman capital letter H, the hall making the cross stroke,
198 Somerset sk ire.
but a very thick one ; at any rate, it forms the central division of the
house, with the rooms for the family at the upper end, and the offices
for the servants at the lower, according to the usual arrangement.
The entrance is through a porch, which possesses the two original
doorways with Decorated mouldings, and in the jambs of the outer
arch are the grooves for the portcullis ; over this porch is a small
room, in which was the windlass for raising and lowering the port-
cullis, and in the angle is a winding or newel staircase leading to this
room, and to the music-gallery over the screens or servants' passage.
At the further end of this passage, or at the back of the house, is
another porch, F, also with a portcullis grove, a room over it for the
windlass, and a newel staircase. Three doorway?, with Decorated
dripstone mouldings, open as usual from the screens to the buttery,
the pantry, and the central passage leading to the kitchen, v, hich must
always have been external in a detached building, and not part of the
house, and probably on the same site as the present one ; although it
has been rebuilt in the Elizabethan period, it is placed diagonally to
the main building, leaving a small triangular court, which effectually
prevented the smell of the cooking from entering the house. The
offices which touch upon this court are the servants' hall, G, which
seems to be part of the original building, though much altered. H
the bakehouse, and I, the scullery, have also been much altered, but
have old work in parts ; K is a touer divided into several stories, now
occupied as servants' bedrooms ; it is a very plain building, with
small square-headed windows, and has very much the appearance of
being part of the work of the fourteenth century, although if so, it is
a very unusual feature of that period.
The great hall is much modernized ; the windows and fireplace and
wainscoting are all modern, that is, not mediaeval, but not very recent.
The walls are original, with the two gable ends and a chimney on each,
and in each gable are windows showing that the buildings attached to
the hall at each end were originally much lower than the hall. There
is a peculiarity in the chimneys — the flue of each is not carried down
any lower than the head of the window under it, and was originally
open to the hall, so that it would appear that the smoke from the fire
on the hearth or reredos in the centre of the hall was allowed to
circulate freely among the open timbers of the hall and escape at the
two extremities without any central louvre ; or these chimneys may
have been an extra precaution in addition to the louvre. The present
roof is modern and ceiled, and as no ancient view of the house is
extant showing a smoke louvre, we have no evidence whether there
was one or not ; it is quite possible that this arrangement of short
chimneys open below to the hall may be an earlier one than the
smoke louvre in the centre of the hall. The da'is has disappeared,
but the position of it is obvious enough. At one end in the front of
the house, where at a later period the bay-window would be, is a
Mediaval Houses near Clevedon. 199
small square room or closet, forming the basement of a tower,
corresponding to the porch at the lower end of the hall. Over this
closet is another small room, with a rich Decorated window with
reticulated tracery in the front, and at the back a small window of
the same period opening into the hall ; this was probably the lady's
bower or private chamber ; the only access to it was by a newel
staircase from the small room below, and so from the hall ; the
present entrance from the adjoining chamber has been cut through
the old thick wall. At the opposite end of the dais, and consequently
at the back of the house, was the ancient cellar, E, under a modern
staircase, and by the side of it the garderobe turret, D, with a newel
staircase in the corner, now destroyed; behind the dais is a large
room, probably the parlour, and over it the solar, or lord's chamber.
This wing has been much altered in the Elizabethan period, but the
buttress at the external corner is Decorated work, and shows that
these rooms are partly original. The room at the back of this,
marked C, belongs to the Elizabethan period, and has been at some
period turned into a kitchen. The west end of the house, beyond
this, comprising the present dining-room and drawing-room, is partly
modern, with bay-windows thrown out, in the style of the Strawberry
Hill Gothic ; but the walls and the end window in the front belong
t> the Elizabethan work, built by Wake, and the back wall extending
from C to the west end has had an arch pierced through it to extend
the dining-room.
The dotted lines on the plan connecting E and F represent a
modern wall, and the straight line at the back with the steps shows
the trench cut out of the slope of the hill at the back of the house.
The remains of fortifications are very slight, and there is no
appearance of any moat; indeed, the situation on the slope of the
hill hardly admits of one, and the house could never have been
intended to stand a siege.
Tickenham Court is a manor house, probably of the time of
Henry IV., or the beginning of the fifteenth century, and without
any appearance of having been fortified, though it was no doubt
enclosed by an outer wall. The hall is nearly perfect, and stands at
a right angle to the other part of the house, so that we have two sides
of the quadrangle only remaining. The hall windows are each of two
lights, with flowing tracery resembling the Decorated style of the
previous century, but the arch mouldings are of the Perpendicular
style ; the outer arch is pointed, the inner arch, or rear-arch as it is
called, is segmental. The roof is perfect, of plain open timber of
simple construction, the principals arched to the collars, with good
panelled stone corbels. At the lower end are the usual three door-
ways to the kitchen and offices, now destroyed, which probably
occupied another wing, making a third side to the court ; at the upper
end of the hall is the arch of the bay-window, now destroyed. The
2 oo Somersetsh ire.
remaining wing of the house is divided into two stories, with square-
headed windows of the same period ; and at the back of this wing
are two turrets, one octagonal, for the staircase, the other square, for
the garderobes.
Clapton-in-Gordano. This manor house must once have been of
considerable importance, and although but little now remains, that
little is highly interesting. The interior of the present house (which
is only a portion of the original one) has been thoroughly modernized,
the last remnants of antiquity having been cleared out in 1860, the
old partition walls destroyed, and the very curious early screen fairly
turned out of doors. The original parts of the house are of the time
of Edward II., but the only portions now remaining visible of that
period are the doorway under the porch and the buttresses ; but a
considerable part of the walls belong to the same work, and the very
beautiful screen (which has now been built up under a stone arch in
the open air) as the entrance to the garden, opposite to the entrance
door. Fortunately, Mr. Godwin has preserved a plan of the house
as it was before the late alteration, and has published it in the
Archao logical Journal for June, 1860, with the illustrations here
repeated, for which we are indebted to him. I can see no reason to
consider this wooden screen as any earlier than the arch in which it
stood, or the doorway, although Mr. Godwin puts it u century earlier ;
the tracery in the head appears to belong to ihe original work, and
no such tracery was in use in the early part of the thirteenth century,
nor before the time of Edward I. or II. Still, it is probably the earliest
and most remarkable domestic screen in existence. The tower porch
was added in 1442, as appears from the arms over the door, Arthur
and Berkeley impaled. The chancel of the church and the family
chapel on the north side of it were rebuilt at the same time as this
tower. It very commonly happens that some part of the church is
rebuilt at the same time as a manor house. The gate-house is of the
time of James I.
The Rectory-house at Congresbury has a very remarkable porch,
the arch of which is richly ornamented with an imitation of the well-
known tooth-ornament of the thirteenth century, but really built
about 1470 by the executors of Bishop Beckington, the arms over
the doorway cut in the original stonework being those of the see of
Wells and of the executors, Pope, Sugar, and Swann, the same as in
the Vicar's close at Wells, so that this house was built about the same
time with that work.
It is remarkable that in the chapel of the Vicar's close some frag-
ments of Early English sculpture of the time of Bishop Joceline are
built in as old material in the spandrels of the window arches. This
would lead us to suspect that the tooth-ornament here also is old
material used again, as often happens ; but in this instance it does
not appear to be the case ; it seems to be clearly copied, although
Mediceval Houses near Clevedon. 201
such an example is almost unique ; probably those executors had a
taste for the earlier style, and introduced it when they could.
At Yatton the manor house is so exactly on the same plan as
Clevedon that there can be no doubt it is a copy of it, on a much
smaller scale, and at a later period ; the style is Perpendicular, but
early in the style, probably about the same age as Twickenham Court,
circa 1410.
[1861, Par/ //.,/. 547.]
In an interesting paper on the mediaeval houses of Clevedon and
its neighbourhood that appeared in a recent number of the Gentle-
man s Magazine* you state the shields of arms that decorate the
porch of Congresbury Rectory are not those borne by the executors of
Bishop Beckington. They are, however :
1. The shields of that distinguished prelate — Argent on a fess
azure, a mitre displayed or ; in chief, three bucks' heads caboshed
gules, attired of the third ; in base, three pheons' heads sable.
2. Of Bishop Stillington — Quarterly, first and fourth, argent, three
blackamoors' heads proper ; second and third, gules, on a fess between
three leopards' heads argent, three fleur-de-lys sable.
3. Of the diocese — Azure, a saltire quarterly quartered, or and
argent.
And 4, also of the united see of Bath and Wells — Azure, a saltire
per saltire, quarterly quartered, or and argent ; on the dexter side of
the saltire two keys endorsed, the upper or, the lower argent ; and
on the sinister side a sword or, charged with a crozier erect or. C.
Ashington.
[1820, Part //.,/. 17.]
The parish of Ashington, in the county of Somerset, is situated at
nearly equal distances (about four miles) from the towns of Yeovil
and Ilchester, in a finely-wooded and fertile country, rising gently
from the river Yeo, which bounds it on the east and north ; and,
looking over a rich and extensive vale, at unequal distances, is ter-
minated by a bold and beautiful range of hills from the south-east to
the north-west.
The manor was one of the many which William the Conqueror
bestowed upon Roger de Curcelle ; it is written in Domesday
" Essentone," and in modern records "Astington," " Ashenden,"
and " Ashington." Soon afterwards the estate was in the possession
of the family of Fitzwilliam, for Robert of that name died seised of
it 32 Henry II., from which family, in the reign of King John, it
passed by inheritance to that of De Furnellis, or Furneaux ; and
from the latter to the St. Barbesf about the year 1400. The last
* Gentleman's Magazine, 1861, Part I., p. 495.
f Charles St. Barbe, Esq., of Lymington, in Hampshire, is the representative
of the family, being the tenth in lineal descent from Richard St. Barbe, the first
possessor of Ashington, a record of which is to be found at the College of Arms.
2 o 2 Somersetsh ire.
possessor of that name, Sir John St. Barbe, Bart., who died in 1723,
bequeathed it to Humphrey Sydenham, Esq., of Combe, in this
county, and it is now the property of Lewis Dymoke Grosvenor
Tregonwell, Esq., of Cranborne Lodge, in Dorsetshire, by his
marriage with Catherine, daughter and sole heiress of the late
St. Barbe Sydenham, Esq., of Priory, Devon, and Combe, Somerset,
by whom he had issue, St. Barbe Tregonwell, born August 6, 1782 ;
Helen Ellery, born December i, 1783, married to Captain John Duff
Markland, R.N., March 18, 1814; Catherine, born June n, 1786,
died January, 1788.
The manor-house, situate near the church, is an ancient stone
edifice, erected by the St. Barbes, apparently in the sixteenth century;
their armorial crest, a wyvern, remains on one of the shields over the
porch, and also upon the buttress at the western end, as shown in the
plate ; but the house having been long appropriated to the use of the
tenant renting the estate, various internal alterations have been made
in it, particularly in the old hall ; and some parts of the original
building have been taken down. The annexed view (see Plate II.)
shows the principal or south front as it appeared in 1817.
C. S. B.
[1820, Part /., /. 113.]
Ashington contains about 630 acres, exclusive of a third part of the
adjoining hamlet of Sock, belonging to the parish, which may be
estimated at 300 acres more ; of the whole not more than 240 are
arable, the pasturage, which is excellent, being more advantageous
to the farmer. In Ashington there are nine dwelling-houses (includ-
ing the parsonage-house, which has been rebuilt by the present
rector) and thirteen families, consisting of sixty-eight persons. In
that part of the hamlet of Sock just alluded to there is one dwelling-
house, containing four persons. The burials in the parish for the
last seven years amount to eleven, the baptisms to sixteen.
The living is a rectory appended to the manor, valued in the
King's Books at ^45 6s. 8d.
The church (see Plate I.) is a small neat stone structure, of a single
pace, having a stone turret at the western end containing two bells.
The dimensions are as follow (taken on the outside), viz. :
ft. in.
Length of the church ... ... .., 40 6
Length of the chancel ... ~. ... 21 o
Both together 61 6
Breadth of the church ... ... ... 23 3
Breadth of the chancel ... ... ... 20 3
The walls of the church in thickness ... 20
The walls of the chancel in thickness 2 6
Ashington. 203
The building appears to have been erected at two different periods;
the style of the church is of the early part of the sixteenth century;
the chancel is of an earlier date.
In the windows are fragments of stained glass representing Scrip-
tural subjects of goud execution ; a beautiful head of our Saviour,
radiated, now in perfect preservation, is a good specimen of the art.
The font is without ornament, of the stone hewn from the neigh-
bouring quarries at Ham Hill. A date (1637) is carved upon the
pulpit, which is of oak. The church has been ceiled by the present
incumbent.
At a future opportunity I will communicate some account of the
epitaphs, with a list ol the incumbents. C. S. B.
[1820, Part II.* pp. 209, 210.]
In the Church of Ashington there are only three monumental
inscriptions, which are all in the chancel, viz., a marble table in
memory of Sir John St. Barbe, Bart, who died in 1723 :
" Here lies Sir John St. Barbe, Bart., possessed of those amiable qualities which
birth, education, travel, greatness of spirit, and goodness of heart produce. — In-
terred in the same vault, his second wife Alice Fiennes, aunt to the present Lord
Say and Sele. His first wife was Honour, daughter of Colonel Norton. He died
at his seat of Broadlands, in Hampshire, Sept. 7, 1723, leaving for his only heir
and executor Humphrey Sydenham, Esq., of Combe, in Somersetshire, who
ordered this Marble to his memory."
The arms of St. Barbe were : Cheeky, argent and sable.
A flat gravestone for James Burt, rector of the parish, who died
June 8, 1729, aged 62. Mary, his wife, who died November 15, 1742,
aged 69; and James, their son (styled Gent.\ who died January 28,
1777, aged 71. The other is an ancient flat-stone, 7 feet by 3, having
the figure of a knight in chain mail, cut en creux> or rudely traced by
the chisel in outline (represented in Plate II.). The inscription is
so much defaced as to be almost illegible ; upon his shield he bears
a Bend fussilly, which were the arms of Ralegh or Raleigh ; to this
family the possessors of Ashington were allied ; Sir Matthew Furneaux
(Sheriff for Somerset 34 Edward I.) having married Maud, daughter
of Sir Warine de Ralegh of Ncttlecombe in this county. Neither
Collinson nor any other writer on the topographical history of
Somerset, has mentioned this tomb-stone; and as other families
bore the above arms (that of Kittisford for instance), it is by no
means certain that the knight was of this family; equally silent are
our historians respecting the small niche on the outside of the church
at the eastern end, above the roof of the chancel (see the Plate, p. 113),
in which the sculpture cannot be distinguished without the aid of a
ladder. The group consists of three human figures, a male standing
between two females, admitting a conjecture that this refers to the
204 Somersetshire.
history of the martyred Saint (Vincent*), to whom the church is
dedicated. He is here represented with his hands bound, after
sentence had been passed upon him. On his right, a woman, with
folded hands, is looking piteously upon him ; and the other appears
absorbed in greater grief, turning aside her head unable to behold
him. The niche is only 2 feet in height, and 1 1 inches in breadth ;
the figures loj inches high.
The oldest register is on parchment, beginning with the year 1567 ;
from this source the following imperfect list of the incumbents from
that period is collected, viz. :
1567. Richard Orchard was then rector ; he died September 23, 1619,
and was buried at Ashington.
1619. The successor of Orchard not mentioned.
1652. Michael Dolling presented this year, but the time of his death,
or resignation, is not known.
1663. John Ball presented this year, and the foregoing remarks also
apply to him.
1690. James Burt presented this year, buried at Ashington in 1729.
1729. Keate succeeded (according to tradition). The register
from this year to 1765 is missing.
1739. Richard Eyre presented this year; resigned in 1741.
1741. Sydenham Rutherford presented this year; he was buried at
Marston Magna in 1785.
1785. John Williams presented this year, who is the present worthy
incumbent, and also rector of Marston Magna, where he
resides (see vol. Ixxxviii., pt. ii., p. 105); and to whom the
writer acknowledges the very liberal manner in which he has
communicated to him most of the information here given.
C. S. B.
Axbridge.
[1805, Part /., pp. 201-204.]
Accidentally meeting the other day with a painting of the market-
place, part of the church, and old market-cross of Axbridge, I could
not resist the temptation of attempting a sketch of it ; and, with all
its imperfections, I now send it to you. . . . The cross was taken
down many years ago, and a modern octagon market-house, supported
by eight plain columns, erected on its site.
Axbridge is about ten miles from Wells, eighteen from Bristol,
about the same distance from Bridgwater, and 135 from London. It
is situate on the southern side of the Mendip Hills ; and the spectator
may, from the summit of those hills just above the town, enjoy the
most extensive and picturesque prospects over the Bristol Channel
to Monmouthshire, Brecknockshire, Glamorganshire, and Pembroke-
* St. Vincent, with his patron, Valerius, Bishop of Saragossa, were brought in
irons to Valentia, where Vincent, refusing to abandon his faith, was burnt alive
A.D. 304.
Axbridge. 205
shire; and in another point of view over a most rich and fertile
tract of land extending to the Quantock Hills, including the Bay of
Bridgwater and the Severn Sea, or mouth of the Bristol Channel. . . .
The name of this place was anciently spelt Axbrigge. It was formerly
a borough, and in many respects of much greater importance than at
present. It anciently belonged to the Bishop of Bath and Wells,
together with Congersbury and Cheddar, out of which three manors
was paid yearly into the King's exchequer a rent of £$$ ; but, as
this was deemed a large sum in the thirteenth century, they were
resigned to King Edward II., who in the thirteenth year of his reign
granted these manors (inter alia) in tail general to Edmund de
Woodstock, Earl of Kent, his brother, in whose posterity they
remained till the reign of Edward IV. Being forfeited to that King,
he gave them to his brother George, Duke of Clarence, who is said
to have been drowned in a butt of malmsey in the Tower, by the
King, his brother's, order ; at the instigation of his other brother, the
execrable Richard, Duke of Gloucester, afterwards King Richard III.,
Edward, Earl of Warwick, son of the Duke of Clarence, then became
seised of them ; and from him to Margaret his sister, wife of Sir
Richard Pole, afterwards the famous Countess of Salisbury ; but, she
being beheaded May 27, 1540, it again devolved to the Crown. The
manor of Axbridge has long since been dismembered ; and the
presentation to the rectory is in the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
The town at present consists of one principal street, which is about
a quarter of a mile in length, and in some places very narrow. The
houses in general are old and meanly built, many of them with
timber, lath, and plaster, somewhat in the manner of old London
before the great Fire. There is a tolerably spacious market-place,
together with a market-house and shambles, the latter well supplied
on the market-day with butchers' meat.
The market, however, is of much less consequence than it was
some years ago, and, following the example of the neighbouring
town Wrington, appears to be fast tending towards annihilation. . . .
Two fairs are held annually in this town, the one at Candlemas,
and the other at Lady Day ; the former principally for cattle ; the
latter for cattle, cloth, cutlery, jewellery, and a great variety of other
merchandise and toys. Lady Day being the usual time of the year in
this neighbourhood for hiring servants, this fair is generally attended
by an immense concourse of servants of both sexes. . . .
Another fair was formerly held here on June n, and called St.
Barnabas Fair, which had been discontinued for many years; the
corporation, however, attempted to revive it about twelve years ago,
but without effect, as it is now totally laid aside. There was also a
fair held here formerly on the festival of St. Simon and St. Jude.
The warm situation of this place renders it peculiarly adapted for the
cultivation of early vegetables ; the town and parish being situate, as
206 Somersetshire.
it were, in a dell, which forms a kind of amphitheatre, backed towards
the north by the Mendip Hills, and by projecting promontories or
head-lands on the east and west, whereby the winds most prejudicial
to vegetation are excluded. Green peas in particular are here to be
had as early in the season as at any place in the kingdom ; and they
are frequently sent to Bristol and Bath, and sold at i6s. and i8s. per
peck ; and the premium given by the corporation of Bristol for the
most early peas brought to that market is generally carried by the
AxbriHge gardeners. . . .
The church here is a handsome Gothic edifice, and, from its
appearance, of considerable antiquity. It is cruciform, consisting of
a nave and chancel with side aisles to each, and dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin, whose statue appears on the east and west sides of
the tower, but much defaced by the iron hand of that ruthless and
unrelenting destroyer Time.
The tower contains a peal of six very musical bells (most of them,
I believe, new cast about seven or eight years since) ; also a clock
and chimes, the latter playing a grand and solemn tune every four
hours. One of the bells is rung every evening from Michaelmas Day
to Shrove Tuesday, and called curfew.* In the floor of the north
transept is a curious monumental brass, with an inscription bearing
date about the time of King Richard III. . . . The church is kept
in excellent repair, and the interior part particularly neat and decent ;
and its decorations are very handsome and approppiate. It contains
a neat and fine-toned organ of rather small dimensions, and also
several good monuments of the Prowse and other families ; likewise
a superb and elegant cloth for the altar, richly embroidered by one
of the ladies of the Prowse family (if I mistake not, Mrs. Abigail
Prowse, daughter of George Hooper, Bishop of Bath and Wells).
The present incumbent of the rectory is the Rev. R. I. R. Jenkins,
of Bridgwater, and divine service is performed twice on Sundays and
on saints days and holidays by the curate, the Rev. B. Cattle.
The body corporate consists of a mayor, alderman, eight
capital burgesses, a recorder, a common or town clerk and other
officers, and twenty -four inferior burgesses. The most ancient
document that I can discover relative to this place is a grant by
King John, in the fifth year of his reign, to Hugh de Wells, Arch-
deacon of Wells, afterwards Lord Chancellor and Bishop of Lincoln.
The original grant is still to be seen among the records in the chapel
of the Rolls.
By the annexed token (Fig. i) it appears that a person of the name
of John Tuthill was formerly proprietor and occupier, and probably
the builder, of the Angel Inn represented in the plate, as the initials
* But, instead of going at eight o'clock, the hour appointed by William the
Norman for that purpose, the bell called curfew is here rung at seven.
Axbridge. 207
on the coin and those on the Angel Inn are exactly similar. The
date of the former is 1669, and that of the latter 1672.
The Tuthills were an ancient and respectable family of this place,
and several branches of it still live here. The Rev. — Tuthill was
rector some years ago. Mr. Richard and Mr. James Tuthill, his
sons, were both respectable surgeons and apothecaries, and the
former was one of the coroners for the county till the time of his
death, in or about 1790.
Axbridge is the birthplace of two very great geniuses in the art of
painting — Mr. William and Mr. John Naish. . . .
To the disgrace of this town the abominable practice of bull-
baiting, or rather bull-beating, with all its concomitant horrors, is
still continued annually on November 5. ...
We have here a respectable corps of Volunteer Infantry, com-
manded by Captain Parker, both the officers and privates of which
are highly distinguished in the West Mendip legion, of which it forms
a part, for their very progressive abilities in military science.
G. B.
Banwell.
[1811, Part II. ipp. 105-107.]
As the fine parochial church of Banwell is not engraved in
Collinson's history of this county, I trust you will do me the favour
of giving the enclosed sketch a place in your valuable repository
(see Plate I.) together with the following particulars.
Banwell is about 16 miles south-west from Bristol, 4 from
Axbridge, and about 6 from the Bristol Channel ; it is situate in
Winterstoke Hundred and in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The
village lies at the foot of what was anciently called Winthill, on the
northern side thereof, and the parish is considered to be one of the
first in the county for extent, population and fertility of soil. In
King Edward the Confessor's charter to Bishop Giso this place is
called Banawelli, and I have heard it said that in ancient times it was
called Benthill, but apprehend there is no good authority for the
latter ; there is, however, a piece of land and a wood at Hillend, on
the western side of the parish, that go by the name of Benthills.
Collinson says it derives its name from the British Bann deep, and
Weilgi sea ; the waters of the channel, as that gentleman asserts,
having once overspread the valley above which the village stands. . . .
By that venerable record Domesday Book, it appears that Banwell
belonged to Harold, son of Godwin Earl of Kent, not as King of
England, but as Earl of the West Saxons ; but he being banished the
realm for non-appearance before the Great Council convened by
King Edward the Confessor, that king seized this lordship and gave
it, with several others of the said Earl Harold's in those parts, to
208 Somersetshire.
Dudoco* Bishop of Wells, whose successor, Giso, enjoyed it at the
time of the general survey. There was anciently a monastery at
Banwell, founded by one of the Saxon kings, and I find that King
Alfred appointed his friend and favourite Asser abbot thereof. f
This abbey was destroyed by the Danes, but afterwards re-
established. When it was finally destroyed I am not informed ; but
that it met its fate some centuries prior to the general dissolution of
religious houses seems very certain. So far as I have been able
to discover, little or nothing of the monastic buildings now remain ;
indeed, it cannot for a certainty be ascertained in what part of the
parish the abbey stood, though I am much inclined to believe it was
on the site, or very near where the present court-house stands. On
the southern side of the hill is a small hamlet, still called Winthill.|
In a field at this place many fragments and foundations of ancient
buildings are discernible, and human bones and ancient coins have
been frequently dug up there ; and among the rest a Roman coin of
silver, which is in high preservation, and was given me in 1801 by Mr.
John Lansdown, the proprietor of the field I have been speaking of,
and is still in my possession. It has been said that the abbey stood
in this field, but whether it did so or not I own myself incompetent
positively to decide. . . .
Some attribute the camp at this place to the Danes, others to the
Saxons, but it is more generally supposed to be a work of the Romans.
It is situate about half-a-mile eastward from the village, on the top of
what is called the Great Wood ; it is extensive, being, I should
suppose, about 1,000 yards in circumference. It is nothing at
present but a rampire of earth and stones thrown up all round the
brow of the hill, in some places of considerable height and in others
so low as to be scarcely distinguishable from the surrounding rorky
part of the hill. Near the centre of the area is a large irregular
mound of earth and rubbish, apparently the remains of some build-
ing ; the whole of the interior of the camp is still clear of wood,
except a few straggling trees of hawthorn of large growth on the
south-east side ; indeed, the place is known by the name of " the
Bald," from the paucity of trees growing there in comparison with
other parts of the wood. The ramparts, however, are thickly
surrounded with large timber and underwood, and some of the
largest trees in the wood grow on the sides and top of the wall of
the camp. It is a delightful spot, and towards the west there opens
an enchanting prospect, having for the foreground the village of
Banwell with its fine church, beyond which is a well-cultivated tract
* Godwin, de Prsesulibus.
f Asser, pp. 50, 51.
% At this place, according to tradition, a bloody battle was fought between the
Saxons and the Danes, the memory of which is preserved in the appellation of the
place ; Win in the Saxon language signifying a battle, and Winterstoc the place
of the tower of battle. — Collinson.
Banwell. 209
of champaign country, extending about 6 miles to the bay of Weston-
super-Mare, and numerous vessels of all sizes, from the pilot's yawl to
the stately ship of war, passing to and from the port ot Bristol, give
great animation and interest to the scene ; whilst Worle Hill and
Worlebury on the right hand, and Hutton Hill and Brean Down on
the left, form excellent side-screens to the picture ; in the distance the
steep and flat Holmes, particularly the former, are striking features,
and the coast of Glamorgan terminates the view. From hence
towards the east may be seen the large Roman camp at Doleborough ;
on the north-east the camp at Cadbury, in the parish of Yatton ; on
the north-west what is called Caesar's Camp, at Weston-super-Mare ;
and on the south-west the encampment on the top of Brent Knoll ;
each of them within ten miles distance from this at Banwell.
About a quarter of a mile westward from the large camp, on the
top of an eminence within the precincts of the park at the end of
what is called the Little Wood, and on the left-hand side of the
road called Banwell Roadway, as we go from Banwell to Wood-
borough and Axbridge, is another encampment, but of small
dimensions in comparison with the one before mentioned. The
outwork consists of a single vallum with a wall of earth and stones ;
in the area are two long mounds of earth and stones (similar to the
exterior wall, but broader) intersecting each other at right angles in
the form of a cross, with a small ditch or vallum running round it.
A great part of this cross is now covered with low bushes of
hawthorn and brambles, affording excellent cover for hares and other
game ; at the north-west corner, on the most elevated part of the
enclosure, there appear the remains of what I should suppose to
have been an exploratory mount, or a tumulus. The entrance to
this encampment was at the east end, as if it once communicated
with the large camp, to which probably it was an outwork ; its length
is about 70 yards, and its breadth about 50 within the walls.
Banwell Park lies eastward from the village, and is still partly
covered with fine wood, though most sadly reduced in extent from
what it is said to have been at the time of making the Domesday
Survey. This park was anciently well-stocked with deer, and it still
abounds with various kinds of game. The palace here, for the
occasional residence of the bishops, was built (according to the
" Itin. Willelmi de Worcestre," 286) by Bishop Beckington, and was
probably constructed in some measure out of the ruins of the ancient
abbey. This palace has long since been neglected and fallen into
decay, and from some of its materials a large, handsome and com-
modious farmhouse and offices have been erected, and is called
Banwell Court, it being the manor-house and the place where the
Bishop's courts are held. Since my recollection the chapel belonging
to the palace (with its pulpit, pews, etc.) was perfectly entire, but I
believe it is now converted into a cellar, and so completely meta-
VOL. xxn. 14
2io Somersetshire.
morphosed as to be scarcely distinguished from the modern buildings;
its site is at the east end of the present mansion. A large and
handsome gateway, porter's lodge, etc., with the principal part of the
extensive granaries, stabling and various other detached offices of the
palace have been taken down within the last five or six years, so that
very little indeed of the ancient palace is now to be seen. In the
fields below the house I well remember the remains of some very
extensive fish-ponds ; they are now drained, and, if I mistake not, the
ground planted to an orchard. In the village opposite the present
Bell Inn was an ancient plain and neat freestone cross ; but it being
thought to incommode the passage of the street — which, by-the-by,
was not the case — this also was demolished a few years since, and
the materials employed in other buildings. On the hill above the
village is, or rather was, one of the most beautiful race-grounds of its
size in the kingdom ; the course consists of delightfully verdant and
level turf, and extends, in an eliptical form, about two miles, round a
rising ground or knoll called Heughings, from the summit of which
the course can be seen in almost every direction, and many well-
contested matches and excellent sport have heretofore been exhibited
here. But in consequence of a late Act of Parliament for enclosing
the waste lands of the parish, several walls now intersect the ground,
and this charming spot, formerly the boast of the surrounding
country as an hippodrome, is now destroyed, and the once fashionable
sport of horse-racing discontinued. The last race here was on
October 12, 1796, for a purse of ten guineas for size horses, and
another of five guineas for ponies between the heats. . . .
This hill contains some valuable mines of calamine or lapis
calaminarias, lead ore, and yellow ochre ; and it is generally sup-
posed that veins of coal abound in the neighbourhood, as small
pieces of that mineral are frequently thrown out by the spring of
water which rises in Banwell pond.
The beautiful sheet of water here called the pond covers a con-
siderable space of ground, and is surrounded by a well-built wall or
dam of stone of sufficient thickness to form a pleasant footpath
round the greatest part of it, on which two persons may walk abreast
without inconvenience. The spring rises at the south-west side of
the pond. And at some little distance is another spring of the most
limpid and pure water; this is called Adam's Well, and supplies the
inhabitants of the village \vith water for culinary purposes; it was
formerly esteemed for its efficacy in scrofulous disorders.* There
are two mills at the dam-head, one a grist-mill, and the other a large
paper manufactory : these are never in want of water, as the springs
before mentioned always yield a copious supply, and were never
known to fail even in times of the greatest drought. These mills and
ponds are the property of John Emery, Esq., a truly worthy and
* Collinson.
Banwell. 2 1 r
respectable man. From the pond flows a charming gurgling brook,
over a gravelly bottom, which runs due north about a mile from the
village, when it makes a bend to the north-west, and, after meander-
ing three or four miles further, falls into the Bristol Channel at a
place called New Bow, between Woodspring and Week St. Lawrence.
This stream is of the greatest importance to the farms lying on each
side of its course, as without it the whole of the now rich and fertile
vale through which it flows would in dry summers be rendered almost
desert, and the inhabitants and their cattle would be driven to the
utmost distress for want of water. G. B.
[1811, Part //., fp. 210-213.]
Banwell had formerly a weekly market, but for a great many years
past it has been entirely neglected and disused. There are two fairs
held here annually, the one on January 18, when large droves of
excellent fat oxen grazed in the superlatively rich pastures in this
neighbourhood are brought for sale ; the major part of them in time
of war are purchased by the contractors for victualling the royal navy.
The other fair is on July 18, but of little account in comparison of
the one held in January. There are but few good houses at Banwell,
the habitations here in general being old and mean structures,
principally covered with thatch. The church is the only building
here worthy of remark ; this, however, is particularly so, being one
among the many elegant parish churches to be met with in the West
of England : it is said that these beautiful structures owe their pre-
servation in a great measure to the influence which that " great child
of honour," Cardinal Wolsey, possessed over the mind of his im-
perious master, Henry VIII. . . .
The church of Banwell was anciently appropriated to the abbey of
Brewton, and was, with the abbeys of Churchill and Puxton, valued
by the taxation of Pope Nicholas VI. , A.D. 1292, at forty-seven marks,
a pension of three marks being paid out of it to the Priory of Bath,
and one mark to the hospital of Brewton. The vicarage was valued
at twenty shillings.* The presentation to the vicarage is at present in
the Dean and Chapter of the Holy Trinity in Bristol, and its annual
value is about ^500. The Rev. Frederick William Blomberg, A.M.
(who is in the commission of the peace for this county, and who some-
times resides in the vicarage-house, which he has repaired and greatly
improved), is the present incumbent. The impropriate tithes, of
about .£200 per annum, belong to John Lenthall, Esq., of Oxford-
shire, who is also impropriator of Churchill and Puxton.
Banwell Church is a large, regular, and simply elegant pile, con-
sisting of a lofty nave and chancel, the former about 80 feet long,
with side aisles, which are divided from the nave by ranges of light,
handsome pillars, four on each side; the breadth of the church,
* Collinson.
14—2
2 1 2 Somersetshire.
including the side aisles, is about 60 feet. Two tiers of windows on
each side give light to the interior, one tier of large ones in the side
aisles, consisting of seven on the north side, including one at each
end, and six on the south side, also including one at each end, and
five smaller ones on each side in the upper part of the nave. Some
of these windows have small portions of painted glass still remaining
in them. In the east window of the north aisle are in painted glass
the arms of England and France quartertd; the arms of Bishop
Beckington ; and gules, a cross lozengy argent ; gules, three fusils in
fesse argent ; each charged with an escalop sable.* I am inclined to
think, from the circumstance of Bishop Beckington's arms appearing
here, and from the style of the architecture, that this church was
rebuilt by that prelate about the time he built the palace ; if this be
correct, the present structure must have been erected in the latter
end of the reign of King Henry VI., or the beginning of that of
Edward IV. The screen dividing the nave from the chancel is an
elaborate and beautiful piece of ancient carving in wood, represent-
ing palm-trees, and amateurs say it is hardly to be surpassed by any-
thing of the kind in the kingdom. Above this screen is a large
gallery, supposed to have been formerly a rood-loft, and in latter
times, I have been informed, an organ stood in the centre of it. At
the west end of the nave is a handsome modern gallery for the
church musicians ; it is raised upon four neat fluted columns, with
handsome foliaged capitals and an entablature supporting an elegantly
neat pediment. Above the gallery, just below the arch of the roof of
the church, is a carving of stone, now well plastered with whitewash,
supposed to be intended for St. Andrew the Apostle, to whom, as we
are informed by Mr. Collinson, the church is dedicated. At the
west end of the north aisle are placed two large instruments, said to
have been used formerly for the purpose of pulling off the thatch and
roofs of houses when on fire to stop the progress of the flames ; the
whole, including ironwork and shaft, is about 20 feet lorg ; on the
sides are rings for putting ropes through, whereby the united strength
of a great number of men could act with effect, or even horses might
by means of loose ropes be attached to the instrument ; the iron-
work has something the appearance of an anchor divested of one of
its arms or flukes, and the woodwork is much worm-eaten and
decayed. The baptismal font is of stone, and stands at the north-
west corner of the nave, raised on a high step, and is very large,
evidently intended for the immersion of the infant, and lined with
lead, having in the centre of the bottom an aperture to let out the
water, which lost itself in the foundation of the building, that it
might not be defiled after having been used in the holy sacrament of
baptism.f
* Collinson.
t On an average of seven years the annual christenings are 27 ; burials, 20. —
Collinson.
Bamvell. 213
It would be needless to give copies of the monumental inscriptions
already printed in Collinson's "History." I shall therefore content
myself with copying two or three which do not appear in that work.
At the east end of the south aisle against the wall is a plain tablet of
white marble with the following inscription :
" Near this place lieth the body of the Reverend Blinman Gresley, A. M., Vicar
of this parish, who departed this life the 23d Nov., 1772, aged 59.
*' Remember my end, for thine also shall be so. To-day is mine, to-morrow
thine. — I shall rise again."
On the floor, near the above monument, is a well-preserved whole-
length figure in brass, with a long gown and band ; the inscription is
in ancient Church-text, and not in the common Old English black-
letter, as given by Mr. Collinson. The date is " M°. V°. iij° " (1503).
At the east end of the chancel is a large handsome window, below
which a new altar-piece was set up in 1805 : it is composed of
stucco, and divided into compartments, on which are written the
Decalogue, Creed, and Lord's Prayer, in gold letters on a black
ground ; and the representation of elegant crimson curtains, with
gold cords, fringe, and tassels, gives a high finish and pleasing effect
to the whole. The altar is environed with a new semicircular railing
of iron, but put up in rather a bungling and inconvenient manner —
indeed, the railing itself, from the formidable spikes running round
its top, would have been more proper for the fence of a garden or
courtyard than for the situation in which it is placed. At the upper
end of the chancel, against the south wall, is a small niche and
piscina, used formerly for holy water ; the chancel is not ceiled, and
the naked arched woodwork of the roof, of mean construction, has
by no means a pleasing appearance. In the centre of the floor is a
small square brass plate, inscribed as follows :
" Georgius Phillips, mercator, qui obijt 27° die Novembris, anno Domini 1680 ;
hie innatam beationem ad resurgendum positus."
At the north side of the communion-rails, on a small oval marble
fixed in a large blue slab of the pavement, is inscribed :
" Sacred to the memory of the Reverend Walter Chapman, 20 years Vicar of
this Parish, who departed this life September 25th, 1798, aged 47."
This gentleman was son of the late Rev. Dr. Chapman, of Bath, and
was one of the most elegant preachers of his time, a man ot the most
gentlemanly manners, and whose bosom was amply fraught with the
genuine milk of human kindness ; he was, unfortunately, killed by a
fall from his horse, near Uphill, on the day mentioned above. Tnere
are various other inscriptions in the pavement of the church and
chancel, " that tell in homely phrase who lie below," but it would
intrude too much upon your pages to insert them here ; these, how-
ever, have often implored and obtained from me " the passing tribute
of a sigh."
2 1 4 Somersetshire.
The south entrance to this church is by a large and lofty porch, in
the east wall of the interior of which is a niche supposed to have
been the place of a holy-water pot in the days of popery. At the
west end of the church stands a stately and well-built tower, the
height of which to the top of the parapet is 100 feet, crowned with a
spire turret at the south-east angle (on which the vane or weather-
ccck is fixed), and four handsome pinnacles. A good spiral stone
staircase conducts you to the flat leads on the top of the tower, from
whence some charmingly diversified prospects to the north, north-
west, and north-east present their beauties to the eye of the spectator;
and the whole is terminated by the Bristol Channel, the steep and
flat Holmes, with the lighthouse on the latter, and the distant purply-
blue hills of South Wales ; the stupendous conical mountain of
Skerid Vawz, in the vicinity of Abergavenny, in clear weather, is
plainly seen from hence. In this tower are six large and sonorous
bells and a clock ; the former are said to be the most musical of any
in those parts, and it is thought they derive that property in a great
measure from the undulation of ihe adjoining fine sheet of water.
The south side of the churchyard contains innumerable ancient and
modern tombs and gravestones, and some of them are tolerably hand-
some, but the generality are " with nettles skirted, and with moss
o'ergrown." Notwithstanding the dead are so thickly huddled
together on the south side of this cemetery, there are, comparatively
speaking, but few graves on the north side, and the lower part of that
side is seldom used as a place of sepulture. In the generality of
churchyards we meet with a large portion of apparently void ground,
most commonly on the north side, while at the same lime the other
parts appear to be extremely crowded ; and the answer universally
made me when I have inquired tne reason of that circumstance has
been, that " during the plague, or some other contagious disease,
which raged in the parish the persons who died thereof were inhumed
in those now seemingly void parts, and for that reason it is thought
imprudent to meddle with that part of the ground." This certainly
may be true in some instances, particularly in large towns ; but it
seems very unlikely it should be so in the many country parishes
where we meet with similar void spaces of ground ; and I apprehend
that the reason why bodies are thus heaped, as one may say, together
is because it is customary to bury all the individuals of a family in
the particular spot formerly appropriated by the ancestor of that
family as a burial-place ; and thus in process of time churchyards
have become crowded in the manner we now see them.
Upon the threatened invasion by the French in 1803, an inde-
pendent company of light infantry was raised in this parish, and
called " The Loyal Banwell Volunteers," consisting principally of the
yeomanry of this large and respectable parish, 'ihe officers are
Edmund Sheppard, Esq., of Hutton Court (Captain), John Black-
Banwell. 2 1 5
burrow, gent. (Lieutenant), and Wm. Harrison, gent. (Ensign). The
dress and accoutrements of these patriotic volunteers are of the most
handsome description. G. B.
[1813, Part L, pp. 525, 526.]
I have in my possession a deed dated August 26, 1569 (13 Eliz.),
whereby E Iward Dyer, of Weston, Esq. (whether Weston-super-Mare,
or Weston in Gordano, does not appear), conveyed a capital messuage
and lands at Rolston, in the parish of Banwell, unto Heughe Gryffyn,
alias Canweye. Mr. Dyer is said, in the deed, to be a son of Sir
Thomas Dyer, Knt., deceased. Who and what this Sir Thomas was
I should be glad to know ; but I think there can be no doubt but
that Edward Dyer the poet, and Edward Dyer, Esq., mentioned in
the deed, were one and the same person. I have subjoined the
autograph of Mr. Dyer, as copied from the original, and also a sketch
of his arms, from the seal appended to the deed, as well as I coald
make it our, upon the wax. . . .
I have thought it my duty to throw in my mite towards preserving
the memory of a learned and respectable character (who, two centuries
and a half ago, was proprietor of the property on which I now reside),
and trust you will permit its insertion in some of your future pages.
(See Fig. 9.) GEO. BENNETT.
[1827, Part 1 1., pp. 114, US-]
In a note at p. xxx of the " History of Glastonbury," we have the
following notice relative to Banwell, and the rood-loft in the church
there.
'•There is a tradition which connects this very picturesque village
in some degree with Glaston Abbey. The magnificent wooden rood-
loft in its church (without dispute one of the handsomest country *
churches in the kingdom) is said to have been brought to Bruion
Monastery, but to have originally formed a part of the splendid
decorations of the interior of Glaston Cathedral f Church. In truth
it was well worthy of that gorgeous edifice, from its unusually large
dimensions, the taste of its Gothic pattern, and the delicacy and
elaboration of its workmanship. The use of the rood-loft was simply
this : in the centre of it was placed the rood, or image of our Saviour
on the cross, and on each side of this image, those of the Virgin and
St. John, its vacant space being occasionally filled with vocal and
instrumental performers."
There may be a tradition that the rood-loft at Banwell (which after
* It is dedicated to St. Andrew, whose statue appears over the arch of the belfry
inside the church, and the present building is supposed to have been erected by
Thomas de Bekyngton, Bishop of Bath and Wells, about A.D. 1450.
f Monastic or abbey church would have been more appropriate.
2 1 6 Somersetshire.
the Reformation was converted into an organ-loft) was brought from
one of the dissolved monasteries of Glastonbury or Bruton, but I am
inclined to think such tradition is but very feebly supported, as the
following extracts, copied from the churchwarden's accompts, now
extant at Banwell, will show ; for we have mention made therein of
the drawing a plan or elevation of it, and the making an indenture,
bond, or agreement, for the due performance of the work, and there-
fore there can be but little doubt but that this rood-loft was made for
the place where it now stands.
"Banwelle (12 Henry VIII.) Comp'us, Johannes Crey et Robertus
Crede, churchwardens 1521.
"Paid for paper to draw the draft of the rode-lofte, iiijd.
"Paid for makyng of the endentur, and the oblygacyon for the
carver, js. viijd."
There are several other entries in the churchwardens' accompts
relative to this rood-loft, some of which seem to favour Mr. Warner's
supposition, and others (like those before mentioned) to militate
against it. I shall therefore give all the entries allusive to the
subject, and leave the reader to form his own opinion.
"1522. William Jervis and John Selson, Ch. Wardens (13
Henry VIII.).
" Paid for brede and ale for me' (men) to take down the rode-
lofte, jxd."
Probably an old one, which had become decayed. And although
the agreement to perform the work is dated in 1521, the artificers
might not actually commence their operations till 1522.
"Paid for John Sayer's dyner the same day, ijd.
" Paid for brede and ale for the wenemen (waggoners) when they
come home, iiijd."
Here, it may be said, is a proof in favour of Mr. Warner's tradition.
But, as there are some very ponderous timbers used in the construction
of this rood-loft, the waggonmen were not probably employed with
their wains or waggons in the carriage of them, and the other heavy
materials.
" Paid to the peynter (painter) of Brystow, ijs. viijd.
" Paid to the kerver (carver) att Wyllya' Jervys house, xxiijl."
The carver lived with the churchwarden probably whilst the work
was in progress, or the money might be paid at the house of the
latter.
" Paid for makyng of the skaffet (scaffold) to the kerver's men, for
to peynte (paint) the Hy Cross, is. iiijd."
The High Cross was the large crucifix which stood in the centre
of the rood-loft, and the holes wherein the transom or large cross-
beam entered the sides of the arch, and kept the whole cross firm
and steady, were to be seen be!ore the late repairs, though now
stopped up.
Banwell. 2 1 7
" J523- J°'in Millward and Harre Page, Ch: Wardens (i4th
Henry VIII.).
" Paid for makyng of the skaffete in the rode-lofte to sett the
lyghte upon, js."
This light was frequently kept burning night and day, particularly
during the great fasts and festivals.
"1525. Robert Cavell and Wileham Sayer, Ch: Wardens (i6th
Henry VIII.).
"Paid Robert Hoptyn for gyltyng in the rode-lofte, and for
steynyn off the clothe afore the rode-lofie, vl."
Honest Robert Hoptyn performed his work in a very masterly
manner, as there is every reason to suppose the rood-loft had not
been new gilded from that time until 1805 (a period of 280 years),
and even then but little decayed as to the materials, but certainly
considerably tarnished as to colour and brilliancy.
" Paid for wyer to hange the clothe, vd.
" Paid for ryngs to the clothe, and a hoke (hook) for settyng up,
ijs. vijd."
Let it be remembered that all this took place some years previous
to the brutal dissolution of the monasteries of Glastonbury and
Bruton, and therefore the presumption is that the rood-loft at
Banwell never belonged to either of those religious houses.
" At p. xcvi of the " History of Glastonbury " the author seems
anxious to prove that the greater part, if not all of our grand conventual,
cathedral and parochial churches, were " literally and strictly built by
Freemasons," and as a corroboration of that hypothesis he gives us
at the foot of the page before mentioned the following note :
" Something like a confirmation of the truth of this notion is seen
in the emblems of Freemasonry which decorate the northern and
southern entrances into the ancient Church of Banwell, in the inside,
particularly the bust of a man over the latter portal, supported by
these symbols, with a book open before him, as if he were studying
the rules of his art."
Now it is really painful to state that when in the years 1812 and
1813 the fine parochial Church of Banwell underwent considerable
repairs, one of the vain and thoughtless workmen — merely, forsooth,
because he happened to be a Freemason ! — had the audacity to erase
the two antique corbal heads, which till then had ornamented the
sides of the doorway at the south entrance to the church, and after-
wards to carve upon the faces of the blocks those very symbols of
masonry which Mr. Warner alludes to, and which now appear there !
And as to the " bust of a man " over the northern entrance, which,
by-the-by, Mr. W. has called the southern, it is in reality the bust of
" an angel " (and by no means inelegantly carved), with an " open
book " certainly, but the back or covers thereof are pUced against the
breast of the figure, and the open part or leaves towards the spectator
2i8 Somersetshire.
(when standing in the church), so that if he is " studying," as the
reverend author supposes, he holds the book in a most extraordinary
position for such a purpose. On the open leaves of this book also
the same pitiful innovator had the presumption to carve the emblems
of his craft. At all events his handiwork ought to be erased, in
order that it may not deceive in times to come ; but whether this be
complied with or not, your pages, Mr. Urban, shall bear record to the
truth.
The carved figures of angels, it is well-known, are often met with in
our ancient ecclesiastical edifices, and on the fronts of the scrolls or
books they hold in their hands are written some short but pithy
sentences from the sacred writings. Several of these have lately
been brought to light in consequence of the recent repairs in the
venerable parish church of Congresbury, near Banwell. The inscrip-
tions are still perfect, in ancient Church-text characters, though
written only in black paint and long prior to the Reformation.
Whitewash daubing has sometimes, as in the present instance, been
the preserver of antiquities, though by no means to be recommended
for such a purpose.
A beautiful new altar-piece, in a style to correspond with the
architecture of the church, is about to be erected at Banwell under
the superintendence of Mr. Trickey, an ingenious and deserving
artist of this city. E. M.
[1837, Part II., pp. 467-469-]
Banwell, which boasts one of the most beautiful churches in the
county, lies about six miles from Axbridge, and may be taken in the
way to the cottage of the Bishop of Bath and Wells, though by a
somewhat circuitous road, the direct way lying through the domain,
which stretches from east to west nearly half a mile. The latter
route claims also a great superiority over its more lowly neighbour in
point of view, running along the declivity of the hill instead of
traversing its bottom, and excites an additional interest in the mind
of the traveller by leading him through the potato patches which the
benevolent prelate has allotted to some scores of the labouring poor
of Banwell.
The lower road, however, has the advantage so far as regards the
approach to the cottage. Ascending to the entrance gate the eye
catches the northern face of the hill on which the house is built,
with all its rich embellishments, the Drudical circle and trilithon,
broad surfaces of verdant turf, parterres of flowers, clusters of
flourishing trees, and tasteful fancy structures of diversified form and
designation. The mansion itself stands midway on the slope of the
western extremity of one of the branches of the Mendip Hills,
sufficiently high to command a glorious view, and protected at the
same time by the acclivity at its back from the rage of the south-
Banwell. 219
western gales. Built at various times, its character has all that variety
which forms a prominent feature of the picturesque; but judgment
has directed fancy in all the additions, and improvement in comfort
as well as appearance has resulted from every successive enlargement
of the structure. . . .
Among the ornamental structures which decorate the ground in the
immediate neighbourhood of the cottage is one of a character
uncommon, but exceedingly interesting. The name of TO 02TEON
designates it as a receptacle of the bones found in the adjoining
cavern. Its form is an oblong oval, truncated at both ends, 22 feet
long by 10 feet wide in the swelling diameter; with a thatched roof,
a corridor around, and a front richly studded with spar and crystals.
The caverns, those most remarkable features of the cottage
premises, are contiguous to the house — the one containing the
animal remains, being not more than 40 yards from it, and the other
within 20 feet of the drawing-room window. Our guide to both these
natural curiosities was Mr. Beard, by whose sagacity the caverns were
discovered, and by whose indefatigable labour they have been
rendered convenient for public inspection. . . .
The Bone Cavern is attained by a succession of rude but not
dangerous steps extending to its floor, about 30 feet below the surface
of the soil above. The form of the interior is irregular, consisting of
two apartments and a deep descending recess, in which a large mass
of the bones, mingled with debris, has been suffered to remain in its
original confused state. On every side are piles of these animal
remains arranged in regular order. The floor, ceiling, and, if I may
use the term, the wainscoting of the cavern present faces of irregular,
solid and impenetrable rock, and the whole, when lighted up, would
form a sublime subject for such a magic pencil as that of Louther-
berg.* VICTOR.
Bath.
[1752, p. 257.]
The accompany ing sketch represents the monument on Lansdowne,
near the city of Bath, erected in memory of Sir Bevel Granvile, who
was there slain July 5, 1643. On the north tablet (in addition to
some memorial verses) is the following inscription :
" To the immortal memory of his renowned and his valiant Cornish friends who
conquered dying in the royal cause July 5, 1643, this column was dedicated by the
Hon. Geo. Granvile, Lord Landsdowne, 1720. Dulce est pro patria mori."
On the south tablet is inscribed an extract from Clarendon's
account of the battle ; on the west side are trophies of war ; on the
east the king's arms and those of Granvile.
See Preface to Rev. W. L. Bevvies' poem on "Banwell Hill," p. xxix.
220 Somersetshire.
[1790, Part I., pp. 22,23.]
The view of Bath at a distance is splendid. But the entrance
from the South Bridge leads into the narrow, irregular streets of the
old city. Stall Street, which is a great thoroughfare into the High
Street, is extremely inconvenient from its narrowness ; and the same
remark may be made of a very considerable part of the way from the
South Bridge to the London Road.
In the more ancient part of Bath many of the houses resemble the
old ones in London, having the upper stories awkwardly projecting
over the lower ones. But it must te observed, to the credit of the
inhabitants, that when there is occasion to rebuild they adopt a better
style of architecture. Most of the inns are in this part of the town.
The north and north-western parts of Bath exceed every city or
town in the kingdom in the magnificence of their private buildings.
The Circus, the Royal Crescent, the New Crescent (which is yet un-
finished and stands on a hill above the former), Catharine Place,
Portland Place, and many other ranges of stone buildings make a
splendid figure.
The most elegant street, towards the centre of the town, is Milsom
Street, in which are two banks — the Bath Bank and the Somersetshire
Bank. To the westward the most striking buildings are Queen
Square and the Queen's Parade. The North and South Parades are
elegantly built and pleasantly situated near the Avon, with spacious
terrace walks in the front of each.
For the better accommodation of bathers an elegant structure is
now erected near the King's Bath to the south-west of the Pump Room.
Not far from this spot is the cathedral of Bath, usually styled the
Abbey Church.* The west front of this church exhibits some
curious carvings of statues and other figures. It is upon the whole
a magnificent pile, and is constructed with more uniformity than is
generally observable in ancient collegiate churches. The monuments
are very numerous in the north and south aisles.
The Guildhall is a very handsome edifice, situate in the High
Street. It was built in 1786. The market, which is very com-
modious, extends along the sides and at the back of this hall.
That rage for building which is so prevalent in this town has
spread to the east side of the Avon. A new town as it were is now
rising to the eastward of the bridge built a few years ago over this river
by Mr. Pulteney. This bridge has small well-built tenements on each
side, from one end to the other. C. C.
[i77o, pp. 512,513.]
In the Abbey Church at Bath, called St. Peter and St. Paul, is a
monument of curious antiquity, erected to the memory of Dr. John
* See Gentleman s Magazine, vol. liii., p. 213.
Bath. 221
Felling, a rector of that church ; it bears the following Latin inscription,
which lor its peculiarity I have transcribed :
"[Non mihi sed Ecclesise.]
' ' Reverendo Johanni Pellingo in Sacra Theologia Baccalaureo, qui tredecim
annos huic praesuit Ecclesiae Dicatum.
" Lector habes stantem Pellingum umbone loquentem
Et tamen hie situs est, hie jacet ille loquens,
Scilicet urbis amor voluit sic stare loquentem,
Quod jacet hie, orbis, quod tacet, esto dolor,
Alter erat Solomon, nam quot consumpserat annos
Ille perando Dei, hie tot reparando domum.
Cujus et exemplo, verbo, conamine, cura,
Hujus qui novus est, emicat sedis honnos.
Per quem sic claves, per quern sic enses refulgent,
Petre tuum meritum Paule teneto tuum,
Sistitur umbra viti sed in hoc, cum possidet ipse
Templum, quod dominus condidit ipse deus."
TRANSLATION.
" Sacred to the memory of the Reverend John Pelling, Batchelor of Divinity,
who for thirty years presided over this church.
" Reader, behold present to thy view the effigies of that orator Pelling, whose
remains are here interred. The love bore him by the city willed the erection of
this monument, and that he no longer exists claims an universal grief. In his
behaviour he acted like another Solomon, for as many years as the one laboured
towards building, the other for so long a time was no less diligent in repairing a
Temple in honour to the Deity : by whose example, assiduity, and care, the beauty
of this church so splendidly appears. It was thro' him those emblematical signs of
honour — the keys and sword — now decorate this mansion. The former meritoriously
ascribed the ensign of St. Peter, the latter, the no less honourable badge of St. Paul.
His fragile part of mortality is contained within this earthly tabernacle, whilst his
most pure and eternal essence inhabit that Temple, the work only of God Himself.
Buried the I5th of Feb., 1620."
Repaired and beautified by Dr. John Pelling, Rector of St. Anne's,
Westminster,. Anno 1738.
[1783, pp. 213, 214.]
Subjoined is a table of persons for whom monuments have been
erected in the Abbey Church at Bath . . . perhaps no one parish
church contains a greater variety of interments, on account of the
general resort to Bath from all parts of the British dominions.
The ancient Abbey of Bath, dedicated to St. Peter, was (it is said)
founded by King Offa in 775, and was frequently repaired and
augmented till Dr. Oliver, Dean of Windsor, began the present pile
of building in 1459, which, however, was not finished till the year 1612.
Since the Reformation, this church has undergone three considerable
repairs. First, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, by the city of Bath,
with the assistance of a general collection throughout the kingdom.
Secondly, the south part of the cross aisle and the tower, as they now
stand, were rebuilt at the expense of Thomas Bellot, Esq., the Lord-
Treasurer Burleigh, and other benefactors; and, lastly, Dr. Mountague,
222
Somersetshire.
when Bishop of Bath and Wells, contributed largely towards com-
pleting this church, in the middle aisle of which he lies interred.
TABLE OF MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS.
Alchornus, Edward, S.T.P. 1652
Alleyne, Hannah, Barba-
does - - 1762
Asty, Elizabeth, Herts - 1736
Avery, William, London - 1745
Aubery, Edmund, Wells - 1757
Baker, William, D.D. - 1732
Baker, Sir William, Knt.,
London - 1770
Bave, Rebecca, Bath - 1725
Bave, Samuel, M.D.- -1668
Barnes, Bartholomew - 1607
BelMngham, John, Sussex - 1577
Beddingfield, Hon. Lady,
Norfolk - 1767
Billings, Frances, Bath - 1728
Billings, John, Bath - - 1732
Bostock, Richard, M.D.,
Salop - - 1747
Bosanquet, Jacob, London 1767
Blanchard, James, Somer-
set - 1690
Bramston, Diana, Essex - 1725
Brocas, Thomas, South-
ampton - 1750
Brocas, Mary, Southampton 1775
Brown, Nicholas, Northum-
berland - 1762
Butt, John Marten, M.D. - 1769
Busby, Ann, Oxford- - 1751
Bushell, Hester, Bath - 1671
Bushell, Tobias, Bath - 1694
Callis, Admiral Smith, Bath 1761
Chapman, Richard, Bath - 1572
Chapman, William, Bath - 1627
Chapman, Peter, Bath - 1602
Chapman, Susannah, Bath 1672
Chapman, Walter, Bath - 1729
Clavering, Elizabeth, Dur-
ham - - 1763
Churchill, Governor - - 1745
Clements, William -
i75°
1762
1764
1764
1757
J759
1759
i6i6
1736
1739
1746
- '753
- 1768
Cornish, Susanna, London
Cowper, Rebecca, Herts -
Coward, Leonard, Bath -
Coward, Elizabeth, Bath -
Crowle, David, York
Cunliffe, Margaret, War-
w ick
Currer, Sarah, York -
CullifTord, Robert, Dorset -
Dunce, Samuel, London -
Durell, Adv. Gen. of Jersey
Dixon, Abraham, Northton
Dixon, Alice, Northton
Darell, John, Surrey -
Darell, Catherine, Surrey -
Duncombe, John - - 1747
Elletson, Governor of Ja-
maica - - - 1775
Ernele, Walter, Wilts. - 1616
Fenwick, Jane, Northum-
berland - - 1769
Fielding, Sarah - - 1761
Finch, Anne, Essex - -1713
Ford, Richard, Bath - - 1733
Ford, Eleanor, Bath - - 1732
Frampton, Mary, Dorset - 1698
Frowde, Sir Philip, Knt.,
Dorset - - 1674
Gee, Roger, York - - 1778
Gethin, Dame Grace, Ire-
land - - 1697
Gordon, George, Aberdeen 1779
Goodfellow, Charles, Lon-
don - 1728
Godfrey, Charles, Oxon - 1714
Greye, Elizabeth, North-
umberland - - 1752
Grieve, Elizabeth - - 1758
Gunson, Richard, London 1762
.Gwyn, Elizabeth - - 1756
Gyare, Elizabeth - - 1688
Gyare, Mary - - - 1714
Bath.
223
Heath, William, Bath - 1607
Henshaw, Jonathan, Bath - 1764
Hobart, Dorothy, Norfolk - 1722
Hughes, Admiral - - 1774
James, Charles, D.D., Glo-
cester - - 1695
Jernegan, Sir John, Bart.,
Norfolk - - 1737
Jesup, Edward, Essex - 1770
Isham, Susanna, Northton - 1726
Ivy, Sir George, Knt, Wilts. 1639
Ivy, Dame Susanna, Wilts.
Kelly, Elizabeth, Ireland - 1561
Kingston, Anthony, Bath
Lamb, John, Jamaica - 1772
Legh, Calverly, M.D. - 1727
Leman, Dorothy - - 1709
Leyborn, Robert, D.D. - 1759
Leyborn, Rebecca - - 1756
Lloyd, Evan, Flints. - - 1728
Lister, Martha, Line. - 1725
Lowther, Catherine, West-
moreland - - 1764
Lowther, Robert, West-
moreland - - 1744
Madan, Col. Martin (see
P- 152) - i756
Maplet, John, M.D. - - 1670
Maplet, Anne - - 1670
Mason, Robert, Kent - 1662
Matthews, Anne, Stafford - 1742
Martin, Thomas, Devon - 1627
Masham, Dame Damaris,
Essex - - 1708
Montague, Bishop of Win-
chester- - 1618
Morris, Thomas, London - 1763
Morrison, Elizabeth - - 1738
Molyneaux, Diana, Notting-
hamshire - - 1750
Meredyth, Col. Henry, Ire-
land - - 1715
Nicolls, Maria, Northton. - 1614
Norton, Col. Ambrose,
Somerset - - 1723
Ogle, John, Northum. - 1738
Oliver, William, M.D.,
Cornwall - - - 1716
Parker, John, Lane. - - 1761
Pearce, John, Bath - - 1672
Pedder, James, Jamaica - 1775
Fellings, John - - 1620
Pennington, Lady, Cumber-
land - - 1738
Pipon, Thomas, Jersey - 1735
Pierce, Elizabeth - - 1671
Philips, Sir Erasmus, Bart,
Pembroke - - 1743
Phelips, Robert, Lane. - 1707
Poole, Serjeant, London - 1762
Porter, Catherine, Surry - 1779
Pringle, Margaret, Scotland 1728
Price, Elvedale, Denbigh - 1764
Piper, Granville, Cornwall - 1717
Quin, James - - 1764
Roebuck, John, York - 1767
Reeve, Mary, London - 1664
Rice, Griffith, Carmarthen 1729
Robinson, Luke, York - 1776
Rossey, Rebecca, York - 1765
Rossey, James (the Trage-
dian), York - - 1769
Sanderson, Col. Robert,
Ireland - *744
Saunders, Erasmus, D.D. - 1775
Schutz, Elizabeth - - 1765
Scarfe, Elizabeth, Cornwall 1747
Shadwell, John, M.D. - 1747
Sherwood, Maria - - 1612
Sherwood, Henry • - 1620
Simpson, Joseph - - 1755
Simpson, Mary - 1755
Stacey, Richard, Westmin-
ster - - 1714
Stapylton, John, York - 1750
Stewart, Brig. General - 1736
Stibbs, John, Bath - - 1708
Sowerby, Ralph, Northum. 1765
Southouse, Henry, London 1700
Southouse, Thomas, Lon-
don - - 1716
Sutton, Robert, Nots - 7751
224
Somersetshire.
Swanton, Jane, Bath - - 1696
Swinburne, Sir John, Bart.,
Northum. - 1744
Taylor, John, London - 1711
Thompson, Lucy, Salop - 1765
Townshend, Hon. Edw.,
Dean of Norwich - - 1765
Tumor, John, Line. - - 17 19
Venner, Tobias, M.D. - 1660
Waller, Lady Jane
Wahup, Margaret, Westm. 1718
Waldo, Elizabeth, Middle-
sex - 1763
Wall, John, M.D., Wor-
cester - - 1776
Wally, John - - 1615
Ward, Edward, Northum.- 1777
Watts, Robert, York - - 1739
Webb, John, Gloucester - 1745
Webb, Hon. Elizabeth,
Gloucester - - 1772
Wentworth, Hon. Lady,
York - - 1706
Winkley, Elizabeth, Lane. - 1756
Wiltshire, Anne - 1747
Woolmer, Edward, Bath - 1721
Woolmer, Susanna, Bath - 1752
Wyvill, Sir Marm. Asty,
York - - 1774
B.
[1789, Part /.,/. 189.]
In addition to the alphabetical list of monumental inscriptions in
the Abbey Church at Bath, I send you the following names of persons
for whom monuments have been erected in that abbey since the
year 1782 :
Died A.D.
Boothby, Sir William, Bart. - - 1787
Buck, Dame Anne - - - 1764
Canning, Letitia, Ireland - - 1786
Clootwick, Jane - - - 1786
Gresley, Sir Nigel, Staffordshire
Grenvill, Hon. Henry
Houston, Sir Patrick, Scotland
Jones, Loftus, Ireland -
Leigh, Michael, Ireland -
Millar, Lady, Bath Easton -
Moutray, John, Scotland -
Nagle, Mary, Ireland
Howe, Elizabeth, Somersetshire
Stonor, Lucy, Bath -
Temple, Sir Richard, Bart. -
Wharton, William, St. Kit's -
Webb, Mary, Yorkshire
- 1787
- 1784
- 1785
- 1782
- 1782
- 1781
- 1785
- 1784
- 1779
- 1782
- 1786
- 1784
- 1786
[1785, Part //.,/. 523.]
In the Abbey Church of Bath is the following inscription :
*' H. S. I. Dorothea et Maria, Filiae perambiles Johannis Enys de Enys in com.
Cornub. arm. Obiit Maria, Nov. i, 1775, get. 21 ; Dorothea, Jan. 30, 1785, aet.
30. Hoc. inane munus Hoc desiderii (exiguum licet) testimonium Fraternus amor
L. M. P."
Bath. 225
[1786, Part L, p. 99.]
In the north transept of the Abbey Church, Bath, is the following
inscription :
"Underneath this lie the remains of the rev. GUYON GRIFFITH, D.D., who
departed this life Jan. I, 1784, aged 54."
In the nave :
" Here lieth the body of ANNE, the wife of SAMUEL BUSH, of this city,
apothecary, who died the 24th of July, 1744, aged 52. Here .also lieth the body
of the said SAMUEL BUSH, Alderman and twice Mayor of this city, who died the
4th of March, 1784, aged 91."
[1799, Part //.,/. 1127.]
The subjoined epitaph to the late Sir William Draper, which is
inscribed on a mural tablet in the south aisle of the Abbey Church
at Bath, will not, perhaps, be unacceptable to his numerous friends
who may not have seen it in its original situation :
" H. S. E. Vir summis cum animi turn corporis dotibus eegregie ornatus
GULIELMUS DRAPER, Balnei eques : in schola Etonensis educatus, Cull, deinde
Regal. Cantabrigise et alumnus et socius ; quorum utrumque tam moribus, qnam
studiis honestavit. Altiore tamen a Natura ingenio prseditus, quam ut umbratili in
academiae orio diletescens ad militiae laudem se totum contulit : et in diversis
Europse Asiseque partibus stipendiis meruit. In India Orientali, A.D. 1758,
exercitui regio imperavit ; obsessamque a Gallis S'ti Georgi arcem cum diu foriiter
defendisset, strenua tandem facta eruptione, hostium copias, capto legionis prsefecto,
repulit. Flagrante postea Hispaniense bello, anno 1762, expeditione contra Manillas
auctor idem et dux fuit. Quibus expugnandis, dubium reliquit Britannise nonu n
virtute magis an dementia insigniverit. Vale, dux acer ! Vir mansuete liberalis,
vale ! Hoc sidum tuarum virtutum Ipectatseque a pueris amicitiae, posteris
exemplar tradam. — C. A.
"Obiit Jan. A.D. 1787, setat. 66."
C. K.
[1808, Part I., p. 320.]
We have received the following account of some stone coffins
which have been recently discovered in digging foundations for a new
house at St. Catharine's Hermitage, near Bath, late the property of
Philip Thicknesse :
The first was found below the walls of the old building, its head
to the north-east, and in it was a complete skeleton, very perfect,
above six feet long ; close to the bones of the feet were a number of
iron rivet-nails, some held together by a substance like thin plates of
iron, the nails in general half an inch to the point, turned back, and
set very close together where a whole piece was found ; there was no
coin, but many small fragments of black pottery, and a few long nails
mixed with the earth found in the inside of the coffin. On the out-
side of the cover on the right hand lay a skeleton, its head to the
feet of the other, the bones of a very large size; near were some
remains of a jaw, etc., of some animal like a horse.
The second coffin was several feet deeper in the ground, the head
to the south-west, of the same length, but much broader and thicker ;
VOL. xxn. 15
226 Somersets h i re.
extended on the cover was a skeleton of a very large size, with the
handle of a sword and part of the blade, all of iron, much corroded ;
there is a guard to the handle, like a cutlass. A small flat piece of
iron was also found, resembling a coin, but no impression of any
figure to be made out. On taking off the cover, the inside was quite
full of a smooth yellow clay, which appeared to have been lately in a
liquid state ; on removing this, was found the skull and the greatest
part of the bones, entirely decayed ; at the feet were the same kind
of iron rivets, but no pottery. Whether these pieces of iron belonged
to certain armour worn on the feet and legs, or were a kind of
sandal, we are perfectly at a loss to guess. Why the heads should
lie in different directions, and what was the meaning of bodies being
buried on the outside of the coffin, we are equally unfit to determine.
In this small spot of ground a number of coffins have been formerly
dug out, and it is probable that several more will be found in the
course of levelling the hill.
[1834, Part L, pp. 213-215.]
The Abbey Church of Bath is now undergoing some very extensive
repairs. During several mayoralties, and particularly those of William
Clark and Joshua Phillott, Esqs., some gentlemen of the Corporation
happily conceived, and put into execution, the idea of discumbering
the edifice of those unsightly buildings which were placed against it,
as well as the accumulation of soil and stones by which its basis had
long been hidden. In the course of this process the workmen
unexpectedly opened, under the eastern buttress, part of the shafts
and the bases of four columns, upon which the original superstructure
was evidently laid : and they also discovered indications of a more
continued line of architectural elevations, evidently the portions of an
original and extended building.
Their plan was lately extended to the removal of the houses at the
bottom of the High Street, or Market Place, thus opening a view of
the whole north range of the church. Soon after this determination,
large sums of money were voted by the Corporation for various works
about the exterior of the abbey, and for removing the clock, which
by its weight endangered the tower, and by its great diameter and
bulk much injured its beauty and architectural proportions. This
has been effected, and the dilapidations creditably repaired, under
the care of Mr. Manners as architect. A new illuminated dial, of
about 7 feet diameter, is to be placed in the centre of the gable end
of the north transept.
In the works on the north and south aisles of the choir an im-
portant restoration has been made. Those aisles were covered with
leaden roofs in 1520, denuded thereof about 1539, and supplied in
1558 with the late heavy parapet wall, and stone and wood roofs, in
the form of a A, one side of which, leaning against the clerestory
Bath. 227
windows of the choir, caused them to be deprived of their glass, and
built up with stone, to the height of 5 feet, and the other rested
upon the ponderous parapet wall, which obscured the fine bases and
proportions of the elegant flying buttresses. These heavy parapet
walls have been partly removed, and the stone blocking up the
windows taken out and replaced with glass, and the roof covered
with lead, which is placed in the identical grooves of the lead roof of
1520. It is also proposed to take down and lower the present stone
and wood roofs of the transepts and choir, which have a higher
elevation than the original lead roofs removed in the time of
Henry VIII., and now injure the proportions of three sides of the
tower.
Few who have visited Bath Abbey will forget the handsome
carving of the great west doors, which were a contribution to the
works of Bishop Montagu, in 1617, from his brother, Sir Henry
Montagu, Chief Justice of the King's Bench. These carvings have
been repaired by Mr. James Jones, of Bath, and a brass plate, com-
memorating the circumstance, placed inside one of the shields. It
is remarkable that during his labours a number of musket-balls were
extracted from the wood.
The repairs of the interior have commenced with the oratory of
Prior Bird, where the principal requisites are the abstersion of the
elaborate carvings from numerous coats of cchre, and the removal of
various monuments from the mullions of its graceful windows. This
portion of the repairs has been undertaken by private subscrip-
tions, under the care of Mr. -Edward Davis, architect, of Bath, the
estimated expense being ^250, of which the greater part has been
subscribed. It is a remarkable and gratifying circumstance that the
names of the contributors will be preserved in the same " Codex
Parochianus " by which those of the seventeenth century have been
handed down.
The arrangement of the monuments throughout the building is
also in contemplation, including the "cropping off their ridiculous
excrescences, in like manner as has been effected in Winchester
Catheral," a measure certainly desirable where they block up windows
or deface architectural features, but in which, for the sake of family
history and family feelings, we would suggest the most considerate
judgment and cautious attention to the workmen.
The repairs, and the plans for repair, had proceeded so far when a
few weeks ago some questions arose whether the buttresses of the
church should or should not, in propriety, be surmounted with
pinnacles, whether a pierced parapet should be added to the aisles,
and whether a flying buttress, similar to those at the east end, should
be erected on each side of the western turrets, in order to give a
finish and connection to all parts of the west front . . .
Bath Abbey is in the latest period of Pointed architecture, nearly
2 2 8 Somersetsh ire.
coeval with the chapels of King's College, Cambridge ; St. George's,
Windsor; and that of Henry VII. at Westminster; but, although it
possesses the general features of the style in which they are, it is
itself simple and unadorned, almost to plainness. It is evident, from
the composition, that pinnacles were never intended on the buttresses
of the aisles at Bath ; and St. George's, at Windsor, is without them
in that situation. The flying buttresses carry the composition up-
ward, without that interruption, much better ; but it would accord
alike with good taste, and with the authority of numberless examples,
to terminate the buttresses on the walls of the nave and choir with
pinnacles. The proposed cutting away of the heads of the flying
buttresses against the walls of the nave is itself a barbarism, but the
restoration is infinitely worse : it would break up the composition,
and tend much to destroy the abbatial, or even metropolitan, char-
acter which the flying buttresses tend to give the edifice. The pro-
posed pierced and machicolated parapet is certainly in conformity
with the style of the period, but totally at variance with the plain and
simple guise which it assumes in this edifice, and for which it is so
highly valuable.
[1844, Fart /.,/. 246.]
The first subject in the accompanying plate represents one of the
turrets at the west end of Bath Abbey as they appeared before the
late changes, when pinnacles were substituted for these turrets.
Bathampton.
[1804, Part //., /. 621.]
The enclosed drawing (Plate II., Fig. i), is taken from a figure
placed in a niche in the east outside wall of Hampton Church, near
Bath. AN ANTIQUARY.
[1841, Part //.,/. 304.]
A curious discovery has been made during the progress of works
for the Great Western Railway. The workmen, while engaged at
Bathampton, in the neighbourhood of Bath, found three skeletons,
two of which were lying side by side, while the third was within 6
or 7 feet of the others. In the breast of one of these skeletons was
discovered a ball of a pound and a half in weight, from which circum-
stance it has been presumed that the bodies were those of indi-
viduals who had fallen in some of the battles during the civil wars.
The ball is in the possession of a person in the neighbourhood of the
spot where these curious relics were found.
Box.
[1830, Part //., /. 224.]
There overlooks the valley of Box a brow of an extensive plain,
called Kingsdown Hill, from the summit of which the eye is carried
Box. 229
to an immense distance, both eastward and westward. The brow is
in shape like one side of an immense artificial mound, and in appear-
ance is not unlike a vertical section of a cone, or it may be described,
indeed, as being somewhat similar to the human nose, projecting
from the lofty plain above, and sloping gradually downward to its
base.
This elevated spot is about five miles from Bath (Aqua Solis, or
Sulis), and is nearly in a direct line between this city and Abury ;
not, indeed, within sight of Bath, but directly in view of that lofty
conical mound-like eminence rising above this city on the eastward,
which is still so singularly called " Little Salisbury, or Sulisbury,"
and which probably bore formerly the same religious relation to the
Temple of Sul (Apollo) at Bath, as the lofty eminence of Old Salis-
bury did to the venerable temple of Stonehenge in the plain below.
Bruton.
[1789, Part 1 7., pp. 800, 801.]
Bruton, a small town in Somersetshire, stands in a small valley,
through which runs a small stream, over which are two small bridges.
That part of the street which is opposite to the church is tolerably
wide ; it is narrow afterwards, and the houses in general are mean.
There are two silk mills, in which a good many people are employed.
There is a neat almshouse, founded by Hugh Sexey, Esq., auditor
to Queen Elizabeth and King James I., as an inscription under his
bust informs. It consists of a small quadrangle, the south side of
which is occupied by a chapel and hall, under which is a schoolroom
fur twelve boys, who are clothed and educated for two years, and
then put out apprentices with two suits of clothes. Neat apartments
for four men and four women take up the rest of the building ; the
former have 55. a week, the latter 45. 6d., a gown and coals. The
minister of the parish reads prayers every day, and preaches once a
month, for which he has ^20 a year.
On the other side of the stream, the south side of the churchyard,
stood the abbey, founded before the Conquest by Almerus, or
Algarus, Earl of Cornwall, for monks of the Order of St. Benedict ;
but they were changed into canons-regular by William de Mohun,
grandson of William de Mohun who came over with William I.
This William gave them the manors of Bruton and Bruham, and was
buried here.* On the Dissolution, the site of the abbey, the parson-
age, and the manor, were granted to Sir Maurice Berkley, from
whom it descended to the late Lord Berkley of Stratton. His heirs
sold it to Sir Richard Hoare, who married the daughter of Henry
Hoare, Esq., the maker of Stourhead. His son, the present Sir
Richard, has pulled down the greatest part of the house, and is ready
to sell the rest by the cart-load to any who want stone. . . .
* Dugd., " Mon.," vol. ii., p. 206.
Somersetshire.
A good deal of the abbey was rebuilt by William Gilbert, the last
abbot, not long before the dissolution. Over the north door of a
narrow passage which led to the church is a shield, carved in stone,
with arms (probably of the abbey, a chevron charged with three
roses) between the letters W. G. On each side of this door, in a
small niche, is a lion's head well carved. On the south side of this
entry is a shield, with a pair of shears open, the letter P between the
blades. This is said to be for Philip Shears, a former abbot.
The principal entrance seems to have been on the south side.
Part of the battlement over tiie gateway remains, and on it is a shield
with the letters p b, and something between them which I could not
distinguish. These few things, with part of the groin of an arch, and
some buttressed walls enclosing the stable-yard, seem to be all that
now remains of any antiquity marked by anything peculiar.
The late Lord Berkley of Stratton lived here in great hospitality,
and the poor had no reason to regret the discontinuance of the
abbot's alms; provisions were liberally distributed amongst them.
The rooms were fitted up with cornices of stucco of the taste of his
time, some of which are yet to be seen, and some of his numerous
mottoes are not quite defaced. One commemorates a visit paid him
by the Princess Amelia in 1767. One of his sun-dials remarks,
" Vestigia nulla retrorsum "; another calls on your attention with
" Indico utere." Over the remains of his study door, "Quid verum
atque decens euro et rogo, et totus in hoc sum." The garden is
turned into grass ground ; it was enriched with some noble trees, of
which a very few remain to show what their brethren were. An arch
over the road led to some ponds in the meadows on the other side,
by which were some walks. The little stream runs through these
grounds. The ground rising to the south of the house spreads into
not a large park. . . .
The church is that of the abbey, and built in that style. . . . Over
the altar is a pediment of stucco between two Corinthian pillars, and
the coved roof and the arch which separates the chancel from the
body of the church are filled with stucco ornaments. In this chancel
is a tablet for Captain Berkley, of the Tiger man-of-war, and another
for another of the family. . . .
In making some repairs or alterations a number of bones were
found, which were collected and deposited in the churchyard under
a marble, on which is the following inscription :
" Pulvis et ossa sumus cadaverum antehac jacentium in ossiario subadyto hujusce
ecclesiae sub hoc marmore condita jussu honorabilis C. Berkley, Anno 1743."
Abbot Gilbert is said to have resided in the town after the dissolu-
tion, to have died of a broken heart, and to have desired that he
might be buried just within the churchyard. His tomb, much
decayed, remains close to the wall at the north-west corner. In
Bruton. 2 3 1
rebuilding the churchyard wall a few years ago the workmen went so
near to his grave as to lay his skull bare.
The church consists of a nave, a north and south aisle, and a
handsome tower. The north aisle is said to be the oldest.
Charlton Musgrove.
[1813, Part //.,/. 641.]
I send you a brass plate with a figure coarsely engraved, which
is evidently designed for William. Prince of Orange, afterwards King
William III. The inscription, "Syr Konink Lecke Hoog Heyt,
etz.," from the information of a Dutch officer, ought to be " Syn
Koninglyke Hoog Heyt, etz.," and signifies "His Royal Highness,"
etc. The plate, with another with several whole figures (now lost), was
dug up in rooting an ancient tree near the churchyard at Charlton
Musgrove, near Wincaunton, in the county of Somerset, and was
probably a badge worn by some of the adherents of King William
during his progress from Torbay through the Western counties.
From the place and manner in which it was found, one might indeed
be led to conclude that it belonged to a fugitive from the battle of
Sedgemoor after the Duke of Monmoutlvs defeat; but I do not
recollect that the avowed partisan of \Villiam appeared publicly in
Monmouth's enterprise. T. R.
Chelvey.
[1833, Part //.,/. 209.]
The church at Chelvey in Somersetshire, a neat little building,
consists of a nave, chancel, south aisle, and well-built tower. In the
aisle, which belongs to the lord of the manor, is the manor pew,
enclosed by richly carved oak panelling, and the side wall is wrought
into three arched canopies, a specimen of which I have engraved on
wood. They are separated by square columns with crocketed heads,
and covered by contrasted arches feathered below and ending above
in finials, and they rise from bases of the character of table tombs,
the sides of which are sunk into arched panels beneath a band of
roses and a cornice moulding (see Plate II.).
This aisle might have been built by the Acton family, who held the
manor about the time of Edward III.
The cross and barn, of which I have also sent you engravings, are
still complete. The latter (see Plate II.) is a large and well-built
structure, supported by massy buttresses with a lofty porch projecting
from the middle, and a lower building, I suppose for stables, at the
end of it.
The court-house is now occupied by the fanner who holds the land.
The lord of the manor, C. K. K. Tynte, Esq., is the patron of the
living ; and the late incumbent, Dr. Shaw, once an associate of Dr.
Johnson's, was the author of a Gaelic Grammar and Dictionary, and
Somersetshire.
I believe one of the writers in the controversy about the authenticity
of Ossian's poems. W. BARNES.
Chilton Cantelo.
[1 865, Part II., p. 223.]
On visiting the church of St. James the Less, Chilton Cantelo,
Somerset, I found it in course of rebuilding in very good style, the
tower excepted. In pulling down the north transept of the church,
which dated circa 1480 to 1500, a very interesting wall-painting was
discovered, extending to about 16 feet in squares of varied subjects
about 28 inches high. It occupied the west, north and east walls,
and included the splays of a three-light Perpendicular window. The
first subject includes numerous well-drawn weeping figures, around
the death-bed of a female, whose disembodied soul, indicated by a
miniature figure, is received by our Lord, whose head is surrounded
by the golden nimbus. The second depicts a group carrying a
corpse — taken from the bed. The third, men carrying a bier by
poles on the shoulder, lamenting figures being depicted in the fore-
ground. The fourth, the body in swath-bands lowered into the
tomb, the officiating ecclesiastic arrayed in a mitre with a cross on
the apex. The fifth represents the Judgment, " Satan the Accuser"
in the corner. The sixth, the acceptance, an ascending body with a
rejected figure below. The seventh, the crowning the redeemed.
The groundwork of the whole is powdered with lilies in pairs ;
several of them, however, have the stem of the left-hand flower
opposite to the observer broken off. The paintings probably records
the domestic trials of the unknown founder of this transept and
chantry, in which probably the obit of his deceased wife was
solemnly observed. T. G. N.
Clevedon.
\i%Z*» PartL< pp. 359, 360.]
Clevedon Court, in Somersetshire, the seat of the Rev. Sir
Abraham Elton, Bart., is beautifully situated on the coast of the
Bristol Channel, about twelve miles from the city of Bristol. The
manor belonged to a family which used the local name from the
reign of Henry II. to that of Edward III,, and then passed by
heiresses through the names of Hogshaw and Lovel to that of Wake.
The first of the latter family here seated was Sir Thomas Wake, a
gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Edward IV. His descen-
dants were afterwards baronets, and from a junior branch of them
sprang William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1715-37.
Clevedon passed from the Wakes about the reign of Charles I. to
John Digby, Earl of Bristol, and from that family it was purchased by
Sir Abraham Elton, who was created a baronet in 1717, and who was
great-grandfather to the present possessor. . . .
Clevedon. 233
The court was built during the occupancy of the Clevedons in the
reign of Edward II. Its external design is remarkable for the
breadth and boldness of the porch and the long window, between
which is the only other window by which light is admitted on the
south side. The ancient chimneys and turreted pinnacles are
interesting specimens of their age. The kitchen was rebuilt in the
reign of Elizabeth, and possesses considerable merits ; its prevailing
ornaments are imitated from an older style — an example which was
neglected by the architect who was afterwards employed on the other
side of the building ; whilst, as if to prove that taste in architecture
could sink still lower, the west front was during the last century
rebuilt in the Chinese Gothic fashion.
The interior of the hall has been modernized, excepting the space
under the gallery, which, with the arches of entrance, retains the
original triple doorways leading to the kitchen and its offices. On
the northern side is a fireplace with a window immediately above it,
now filled with the royal arms of England, from Egbert to George IV.
On the western side of the hall is a carved stone doorway, conduct-
ing to the apartments on that side of the mansion through a wall of
great thickness.
The ancient portion still exhibits so solid and durable a character
that the external alterations which the building underwent in the
sixteenth century must surely be ascribed rather to a preference for
the style of architecture which belonged to the period first named,
and which was characterised by broad and lofty windows, with many
mullions, than to any decay in the strength of the original edifice, or
any deficiency in the dimensions of its apartments ; and this opinion
seems corroborated by the fact that the walls of the principal
members were not demolished, but only altered and perhaps a little
heightened, and the singularly formed pediments by which they are
surmounted were made to out-top the roof of the magnificent hall,
whose gable was never very prominent above the parapet. A far
more sweeping alteration was made on the side of the offices, which
were probably enlarged and extended on all sides beyond their
ancient limits; but age has rendered these venerable, and their
design is so handsome that they cannot be viewed without admiration.
J. C. B.
Congresbury.
[1828, Part J., p. 462.]
In pulling down part of an old farmhouse, the property of Mr.
Beaks at Brinzey, in the parish of Congresbury, Somerset, the
labourers lately found a small screw box containing 115 silver and
23 gold coins. The silver ones are groats of Henry V., two of them
struck at Calais, and the others at London. One of the gold coins is
the noble of Henry VI., on which the king, with his sword drawn in
his right hand and his shield on his left, is standing in the centre of a
234 Somersetshire.
ship to show that he was lord of the seas, with his titles round it.
Upon the reverse is a cross fleury, with lioneux, inscribed " JESUS
AUTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIUM ILLORUM IBAT " (Luke iv. 30). The
other is the recoinage of the noble by Edward IV., called the rial ;
it has the king in the ship, as usual, with a full-blown rose, the badge
of the House of York, on the side, and a square flag at the stern
with the letter E (Edward) in commemoration of his victory at
Mortimer's Cross. The reverse is distinguished by the sun, the
impress of Edward, and by him first introduced upon the coins. The
coins are in a state of high preservation.
Corscombe.
[1819, Part L, pp. 512, 513.]
Corscombe is a retired village near the borders of Somersetshire.
The surrounding country is hilly and rather romantic, being on the
verge of the Dorsetshire Downs ; it is enclosed and not altogether
destitute of trees, but the general aspect is rather cold and cheerless.
The village is small and on the side of a hill ; a narrow path
through a dell conducted us up a hill to Urles,* the house occupied
by Mr. Hollis. It faces the south-east, and is protected by some
trees, the situation being high and rather exposed ; behind the house
is a neat piece of water and a grove of fir-trees. It is a mere farm-
house now inhabited by a farmer ; it -is not large and apparently out
of repair. The part occupied by Mr. Hollis consists only of a small
low parlour, having a sash window and a chamber above, in which I
am told he died, though it appears from the account in his memoirs
that he died suddenly in one of the adjoining fields. The parlour at
present is not furnished. . . . Near the house is a field, in which are six
trees planted on mounds of earth. These are probably some of the
trees planted by Mr. Hollis and named after celebrated patriots ; he
was accustomed to name his farms and fields in like manner ; but
the farmer who now resides at Urles was not acquainted with the
circumstance and could therefore give no information on the subject.
The field in which he was buried is close to the house ; the parlour
window looks into it. Notwithstanding it was ploughed up at the
time of Mr. Hollis' burial, the exact spot of his grave is well ascer-
tained. According to the account of an old man now residing at
Corscombe, who remembers Mr. Hollis, it was near the centre of the
field, between a tree and a small rock ; and as the ground has sunk
down a trifle at one place there can be but little doubt on the
subject. The field has not been ploughed up since the time of his
death. It is large and open, surrounded by trees planted by Mr.
Hollis ; from the upper part of it are some fine views extending over
* A view of Urles Farm was communicated, in 1815, by its then owner, the late
Rev. Dr. Disney, to the new and greatly improved edition of Hutchins's " History
of Dorsetshire." — EDIT.
Corscombe. 235
the rich vales of Somerset. • The Dorsetshire Downs stretch away
behind. I believe the nearest market town is Beaminster. The
Disney family, who inherit the property, have never resided at
Corscombe. Mr. Disney, the present possessor, was High Sheriff for
Dorsetshire last year. The estates includes the whole parish of
Corscombe and part of Halstock. I. P. I.
Doulting.
[1796, Part II., p. 985.]
On the south side of the Mendip Hills stands the village of Doulting,
once noted as the residence of that pious abbot and saint, Adhelm,
the nephew of the wise and good king Ina. Adhelm died here in
709, and a chapel was erected to his memory. Near the spot where
this chapel stood is a fine spring of excellent water, enclosed in a
recess in an old wall, and which to this day is called St. Adhelm's
well. Passing by this spot not long since, I was induced to make a
sketch of this fragment of antiquity for the use of your magazine
(Plate I., Fig. 2). A. CROCKER.
Dundry.
[1830, Part /.,/. 105.]
The village of Dundry, in Somersetshire, is situated on a range of
hills, or rather one vast hill, 790 feet above the level of the sea,
which may be said to commence at Bedminster.
Its name is derived, says Collinson, from two Erse words, Dun
and Dreagh, signifying " hill of oaks," of which wood, no doubt,
there was plenty in former times.
The manor of Dundry was formerly united to that of Chew Magna,
and held by the Bishops of Bath and Wells, for a period of 500 years,
until the time of Edward VL, when it was alienated from the Church
and given to the Duke of Somerset, on whose attainder it reverted to
the Crown, and passed through several hands, until it came from the
Popham family to the Summers, who are its present possessors.
This village has been honoured with a most magnificent tower,
appended to a most insignificant church. But the former, which
was erected in the reign of Edward IV. is a landmark for an
amazing extent, and might probably have been originally intended
as such by the founder or founders, rather than as necessary for so
contemptible a structure as that which shrinks beneath it. A turret
crowns the north-east angle, and buttresses of eight gradations sup-
port three others. Four horizontal strings separate the height into as
many storeys, each of which contains pointed windows, with neat
mullions. The upper string, or cornice, has projecting grotesque
heads of animals on every angle but the north-east, and one over
each window to the cardinal points. The former support beautiful
pierced flying buttresses to the four lanterns or pierced turrets ; and
236 Somersetshire.
the latter octagon columns embattled. The rich effect of the whole
will be best exemplified by the annexed print (see Plate I.).
The south-west, or weather-sides of this fine tower, have recently
been thoroughly and judiciously repaired, by the substitution of
sound stones for those which were decayed.
From the summit of this tower is a fine view of Bristol, with its
numerous spires, contrasted with the more solid tower of the
cathedral. More to the left are the Crescents at Clifton, almost
overhanging the Hot Wells ; and below the picturesque rocks of St.
Vincent are occasional views of the Avon, bounded by the hanging
woods of Stoneleigh. Rather more to the west is Sir John Smyth's
elegant seat at Long Ashton, over which are seen the waters of the
Severn, bounded by the Welsh coast. To the south, the eye ranges
over a rich and varied country, including Alfred Tower, and the
luxuriant woods rising above Sir R. C. Hoare's seat at Stourhead ;
also Knoll Hill, near Warminster, with the noble plantations at
Longleat, belonging to the Marquess of Bath and the Duke of
Somerset at Maiden Bradley ; beyond which are the high downs of
Wilts and Dorset.
The body of Dundry church is of more ancient date than the
tower. The columns of the arches are plain and massive, and at the
west end of the nave is a small lancet window of the early English
era. The font is octagonal, with a large recess, and is enriched with
sculpture of an early age.
In the church is a monument to William Symes, gent., and several
of his successors. There are also memorials of the families of Tibbot,
Haythorne, and Baker, of Alwick Court ; and one to William Jones,
of Bishport, of whom it asserts, " that his natural abilities, unaided
by academical education, enabled him to refute, with uncommon
sagacity, the slavish systems of usurped authority over the rights, the
consciences, or the reason of mankind."
In the churchyard is a cross, with a tall shaft, having an orna-
mented head, nearly perfect, fixed on a high pedestal, on five rows
of steps. Near it originally stood an immense stone, of about 5 feet
cubic measure, which has been removed to the southern side or the
church. It is called the " Money Stone," and on it the poor have
been paid from time immemorial. North of the church are the
mutilated remains of an ancient stone coffin ; and contiguous is an
antique house, built by the Bishop of Bath and Wells for the resi-
dence of the officiating curate, but now converted into the parish
poorhouse.
Dundry contains 2,800 acres of land, 82 houses, 92 families, and
454 inhabitants. The living is a curacy annexed to Chew Magna.
A TRAVELLER.
Dim dry. 237
[1862, Part /.,//. 22, 23.]
On October 16 last the church of St. Michael at Dundry was
reopened, after having been almost completely rebuilt, under the
direction of a Bristol architect, by Bristol tradesmen. The splendid
and well-known tower, which is a celebrated landmark, as from its
great height (being built on the summit of a high hill) it can be seen
for a considerable distance out on the Atlantic, has been allowed to
stand, and has been restored internally, and a new ringing-loft pro-
vided. The church, which was in a ruinous state, has been entirely
taken down and rebuilt on an extended scale. The work, which has
been most creditably executed and has given general satisfaction, was
undertaken in great measure in consequence of the munificence of
the Rev. D. Boutflower, chaplain, R.N., who gave, it is said, ^600
towards it ; the remainder of the money (with the exception of about
;£ioo, which has yet to be procured) has been raised by rate and by
voluntary contributions. The cost entailed has been ^1,500. . . .
During the demolition of the old church some interesting relics were
discovered. The ancient stone pulpit Vas found embedded in the
wall ; and a figure, 3 feet high, supposed to be a statue of St. Michael,
much discoloured, was buried in plaster ; some old coins were also
picked up, among which was a Bath farthing of ancient date. The
old church was supposed to have been erected in the twelfth or
thirteenth century.
The restoration, or rebuilding rather, has been carried out under
the superintendence of Mr. S. B. Gabriel, architect, of Bristol. A
new aisle has been added on the south side, with piers and arches
corresponding with the old ones on the north side, which have also
been taken down and rebuilt. Such of the old windows as were in
good character have been repaired and reinserted in new walls, with
a new east window in the chancel. The floor of the church has been
raised 2 feet; the roofs are open and of red deal, stained and
varnished, with carved ribs and principals, filled in with tracery and
supported on carved brackets, representing angels with different
musical instruments. Open benches of pitch pine, varnished, have
been substituted for the old sleeping-boxes. The west gallery has
been removed, and the fine tower archway restored and thrown open
to the church. A new vestry has been built on the north side. The
pulpit is octagonal, and of Bath stone, with red Devonshire marble
shafts and freestone arches over — the panels filled in with sacred
monograms, and a statue of St. Michael in the centre one. The
chancel-arch is also supported on red Devonshire marble detached
shafts, and carved brackets representing two archangels. The roof
of the chancel is polygonal, of red deal boarding, stained and
varnished, with moulded ribs and bosses at the intersections — the
latter facsimiles of some old ones found in taking down the old roofs.
238 Somersetsh ire.
The font has been cleansed of innumerable coats of whitewash, and
is placed near the south porch. A new organ, with an open front and
one row of keys, by Bevington, of London, has been placed at the
east end of the north aisle, and the church warmed by Messrs.
Haden's apparatus. The altar-rails, brackets, and standards for
candles are of wrought-iron and brass foliage, made by Mr. Singer,
of Frome, and the carving was executed in a masterly style by
Mr. Henry Margetson, of Bristol.
On the day of opening the church presented a very tasteful appear-
ance, being decorated with flowers and evergreens, and having appro-
priate inscriptions in various parts. The altar-cloth, ministers'
cushions, etc., which were beautifully worked, were presented by the
Misses Shorland ; the altar-cloth was of blue velvet, with the mono-
gram "I.H.S." upon it. The altar-rails were presented by the Rev.
Prebendary Ommaney, who was formerly the incumbent of Chew
Magna-cum-Dundry ; but at his instance we understood the two
places were separated, the cure of Chew Magna remaining with the
Rev. Prebendary, and that of Dundry devolving upon the Rev. C.
Boutflower, who still retains it. There was a musical service, Mr.
Welsh, of All Saints', Margaret Street, London, presiding at the
organ, and the congregation was very numerous, including most of
the clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood, in addition to many who
came from Bristol and other towns.
Dunster.
[1808, Part 77. , pp. 873-879.]
Dunster, in the hundred of Carhampton, county Somerset, is
situate about twenty-five miles from Bridgewater, and three from
Minehead, on the margin of a rich and fertile vale, open on the
north to the Bristol Channel, which is one mile distant, but bounded
on all other sides by steep and lofty hills, rising one behind another
in grand succession. The chief of these are Gallox Hill, Grabice,
and the Conyger,* on which is a circular building, erected by the late
Mr. Luttrell, as an object from the castle.
In the time of the Saxon heptarchy it was a place of great note,
and was a fortress of the West Saxon kings. At this period, and for
some centuries after, it was called Torre (a fortified tower), but in
after days Dunestorre, in modern orthography Dunster, the mountain-
tower. At the Norman Conquest it constituted the head of a large
barony, and was given, together with no less than fifty-six manors or
vills in this county, by William the Conqueror to Sir William de
Mohun, whose descendants resided here in great feudal magnificence,
* The Conygre, or Rabbit Ground, was a common appendage to manor houses.
Gallox, or Gallows Hill, requires no explanation. I know not the etymology of
Grabice, anciently Grobfast.
DunsUr. 239
and possessed it till 50 Edward III., when the relict of Lord John
Mohun,* one of the firsts knights of the Garter, sold the reversion of
the barony, honour, and manor of Dunster, together with the manors
of Minehead and Kilton, and the hundred of Carhampton, to Lady
Elizabeth Luttrell, relict of Sir Andrew Luttrell, of Chilton, county
Devon, and daughter of Hugh Courtney, Earl of Devonshire. It
continued in the Luttrells till the last century, when Alexander
Luttrell, Esq., dying without male heir, left his estates to descend to
one sole daughter and heiress, Margaret, married to Henry Fownes,
Esq., of Nethaway, county Devon, who thereupon assumed the name
of Luttrell, and was father of John Fownes Luttrell, Esq., the present
resident at Dunster Castle, and M.P. for Minehead, of which he is
lord of the manor and chief proprietor.
The castle is a large and stately edifice, crowning a steep hill (still
called the Torr), at the south extremity of the principal street, and
commanding a fine view of the town, the sea, and the mountains of
South Wales. It is supplied with water from a spring, over which a
conduit is built, on the side of Grabice, which I presume to be the
Well of St. Leonard mentioned in ancient writings.! The planta-
tions, park, and surrounding scenery have distinguished claims on
the notice of admirers of picturesque beauty. . . .
During the Civil Wars Dunster Castle was garrisoned, and alter-
nately possessed by the Royal and Parliamentary forces. The
celebrated William Prynne, for defying Cromwell's authority and
refusing payment of taxes, was committed close prisoner to this place
July i, 1650, where he remained till January 12 following, and was
then removed to Taunton Castle. Whilst in confinement at Dunster
he wrote " Sad and serious Considerations touching the invasive war
against our Presbyterian Brethren of Scotland" (Wood's "Ath.Oxon.,"
vol. ii., p. 438). The town itself consists chiefly of two streets, the one
running in a north and south direction, formerly called the north but
now the Fore Street, the other branching westward from the church and
called the West Street. Other streets there are, but so much depopu-
lated as scarcely to deserve the name. The following often occurs in
old feoffments : St. Thomas Street, St. George Street, Church Street,
Water Street, Gallox Street, and the Bailey. The Fore Street is close
built, paved, and of a tolerable breadth, but blocked up in the middle
by an old market-cross and a long range of ruinous shambles.
Many of the houses are good, being built with wrought stone (of
these the Luttrell Arms, an excellent inn, is most conspicuous), but
the greater part are low, rough stone thatched buildings, with old
* There is a tradition that this lady obtained from her husband as much ground
for the commons of the town of Dunster as she could walk round in one day
barefoot.
f "Dimidiam acram terre subtus Grobbefast, juxta fontem Sancti Leonardi,"
51 Edw. III., " Seysinam in una acra terre arrbile in campis de Dunsterr, vocata
above ye town, prope fontem Sancti Leonardi." 14 Hen. IV. Deeds, penes W. H.
240 Somersetshire.
pent-houses over the doors and windows, and chimneys towards the
street.
The market is on Friday, and a fair is held on Whit Monday.
The following charter relates thereto :
"Sciant presentes et futuri, quod ego Reginaldus de Moyhun*
dedi, concessi, et hac mca presenti carta confirmavi, Hugoni Ron-
devin, et Roberto Luci, et Roberto Venatori, et Rogero Priver, et
Roberto Chipera, et Symoni Coc, burgensibus meis de Dunestor, et
heredibus eorum, habendi et in perpetuum possidendi de me et
heredibus meis, Nundinas et Forum in eoduin vico del Nord, libere,
et quiete, et integre, et sine remocione et impedimento, de me et
heredibus meis. Propter hanc autem donationem et concessionem de
me et heredibus meis, sibi et heredibus suis in perpetuum habendam,
dederunt michi predicti burgenses unum tunellum vini, de precio
quadraginta solidorum, in recognicionem. In hujus rei securita-
tem, huic scripto sigillum meum apposui. Hijs tebtibus, Domino
Johanne de Regn. Rogonef filio Symonis, Willielmo Everraddo,
Ricardo de Holne, Rogero Pollard, Roberto de Cogstane, Galfrido
de Kytenor, Galfrido de Lucumba, et alijs."
The seal of green wax (Plate II., Fig. i), bearing [gules] a dexter
arm, habited with a maunch [ermine], the hand holding a fleurs-de-lis
[Or]. The circumscription, SIGILL. REGINALDI . DE - MOVN.J
In the year 1801, the parish of Dunster, which comprehends the
vills of Avill, Stanton, Alcombe, and Marsh, contained 183 inhabited
houses, 36 uninhabited houses, 370 males (whereof 115 were em-
ployed in agriculture), and 402 females ; but at the beginning of last
century there were nearly 400 houses, and a large manufacture of
kersey-cloths,§ which is now wholly removed to other places. The
inhabitants have a tradition that 24 master-clothiers from hence, were
used to attend the fairs of Bristol and Exeter. Anciently, like other
places under Castle-ward, Dunster assumed the name of a borough ;
the burgesses whereof possessed certain lands and tenements, and
had a common seal.
29 Henry III. Richard the Bailiff of Dunster (Prapositus de
Dunetore] was amerced in the sum of io6s. 8d. for exporting corn
without license. ||
20 Edward III. it was rated to furnish three armed men for the
wars.U It sent Members to Parliament; but we retain the names of
only two of its representatives, viz., Walter Morice and Tho. Cartere,
who were returned 34 Edward III.
* Reynald de Mohun lived in the reign of John, and was succeeded by his son
of the same name, who died 41 Hen. III., 1256.
t Probably for " Hugone." % From the original, penes W. H.
§ The cloths called " Dunsters " are mentioned in several of the old statutes.
II Madox, " Echeq.," vol. ii., p. 559.
IF Rymer, " Foedera," torn. v. , p. 493.
Dunster. 241
John de Mohun* granted thefollowing charters f to the burgesses :
" Omnibus Johannes de Moyun, salutera in Domino. Noverit
universitas vestra me concessisse, confirmasse, et quietum clamasse
in perpetuurn pro me et hered. meis, omnibus burgensibus ville mee
de Donestorr et hered. eorum, omnes libertates ejusdem ville quas
Dominus Regenaldus de Moyun, avus meus, dictis burgensibus et
hered. eorum aliquando per cartam suam dedit et concessit, et sicut
ipsa carta in omnibus punctibus testator, sine aliqua calumpnia inde
de cetero facienda. Concessisse ecciam dictis burg, et hered. eorum
invenire annuatim ballivum unum ydoneum et fidelem, ad recipien-
dum, presentandum, et fideliter respondendum de attachiamentis
infra burgum factis. Et si idem ballivus qui pro tempore fuerit in
aliquo modo versum dominum vel dictos burgenses sive heredes
eorum deliquerit, ipse idem ballivus emendationem faciet domino
suo, secundum consuetudinem burgi, et loco suo dicti burgensi alium
ballivum ydoneum ad opus domini ponant. Pro hac autem conces-
sione, etc., dederunt michi dicti burgenses viginti solidos argenti pre
manibus. In cujus rei test, huic present! scripto sigillum meum
apposui. Hijs testibus ; Domino Johanne de Brytasch, milite,
Philippe de Locum, Ricardo de Cloudesham, Joh. de Holne, Galfr.
de Kytenare, Galfr. le Tort, Will. Everard, Will. Pyron, Rob. de
Laputte, et alijs."
"Omnibus Johannes de Mohun, Dorninus de Dunsterre,
salutem in Domino. Noverit univ. vestra me dedisse, concessisse
pro me et hered. meis, et omnibus alijs Dominis Custodibus Ballivis
de Dunsterre, omnibus Burgensibus ville mee de D. manentibus
imperpetuum, viginti Lagenas Cervisie de viginti et quatuor Lagenis
Cervisie prius michi debitis, de quolibet Bracino. Volo eciam et
concede pro me et hered. meis et omn. Dom. Custodibus et Ballivis
quibuscunque, quod de cetero non possimus capcionem de Bracino
alicujus in eadem villa facere nee habere, nisi quatuor Lagenas
Cervisie de Bracino sicud illas habuim. et consuem. a termino pre-
terito, et illas de Cervisia quam Ballivus invenit in vendicione die
quisicionis. [Warranty, contra omnes mortales.] In cujus rei test.,
etc. Hijs testibus ; Domino Henrico de Glaston, Milite, Rad. le
Tort, Galf. de Loccumbe, Will, de Kytenore, Will, de Holne, Rob.
Everard, Galfr. de Avele, et alijs. Data apud D. die Domin. prox.
post festum Purif. Beate Marie, anno regni Regis Edw. fil. Regis
Edw. septimo decimo."
" A tous Johan de Mohun, seyngnour de Dunsterre, saluz en
Deu. Sachez nous aver ressu de mes Burgeys de la vile de Dun-
sterre, Karaunte Lyveres, en les queus il me furunt tenus, pur les
prises de la vile aens vendus, des queus Karaunte Lyveres nous
conysum estre ben e leaumentes payes, E les avauntdiz Burgeys e
* John de Mohun died 4 Edw. III. 1329.
f From the originals, penes W. H.
VOL. XXII. 1 6
242 Somersetsh ire .
lour heyrs, a tous jours estre quites. En temonyance, etc. Done a
Dunsterre, la procheyn Lundy devaunt la feste Seynte Margarete, le
an du Reygne le Roy Edward, fiz le Roy Edward dys utyme."
His seal is shown in Plate II., Fig. 2, bearing [or] a Cross engrailed
[sable]. The circumscription, SI . IOHANIS . DE . MOVN.
PRIORY.
The first Sir Will, de Mohun erected a Priory of Benedictine
Monks, "yn the rootes" (to use the words of Leland) "of the N. W.
side of the Castle," and dedicated it to the honour of St. George.
Sir William, his son, was also a liberal benefactor. This priory was
annexed as a cell to the abbey of St. Peter at Bath, and consisted
only of four or five monks, besides the prior, who was generally sent
hither from Bath.* Rob. de Sutton was made prior October 24,
1332. William Bristow occurs 1411. John Henton, July 28, 1425 ;
and Thomas Brown, 1499 > which are all the names that can now be
recovered. Its revenues were valued in 1444 at ^30 135. 4d., and
in 1534 at ,£37 45. 9^d. The site of the house was granted, 34
Henry VIII., to Humphrey Colles, and the buildings are converted
into a farmhouse, which bears but little appearance of antiquity. An
ancient building, now a malt-house, is called the Nunnery ; but,
finding no account of such an institution, I am induced to think that
it was only part of the offices of the priory. May 29, 1788, the Hon.
Daines Barrington exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries a seal,
then lately found near Dunster Castle, representing a monk, in the
attitude of prayer before the Virgin and Child The circumscription,
PHILIPPI - SCELERA • D1LVE - XPIFERA. Presumed to
have belonged to one of the priors. (" Archaeologia," vol. ix., p. 369.)
•
THE CHURCH
is in the Deanery of Dunster, to which it gives name. It was
formerly vicarial ; the ordination is given in Collinson, but is now
a perpetual curacy, in the gift of Mr. Luttrell, who purchased it from
the Stawel family.
In 1292 it was valued at 12 marks. At present, Mr. Luttrell pays
the curate ^,"20 per annum, and Queen Anne's Bounty and surplice
fees produce about ^50 more.t
Collinson gives no succession of incumbents; and the following is
the best list I have been able to collect from the register, etc.
Richard de Keynsham occurs in a deed 13 Edward III., 13384
Robert - occurs in deeds 1369 and 13784
* This religious establishment at the beginning of the fifteenth century (as
appears from the curious inventory in your vol. Ixxv. , p. 920) consisted of a prior
and three monks. The five chaplains therein mentioned were probably the vicar
and chantry priests.
t From the information of the Rev. G. H. Leigh. J Penes W. H.
Dunster.
243
John Rice, buried September 27, 1561.
Christopher Williams, buried April 22, 1600.
1600. David Williams.
1603. Thomas Smythe, alias Smith, buried April 12, 1638.
1638. Robert Browne.
1642. Robert Snelling.
1 66 1. Richard Savin, alias Saffin.
1670. John Graunt, alias Grant, buried February 22, 1703.
1703. William Kymer.
1730. John Question.
1738. Jeremiah Davies.
1745. William Cox.
Robert Norris.
James Gould.
Richard Bawden.
William Camplin.
George Henry Leigh.
1756.
1759-
1773-
The register begins thus: "Dunster, Anno Domini 1598, quarto
die Augusti, Anno Regnse Do'nae n'ae Elizabethse Reg. quadragesimo.
A Register-boke, conteyning all the Weddings, Christenings, and
Burialls that nowe are to bee founde in the former Registers, sithence
the beginninge of her Maties raigne, which was the xvijth daie of
November, in the yeare of our Lord God 1559." Signed by
Christopher Williams, curate, and Thomas Dennis and William
Blackwell, churchwardens.
A.D.
Baptisms.
Burials.
A.D.
1575
27
15
1775
1600
33
20
1800
1625
36 -
34
1801
1650,
imperfect.
1802
1675
19
30
1803
1700
38
23
1804
1725
33
27
1805
175°
21
27
Baptisms.
Burials.
2O
18
16
9
15
10
22
14
21
12
18
13
I9
12
In 1697 were eighty-six burials, but no reason is assigned for this
extraordinary number.
In 1644 and 1645 are several entries of the burial of soldiers
from the castle.
February 22, 1735. Nineteen soldiers, a boy and two women,
with two children, were buried, having been drowned the day before.
The church is a beautiful pile of pointed architecture (Plate I.,
Fig. i), 1 68 feet long and 55 feet wide, being divided into parts by
the tower, which stands on four pillars in the centre. The tower is
90 feet high, embattled at the top with low broken pinnacles at the
corners, and contains a clock, chimes (which play the ii3th Psalm-
16— 2
244 Somersetshire.
tune at the hours of one, five and nine), and eight bells, the oldest
of which bears date 1668, and the newest 1782. The tower weighs
22 cwt.
It is the generally received opinion that the church was built by
Henry VII. in reward for the services of the Dunster men at the
Battle of Bosworth Field ; but I have reasons for placing its erection
at an earlier period, viz., about the latter end of the reign of Henry V.
or the commencement of the reign of Henry VI. William Pynson,
by his last will,* dated the Wednesday in the Feast of St. Valentine
the Martyr, 1419, bequeaths his body to be buried in the church of
St. George the Martyr at Dunsier, before the image of St. Christopher,
and 40 shillings towards the new bell tower and 20 shillings towards
one of the new bells, with 6s. 8d. towards the new rood-loft in the
said church [ad opus novi solarij Sancte Crucis in dicta Ecclesia] .
The date of the tower is more certainly known from a coeval agree-
ment found in the church a few years ago endorsed by a recent hand:
"The building of the Tower of Dunster in the 2ist year of the
reign of King Henry the Sixth, 1443. This building was undertaken
by John Marys of Stogursey, Somerset, and an engineer from Bristol,
to be completed in three years." The endorsement was copied at the
discovery of this curious document, but the agreement itself has un-
fortunately been mislaid. Mr. Luttrell, at my request, obligingly
examined his papers at the castle, but could not meet with it. The
part eastward from the tower was in 1499 appropriated to the use of
the priors and monks, and is now called the Old Church. It is stripped
of all its furniture and totally neglected, though it contains several
valuable monuments deserving of better care. On the north side is a
small chantry chapel and an ancient tomb (Plate II. , Fig. 4), whereon
lie the mutilated remains of two alabaster effigies of the Mohuns, and
in this little chapel may still be seen the original altar, a table of
stone, 4 feet 9 inches by 2 feet 6 inches, with a cross deeply cut in
the middle of the front edge on a base 2 feet 6 inches high. On the
south side is a stately mural monument of various kinds of marble,
whereon are recumbent the effigies of a man in armour and two
females, another man in a kneeling attitude and in a religious vest.
These are memorials of the Luttrell family. Under an arch below
lies another figure (Plate II., Fig 5); but I cannot agree with
Collinson, or his coadjutor Rack, who supplied the church notes, in
supposing it the monument of a domestic ; it is most probably the
"Image of one of the Everardes " mentioned by Leland (" Itin.,"
vol. ii., folio 62), and from him by Collinson, as having once been
there, but removed into the churchyard, whence it may have been
reinstated in its former situation. The historian of Somersetshire
here omits to notice the tombstone of Lady Elizabeth Luttrell
(Plate I., Fig. 2), and from an obscurity in Leland's account places it
* From the Probate, penes W. II.
Dnnster. 245
in the neighbouring Church of Carhampton, where it has no doubt
been often searched for in vain by the tourist and antiquary. It
certainly lies in Dunster Church, before the high altar, and is thus
inscribed :
pro a'i'a b'lu (Elizabeth luttrrdl que .obijt printer btc mcnsis
n0 b'm 4HC<K<HK ^Xomtgfsi'xr tmt0. — ^ttmc x'pc t* prtimus
miaem* xfs xjut to'isti rsbim's p'bitas n0lt fcampnare ttitttptt*.
The first division of the inscription is too obvious to need illustra-
tion. The latter clause may be read, " Nunc, Christe, te petimus
miserere : quesumus qui venisti redimere perditos, noli dampnare
redemptos."
On a mural monument is the following epitaph :
*' Hie jacent cineres Anna;, dilectse uxoris Francisci Luttrell, filise et heredis
Caroli Stucley de Plymouth, armigeri. Quam post breve sed felicissimum spatiuui
vitae conjugalis, mors immatura abstulit. Vixit grata amicis, benigna paupericus,
omnibus cara ; obijt omnibus deflenda, 300 die Octobris, 1731°, aetat. 23°, relin-
quens unicam filiam, spem et solamen Conjugis mcestissimi."
The part westward from the tower is that now used for Divine
service, and consists of a nave, chancel, and north and south aisles.
The chancel is divided from the nave by a truly rich screen of oak,
about ii feet high, formerly supporting the rood-loft, containing
fourteen arches of elaborate tracery, one of which is imperfectly repre-
sented in Plate II., Fig. 6. The upper part is painted white and
yellow, and has a very good general effect. The stairs leading to the
rood-loft are in a turret on the south side of the church, the doorway
now walled up.
On brasses in the nave :
1. "P. M. D. Hie intumulatus jacet Richardus Blackford, generosus ; obijt
2d° die Februarij, 1689, circiter annum 65 ?etatis suae.
" Siste gradum properans, et Mortem meditare ferocem,"
Non fugit Imperium ulla Corona suum.
Si Virtus, Probitas, vel Cultus mentis adornans,
Quemlibet armaret, non moriturus erat.
Clarus erat patriae legibus, sincerus amicis,
Nulla ferent talem sec'la futura virum."
Arms. A chevron gules between three estoiles of five points.
2. "Here lyeth the body of Mary Blackford (daughter of Rich. B., gent., and
Eliz. his wife) ; who departed this life the 22 day of June, 1669, and in the I2th
yeare of her age.
" Shorte was her life, longe was her payne,
Create was our loss, much more her gayne."
Other inscriptions on slabs in the nave for the following persons :
Mrs. Mary Parker, May 14, 1799, aged 87.
Betty, wife of John Clement, May 10, 1774, aged 37.
Henry Clement, March 13, 1704.
Mary Wilkins, February 5, 1798.
246 Somersetshire.
(On a brass.) Edward, son of William and Mary Sealy,
February 7, 1693, aged 3.
Justine, mother of William Sealy, April 5, 1695, aged 81.
Elizabeth, daughter of William and Mary Sealy, June 24, 1696,
aged 3.
Mary, wife of William Sealy, November 9, 1702, aged 44.
Mary, wife of Francis Chaplin, and daughter of William and Mary
Sealy, December 4, 1737, aged 57.
William, son of William and Mary Sealy, April 28, 1705, aged 23.
Elizabeth, daughter of Francis and Mary Chaplin, May 6, 1788,
aged 80.
Margaret Blake, August 25, 1792, aged 82.
Robert Giles, March 12, 1703.
Elizabeth, his wife, May 5, 1705.
Here is an ancient slab with a cross (Plate II., Fig. 7), also a brass
chandelier of eighteen lights, inscribed :
"Gaven by the late Jone Brewer, ten pounds two wards this branch. John
Hossum, Benj. Escott, Churchwardens, 1740."
In the south aisle is the brass represented in Plate II., Fig. 8, thus
inscribed :
" ©f j)0r rha.nte prajj fox the sonles of John SMjither **& aQn.es his ,
anb John ggipilter, iluir elbest *one, tohose hob"i>s gfresigrth unier this
stone anno b'ni Jttill'mo CCCCbcxxxtoijo pinnltimo Me stpte'Jnris -ejcpwtanb.0
seneralem rtsitrrnxonem mortuor' ti toita' sterna' amen."
On a brass (in capitals) :
" Anagr . amaror . amoris .
Hue . modo : tune illuc . passim . vestigia . flectes .
Ast . hie . in . ^Eternum . siste Maria pedem .
Ne dubites . dabitur quicquicj . deerat . tibi . virgo .
Despice . mortalem . conjuge . digna . deo .
" Here lyeth the body of Mary, ye daughter of John Norris, late Customer of
Minehead, who dyed 22 of March, 1673."
A slab for Nath. Ingram, March 17, 1749, aged 65; and two
ancient slabs with crosses (Plate II., Figs. 9, 10), the memorials
probably of some of the priors removed from the other part of the
church.
In the chancel is a large slab for
Prudence, daughter of Giles Poyntz, gent, and Anne his wife,
June 3, 1716, aged 19.
Mary Clark, wife of Luke Clark of London, and daughter of Giles
and Anne Poyntz, September 29, 1726, aged 32.
Elizabeth, daughter of Giles Poyntz, gent, May 24, 1729, aged 33.
Edward Poyntes, gentleman, July 29, 1583.
Other slabs for Elizabeth Sharp, July n, 1769, aged 55. Ann
Wheddon, daughter of Elizabeth Sharp, February 19, 1803, aged 66.
Elizabeth Bond, buried December 28, 1791, aged 93.
D unster. 247
George Rawle, October 15, 1799, aged 56; twenty-seven years
clerk of this church.
Over the communion table is a large indifferent painting of the
Crucifixion by a person formerly resident at Dunster. In the chancel
are three ancient chests, two of them strongly bound with iron.
The chalice bears the date of 1573; the king's arms 1660. On
glazed tiles in the chancel are a spread eagle, a fess between six cross
crosslets, three and three, birds and flowers, a lion rampant, a man on
horseback tilting with a lance, and many fragments with other
designs.* In the windows of the north aisle are some remains of
ancient stained glass, viz., the head of St. James of Compostella
(Plate I., Fig. 3), a small whole length of a king, the head defaced ;
the arms of Luttrell (Or, a bend between six martlets sable), and an
abbat's crozier with a scroll inscribed,
" eSl. bxnusteiTe abba* be diba "
(Plate I., Fig. 4). The name of William Seylake occurs in the list of
Abbats of Cleeve, communicated to Tanner's " Notitia " by Browne
Willis, and he was probably the same man deriving the cognomen of
" Dunster " merely from the place of his birth, a usual practice with
religious. The date of his institution being 1419, and his death or
removal 1421, is a very strong argument in proof of my conjecture
respecting the building of the church. The font is octagonal and
handsome, having on shields in quatrefoil recesses the monogram
IHS in a crown of thorns, sponge, and spear cross, hammer, and
pincers, hands, feet and heart alternately with double roses. If
these latter ornaments have any allusion to the union of the Houses
of York and Lancaster, we may presume that the bounty of
Henry VII. was applied to the furniture of the church, though not to
the building itself.
Over the west window of the south aisle, on the outside, is
" God save the King. 1624. MVXX." (i.e. 1520).
In the churchyard opposite to the west door is the pedestal and
shaft of an old cross on three steps, and a venerable yew of large
dimensions. A range of almshouses are seen in the view, but I could
learn no particulars of their foundation or endowment.
TRINITY CHANTRY.
7 Henry VII. , 1491. Giles Daubeney, Knt, Alexander Syden-
ham, Richard Sydenham, George Stukeley and others conveyed unto
Richard Baker, chaplain, sundry houses and lands in Dunster and
Carhampton on condition that whenever mass was celebrated at the
altar of the Holy Trinity, in the Parish Church of Dunster, he
should pray for the souls of Henry, Franke, Christina his wife, and
* In another part of the church I observed a tile, bearing a fess between three
crescents.
248 Somersets /i ire.
others, and for the faithful departed this life, and for the good
estate of the said Giles, Alexander, etc.
29 Henry VIIL, 1537. " The feofers off the Trynytye Chauntre "
granted to John Ryse, clerk, " ther full and hole power to receve the
p'fytts of the said Chauntre duryng the terme of xxij yeres " ; there-
with to repair the houses belonging to it, and to maintain "an
honest Chapleyn to say masse and to praye for the sowles of the
founders, feofers, and benefactors of the seid Chauntre."* The altar
of St. James the Apostle, the Chapel of St. Mary and the " wex
silver light " are named in ancient wills, etc., but the present article
has already so far exceeded the indulgences granted by Sylvanus
Urban to his correspondents that it must be here concluded.
P.S.— The seal (Plate II., Fig. 3) is of Thomas Bratton, of Bratton
in Minehead (Collinson, vol. ii., p. 31), who died 38 Henry VI.
The arms were anciently a chief indented, three mullets pierced, but
this seal gives a fess between the mullets. Circumscription :
"<SigilI. ^home. bntttxm."
WILLIAM HAMPER.
East Brent.
[1838, Part L,pp. 359, 360.]
One of the latest topographers of Somersetshire (Mr. Rutter, in his
" Delineations" of the county), says of this place that "East Brent has
been incorrectly supposed to have derived its name from having been
brent or burnt by the Danish invaders," adding in a note the follow-
ing etymology, which may certainly be considered more improbable :
" Celtice Briant, a name equivalent with law, the designation of
similar hills in the north of England ; the law having been anciently
promulgated to the people from these heights."
Any such promulgation of the '' law " from Brent Knoll, near
East Brent, or from Brent Tor on Dartmoor, is no doubt extremely
fanciful, if not absurd. And as for the Saxon hlcew, we have re-
marked that the word was in many cases, and perhaps in all, applied
to sepulchral mounds or barrows.
The derivation from burning is not so extravagant, for such, we
believe, is the authentic etymology of Brentwood, in Essex.
But with respect to the Somersetshire Brents — East Brent and
South Brent, and to Brentford in Middlesex, we find in both cases,
a river bearing the name. The Somersetshire Brent rises in Selwood
Forest ; and after receiving various smaller streams, falls into the sea,
near Bridgewater. It also gives name to a hundred, containing four
parishes, of which East Brent is one, but South Brent is in the hun-
dred of Stanborough. The district is marshy, and the manor belong-
ing to the abbey of Glastonbury is surveyed in Domesday Book
* From the originals, penes W. H.
East Brent.
249
under the name of "Brentemerse." At the taking of the Valor of
the possessions of Glastonbury Abbey in the year 1535, the manor
of South Brent was worth annually ^"80 i8s. 4^d., and that of East
Brent ^84 6s. yd.
There is also a South Brent in Devonshire, on the high road
from London to Plymouth, and Brent Tor on Dartmoor ; but no
river of the name is mentioned in connection with either of these.
The Manor of Brent, containing " ten hides," was given to the
Abbey of Glastonbury in the year 690, by Ina, King of the West
Saxons. An interesting account of the manor-house at East Brent is
given in the Terrar of Abbat Beere, made in the year 1503 ; it may
be translated as follows :
" There is there a manor suitably and handsomely built by John
Selwode, late abbat [from 1457 to 1493], containing a chapel, hall,
refectory (cxnaculum}, chambers high and low, buttery (promptu-
arium\ cellar, pantry, kitchen, larder, and a house to the south of
the kitchen called the woodhouse, with chambers above called Gisten
chambers (rooms for guests), and various other chambers, nobly
built ; and with a handsome cloister (porticu) with [blank] and arms,
and inclosed with sawed palings eight feet high ; whereof the site
with the garden within the pales contains an acre. Also in the
outer court there is a stable with a loft and hayhouse built by the
same abbat, whereof the site with the barton and pinfold (punfaldo)
contains three perches. Also to the north of the said manor-house
is an orchard, containing three acres one perch and a half, planted
by the same abbat with apple and pear-trees of the best kinds, of
which the fruit is generally worth 405. ; and in the circuit of the same
orchard are forest-trees, namely elms and oaks, growing to a wonder-
ful height and bulk, where the herons are wont to build and breed :
and the fuel thence arising is not estimated, because it is kept for
the store of the manor-house.
" And there are in East Garston eight acres of pasture and brush-
wood, lately belonging to the house called the Church-house; whereof
the bailiff is charged in the issues of the manor at 45. io|d. And
further, the brushwood and trees growing there are reserved to make
the flakes for the keeping up of the sea-walls.
" The wardens of the church goods hold a house called the
Church-house, and a piece of waste for archery butts, as appears by
a grant of the lord abbat."
This grant is then inserted in the Terrar ; from which it appears
that the Church-house stood on the north side of the churchyard,
being 36 feet by 20 wide, and had been granted by the late abbat
John Selwode in the 36th year of his rule, at the yearly rent of 4d.;
together with the site of another house then destroyed, measuring
37 feet by 30, for the enlargement of the said house, for which the
churchwardens were to pay another 4d. ; and for the waste-ground
250 SomersetsJi ire.
for archery, 2d. — in all, lod. ; for the lease of which for eighteen
years they paid a fine of 203.
Some curious customs follow respecting the services called
" Moundey-warkes," performed by the tenants called " Mondey-
men."*
The abbatial manor-house was taken down in the year 1708, and
the materials sold. This circumstance is recorded by a gentleman
then living,! who adds: "There were many monuments of the
monks or priors in the cloysters. I saw some lye about the church-
yard, covered with nettles and long grass, one of them at length —
a monk, as his tonsure shewed — another half-length or bust. Doctor
Westover, of Blackford in Wedmore, bought some of them, as I
was inform'd, for statues in his gardens." It appears more probable,
however, that these statues were architectural rather than sepulchral.
Rutter states that Mr. Harden possessed in 1829 an old triangular
chair, resembling that engraved in Warner's " History of Glaston-
bury," which was supposed to have formed part of the furniture of this
mansion.!
The Church of East Brent, which stands upon a rising ground, is
a handsome structure, manifesting the care and taste of its patrons,
the abbots of Glastonbury. It measures 114 feet in length and 50 in
breadth, and consists of a nave, chancel, north and south aisles, all
covered with lead. At the west end is a quadrangular tower, 80 feet
high, whereon is a spire rising to the height of 60 feet. In front of
the tower are three niches, one above the other. In the upper one
is an effigy of King Ina, with a sceptre and mound, his feet embraced
by a monk; in the middle niche is Queen Frithogitha ; and in the
lowest her husband, King Ethelred, the brother-in-law of Ina, and
who succeeded him on the throne of the West Saxons.
In the windows of the church are the remains of some excellent
painted glass. In one are the subjects of the Salutation, the Nativity,
and the Wise Men's Offering ; in another, the Virgin with her
infant Son ; in another, the Scourging ; and in others, the Imprison-
ment and Decollation of John the Baptist, and figures of St. John
the Evangelist and St. James the Less.
The effigies of two monks in stone lie at length under two of the
windows.§
On February 7, 1786, this church received considerable damage
from lightning. Collinson has noticed a few sepulchral memorials,
but they are not of much importance.
* Hearne has printed the Latin of this hmdmarioi'um ; but qy., should it not
be lundinariomm, from the French lundi ?
t John Strachey, of Sutton Court, in Somersetshire, Esq., whose list of the
Religious Houses in that county is printed by Hearne, appended to his
" Hemingford."
t Rutter's "Delineations of Somersetshire."
§ Strachey and Collinson.
East Brent. 251
The vicarage is in the patronage of the Bishop of Bath and Wells,
and its net value, as returned in 1831,^902. The present vicar
is the Rev. Robert Harkness, who was collated by his father-in-law,
the late Bishop, in 1837.
East Cranmore.
[1845, Part II., p. 416.]
The ancient church of East Cranmore (the door of which, still
preserved, is of Norman work) having become much dilapidated, was
taken down in April, 1845, and an entirely new and enlarged
structure, from a graceful design by T. H. Wyatt, Esq., of London,
has been erected on the old site. On Tuesday, August 18, the new
building, dedicated, like the former one, to St. James, was consecrated
by the Lord Bishop of the diocese, assisted by the Venerable the
Archdeacon Brymer, the Hon. and Rev. Chancellor Law, the Rev.
G. Denison, his lordship's chaplain, the Rev. J. Fussell, vicar, the
Rev. E. Dighton, curate, and about forty of the neighbouring clergy,
with a numerous assemblage of the laity, when an impressive sermon
was delivered by the Hon. and Rev. R. Boyle. The church, which
is of the early Decorated character, with a tower surmounted by a
broach spire, is substantially built of Doulting freestone both within
and without, and is fitted with spacious open sittings of oak, with an
open hammer-beam roof of the same material, supported on corbels
of stone, richly carved. The space around the altar is paved with
encaustic tiles. The communion-table and rails, reading-desk and
pulpit, are of handsomely carved oak, with chairs of the Glastonbury
pattern, and the entire chancel is fitted up in strict accordance with
its sacred character. The church contains about 130 sittings, which
will amply satisfy the requirements of the parish.
Farley.
[1790, Part //., /. 1 186.]
As you inserted a few epitaphs I sent in your last, the following
are at your service ; as well as a letter of Oliver Cromwell's. The
epitaph is engraved on brass, in the old chapel at Farley Castle,
about seven miles from Bath, and formerly the seat of the Hunger-
fords ; the letter is preserved in a frame.
EPITAPH.
" If birth or worth might add to rareness life,
Or teares in man revive a vertuous wife,
Look in this cabinet ; bereav'd of breath,
Here lies the pearle inclos'd ; she which, by Death,
Sterne Death subdu'd, slighting vain worldly vice,
Achieving Heav'n with thoughts of Paradise.
She was her sexes wonder, great in bloud ;
But, what is far more rare, both great and good.
She was with all celestial virtues storde,
The life of Shaa, and soul of Hungerforde.
252 Some rsetsh ire.
" AN epitaph written in memory of the late right noble and most truly virtuous
Mrs Mary Shaa, daughter to the Right Ho'ble Walter Lord Hongerford, sister
and heyre general to the Right Noble Sir Ed. Hongerford, Knt., deceased, and
wife unto Thomas Shaa, Esq. ; leaving behind Robert Shaa, her only sonne. She
departed this life, in the faith of Christ, the last day of September, Ano D'ni 1613."
The chapel consists of a single aisle ; but, having been exposed
to the injuries of time and weather, is much decayed. The estate,
which is considerable, belongs to .... Houlton, Esq. (a relation
of the admiral of that name), who succeeded to it upon the death
of Mr. Frampton, of Moreton, in Dorsetshire.
There is a vault underneath the chapel, where are deposited
several leaden coffins ; and a few years since some rogues attempted
to carry them off, but were deprived of their b'ooty by having made
too much noise ; by which means the ashes of the family still rest in
peace.
Letter from O. Cromwell, preserved at Farley Castle :
"SiR, I am very sorry'd my occasions will not permit mee to
return to you as I would. I have not yett fully spoken with the
gentlemen I send to wait upon you : when I shall doe it, I shall be
enabled to be more particular, being unwilling to detaine your
servant any longer. With my service to your lady and family, I take
leave, and rest your affectionate servant,
"July 30, 1652. O. Cromwell."
"For my honner'd friend Mr. Hungerford, at his house, these."
The country about this castle is exceedingly picturesque, the river
Avon winding through beautiful meadows ; and to those who resort
to Bath, and wish for a pleasant shade, they cannot do better than
pay a visit to this sequestered and rural spot.
[1794, Part I., pp. 497, 498.]
Near the ruins of Farley Castle, on a hill, is the parish church,
not very ancient ; and on the south side of it, over the door, I dis-
covered a semicircular stone, set in the wall, which has the appearance
of much greater antiquity than the church ; and annexed you have
a copy of the inscription, the letters nearly in their present state.*
Here we see the XPM used for Christum. In the "Archaeologia,"
vol. viii., Mr. Pegge gives a sketch of the history of the Asylum, or
Sanctuary, from its origin to its final abolition by James I. ; and to
it adds a list of most of the sanctuaries that were formerly in Eng-
land. Qy. Whether this stone did not formerly belong to a sanctuary
on this very spot ? I read the words to be :
" Muniat hoc (signum) in vera cruce glorificans miseros Mariam virginem qune
genuit Christum miserrimis pace fiat Asylum."
* The same inscription, with a somewhat different reading, has been sent also
by another correspondent, on a considerably larger scale. (See Plate I., Fig. I.)
Farley. 253
I should judge, by the form of the letters, that it is as ancient at
least as the time of Henry VI. F. M.
Farley Church, small as it is, contains, notwithstanding, many
things well worth observation. There are indeed no ancient monu-
ments in it, the Hungerford family being all buried in the chapel of
the castle. ... The windows were once " richly dight" with painted
glass. Great part of it remained entire in August, 1789, when I
made the following memoranda.
Each window contains two figures of saints on ornamented grounds,
within borders of various device. One of the figures is that of our
Lady ; another looks like St. George, being an armed man, with
a red cross on his shield, the lower half of him (and consequently
the dragon) wanting ; another seems to be St. Mary Magdalene ; two
others are in episcopal habits, with names under them, not now
legible. Among the ornaments of the border are the letters ^ and
3$. In a window on the north side of the chancel are also two
large shields ; one of them containing the arms of Hungerford, with
an impalement which is entirely defaced ; the other Azure, 3 garbs
-. argent, with a chief, which is also too imperfect to be clearly
made out.
The whole of the glass was at that time in a very shattered
condition ; and unless it has been since repaired, I doubt it has, ere
this, given way to the rude assaults of wind and weather. Many of
the original old seats were likewise then remaining, and, I suppose,
are so still ; unless some tasteful churchwarden (an animal whose
ravages are at least equal to those of wind and weather) should, in
his rage for improvement, have substituted modern deal panels in
their stead. They were, and I hope are, decorated with the Hun-
gerford arms, Crosses ragule (not in shields or on wreaths), reaping-
hooks interlaced, and horses' heads with winged necks placed on
wreaths. At the same time I observed on the walls, in several parts
of the church, painted crosses, somewhat of the pat£e kind, which
the brush of the reforming whitewasher had not been able totally to
obliterate.- Of the wooden screen, separating the chancel from the
nave, little more than the skeleton was left ; but the design of it
appeared to have been light and airy, and the carving neatly exe-
cuted.
The outside of the church is unusually regular and uniform, having
probably not undergone any alteration, or received any addition, since
it was built ; which, from what I recollect of the style of its archi-
tecture (for I did not take any drawing), must have been in the
fourteenth or early in the fifteenth century. Over the door of the
porch is a stone of a semicircular form, bearing an inscription, which,
though in so conspicuous a situation, escaped the notice of our
historian. I have now sent you an exact copy of it (Plate I., Fig. i).
254 Somersetshire.
From the shape of the characters, as well as from a defect in the
stone itself, which was evidently mutilated before its insertion in the
wall where it is now placed, there can be no doubt but that this in-
scription is of higher antiquity than the building to which we see it
attached. Most likely it was removed hither from a prior church,
demolished when the present fabric was erected. The letters are
not raised, but indented in the stone ; they are very clear, and most
of them perfect; but I confess I do not thoroughly understand
the whole of it. Perhaps it may afford some exercise to the
conjectural acumen of your correspondents, to whom I therefore
leave it. R. P.
[1798, Part II., p. 1022.]
Permit me to request some correspondent to favour me with an
account of Farley Castle, in Somersetshire, which I was induced to
visit lately, being in that neighbourhood, from a slight description of
it, in a small publication, which treats of its origin as unknown,
tradition not making mention of it earlier than Edward III. It
seems three original letters of Oliver Cromwell, in his own hand-
writing, were formerly found in an old chest, now lying in the chapel
of the castle, two of which were some time since borrowed, but never
returned ; and the third, which was shown preserved in a frame, has
lately encountered the merciless hand of (probably) some antiquary,
who has carried it off in triumph. M. W. J.
[1799, Part //., p. 745.]
Your correspondent, M. W. J., will not find a better account of
Farley Castle than what has been given by Captain Grose and Mr.
Collinson, and in the last edition of Camden's "Britannia." He
may see a plan of the castle in the "Sepulchral Monuments of
Great Britain," Introd., pp. cccxix., Plate, etc.
The enclosed sketch of the gateway (Plate II., Fig. 6) is at your
service. T. P.
[1828, Parti., pp. 577, 578.]
The annexed sketch represents part of Farley Castle, in Somerset-
shire. Its ruins stand on the northern acclivity of a rocky hill,
embowered with oaks, walnut-trees, and poplars. It consisted of
two courts or wards, lying north and south ; the court northward
was 1 80 feet in length from east to west and 144 feet in breadth
from north to south, and was flanked by four round towers 60 feet
in height. Each of these towers, the walls of which are 5 feet
thick, were originally divided into three stories, the apartments lighted
by narrow windows and embrasures. The walls of the south-east
and south-west towers are still remaining and beautifully veiled with
vy, one of which is seen in the annexed view. More than half also
Farley. 255
of the north-east tower is still standing : the southern wall being
fallen down, the windows and old chimney-pieces, interwoven with
ivy and wild roses, appear to view. The north-west tower is quite
down, as are also almost all the intermediate walls and building,
except a small portion of the parapet northward, which overlooks a
deep dell, shaded with the thickest wood. In this court stood the
great hall and the state apartments, decorated with rich tapestry,
exquisite sculpture, and beautiful paintings. The hall was a very
large and long apartment, hung round with armour. But of these
buildings, which, towards the close of the last century, were nearly
entire, the smallest remnant now is not left standing, the whole area
of the court being rudely strewed with the ruins, which lie in heaps,
covered with weeds and luxuriant herbage. A large gateway led
from this to the southern court, in which were the offices, etc. The
principal entrance was on the east side, through an embattled gate-
house, the shell of which is still standing; before it, there was
formerly a drawbridge over a deep moat, which surrounded the whole
castle; the holes through which the pulleys of the bridge passed are
still visible in the gateway wall, and over the arch are the arms
and crest of the Hungerfords, boldly sculptured in the stone. On
the eastern side of this court stands the chapel, to which there is a
descent of several steps ; this building has of late years been repaired
(see a view in Britton's " Beauties of Wilts") ; it consists of a nave
and chantry chapel on the north side, the former 56 feet in length,
and 19! feet in breadth; the latter, 20 feet in length and 14 in breadth.
The altar slab is of rich granite ; against the south wall stands the
old pulpit, and underneath it are several pieces of armour, such as
a head-piece, breast-plate, with a saddle, brought hither in an old
chest from the castle hall before the time of its demolition. Behind
the chapel stands the old habitation of Lord Walter Hungerford's
two chantry priests, now converted into a dairy. The external
walls of this part of the castle retain some of their pristine battle-
ments.
The parish church of Farley stands on an eminence southward
from the castle, and is of one aisle, 92 feet in length and 24 in
breadth. At the west end is a small tower, containing five bells.
N. R. S.
Frome.
[1801, Part /., p. 122.]
The enclosed sketch and inscription (Fig. 6) are correctly copied
from a painted memorial plate affixed to one of the pillars of the
nave in Frome Church, Somersetshire :
"Benjamin Avury, attorney-at-law, the son of Jacob Avury, of Mells, gent.,
married Joan, the daughter of William Chapman (Alderman of the City of Bath),
by whom he had 2 sons and 2 daughters. Obiit 8° Jan., 1675, anno setatis suse 76.
256 Somersetshire.
. " Posterity, let this suffice
That near this place the body lyes
Of one both pious, prudent, just,
But yet is now resolvd to dust ;
His angell part (we hope) it is
With God's dear saints in perfect blisse."
PHILL. CR.
[1821, Part //., pp. 114-116.]
The parish church of St. Peter at Frome is of considerable
antiquity. Tradition says it was built before the Conquest.
History informs us that Henry I., in the year 1133, granted the
church of Frome, with the lands, chapels, and tithes appertaining
thereto, to the Priory of Cirencester, co. Gloucester ; in proof of
which consult Sir Robert Atkyns's History of that County, p. 163.
As a further proof of its antiquity, I may observe that a workman
employed in repairing the church some years ago told Mr. Whit-
church (" Whitchurch's MSS. penes me") that he met with a stone
on which was the date 1150, in Arabic characters, which are the
same as are now in use.
The patronage of the church seems to have belonged to the Priory
of Cirencester, till the Dissolution, when it came to the Thynnes.
The Marquis of Bath is the present patron.
The church is a large Gothic structure, in length 175 feet, 72 feet
wide and 45 in height. It appears to have been enlarged and altered
at periods very remote from each other. It consists of a nave and
two aisles, and the tower, which is at the east end, contains an ex-
cellent ring of eight bells. The chancel is very elegant, the area
formed by the rails round the altar being paved with black and
white marble. The altar-piece is placed in a beautiful oval, and
represents the liberation of St. Peter. From the floor upwards the
wall is wainscoted with mahogany curiously ornamented with carved
work, in which bundles of wheat are depicted in a very natural and
striking manner. The organ, which is at the west end, makes a
noble appearance, and is supposed to have belonged formerly to
the cathedral church at Wells or Bath. It is reckoned one of the
best-toned organs in the West of England.
On the north side of the church there are three recesses or chantry
chapels, and on the south another. That on the north, nearest to
the west end, is very small, and is said to have been the burial-place
of the Cabells, and after them of the Lockes. A little from this,
towards the east end, is another recess or chantry chapel, the largest,
perhaps, in any country church, being considerably more than 20 feet
square. It seems to have had an altar, the ascent to which was by a
flight of steps still remaining. The Leversedges, who for centuries
were lords of the principal manor in this parish, were anciently
interred here; and before the altar is a large table monument,
Frame. 257
beneath which are the effigies of a gentleman at full length, in a
recumbent posture. There is no inscription legible ; but it is sup-
posed to have been erected upwards of three hundred years.
The manor passed by purchase from the Leversedges and
Seamans to John Earl of Cork and Orrery. It is now, together with
the chantry chapel, the property of the present Earl. In the chapel
are several inscriptions to the memory of members of the noble
family of Boyle, together with their hatchments.
Leaving this, further towards the east end we come to another
recess, or chantry chapei, which is also very large, in which the
Leversedges of Vallis (now extinct) used also to bury.
The chantry chapel, on the south side of the church, has also been
a burial-place ; and here a cavity may be seen in which the basin of
holy water in the days of Catholicism used to be placed. John Smith,
of Frome, Esq., was here interred in 1768. He was uncle to John
Smith, for some years M.P. for Bath.
In the nave there is a monument of gray marble to Mrs. Jane
Hippie, who died 1752. Her daughter Elizabeth was wife of
William Seymour of Knoyle, in Wilts, Esq., grandson of Sir Edward
Seymour, the celebrated and eloquent Tory. Opposite the desk and
pulpit, which are constructed of mahogany, at an expense, as is
said, of nearly ^300, is a singular monumental inscription and
painting on iron : the latter represents a lady and gentleman praying
at a desk, with their sons and daughters behind in gradation.
On the pavement of the middle aisle is a gravestone with a brass
plate affixed, thus inscribed :
" Pray for the soules of Henry Champeneys, 'squire, and Jane his wyfe, whiche
Henry decesed the I4th day of August, 1506."
The family of Champneys, seated at Orcharleigh, near this town,
for some generations, possesses the right of nomination of the sexton,
There is a mural monument to the memory of Mr. Vincent, an
apothecary of this town, one of whose daughters is married to Capt.
O'Connor, who resides in the parish. There are also a few more in
memory of persons of but little note.
In the chancel, south side, a sumptuous monument has been lately
erected to the memory of Mr. Stevens, the munificent founder of
an asylum and hospital here.
The vestry, a spacious room, contains nothing worthy of notice,
but a mural monument to the memory of the Rev. Anthony Methuen,
B.D., Vicar of this parish, who died July 6, 1640.
Over the vestry door, a neat monument is erected to the memory
of the late Rev. William Ireland, M.A., domestic chaplain to the late
and present Marquis of Bath, and many years Vicar of Frome, having
succeeded to the living on the death of the late Dr. Ross, Bishop of
Exeter. Mr. Ireland married Alicia, one of the daughters of William
Everett, Esq., of Horningsham (sister of the Rev. William Everett,
VOL. XXII. I7
258 Somersetsh ire.
B.D., of New College, Oxon, Rector in the year 1809, and now
Vicar of Romford), and by her had issue John, curate of Nunney,
and four daughters, of whom Fanny is married to the Rev. S. H.
Cassan, M.A., the present curate of Frome, and chaplain to the Earl
of Caledon.
At the east end of the church, in the churchyard, Dr. Ken, Bishop
of Bath and Wells, lies interred. An iron skeleton, with the mitre
and crosier, is all that is placed over the grave, which is enclosed
with iron rails.
Frome, which is about thirteen miles from Bath, is in the diocese
of Bath and Wells, and archdeaconry of Wells. The population is
about 14,000.
Vicar. — Charles Phillott, M.A. (resident at Dawlish, Devon).
Curate. — Stephen Hyde Cassan, M.A.
A CONSTANT READER.
Glastonbury.
[1773, /. 480.]
The monastery at Glastonbury is undoubtedly one of the most
ancient in the kingdom ; but it is now very much decayed. The
Abbot's Kitchen here represented (in the accompanying plate) is
much more entire than any of the other buildings of this monastery,
and was probably of more modern construction. This surmise is
somewhat justified by a tradition, which says that King Henry VIII.
having some dispute with one of the abbots, threatened to burn his
kitchen, thereby insinuating a reproach for his gluttony and luxu-
rious manner of living ; to which the abbot haughtily answered that
he would build such a one that all the wood in the Royal forests
should not suffice to accomplish that threat, and forthwith erected
the present edifice. Perhaps this might be true of some former
King, but the building seems rather older than the reign of Henry
VIII.
Doctor Stukeley, who accurately considered and surveyed the
remains of the abbey, gives, in his " Itinerarium Curiosum," the
following account of this building :
" Nothing is reserved entire but the kitchen ; a judicious piece of
architecture. It is formed from an octagon, included in a square ;
four fire-places fill the four angles, having chimneys over them in
the flat part of the roof. Between these rises the arched octagonal
pyramid, crowned with a double lanthorn, one within another.
There are eight carved ribs within, which support the vault, and
eight funnels for letting out the steam through windows, within
which, in a lesser pyramid, hung the bell, to call the poor people to
the adjacent almery, whose ruins are on the north side of the
kitchen. The stones of the pyramid are all cut slanting, with the
Glastonbury. 259
same bevils to throw off the rain." This drawing was made anno
1753-
[1784, Part L, p. 20.]
The account given in your magazine* of the closet called "Little
Ease," in the Church of St. Mary in Leicester, brought to my mind
a description I had formerly read in " Anglia Sacra," vol. ii., p. 96,
of the cell of St. Dunstan, adjoining to St. Mary's Church in
Glastonbury; and, on revising the passage, I find, in some instances,
a very striking similitude between the two buildings. Osbern, in his
" Life of Dunstan," styles it " Cellam, sive destinam, sive spelaeum";
and Mr. Wharton, in a note, informs us that " destina " means a
small outward edifice contiguous to the wall of a greater, and that
the word occurs in Bede's " Eccles. Hist.," 1. 3, ch. xvii., and other
writers. According to the Monkish historian, the cell was fabricated
by Dunstan himself, and had rather the form of a sepulchre of the
dead than of an habitation for the living. He represents it to have
been not more than 5 feet in length, and 2\ in breadth, and its
height answerable to the stature of a man, provided he stood in tl e
hole dug at the bottom of it, for that otherwise it would not be
higher than a man's breast. The door seems to have opened into
the church, as your correspondent remembers that of the closet at
Leicester to have done ; but there was this difference between the two
edifices, that in the latter are loop-holes looking into the church-
yard, whereas all the light the former received was through a window
in the middle of the door. In this strait apartment Dunstan is said
to have slept, as well as performed his devotions. Here also, whilst
he was at work, his harp would play of itself for his amusement ;
and it was thiough the aperture of the door of this cell he was so
lucky as to fasten his red-hot pincers upon Satan's nose. But to
wave the ridiculous parts of this legendary tale, it is plain, from
Osbern's relation, that small structures of this kind were erected
very early in this country ; and though Dunstan, and some other
monks as rigid as himself, might, by way of mortification, dwell in
these places of " Little Ease," yet (as the traditional notion with
respect to that at Leicester imports) it is very probable they might
be intended and applied as prisons, for the security or punkshmtnt
of persons suspected or convicted of heinous offences. W. & D.
[1791, Part L, p. 419.]
A view of Glastonbury Torr herewith is sent (Plate III., Fig i).
The present possessor is Sir Richard Colt Hoare. It may be
amusing to your distant readers to remind them that the town of
Glastonbury, for antiquity, claims pre-eminence over every other in
the county, here being formerly an abbey, thought to be the richest
* Gentleman's Magazine^ 1783, part ii., p. 920.
17—2
260 Somersetshire.
and most magnificent in the world. Dr. Stukeley, in his " Itinerary,"
thus speaks of Joseph of Arimathea's chapel : "The roof is chiefly
wanting ; two little turrets are at the corners of the west end, and
two more at the intervals of four windows from hence, which seems
to indicate the space of ground the first chapel was built on. Here
was a capacious receptacle for the dead. They have taken up many
leaden coffins, and melted them into cisterns. Hence is the sub-
terraneous arched passage to the Torr, according to their notion.
All the walls are overgrown with ivy, which is the only thing here
in a flourishing state, everything else presenting a most melancholy,
though venerable, aspect." Here likewise grows the curious thorn
which buds at Christmas. J. ELDERTON.
[1786, Part 21., p. 752.]
Enclosed you have a drawing (Plate I., Fig. 2) of a brass vessel,
found, about four or five years since, within the precincts of Glaston-
bury Abbey. It weighs two pounds eight ounces and a half. Its height
is 3 inches and a half; and it contains nearly a pint, wine measure.
The bottom is solid, and marked with the letters R and E% which
are tolerably well represented in the drawing. A. B.
[1794, Part I., p. 306.]
Among other things I dug up at Glastonbury was a brass seal,
an impression of which (Fig. 5) is herewith sent.* An explanation
will be esteemed a particular favour by OBADIAH.
[1794, Part /.,/>424«]
The Glastonbury seal may be read : "S[igillum] Sans de Eemartur/'
and represents a pair of compasses. D. H.
[1794, Part //., pp. 615, 616.]
Permit me to trouble you once more on the subject of the Glaston-
bury seal, engraved in your Plate I., Fig. 5, for April. An explanation
was requested, which D. H. has thus given: "Sfigillum] sans de
Eemartur." This may be clear and intelligible possibly to you ;
at least, I should suppose so to D. H. ; but poor Obadiah is as much
in the dark as ever, and to his dull comprehension it appears more
incomprehensible than the seal itself. D. H. seems to have mis-
taken the letters, which are evidently s : SANS DE E ENMARTIN. It
may be read thus : "Sigillum sanctum de E. Enmartin.'' If this be
the true reading, can D. H. inform me what, or who, Enmartin was?
It is also said that it represents a pair of compasses. Hence I am
induced to ask your masonic correspondents if they can say whence
it came, and whose superscription it bears ? It has no handle, but
* For an account of the seals of Glastonbury, see Warner's " History of
Glastonbury," part i., pp. 343, 425, 541.
Glastonbury. 261
only a loophole on the back, and appears to have been worn sus-
pended to some part of a dress. Disquisitions of this kind are, I
doubt not, received by no small part of your readers with a smile ;
others may think with me, "hac non sunt nuga" OBADIAH.
[1804, Part I., p. 409.]
The enclosed (Plate II., Fig. 2) is an accurate representation of
an ancient spur found a few years ago in the ruins of Glastonbury
Abbey. The spur is now in the possession of a relation of mine ;
and the annexed drawing is of the exact size of the original,* the
present weight of which is about t iree ounces. It is of iron, and much
injured by rust. G. B.
[1807, Part L, p. 211.]
Fig. 4 on the accompanying plate is a carving in freestone over a
doorway at the back of a very ancient building at Glastonbary now
called the Red Lion Inn, leading to the area or garden of the alms-
houses for women, founded by the benevolent Abbot Beere ; and in
all probability they are the arms of that good abbot or of King
Henry VII. They consist of a full-blown rose, surmounted by an
elegant close or covered crown ; the sinister supporter, which remains
quite perfect, has the appearance of a winged dog ; and from what
I can judge, from the mutilated remains of the dexter supporter,
it seems to have been originally the same as the sinister one.
The whole is about 2 feet long and \\ feet broad, all cut in high
relief. The date, 1512, on a scroll, is nearly as perfect as when first
set up ; f it is much bedaubed with yellow ochre, and the dexter
supporter is almost destroyed, but the other parts of the carving are
in good preservation.
Fig. 5 is a carving in freestone over the porch of the north door of
St. Benedict's Church, at Glastonbury, having on a shield the initial
letters R. B. in a cipher surmounted by a mitre.
There is another stone with similar letters, placed in the upper
part of the front of a modern brick house on the south side of the
High Street of Glastonbury, just below the middle conduit.
They are the initials of the name of Richard Beere, the fifty-
eighth (according to Willis) and last abbot but one of the monastery
of Glastonbury. He was installed abbot on January 20, 1493, added
considerably to the monastic buildings, was a great benefactor to the
church and monastery, and died on January 20, 1524, and was
buried in the south aisle of the body of the abbey church under a
plain marble slab. BENEDICTUS.
* About three times the size of the engraving.— EDIT.
t Twenty-seven years before the dissolution of the monastery.
262 Somerset sk ire.
[1838, Part I., pp. 367, 368.]
In reference to the attempt to make Glastonbury a watering-place,
a correspondent has fa von re 1 us with the following copy of an
advertisement, affording an example of the noble art -of castle-
building in the air, which has seldom been surpassed, and as a local
puff not inferior to any more modern production of the same class.
(From the Gloucester Journal, Tuesday, June 3, 1752) :
"Glastonbury, June 16.
"To THE PUBLIC.
" The waters in this town are almost cover'd all along the road-
way, and the rest is intended to be done as soon as possible ; and a
commodious pump-house and baths to be erected, with other con-
veniences, in the neatest manner, for the use of those that come to
drink the waters. All persons willing to encourage so good a work
are desir'd to send their names and benefactions to either of the
printers of the following newspapers : viz., the Daily Advertiser,
St. James's Evening Post, or the Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Salisbury,
or Sherborne Journals, where the same will be register'd : and all
persons subscribing five shillings shall have a ticket to entitle them
to the free use of the said conveniences for the first season ; and,
where larger sums are given, more tickets proportionably will be
allow'd and made transferable. An assembly-room is preparing,
and will be soon finish'd. Yesterday an account was taken of the
strangers that lately arrived and continue in town to drink the
waters, the number of whom amounted to 114, besides a greater
number that lodge in the neighbouring villages.
" A brief account, made on oath before the worshipful mayor of this
town, of some of those strangers that have been here since
Christmas last, and, through God's blessing, received benefit by
the waters at the Shoot :
" George Hunt, Esq., mayor of Rumsey, received a cure of a
paralytic disorder, deafness, arid a dropsy, and was so much better
in the leprosy that at his going away he had not so much remaining
all over his body as he had on one finger when he came. His
servant was cured of fits.
" Mrs. Willoughby, a lady from Salisbury, was afflicted with an
inflammation in her eyes, and a strong scorbutic humour in her
blood, for some years, and had taken a great many medicines, but to
no purpose, but by using these waters was perfectly cured.
" Mr. John Cott, late of Milksham, now of Glastonbury, was cur'd
of shortness of breath, a fever, and huskiness on his lungs.
" Thomas Wager, of Munford, in Salop, was cur'd of an asthma,
sore legs, and rheumatic pains in eight weeks, and received benefit
in his hearing.
Glastonbury. 263
"Mr. James Hide, shopkeeper, in Stoke-Damerell Dock, Ply-
mouth, now twenty-six years of age, had the king's- evil from his child-
hood, and is perfectly cured.
" Mr. John Downing, a butcher, at the Dock, Plymouth, had his
legs and arms so contracted as to be quite helpless, and was in the
Infirmary at Bath three months, and was discharg'd as incurable,
but is now perfectly well.
" Mr. Clark's wife, a furbisher of small arms for his Majesty's
Ordinance at Plymouth, was cured of an asthma, a dropsy, and sore
legs, after many years' affliction.
" Mr. John Reynolds has received great benefit for a giddiness in
his head, and a numbness and lameness in his limbs.
" Mary Cox, of Winford, near Bristol, was in the Infirmary at
Bristol near six months with bad legs and a dropsy, with which her
body was swell'd two yards round, where she could get no relief ;
but she has here received a cure for the dropsy, and is almost heal'd
of her wounds, so that she has now but four out of twenty-five, and
they are likely to do well.
" Margaret Wilkinson, a cook, from Bath, was cured, in a fortnight's
time, of rheumatic pains and a giddiness in her head.
" Mrs. Matticks of Greenwich, near London, was cur'd of the
gout and rheumatism, last summer, in two months.
" Six persons are now in town that have been cured of the king's-
evil ; and Master Hycett, of St. John Street, Golden Square,
London, and ten more persons, are under cure for the same, and
have receiv'd great benefit; fourteen persons have been cured of the
asthma, and nineteen are under cure ; seven cured of scorbutic dis-
orders, and six under cure ; six cured of bad legs, and eight much
better.
"Further Information may be had by applying to Anne Gallo-
way, from Bath, late Shopkeeper in Cheltenham, now in Glaston-
bury, by whom the cases of those that have received benefits,
sign'd by their own hands, will be receiv'd ; and where all persons,
wanting to buy or sell, lett or rent, estates or lodgings, or to put out
or take up money, or that want apprentices or servants, as also
servants, etc., wanting places, may have their business register'd
for one shilling each, and the earliest account sent them. — All
letters post-paid will be duly answer'd, and none receiv'd without.
*£* " A large, commodious house, pleasantly situated near the
Abby, with five rooms on a floor, will be completely finish'd, and
ready to let for lodgings in about a fortnight or three weeks, by the
aforesaid Anne Galloway."
[1846, Part //.,/. 360.]
The ancient market cross which formerly stood in the centre of
the two principal streets of the town of Glastonbury was a building
2 64 Somersetsh ire.
of some antiquity, having been erected in the early part of the six-
teenth century. It was taken down about the year 1806. There was
an ancient conduit close by it which supplied the town with excellent
water, but which was also removed about the same time, or soon
after, leaving a large open area. In the centre of this open space a
new and handsome cross has recently been erected, at the instance
of Thomas Porch Porch, Esq., of the Abbey House, under the
direction and superintendence of Mr. Benjamin Ferrey, the architect,
of Bedford Street, Bedford Square, who has recently been engaged
in the repairs of the cathedral of Wells.
This new cross is an elegant structure, composed of the Bath free-
stone. It is of a mixed style of architecture, conceived upon the
outline of the famous conduit at Rouen, and from the elegant crosses
of Geddington and Waltham, both of which were erected by King
Edward I., to the memory of his consort Queen Eleanor.
The Glastonbury new cross is about 38 feet high, presenting a
noble and imposing appearance, and may be considered a great
ornament to the town. It is hcxangular, and highly enriched with
tabernacle work and foliage.
The old market cross was quadrangular, with clustered columns at
each angle, and one in the centre, which was higher than the others.
It was surmounted by rude wooden carving, representing a naked
man, seated, his legs perhaps never finished, but made to fix into the
place for which it was first made. This figure was designated Jack
Stag. It was broken down when the building itself was removed ;
but was preserved by Mr. Rood, a chemist and druggist, who had
some taste for antiquities ; he put it together, and placed it in the
limestone wall of the garden of his house, between the Old George
Inn and North Load Street, where it is now to be seen. The under
part is an antique stone bracket, placed there to support the mutilated
figure. The house is at this time in the occupation of Miss Rood,
his daughter.
It is not known at this time who this figure was intended to
represent. W. R.
[1846, Part II. , p. 562.]
In consequence of an oversight in the original plan, the spire of
the new cross at Glastonbury was taken down, soon after its erection,
in order to lengthen the mullions of the second or upper tier, and
carry the spire itself 6 feet higher. By this alteration the new cross
is now about 45 feet high, exclusive of the three steps and metal
cross above ; altogether, from the ground to the top of the gilded
cross, it is exactly 50 feet 6 inches in height, and has a very magni-
ficent and imposing appearance. A spinal column, or backbone, has
been introduced, running from the base to the summit, to give unity,
solidity, and compactness to the entire pile. The three steps are
Glastonbiiry. 265
placed round the base so as to form an elevated platform for the
edifice, and the whole area is enclosed with a neat wrought-iron
palisading. Following the form of the structure, in immediate con-
nection with the railing, there are iron standards, with appropriate
fixtures, termed nossels, to emit the water, which is supplied from
the original sources, which are springs in the hills, about a mile
distant from the spot, and which are enclosed in curious structures
of solid antique masonry, coeval with the days of the abbots. These
springs are to the north-east of the town, on the gentle range of
declivity which forms the base of the mount called the Tor Hill, and
which gush out at the upper portion of that hill. Directing its course
to the west, the water fills the baths at the south-east ot the town,
runs through Chinkewell Street, crosses the Abbey Close, and so on
to Chaingate, at the entrance of St. Magdalene Street, where it
supplies the old baths, and from thence runs through the valley, till
it mingles with the waters of the Brent.
Godney.
Enclosed I send you the impression of an ancient seal found
among the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, June 29, 1754 (see the
Plate, Fig. 3). The inscription on the border — " S. Tome Capellani
Dei insula" — consists of such characters as were used in Richard I.'s
time, as appears plainly, I think, from the ancient coins of that king,
and therefore shows the seal to be not less than 550 years old. The
meaning of it seems to be evidently this : " The seal of Thomas,
the Chaplain in the island of God." The island of God here meant is
undoubtedly the same as Dugdale mentions in his " Monasticon " by
the name of Godeney, which, he says, with some little islands there-
about, was subject to the Abbey of Glastonbury. The word
" Godeney," as he observes, signifies " Dei insula," or God's island.
. . . The reason why the island is called the island of God, the same
learned author says, is because there was a little church or chapel in it
dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This place yet bears the same name,
has a little chapel in it, and is generally surrounded with water.
The signification of the images or figures on the seal I take to be
as follows : the large figure represents the great Abbot of Glaston-
bury, with his mitre on his head and crozier in his hand, as he
had the high honour of being one of the mitred and croziered
abbots. The little figure, which is in a kneeling, supplicating pos-
ture below, is the Chaplain of Godeney, who was subject to him, and
the three persons enclosed or bound together just above the head of
the kneeling ecclesiastic represent the Trinity in Unity, to whom the
chapel at Godeney was dedicated, it being common for the Romanists
to represent God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, as well as
God the Son, in human shape. The several perpendicular strokes
266 Somersetshire.
that appear equal with the border, over the heads of the Three, and
partly over the head of the abbot, seem to be designed for the rays
of a glory. THO. HARE.
Grenton.
[1772, /. 304.]
The annexed plate is an exact representation of Edge House at
Grenton, a cottage made memorable by an event which history has
imperfectly recorded. . . .
We gather that in this cottage it was that the Duke of Monmouth
endeavoured to conceal himself after the battle of Sedgmore, in 1686,
where he was hospitably entertained by the poor shepherd, the
inhabitant. This seems to contradict what our historians have said of
that prince's being found in a field covered with straw, with raw peas
in his pocket.
Hampton.
[1804, Part //., /. 1182.]
I send you (Plate I., Fig. 2) a slight sketch of an ancient monu-
ment in Hampton Church, near Bath. R. P. S.
Hardington.
[1802, Part II. , p. 801.]
Hardington House (on the eastern side of Somerset, twelve miles
south of Bath) is now in a dilapidated state ; and, to preserve its
small remains from total oblivion, I send you a drawing (Plate I.).
Of its history we can only learn that William and Alexander de Had-
ington were of this place in the time of Henry III., and that the heir
of John de Sore held this manor in the reign of Edward II., after
which John de Pederton possessed it, and leaving at his death a
daughter, named Agnes, she married John Baumfilde, Esq., from
whom, by lineal descent, it became the property of the present Sir
Charles Warwick Bampfylde, Bart.
PHILL. CR.
Hinton Charterhouse.
[1791, Part II., p. 323.]
The enclosed is a drawing (Fig. 8) made from the west side of a
ruin, commonly called Hinton Abbey, about five miles from Bath, in
the county of Somerset. . . . Mr. Grose has not favoured the public
with any view of it. Speed calls it a monastery of the Carthusian
Order, founded by William Longspee, Earl of Salisbury, in the reign
of Henry III., and valued, at the Suppression, at ^262 125.
JOHN LANGLY FRYER.
[1830, Part IL,pp. 577-579-1
Hinton, or Henton, Charterhouse is a village is Somersetshire, five
miles south of Bath on the road to Salisbury. It derived its secondary
Hint on Charier house. 267
appellation, which distinguishes it from various other places of the
same name, from a priory of Carthusians formerly established there.
It has also been sometimes styled Hinton Comitis, having been a
manor attached to the Earldom of Salisbury. It was among the
lands which William the Conqueror conferred on Edward of Salis-
bury, who is supposed to have been only Vicecomes or Sheriff of
Wilts, but whose grandson Patrick received the title of Earl of
Salisbury from the Empress Maud. At the composition of Domes-
day, Edward de Sarisberi held "Hantone" of the King, having
three plough-lands in the demesne ; and there were nine serfs, twelve
villeins, and fifteen cottagers, with six ploughs ; two mills rendering
245., twelve acres of pasture, and wood one mile long, and half a
mile broad.
William de Longespe', the first Earl of that name (and one of the
natural children of King Henry II. by Fair Rosamond), had first
placed the society, in 1222, on his manor of Hatherop, in Gloucester-
shire, and had by his will bequeathed them various sacred utensils,
1,000 ewes, 300 rams, 48 oxen, and 20 bulls. But his widow Ela,
" because " (as is stated in her charter) " the monks and brethren
destined for that place, although they had continued there many
years " (that is, apparently, about five), " could not find in the tene-
ments the Earl had given them a place suitable to their rule," was in
1227 induced to remove them to her park of Hinton. In exchange
for the lands in Gloucestershire, she then granted them all her manor
of Hinton, with the advowson of the church, and the park ; and like-
wise all her adjoining manor of Norton, with the advowson there,
and all their appurtenances, except such military service as was due
to her, and the service of Richard the parker, for the virgate of land
he held, which service, however, should belong to the monks,
whether Richard rested his claim upon his office of keeper or on
military tenure. The house of the religious was to be built in the
honour of God and the blessed Virgin, and of St. John the Baptist,
and of All Saints, at the place in the park of Hinton which was
called Locus Dei ; and the habit and rule to be observed was that of
the Church of Chartreux, the strictest of all the religious orders.
Twelve years after, King Henry III., by charter dated in the twenty-
fourth year of his reign, took under the special protection and
defence of himself and heirs the house of the Carthusians at Hinton,
and granted to the monks for ever all the privileges and customs
which his grandfather, King Henry, had granted to the Carthusian
house he had founded at Witham. That house, which was also in
Somersetshire, was the first settlement of the order in England ;* its
* Regarding this monastery and two others in Somersetshire, there is a privately
printed volume, entitled " Monastic Remains of the Religious Houses at Witham,
Bruton, and Stavordale, co. Somerset." Collected by Sir Richard Hoare, Bart.,
anno 1824. Only fifty copies were printed for distribution by the munificent
author ; and none for sale.
268 Somersetshire.
dedication is in the same terms as that of Hinton, and its rights and
privileges were the same as those possessed by the original estab-
lishment at Chartreux. Pope Innocent IV. granted a Ball of privi-
leges to Hinton in 1245.
At the taxation of Pope Nicholas in 1291, the temporalities of this
priory were returned as : In Chynton, ^4 los. ; in Norton Comitis,
;£i2 ; in Hinton, £24 155. ; making a total of ^£41 53.
Its wealth was increased by a variety of grants from the neighbour-
ing landowners and the merchants of Bristol. King Richard II.
granted the monks a hogshead of wine yearly out of that port ; and
King Henry V. a charter of free-warren in the manors of Hinton of
Norton. Their estates were in 1444 valued at ^50 i6s. lod. In
26 Henry VIII. the gross revenues were estimated at .£262 125., the
reprisals from which amounted to £13 125. iod., leaving a net
income of nearly ^250.
The priory was surrendered to the King on March 31, 1540.
Edmund Hord, the last prior, was assigned a pension of ^£44 ; and
twenty-one monks were also pensioned, two at 12 marks, or £& ;
fourteen at 10 marks; and four at 3 marks, or £2.
The site of the priory was granted, about four years after, to John
Bartlet, who sold it to Matthew Colthurst. It was afterwards in the
Hungerford family, then in the Robinsons, and in the time of
Collinson, the historian of Somersetshire, the joint property of James
Humphrys, Esq., and Joseph Frowd, Esq., in right of their wives,
the daughters of Stocker Robinson, Esq.
The old manor-house of Hinton, represented in the first view of
the plate, is supposed to have been built out of the ruins of the
priory.
Hinton Charterhouse, the present mansion, which is about half a
mile distant, was the seat of the late James Skurray Day, Esq.,
brother-in-law to the present Lord Ribblesdale, and is now occupied
by his mother, Mrs. Day. A description of the house and the
pictures will be found in the " Beauties of England and Wales."
The second view represents the remains of the priory church.
There is another view of this building in the elegant little work
entitled "The Antiquarian Itinerary." It shows the east window,
composed of three lancet lights, without any tracery above ; and
another lancet window on the north.
This favoured spot, which the somewhat difficult Carthusians at
length chose as the scene of their mortifications, retains its natural
beauties. "The environs," says Collinson, "are highly beautiful,
being variegated with fine open lawns, hanging woods, and limpid
streams. In the vicinity are several larpe tumuli ; and in the ruins
of the abbey have been dug up Roman [?] bricks, tesserae, and other
reliques."
Within the monastery of Hinton was for many years resident
Hinton Charterhouse. 269
Thomas Spenser, a learned and pious monk, son of Leonard Spenser,
of Norwich. He wrote, among other works, " Comment, in Epist.
D. Pauli ad Galatas." He died in 1529, and was buried in the
priory church.
In the little work on " English Monastic Libraries," by the Rev.
Joseph Hunter, F.S.A., recently published, occurs the following list
of books, specified in an indenture of the year 1343, as having been
lent by the prior and convent of Hinton to another house. It is
curious, both on account of its contents and as showing an un-
observed usage of the monasteries :
Two books of Homilies, to be read in the Refectory.
The four Gospels.
The Meditations of Anselm.
The Enchiridion of Saint Sixtus.
A Treatise by Peter Cluniacensis.
Life of John the Almoner.
Flores et Magna Glossa Psalterii.
The Meditations of St. Bernard.
Quendam libellum inter Orosium et Augustinum; et Templum
Dei.
Life of Paul the Hermit.
Excerpta from the Lives of St. Anthony, St. Hilarion, and St.
Sylvester.
De orto Pilati.
Libel, de Manipul. flor.
Dialogus SS. Gregorii et Augustini.
i Legend, totius anni, abbreviat.
Primar. Ecclesiast. et II. Primar. Puerorum.
A Breviary.
Liber qui sic incipit, "Qui bene prsesunt presbyterii."
Stimulus Amoris, et multa alia edificatoria de manu Domini Will,
de Colle.
The engagement to restore these books was formally drawn and
sealed.
Of this monastery was Nicholas Hopkins, who was several times
consulted as a prophet by the last Stafford, Duke of Buckingham,
and, "like a false hypocrite," had induced the Duke to the treason
with his "false, forged prophecies." He was one of the witnesses at
the trial in 1521, and full particulars of the Duke's consultations with
him will be seen in Holinshed's account of that proceeding.
Collinson says that in the church of Norton St. Philip's (also
called Norton Comitis), " under an arch in the south aisle, lies the
effigy of one of the religious of Hinton Abbey, who is supposed to
have rebuilt the church. Her hands are uplifted in a suppliant
posture, and at her feet. is a dog." Collinson does not explain how
2 7O Somersetshire.
a female could have been one of the members of a religious founda-
tion for males.
The paragraph which next follows may be worth adding, as men-
tioning a supposed instance of united twins — a subject which, from
the public exhibition of living individuals so circumstanced, has
recently attracted much attention : " In the floor of the nave are the
mutilated particulars in stone of two females close to each other, and
called by the inhabitants the fair maidens of Fosscot, or Fosstoke, a
neighbouring hamlet now depopulated. There is a tradition that
the persons they represent were twins, whose bodies were at their
birth conjoined together ; that they arrived at a state of maturity,
and that one of them dying, the survivor was constrained to drag
about her lifeless companion till death released her of her horrid
burden."
This account (which comes in bad company with the female monk
of Hinton) is perhaps nothing more than a sexton's tale, like that of
the lady in Westminster Abbey, who died from a prick of her finger,
or numberless others which are rife through the country. It may,
however, be remarked that the history of these "fair maids of Foxcot"
bears a strong resemblance to that of the maids of Biddendon in
Kent, whose remembrance is annually renewed by cakes stamped
with their figures, which are distributed at Easter (see Hasted's
" Kent," and Hone's " Every-day Book for 1827 "). The Biddendon
maids lived so early as 1 100, and, from the mention of a depopulated
hamlet, these appear to claim an early era. But the examination
of the stone figures by a more judicious eye than Collinson's might
tend to show whether the story has any claims to regard.
J. G. N.
Hinton St. George.
[1812, Part IL, pp. 417 419.]
I send an account of the monuments in the Church of Hinton
St. George, in the east end of which is the burial-place of the Poulett
family.
Against the north wall an alabaster monument, with a large arch
or canopy, supported by Corinthian pillars, and on an altar-tomb a
figure in armour on a mat, and this inscription :
" Honoratissimo patri D. Amitio Pouletto, equiti aurato, insulae Jersse praefecto,
apud Christianissimum Regem quondam legato, noblissimi ordinis Garterii can-
cellario, & serenissimae principis Elizabethse consiliario, Antonius Poulettus filius
hoc pietatis monumentum moerens posuit.
"Gardez la foy.
" Quod verbo servare fidem, Poulette, solebas,
Quam bene conveniunt hsec tria verba tibi !
Quod gladio servare fidem, Poulette, solebas,
Quam bene conveniunt haec tria signa. tibi !
Patria te sensit, sensit rt gina fidelem,
Sic fidus civis, sicque senator eras.
Hinton St. George. 271
Te fidum Christus, te fidum ecclesia simul,
Sic servas inter multa pericla fidem.
Ergo quod servo princeps, ecclesia nato,
Patria quod fido cive sic orba dolet.
Interea Christus defuncti facta coronat
A quo servatam viderat esse fidem.
" Margareta Poulett hoc epitaphium moeroris simul & amoris sui perpetuum
testem Amitio conjugi suo canssimo ciarissimoque dicavit."
He died 1588, and was buried on the north side of the chancel
in the Church of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, London ; but on the
rebuilding of that church, the parishioners refusing to put up this
monument again, it was brought down hither, with his body.
At the head of this is a similar monument for Sir Hugh Poulett,
his father, in scaled armour, his vizor up, and by him his wife, in the
veil head-dress. He died December 21, 13 Elizabeth.
At the head of this another monument, for Sir Amias Poulett,
father of the last, who died April 10, 1537. His figure is in armour,
his vizor up, and by him his lady in the veil head-dress.
At the west-end of this chapel is a lofty canopied monument for
John, first Lord Poulett, who died 1649. On a sarcophagus sup-
ported by two savages an angel blowing two trumpets.
Under the north arch is a monument for Sir Anthony Poulett,
" miles, dux insulae Jersey," eldest son of Sir Amias, and father of
John, first Baron. He died July 22, 1600. He is in armour and
ruff, hair, and broad beard, helmet under his head, and a lion at his
feet ; his lady by him, in cap, ruff, and petticoat. Five sons and
five daughters kneel at the sides of an altar-tomb, though the new
edition of Collins's " Peerage," 1812, vol. iv., p. 8, gives him only
two sons and two daughters ; but Collinson, in his " History of
Somerset," expresses ten children.
At the feet of this a knight in alabaster, pointed helmet, plated
armour, sword and dagger, head on helmet ; crest, a lion rampant ;
lion at his feet ; at the sides of the tomb quatrefoils and shields ;
and in niches, figures praying.
Against the north wall of the nave is a marble monument to Anne
Poulett, fourth son of the first Earl, K.G., who died 1775. A woman
with an owl, and another with a dog, holding a snake, on a sarco-
phagus, under a medallion.
Another marble monument, for Rebecca, youngest daughter of
John, Earl Poulett, by Bridget, daughter of Peregrine Bertie, who
died in 1765. A winged boy flying holds a wreath in his right
hand, and a medallion of her head in his left, against a pyramid of
red marble.
In the north aisle, a brass plate, inscribed to :
"John Hellier, esq., lieutenant colonel of the Somerset militia, justice of peace,
and son of John and Elizabeth Hellier, died July 14, 1792, aged 83. He served
the Earl Powletts as bailiff in the year 1730, and continued in friendship with the
272 Somersetsh ire.
family to the day of his death. He gave a piece of ground in Meriot, called
Niddons, five acres, to the poor of this parish, for the remainder of a term of 3000
years, the rent of which is to be laid out on St. Thomas's day every year by the
minister and churchwardens for the time being in the purchase of shoes and
stockings."
It produces £8 or £9 a year.
Two doors on each side the altar open, as at Crewkerne, co.
Somerset, into what serves as a vestry.
A seat on each side of the altar.
Against the south wall of the Poulett chapel is a monument to
John, Earl Poulett, born 1662, died 1743, A bust like Locke's,
under his arms, on a pyramid of veined marble.
Under the bust of a Roman matron :
"Verus comes Poulettus, amore & pietate erga parentes praeditus Bridgettae
comitissse Poulett, quae obiit anno 1747, hoc monumentum excitavit. Ah, matrum
optima, Vale. Te Honos, te Virtus, te Beneficentia, te Incorrupta Fides, & te
Amicitia deplorat."
Poulett and Bertie in a shield of pretence ; and over the bust a
snake in a circle.
On the south side of the chancel, on the floor, a brass figure of a
man in armour and hair, and a woman in the veil head-dress, and
under them :
" Hie jacet Joh'es Thuddiole armiger, fili' & heres Joh'is Thuddile & Alicie uxf
ei' quondam ux' Joh'is Juyn, milit', filia Willi'mi Bydmore."
On a chevron three acorns . . . single ; and impaling three lions.
Against the east wall of the south aisle, twelve Latin lines,
beginning :
"Coniugii comites," etc.
The font and shaft are twelve-sided, adorned with the Poulett
swords and a plain cross, in quatrefoil alternately.
The only monuments mentioned by Mr. Collinson, " History of
Somerset," vol. ii., p. 168, are those of:
Anthony and Catharine Poulet, 1600, 1601.
Amias Poulet, 1537.
Sir Hugh Poulet, December 6. ...
John, first and second Barons.
Sir Amos Poulet, second son of Sir Anthony, 1626.
An old figure, of the family of Poulet, on the north side of the
nave.
Rebecca Poulet, 1765.
In the churchyard, on an altar-tomb, at the east end :
"Here lieth the body of William Poulett, gent., who died the first day of
February, Anno Domini 1699, aetatis suae 92.
" Here also lieth the body of Mary the wife of William Poulett, gent., who died
the igth day of April, 1701, aetatis suae 76."
P. Q.
lie /tester. 273
Ilchester.
[1794, Part 1 7., /. i oo I.]
The inscription on the mace belonging to the corporation of
Ilchester, given in the newly published " History of Somersetshire,"
vol. iii. p. 299, agrees with that given by Dr. Stukeley, and corrected
from the original in the new edition of Camden's "Britannia,"
vol. i.} p. 68, Plate IV., Fig. i :
oijor
I.e. " I Jesus was of God,
Notwithstanding the gift was ill received."
The language of the inscription is said to be old French ; but
when critically examined, I cannot find the first word, /, at all, nor
the fifth, God, in the word Dm, which is not pretended to be read,
as on old French epitaphs or other inscriptions, DEU, or DIU. How
can erie be substituted for estois ; and, if it can, why not render it
Jesus was of God, without the affix I? Is nemet ne aumoin? Dun
may be don, et may be estoit, or etoit, and mie is a word of diminu-
tion or slight.
It is said Frier Bacon was born in thefnery at Ivelchester, 1214.
Is not this a mistake for the town ? D. H.
[1846, Part I. , p. 490.]
I beg to send you a sketch of an old house at Ilchester, Somerset,
part of which was destroyed by fire in 1844. Whether any part
before the fire was more ancient than the front here represented, I
do not know ; but the age of this appears, I think, to be about
the time of Henry VI. It is said to have been formerly occupied
by some remarkable personages. It was certainly one of the oldest
houses remaining in Ilchester. The sketch now sent you was made
in 1834 ; but when I saw the remains last summer the front re-
mained pretty much as here represented : the back part was entirely
destroyed. It had been used as a public-house for some years.
JOHN BUCKLER.
Note. — The town of Ilchester is of high antiquity, ascending up
to the times of the Romans. It was considered a county town in
the reign of Edward III., and sent members to Parliament from
26 Edward I. There were formerly four churches, according to
Leland, though one only remained in his time. The present church
has an octangular stone tower. The town also contained a house of
Black friars. The old philosopher Roger Bacon was a native of
Ilchester.
Though the county assizes were fixed at Ilchester in the reign of
Edward III., they were afterwards alternately held at Wells, Taunton,
VOL. XXII. 1 8
274 Somersetshire.
and Bridgewater, as well as this town. A county prison was erected
here, after the plans of the philanthropic Howard ; and that edifice
was famous in modern times for the confinement of the political
prisoner Henry Hunt, the " Radical" reformer.
On the particular history of the house communicated by Mr.
Buckler, we are sorry to have nothing more to say. Such
ancient edifices are chiefly remarkable for having survived their
fellows, which, one by one, have disappeared, either from decay
and accidents, or the deference of their owners and occupiers to the
capricious fashions of the day, whilst one or two alone are left behind
as the monuments of their race, and at length receive that notice
and respect from succeeding generations which is due to their vener-
able appearance, and the long march of centuries of which they have
been the witnesses.
Kingston Seymour.
[1835, Part II., p. 370-]
The interesting old manor-house at Kingston Seymour is of the
age of Edward IV., whose favourite badge, the rose-en-soleil, appears
on the west gable. The manor was divided ; but the resident lord,
to whom the erection of the house may be ascribed, appears to have
been one of the family of Kenn.
This is one of the most perfect and interesting specimens of
ancient domestic architecture in the county of Somerset. It is a
small building, its extreme length not exceeding 67 feet. The hall
occupies the centre, and is 28 feet 6 inches long, by 18 feet in
width. It has a window on the north, and another on the south side;
the latter appears between the porch and the bay, which is a square
of 7i feet on the inside, and forms the only means of communica-
tion between the hall and the withdrawing-room, which occupies the
western wing of the building, and is 24 feet in length by 13 feet
6 inches in width. The staircase is attached to this room, and
entered from it, on the north side. The eastern wing, which is
31 1 feet in length, and 18 feet 8 inches in width, including the thick-
ness of the walls, is separated into two rooms, the front and larger
portion of which was the kitchen. The room beyond does not seem
to have been devoted to mean uses. It has no external doorway,
and it is difficult to imagine where space was formerly found for the
offices which must have originally belonged to this handsome resi-
dence. As it does not appear that any subordinate buildings were
ever attached to it, it is reasonable to suppose that they were included
in some building detached, but not far removed from the main
edifice. There is no chimney-piece in the hall, so that we may con-
clude that the fire was kindled on a hearth in the centre of the room.
The chimney-piece in the withdrawing-room is of stone, and singularly
ornamented, and the ceiling is of woodwork, handsomely panelled.
Kingston Seymour. 275
The hall in this, as in the greater number of instances, has a lofty
roof of timber, very finely constructed and of good proportions, but
not distinguished by many ornaments.
I should not, however, omit to notice a little window, handsomely
canopied, which appears high up in the wall at the west end. It
opens into the spacious apartment over the withdrawing-room, and
was sufficiently large to give the host a commanding view of his
assembed guests.
We must now speak of the exterior, which presents a highly
decorated elevation towards the south. The west wing and the bay
on one hand, and the north wing and the porch on the other, leave
the hall deeply recessed in the centre, and their double gables rise
so high as nearly to conceal the long line of its steep roof. The
arch of the porch, and the upper windows in the wings, are dis-
tinguished by pointed arches. All the other windows have square
tops, with very highly-enriched tracery. The windows differ in size ;
several have transoms and several are without, but the whole appear
with their original ornaments complete. The masonry and con-
struction of this house are good and perfect.
It is now the property of John Hugh Smyth Pigott, Esq., of
Brockley Hall, and will be henceforth preserved with the care it
merits.
The following particulars are entered in the parish register of
Kingston Seymour, and dated 1727, by Mr. James Tuthill, the then
rector.
" Kingston, the manor and estate of John de Burgh, grandson of
the great Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, who, leaving only three
daughters and heirs, Hawise, Dervergild, and Margery, this manor
and his other estates were parted between them; and Dervergild,
who married Robert Fitzwalter, had this lordship for part of her
share. It did not come to the said John from his ancestors, but as
he was heir to Hawise de Llanvalley, his grandmother, upon failure
of issue in that family. John de Kingston, who seems to have taken
his name from his lordship, which was his seat, was Knight of this
county and Dorsetshire in the 6th and i2th years of the reign of
King Edward the Third."
This curious document is imperfect. B.
Limington.
[1825, Part L, pp. 9, 10.]
Collinson, in his " History of Somersetshire," mentions that
Wolsey was rector of Limington at the time of his well-known adven-
ture with Sir Amias Poulett, and that his cipher is to be seen on the
panel of an ancient pew, he having been presented to the living by
the Marquis of Dorset, who had entrusted to him the tuition of his
sons.
18 — 2
276 Somersetshire.
The church contains some curious relics of antiquity, of which I
made some sketches and memoranda, and as the Cardinal has lately
occupied so considerable a portion of your pages, and has been so
ably defended in your Magazine for November, a view of it may be
gratifying to some of your readers (see the frontispiece to the present
volume). Indeed, while examining the antiquities within the church,
I could not avoid recalling to my imagination " Wolsey and his
Times," and portraying to myself the future arbiter of Europe grasp-
ing a mewling infant at the font, his eyes glancing at the coral lips,
ruddy cheeks, and hazel eyes of the Somersetshire wenches around
him.
Leland, in his " Itinerary," vol. ii., fol. 52, says :
"One Juverney (or Fuverney) was owner of this towne and lord-
ship. He lyeth richely buried yn a fair Chapelle on the North side
of the Paroche Church of Limington. Ther lyeth at the feet of
Juverney a woman vaylid in a low tumbe with an image of stone.
Ther lyeth also in the South arche of the same Chapelle, a gentilman
and his wife, I think also of the Juverneys. Juverney dwelled, as
some thinke, in the farme at the North-est side of the Chirch.
Juverney's lands came by heires generale to the Bonevilles of
Devonshire."
All these monuments yet remain, and, compared with too many
others, are in a tolerable state of preservation. The name was cer-
tainly " Gyvernay "; and although I have not been able to ascertain
what were the arms borne by that family, there can be little doubt
but that the figure of a cross-legged knight, having on his shield a
bend between six escallops (Plate I., Fig. i), represents the "Gyver-
nay " noticed by Leyland.* His " woman vaylid " is represented at
Fig. 2. The "gentilman and his wife" are shown at Figs. 3 and 4.
The former is not in armour; they are youthful figures, and afford
curious examples of painting upon sepulchral monuments, it being
plainly discernible that they were gaily attired in green and pink.
Sir Richard Gyvernay, A.D. 1329, gave a messuage, five acres, and
one rood of arable land, one acre of meadow, and seventy-two
shillings rent, with appurtenances in Limington, to God and the
church of Limington, and to John Fychet, chaplain, and all other
chaplains his successors, to perform Divine service every day at the
altar of the blessed Virgin Mary, in the parish church of Limington,
for the souls of him the said Sir Richard and Maud his wife, and
for the souls of Gilbert Gyverney and Mabil Gyverney, father and
mother of the said Sir Richard, and of Lord Philip de Columbers
and Eleanor his wife, Gunnora, formerly wife of the said Sir Richard
Gyverney, and Margaret, also formerly his wife, and of Henry Power
* The bend between six escallops was used with different colours by Fuljambe,
Freshwell, Walton, Coupe, Scale, Crws, Daniell, Cotterell, and others ; and the
same charges may also have been born by Gyvernay.
L imington. 277
and Maud his wife.* Having no issue male, his estates descended
to Henry Power, who had married Maud, his sister, which Henry
died seised of this manor, 35 Edward III., leaving an only daughter,
Joan, who was married to William de Shareshull.f After which the
manor came to the Bonvilles.
The manor appears to have been held of the Barons Beauchamp,
of Hache. Margaret, one of the daughters and coheirs of Sir John
Meriett, Knt. (a descendant from John Meriett, nephew ex sorore of
John Lord Beauchamp, of Hache, who died without issue), was the
wife of Sir William Bonville, of Chewton, county Somerset. The
issue of this marriage was Sir William Bonville, who had summons to
Parliament by the title of Lord Bonville of Chewton, 1449, and was
honoured with the Order of the Garter. But espousing the cause of
the House of York, he had committed to him the custody of
Henry VI., taken prisoner at the battle of Northampton. This
William Lord Bonville married Elizabeth, sole daughter and heiress
of William Lord Harington, K.G., and had issue William Bonville,
Esq., who had issue William Bonville, Lord Harington, slain at the
battle of Wakefield in 1460, in the lifetime of his grandfather. He
was himself beheaded by the Queen's party, after the second battle
of St. Albans, in February, 1461.
Collinson appears to have been mistaken in referring the cipher
carved on the pewj to Cardinal Wolsey. The arms (Fig. 5), viz.,
Quarterly, first and fourth, six mullets, second and third a fret, are
those of Bonville and Harington, and there cannot be a doubt that
they were placed for William Bonville, Lord Harington (after March,
1458, when he became entitled to quarter Harington, upon the death
of his great-grandfather, William Lord Harington, above-mentioned),
and that the initials "W. C." (entwined by a sort of knot) denote
"William" and "Catherine," that being the name of his wife, who
was daughter to Sir Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury. They left
an only child, Cicely, who was heiress to her great-grandfather,
William Lord Bonville, A.D. i Edward IV., and then within one
year old. She became the second wife of Thomas Grey, Marquis of
Dorset, K.G. (son of Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV., by her first
husband, Sir John Grey). Their son, Thomas, Marquis of Dorset,
Lord Groby of Harington and of Astely, K.G., etc., presented
Thomas Wolsey to the rectory of Limington, as above mentioned,
about the year 1500.
The elegant font (Plate L, Fig. 6) appears, by the form of the
escutcheons thereon, to have been executed at the beginning of the
sixteenth century. It is more than probable, therefore, that it was
set up by Wolsey. Perhaps it exhibits the dawn of that taste which
he undoubtedly possessed, and which was afterwards so magnificently
* Collinson, " Hist. Som.," vol. iii., p. 218. f Ibid.
t It is probable that this originally formed part of a screen.
2/8 Somersetshire.
displayed at Hampton Court, in the Tomb House at Windsor, at his
archiepiscopal seat Cawood Castle, at Ipswich, at Oxford, and various
other places.
The church is dedicated to St. Mary. There is a mural monu-
ment to the memory of Mr. Edward Gould, son of Mr. James and
Mrs. Mary Gould, of London, who died January 20, 1747, aged
twenty-one. Arms : Paly of six, argent and sable, six cross-crosslets
or. The "fair chapelle " on the north side, which is seen in the
Plate, has a curious stone roof.
The manor is the property of Lewis Dymoke-Grosvenor Tregon-
well, Esq., of Cranbourne, county Dorset, in right of his first wife,
Catherine, daughter and heir of St. Barbe Sydenham, Esq. I cannot
omit acknowledging that I have been greatly assisted in ascertaining
the particulars of the family above-mentioned by one of your valuable
correspondents, my friend, G. F. Beltz, Esq., Lancaster Herald.
T. R.
Lullington.
[1794, Part //.,/. 893.]
Lullington is a small parish, situated three miles north of Frome,
in the county of Somerset ; the church whereof, as it now is, appears
to have been built at different periods of time, part being evidently
Saxon, part Gothic, and part modern architecture (see Plate II.,
Fig. i). In the middle stands a square embattled tower, supported
by four clustered pillars, which are ornamented with wreaths, figures
of birds, beasts, etc. The arch which divides the nave from the
chancel is enriched with the Saxon zig-zag ornament.
On the outside of the north wall of the church is a beautiful ancient
doorway (the entrance closed) of the true Saxon ornamented archi-
tecture, having in the upper arch, within a corbel, a mutilated figure
of the Virgin Mary in a sitting posture, holding on her knees the
Holy Child (see Fig. 2).
Collinson, in his faithful and very valuable " History of Somerset-
shire," tells us that the advowson of this church, before the Dissolution
belonged to a priory of black canons at Longleat, in the county of
Wilts; which priory, in the 2Qth of Henry VIII., was united with
the monastery of Carthusians at Hinton, in the county of Somerset,
and was, by Prior Hard, surrendered to the Crown. The advowson
of this church, on the 32nd year of the same reign, was granted to
Edward, Earl of Hertford, who sold it, with the beautiful place of
Longleat, to Sir John Thynne, from whom it descended to the
Marquis of Bath, the present lord of the manor. A. C.
Maperton.
[1817, Part II., p. 298.]
The following epitaphs are at Maperton, a small village in
Somersetshire. R.
Maperton. 279
In the church, on the east side :
"The Rev. Charles Michell, late Rector of this parish, who died Oct. 6, 1766.
A tender father and real friend.
"Mrs. Margaret Michell, who was buried April 20, 1732."
On the west side :
" To the sacred memory of Thomas Lockyer, esq., who departed this life
July 8, 1785, aged 86."
On a flat stone in the chancel :
"Samuel Collins, once Rector of this Parish, was buried Jan. the 2ist, 1714,
aged 76 years. Agatha, wife of Samuel Collins, was buried July the roth, 1714,
aged 64 years. Agatha Nichols, wife of Roger Nichols, once Rector of this
Parish, was buried June the i;th, 1707, aged 82 years. Thomasin, daughter of
Samuel Collins, and Agatha, his wife, was buried August the 6th, 170 . ., aged
29 years. Agatha, daughter of Samuel and Agatha Collins, was buried ... the
24th, 1713, aged 39 years."
Round the edge of an old flat stone, much defaced :
"Here lieth the body of James Bradford, Minister of the Gospel. January I,
1656.
" Underneath lie Philip Bennet, esq., and Jane, his wife. As he was universally
esteemed for his friendship, good nature, and honesty, she was no less remarkable
for her beauty, virtue, good sense, and piety. He died March the I5th, 1722,
aged 44 ; she died May the 2d, 1722, aged 50.
"Thomas Strode, jun., obiit. Oct. 13, 1688.
" Here lieth the body of Mrs. Eliz. Ernes, obl. Dec. 8, 1717, setatis suse 77.
"Jane Bennett, wife of Philip Bennett, esq., departed this life the 3Oth of
April, 1722, setatis suse 50."
On another stone :
"Mary Bennett obiit Dec. 28, 1688."
In the churchyard :
"Thomas Hole, of Wesbury, in this County, who died Feb. 17, 1722, aged 72.
"Robert Clothier, of Clapton, died Jan. the I5th, 1767, aged 84.
" Rebecca, the wife of Robert Clothier, of Clapton, died Sept. 2d, 1753, aged 66."
On the side of a table-stone :
"John Provis was baptised Jan. 1, 1648 ; died Sept. 28 ; buried Sept. 30, 1696.
"Michael Pitman died July 9, 1770, aged 79.
"Mary, wife of Michael Pitman, who died Aug. 10, 1771, aged 59."
Marston Magna.
[1818, Part //.,//. 105-107.]
The parish of Marston Magna, in the county of Somerset, receives
its additional name by way of distinction from Little Marston, a
village north of this place ; the situation of both is in a low flat
country, shaded in the summer months from the scorching rays of
the sun by a thick, dark foliage of stately elms, orchards, and orna-
mental forest-trees, that afford the same friendly protection from the
frigid north atmosphere during winter.
It is distant about four miles from the celebrated Cadbury, or
280 Somersetshire.
probably Cerdic, Hill, in the Saxon history of our country, famous
for the defeat of Baldulph and Colgrin, who, after a second struggle
for victory, flushed with the succour of new forces under Cerdic,
were again, by the military prowess of the invincible British King
Arthur, repulsed and entirely defeated, to almost the loss of their
whole army as well as themselves.
The soil of this parish is principally a fine, fertile, calculous earth,
chiefly pasture lands, astonishingly quick in vegetation, and produc-
tive to the degree of abundance. . . .
The church (see Plate I.) in the centre of the village is a plain,
neat building of freestone, with a high tapering tower, supported with
buttresses, having an embattled pediment that encircles the top.
The chancel is by far the oldest part of the building, and seems to
be the work of a very early period, most likely Saxon, as its massive
walls are without buttresses, and the eastern window is of that kind
of order we find in our oldest ecclesiastical structures ; it has the
long lancet-shape lights carried up in the plain wall. Under this
window stands the altar; and very near it in the south wall are two
niches, one evidently for a holy water basin ; the other is larger, and
has in it a stone bench of very rude workmanship, the customary
seat of an assistant officiating priest.
The main body of the church is connected with this very ancient
chancel by a high light Gothic arch, without screen or ornament,
that seems to be a work of no very distant period (comparatively
with the chancel). The north-west side of this portion of the build-
ing has an attached projectional structure, screened off from the
main body, that seems to have been intended for a small chapel or
chantry ; this addition appears to be much more modern than any
other part of the church, having the particular style of our Henry VII. :
it further appears to have been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, the
niche still remaining in which that statue stood ; it is elegantly exe-
cuted in a fine sort of tabernacle manner, cut in stone, and standing
on a handsome mural bracket. The walls of this ambiguous struc-
ture have been beautifully ornamented with fine specimens or efforts
of the chisel, representing the most remarkable subjects of the Bible,
in a fine bold relievo, that nearly covered the whole interior : but
unfortunately, the church undergoing some repairs, during the life-
time of a predecessor very different from the present rector, the
sacrilegious miscreants employed were suffered to pillage the church
and convey away all this beautiful tracery, with also the Virgin
statue.
Many curious stone-coffins have been discovered beneath the
flag work ; and it is presumed many of them are of monkish origin,
having in various devices the representation of the cross ; and in
others the palm-branch rudely designed. The latter is conjectured
to have contained the bodies of such nuns whose ascetic life had
Marston Magna. 281
passed through the different degrees established according to the
rules of St. Benedict.
A little north of the church stands the parsonage, now a delightful
rural residence, surrounded with delicious gardens, nicely disposed and
tastefully arranged by the present worthy rector, Mr. Williams. . . .
The parish of Marston Magna originally consisted of little else
than a convent and its detached buildings, nearly the whole of which
stood on the south side of the church, as the present village stands
north, two or three houses excepted. The site of this religious
establishment is at this moment to be plainly traced in a close con-
tiguous to the church, called the Court Garden, the discriminating
features of which are a succession of various mounds, terraces,
excavations, and other irregularities, throughout the whole field. The
principal terrace led to a distant field, still called the Park, where it
is presumed deer had been kept for the use of this convent. The
field is about 40 acres, and the terrace surrounds the whole, that
probably came from the grand front, or from the entrance of the
great cloister of this priory, through an avenue of trees leading to a
drawbridge over the ditch, by which it could only be accessible.
This ditch still remains ; it is large, deep, and wide over, enclosing a
spacious quadrangular area, on which spot, no doubt, the principal
building stood. Indeed an amazing combination of various struc-
tures must have formerly dignified the classical site of this house, its
society must have been large and liberally maintained. Its sect is
said to have been a religious sisterhood of Benedictine Nuns, under
a lady prioress, and dependent on the Abbey of Polestro, or Poleston,
in the county of Devon ; but the history of this abbey unfortunately
seems very obscure, or at least never to have fallen under my obser-
vation, a circumstance I must regret.
It appears from good authority that the abbess and nuns of
Polestro, or Poleston, in the county of Devon, had the peculiar
rectory of Marston Magna; taxed 20 Edward I. at 2 3 marcs, 6s. 8d.;
and presented to the vicarage, probably by way of augmentation fee;
but in what manner the rectory dues were held we do not find out.
J. BELLAMY.
Mells.
[1794, Part IL, pp. 702, 703.]
Mells Church is a very stately edifice. There is on the south side
a porch which merits particular notice ; its form and ornaments are
singularly graceful ; and it is quite perfect, except that the mullions
of the window, and the statues which heretofore peopled the niches,
are now destroyed, whether by the hand of Time, or of " godly
thorough-reformation," I know not. On the summit of the wall
which divides the nave from the chancel stands a kind of lantern
turret, in which hangs a small bell, now usually rung as soon as the
282 Somersetshire.
officiating minister is in his place, to give notice to the people with-
out that the service is about to begin ; but this, doubtless, or some
tinkling predecessor, was originally the sane/us, or saint's bell. . . .
These little campaniles are by no means infrequent in country
churches, though it is not common to find them so well tenanted
as this at Mells.
In the chancel is a handsome monument of white and Sienna
marble to the memory of the late worthy rector the Rev. T. Paget,
with the following inscription :
" Spe certa resurgendi juxta dormiunt reliquiae THOM^E PAGET, S. T. B., hujus
ecclesiae per annos triginta fere quatuor rectoris; qui hominis, civis, clerici, munera
non implevit modo, sed et ornavit omnia ; erat enim vir ingenuus, probus, pius,
pastor eruditus, sedulus, beneficus, dum gregi suo fideltier invigilaret, anirno, re,
corpore, laborantes, consilio, sere, cibo juvandos non solum voluit, sed et ipse
curavit. Severiora theologize studia quibus praecipue incubuit, humaniorum
literarum elegantiis ita feliciter temperaverat ; ut suavitate morum, et officio bene
prsestito, bonos omnes sibi devinxerit. Ita demum in omni re se gessit, adeo
decorum miscuit honesto, ut in vita amabilis, in morte flebilis, carissimam sui
reliquerit memoriam. Obiit secundo die Januarii A.D. MDCCLXXXIII. ^Etatis
LXXVIII."
An altar-piece of marble was erected, and the whole chancel fitted
up in 1785, by the present munificent rector, John Bishop, D.D.
On the south side of the chancel were three of those seats, with
ornamented canopies, which are vulgarly called tabernacles, and
whose original use has been the subject of so much antiquarian dis-
cussion. These unfortunately were either removed, or are now
hidden or filled up by the plastering. In the windows are a few
scraps of painted glass ; and in the side-aisles the reliques of some
very handsome old screen-work, adorned with carving, richly painted
and gilt.
At a small distance from the church, and probably on the site of
the " praty maner-place of stone " mentioned by Leland, stand the
remains of what was for several generations the principal seat of the
Homers, who inhabited it till the present Mr. Homer enlarged the
house in the park, and made that his constant place of residence. In
a journal of King Charles's marches during the rebellion, published
in Gutch's " Collectanea Curiosa," is this article :
"July, 1644, Wednesday the lyth. MelJs, Sir John Horner's,
the king's by attainder [staid there] two nights."
This Sir John makes a considerable figure in Lord Clarendon's
History. He and Alexander Popham were the only persons of
fortune in the county (which the same noble historian styles "one
of the richest in the kingdom") who espoused the Parliament's
cause. When the King's affairs declined, Sir John, I presume,
regained possession of his chateau ; and, dying before the Restora-
tion (in 1659) the attainder was perhaps forgotten, certainly not
enforced. However that were, the zealous and active loyalty of the
Metis. 283
present representative of this family makes ample amends for the
failing of his ancestor. Half of the old house is now mouldering
in ruins, the rest is occupied by a farmer. It was one of those
capacious and splendid mansions which arose towards the end of
the sixteenth century, and the style of its architecture was superior
to most of that age. The porch has been ascribed to Inigo Jones,
but without sufficient reason. In all likelihood, the artist, whoever
he was, that planned the porch, designed the whole facade, to which
this porch is in strict conformity ; and that the body of the house is
of a date somewhat prior to the works of Inigo, certain inscriptions,
which were lately existing about its walls, undoubtedly prove. The
door-way of the porch is decorated with two fluted three-quarter
columns, of the Doric order, supporting an entablature, above which
are the family arms ; the whole much enriched and well executed.
In the metopes are the crest and other devices.
Round about the house are many lofty elms and horse-chestnuts.
Indeed, the soil of the whole parish is remarkably propitious to the
growth of all kinds of timber. There are many very large trees in
the park ; and the principal approach to Mr. Horner's house is
through an awful grove of aged beeches, wonderfully solemn and
magnificent. An internal view of this grove, which is about a quarter
of a mile in length, can scarcely fail of bringing to the beholder's
mind the idea of a vast cathedral. . . .
Leland tells us that " Melles hathe bene a praty townelet for
clothing " (" Itin.," vol. vii., p. 99). No manufacture of this kind is
now carried on here ; but there are several houses in different parts
of the parish which appear to have belonged formerly to persons of
opulence.
Two much-frequented fairs are annually holden here on a very
pleasant spot called Mells Green. It is " a plat of rising ground,"
covered with a beautiful verdure, and shaded with avenues of tall
and spreading elms, under whose branches the booths are set up,
and parties of pleasure assemble, exhibiting altogether an appearance
extremely cheerful and gay.
The old parsonage-house, which ceased to be inhabited about
forty -four years ago, is an ivy-mantled ruin. It was ancient and
spacious, having in it a large hall with an oriel window. The modem
manse is a well-built dwelling ; and the territory around it has been
laid out in an agreeable manner by Dr. Bishop. In levelling the
earth for a garden, the workmen met with a Roman coin of brass.
No more of the emperor's name is legible than the termination
ANVS, but the countenance resembles that of Adrian.
Ivy-leaved toad-flax (antirrhinum symballaria), a plant very rare
in this part of England, and, I believe, not common anywhere, grows
luxuriantly on some of the old walls in and about Mells. Mells too
can boast a salutary spring, which has been found efficacious in
284 Somersetshire.
scrofulous cases ; but it is little attended to, and I know not that it
has ever been analyzed. R. P.
Monkton Butleigh.
[1841, Part L, p. 82.]
A silver seal, in fine preservation, has recently been found on the
grounds of W. Brown, Esq., at Monkton Butleigh, Somerset, near
the site of the Priory of St. Mary Magdalene. This relic is a
pendant, having a female front face, deeply cut and of exquisite
workmanship (probably Italian) ; the legend, encircling the head,
" CAPVT MARIE MAGDALENE."
Montacute.
[1786, Part L, p. 410.]
In the notes of references subjoined to Bishop Tanner's account
of the Priory of Montacute in Somersetshire ("Notit. Monast.,"
p. 467), it is mentioned that transcripts of many deeds formerly
belonging to that religious house were, anno 1698, in the possession
of Mr. Andrew Paschall, rector of Chedsey, near Bridgewater ; and
in the " Magna Britannia," published in 1728. Should any of your
readers be apprized where these deeds, if extant, or transcripts of
them, are deposited, by communicating such information they will
much oblige. T. Ros.
[1817, PartIL>p. 577.]
I send you a view of that noble mount called Montacute and St.
Michael's Hill (see Plate), situate in the parish of Montacute, in
Somersetshire ; the base of which contains near twenty acres. It
rises boldly out of the plain, and bears the appearance of a cardinal's
hat.* . . .
Near this mount are two other eminences, called Hedgecock Hill
and Hamden Hill ; the latter of which has been remarkable for
many ages for its freestone quarries, of which most of the churches
in the neighbourhood are built.
At the foot of the mount was founded, about the year 1091, by
William Earl of Morton, a priory of Black Cluniac Monks, which
was surrendered to Henry VIII. in 1539. The remains are partly
represented in the Plate.
The site, etc., of the priory was granted to Sir William Petre, and
sold by him to Mr. Robert Freke ; of whom it was soon after pur-
chased by the family of Phelips, who at that time possessed some
other parts of the manor ; and is now the property of John Phelips,
Esq.
The parish of Montacute is situate four miles south-west of Ivel-
* See Collinson's "Somerset," vol. iii., p. 309.
Montacute. 285
Chester, and is in the hundred of Tintinhull. It is divided into three
tithings, viz., Bishopston, Hyde, and Widcombe; beside which
there is a small hamlet called Thorn. The tithing of Bishopston
comprehends the town of Montacute, which consists of three streets,
forming nearly the letter H ; wherein, according to the Return to
Parliament, there were, in 1811, 8 houses building, 2 uninhabited,
and 165 inhabited by 188 families (80 of which were employed in
agriculture and 102 in trade, etc.), consisting of 400 males and 457
females ; total, 857.
The church, situate immediately under the mount, is dedicated
to St. Catherine, and consists of a nave, chancel, and two side aisles ;
at the west end is an embattled tower. In the church are several
stately monuments to the family of Phelips.
Nearly adjoining is the large and noble mansion-house, built in
the reign of Elizabeth by Sir Edward Phelips, Knight, the Queen's
Sergeant, third son of Sir Thomas Phelips of Barrington (at which
place the family had previously resided), who settled his family at
Montacute, where they have been ever since. The house is 92 feet
in height, and a remarkable gallery runs the whole length of the
building to the extent of 189 feet. B. N.
Newton.
[1832, Part L, p. 401.]
I send you a drawing (Plate II.) of the west door of Newton
Chapel, near North Petherton, Somerset.
The figures refer to the parable of the Ten Virgins, in the 25th
chapter of St. Matthew, and the workmanship exhibits a mixture
of Gothic with the style of the sixteenth century, which date appears
on a richly carved cornice running round the interior of the chapel.
The chancel screen is handsome, and consists of figures supporting
a cornice in the same taste as the upper part of the west door ; but
of this I had not time to make a correct drawing.
The chapel is on the property of Sir Thomas Acland, and was
built by an ancestor of the present baronet, for the benefit of his
tenantry. E. W.
North Curry.
[1748,^.405.]
At North Curry, near Taunton, Somersetshire, July 12, 1748, there
was ploughed up, in a field where a hedge had stood, an urn, in
which were contained several silver Roman coins ; viz., of Gratianus,
Valentinianus, Valens, Theodosius, Honorius, Arcadius, Constan-
tinus, Constans, Julianus, Mag. Maximus, and many others. They
are all of the same size, excepting one of Gratianus, with this inscrip-
tion : D. N. GRATIANUS, P. F. AUG., and, on the reverse, a sort
of an angel standing with one of his feet on a globe, with a shield in
286 Somersetshire.
his hands ; in which are these words, VOT. V. MUL, X. and in
the round, VICTORIA AUGUSTORUM, and in the bottom
S. M. T. R. This piece is three times as large as any of the
others, and weighs very near a shilling. There have been found
about 150 of the smaller pieces, and the greatest part of them are
now in the possession of the Rev. Mr. Woodforde, vicar of North
Curry above-mentioned.
They have been viewed by several learned gentlemen, and are
reckoned to be some of the greatest curiosities of that kind hitherto
found. They are as perfect and free from decay as if they were but
very lately coined, notwithstanding the latest of them is above 1,350
years old. J. PILE.
Norton Fitzwarren.
[1829, Part /., /. 305.]
Norton Fitzwarren is a village in Somersetshire, distant about
three miles north-west from Taunton, on the road to Wiveliscombe.
It gives title to the hundred and derives the adjunct to its name from
the ancient and honourable race of the Bourchiers, Lords Fitz-
warren, the ancestors by female heirs of the Earls of Bath and many
other distinguished families. This manor, with those of Novington,
Huntshill, and others in Somersetshire, and those of Bampton,
Tavistock, Kingston, Nymet-Tracey, and others in Devonshire,
formed in the reign of Edward IV. part of the extensive possessions
of the Fitzwarrens. That family had, in all probability, a residence
in this place, for there \re some remains nearly adjoining the church-
yard which indicate the former existence of a mansion-house of
considerable consequence.
The interior of the ancient Church of Norton Fitzwarren presents
an interesting object which, connected as it is with an existing tradi-
tion, appears worthy of being rescued from oblivion. This is an
ancient screen which divides the chancel from the nave, and, like
those still existing in many churches of the west of England, is
carved in oak in a spirited and elegant style. It forms six open
arches, adorned with foliage and tabernacle work, and it is sur-
mounted by a long panel or compartment, which forms the subject
of the accompanying sketch (Plate II., Fig. i). The figures are in
high relief upon a ground of vine-leaves, and are severally gilded
and painted of various colours, producing a striking effect. Com-
mencing with the subject at the northern end we have three hunting
dogs of various breeds ; the first is a greyhound, the others are
hounds one yellow and the other black ; next is a man in a yellow
jerkin with red hose and cap, holding in his left hand a circular
implement ; he seems either on the point of falling a sacrifice to the
monster which forms the next figure, or employed in attempting to
entrap him. This animal is carved with great spirit, and is painted
Norton Fitzwarren. 287
black with a golden stripe on his back. A man is next represented
with a bow in his hand, and seems to be making his escape ; he is
dressed in red, with a yellow hat and shoes. We have then three
yoke of oxen dragging a plough, which is remarkable for the rude-
ness of its structure ; the ploughman and driver are painted in a
similar manner to the other human figures ; next follows a seedsman
with his seed-lip or box; the figure which is next is naked, and appears
to be meant for a female ; her hands are joined in the attitude of
prayer, and she seems a resigned victim to the black monster, which
is in the act of devouring her. Then come the letters which seem
to record the name of the churchwarden of the period, " Jlaphe
harue (£. £U.," and these are succeeded by the three naked figures
whose attitudes and employment it is difficult to interpret ; the last
two hold each other by the hair, and appear to have each a piece of
rope in their hands. On inquiry to what event this remarkable
sculpture is said to relate, I was informed that it records the fact of
a man at plough having been devoured by an enormous serpent,
and a field on the south side of the village was pointed out to me as
the spot where the circumstance occurred. J. D.
Portishead.
[1830, Part L, p. 32.]
The repairs of the Church of Portishead have been considerably
assisted not only by the very ample and munificent benefactions of
the Corporation of Bristol, but also by the liberality of James Adam
Gordon, Esq., the lord of the manor of that parish and of Portbury,
who, in addition to the other services he has rendered, recently
presented to the church a fine-toned organ, built by a first-rate
London artist. This church contains also two oak chairs of peculiar
beauty, well worthy the attention of the antiquary, formed at the
expense of the Rev. John Noble Shipton, B.D., of Balliol College,
Oxford, who has been for many years resident in this parish, and a
great benefactor to the church, from the materials of the elegantly
carved screen which once separated the church from the chancel,
the production of an age long since passed away, but which was
taken down and thrown away as lumber upwards of half a century
ago. These have lately been presented to the church, no expense
having been spared in their formation, and are placed on each side
of the altar. B. C.
[1830, Part L, p. 204.]
The gentleman who presented the chairs made out of the materials
of an ancient screen to Portishead Church displayed in the donation
more munificence than good taste. Are the chairs any better for
their materials having once formed an ancient screen ? It reminds
288 Somersetsh ire.
me of the construction of a bridge by the vain Duke of Chandos out
of the remains of a Roman pharos, and his inscribing the circumstance
on the structure. ... If the gentleman had expended his money
in restoring the screen either to its original use, or to some appro-
priate situation in the church, he would truly have deserved applause;
but as it is, I cannot help regretting the misappropriation.
Preston.
[1841, Part //., pp. 496, 497-]
Preston is a parish of considerable size, contiguous to Yeovil, on
the road to Taunton. It is divided into two tithings, called from
the ancient manors, Preston Plucknet and Preston Bermondsey.
The former, which contains the church and the larger number of
houses, derives its name from the ancient family of Plugenet. The
latter was named from the Abbey of Bermondsey, which here pos-
sessed a considerable estate.
This manor was already distinct from the other in the time of
Edward the Confessor, when it was held by Alward, and was rated
at two hides. After the Conquest it belonged to Ansger, and it had
improved in value, from fifteen shillings to forty. The arable was
one carucate, which was in demesne, with one serf and eight
cottagers ; and there were ten acres of meadow. The Ansger here
mentioned (in Domesday Book) bore the surname of Montagud,
and was possibly related to Drogo, the castellan at Montacute in
Somersetshire, the ancestor of the Montacutes, Earls of Salisbury.
In 1092, within ten years of the compilation of Domesday Book,*
Ansgerus Brito gave this manor to the Priory of the Holy Saviour of
Bermondsey, in Surrey; and again, in 1126, he confirmed the same
gift, together with Walter his son.f
In 1095 Walter, son of Ansger Brito, gave the abbey two other
hides, situated at Stone, \ in the neighbouring parish of Mudiford ;
and at Pope Nicholas's taxation in 1291 these lands were valued :
£ s- d.
Apud Preston . . . . . . 834
Apud Gevele (Yeovil), Preston, et Stonem . 650
* The same authority, the chronicle of Bermondsey, now the MS. Harl. 231,
records both events. " Hoc anno 1083 [rex] fecit describi volumen vocatum
Domysday. Anno 1092 Ansgerus Brito dedit praeriictis monachis manerium de
Preston, scilicet duas hidas." In the new " Monasticon," vol. v., p. 86, Ansger
Brito is called "a knight of Wynebald de Baalun," but for this there is no authority
in the original (ibid., p. 96). That description belongs to Odo (de Tirone) just
before mentioned.
t Collinson (" History of Somerset," vol. iii., p. 223) gives the latter date only,
having overlooked the earlier entry in the chronicle.
£ Called " duas hidas terrae de Estanas " in the confirmation charter of William
Rufus, which, it is remarked in the new " Monasticon," must have been given in
1094 or before, as Aylwin, one of the witnesses, died in that year. A more extra-
ordinary point in the charter is that Stone is mentioned, but not Preston. In tfie
confirmation charter of Henry I. both places are enumerated.
Preston. 289
In 1417, 5 Henry V., there was a trial in Chancery between the
King and Thomas Thetford, Abbot of Bermondsey, upon a plea of
Quo Warranto, concerning the manors of Preston Bermondsey and
Stone, when they were recovered by the abbot. It appeared that
the condition of the gift was the provision of two chaplains, to pray,
for ever, for the souls of the donors, their ancestors, and all the
faithful deceased.
In the reign of Henry VIII. the manors of Preston and Stone
were let together for the rent of £16. This appears both by the
Valor Ecclesiasticus of the 26th of that reign, and the Compotus of
the 32nd, printed in the new " Monasticon." Antony Gilbert was
steward of the abbey's lands in the county of Somerset (which com-
prised the manor of Kenyweston in addition to those already
noticed), at the annual sum of £i 8s. 4d.
The house erected on this abbatial manor acquired for itself the
name of Abbey. The following is the notice given of it in Collin-
son's "Somersetshire": "Not far from the church is a large old
mansion called Preston Abbey, having been formerly one of
those granges which are commonly met with in manors belonging
to religious establishments. The windows in this house are gothic,
and some very large, the doorways arched, and the staircases of
stone. The predial barn is 114 feet in front, of stone well quoined,
with a spacious arched entrance, and a timber roof curiously con-
trived for strength and duration." The accompanying view was
taken in 1811. Since that time (in 1836) the house had lost some
of its interesting features, and the porch was entirely covered with
ivy. It is occupied by a farmer. . . .
It may be added that a monk of Bermondsey, who was a native of
this place, and therefore called William de Preston, performed in 1363
the useful service of forming a digest and register of the charters of
the abbey, giving a synoptical view of its liberties, churches, rents,
pensions, portions, and all other possessions. This cartulary is
mentioned by Tanner to have been formerly in the possession of
Robert Trappis of London, gent., lord of the manor of Bermondsey.
Its present place of deposit appears to have been unknown to the
compilers of the list of Monastic Cartularies, in the first volume of
the " Collectanea Topographica et Genealogica."
Puxton.
[1804, Part I., p. 201.]
In Plate I., Fig. i, is a slight but accurate sketch of the parish
church of Puxton in Somersetshire. The tower overhangs its base
considerably towards the west, and has been in that situation time
immemorial ; it appears very likely to me, from the construction of
this tower (it being very large and strongly built in proportion to its
present height), that it was originally ornamented with a spire or
VOL. XXII. J9
290 Somersetshire.
steeple ; and probably the weight of such spire occasioned the
sinking of the foundation of the tower, and thereby caused it to verge
from the true perpendicular ; and it is likely the spire was taken
down on that account, but of this there is no record or tradition.
The tower is at present covered with a lead spire roof, surmounted
with a gilded cock. The roof of the church is covered with Cornish
tile or slate. Over the porch, at the north entrance of this church,
is a coat of arms cut in a kind of freestone, but now so much defaced
by whitewash and the weather, that it cannot, for a certainty, be said
what the arms were ; the date, however, beneath the shield of those
arms is very legible, and appears to be 1557 (see the Plate); but
from the general appearance of this building, I am inclined to think
it of much older date than the time of Mary I. ; the above date
probably was set up when the church underwent repairs. There is
a tradition current with the inhabitants of the parish that there were
formerly five bells in the tower ; at present, however, there are but
two only, which are said to be the first and fifth of the original peal.
The pews or seats in the church are of the rudest workmanship
imaginable, being of oak rough-hewn from the tree. The pulpit is
covered with a handsome dark-green velvet cloth, on which is embroi-
dered in silver letters, " Holyness to the Lord"; and, from the
uncouth make of the letters, it appears to be ancient. On the right-
hand side of the pulpit is fixed in the wall an iron frame, said to
have been a stand for one of those hour-glasses alluded to by Butler
in nic '* T-Tn/^iKrac " •
in his " Hudibras'
; As gifted brethren preaching by,
A carnal hour-glass do imply."
The name of this place was anciently written Pokerelestone, as
appears by old deeds and writings. The parish adjoins to Banwell
Bruton, and the church is said to have been formerly a chapel-of-
ease to Banwell. The presentation of the church is in the Dean
and Chapter of the Holy Trinity in Bristol; but the impropriate
tithes which belonged heretofore to the Abbey of Bruton at present
belong to John Lenthall, Esq., of Oxfordshire, a descendant of
Lenthall, Speaker of the House of Commons in the Long Parlia-
ment.
The manor of Puxton lately belonged to the Hon. James Everard
Arundell, of Ashcombe, in the county of Wilts, in right of his wife
Anne (before her marriage Anne Wyndham, only child of John
VVyndham, Esq., of the Close of New Sarum) ; but is now the pro-
perty of William Wyndham, Esq., of Dinton, near Hindon. In this
parish is an annual fair (heretofore held on Trinity Monday, but
altered about five years ago to Whit Tuesday) for sheep and cattle.
B. G.
Queen Charlton. 291
Queen Charlton.
[1811, Part L, p. 113.]
I send you a sketch of the old gateway (Plate II., Fig. i) that
belonged to the Abbot's Court-house at Queen Charlton, a village
distant five miles south-east from Bristol.
Collinson says, in the second volume of his "History of Somerset-
shire," that at the time of the Conquest this village, with that of
Whitchurch, and many other adjoining places, was parcel of the
manor of Keynsham, where an extensive abbey was founded by
William, Earl of Gloucester, of the order of Black Canons ; and
Edward II. ratified this grant, with the villages of Whitchurch,
Chewton, and Charlton. No vestige of this abbey now remains at
Keynsham, and this gateway is the only fragment of the court-house
remaining at Charlton.
If any of the ingenious antiquaries of the present day were to cross
this part of the country, it might perhaps repay them if they would
deviate a mile or two from the great road leading from Bristol to
Wells, and visit this little retired village. The collector of fossils,
also, would add considerably to his collection could he but devote
a few hours for his researches in this neighbourhood, where the
Cornua Ammonis, or snake-stone, are found in prodigious quantities,
from the size of J inch to 2 feet in diameter.
The monkish tale of the Virgin Keyna first originated in this
district, which tells us that, when this lady arrived at years of maturity
she attracted many admirers, and many noble personages sought
her in marriage ; but she was deaf to all their overtures, having con-
secrated her virginity by a perpetual vow, for which cause she was
denominated by the Britons Keyn-Wyryf, or Keyna the Virgin. At
length she determined to forsake her native country, and seek some
desert place where to indulge in private her religious contempla-
tions. Directing her journey beyond the Severn, she met a certain
woody place in these parts, and made her request to the prince of
the country that she might be permitted to serve God in that spot
of solitude and retirement. Tne prince informed her he was ready
to grant her petition, but that the place so swarmed with serpents
that neither man nor beast could live therein ; to which the Virgin
replied that she firmly trusted she should be able to drive the
venomous brood out of all the country. Hereupon the place was
granted her, and by her prayers all the snakes and vipers were con-
verted into stones ; and to this day all the stones in that country
resemble the windings of serpents through all the fields and villages.
* # *
Rodden.
[1803, Part L, p. 497-]
Rodden Chapel, a rough sketch of which is here sent (Plate I.),
is situated on the borders of Somerset and Wilts, between Frome
19—2
292 Somersetsh ire .
and Warminster. It can boast of nothing particularly interesting,
either in appearance or antiquity. Ecclesiastically considered, it is a
chapelry to Boynton in Wiltshire, distant fifteen miles ; and was built
at the expense of the tything about the year 1640 by the then rector
of Boynton, pursuant to an order of the Archbishop of Canterbury,
by some persons unknown, to which the rector annexed the
chancel E.
Sandford Orcas.
[1844, Part II. , p. 156.]
Sandford Orcas is situated on the southern confines of Somerset-
shire, adjoining Dorsetshire, and is only three miles from Sherborne
in the latter county. It is a small and sequestered parish, lying
under the western declivity of the Gorton Hills, which sweep round
towards the west, forming two sides of a small valley. The parish
is diversified with hill and dale ; the soil a sandy loam, and stone
brash, chiefly in pasture, interspersed with a small portion of arable.
An extensive sheep-walk occupies the declivity of hill on the east,
and the parish contains 1,370 acres. Cows are principally fed in the
valley. A small stream flows down the vale, on which the village,
surrounded by trees and orchards, is situated. It consists of a long
straggling street, running along the bank of the rivulet nearly a mile;
at its western extremity stands the church, and near it the ancient
manor house, still in tolerable preservation.
This mansion Mr. Phelps, in his "History of Somersetshire," stated
to be " in the Elizabethan style," a general term, and much too
generally employed. The building in question is older than the
reign of Elizabeth, and perhaps of the time of Henry VIII. We are
sorry, however, not to possess the materials for describing it minutely.
It has a porch and large bay-windows. A lofty arched gateway leads
into a court; over it are the arms of Knoyle, in a panel, and also
over the entrance-porch. The hall has been divided and converted
into a farmhouse.
The additional name of Orcas is a corrupted abbreviation of Ores-
cuiltz or Orskoys, a family who possessed this manor, with other
lands in the same county, in Wilts, and in Gloucestershire, soon after
the Conquest. In the time of Henry I., Henry Orescuiltz held one
knight's fee in this county of the Abbot of Glastonbury, and was
succeeded by Helias de Orescuiltz, his son, who was living
12 Henry II., 1166. To this Helias succeeded Richard de Ores-
cuiltz, his son, lord of this manor and of Sturis, in the beginning of
the reign of King John. In the i2th of the same Roger de Villiers
paid twenty marks, that he might inherit the share of his mother
Alice in the lands of the said Richard de Orescuiltz. Maud, the
daughter and coheir of this Richard, and sister of the said Alice, was
lady of this manor and of Sharncor, in the county of Wilts. She
Sandford Orcas. 293
married William, son of William de Harptree, of Harptree in this
county, and made a partition of her inheritance with her sister
Alice, by a fine, 10 Richard I., 1199. He died 16 Henry III., 1232,
leaving issue Thomas de Harptree, who married Eva de Gournay,
sister and heiress of Maurice de Berkeley. The moiety continued in
that family for a long series of years, and became involved with their
other estates in the vicissitudes of the Gournays, till it fell to the
Crown, after the death (most probably) of Mathew de Gournay, the
last of the line, in 1406. The manor seems to have been divided
about this period between the families of Knoyle, who had held
possessions in this parish in the time of Edward III., and of Jerrard ;
one of whom, John Jerrard, died seised of a moiety of this manor and
of the advowson of the church, 6 Henry VI., 1428.
William Knoyle, who died in 1607, is called of Sandford Orcas,
and left three sons and four daughters.
In 1708, Sir Thomas Webster, of London, Bart., was seised of a
moiety of this manor ; and soon after the other moiety belonged to
John Hunt, Esq., of Compton Pauncefoot, whose widow presented
to the living in 1723. He devised it to his second son Dodington
Hunt, who died in 1749, leaving the moiety of the manor and of
the advowson of the church to his eldest son, Dodington Hunt,
Esq., of Charlton Kings, in the county of Gloucester, who sold it
to John Hutchins, Esq., in 1735, whose grandson John, of Ludlow,
in the county of Salop, now holds the manor and advowson. The
other portion belongs to Lord Portman.
Seaborough.
[1793, Part I., p. 223.]
Mr. Collinson, in his " History of Somersetshire," just published,
vol. ii., p. 173, has this singular account of the manor of Seaborough :
"At some of the courts held by the lords of this manor we find very
singular presentations made. 3 Richard III., two women, Isabella,
wife of William Pery, and Alianore Slade, were presented for
commom scolds, and fined in one penny each, which two pence
were the whole perquisites of the court. And at the same time an
order of court was made, that the tenants of the manor should not
scold their wives, under pain of forfeiting their tenements and cot-
tages. 23 Henry VII., an order was made that tenants wives should
not scold, under the penalty of a 6s. and 8d. fine, half to go to the
repairs of the chapel, and the other half to the lord of the manor."
Seavington.
[1862, Part I., p. 298.]
The site of the newly-discovered ruins at Seavington commands
a view of Ham Hill (the great local Roman station), and is placed
directly upon the line of the Fosseway. Roman coins appear to
294 So ntersetshire.
have been scattered almost broadcast about the neighbourhood. We
have ourselves seen a great number found in the village of Lopen,
and have been shown two very interesting Roman coins dug up
among the "rubbish " of the villa. One of the coins presents on the
reverse the figure of the gate of a Praetorian camp surrounded by the
word " Providentia." The other is very small, with three human
figures on one side. One of them appears to be of the reign of
Carausius, who governed the Romano-Britons from A.D. 289 to 293.
The field in which they are found forms part of a farm belonging to
Earl Poulett, and rented by Mr. Marsh of Dinnington. It bears the
name of Crimbleford.
As regards the remains already disclosed, they reveal, at the
distance of about two feet below the surface of the soil, a space
measuring about 30 feet by 20, which is evidently a portion of the
remains of an extensive residence inhabited, some fifteen centuries
3g°> by a Roman gentleman who had brought with him to conquered
Britain the luxurious habits of his countrymen. The by no means
careful excavators have revealed the ground-floor of at least one
large room and a passage, or an ante-room, covered with mosaic
pavement, composed of the usual tesserae, of regular design, and
formtd of about twelve-inch squares of red, white, and blue, with
flues underneath, as usual (a hypocaust) — for the Romans heated
their living rooms from below. The tesserae are coarse and rather
large ; but smaller and more elaborate ones have been found in frag-
ments, as if to indicate that the remains of the principal apartments
are still buried beneath the soil. Portions of the walls are visible,
and the stucco with which they were ornamented still shows the
pattern and colours almost as fresh as when first laid on. Fragments
of roofing tiles are also in profusion. These tiles were evidently
formed of bine clay, resembling that found in the neighbourhood
of Westport — for the fire with which they were burnt has reddened
the surfaces only. Large quantities of ashes have been carted away
— the contents, perhaps, of the ashpit — with oyster-shells and other
culinary tokens. Then there are fragments of crockery, an iron
chisel, an ivory pin, and a great number of bones, apparently those
of human beings, including the almost perfect skeleton of an infant,
Shepton Mallet.
[1781, p. 172.]
Shepton Mallet is a large market town in Somersetshire, on the
hills, four miles south of Wells, twenty south of Bristol, and 120 from
London. It contains near 1,200 houses, and consists of one prin-
cipal street, well built but narrow. The church is a handsome build-
ing, and the chancel has a beautiful carved stone roof. In two north-
west windows lie the effigies in stone of two knights, vulgarly called
Shepton and Mallet, and pretended to be founders or builders of
S hep ton Malcet. 295
the church. On the west front of the steeple are two good figures
of the Deity, with the crucifix between His knees, and on each side
of Him St. Peter and St. Paul, all well preserved. In the market-
place stands a neat cross on steps surrounded by a hexagon building
in arches, with a parapet of quartrefoils, and the pillars and pilasters
terminating in purfled finials. On the top of the cross, on the east
side, are figures in niches, and above all a modern weathercock.
To this market are brought every Monday out of the country near
400 loads of garden stuff. The town is well watered, and inhabited
by some considerable clothiers. It is governed by a constable.
The market is held on Fridays, and a fair on August 8 for cattle and
cheese. The church is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul ; it is a
rectory, to which the Prince of Wales and Mr. Wyckham present
alternately, is valued in the King's Books at ^33 123., and is in the
diocese of Bath and Wells, and archdeaconry of Wells. This town
is not noticed by Camden, or in Bishop Gibson's "Additions."
The drawing of the cross here engraved was made in 1747.
South Petherton.
[1836, Part /., pp. 489,490.]
The handsome village of South Petherton, lying nearly midway
between Ilchester and Ilminster, is rich in architectural antiquities.
The church, of a cruciform shape and distinguished by a lofty
octagonal tower in the centre, is noble in all its proportions, and
elegant rather than elaborate in the various details of its design. The
prevailing style of architecture is that of the fifteenth century, and it
appears engrafted upon the walls, or raised upon the foundations,
of a structure of far older origin. Besides the church, there are
several ancient mansions which claim the attention of the antiquary.
Of these, the most interesting, the most neglected, and the most
obscurely situated, has been selected as a fit subject to accompany
the present number. It has for many years past been the residence
of several poor families. Its owner has bestowed no care upon it,
and its inmates have wanted the means, if they possessed the inclina-
tion, of keeping the wind and the weather from penetrating through
the roof and the windows. Thus slighted and misused, it is no
wonder that this curious and once elegant building has been reduced
to a condition which renders its entire demolition, if not necessary,
very probable. It is deserted and shut up, its inmates having been
driven from their abode by the dangerous condition of the walls, on
which the steep gable roof imposes a fearful weight.
This venerable mansion is not large, and perhaps its original
dimensions were not considerably greater. The design of the south
front, before which there is a spacious court, is singularly irregular.
The hall in the centre is distinguished by its windows on the sides
296 Somersetsh ire.
of a broad and lofty chimney, and a doorway of handsome design. At
the upper or west end of the hall are rooms in two stories, moderate
in size, and perfectly plain. The rooms at the lower end are of a
nobler character; towards the south they are distinguished by a
superb bay-window, which occupies the width of the transverse
building, and is carried to the height of two stories. It has an em-
battled parapet, and buttresses on the angles, once terminated with
pinnacles. The windows are rich in tracery, and their beauty is
enhanced by the manner in which they are connected, so as to give
light to the double story, without losing the unity of their design.
The tracery of the middle space in these Avindows is occupied by a
double row of shields, but they appear never to have borne any
heraldic devices. There is another shield on the exterior of the
chimney belonging to the hall, but this also is without sculpture.
We observed nothing in the interior to merit description. The
owner was so sparing of decoration that the modern occupants have
found nothing to destroy. I have only to add that this interesting relic
of domestic architecture was probably built by Sir Giles d'Aubeney,
in the reign of King Henry VI. It is in a low and watery situation,
and has been encompassed and defended by a strong wall, the
greater part of which has been thrown down, and the space con-
verted into an orchard. J. C. B.
The manor of South Pelherton was in the possession of the family
of Albini (afterwards written Daubeny) in the reign of Edward I.,
if not before. Sir Giles Daubeny, the supposed builder of this
mansion, was Sheriff of the counties of Bedford and Bucks, in
10 Henry VI. ; and by his will, bearing date March 3, 1444, he be-
queathed his body to be buried in the chapel of our Lady within
the Church of St. Peter and Paul at South Petherton, before the
altar there. His son William, says Collinson, seems to have been
altogether resident at this place, where most of his deeds are dated,
and for which he obtained a charter for a fair in 25 Henry VI.
His son Giles was a nobleman high in favour with King Henry VII.,
to whom he was Lord Chamberlain and Lieutenant of Calais. He
was created a Baron of the realm by patent in 1486 (two of his
male ancestors had been summoned to Parliament in the reign of
Edward I., but the writ was not continued) ; and was also a Knight
of the Garter. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, in 1507,
where his monument and effigy still remain.* By his will two chantry
priests were settled at his tomb, and one in the church of South
Petherton.
With his son Henry, who was created Earl of Bridgewater, and
who sold South Petherton to Lord Arundell of Wardour, the family
became extinct.
* Engraved in Dart's "Westminster Abbey."
Taunton. 297
Taunton.
[1785, Part //.,/. 761.]
On the floor of the cloister of Monkton Almshouses, near Taunton,
in Somersetshire, which are of so old a date that all record of them
is lost, though tradition assigns it to the twelfth or thirteenth century,
at the time when St. Mary Magdalen Church there was built, is a
stone, about 2 feet 4 inches by i foot 7 inches, whereon is carved
a shield, surrounded by a mitre richly ornamented with jewels, as
are also the strings hanging from it. On the shield are carved the
initials "R. B." in a cipher, which some have supposed a date, 1133.
The like error was adopted by the author of the " History and
Antiquities of Glastonbury," published by Tom Hearne in regard to
a shield with the like initials in cipher on St. Bennet's Church at
Glastonbury, in the same county. But as that at Glastonbury
exhibits the initials of Richard Beere, Abbot there from 1493 to
1544, so these at Taunton may refer to the same munificent abbot
who was so great a benefactor in building to his own abbey. Others
may choose to refer them to Robert Burnell, Bishop of Wells, who
died 1292.
I have therefore submitted both to the judgment of your anti-
quarian correspondents, and shall only add that (in Plate II.)
Figs, i and 2 are at Taunton, and that Fig. 3 is inserted on the
west front of the manor-house at Glastonbury, which was built with
the materials of the abbatial house, and adorned with keystones and
other carvings from the ruins. The same is to be found on the
north porch of St. Bennet's church in that town, which, we may
therefore presume, experienced some of the abbot's bounty. Figs.
2 and 3 are both surmounted by a mitje which will suit the mitred
Abbot of Glastonbury as well as the Bishop of Wells. D. H.
Tickenham.
[1839, Part II., pp. 573-575-]
Tickenham stands* on the south side of the high range of hills
which extends from Leigh Down, near Bristol, to Clevedon, on the
banks of the Severn, and which, in this vicinity, is rendered beau-
tiful by patches of flourishing plantations and woods. The village is
built at the foot of the hill, on the immediate edge of the moor which
divides this parish from that of Nailsea.
A branch of the Berkeley family resided for many generations at
this place, and adopted the local name. Roger de Tickenham was
living in the reign of Richard I., and was father of Nicholas, who
occurs in the time of Henry III. Subsequently the family called
themselves Fitz- Nicholas. The last of them lived in the reign of
Henry IV., and left a daughter and heiress Catharine, married to
298 Somersetshire.
Robert Poyntz, and in that family the manor remained until the
reign of Charles I.
It is mentioned, however, in the "Genealogical History of the
House of Yvery," that, " in the thirty-fourth of King Henry VI.,
Anno Dom. 1456, a fine was levied at Westminster, between Ralph
Perceval the elder and his wife Joan, and Ralph the younger, as
they are stated in the record bearing date upon the morrow after the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin, before the Judges of the Realm,
whereby Ralph Perceval the elder, and Joan his wife, acknowledged
Tykenham with its appurtenances, in the county of Somerset, to be
the right of Ralph the younger, as the gift of Ralph Perceval the
elder, and his wife Joan, who quitted claim thereto, for themselves and
the heir of Joan (whereby it appears to have been her inheritance*),
to the said Ralph the younger, and to his heirs, with warranty of
the premises, to him and his said heirs for ever" (etc., an entail
described).
"Tykenham," continues the same writer, " is a little village in the
county of Somerset, not distant above a small mile from Weston
Gordein (where the Percevals were seated). It lies at the bottom of
a hill, upon the edge of a kind of moor, by which it is separated from
Nailsay (afterwards the seat of this line for some time), in direct
measure about as far as it is from the place last named, though by
the road which the nature of the soil obliges travellers to take, it
is at least five miles, t There were visible, not long since, the
remains of an old seat which was said to have been the habitation
of this Ralph Perceval. But they left it in the next generation, the
situation being, in all probability, unhealthy, and being tempted
besides by an inheritance of much greater consequence, devolved
upon them."
This ancient mansion, still existing in some decay, as a farm-house
and its offices, may be attributed to the early part of the fifteenth
century. On entering the fore-court, the hall is on the left hand.
It measures in its interior 37 feet in length by 20 in width. There
is a remarkable correspondence in its parts. At the east end are
two uniform doors. In each side-wall are two doors at the lower
end, two uniform windows, and an ornamental bracket between
them. At the upper end, on the south side, was a high arch, origi-
nally forming a bay, or leading into the drawing-room, but now filled
up. On the other side another door into the courtyard. The
windows are of two lights, with cinquefoil heads, and a quatrefoil
opening at top. The lines of their tracery are flowing, as shown in
the accompanying woodcuts.
* His wife was a Vincent.
t This description of the roads of this part of Somersetshire (now lying between
Bristol and the favourite watering-place of Clevedon, and furnished with excellent
roads) was written just about a century ago.
Tickenkam. 299
The brackets already mentioned are ornamented each with four
small sunk quatrefoil panels and two quatrefoil rosettes. Rutter
asserts that these brackets were " for the purpose of sustaining the
military trophies which were amongst the most admired decorations
of these stately apartments " ; but what authority he has for this
assertion, we are not aware.
The withdrawing-room, which stands at right angles with the hall
(uniting only at their extreme corners), was apparently originally
lighted by two large square windows, one of which is wholly filled
up, and the other partly cut into a door. These windows were com-
posed of eight cinquefoil-headed lights, four and four ; and they
were adorned with stained glass. The dimensions of this room
within were 30 feet by 16 feet. The walls were panelled with oak, as
was the ceiling, a part of which remains, divided into large squares
by transverse mouldings, with handsomely carved foliated ornaments.
Collinson says that over the chimney-piece were three shields of
arms, carved in the wainscot. The first was gone. The second
was, Quarterly, i and 4, a griffin segreant — Davis; 2 and 3, a chevron
between three spears' heads — Rice ; impaling two lions passant.
The second coat impaled three eagles displayed — Rodney. Rice
Davis (it is added), whose arms are here quartered, some time
resided at Tickenham, and married Dorothy, daughter of Maurice
Rodney, Esq., and sister and co-heir of Sir George Rodney, Knt.
A turret containing nineteen stone steps conducts to the upper
story. This staircase was lighted by two small windows, the upper
one a quatrefoil within a small circle (never glazed).
There is a handsome groined ceiling of plaster in the upper floor,
the intersecting mouldings forming wheels and crosses, with large
rosettes ; but it was an addition subsequent to the original structure,
and perhaps of the reign of James or Charles I, as is the wainscot
panelling.
The owner of this property is Sir John Smyth, Bart, of Long
Ashton Park. The present tenant is Mr. William Voules, yeoman.
The Church, which immediately adjoins the manor-house, consists
of a nave, north and south aisles, chancel, tower at the west end,
and a south porch. About the exterior generally there are not many
marks of remote antiquity. Of the original lancet windows there
are some remains, but the present windows are nearly all insertions
of the latter period of Pointed architecture. The outer archway of
the porch may, however, be taken as a specimen of the original struc-
ture in the Early English style. It has a trifoliated head rising from
slender pillars and capitals ornamented with a small dog-tooth
pattern. The font is also a relic of the same period ; it is square,
each side measuring 2 feet 6 inches at top, slightly narrowing down-
wards ; a short pillar at each corner, and a trifoliated arch carved on
each panel. The arches of the interior of the church are now
300 Somersetshire.
perfectly plain, as if cut out of a wall ; but one of them has relics of
pilasters carved at its corners, which seem to have been cut away.
The church tower is remarkable for having many large flat bricks
worked up amongst the stone. There is a water-stoup in the porch.
The total length of the nave and chancel is 74 feet ; the total
width of the interior is 52 feet, the north aisle being 13 feet 9 inches
and the south aisle 17 feet 3 inches. The south aisle extends to
the same length as the chancel. At its eastern extremity there is a
water-drain in the south wall.
In the north aisle there are three recumbent effigies of stone, in a
nearly perfect state, and apparently of the same age, which is about
that of Henry III. The first seen is of giant proportions, being
about 6 feet 6 inches from head to heel. It is the effigy of a
crusader, cross-legged, accoutred wholly in chain-mail covered upon
the body with a light linen surcoat ; a plain heater shield on his left
side, beneath which his left hand is concealed and his sword ; his
right hand held before him ; his feet on a lion. His head rests on
a lozenge pillow, slightly turning to the right.
The second effigy is a lady. Her forehead, face, and chin are
banded with a wide fillet, leaving a small ball of hair above each
cheek. The hair on the upper part of her head is confined by
smaller cross-bands. Her hands are raised in prayer. Her feet on
a lion. The length of this figure is 6 feet.
The third effigy is another crusader, resembling the former in
costume and in attitude, except that he is represented as drawing
his sword, held in front. He has a small garter round his right
knee, and spurs, and his feet on a lion. His stature is 6 feet
2 inches.
These effigies may be attributed to the De Tickenhams. already
mentioned. There are no modern monuments of any importance.
The only one with armorial bearings is in the south aisle, to the
memory of the family of Samuel Bave, Gent, in the last century.
There are some small remains of stained glass in several of the
windows. In the east window of the south aisle is a well-designed
figure of an old man, seated, having the nimbus of a saint. In one
of the windows of the north aisle is St. Mark with his lion ; and in
those windows are the following shields of arms :
1. Quarterly gu. and or, a bend argent (Fitz-Nicholas).
2. Paly or and gu. on a canton argent a cross pat£e
3. Paly or and gu. a bordure az. bezantee (Basset).
In the chancel window :
4. Gules, a chevron or.
5. Gules, a chevron between ten crosses argent (Berkeley).
6. Argent, on a canton gules a rose (or quatrefoil, or cross) or.
7. Paly (as No. 2, above). J. G. N.
Uphill. 301
Uphill.
[1828, Part I., pp. 388-390.]
The parish of Uphill is situate in the hundred of Winterstoke,
eight miles west-north-west from Axbridge and 138 miles from
London, at the conflux of the river Axe with the Bristol Channel,
containing thirty-nine inhabited houses, and fifty-one families, thirty-
one of whom are employed in agriculture, and the total population
by the census of 1821 was 270.
This place in Domesday Book is spelt " Opopille." It belonged
at that time to Serlo de Burci, one of Duke William's followers, and
was held of him by four military persons :
" Four Knights held of Serlo, Opopille. Ewacre held it in the
time of King Edward, and gelded for six hides and a half The
arable is ten carucates. In demesne are four carucates, with one
servant, and seven villanes, and four cottagers, with three ploughs.
There are seventy acres of meadow, and one hundred acres of
pasture. It was and is worth six pounds."*
In the time of Edward I. the family of Lunget or Long possessed
the greatest part of this parish, which was then held of the family of
Martin ; in the iQth of Edward II., Wm. Martin being then the
superior lord, the manor was divided into five parcels, which were
held by Hugh de Draicote, John de Draicote, Philip le Long,
Hugh de Ovile, and Wm. de Puteney. From the beginning of the
reign of Henry IV. to the latter end of that of Henry VI., a fourth
part was vested in the family of Pokeswell. In the following reign
it belonged to John de Wyke, of Court de Wyke, in the parish of
Yalton, who, 10 Edward IV., left it to his brother Richard de
Wyke, who died seised of it, i Richard III., and was succeeded by
John, his son.
The family of Wyndham sometime possessed it, as did also, in
1665, Sir John Fitz-James and Wm. Bord, Esq., the coheiresses of
which families sold it, and it is now the property of Licius Payne,
Esq., as representative of the late Rev. Jonathan Gegg. Mr. Payne
married Hester Gegg, spinster, only daughter and heiress of the said
Rev. J. Gegg, of Axbridge, who built a handsome house on the
summit of the hill above the village, called Uphill House, which
commands very extensive and picturesque prospects to both south and
north.
Mr. Payne has built several new houses in the village, which are
let as lodging-houses, and also a good house in the fantastic or
modern antique style at the end of Uphill Green, called the Castle.
There are two tolerably decent inns at this place, one called The
Ship, and the other The Dolphin.
The widow of T. T. Knyfton, Esq., has a comfortable summer
* Lib. Domesday.
302 Somersetshire
residence at this place, with shrubberies laid out and planted in a
tasteful and truly pleasing manner.
The clergyman's house is neat and commodious, and surrounded
by an extensive shrubbery, intermingled with fruit-trees of large growth.
At a place called Tottendown, in this parish, is the . . . dwelling
of Mrs. Richardson, widow of the late Mr. Thos. Richardson. . . .
The village is much frequented in the summer and autumn for the
benefit of bathing in the salt-water. In the summer of 1773 the
celebrated John Langhorne, D.D., resided some time at Weston-
super-Mare for the benefit of the sea-air ; and the equally celebrated
Mrs. Hannah More resided at Uphill for the same salutary pur-
pose. . . .
The church stands on the top of the hill, whose southern side is
an abrupt, rocky precipice of considerable height, south of the
village — a rude and rather awkward-looking pile, but from its form
and the manner in which some of the arches are constructed (par-
ticularly the arch of the porch, which is now built up, leaving a
doorway in the centre), I take it to be of no inconsiderable antiquity.
It is a seamark to mariners traversing the Bristol Channel, and in
order to make it more conspicuous at a distance it is whitewashed
on the outside. It is dedicated to St. Nicholas, and consists of a
nave and chancel, with a tower containing five bells.
Against the north wall is a tolerably handsome marble monument
to the memory of some of the Richardson family.
The churchyard contains but few of those frail memorials " that
teach the rustic moralist to die." Among these few, however, I
noticed two neat gravestones near the chancel-door, with the follow-
ing inscriptions in gold letters :
"In memory of Richard Jones, gent., who died Nov. 29th, 1782, in the 27th
year of his age."
[Rest of inscription omitted.]
"Sacred to the memory of John Biss, of this parish, mariner, who died
Sept. 29th, 1792, aged 58 years.
"Also of Thomas, son of the above John Biss, who died Dec. 24th, 1801, aged
32 years."
[Rest of inscription omitted.]
The living is a rectory in the patronage of the King, in the deanery
of Axbridge, and valued in the King's Books at J£n 75. The
present incumbent is the Rev. Thomas Deacle, who was instituted
in the year 1795.
In the year 1826 were found in the fissures of the rocks in Uphill
Hill a quantity of fossil remains. . . . ALFRED.
Wells. 303
Wells.
[1805, FattL.p. 409.]
The enclosed (Fig. 3) is on a broken stone inserted in the outside
of Wells Cathedral, near the west door. It commemorates John
Benet, Rector of Pitney, co. Somerset, and may be read, " Pur
1'alme Johan de Puttedie pries et trese jurs de ."
Collinson (" History of Somerset," vol. iii., p. 398) prints it in
black letter, and gives the name of the place Putenie ; but the d in
Puttedie is too plain to admit of any other reading. The Itinerary
of William de Worcester, p. 132, informs us that in " 1438, Die
Jovis voc. Maundy-Thursday magister Johannes Benet Rector de
Pytney obiit." WM. HAMPER.
[1843, Parti., pp. 191, 192.]
The following description of the sculpture with which the exterior
of Wells Cathedral is decorated has recently appeared from the pen
of Mr. Cockerill, the architect : " Upwards of 300 statues, in nine
tiers, decorate the west and north fronts. In the first nearest the
earth, in niches and under canopies, are the personages of the first
and second Christian missions to this country, as St. Paul, Joseph of
Arimathea, and St. Augustine and his followers. In the second tier
are the angels, chanting ' Gloria in excelsis,' and holding crowns,
spiritual and temporal, the rewards of those predications. In the
third tier, to the south, subjects of the Old Testament ; to the north,
of the New — compositions of the highest merit and interest ; two of
them are cited by Flaxman as examples of pure and expressive art.
In the fourth and fifth tiers is contained an historical series of the
lords spiritual and temporal, saints and martyrs, under whom the
Church has flourished in this country : as King Ina, founder of the
conventual church ; Edward the elder, founder of the episcopal
church of Wells ; the Saxon, Danish, Norman, and Plantagenet
dynasties, individually and most significantly represented ; together
with these are the founders of those dynasties, the remarkable
daughters, and allies by marriage, of the royal families of England,
with the leading characters and lords of the Church, as Archbishops
Brithelmus, St. Dunstan, Bishops Asser, Grimbald, the Earl of
Mercia, surrounding Alfred, etc. They form a complete illustration
of William of Malmesbury, and the early historians of our country —
' a calendar for unlearned men,' as well as for unlearned artists ; for
thus are many of them as beautiful as they are deeply interesting to
Englishmen. In the sixth tier there are ninety-two compositions of
the Resurrection, startling in significance, and pathos, and expression,
worthy of John of Pisa, or a greater man, John Flaxman. In the
seventh tier are the angels sounding the last trump, the four arch-
angels conspicuous. In the eighth tier are the apostles, of colossal
304 Somersetshire.
dimensions and admirable sculpture. In the ninth tier are the
remains of the Saviour in judgment, with niches on either side, for
the Virgin and St. John, as usual. This magnificent picture of the
great doctrines of the Christian dispensation, and its peculiar relation
to this country, hitherto sealed, was unravelled at no small expense
of time and meditation (since there are no inscriptions or records of
any kind), and indeed of colds and catarrhs, caught at Kill-Canon
corner in the months of November and December."
[1864, Part I., pp. 642, 643.]
The following deed of gift of musical instruments to the vicars-
choral of Wells Cathedral seems deserving of a place in your pages.
It is transcribed from a contemporaneous MS., the authenticity of
which cannot be questioned :
" To all Christian people to whome this pr'sent writinge indented
shall come. Henry Southworth, of Wells, in the Countye of SomS
Esq., Sendeth greetinge in o'r Lord God euerlastinge. Knowe ye
that the saide Henry Southworth for diverse good causes and con-
siderac'ons him movinge, Hath given, graunted and delivered, and
by these presents doth give, graunte and deliver vnto the Principalls,
Seniors and Vicars Chorall in the Quire of the Cathedrall Church of
Welles in the Countye of Som's't and their successors, One Cheste
w'th Five Instrum'ts of Musicke called Vyolls ; To have and to
houlde the saide Cheste and Vyolls from the date hereof vnto the
said Principalls, Seniors and Vicars Chorall, and their successours
for-ever; Provided alwayes, and it is the intente and meaninge of
the said Henry Southworth, that the saide Cheste and five vyolls
shallbee and remayne w'th in the Close of the saide Principalls,
Seniors and Vicars Chorall in Welles aforesaide forever, To the
cheifest vse and behoofe of those as cann play thereon, to be vsed
at suche theire civill Convenc'ons and meetynges as the major p'te
of them shall thincke fitt in theire discrec'ons. And further it is
p'vided and meant by the said Henry Southworth that the said
Cheste and five Vyolls shalbee and remayne in the saufe custodye of
William Hunt, Clerke, now one of the Vicars of the said Close, to
be ym ployed to the vses aforesaide for and duringe, and as longe as
the said William Hunt shall live and contyneewe a Vicar in the said
Close ; and after his session or decease, that then the saufe custodye
and kepinge of the said Cheste and Vyolls shall remayne and belonge
vnto suche a one of the Principalls, Seniors and Vicars Chorall
w'thin the said Close for the tyme beinge as the said Henry South-
worth shall nominate and appoynte duringe his lyefe, And after the
decease of the saide Henry Southworth, that then the said Cheste
and Vyolls shall remayne from tyme to tyme for ever in the hands of
one of the Vicars of the said Close, as the Principalls, Seniors, and
Vicars Chorall of the said Close for the tyme beinge, or the major
Wells.
305
p'te of them in theire discrec'ons shall thinke fittest, to be ymployed
to the vses aforesaide. In witnesse whereof to the one p'te of these
presents remayninge w'th the said Principalls, Seniors and Vicars
Chorall, the said Henry Southworth hath put his hande and scale,
And to th' other p'te of these presents remayninge with the said
Henry Southworth, the said Principalls, Seniors and Vicars Chorall
hath putt theire com'on scale, eaven the thirtieth day of Januarie in
the nyneteenth yeare of the raigne of o'er soveraigne Lord, James by
the grace of God, Kinge of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande,
Defender of the faithe, &c., and of Scotlande the five and fiftieth,
Anno D'ni 1622."
These " vyolls " have for many years disappeared, and nothing is
now known of them. Mr. Southworth, the donor, was in other ways
a benefactor to the vicars choral. He gave them books for their
library, and added a new window in the library itself, which still
remains. The vicars' books have been sadly neglected, and
hundreds of them lost. Those that have been saved are now kept
in the vicars' muniment room, and more care is bestowed on them.
THOMAS SEREL.
[1865, Part I., pp. 354, 355.]
In the list of prelates who have presided over the see of Bath and
Wells are two of the same name, viz., William Button. The first of
them was consecrated at Rome, July 14, 1248. One of the chief
things recorded of him is the care which he took in providing for
many of his kindred, by placing them (as Godwin states) " in all the
principal places " in the church of Wells. He died April 3, 1264,
and, according to Britton, was buried in the middle of the Lady
Chapel ; but the tomb generally assigned to him is that on the north
side of St. Catherine's Chapel, and near the chapel of St. John the
Evangelist. This, however, is very doubtful.
Among those of his relatives to whom Bishop Button extended
his patronage was his nephew, of the same name as himself, who
from being Archdeacon of Wells became bishop of the diocese (in
succession to Walter Giffard), February 10, 1267. This prelate was
" much esteemed for his superior sanctity," and miracles were said
to have been performed at his tomb in the cure of the toothache.
Even after the Reformation many superstitious persons visited the
tomb for the cure of that distressing pain. The precise position of
this bishop's grave has been matter of doubt. Godwin says he was
buried "without the north side of the choir"; and Britton states
that his tomb had been removed into the Lady Chapel. Cassan tells
us that the tomb is at the back of the choir, between the second
and third columns from the west; and this is the fact, but the
bishop's grave is not pointed out. Collinson, writing of this prelate,
says : " He was buried between two pillars on the south side of the
VOL. XXII. 20
306 Somersetshire.
choir," and this has lately been proved to be true. The Dean and
Chapter having determined on introducing gas into the choir, the
workmen commenced the necessary operations a few days ago. In
making an opening for the pipes about 2 feet east of the second
column from the west, a thick slab of freestone was found, and on
opening the floor in the choir it was seen that this slab formed the
cover of a stone coffin which was immediately under the stone stalls.
The shape of this coffin is square at each end, the width at the head
being, as usual in coffins of this date, greater, but without the pro-
jections at the shoulders, as in modern coffins. The head was
placed in a space cut for it in the stone. On the left side of the
coffin, in its upper side or edge, near the head, was found a small
plate of lead inserted in the stone, measuring 10 inches long by 3^
inches wide. This plate was found to be engraved thus :
" Hie jacet Willielmvs de Bvttona Secvnd. Bathoniensis et Wellensis Episcopvs.
Sepvltvs xii. die Decembris, Anno Domini M cc LXXIIII."
The plate was set in mortar, and the cover, also set in mortar, was
placed over the plate. The cover appeared to have been originally
formed of two stones, that on the south side of the coffin being
sufficient to close the entire opening, except about 4 or 5 inches on
the other side. The smaller stone had been displaced, but no other
disturbance seemed to have occurred since the interment, either as
to the contents of the coffin or otherwise. The state in which the
plate was found, as well as the character of the engraving, bear
evidence of great antiquity, and I think it may be assumed that both
are contemporaneous with the burial of the second Bishop Button.
The moulded tomb spoken of by Cassan is not exactly opposite the
bishop's grave, but a short distance to the east of it.
The interior of the coffin could only be partially seen ; in it there
were the bones of the deceased, a pastoral staff of oak very rotten,
and an iron ring, about an inch in diameter, much corroded by rust.
The bones indicated the deceased to have been a man of small
stature ; the teeth were nearly perfect. The position of the coffin is,
as near as possible, in the centre of the space between the second
and third columns from the organ screen. It cannot be moved, as
the stalls are erected immediately on the cover-stone.
THO. SEREL.
[1848, Part II., p. 636.]
Some architectural and other relics of the most elaborate descrip-
tion have recently been discovered in consequence of the restoration
of the parish church of St. Cuthbert, Wells. On removing the mass
of plaster and whitewash from the walls of Trinity Chapel on the
north aisle, a fresco painting of considerable merit was found. It
represents our Saviour in the act of preaching, with an angelic being
above, bearing a shield with the five wounds emblazoned and the
Wells.
307
inscription " I H S " and " M'CY " running horizontally in rows, as
a diaper behind the figure ; and underneath the words " Salvator
Mundi " in large Lombardic characters. A window containing
tracery of very beautiful design was also found. On proceeding
further with the search, an altar was disclosed to view (which for
many years must have been coated with plaster and whitewash),
as luxuriant in design and as elegant in workmanship as the most
elaborate portions of Henry VII.'s Chapel at Westminster. The
altar consists of five arched compartments of equal height. Each
compartment is slightly recessed, and contains two canopied niches,
one above another, which arrangement is continued throughout the
divisions. The recesses are flanked by buttress-work, which carries
a complete mass of crocketed pinnacles, that through their intricacy
present to the eye a lace-like effect. The work is of the best period
of the Perpendicular style, and the whole of it has been most highly
illuminated. The niches, which have a blue ground diapered with
gold stars, formerly contained figures more highly coloured than the
other parts of the work. Another altar, which was discovered in the
chapel on the south side of the edifice, possesses merit of a very
high order. At the base is a recumbent figure, life-size, sadly muti-
lated— indeed, to such an extent has the work of destruction been
carried that the effigy has actually been hewn away, so as to leave an
entire section only from head to foot. The portions of the work
that remain bear evident traces of high illumination. On removing
the carved panel-work, sedilia were disclosed, of good design, and
evidently coeval with the rest of the building. On removing a panel
on the opposite side there was discovered a door similar to that
found two years since in the Lady Chapel of the cathedral ; also a
piscina, with a credence table, which bear marks of illumination, as
do the sedilia.
Weston-super-Mare and Neighbourhood.
[1805, Part II., pp. 1097-1099.]
The parish of Weston-super-Mare, In the county of Somerset, is
situate near the western end of that immense ridge of rocks called
Worle Hill, on the southern side thereof. This hill runs into the
sea, forming a promontory, known to mariners by the name of
Anchor Head ; and a few hundred yards from this promontory is a
rock or island called Beam Back, where the fishermen (in the
season) take large quantities of sprats and other fish. Under the
rocks opposite to Beam Back we met with a spring of limpid and
sweet water, which distils from the hill above, and at high water the
spring is overflowed by the tide. This spring is supposed by the
neighbouring people to possess great sanative virtues in diseases of
the eyes.
20 — 2
308 Somersetshire.
On the summit of the promontory before mentioned is a very large
Roman encampment, which now goes by the name of VVorlebury.
Mr. Cruttwell, in his " Tour through Great Britain," says :
" This was the last fortification the Romans had in this district
westward, and if not the strongest, yet the most convenient they had
in all those parts for surveying the motions of the enemy, and was
probably one of their castra czstiva"
This camp towards the east (the most accessible part, it being on
that side level with the top of the hill) has four or five walls and as
many ditches, the walls diminishing in height and the ditches in
depth from the first or inside wall. The walls at present are nothing
but huge rampires of heaped stone of considerable height. It is
fortified in the same manner on the south and west with one, and in
some places two, ditches and walls. The greater part of the north
side is a natural rampart of perpendicular rocks. The camp is
upwards of 500 paces long from the point of the hill westward to the
inside wall eastward ; and if we include the outworks beyond the
walls on the east, the whole must be nearly 1,000 paces in length,
but in the widest places it is not much above 100 paces broad.
I have of late heard this place called Caesar's Camp, but on what
authority it is so called I know not. Whether or not the works here
were thrown up by the legions of that renowned general is very
uncertain, but it is generally supposed, and I think with much
apparent reason, that it is a Roman work, and a strong and im-
pregnable station it must have been, from its natural situation and the
mode of constructing the entrenchments.
On the south side of the camp within the wall I saw the remains
of a building about 15 feet square, and on the north and west
sides some parts of the walls thereof still remain perfect ; in some
places they are one, and in others from two to three, feet in height.
The sketch (Plate L, Fig. i) represents a section of the said wall at
the north-west corner, the highest part now remaining. No traces
whatever of mortar or any kind of cement are now discernible, but
the wall is built with a tolerably smooth face, and the stones are well
jointed, though no marks of any tool can now be traced on them. I
observed also on the southern side of the fortifications several other
pieces of wall in the same state as that last mentioned. Whether
these erections are coeval with the camp or of more modern date I
leave for others to determine ; but if one may be allowed to hazard
a conjecture on the subject, I should incline to think them of the
same age with the camp itself. No traces of the well belonging to this
camp can now be discovered, but in all probability it derived its
water from the same source as the spring before mentioned. . . .
The vast encampment called Doleborough Lodge, near Churchill
(also supposed to be a Roman work), about ten miles distant from
Weston, is clearly seen from this spot, and in all probability signals
Weston-super-Mare and N eig Jib our hood. 309
were occasionally made by fires and other means from one camp to
the other ; and it appears to me that Caesar's Camp would still be a
very proper situation for the erection of a signal-post or telegraph for
the purpose of giving alarm to the adjacent country, in case the
bloody Corsican despot, with his worse than savage banditti, should
ever attempt an invasion upon these undefended and solitary shores.
The church at Weston-super-Mare is an ancient building, and I
send you herewith two drawings thereof — north-east and south-west
(Figs. 2 and 3). ...
In the floor of the church porch are three large blue stones with
various inscriptions, to the memory of a family of the name of Day,
among which is the following :
"Here lieth the body of Peter Day, Yeoman, who departed this life ye 28th
July, 1695."
[Rest of inscription omitted.]
On each side of the interior of this porch are large and com-
modious stone seats or benches ; and on the east wall of the porch,
above the seat, is a mutilated carving of the crucifixion, with the
figures Mary and John cut in freestone, but now very much defaced,
and as it is placed in a dry wall, and completely sheltered from the
weather, it seems as if it owed its present wretched appearance to the
hand of some bigoted enthusiast or puritanical fanatic.
In the church I observed an elegant new Bible, with copperplates,
published by the Rev. J. Cookson, A.M.
In the centre of the floor, within the rails of the Communion, is
the following quaint inscription :
" Of two brothers born together,
Cruel Death was so vnkind,
As to bring the eldest hither,
And the younger leave behind :
May George live long,
Edgar dyd young,
For born he was
To Master Sam. Willan, Rectour of this place, of Jane his wife, Sept. 5, 1680,
and buryed Feb. the eleventh, 1686. The 9th
Did put an end to all his pain,
And sent him unto everlasting gain."
On the south side of the above is another inscription, but partly
covered by the Communion-rails, so that it could not conveniently
be copied.
Within the rails to the north is the following :
" In hopes of the resurrection, Elizabeth Willan, the eldest daughter of Mr.
Samuel Willan, rector of this place, and Jane his wife. She entered this life
Dec. 16, 1668, and ended June the 4th, 1686, in the i;th of her age. . . .
In the floor of the chancel
3 1 o Somersetshire.
" Sub hoc lapide jacent cineres
Roberti Willan, hujus ecclesiae
Olim rectoris, qui ex hac vita
Migravit 31° Decembris ; quinto Januarii sepultus est ; setatis suoe 52, A.D. 1721-2.
pace quiescat anima."
On a freestone slab, about 6 feet by 4 feet, in the centre of the
floor of the chancel, is cut a cross, as in Fig. 4, with a book on one
side and an hour-glass on the other, but without any inscription.
The silver chalice, or Communion-cup, is of the shape here
represented (Fig. 5); and on the top of the cover is engraved 1573,
which, for the sake of. perspicuity, I have placed on the side of the
drawing.
In the upper story of the tower are three bells of moderate weight,
and on the largest is an inscription in ancient characters ; but it
being towards evening when I paid my visit to this iron-tongued
monitor, it became impracticable to decipher the purport of the
motto.
The vestry-room is entered by a small door from the chancel, and
is furnished with benches on three sides thereof, with a large chest
for the parish records, etc., placed in the midst, which answers the
purpose of a table. I was sorry to see the roof and windows of this
room in so bad a state of repair ; the tiling being gone from some
parts, exposed this venerable little consistory to the inclemency of
the weather. The roof and windows of the church and chancel also
are in a sad state of repair — one window in particular, on the north
side of the chancel, I observed to be much broken, and where the
glass was wanting, its place supplied by bundles of hay. . . .
Some of the graves in this churchyard are surrounded with edging-
stones, and planted with rosemary, thyme, and other aromatic plants,
as is customary in some of the churchyards of the opposite coast of
Wales. Round about the church and churchyard I observed the
herb fennel growing in profusion. . . .
Near the chancel door is part of a stone column curtailed of its
top, and standing on a square pedestal, now nearly buried in the
earth. Whether this be the remains of a cross (which is very
probable) or of some monument, I could not discover.
Weston-super-Mare is a rectory of about ^150 per annum, and
the present incumbent is the Rev. — Draper.
On the door of a fisherman's cottage at this village is cut the
representation of a fish called a " flook," caught some years ago in
the bay of Weston; it measured 2 feet 2 inches in length, and
15! inches in breadth.
This village is much frequented of late in the summer and autumn
for the benefit of sea air and bathing, several good lodging-houses
having been lately erected for the reception of company ; and the
Rev. Mr. Leeves, of Wrington, has built a charming little cottage on
the beach, at which himself and family reside a considerable part
Wins ham. 311
of the year. Of this cottage I have subjoined a slight sketch
(Fig. 6). ... G. B.
Winsham.
[1832, Part L, pp. 309, 310.]
The interesting account in your last volume of the paintings con-
nected with the rood-loft in Mitchel-Dean Church induces me to
point out to the notice of your readers the existence of a similar
painting, which may fairly lay claim to the merit of having supplied
the place of the holy rood itself, and which yet maintains its original
situation. The village church of Winsham in Somersetshire, about
four miles south-west of Crewkerne, contains this relic of antiquity.
The building consists only of an aisle and chancel, with a heavy
square tower between them, which is evidently the most ancient part
of the structure. The piers of the tower, inside, are relieved by
attached shafts with circular laminated capitals, from which spring
pointed arches of considerable elevation. The opening on the
eastern side towards the chancel is occupied by a screen of carved
oak, comprising a range of lights formed by low arches with trefoil
heads and quatrefoils above. The spaces are ornamented by angels
with expanded wings holding shields, and above them is a range of
mouldings representing vine leaves and fruit. Immediately above
this screen is the painting above mentioned, which fills the whole of
the arch on that side of the tower. It is on panel, and is executed
in a very bold style, and in lively colour. The subject is the
Crucifixion. Five figures only are represented, and they are of a size
sufficiently large to have rendered them distinctly visible to the con-
gregation below. In the centre appears our Saviour on the cross,
with the blood trickling from his wounded side. A weeping female
stands at a little distance on each side, and beyond them appear the
two thieves, who are not nailed to their respective crosses, but hang
with their arms bent back over the transverse beams. This picture,
like those at Mitchel-Dean, has been long covered with whitewash,
and has been recently restored to light ; to gain a view of it, the
belfry stairs must be ascended, as it is hidden from below by a loft
erected for the accommodation of the ringers, who formerly stood on
the floor.
The church of Winsham contains some monumental inscriptions
for the family of Henley of Leigh, and those of several vicars of the
parish ; but it offers nothing else peculiarly worthy of notice, if we
except an ancient lectern, to which is affixed by a chain a black-letter
copy of Fox's " Martyrs " in tolerable preservation. . . .
J. DAVIDSON.
[1832, PartlL.p. 35.]
In consequence of the letter concerning the rood-loft in Winsham
Church, of which your excellent correspondent, Mr. Davidson, has
3 r 2 Somersetshire.
given an interesting account, I lately visited the place, and was much
gratified. The rood-loft, it is generally supposed, was placed between
the church and chancel, intimating that all who entered the latter
must pass under the cross. This is not universally allowed, and a
learned author, who lived soon after the Reformation, acknowledges
himself uncertain of the situation of the rood-loft. However, in
most churches in which there are any remains at all of it, they are
traced at the arch which separates the church and chancel ; and this
seems to be the most probable idea, since at the altar the most sacred
parts of the service were performed, and it is likely that the cross or
rood would be placed in a situation to which the eyes of the con-
gregation were so often directed. JAMES RUDGE.
Woodspring Priory.
[1807, Part II., pp. 8oi, 802.]
With this I send you drawings of Woodspring, otherwise Worl-
spring Priory, and its Friars Hall (see Plate I.), taken on the spot.
It is situate in the parish of Kewstoke, on the Bristol Channel, in the
county of Somerset, and about twenty miles south-west from the city
of Bristol. The site of the priory and valuable estate thereunto
belonging are now vested in the representatives of the late John
Piggott, Esq., of Brockley.
I understand this to have been a religious house, founded by
William Courtenay, and endowed by him for canons regular of the
order of St. Augustine, under the direction of John de Drokenside
(or Drokensford), Bishop of Bath and Wells ; this prelate died in the
year 1328, and the priory was dissolved in the 25th year of King
Henry VIIL, 1534. Dugdale informs us that Henry VIII.'s
commissioners valued this priory at ^87 25. njd. per annum, but
Speed says ;£no i8s. 4fd.* This priory is now converted into a
farmhouse, and part of the church is used as the kitchen, and a noble
one it is. Where the solemn organ once sounded its grand and
melodious notes, and where the pious Requiem once was sung, the
farmer and his family now transact their domestic affairs, and the
rustic chants his artless ditties ; here the hinds and dairy-maids, with
" the rural scandal and the rural talk," now usurp the place of the
demure friar, with his close-shaven head and naked feet, and all the
pomp of religious bigotry. The walls of the beautiful Gothic tower
are in high preservation, and a thick drapery of ivy clothes the east
side of it from the bottom to the top. It has four elegant Saxon or
round-headed windows in the upper story, each of them facing one
* The estate of Woodspring now lets for upwards of ^500 per annum, exclusive
of the whole parish of Kewstoke, and part of the parishes of Locking and Worle,
with other possessions, which at the -time of the Dissolution belonged to this
priory. Such is the alteration in the value of property in the course of less than
three centuries.
Woodspring Priory. 313
of the cardinal points of the compass. The tower is now a perfect
shell, nothing being left but the bare walls, not even the roof; there
is a staircase remaining, by which one may still ascend to the top of
the building. On the north-west of the priory are large and com-
modious granaries, which appear to be of the same age with the other
buildings, and no doubt the tenant finds them a most convenient and
necessary appendage to his farm. The Friars Hall stands on the
south of the priory (adjoining to what was formerly the cemetery, now
the garden) ; it has several large windows (with stone mullions) on
the side next the cemetery, exactly similar to the one seen in the
view of the south-west side thereof. . . .
The large arched doorway seen in the drawing is now partly built
up with modern masonry. The remains of a turret staircase is still
visible on the south side, between the great door and the window,
which was formerly the ascent to the roof of the building ; it is at
present covered with thatch, and used as a waggon and cart-house.
This place is surrounded with venerable old trees and orchards,
which envelop the priory. . . .
The lower window seen in the west end of the church has been
made since the present tenant occupied the premises, and it appears
to have been once a doorway, but afterwards walled up. The large
space also above the last-mentioned doorway was originally a superb
window, as is very evident from its present appearance, though now
built up, and two comparatively modem windows placed in its
stead. ... G. B.
Wookey.
[I79L Parti., p. 419.]
About seven miles from Glastonbury, near Wells, is the parish of
Wookey, where is the famous cave vulgarly called Okey Hole. The
way into this vault is upon a level, but farther on it is rocky and
uneven. The roof, in the highest part, is about eight fathoms from
the ground ; and in some places it is so low that one must stoop to
pass. The length is about 200 yards. The poor people, who show
this cave with lighted candles, point to several pretended figures of
men and women, but they are only lumps of common spar, without
any regular forms. The several divisions are termed a kitchen, hall,
dancing-room, etc. At the farthest end arises a stream of water.
J. ELDERTON.
Wrington.
[1836, Part I., p. 30.]
The monument to the memory of Mrs. Hannah More, which has
been put up in Wrington Church, is from the chisel of E. H. Baily,
Esq., R.A., of Bristol. Its form and ornaments are gothic, the
3 1 4 Somersetshire.
material the finest white marble, and is truly chaste and elegant.
It bears upon it the following inscription :
"Sacred to the memory of HANNAH MORE. She was born in the parish of
Stapleton, near Bristol, A.D. 1745, and died at Clifton, September 7th, A.D. 1833.
" Endowed with great intellectual powers, and early distinguished by the success
of her literary labours, she entered the world under circumstances tending to fix
her affections on its vanities ; but, instructed in the school of Christ to form a
just estimate of the real end of human existence, she chose the better part, and
consecrated her time and talents to the glory of God and the good of her fellow
creatures, in a life of practical piety and diffusive beneficence. Her numerous writings
in support of religion and order, at a crisis when both were rudely assailed, were
equally edifying to readers of all classes, at once delighting the wise, and instruct-
ing the ignorant and simple. In the eighty-ninth year of her age, beloved by her
friends, and venerated by the public, she closed her career of usefulness in humble
reliance on the mercies of God, through faith in the merits of her Redeemer.
" Her mortal remains are deposited in a vault in this churchyard, which also
contains those of her four sisters, who resided with her at Barley Wood, in this
parish, her favourite abode, and who actively co-operated in her unwearied acts of
Christian benevolence.
" Mary More died i8th April, 1813, aged 75 years.
" Elizabeth More died I4th June, 1816, aged 76 years.
"Sarah More, died I7th May, 1817, aged 74 years.
" Martha More, died I4th September, 1819, aged 60 years."
Yeovil.
[1824, Fart //.,//. I7-I9-1
The church of Yeovil (see Plate I.) is a substantial and handsome
fabric of that order, which is usually denominated the lighter gothic,
and partakes of those features generally characteristic of the larger
sacred edifices erected within this county by Henry VII. in grati-
tude for the zeal evinced by its inhabitants in support of the fortunes
of his family during the civil contests of the preceding reigns.
The tower is a plain structure, 90 feet in height, surmounted with
a stone balustrade, and contains a clock with eight large bells, the
tone of which is considered to be inferior to none of the same
dimensions.
The interior of the church is divided into a nave, a large chancel,
north and south aisles, and transept ; the whole length of the build-
ing is 146 feet, its breadth 50 feet, and the length of the transept
80 feet. From the size and form, as well as the number of its
windows, an uniform air of lightness pervades the interior, which
has been in no degree impaired by the recent erection of four
spacious galleries in a style corresponding with the general appear-
ance of the church, and affording a great accession of accommoda-
tion for a very increasing population. The altar-piece, which is
highly decorated, and equally in unison with the other parts of the
building, is (to quote the words of the historian of Somerset) " very
handsome, being formed into a rich portico, supported on each side
by four handsome fluted pillars with Corinthian capitals, and a rich
Yeovil. 315
entablature. This portico is divided into square compartments, with
cherubs and roses gilt, and decorated with a transparent glory en-
circled with clouds."
Under the floor of the altar is a perfect crypt, formerly used as a
vestry, but now rarely noticed, the doorway leading to which is of
the gothic order, and more ornamented than any other belonging to
the church.
On the south side of the Communion-table is a piscina, and
within its rails, on the opposite side, are two well-proportioned gothic
niches, which have recently been opened to view by the removal of
a cupboard-door, originally placed there for the purpose of utility
rather than of ornament.
The monuments in this church are not numerous nor particularly
worthy of notice. Amongst the principal are two in the north
transept (which is enclosed as a pew, and belongs to Wyndham
Harbin, Esq., of Newton House, within this parish), erected to the
memory of different members of that ancient and respectable family.
One of them, which is of gray and white marble, is described at
length by Collinson ; and of the other, it may suffice in this brief
memoir to say, that it is in commemoration of Wyndham Harbin,
Esq., who died February 26, 1740, and his son, Swayne Harbin
(ob. February 8, 1781); also of Barbara Harbin, the widow of the
latter, who dird June 18, 1809, aet. 80; with two of their sons,
William (ob. October 22, 1823, set. 61), and Robert, who died
March 12, 1808, set. 48. ,
Over the doorway leading to the present vestry-room is a mural
monument of white marble to the Rev. John Phillips, formerly Vicar
of this town, the inscription on which is given in Collinson's
History ; adjoining to which is a black mural tablet for Elizabeth
Clarke (ob. 1714).
Immediately opposite to the latter is a mural monument thus
inscribed :
" This monument was erected by Mr. Newman, of Barwick, in the year 1790, to
the beloved memory of John Newman and Mary Newman, his father and mother,
Mary his sister, and William his brother. They were natives of this town, died,
and were buried here."
In the south transept is a marble monument, bearing an inscrip-
tion to the memory of Mr. William Down and other members of his
family ; near to which is another mural monument thus inscribed :
"In a vault underneath lies buried the body of Edward Boucher, only son of
Edward Boucher, and Frances his wife. He died the I3th day of Nov., 1724, in
the 35th year of his age. Also Edward Boucher, senior. He died May the 2d,
1725, aged 70 years. Also Frances Boucher, wife of the above said Edward, givers
of the candlestick ;* she died July 25, 1741, aged 83."
* The candlestick is a handsome brass candelabrum of two branches, surmounted
with a dove bearing an olive-branch in its mouth. It is suspended from the ceiling
3 1 6 Somersetshire.
On the top of this monument is placed a marble bust, and it is
supported by two cherubims ; in its immediate neighbourhood are
two other memorials of the same family.
Affixed to the two centre pillars of the church are tablets to the
memory of Mary Seward (ob. 1775), and Ambrose Seward (ob. 1779),
"lineally descended from Samuel Seward, D.D., Vicar of this
Church in the year of our Lord, 1648," and also of Anne Seward
(ob. 1788). The other is a record of " Edward Burton of this town,
and Elizabeth his wife. She died August 2, 1766, aged 51. He
died January 20, 1777, a§eci 54-"
In the north aisle is a monumental inscription for the Rev. F. C.
Parsons, " 14 years Vicar of this town" (ob. 1798, ast. 67), and Jane
Parsons, his widow, who died in 1822, aged 82.
Under the western gallery, within one of the pews, and nearly
concealed from public observation, is the following record of another
vicar, furnished by him in his own lifetime, and inscribed on a black
mural tablet :
"Martinus Strong, A.M.E.W.P., et Hujus Parochioe, 3ota per Annos Vicarius,
H.S.E., Una cum Uxore et tribus Filiis Lapides hos Sepulchr. vivus posuit, Mortis
sine metu memor : Obiit I2mo die Novbis, 1720, setat. suae 59™°. Abi, Lector, et
disce Mori. Filius etiam 4tus et Filia. H.S.S."
There are also affixed to the walls memorials of the families of
Shorland, Wellington, and Shew, and many are to be found engraven
in the pathways within the church.
In the churchyard are several tombs of the principal as well as of
other inhabitants, but, in consequence of its being unenclosed, and
a general thoroughfare, they are much defaced and dilapidated.
Only two brasses are to be seen within this extensive building,
probably from the irregularity with which the pews are constructed
(their tenure being freehold, and the property of them being vested
in individuals without any reference to their local residence) ; others
may have escaped observation from being concealed under the
different floors. Both of these brasses are in the path of the
chancel. One, representing a man and his wife in plain long
dresses, with hands uplifted in the attitude of prayer, above their
heads two shields, and under their feet the following inscription :
" Of yor charite pray for the soules of Gyles Penne, Gentilman, and Isabell his
wyf, which Gyles decessed the . . . day of ... in the yere of our Lord God
15 ., and the seid Isabel! decessed the I2th day of December, the yere of our
Lord God, 1519 ; on whose soules Jh'u have mercy. Amen."
And a copy of the inscription engraved on the other, which I
found considerable difficulty in deciphering ; but it is faithfully
in the centre of the church, and is thus inscribed : " The gift of Mr. Edward
Boucher, Tobacconist, 1724. Richard Rennells fecit. Bristol."
Yeovil. 3 x 7
given, and, although the lines are very unequal in point of compo-
sition, they deserve, perhaps, to be rescued from total oblivion :
" Here vnder lieth buried the body of John Lavor, the elder, who dyed the 5th
day of the moneth called Avgvst, anno D.M. 1662."
[Rest of inscription omitted.]
The font, which is hexagonal, has nothing to boast of either in
point of workmanship or great apparent antiquity.
A handsome and massive brass reading-desk, which stands on a
substantial pillar of the same material, supported by four claws
terminating in four lions couchant, is placed at the bottom of the
nave of the church. From this, it is apprehended, the lessons were
formerly accustomed to be read, and on either side of the desk is a
rude representation (now nearly effaced) of the upper half of a priest
in the attitude of prayer, on a large label, whereon are two barbarous
Latin lines in Old English characters.
The pulpit, which was removed from its former site on the erec-
tion of the four galleries, to which I have before adverted, is now
placed nearly in the centre of the church. It is in no respect
remarkable. These galleries run from east to west, and are inter-
sected nearly midway, in order that the view from the north and
south transepts may not be impeded, and that the general outline of
the interior may not be injured. On each of those more immedi-
ately adjoining the western end of the church is the following in-
scription :
"The back-range of sittings in this gallery are appropriated for the sole use of
the poor of this parish, under the direction of the Minister and Churchwardens for
the time being. Henry Penney, George Mayo, Churchwardens. 1818."
In front of the galleries, commencing from the eastern end of the
church, is this inscription :
" The whole of the sittings in this gallery are free for the sole use of the poor of
this parish, and have been obtained partly by the aid of the Society for the Promotion
of Building and Enlargement of Churches and Chapels, and partly by the surplus
arising from the sale of the pews in the adjoining galleries lately erected. George
Wellington, John Edwards, Churchwardens, i8io.7"
The building, which appears in the view annexed to the western
end of the tower, is a charity school, of which the Rev. Thomas
Tomkins is the present master, under the appointment of the
feoffees. In a deed, dated March 12, 1708, it is thus described:
" All that late Chapel covered with lead situate within the Churchyard
of the parish Church of Yeovil." To hold certain feoffees therein
named, "Upon trust to and for the only proper use of the parishioners
of the parish of Yeovil aforesaid, for a School-house to educate
children, or such other charitable uses as to the said parishioners
should seem meet." The living, "with the Chapel of Preston*
* Preston is distant about a mile from Yeovil. There is also within the parish
of Yeovil the sinecure of Pitney, which is in alternate presentation of Wyndham
3 1 8
Somersetshire.
annexed," is a vicarage in the deanery of Marston. John Philips,
Esq., of Montacute House, is the patron. The Rev. Robert Philips
is the present vicar. URBANI AMICUS.
The following articles, which are not of any special interest, have been omitted :
1751, p. 411. On the waters of Glastonbury.
1791, part ii., pp. 1012, 1013. Antiquities of Bath.
1793, part i., pp. 318-320. Notes on the history of Somersetshire.
1794, part ii., pp. 078-980. Illustrations of the history of Somersetshire.
1800, part ii., p. 1269. Crewkerne School.
1807, part ii., pp. 722, 723. Account of Ilchester gaol.
1818, part i., pp. 36, 37. The Abbey church of Bath.
1826, part i., pp. 313-315. Somerset antiquities.
1834, part i., pp. 313, 314. Repairs of Bath Abbey.
1852, part ii., pp. 219-225. The baths of Bath.
References to previous volumes of the Gentleman's Magazine Library:
Prehistoric Antiquities: — Ancient caves at Banwell ; tumulus near Bath ;
ancient catacomb at Burrington Coomb ; excavations called Cole Pits
and Pen Pits ; cave at Spaxton ; fossil oak-tree at Taunton ; excava-
tions at Weston-super-Mare. — Archaeology, part i., pp. 5, 22, 27, 28,
139-143, 264, 283, 306, 316.
Roman Remains : — At Bath, Farley Castle, Littleton, Lower Langford,
Pitney, Shepton Mallet, Uphill, Wellovv, Whatley.— Romano-British
Remains, part i., pp. 284-297 ; part ii., p. 592.
Anglo-Saxon Remains : — Antiquities found near Bridgewater ; jewel found
at Newton Park ; stone circle at Stanton Drew. — Archeology, part ii.,
pp. 69-71, 141, 249.
Folklore ; — Custom of plucking geese alive ; witchcraft. — Popular Supersti-
tions, pp. 211, 236, 237, 243-249, 274-276. Fairy toot at Nemnet. —
English Traditions, p. 59«
Dialect: — Local expressions ; Anglo-Saxon words ; proverbs. — Dialect
Proverbs and Word-lore, pp. 4, 25-28, 41, 117.
Ecclesiology : — Sacristy behind altar at Crewkerne and Hensdridge ;
almshouse and early wooden church at Glastonbury ; cathedral school,
ecclesiastical buildings, episcopal palace, and vicar's close at Wells ;
palace of Bishop Jocelyn at Wookey. — Ecclesiology, pp. 10, 18-20, 53,
90, 105, 106, in, 122, 173, 244-246, 270, 271, 280, 288-294.
Harbin and George Bragge Prowse, Esqs. The Rev. John Harbin is the present
incumbent. Tradition of no very remote date points out the spot on which its
chapel formerly stood.
Indexes.
INDEX OF NAMES.
ACHELEY (Sir R.), birthplace of, 12
Acland (Sir J. P.), seat of, 177
Acland (P. P.), seat of, 177
Acland (Sir T.), chapel of, 285
Acton (family of), manor of, 23 1
Acton (Sir F. R. E.), seats of, 6
Acton (H.), seat of, 7
Acton (T.), presbytery of, 157
Adair (W.)? seat of, 177
Adams (Sir T.), birthplace of, 12 ;
foundation of, 6
Adams (W.), birthplace of, 13; founda-
tion of, 6, 108 ; benefactions of, 107,
109 ; manor of, 108 ; introduced to
Charles II., 109
Adamson (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 168
Adeliza (Queen), dowry of, 120
Albany (W.), manor of, 167
Alchornus (E.), memorial of, 222
Aldhelm (Bishop of Sherborne), founda-
tion of, 174
Alditheley (H. de), shrievalty of, 139
Alfred (King), foundation of, 173 ;
victories of, 179 ; stands sponsor for
Danish chief, Athelstan, 185 ; erects
standard at Kilmington, 189
Algar, manor of, 24
Allcock (T.), foundation of, 6
Allein (R.), birthplace of, 182
Allen (R.), seat of, 177, 191
Allestree (Dr. R.), birthplace of, 13;
school of, 17
Alleyne (H.), memorial of, 222
Almerus (Earl of Cornwall), foundation
of, 229
Alphelm (Prince), murder of, 8
Alward, manor of, 288
Amelia (Princess), entertained at
Bruton, 230
Amory (T.), birthplace of, 182
VOL. XXII.
Andrews (-— ), schoolmaster at Bridg-
north, 41
Anne (Queen of James I.), visits Wells,
192
Ansger Brito, manor of, 288
Anstey (— ), marriage of, 193
Apperley (T. H.), memorial of, 33
Appleton (Rev. A.), curacy of, 159
Arimathea (Joseph of), chapel of, at
Glastonbury, 260
Am way (J.), birthplace of, 13
Arragon (King of), marriage of, II
Arthur (King), victories of, 178, 179,
280
Arthur (Prince of Wales), marriage of,
1 1 ; death of, 1 1
Arundel (E. F., Earl of), execution of,
10
Arundel (R., Earl of), castle of, 109
Arundel (T., Earl of), grants charter to
Oswestry, 109
Arundel (Lady), defends Wardour, 195
Arundel (Lord), seat of, 195
Arundell (Hon. J. E.), manor of, 290 ;
marriage of, 290
Arundell of Wardour (Baron), manor
of, 296
Ascobert murders Kenelm, Prince of
Mercia, 71, 72
Ashelm (Prince), murder of, 120
Askew (Rev. A.), seat of, 178
Astley (family of), estates of, 51
Astley (J.), birthplace of, 13
Astley (T.), monument of, 53
Asty (E. ), memorial of, 222
Atcherley (R.), seat of, 7
Atfield (W. B.), seat of, 7
Athelstan (King), foundation of, 173
Athelstan, chief of the Danes, baptism
of, 185
21
322
Index of Names.
Attwood (— ), seat of, 7
Aubery (E.), memorial of, 222
Aubrey (H. P. T.), seat of, 6
Audley (N.), benefaction of, 108 ;
manor of, 108
Avery (W.), memorial of, 222
Ay mo (Prior of Wenlock), grant to,
157
Azeline, possessions of, 28
Bacon (Friar R.), birthplace of, 182, 273
Bailward (S.), seat of, 177
Baker (family of), memorials of, 236
Baker (R.), chaplaincy of, 247
Baker (T.), birthplace of, 182
Baker (Sir W.), memorial of, 222
Baker (Dr. W.), memorial of, 222
Balch (Miss), seat of, 177
Baldulph, defeat of, 280
Baldwin (E. ), monument of, 136
Baldwyn (C.)i seat of, 43
Baldwyn (Rev. H.), burial of, 36
Baldwyn (M.), memorial of, 93
Ball (Rev. J.), rectory of, 204
Ball (T.), presbytery of, 157
Bamfield (T.), seat of, 7
Bampfylde (Sir C. W.), seat of, 177
Bampfylde (Colonel), seat of, 194
Bannister (R.), betrays his master, II
Barker (T.), monument of, 121
Barnard (N., Dean of Ardagh), birth-
place of, 13
Barnes (B.), memorial of, 222
Barnet (A.), birthplace of, 13
Barney (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 1 68
Barnwell (G.), tragedy of, 97
Bartlet (J.), buys Priory of Hinton,
268
Basset (family of), arms of, 300
Bateman (Rev. S.), birthplace of, 182
Bath (Marquess of), seat of, 177
Bath and Wells (Bishop of), seat of,
177 ; manor of, 235
Bather (Rev. E.), archdeaconry of,
125, 132
Bather (J.), seat of, 7
Bave (R.), memorial of, 222
Bave (S.), memorial of, 222, 300
Bawden ( Rev. R. ), vicarage of, 243
Baxter (J. F.), seat of, 8
Baxter (R.), birthplace of, 13
Baxter (W.), birthplace of, 13
Baylie (J.), priory of, 157
Beaks (— ), property of, 233
Beale (T.), seat of, 7
Beale (— ), seat of, 103
Beauchamp (Baron), manor of, 277
Beauchamp (family of)» arms of, 135
Beauchamp (T., Earl of Warwick),
arms of, 52 > marriage of, 52
Beauclerk (Lord J., Bishop of Here-
ford), rectory of, 18
Beaumeys (P. de), benefaction of, 88,
89
Beaumeys (R. de), translates canons
from Shrewsbury to Lilleshall, 89
Beaumont (M. de), marriage of, 150
Beckford (W.), seat of, 195
Beckington (T., Bishop of Bath and
Wells), birthplace of, 182 ; arms of,
201, 212 ; buildings erected by, 209,
215
Beddingfield (Hon. Lady), memorial of,
222
Beddoes (T.), birthplace of, 13
Bedford (Jasper, Earl of), manor of, 21
Beere (Abbot), foundation of, 261, 297 ;
benefactions of, 261 ; burial-place of,
261
Belesme (R. de, Earl of Shrewsbury),
manor of, 83, 150; garrisons Bridg-
north, 9, 42
Bellot (T.), foundation of, 178; erects
buildings at Bath, 221
Bellingham (J.), memorial of, 222
Benbow (Admiral), birthplace of, 13,
140 ; anecdote of, 140
Benbow (Colonel J.)f death of, 12 ;
burial-place of, 13
Benet (Rev. J.), death of, 303; memo-
rial of, 303
Benington (P.), seat of, 7
Bennet (Dr. C.), birthplace of, 182
Bennet (Mrs.), seat of, 177
Bennett (Jane), memorial of, 279
Benson (R.), seat of, 7
Benyon (R.), seat of, 7
Benyon (T., and wife), memorial of, 122
Benyon (The Misses), seat of, 6
Benyon ( — ), seat of, 7
Berkeley (E.), burial-place of, 26
Berkeley (family of), arms of, 300
Berkeley (M.), manor of, 151
Berkeley (W., Marquess of), manor of,
ISI
Berkley (Captain), memorial of, 280
Berkley (Rev. A. de), birthplace of,
182 ; vicarage of, 192
Berkley (Sir M.), grant to, 229
Berkley of Stratton (Lord), estate of,
229 ; residence of, 230 ; entertains
the Princess Amelia, 230
Bernard (N., Dean of Armagh), burial-
place of, 20
Index of Names.
323
Bertie (R.), estate of, 158
Berwick (Lord), seat of, 6
Berwick (W. N., Lord), seat of, 29;
patronage of, 134
Betton (N.), memorial of, 137
Betton (R.), seat of, 6
Billings (F. and J. ), memorials of, 222
Bimberry (The Misses), foundation of,
176
Bishop (Rev. Dr. J.), rectory of, 302 ;
benefactions of, 302
Bishton (G.), estates of, 164, 165
Bishton (J.), seat of, 7
Bishton (T.), seats of, 7
Biss (J.), memorial of, 302
Biss (P.), birthplace of, 182
Biss (T.), memorial of, 302
Blackburrow (J.), command of, 217
Blackford (R. and M.), memorial of,
245
Blackwell (W.), churchwarden of
Dunster, 243
Blake (Admiral R.), birthplace of, 182;
school of, 1 86
Blake (Colonel), besieges Bridgewater,
1 80
Blake (M.), memorial of, 246
Blakeway (family of), estates of, 29
Blanchard (J.), memorial of, 222
Blomberg (Rev. F. W.), vicarage of,
211
Blount (family of), monuments of, 18
Blount (Sir E.), seat of, 7
Blount (Sir W.), death of, 10
Bolinghale (H. de), manor of, 24
Bonaparte (Lucien), residence of, 18
Bond (E.), memorial of, 246
Bond (J.), birthplace of, 182
Bond (Sir G.), birthplace of, 182
Bonville (Cicely), marriage of, 277
Bonville (family of), manor of, 277
Bonville (W., Lord), marriage of, 277 ;
custodian of Henry VI., 277 ; effigies
of, 187
Boothby (Sir W.), memorials of, 224
Bord (W.), manor of, 301
Borough (T.), seat of, 6
Bosanquet (J.), memorial of, 222
Bosanquet (— ), marriage of, 196 ;
residence of, 196
Bostock (Dr. R.), memorial of, 222
Botetourt (J., Lord), burial-place of, 65
Botfield (Rev. B.), curacy of, 162
Botfield(T. B.), seat of, 7
Botreaux (Sir R. de), effigies of, 185
Boucher (E., and wife) monument of,
Boucher (Edward), gift of, to Yeovil
Church, 315, 316
Boughton (Sir C. W. R.), seat of, 7
Bourchier (E. ), marriage of, 151
Bourchier (family of), estate oi, 286
Boutflower (Rev. C.), vicarage of, 238
Boutflower (Rev. D.), benefaction of,
237
Bowers (T., Bishop of Chichester),
birthplace of, 13 ; school of, 19
Boycott (family of), burial place of, 159
Boycott (W.), monument of, 114
Boydell (J., Lord Mayor), birthplace
of, 13, 149
Boyle (Hon. and Rev. R.), preaches at
opening of East Cranmore Church,
251
Boyne (Viscount), seat of, 6
Boys (J.), birthplace of, 182
Brackley (Viscount), benighted in Hey-
wood Forest, 18
Bradford (A.)» tomb of, 20
Bradford (Earl of), manor of, 57
Bradford (F., Lord), tomb of, 20
Bradford (J.), memorial of, 279
Bramston (D.), memorial of, 222
Bratton (T.), seat of, 248
Bray (T.), birthplace of, 13
Brereton (Sir \V.), takes Ludlow, 12
Brewer (J.), benefaction of, 246
Bridgeman (Sir J.), tomb of, 18, 93
Bridgewater (Dukes of), patronage of,
1 59 ; manors of, 1 59
Bridgewater (Earl of), president of the
Marches, 18
Bridgewater (H., Earl of), manor of,
296
Bridport (Lord), seat of, 177
Bright (Rev. J. B.), seat of, 8
Briovere (W. and T. de), build bridge
at Bridgewater, 176
Briscoe (W.), seat of, 6
Bristol (J. D., Earl of), manor of, 232
Bristow (W.), priory of, 242
Brocas (M.), memorial of, 222
Brocas (T.), memorial of, 222
Brockson (N.), churchwarden of Pontes-
bury, 113
Brocklesbury (Dr. R.), birthplace of,
182
Bromley (J.), lieutenancy of, 139
Bromley (sir H.), manor of, 118;
patronage of, 118
Bromley (Sir T.), birthplace of, 13;
tomb of, 20
Bromley (— ), benefaction of, 24
Brook (family of), estates of, 51
21 — 2
324
Index of Names.
Brooke (R., Lord Chief Justice),
monument of, 5i» 52
Brooke (Sir D.), birthplace of, 182
Brooke (Sir R.), birthplace of, 13
Brotherton (M. de), marriage of, 150;
created Duchess of Norfolk, 150 ;
burial-place of, 150
Broughton (II.), birthplace of, 13
Broughton (J.), marriage of, 84
Brown (N.), memorial of, 222
Brown (T.), birthplace of, 13, 108
Brown (T. ), priory of, 242
Browne (E.), memorial of, 112
Browne (J. H.), seat of, 6; M.P. for
Wen lock, 20
Browne (R. B. W.), seat of, 6
Browne (Rev. F.), rectory of, 118;
vicarage of, 118 ; manor of, 118
Browne (S.), birthplace of, 182
BrydalQ.), birthplace of, 182
Brymer (Archdeacon), assists at opening
of East Cranmore Church, 251
Buck (Dame A.), memorial of, 224
Buckland (R.), birthplace of, 182
Budlers (H. de), benefaction of, 89 ;
burial-place of, 89
Bull (A., Bishop of Bath and Wells),
birthplace of, 182
Bull (Dr. J.), birthplace of, 182
Buncombe (R.), seat of, 177
Buonaparte (Napoleon), portrait of,
1 68
Burci (S. de), manor of, 301
Burfield (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 24
Burgh (J. de), manor of, 275
Burleigh (Lord Treasurer), buildings
of, at Bath, 221
Burnell (E., Lord), manor of, 21
Burnell (H.), commission of, 139
Burnell (M.), marriages of, 21
Burnell (N., Lord), castle of, 21 ;
memorial brass of, 21
Burnell (R., Bishop of Bath and Wells),
birthplace of, 108 ; foundation of,
20, 21 ; embassy of, 21 ; death and
burial-place of, 21
Burnell (Sir E.), castle of, 21
Burnell (Sir H.), birthplace of, 108 ;
marriage of, 65 ; burial-place of, 65
Burney (C.), birthplace of, 13
Burrard (Hon. A.), monument of, 93
Burt (Rev. J., and wife), memorial of,
203
Burt (Rev. J.), rectory of, 204
Burton (E.), residence of, 89, 90;
burial-place of, 18, 26, 27, 89 ;
monument of, 90
Burton (family of), burial-place of, 26,
27
Burton (R.), seat of, 7, 90, 121
Busby (A.), memorial of, 222
Busk (S., and wife), memorial of, 225
Butler (Archdeacon), sermon by, 132,
225
Butler (J.), birthplace of, 182
Butler (Dr. S.), mastership of, 19
Butler (T.), abbacy of, 133 ; annuity
granted to, 133
Byam (Rev. Dr. H.), birthplace of, 182 ;
burial-place of, 191
Cabell (family of), burial-place of, 256
Cadman (R.), burial-place of, 19
Calcot (T. and M.), memorial of, 25
Calcot(Rev. W.), seat of, 6
Calcot (Rev. — ), rectory of, 103; seat
of, 103
Calcott (family of), estates of, 29
Caldewell (R.), manor of, 25
Callis (Admiral S.), memorial of, 222
Calton (T.), obtains grant of tithes of
Albrighton, 25
Calverley (Sir J.), death of. 10
Camplin (Rev. W.), vicarage of, 243
Candidan (King), defeat of, 179
Canning (L.), memorial of, 222, 224
Cantelupe (G. de), manor of, 82
Cantelupe (J. de), manor of, 82
Cantelupe (M. de), manor of, 82
Cantlow (Prior), foundation of, 174
Caractacus, defeats of, 3, 55, 169
Carbery (Earl of), Lord President of
the Marches, 18
Careless (R.), benefactions of, 25
Carew (family of), burial-place of, 187
Carew (Sir J. ), monument of, 187
Carnarvon (Earl of), seat of, 178
Cartere (T.), M.P. for Dunster, 240
Caslett ([.), presbytery of, 157
Caslon (W.), birthplace of, 13
Castleman (R.), birthplace of, 182
Cattle (Rev. B.), curacy of, 206
Cavell (R.), churchwarden of Banwell,
217
Ceawlin (King of Wessex), victory of,
179
Cecil (Lady Mildred), marriage of, 87
Chamberlain (W.), presbytery of, 157
Champeneys (H.), residence of, 257 ;
memorial brass of, 257
Charnpneys (Sir J.), Lord Mayor of
London, birthplace of, 182, 187
Champneys (Sir T.), seat of, 178
Charnpneys (T. S.), seat of, 178
Index of Names.
325
Chandos (Duchess of), property of, 193
Chaplin (M. and E.), memorial of, 246
Chapman (J.), benefaction of, 24
Chapman (R. W. P. and S.), memorials
of, 222
Chapman (Rev. W.), death of, 213 ;
memorial of, 213
Charles I. entertained at Ludlow, n ;
at Mells, 282 ; establishes mint at
Shrewsbury, 12 ; portrait of, 17
Charles II. sheltered at Boscobel, 12,
36-40; at Castle Gary, 174; at
Whiteladies, 12 ; introduced to Mr.
Adams at Newport, 109
Charleton (Sir J.), birthplace of, 13
Charleton (Lady), foundation of, 141
Charleton (Dr. W.), birthplace of, 182
Charlton (Sir F.), seat of, 103
Charlton (J. de, Lord of Powis),
mansion of, 144
Charlton (Sir J.), patronage of, 155
Charlton (N. L.), seat of, 7
Charlton (P.), seat of, 8
Charlton (T., Bishop of Hereford),
birthplace of, 13
Charlton (W.), seat of, 6
Chatham (Earl of), seat of, 177, 186
Cherbury (D. of), birthplace of, 13
Cheshire (T. ), burial of, 36
Chetwynd (Rev. J.), birthplace of, 182
Chichester (A.), seat of, 178
Chichester (H.), seat of, 178
Chidde (W.), seat of, 7
Child (M)., memorial of, 32
Childe (W.), seat of, 7
Childe(W. L.), seat of, 8
Churchill (Governor), memorial of, 222
Churchman (W. and R.), memorial of,
106
Churchyard (T.), birthplace of, 13
Clarence (Duke of), visits Ross Hall, 19
Clarence (G., Duke of), manor of, 205 ;
murder of, 205
Clark (J.), churchwarden of Shra-
wardine, 118
Clark (M.), memorial of, 246
Clark (W.), mayoralty of, 226
Clark (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 118
Clarke (Elizabeth), memorial of, 315
Clarke (M.), birthplace of, 13
Clarke (R.), erects stained-glass win-
dows in Ellesmere church, 60
Clarke (W.), birthplace of, 13
Clarke (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 107
Clavering (E.), memorial of, 222
Clement (B. and H.), memorials of, 245
Clements (W.), memorial of, 222
Clevedon (family of), manor of, 232, 233
Cleveland (Duke of), manors of, 57 ;
patronage of, 78, 79
Clifton (T.), seat of, 177
Clive (Hon. H. R.), seat of, 7
Clive (R., Lord), birthplace of, 13
Clive (W.), seat of, 8
Clive (— ), seat of, 8
Clootwick (J.), memorial of, 224
Clothier (R., and wife), memorial of, 279
Cohorn (Count), portrait of, 18
Colgrin, defeat of, 280
Colles (H.), grant by, to Dunster Priory,
242
Collington (J.), birthplace of, 182
Collins (Rev. S.), memorial of, 279
Collins (widow), residence of, 35
Colston (Dr.), seat of, 177
Colthurst (M.), estate of, 268
Commail (King), defeat of, 179
Congreve (Colonel W., and wife),
memorial of, 127
Congreve (Mrs.), seat of, 12 1
Coningsby (H.), manor of, 151
Conolly (C.), seat of, 178
Cookson ( — ), residence of, 45
Cooper (J.), birthplace of, 13
Corbet (Sir A.), seat of, 6, 7, 8 ; re-
stores E. Benton's monument, 90
Corbet (Sir C), seats of, 121
Corbet (family of), seat of, 103 ; estates
of, 149
Corbet (Mrs.), seat of, 8
Corbet (Rev. — ), rectory of, Il8
Corbett (Ven. Archdeacon), residence
of, 7, 86
Corbett (Anne), monument of, 88
Corbett (F.), memorial of, 137
Corbett (G. H. and E.), memorial of,
87
Corbett (J.), monument of, 116
Corbett (fane), memorial of, 88
Corbett (Matty), memorial of, 88
Corbett (Sir R.), monument of, 87
Corbett (T.), memorial of, 87
Corbett (Sir Uveclale), monument of, 87
Corbett of Longnor (family of), burial-
place of, 87
Cork (J., Earl of), manor of, 257
Cornewayll (R.), monument of, 49
Cornewel (K. T., and wife , 47
Cornish (S.), memorial of, 222
Cornwall (Edmund), monument of,
48, 49
Cornwall (E., Lady), monument of, 48
Cornwall (Sir T.), reputed tomb of, 48
Cornwall (T.),' monument ot, 47
326
Index of Names.
Costard (G.), birthplace of, 13
Cotes (J.), seat of, 8
Cotton (R.)» restores Claverley church,
5°
Courcy (Baron J.), birthplace of, 182
Courcy (R. de), foundation of, 174
Courtenay (W.)» foundation of, 312
Courtenye (W. de), foundation of, 174
Courtney (Sir W.), victory of, 180
Coventry (Sir J.), birthplace of, 182 ;
foundation of, 177
Coward (L. and E.)f memorials of, 222
Cowper (R .), memorial of, 222
Cox (Rev. W.), vicarage of, 243
Cox ( — ), foundation of, 176
Cox of Cradley (family of), memorial
of, 71
Craven (Lord), seat of, 103
Crede (R.), churchwarden at Banwell,
216
Cree (J. M.), seat of, 178
Cressett (E., Bishop of Llandaff), monu-
ment of, 56, 152
Cressett (Rev. J.), monument of, 56
Cressett (R.), monument of, 56
Crey (J.), churchwarden at Banwell,
216
Croft (Sir W.), defeat and death of, 12
Crowle (D.), memorial of, 222
Crowther (T. A.), estates of, 51
Crump (T.), seat of, 6
Cudworth (R.), birthplace of, 182, 185
Cudworth (Rev. — ), rectory of, 185
Cuff(H.), birthplace of, 182
Culliford (R.), memorial of, 222
Cunliffe (M.), memorial of, 222
Curcelle (R. de), manor of, 201
Currer (S.), memorial of, 222
Curteys (W.), memorial brass of, 63
Dains (W.), foundation of, 174
Dale (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 162
Dale (Jane), memorial of, 115
Dalton (N.), seat of, 178
Dalton (Rev. — ), seat of, 177
Dampier (W.), birthplace of, 183
Dana (Rev. E.), rectory of, 78
Daniel (S.), birthplace of, 183
Darby (F.), seat of, 7
Darell (J. and C.), memorials of, 224
Daubeny (Baron), burial-place of, 296 ;
monument of, 296
Daubeny (Sir G.), manor of, 296 ;
shrievalty of, 296
Daubeny (G.), foundation of, 247
Daubeny (W.), residence of, 296
Davenhill (T.)> benefaction of, 24
Davenport (W. G.), seat of, 7
Davenport ( — ), seat of, 43
David of Wales, arms of, 61 ; execution
of, 10
Davies (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 243
Davies (S. ), birthplace of, 13
Davis (family of), arms of, 299
Davis (O.), memorial brass of, 114
Davis (Rice), marriage of, 299; resi-
dence of, 299
Davis (Serjeant), custodian of Lord
Hill's column, 143
Day (G., Bishop of Chichester), birth-
place of, 13
Day (P.), memorial of, 309
Deacle (Rev. T.), rectory of, 302
De Charleton ( — ), foundation of, 120
De la Mere (family of), tombs of, 190
Denbigh (Earl of), takes Oswestry, 12,
no
Denison (Rev. G.), chaplaincy of, 251
Dennis (T.), churchwarden of Dunsier,
243
Despard (General), seat of, 7
De Teneville ( — ), foundation of, I2O
De Tickenham (family of), effigies of,
300
Dewhurst (Rev. J.), rectory of, 78
Dickenson (W.), seat of, 177
Dickinson (J. and S. ), memorial of, 44
Dickinson ( — ), usher at Newport (Salop)
school, 108
Digby (J., Earl of Bristol), manor of,
232
Digby (Sir R.), marriage of, 153
Dighton (Rev. E.), curacy of, 251
Disney (family of), estate of, 235
Dixon (A.), memorial of, 222
Dodd (R.), seat of, 7
Doddington (Lieutenant F.), victory of,
1 80
Doddington (S.), seat of, 177
Dolling (Rev. M.), rectory of, 204
Dominick (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 168
Domvile (S.), birthplace of, 79 ; death
of, 79
Dorset (T. G., Marquess of), patronage
of, 277
Douglas (Earl), imprisonment of, 5, 10
Douglas (J., Bishop of Salisbury),
mastership of, 17
Dovaston (J.), birthplace of, 14
Dovaston (J. F. M.), seat of, 7
Dovey (Rev. R.), benefaction of, 50
Dovey (R. and M.), memorial of, 53
Down (W.), monument of, 315
Draicote (J. de), manor of, 301
Index of Names.
327
Draper (G.), monument of, 225
Draper (Rev. — ), rectory of, 310
Draper ( — ), foundation of, 107
Drinkwater (R.)» benefaction of, 126
Drogo, castellain at Montacute, 288
Drokensford (J. de, Bishop of Bath and
Wells), death of, 312
Dudoco (Bishop of Wells), possessions
of, 207, 208
Dunce (S.), memorial of, 222
Duncombe (J.)> memorial of, 222
Durant (G.), seat of, 8
Durell (Advocate-General), memorial
of, 222
Dyer (Sir J.), birthplace of, 183
Earnly (Sir M.), defeat and death of, 12
Edgar (King), consecration of, 179;
reputed burial-place of, 175
Edgerley (Rev. — ), rectory of, 118
Edmondes (Sir C.), birthplace of, 14
Edmund (King), takes Shrewsbury, 8 ;
rebuilds Glastonbury, 179 ; victory
of, 1 80
Edred (King), burial-place of, 179
Edric, manor of, 57
Edward the Elder (King), foundation
of, 3°3
Edward I. holds Parliament at Shrews-
bury, 10
Edward II. enters Shrewsbury, 10;
bust of, 138
Edward III., reputed statue of, 134
Edward V., proclamation of, II
Edward VI., foundations of, 6, 178;
portrait of, 189; grant by, 193
Edward ( J. ), seat of, 7
Edwards (J.), churchwarden of Yeovil,
3*7
Edwards (Sir J. T. C), seat of, 7
Edwards (Rev. R., and wife), memorial
brass of, ill
Edwards (R.), birthplace of, 183
Edwards (Rev. Turner), memorial of,
112
Edwards (Rev. W.), memorial of, 54
Edwards (— ), mastership of, 108
Edwin (Earl of Mercia), manor of, 149
Egerton (Hon. E., Bishop of Hereford),
victory of, 159
Egerton (Rev. F.), vicarage of, 160
Egerton (Lord Chancellor), arms of, 6
Egerton (Hon. T., and Lady A.),
benighted in Hey wood Forest, 1 8
Egmont (Earl of), seat of, 177, 188,
194
Egremont (Earl of), seat of, 178
Ela (Countess of Salisbury), foundation
of, 174
Elizabeth (Queen), foundation of, 176
Elizabeth of York visits Shrewsbury,
20
Ella, defeat of, 178
Elletson (Governor of Jamaica), memo-
rial of, 222
Elliot (J.), seat of, 7
Elstan (Bishop of Sherborne), victory
of, 179
Elton (Rev. Sir A.), seat of, 232
Emery (J.), property of, 210
Emery (R.), seat of, 6
Emes (E.), memorial of, 279
Enys (D. and M.), memorial of, 224
Erleigh (W. de), foundation of, 174
Ernele (W.), memorial of, 222
Kscott (R.), seat of, 178
Essebie (Alexander of), birthplace of,
183
Ethelbald (King) takes Somerton, 179
Ethelburga (Queen), destroys Taunton
Castle, 179
Ethelfleda, foundation of, 4; builds
Bridgnorth, 42
Ethelred (King), effigies of, 250
Eure (Lady M.), tomb of, 95
Evans (Dr. J.), seat of, 7
Everett (A.), marriage of, 257
Everett (Rev. W.), rectory and vicarage
of, 257, 258
Every (Sir S.), birthplace of, 183
Eyton (Rev. Dr.), vicarage of, 155
Eyton (Rev. J.)f seat of, 8; vicarage
of. '55
Eyton (R.), Governor of Shrewsbury
Gaol, 139
Eyton (T.), seat of, 7; patronage of,
ISS
Farinmail (King), defeat of, 179
Farmer (H.), birthplace of, 14
Fen (J.), birthplace of, 183
Fenwick (J.), memorial of, 222
Fenymore (R.), presbytery of, 157
Ferrers (family of), arms of, 52 ; manor
of, 52
Fielding (H.), birthplace of, 183
Fielding (S.), memorial of, 222
Finch (A.) memorial of, 222
Fishewyke (R.), presbytery of, 157
Fitz-Alan (Earls of Arundel), castle of,
Fitz Alan (E., Earl of Arundel), execu-
tion of, 10
Fitz-Alan (family of), arms of, 135
328
Index of Names.
Fitz-Alan (Isabel), marriage of, 151
Fitz-Alan (M.), marriage of, 55
Fitz-Alan (W., Lord of Oswestry), birth-
place of, 1 6 ; foundation of, 1-3 ;
manor of, 55 ; burial-place of, 3
Fitz-Guarine (Fulk), birthplace of, 14 ;
castle of, 157 ; quarrels with King
John, 157
Fitz-Herbert (B.), estate of, 39
Fitz-James (Sir J.), birthplace of, 183 ;
manor of, 301
Fitz-James (R., Bishop of London),
birthplace of, 183
Fitz-Nicholas (C.), marriage of, 297,
298
Fitz-Nicholas (family of), residence of,
297 ; manor of, 297 ; arms of, 300
Fitz- Walter (R.), manor of, 275 ;
marriage of, 275
Fitz- Warren (family of), manors of,
286 ; residence of, 286
Fitz-William (R.), manor of, 201
Flechere (Rev. J. W. de la), burial-
place of, 1 8
Fletcher (Rev. J. W. de la), burial-
place of, 1 8
Folliott (E.), memorial of, 96
Ford (R. and E. ). memorial of, 222
Forde (R., Abbot of Glastonbury),
birthplace of, 183
Forester (C. W. ), seat of, 8 ; created a
peer, 168 ; marriage of, 168; privi-
lege of, 1 68
Forrester (B.), manor of, 155; estates
of, 155
Forrester (Rev. — ), usher at Newport
(Salop) School, 108
Fortescue (J. J.), seat of, 177
Fortescue (Hon. M.), seat of, 177
Fowler (Rev. M.), vicarage of, 159
Fowler (Rev. S.), memorial of, 26
Fowler (Rev. T.), vicarage of, 159
Fownes (H.), marriage of, 239;
assumes name of Luttrell, 239 ;
manors of, 239
Fox (C. J.), portrait of, 189
Fox (family of), seat of, 103
Fox (R., Bishop of Winchester), founda-
tion of, 177
Fox (Sir S.), birthplace of, 194 ; death
of, 194
Frampton (M.), memorial of, 222
Frampton ( — ), estate of, 252
Frederick (Prince of Wales), memorial
of, 176
Freke (R.), property of, 284
Frithogitha (Queen), effigies of, 250
Frome (N. de, Abbot of Glastonbury),
birthplace of, 183
Frowd (J.), property of, 268
Frowde (Sir P.), memorial of, 222
Fulchert'dus, abbacy of, 133
FuUell (U.), birthplace of, 183
Furneaux (family of), manor of, 201
Furneaux (Sir M.), marriage of, 203
Fussell (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 251
Fussell (J.), seat of, 178
Fychet (J.), chaplaincy of, 276
Gage (Viscount), estate of, 158
Gamages (M. tie), manor of, 150
Gamages (W. de), manor of, 150
Gansel (Sir N.), death of, 10
Gardiner (Rev. Dr. J.), birthplace of,
183
Gardner (Rev. Dr.), seat of, 7, 54
Gatacre (Colonel), seat of, 7
Gatacre (E.), chancel of, 50
Gatacre (F.), monument of, 53
Gatacre (W.,and wife), monument of, 53
Gataker (T.), birthplace of, 14
Gegg (El ester), manor of, 301
Gegg (Rev. J.), manor of, 301
Gentleman (R.), birthplace of, 14
George IV. visits Ross Hall, 19
George (family of), seat of, 103
Geihin (Dame G.), memorial of, 222
Gibbon (J.), birthplace of, 183
Gibbons (Dr. F.), memorial of, 137
Gibbons (Rev. J.), rectory of, 78
Giffard (W., Bishop of Winchester),
foundation of, 174
Gilbert (A.), stewardship of, 289
Gilbert (T.), birthplace of, 14
Gilbert (W.), birthplace of, 183
abbacy of, 230 ; residence of, 230 ;
tomb of, 230, 231
Gildas the Wise, birthplace of, 183
Giles (R.), memorial of, 246
Gillet (T.), foundation of, 176
Giso (Bishop of Wells), possessions of,
208
Glanville (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 188
Glanville ( — ), birthplace of, 14
Glastonbury (Lord), seat of, 177
Gloucester (Bishop of), seat of, 178
Gloucester (W., Earl of), foundation
of, 173, 291
Glyndwr (Owen), defeat of, 5 ; ascends
oak at Shelton, 117
Godfrey (C ), memorial of, 222
Godhil, manor of, 24
Godwin (Dr. T.), birthplace of, 183
Good (T.), birthplace of, 14
Index of Names.
329
Good (W.), birthplace of, 183
Goodfellow (C.), memorial of, 222
Gordon (J. A .), manor of, 287 ; bene-
faction of, 287
Gordon (T.), residence of, 185
Gore (W. Ormsby), seat of, 7, 8
Goring (Lord), defeat of, 181
Gorsuch (W., and wife), memorial of,
127
Gould (E.), monument of, 278
Gould (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 243
Gournay (Eva de), marriage of, 293
Gournay (family of), estate of, 174
Gournay (M. de), marriage of, 293
Gournay (Sir W.), birthplace of, 183
Grafton (J. de, and wife), tomb of, 22
Grandison (S. de), manor of, 24
Grant (family of), estates of, 29
Grant (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 243
Granville (Sir B.), death of, 180;
memorial of, 190, 219
Graves (R.), memorial of, 75
Gray (C. G.), seat of, 178
Gray (E.), reputed marriage of, 117
Gray (G.), seat of, 178
Gray (R.), birthplace of, 183; founda-
tion of, 177
Greaves (Rev. R.), rectory of, 187
Green (Amos), birthplace of, 14
Green (Anne), tomb of, 24
Green (E.), memorial of, 69
Green (family of), seat of, 103
Green ((.)> memorial of, 67
Green (Thos.), burial-place of, 24
Green (T.), memorial of, 69
Green (W.), memorial of, 68
Greene (family of), arms of, 160
Greenvil (Sir R.), relieves Dunster,
181
Greenwood (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 108
Grenvill (Hon. H.), memorial of, 224
Gresley (Rev. B.), memorial of, 213
Gresley (Sir N.), memorial of, 222
Greville (F. , Lord Brooke), school of,
19
Grey (Hon. J.), M.P. for Bridgnorth,
41
Grey of Wilton (J. de), governor of
Shrewsbury Castle, 139
Grey (T., Marquess of Dorset), marriage
of, 277 ; patronage of, 277
Greye (E.), memorial of, 222
Grieve (E.), memorial of, 222
Griffith (Dr. G.), memorial of, 225
Griffiths (Dr. R.), birthplace of, 14
Grove (H ), birthplace of, 183
Gruffyth (R. ap), quarrel of, 9
Gryffyn (H.), conveyance of lands to,
215
Guildford (Lord Keeper), portrait of,
189
Gunning (General), residence of, 193
Gunson (R.), memorial of, 222
Guy (A.), seat of, 177
Gwyn (E.), memorial of, 222
Gwynn (T. F.), seat of, 177
Gwynnedd (O., Prince of Wales),
besieges Shrewsbury, 9
Gwynwynwyn (Prince of Wales), im-
prisonment of, 9
Gyare (E. and M.), memorial of, 222
Gyvernay (Sir R.), benefaction of, 276
Gyvernay ( — ), manor of, 276 ; burial-
place of, 276
Hale (M.), manor of, 24
Hales (Rev. J.), birthplace of, 183
Hales (Sir P.), seat of, 177
Hales (Mrs.), birthplace of, 14
Halliday (J. D.), monument of, 66, 67 ;
marriage of, 67
Halliday (Major J. D.), monument of,
17
Hambrook (family of), estates of, 29
Hammond (Rev. S.), memorial of, 106
Hampton (B.), governor of Shrewsbury
Castle, 139
Hancocks (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 168
Handlow (J. de), manor of, 21
Hanning (W.), seat of, 177
Harbin (S. W. and R.), monument of,
315
Harbin (W.), patronage of, 317, 318
Harbin (Wyndham, and wife), monu-
ment of, 315
Harcourt (Rev. Dr.), vicarage of, 191
Harington (W. B., Lord), arms of, 277 ;
marriage of, 277 ; death of, 277
Harkness (Rev. R.), vicarage of, 251
Harley (Alderman), seat of, 103
Harley (Alice de), marriage of, 79
Harley (R. de), marriage of, 79;
possessions of, 79
Harnage (H.), seat of, 6
Harnage of Belswardine (family of),
aisle of, 77
Harnage (Sir G.)i seat of, 77 ; bene-
faction of, 78
Harnage (T.), seat of, 77
Harold (King) lands at Porlock, 180 ;
banishment of, 207, 208
Harper ( — ), seat of, 8
Harptree (T. de), manor of, 293 ;
marriage of, 293
330
Index of Names.
Harptree (W. de), manor of, 293 ;
marriage of, 293
Harries (F. B.), seat of, 6
Harries (Sir T.), seat of, 7 ; attempts
to enter Shrewsbury, 12
Harrington (Dr. H.), birthplace of, 183
Harrington (Sir J.), birthplace of, 183
Harris (A.), memorial of, 115
Harris (family of), estates of, 152;
foundation of, 154
Harris (J.), memorial of, 115
Harris (R.), seat of, 178
Harris (T.), memorial of, 115
Harrison (Rev. R.), rectory of, 118
Harrison (W.), command of, 215
Hart (Dr. C), monument of, 127
Hart (W. C), seat of, 7
Hastings (J. de), marriage of, 82
Hastings (Lady M. ), memorial of, 186,
187
Hastings (Rev. J.)f burial of, 36
Haughton (J.), seat of, 178
Hautvil (Sir J. de), monument of, 187
Ha warden (Lord), seat of, 191
Hawkins (H.), memorial of, 53
Haynes (— ), usher at Newport (Salop)
school, 1 08
Haythorne (family of), memorials of,
236
Heath (W.), memorial of, 223
Heber (Elizabeth), manor and patronage
of, 83, 85
Heber (Mrs.), seat of, 7
Heber (R.), seat of, 7, 18 ; M.P. for
Oxford, 83 ; manor and patronage of,
83
Hedrington (S.)i custodian of manor of
Albrighton, 24
Heighway (family of), memorials of,
US
Heles (H.), manor of, 24
Helgot, possessions of, 78
Hellier (J.), memorial brass of, 271,
272 ; benefaction of, 272
Hellier (Rev. Dr. H.), birthplace of,
183
Henley of Leigh (family of), memorials
of, 311
Henry I. takes Bridgnorth, 9 ; visits
Bath, 1 80; grants by, 42, 256
Henry II. besieges Bridgnorth, 9 ;
narrow escape of, 9, 42 ; grant by, 49
Henry III. assembles army at Shrews-
bury, 9; grants by, 49, 157, 267
Henry IV., figure of, 27 ; foundations
of, II, 27 ; victories of, 10, 120
Henry V., grants by, 268
Henry VI. plunders Ludlow, n ; im-
prisonment of, 277
Henry VII. visits Shrewsbury, n, 20;
foundations of, 174, 177 ; rebuilds
Somersetshire churches, 196, 244
Henry VIII., portrait of, 189
Henshaw (J.), memorial of, 223
Henton (J.), priory of, 242
Herbert (E., Lord Cherbury), birth-
place of, 14, 169 ; burial-place of,
169 ; memorial of, 169
Herdson (W.), purchases site of Shrews-
bury Abbey, 134
Hereford (Bishops of), seat of, 17
Hereford (E., Earl of), patronage of,
278
Hervey (J.), memorial brass of, 122
Hewett (Sir G.), seat of, 177
Hewster (T.), custodian of manor of
Albrighton, 24
Hey ward (M.), centenarian, death of,
20
Higgins (J.), memorial of, 169
Higginson (— ), foundation of, 159
Higgons (G.), monument of, 121
Higgons (Sir T.), birthplace of, 14
Hill (Anne), burial-place of, 27
Hill (Captain), lieutenancy of, 139 ;
flight of, 139
Hill (John), monument of, 85
Hill (Lord), statue of, 6 ; seat of, 7
Hill (Noel), seat of, 29
Hill (Sir Richard), birthplace of, 14;
statue of, 5, 82 ; foundation of, 6 ;
monument of, 85
Hill (Sir Rowland), momument of, 84
Hill (Hon. and Rev. R.), seat of, 6
Hill (Rev. R.), seat of, 8
Hill (T.), seat of, 121
Hilton (J.), churchwarden of Albrighton,
23
Hinckley (J.), memorial of, 67
Hinckley (W.), memorial of, 70
Hippie (E.), marriage of, 257
Hippie (J.), monument of, 257
Hippisley (Sir J. C), seat of, 178
Hoare (H.), erects tower at Kilmington,
176, 189
Hoare (Sir R.), estate of, 229, 259;
marriage of, 229
Hoare (Sir R. C.), seat of, 180, 236
Hobart (D.), memorial of, 223
Hobhouse (— ), seat of, 178
Hodnet (W. de), estates and privileges
of, 83
Hody (Dr.), foundation of, 176
Hody (Rev. H.), birthplace of, 183
Index of Names.
33*
Hogshaw (family of), manor of, 232
Holbeach (Dr.), foundation of, 6
Hole (T.), memorial of, 279
Holes (H.), manor of, 24
Holland (C.), marriage of, 151
Holland (T.), birthplace of, 14
Hood (Sir A.), seat of, 178
Hooper (J.), birthplace of, 183
Hopkins (J.), presbytery of, 157
Hopkins (N.), prophet of Hinton, 269
Hopton (A.), birthplace of, 183
Hoptyn (R.), gilder of Banwell, 217
Hord (E.), priory of, 268
Home (E ), residence of, 74, 76
Homer (family of)i residence of, 282
Homer (Sir J.), attainder of, 282
Horner (T.), seat of, 178
Hosier (R.), Governor of Shrewsbury
Castle, 139, 140
Hoskins (Mrs.), seat of, 178
Hosyer (J.), foundation of, 96
Hotchkiss (Rev. T., and family), me-
morial of, 105
Hotspur (Harry), death of, 10
Houlton (— ), estate of, 252
Houston (Sir P.), memorial of, 224
Howard (H., Earl of Northampton),
foundation of, 55
Howard (P., Duke of Norfolk), marriage
of, 55
Howard (T., Earl of Surrey), manor of,
21 ; created Duke of Norfolk, 21
Howell (T.), churchwarden of Al-
brighton, 23
Hughes (Admiral), memorial of, 223
Humbertus, priory of, 157
Hume (Rev. W.), vicarage of, 71 ;
memorial of, 71
Humfreston (J.), memorial brass of, 122
Humphreys (J.), property of, 268
Hungerford (family of), seat of, 251,
255, 268
Hungerford (Sir T. and Lady), monu-
ment of, 1 88
Hunt (D.), manor of, 293; patronage
of, 293
Hunt (H.), imprisonment of, 274
Hunt (J. ), residence of, 293 ; manor
and patronage of, 293
Hunt (J. H.), seat of, 177
Hunt (R.), seat of, 6
Hunter (J. A. and L. B.), memorial of,
70
Hutchins (J.), manor and patronage of,
293
Hyde (T.), birthplace of, 14
Hylton (J. S.), memorial of, 68
Ilchester (Earl of), seat of, 178, 194
Ina (King), foundation of, 173, 175,
249» 3°3 ; burial-place of, 175 ; effigy
of, 250
Inge (H., Archbishop of Dublin), seat
of, 183
Ingram (N.)( memorial of, 246
Inkhole (T.), commission of, 139
Innocent IV. (Pope), grant by, 268
Ireland (F.), marriage of, 258
Ireland (Rev. J.), curacy of, 258
Ireland (J.), birthplace of, 14
Ireland (Rev. W.), vicarage of, 257 ;
marriage of, 257 ; monument of, 257
Isham (S.), memorial of, 223
Ivy (Sir G.), memorial of, 223
Ivy (Dame S.), memorial of, 223
Jago (R.), memorial of, 75
James II. visits Shrewsbury, 20
James (Dr. C.), memorial of, 223
Jarret (Mrs.), seat of, 177
Jarvis (H.), seat of, 6
Jeanes (H.), birthplace of, 183
Jefferies (Lord Chancellor), school of, 19
Jeffery (J.), seat of, 177
Jeffreys (H.), marriage of, 130
Jeffreys (J.), seat of, 177
Jenkins (E.), seat of, 6
enkins (Mrs.), seat of, 6
enkins (Rev. R.), rectory of, 206
enkins (T., and wife), monument of, 136
enkinson (Hon. C.), seat of, 7
enks (B.), birthplace of. 14
ennings (J.), birthplace of, 183
ernegan (Sir J.), memorial of, 223
erningham (Sir G. W.), seat of, 8
errard (family of), manor of, 293
ervis (W.), churchwarden of Banwell,
216 ; residence of, 216
Jesup (E.), memorial of, 223
Joceline (Bishop of Wells), birthplace
of, 183
John (King) takes Oswestry, 9; quarrels
with Fulke Fitz Guarine, 167
John (King of France), imprisonment
of, 193
Johnston (Rev. W.), seat of, 8
Jolliffe (S.), seat of, 177
Jones (L.), memorial of, 224
Jones (M.), centenarian, death of, 20
Jones (R.), memorial of, 302
Jones (Rev. S.), memorial of, 25
Jones (Sir T.), Lord Chief Justice,
school of, 19 ; monument of, 19
Jones (T.), mayoralty of, 19; monu-
ment of, 19
332
Index of Names.
Jones (W.), seat of, 6 ; mansion erected
by, 144 ; memorial of, 236
Jones (Rev. — ), Roman Catholic priest
at Whiteladies, 166
Joybertus, priory of, 157
Jukes (Rev. T.), memorial of, 71 ;
vicarage of, 71
Juverney (— ), burial-place of, 276;
monument of, 276
Karver (B.), monument of, 93
Keate (Rev. — ), rectory of, 204
Kelly (E.), memorial of, 223
Ken (W., Bishop of Bath and Wells),
death of, 192 ; burial-place of, 258
Kenelm (Prince of Mercia), legend of,
71, 72 ; burial-place of, 72
Kenn (family of), seat of, 274
Kennet (Bishop), burial-place of, 1 88
Kenyon (Hon. T.), seat of, 8
Keynsham (Rev. R. de), vicarage of,
242
Kilmorey (Viscount), seat of, 8
Kinchant (C.), seat of, 7
King (Lord), seat of, 178
King(O., Bishop of Bath and Wells),
foundation of, 173
Kingston (A. ), memorial of, 223
Kingston (Duke of), estate of, 152
Kingston (J. de), seat of, 275
Knatchbull (C.), seat of, 177
Knight (Bishop of Bath and Wells),
erects pulpit at Wells, 174
Knight (family of), seat of, 103
Knight (J.), seat of, 7, 177
Knoyle (family of), arms of, 292 ;
manor of, 293
Knoyle (W.), residence of, 293
Knyfton (T. T.), residence of, 301, 302
Knyvet Leighton (F.), seat of, 8
Kymer (Rev. W.), vicarage of, 243
Kynaston (E.), seat of, 7
Kynaston (H.), birthplace of, 14
Kynaston (Sir F.), birthplace of, 14;
monument of, 17
Kynnersley (T.), seat of, 7
Lacey (J. N.), governor of Shrewsbury
Castle, 139
Lacon (Sir R.), memorial brass of, 77,
78 ; marriage of, 78, 79 ; shrievalty
of, 78
Lacy (J. de), manor of, 57
Lamb (J.), memorial of, 223
Langeland (R.), birthplace of, 14
Langhorne (Dr. J.), residence of, 302
Langley (W.), residence of, 134
Langley (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 155
Lansdown (J.), property of, 208
Latch (J.),- birthplace of, jg^
Lavor (J.), memorial brass of, 317
Law (Hon. and Rev. Chancellor), assists
at opening of East Cranmore church,
Lawley (B.), seat of, 6
Lawley (Sir R.), seat of, 8
Lawley (T.), estate of, 158
Lawrence (E.), birthplace of, 14
Laxton (Sir W.), foundation of, 60
Laxton ( — ), marriage of, 60
Lea (W. W.), memorial of, 53
Lean (J.), seat of, 177
Lechmere (Colonel), seat of, 103
Lee(H. L.), seat of, 7
Lee (J.), presbytery of, 157
Lee (R., Bishop of Lichfield), burial-
place of, 19
Lee (Rev. — ), mastership of, 108
Leeves (Rev. — ), residence of, 310,
3"
Legh (Dr. C.), memorial of, 223
Leigh (Rev. G. H.), vicarage of, 243
Leigh (M.), memorial of, 224
Leigh (Rev. P.), vicarage of, 159
Leigh (Mrs.), seat of, 177
Leighton (Sir B.), seat of, 7
Leighton (F.), birthplace of, 14
Leighton (F. K.), seat of, 8
Leighton (Sir R. ) seat of, 8
Leja (P. de, Bishop of St. David's),
priory of, 157
Leman (D.), memorial of, 223
Lenfarit (R.), chamberlain of Shrews-
bury Castle, 139
Lenthall (J.), impropriate rectory of,
211, 290
Leofric (Earl of Chester), restores
nunnery at Wenlock, 157
Le Strange (Sir R., and wife), arms of,
61
Lethbridge (Sir T. B.), seat of, 178
Leversedge (family of), manor of, 256,
257 ; burial-place of, 256, 257
Leveson (J.), manor of, 89
Leveson (Lady K.), benefaction of, 89
Levitt (A.), monument of, 33
Leyborn (Dr. R.), memorial of, 223
Leyton (R. de), serjeanty of, 138
Lisle (Viscount), death of, 20
Lister (M.), memorial of, 223
Littleton (A.), birthplace of, 14
Littleton (F.), burial of, 36
Littleton (M.), marriage of, 36
Littleton (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 41
Index of Names.
333
Llewellyn (D. ap Prince of Wales),
takes Shrewsbury and Oswestry, 9 ;
quarrels with R. ap Gruffyth, 9 ; sub-
mits to Henry III., 9
Lloyd (E. ), birthplace of, 14
Lloyd (J.), institutes Society for the
Prosecuiion of Felons, 18 ; tomb of,
104
Lloyd (J. A.), seat of, 7
Lloyd (R. P.), monument of, in
Lloyd (Capt. R. W.), monument of, in
Lloyd (W.), seat of, 6
Lock (J.), seat of 177, 178
Locke (family of), burial-place of, 256
Locke (J.), birthplace of, 184, 193
Lockley ( — ), farms of, 162
Lockyer (N.), birthplace of, 184
Lockyer (T.), memorial of, 279
Lodge (Sir T.), birthplace of, 60;
Lord Mayor of London, 60 ; mar-
riage of, 60 ; burial-place of, 60
Long (family of), property of, 301
Longspec (W., Earl of Salisbury),
foundation of, 266 ; manor of, 267
Lovel (C.), birthplace of, 184
Lovel (family of), manor of, 232 ;
monument of, 244
Lovell (F., Lord), forfeiture of estates
of, 21
Lovell (J., Lord), manor of, 21
Lovett (J. V.), seat of, 6
Lucas (S.), seat of, 177
Lucy (T.), memorial of, 30, 33 ; burial
of, 36
Ludlow (A.), marriage of, 116
Ludlow (Sir J.), castle of, 116
Ludlow (W. de), manor of, 83
Luke (R.), seat of, 7
Lunget (family of), property of, 301
Lutterell (A.), monument of, 245
Lutterell (Colonel), death of, 180
Luttrell (J. F.), seat of, 177
Luttrell (Lady E.), manors of, 239;
tomb of, 245
Luttrell (M.), marriage of, 239
Luttrell (— ), buildings erected by, 238 ;
patronage of, 242
Lutwyche (Sir E.j, birthplace of, 15
Lydall (Rev. J.), rectory of, 36
Lyster (Mrs.), seat of, 8
Lyster (T.), birthplace of, 15
Lyttelton (Edward), effigies of, 65 ;
memorial of, 66
Lyttelton (G.), burial-place of, 66
Lyttelton (Sir J.), burial-place of, 66
Lyttelton (Lord), patronage of, 68 ;
seat of, 7 1
Lyttelton (R.), memorial brass of, 66
Lyttelton (Sir T.), benefaction of, 65
Lyttelton (Sir W., and wife), burial-
place of, 65
Lyttleton (K., Baron of Munslow),
birthplace of, 15, 106 ; portrait of,
106 ; death and burial-place of, 106
MacGilvray (J.), memorial of, 114
Mackinnon (J.) memorial of, 186
Mackworth (Sir F.), victory of, 180,
181
Mackworth (H.), governor of Shrews-
bury Castle, 139
Madan (Colonel M.), memorial of, 223
Madlicote (T.), manor of, 83
Maelgwyn (R. ap), execution of, 9
Mainwaring (A.), birthplace of, 15
Mainwaring (C. K.), benefaction of, 62
Mainwaring (Mrs.), seat of, 6
Mainwaring (R., Bishop of St. David's),
birthplace of, 15
Maiden (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 107
Male (J.), seat of, 70
Malmesbury (W. of), birthplace of, 184
Malveisin (W.), bishoprics of, 29
Malveysin (H.), foundation of, 29
Malvoisin (family of), residence of, 28
29
Malvoisin (P. and J.), governors of
Oswestry Castle, 29
Malvysin (f.), death of, 29
Malvysin (Sir R.), death of, 29
Manners (Lady K. M.), marriage of,
1 68
Maplet (A.), memorial of, 223
March (Earl of), flight of, n ; victory
of, ir
Marigold (A.), benefaction of, 24
Marisco (A. de), birthplace of, 182
Markland (Captain J. D.), marriage of,
202
Marlborough (Duke of), portrait of, 18
Marrowe (Colonel), besieges Oswestry,
12
Marsh (— ). farm of, 294
Marshall (Rev. J.), curacy of, 90
Marston (Rev. B.), rectory of, 36;
memorial of, 31
Martin (T.), memorial of, 223
Martin (W.), manor of, 301
Mary Queen of Scots, portrait of, 189
Marys (J.), builds church at Dunster,
244
Mascal (R., Bishop of Hereford), birth-
place of, 15
Masham (Dame D.), memorial of, 223
334
Index of Names.
Mason (R.)> memorial of, 223
Massey (Sir J.), death of, 10
Matthew (A.), seat of, 7
Matthew (T., Archbishop of York),
birthplace of, 184
Matthews (A.), memorial of, 223
McGovvan ( — ), mastership of, 41
Medlicott (W.), churchwarden at
Pontesbury, 113
Medlycott (Sir W. C.), seat of, 178
Meire (S.), estate of, 79
Melson (R.)> foundation of, 176
Melun (R. de, Bishop of Hereford),
priory of, 156
Mercia (E., Earl of), manor of, 149
Meredyth (Colonel H.), memorial of,
223
Meriett (M.), marriage of, 277
Methuen (Rev. A.), vicarage of, 257 ;
memorial of, 257
Metz (G. de), marriage of, 167
Micclestone (J.), seat of, 8
Michael (Abbot), foundation of, 174
Michell (Rev. C.f and wife), memorial
of, 279
Middleton (General), defeat of, 180
Middleton (Sir T.), relieves Oswestry,
12
Milburga, Saint, birthplace of, 15 ;
foundation of, 3 ; burial-place of, 3
Mildmay (Sir H. P. St. John), seat of,
178
Miles (P. J.), seat of, 177
Miles (R.), birthplace of, 184
Millar (Lady), memorial of, 224
Millington (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 108
Mill ward (J.), churchwarden of Ban-
well, 217
Milton (C), amour of, 21
Misiers (L. C. de), memorial brass of,
190
Mohun (family of), monuments of, 244
Mohun (Lady J.), birthplace of, 184
Mohun (Sir W. de), manors of, 238 ;
foundation of, 174, 229, 242 ; burial-
place of, 229
Molyneaux (D.), memorial of, 223
Monmouth (Duke of) conceals himself
at Grenton, 266 ; defeat of, 183
Montacute(W. de), governor of Shrews-
bury Castle, 139
Montagu (Sir H. ), benefaction of, 227
Montague (Bishop of Winchester),
memorial of, 223
Montford (S. de, Earl of Leicester),
takes Shrewsbury, 9
Montgomery (H., Earl of foundation
of, 43; manor of, 150; death of,
120
Montgomery (R. de, Earl of Shrews-
bury), foundations of, 4, 5, 116, 120,
I33'I37, 157; manors of, 87, 149;
arms of, 135 ; imprisonment of, 120;
becomes a monk, 133, 135 ; burial-
place of, 4, 133 ; monument of, 4, 135
Moore (F.), birthplace of, 15
More (B.), seat of, 7
More (Hannah), residence of, 195, 302 ;
monument of, 313, 314
More (H.), memorial of, 105
More (K.), memorial of, 105
More (Margaret), memorial of, 105
More (M., E., S., and M.), memorial of,
3H
Moreton (Earl of), foundation of, 174
Morice (W.), M.P. for Dunster, 240
Morral (C.), seat of, 7
Morris (P.), marriage of, 118
Morris (T.), memorial of, 223
Morrison (E.), memorial of, 223
Mortimer (family of), barony of, 103 ;
arms of, 135
Mortimer (H. de), defends Bridgnorth, 9
Mortimer (Joan de), marriage of, 160
Mortimer (R. de, Earl of Marsh),
manor of, 83
Mortimer (Sir H.), death of, 10
Morton (W., Eail of), foundation of,
284
Mosthouse (W.), presbytery of, 157
Moulkie (J.). seat of, 6
Mountford (R.), seat of, 8
Moutray (J.), memorial of, 224
Mowbray (B ), marriage of, 150
Mowbray (J., Lord), manor of, 150;
marriage of, 150; created Eatl of
Nottingham, 151 ; death of, 151
Mowbray (J. de, Duke of Norfolk),
manor of, 151 ; marriage of, 151
Mowbray (T., Earl Marshall), man iage
of, 151 ; execution of, 151
Mucclestone (W.), seat of, 8
Munsloe (R. B. de), memorial brass of,
105
Musgrave (Dr. W.), birthplace of, 104
Musgrave (Mrs.), foundation of, 176
Mytton (Colonel), birthplace of, 15;
takes Shrewsbury, 12 ; takes Os-
westry, no
Mytton (T.), seats of, 7; burial-place
of, 19
Mytton (W.), birthplace of, 15
Nagle (M.), memorial of, 224
Index of Names.
335
Naish ( J. ), birthplace of, 207
Naish (W.), birthplace of, 207
Napier (G. B. M.), seat of, 178
Nash (R.)> erects monument at Bath,
176
Needham (R.), manor of, 83
Neve (T.), birthplace of, 15
Newcomb (Rev. R., Bishop of Llandaff),
vicarage of, 159
Newman (J., and wife), memorial of,
315
Newman (J.), seat of, 177
Newman (T.), memorial of, 186
Newman (W. and M.), memorial of,
315
Newman ( — ), centenarian, burial-place
of, 190
Newman ( — ), seat of, 178
Newport (H.), manor of, 151, 152
Newport (F., Viscount), castle of, 140
Newport (J.), castle of, 140
Newport (Sir R. ), tomb of, 20
Newton (E.), burial-place of, 26
Newton (Judge), monument of, 192
Niccolls (A.), memorial of, 113
.Niccolls (M.), memorial of, 223
Niccolls (T.), memorial of, 113
Niccolls (W.), memorial of, 127
Norcup (W. C), seat of, 6
Norfolk (T., Duke of), manor of, 151 ;
marriage of, 151 ; banishment and
death of, 151
Norgrave (R.), presbytery of, 157
Norman ( — ), manor of, 24
Norris (Rev. R.), vicarage of, 243
Norris (M.), memorial brass of, 246
Norton (Colonel A.), memorial of, 223
Norton (Sir G.), manor of, 151
Norton (W.), manor of, 151
Nottingham (T., Earl of), manor of,
Oakeley (Rev. H.), seat of, 7
Oatley (Sir F.), imprisonment of, 12
O'Connor (Captain), marriage of, 257
Odo, possessions of, 82
Offa (King of Mercia), seizes Bath, 179 ;
foundation of, 223
Offley (R. W.)i monument of, 115
Ogle (J.), memorial of, 223
Ohton (Earl of), defeat of, 179
Oliver (Dr., Dean of Windsor), build-
ings erected by, 221
Oliver (J., B., and E., memorials of),
1!5
Oliver (Dr. W.), memorial of, 223
Ommaney (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 238
Onslow (Sir R.), birthplace of, 15;
monument of, 19
Onslow (R.), obtains grant of site of
Shrewsbury Castle, 139
Orange (W., Prince of), memorial of,
176
Orchard (Rev. R.), rectory of, 204
Orescuiltz (H. and R. de), manor of,
292
Orescuiltz (Maud de), manor of, 292,
293 ; marriage of, 292, 293
Ormsby Gore (W.), seat of, 7, 8
Orton (J.), birthplace of, 15 ; memorial
of, 19
Ostorius, victory of, 55, 169
Oswald (King of Northumbria), defeat
of, 8, no; death of, no; tradition
concerning, no
Ovile (H. de), manor of, 301
Owen(E. W. S.), seat of, 7
Owen (Venerable Archdeacon H.),
memorial of, 130
Owen (M.), memorial of, 122
Owen (Rowland), elected church-
warden of Shrawardine, 119
Owen (R.), monument of, 17
Owen (Sir T., Lord Chief Justice),
birthplace of, 15 ; seat of, 17
Owen (T. B.), seat of, 8
Owen (W.), seat of, 8
Paganel (G.), defends Ludlow, 9
Page (H.), churchwarden of Banwell,
217
Paget (J.), seat of, 177
Paget (Rev. T.)» monument of, 282
Paine (— ), mansion of, 195
Painter (Rev. J.), rectory of, 78
Palton (Sir J.), effigies of, 191
Pantulf (Y. and H.), bailiffs of manor of
Stottesden, 150
Pardoe (A. and S.)i memorial of, 34
Pardoe (E., M., and S.), memorial of,
32
Pardoe (G., and wife), memorial of, 32,
34
Pardoe (L.), memorial of, 34
Pardoe (T.), memorial of, 32
Pargeter (P.), memorial of, 69
Parker (Captain), command of, 207
Parker (J.), memorial of, 223
Parker (M.), memorial of, 245
Parker (T. J.), seat of, 177
Parker (T. N.), seat of, 8
Parkes (A. ), memorial of, 69
Parkes (Rev. J.), memorial of, 68
Parkes (M. and A.), memorial of, 68
336
Index of Names.
Parr (R.), birthplace of, 15
Parr (T.), birthplace of, 15, 21 ; seat of,
7 ; penance of, 21 ; memorial brass
of, 22
Parry ([.), seat of, 8
Parry (L.), seat of, 7
Parsons (Rev. F. C), vicarage of, 315 ;
monument of, 315
Parsons (R.), birthplace of, 184
Pascal (Rev. A.), rectory of, 187, 284
Pawlet (Sir A.), birthplace of, 184;
puts Cardinal Wolsey in the stocks,
184
Payne (Mrs.), seat of, 7
Payne (W.), manor of, 301; residence
of, 301
Pearce (J.), memorial of, 223
Pearson (A.), memorial of, 137
Pedder(J.), memorial of, 223
Pelham (H. C.)> monument of, 57
Pelham (J. C.), seat of, 7
Pelling (Rev. Dr. J.), rectory of, 221 ;
memorial of, 221
Fellings (J.), memorial of, 223
Pemberton (T.), seat of, 7
Pembridge (Sir F., and Lady), founda-
tion of, 20 ; monument of, 20
Pembroke (E.), seat of, 8
Pembroke (Earl of), defeat of, II ; seat
of, 190
Pembroke (Sir F.), estate of, 152;
foundation of, 152; monument of, 152
Penda (King of Mercia), victory of, 8,
no
Penderell (family of), birthplace of, 15;
shelters Charles II., 12
Pendrell (H.), will of, 164
Pendrell (Dame Joan), memorial of,
161-166
Pennant (R.), abbacy of, 133
Penne (G. and I.), memorial brass of,
316
Penney (H.), churchwarden of Yeovil,
317
Pennington (Lady), memorial of, 223
Perceval (family of), seat of, 298
Perceval (R., and wife), fine levied by,
298
Percy (H.), death of, 10
Percy (T., Bishop of Dromore), birth-
place of, 15
Perks (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 108
Pery (W.), presented as a common
scold, 293
Peshall (Elizabeth), marriage of, 79
Peshall (H.), marriage of, 79 ; monu-
ment of, 67
Peshall (T.), memorial of, 67
Petre (Sir W.), property of, 284
Peverell (P.), castle of, 167
Peveril (R.), manor of, 57
Phelips (Sir E.), mansion of, 285
Phelips (family of), monuments of, 285
Phelips (J.), property of, 284
Phelips (R.), memorial of, 223
Phelps (Rev. W.), seat of, 177
Philips (A.), poet, school of, 19
Philips (Sir E.), memorial of, 223
Philips ([.), patronage of, 318
Philips (Rev. R.), vicarage of, 318
Phillips (J.), seat of, 178
Phillips (G.), memorial of, 213
Phillips (Rev. J.), vicarage of, 315 ;
monument of, 315
Phillips (R., and wife), memorial of,
"5
Phillott (Rev. C.), vicarage of, 258
Phillott (J.), mayoralty of, 226
Pierce (E.), memorial of, 223
Piercy (Sir H.), defeat of, 120
Piercy (Lady L.), marriage of, 153;
burial-place of, 153
Pierpoint (Duke of Kingston), estate of,-
152
Piggott (J.), property of, 312
Pigott (Sir A.), seat of, 7
Pigott (Rev. J. D.), seat of, 7
Pigott (J. II. S.), seat of, 275
Piper (A. and W.), recipients of charity
at Bitterley, 35
Piper (G.), memorial of, 223
Pipon (T. ), memorial of, 223
Pitchford (Sir R. de), obtains grant of
lands from Henry I., 42
Pitman (M., and wife), memorial of, 279
Plantagenet (G.), birthplace of, 15
Plantagenet (M.), birthplace of, 184
Plantagenet (R., Duke of York), birth-
place of, 15
Plessetis (J. de), manor of, 150; mar-
riage of, 150
Plowden (E.), birthplace of, 15; seat
of, 7
Plugenet (family of), estate of, 238
Plymley (J., and wives), memorial of, 88
Pokeswell (family of), seat of, 301
Pontesbury (G.). memorial brass of, 121,
122
Pontesbury (T.), memorial brass of, 121,
122
Poole (Serjeant), memorial of, 223
(fa
Popham (family of), manor of, 235
"opham (Sir J., Lord Chief Justice),
birthplace of, 184 ; foundation of, 177
Index of Names.
337
Popham (Mrs.), mansion of, 193
Porch (T. P. ), erects cross and conduit
at Glastonbury, 264
Porter (C.)> memorial of, 223
Porthund (G.), murders Alphelm, 8
Portman (Sir J.), birthplace of, 184
Poulett (Sir A.), monument of, 272
Poulett (Sir D. A.), burial-place of, 271 ;
monument of, 270-272
Poulett (Earl), seat of, 177 ; property
of, 294
Poulett (Sir H.), monument of, 271,
272
Poulett (J., First Lord), monument of,
271, 272
Poulett (Hon. R.), monument of, 271,
272
Poulett (W., and wife), memorials of,
272
Powel (R.), monument of, 70
Powell (A.), memorial of, 68
Powell (Miss A.), tomb of, 17
Powell (Sir J. K.), seat of, 7
Powell (M.), memorial of, 105
Powell (Rev. R., and wife), memorial
of, 104, 105
Power (H.), manor of, 277 ; marriage
of, 277
Power (Joan), marriage of, 277
Powis (Earl of), seat of, 6 ; patronage
of, in
Powis (G. D.), foundation of, 120
Powis (G., Lord), reputed foundation
of, 141
Powis (H., Lady), reputed foundation
of, 141
Powis (H.), seat of, 121
Powis (T.), seat of, 121
Powis (T. J.), seat of, 27
Powis (W.), seat of, 178
Powys (E.), marriage of, 36
Powys (Hon. Sir L.), erects gallery at
Bitterley Church, 35, 36 ; burial of,
36 ; memorial of, 30, 33
Powys (Mrs.), seat of, 6
Powys (M.), burial-place of, 31, 33
Powys (R.), burial-place of, 31, 33
Powys (T., and wife), memorial of, 30,
33. 34
Poynter (E.), memorial of, 246
Poyntz (P. and E.), memorial of, 246
Preston (Sir A.), birthplace of, 184
Preston (W. de), cartulary of, 289
Price (A.) memorial of, 94
Price (E.), memorial of, 223
Price (Sir J.), takes Apley House, 12
Price (Lord Chief Justice), school of, 19
VOL. XXII.
Price (S.), birthplace of, 15
Pridden (S.), birthplace of, 15
Prince (Judith), memorial of, 137
Prince (W., and wife), memorial of,
136
Pringle (Mrs.), memorial of, 223
Pritchard (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 108
Provis (J.), memorial of, 279
Prowde (R.), memorial brass of, 123
Prowse (Mrs. A. ), altar cloth made by,
206
Prowse (G. D.), patronage of, 317, 318
Prynne (W.), birthplace of, 184; im-
prisonment of, 239
Pugh (Rev. W.), memorial of, 115
Pugh(W.), seat of, 7
Pulsford (Rev. C. H.), seat of, 178
Pulteney (Lady F.), manor of, 152
Pulteney (G. H.), manor of, 152
Pulteney (W., Earl of Bath), manor of,
152
Pulteney (Sir W.), marriage of, 152 ;
M.P. for Shrewsbury, 152
Purnell ( — ), seat of, 178
Purslow (J.), manor of, 151
Purslow (R.), manors of, 151
Puteney (W. de), manor of, 301
Pynson (W.), benefactions of, 244;
burial-place of, 244
Quendrida( Princess of Mercia), murders
her brother, 71
Question (Rev, J.), vicarage of, 243
Quin (J.), memorial of, 223
Radford (R.), blacksmith at Shakerley,
164
Ralegh (M. de), marriage of, 203
Raleigh (Rev. W.), rectory of, 187
Rawle (G.), memorial of, 247
Rawlinson (Rev. Dr. J.), rectory of, 20 ;
burial-place of, 20
Rawlinson (Rev. T.), vicarage of, 159
Reeve (M.), memorial of, 223
Reeves (Rev. — ), rectory of, 193
Reinald, priory of, 156
Reynolds (Mrs.), seat of, 6
Reynolds (Revs. T. and J.), foundation
of, 1 08
Rhoad (Earl of), defeat of, 179
Rice (family of), arms of, 299
Rice (G.), memorial of, 223
Rice (Rev. J.), 'vicarage of, 243
Richard II. holds Parliament at
Shrewsbury, 10 ; grant by, 268
Richardson (Mrs.), residence of, 302
Ricketts (T. B.), seat of, 6
22
338
Index of Names.
Rivers (W., Earl), tutor to Edward V.,
II
Roberts (J.), residence of, 45
Robins (B.), birthplace of, 184
Robinson (Archbishop), portrait of, 189
Robinson (L.), memorial of, 223
Robinson (Stocker), estate of, 268
Robson (W.), benefaction of, 107
Rock (T.), monument of, 136
Rocke (Rev. T.), burial of, 36; me-
morial of, 31
Rodney (Admiral Lord), birthplace of,
184
Rodney (Dorothy), residence of, 299
Rodney (family of), monument of, 191 ;
arms of, 299
Roe ( — ), manor of, 155
, Roebuck (J.), memorial of, 223
Roger (Bishop of Chester), foundation
of, 3
Roger (Earl), possessions of, 82
Rogers (J.), seat of, 178
Rogers (Rev, J, M.), seat of, 177
Romare (W. de), foundation of, 173
Rood (Miss), residence of, 264
Rooke (Rev. J.), seat of, 6
Rosewell (T,), birthplace of, 184
Ross (Rev. Dr., Bishop of Exeter),
vicarage of, 257
Rossey (J.), memorial of, 223
Rossey JR.), memorial of, 223
Rowe (E.), birthplace of, 184
Rowland (Rev. W. G.), benefactions
of, 129-132 ; vicarage of, 132
Rowley (B.), seat of, 8
Rowley (W.), birthplace of, 15
Sadler (J.), birthplace of, 15
St. Algar (Earl of Cornwall), founda-
tion of, 173
St. Alkmund, burial-place of, 3
St. Aubyn, seat of, 177
$t. Barbe (C.), seat of, 103
St. Barbe (family of), arms of, 200 ;
manor of, 201
St. Barbe (Sir T«), memorial of, 203
St. Dunstan (Archbishop of Canter-
bury), birthplace of, 183
St. Elphage (Archbishop of Canter-
bury), birthplace of, 15
St. Francis, birthplace of, 142 ; founda-
ons of, 142
St. John (Sir H. C), seat of, 177
St. Kenelm, legend of, 72 ; burial-
place of, 72
St. Loe (Sir J., and Lady), monument
of, 187
St. Milburga, foundation of, 3, 157 ;
burial-place of, 3
St. Vincent, martyrdom of, 204 ; sculp-
ture representing incidents in history
of, 203, 204
St. Wenefrede, relics of, removed to
Shrewsbury, 133 ; will of, 134
St. Wulfric, birthplace of, 185
Salisbury (Ela, Countess of), manors of,
267 ; grants by, 267
Salisbury (Earl of), foundation of, 173
Salisbury (M., Countess of), manors of,
205
Sal way (J.), seat of, 116
Salway (T. R.), seat of, 7
Salwey (R.), seat of, 7, 103
Salwey (T.), monument of, 95
Samford (F. of, Archbishop of Dublin),
birthplace of, 184
Samford (J. of, Archbishop of Dublin),
birthplace of, 184
Samwaies (Rev. R.), birthplace of, 184
Sanderson (Colonel K.), memorial of,
223
Sandford (F.), seat of, 7
Sandford (J.), birthplace of, 184
Sandford (T,), seat of, 8
Sanier ( — ), residence of, 42
Sankey (Rev. C.), vicarage of, 159
Saunders (Dr. E ), memorial of, 223
Saunders (G.), seat of, 177
Saunders (Rev. — ), curacy of, 159
Savin (Rev. R.), vicarage of, 243
Say (family of), manor of, 55
Say (L de), marriage of, 55
Sayer (W.), churchwarden of Ban well,
216
Scarfe (E.), memorial of, 223
Schutz (E.), memorial of, 223
Scofield (E.), birthplace of, 15
Scott (D. W.), memorial of, 23 ; bene-
faction of, 24
Scott (Rev. R.), gifts by, to Cressage
Church, 59, 60 ; to Harley Church, 78
Scott (R.), seat of, 6
Sealy (E., J., M., and W.), memorials
of, 246
Seaman (family of), manor of, 257
Segrave (J., Lord), manor of, 150 ;
marriage of, 150
Segrave (Sir J. de), manor of, 150;
marriage of, 150
Selson (J.), churchwarden of Ban well,
216
Selway (J.), seat of, 7
Selwode (J. ), manor of, 249 ; grants
by, 249, 250
Index of Names.
339
Serrell (Rev. J.), seat of, 177
Severne (S. A.), seat of, 8
Seward (A. and M.), memorial of, 316
Seward (Rev. Dr.), vicarage of, 316
Sexey (H.), foundation of, 229
Seylake (W.), abbacy of, 247
Seymour (W.), marriage of, 257
Shaa (M. ), memorial of, 251, 252
Shad well (A.), memorial of, 24
Shad well (Dr.), memorial of, 223
Shareshull (W. de), marriage of, 277
Sharp (E.), memorial of, 246
Shaw (Rev. Dr.), vicarage of, 231 ;
writings of, 231, 232
Shears (P.), abbacy of, 230
Sheke(W.)f seat of, 177
Shelden (G., Archbishop of Canter-
bury), birthplace of, 184
Shelton (R.), residence of, destroyed
by fire, 109
Shenstone ([.), memorial of, 69
Shenstone (W.), birthplace of, 15, 75;
school of, 64 ; residence of, 5, 75 ;
burial-place of, 69; tomb of, 17;
memorial of, 66, 73, 74
Shenton (L.), seat of, 7
Sheppard (E.), command of, 214
Sheppard (family of), residence of, 34
Sheppard (M.), memorial of, 32
Sheppard (R. ), memorial of, 34
Sheppard (Rev. W.,and wife), memorial
of, 31, 34
Sherwood (M. and H.), memorial of,
223
Shew (family of), memorials of, 316
Shipton (Rev. J. N.), rectory of, 287 ;
benefaction of, 287
Shirley (Sir H.), death of, 10
Shorland (family of), memorials of, 316
Shrewsbury (Earls of), manor of, 108
Shrewsbury (J., Earl of), burial-place of,
159 ; memorial of, 159, 160
Shrewsbury (R. of, Bishop of Bath and
Wells), birthplace of, 15
Shrewsbury (R. of, Bishop of Bangor),
birthplace of, 16
Shute (Rev. H.), birthplace of, 184
Sidenham (H.), birthplace of, 184
Simpson (J. and M.), memorial of, 223
Simpson (J.), monument of, 124
Sitwell (H.), seat of, 7
Siward, timber church erected by, 133
Skeffington (W.), memorial of, 153
Skrine (H.), seat of, 178, 191
Slade (A.), presented as a common
scold, 293
Siade (Colonel), seat of, 178
Slade (J.), marriage of, 36
Slaney (Dr. R ), seat of, 8
Slater (W.), birthplace of, 184
Slepe (W.), commission of, 139
Smith (A.), manor of, 152
Smith (J.), memorial of, 68 ; burial-
place of, 67
Smith (Rev. R.),vicarage of, 155
Smith (Sir Sydney), school of, 19, 185 ;
signs convention of El Arish, 17
Smith (W.), memorial of, 31
Smitheman (Mrs.), seat of, 8
Smith-Owen (E. W.), seat of, 7
Smyth (Sir E. J.), seat of, 6
Smyth (Sir J.), seat of, 236
Smythe (Sir E.), seat of, 21
Smythe (Rev. T.), vicarage of, 243
Snelling (Rev. R.), vicarage of, 243
Snork (J.), seat of, 178
Somerset (Duke of), seats of, 177, 236
Somerset (E., Duke of), defeat and
execution of, 196
Somerset (H., Duke of), imprisonment
and execution of, 196
Somerset (M.), birthplace of, 184
Somerville (Lord), seat of, 178
Southouse (H.and T.), memorial of, 223
Southworth (H.), benefaction of, 304
Sowerby (R.), memorial of, 223
Sparling (W.), seat of, 7
Spence (J.), memorial of, 75
Spencer (J.), memorial of, 116
Spenser (T.), residence of, 269; writ-
ings of, 269 ; burial-place of, 269
Spicer (family of), chancel of, 51
Spicer (R.), memorial of, 51
Spoford (T., Bishop of Hereford),
abbacy of, 102 ; memorial of, 102
Stacey (R.), memorial of, 223
Stafford (A.), memorial of, 34
Stafford (Earl of), death of, 10
Stafford (H., Duke of Buckingham),
execution of, 1 1
Stafford (Lord), foundation of, 120
Stanford (Lord), seat of, 43
Stanier (J.), seat of, 8
Stanley (Sir E.), marriage of, 153 ;
issue of, 153 ; monument of, 20, 153
Stanley (Sir T.), marriage of, 152;
estate of, 152
Stanley (Sir T., and wife), monument
of> 153
Stanley (T.), burial-place of, 153
Stanley (V.), marriage of, 153
Stanley (V. A.), birthplace of, 16
Stapylton (J.), memorial of, 223
Stedman (E. and J.), memorial of, 106
22 — 2
340
Index of Names.
Stedman (R.), birthplace of, 16
Stedman (Rev. T.), vicarage of, 125
Stephen (King), besieges Ludlow, 9 ;
rescues Henry of Scotland, 9
Stephens (Major), defeat of, 181 ; death
of, 181
Stephens (J.), birthplace of, 16
Stevens (General), seat of, 177
Stevens ( — ), foundation of, 257 ; monu-
ment of, 257
Stewart (B.), memorial of, 223
Stibbs (J.), memorial of, 223
Stillington (Bishop of Bath and Wells),
arms of, 203
Stocking (M.)> demolishes Dame Joan
Pendrell's headstone, 165
Stoneaston (Prior J.), birthplace of, 184
Stonor (L.), memorial of, 224
Strachey (E.), seat of, 178
Strachey (J.), residence of, 250
Strachey (R.), seat of, 177
Strafford (Lord), portrait of, 189
Strange (E.), marriage of, 151
Strange (J. de), benefaction of, 89
Strange (Lord), estates of, 160
Streon (E., Earl of Mercia), iniquities
of, 8, 120; murder of, 120
Stretch (S.), birthplace of, 16
Strode (W.), foundation of, 176
Strode (—), seat of, 178
Strong (Rev. M.), vicarage of, 316 ;
monument of, 316
Stuart, ancestor of royal family, birth-
place of, 1 6
Stuckey (V.), seat of, 177
Stukeley (G.), foundation of, 247
Sutton (R. de), priory of, 242
Sutton (R.), memorial of, 223
Sutton (Rev. W.), vicarage of, 68;
memorial of, 66
S wanton (J.). memorial of, 224
Swinburne (Sir J.), memorial of, 224
Swinton (Colonel), seat of, 7
Sydenham (A. and R.), foundation of,
247
Sydenham (C. St. B.), marriage of, 202
Sydenham (family of), seat of, 175
Sydenham (H.), manor of, 202
Sydenham (J.), foundation of, 174
Sydney (A.), burial-place of, 18, 95
Sydney (Sir H.), court of, 18
Symes (W.), monument of, 236
Synclare (Sir R.), death of, 42
Talbot (G.), manor of, 83 ; burial-place
of, 1 60
Talbot (J., first Earl of Shrewsbury),
birthplace of, 16 ; foundation of, 42
created an earl, 120 ; monument of,
20
Talbot (J., Viscount Lisle), birthplace
of, 1 6
Talbot (R., Archbishop of Dublin),
birthplace of, 16
Talbot (Rev. C.), monument of, 20
Talbot (Sir J.) joins Henry VII., II
Tallents (Rev. F.), burial-place of, 19
Tantone (Geffery de), binhplace of, 184
Tantone (Gilbert de), birthplace of, 184
Tantohe (Walter de), birthplace of, 184
Tantone (William de), birthplace of, 184
Tarlton (R.), birthplace of, 16
Tayleur (W.), seat of, 6
Taylor (F. ), seat of, 6
Taylo (J.), birthplace of, 16 ; memorial
of, 224
Taylor (Rev. E.), seat of, 178
Taylor (S.), birthplace of, 16, 79;
death of, 79
Theobald (Archbishop of Canterbury),
grant sanctioned by, 49
Theobald (T.), seat of, 178
Thetford (Abbot T.), manors of, 289
Thicknesse (P.), estate of, 225
Thomas (J., Bishop of Salisbury),
birthplace of, 16 ; school of, 19
Thomas (J. ), seat of, 191
Thompson (L.), memorial of, 224
Throckmorton (T., and wife), manor
of, 151
Thuddiole (J.), memorial brass of, 272
Thynne (family of), patronage of, 256,
278
Thynne (Sir J.), birthplace of, 16 ;
seat of, 278 ; patronage of, 278
Thynne (W.), birthplace of, 16
Tibbot (familv of), memorial of, 236
Tickenham (R. and N. de), residence
of, 297
Tipton (R.), churchwarden of Shra war-
dine, 118
Tollemache (J.), marriage of, 67
Tomkins (Rev. T.), mastership of, 317
Tooker (Miss), seat of, 177
Topp (J.), seat of, 8
Torrington (T., Earl of), tomb of, 20
Townrowe (H.), manor of, 83
Townshend (Hon. E., Dean of Nor-
wich), memorial of, 224
Townshend (Sir R., and wife), tomb
of, 94. 95
Tregonwell (H. E.), marriage of, 202
Tregonwell (L. D. G.), manor of, 202 ;
marriage of, 202, 278
Index of Names.
34
Tregoz (J.), manor of, 24
Trevelyan (Sir J.), seat of, 178
Trevor (Rev. T.), vicarage of, 112;
monument of, 112
Trevor (T.), property of, 167
Tripp (H.), seat of, 178
Trivet (T.), builds bridge at Bridge-
water, 176
Trollope (Sir A.), joins Henry VI., II
Troutbeck (J.), manor of, 25
Troward (R.), seat of, 177
Trussebert (H. de), benefaction of, 89 ;
burial-place of, 89
Trussel (Sir T.), imprisonment and
execution of, 10
Turnor (J.), memorial of, 224
Tuthill (family of), residence of, 207
Tuthill (Rev. J.), rectory of, 207, 275
Tynte (C. K. K.), seat of, 177 ; manor
of, 231 ; patronage of, 231
Tynte (Rev. Sir J.), monument of, 189
Tyrwhitt (R.), seat of, 7
Ufford (M. de), marriage of, 52
Underbill (A.), memorial of, 68
Underbill (E., and wife), monument of,
67
Vaughan (E.), memorial of, 94
Vaughan (Sir W.), governorship of,
118
Venables (Mrs.), seat of, 8
Venner (Dr. T.), birthplace of, 184 ;
memorial of, 224
Vernon (H. ), created a baronet, 83;
marriage of, 116 ; tomb of, 18
Vernon (J. de, and wife), manor of, 83
Vernon (M.), marriage of, 152
Vernon (Rev. Sir A.), memorial brass
of, 153 ; bust of, 153
Vernon (Sir G., and Lady), monument
of, 152
Vernon (Sir H., and Lady), foundation
of, 153 ; monument of, 20, 153
Vernon (Sir R., and Lady), monument
of, 152
Vernon (Sir R.), imprisonment and
execution of, 10 ; monument of, 20
Vernon (T.), marriage of, 116
Vernon (Sir W.,and Lady), monument
of, 152
Villiers (R. de), manor of, 292
Vincent ( — ), monument of, 259
Vipon, retainer of King John, cruelty
of, 9
Vitalis Ordericus, birthplace of, 16
Vivian (J.), seat of, 177
Voules (W.), icsidence of, 299
Wa«l ha in (N ), birthplace'of, 185
Wadham (N. and D.), monument of,
189
Wahup (M.), monument of, 224
Wake (Archbishop of Canterbury),
manor of, 232
Wakeley (W.), birthplace of, 16 ;
burial-place of, 16
Walcot (A. and C.), memorial of, 34
Walcot (family of), manor of, 55
Walcot (H.), memorial of, 34
Walcot (J. A.), memorial of, 34
Walcot (K.), memorial of, 33
Walcot (M.), memorial of, 34
Walcot (M., S., R, F.), memorial of, 34
Walcot (Rev. E.), seat of, 7
Walcot (Rev. J.), seat of, 6
Walcot (T.), marriage of, 36 ; burial-
place of, 36
Walcott (A.), memorial of, 31, 32
Walcott (C), memorial of, 32, 33
Walcott (E.), memorial of, 31, 33
Walcott (Rev. J.), residence of, 30;
burial of, 36 ; memorial of, 33
Walcott (W.), memorial of, 32
Waldo (E.), memorial of, 224
Walford (F.), seat of, 7
Walker (C. H.), seat of, 6
Wall (Dr. J.), monument of, 224
Waller (Lady J.), memorial of, 224
Wally (J.), monument of, 224
Walter (E., and wife), tomb of, 93
Walter (Sir E.), birthplace of, 185
Walter (Sir J., Lord Chief Baron),
birthplace of, 16
Walton (C.), burial-place of, 26
Warburton (Bishop), seat of, 191
Ward (A.), memorial of, 113
Ward (E.), monument of, 224
Waring (Dr. E.), birthplace of, 16 ;
tomb of, 17 ; seat of, 19 ; school of,
19
Waring (family of), mansion of, 144
Waring (J.), memorial of, 25
Warre (J. la), manor of, 24
Warre (Mrs.), seat of, 177
Warre (Rev. T. de la), manor of, 24 ;
rectory of, 24
Warren and Surrey (J., Earl of),
marriage of, 151 ; manor of, 151
Warwick (E., Earl of), manors of, 205
Waterland (Rev. Dr.), rectory of, 193
Waters (J., and wife), monument of, 136
Watson (E.), purchases site of Shiews-
bury Abbey, 134
342
Index of Names,
Wattes (E., and wife), monument of, 94
Watts (R.), monument of, 224
Webb (F.), birthplace of, 185
Webb (Hon. E.), memorial of, 224
Webb (J. and M.), memorial of, 224
Webb(N.), seat of, 178
Webbe (Colonel), relieves Dunster, 181
Webster (Sir T.), manor of, 293
Wellesley (Lord), seat of, 178
Wellington (family of), memorials of,
Wellington (G.), churchwarden of
Yeovil, 317
Wells (Archdeacon H. de), obtains
grant from King John, 206
Wenlock (W. de), birthplace of, 16
Wentworth (Lord), relieves Dunster,
181
Wentworth (Hon. Lady), memorial of,
224
Weoleigh (Barons of), burial-place of, 65
West (Rev. Dr. F.), memorial of, 23
Westmoreland (Earl of), seat of, 177
Weston (J.), impropriate rectory of, 25
Westover (Dr.), residence of, 250
West wood (family of), arms of, 66
West wood (J.), memorial of, 66
Whaley (Rev. — ), property of, 193
Wharton (W.), memorial of, 224
Wheddon (A.), memorial of, 246
Whelock (A.), birthplace of, 16
Whichcot (B.), birthplace of, 16
Whitcomb (family of), estates of, 29
White (W.), epitaph on, 128
Whitehall (family of), burial-place of,
Whitgrave (— ), shelters Charles II., 12
Whiting (R.), abbacy of, 190
Whitmore (General), M.P. for Bridg-
north, 43
Whitmore (Rev. C.), seat of, 8
Whitmore (Rev. — ), official at Bridg-
north, 41
Whitmore (Sir T.), seat of, 6, 42, 43 ;
Whitmore (Sir T. and Sir W.), im-
prisonment of, 12
Whitmore (W. W.), seat of, 7
Whittington (R.), birthplace of, 166
Wicke (Rev. J.), birthplace of, 185
Wilcocks (S.), residence of, 45
Wild (J.), birthplace of, 16
Wilde (J., and wife), monument of, 93
Wilding (Rev. R. ), seat of, 6
Wileleg (B. de), marriage of, 79
Wilkins (M.), memorial of, 245
Willan (Edgar), memorial of, 309
Willan (Elizabeth), memorial of, 309
Willan (Rev. R.), memorial of, 310
William L, victory of, 9 ; grant by, 120
William III., portrait of, 17 ; lands at
Torbay, 181, 182; badge worn by
adherents of, 231
William, Prince of Orange, memorial
of, 176
Williams (Rev. C.), curacy of, 243
Williams (Rev. D.), vicarage of, 242
Williams (J.), seat of, 7
Williams (Rev. J.), rectories of, 204
Williams (Rev. — ), rectory of, 281
Wilmot (Rev. P.), memorial of, 66
Wiltshire (A.), memorial of, 224
Wiltshire (W.), seat of, 178
Windham (Colonel F.), victory of, 181
Wingfield (A.), memorial of, 113
Wingfield (J.), seat of, 7
Wingfield (Rev. B.), rectory of, 113;
memorial of, 113
Wingfield (R.), seat of, 7
Winkley (E.), memorial of, 224
Winter (Rev. C.), birthplace of, 185
Witham (Prior J. de), birthplace of, 185
Withering (W.), birthplace of, 16
Witts (Rev. J.), seat of, ^
Wolfe (Sir J. W. W.), seat of, 178
Wolfrich (W.), shoots page at Cressage,
58
Wolsey (Cardinal Archbishop), rectories
of, 190, 275, 277 ; put into stocks by
Sir A. Pawlet, 190; cipher of, 275,
277
Wood (G.), memorial of, 34
Wood (Rev. H.), vicarage of, 155
Woodforde (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 286
Woodstock (E. de), manors of, 205
Wooley (E., Bishop of Clonfert), birth-
place of, 1 6
Woolmer (E. and S.), memorial of, 204
Woolrick (Lady), seat of, 43
Worcester (Earl of), imprisonment of, 10
Wormington (Rev. W.), monument of,
46
Wright (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 155
Wychard (W. de), manor of, 139
Wycherley (D.), memorial of, 54
Wycherley (family of), pedigree of, 55
Wycherley (J.), memorial of, 54
Wycherley (W.), birthplace of, 16
Wydecombe (family of), estates of, 29
Wyke (J. de), manor of, 301
Wyndham (Anne), marriage of, 290
Wyndham (family of), manor of, 301
Wyndham (W.), manor of, 290
Wynne (H. W.), seat of, 7
Index of Names,
343
Wynne (Sir J.), estate of, 157
Wynne (Sir W. W.), estate of, 157
Wyther (J., and wife), memorial brass
of, 246
Wyvill (Sir M. A.), memorial of, 224
Yale (H., and wife), monument of, III
Yates (M.), centenarian, death of, 19
Yates (T.), patronage of, 159
Yatman (Rev. H. F.), seat of, 178
Yea (Sir W. W.): seat of, 178
Yeates (Rev. — ), vicarage of, 41
York (R., Duke of), statue of, 4 ; flight
of, II
Young ( — ), birthplace of, 185
Zouch (E. de la), marriage of, 82
Zouch de Harringworth (W. la), manor
of, 83
Zouche (Atlanta), benefaction of, 89
INDEX OF SUBJECTS.
Abbots Leigh, 185
Abbot's kitchen, the, at Glastonbury,
258
Abury, 229
Acton Burnell, 10, 20, 21
Acton Reynold, 149
Alberbury, 4, 21, 22, Il8
Albrighton, 22-25
Alfred's Tower, 189, 195
Aller Moor, 180, 185
Allotments at Banwell, 28
Almshouses, 6, 96, 108, 154, 159, 178,
179, 229, 261, 297
Altarpiece at Banwell, 218
Alwick Court, 236
Apley, 12
" Arbours" at Shrewsbury show, 145
Arms (family), 23-26, 30 34, 51-53, 56,
61, 64,66, 67, 86-88, 90, 102-105,
ill, 112, 114, 115, 135-138, 160,
202-204, 214, 233, 245, 247, 253, 261,
271, 272, 277, 278, 290, 292, 299, 300
Ash Beacon, 175
Ash, Great, 158
Ash, Little, 158
Ashford Carbonel, 103
Ashill (Somerset), 185
Ashington, 201-204
Aston Aer, 156
Atcham, 4, 25-27
Athelney, 173
Attingham, 17
Augustine Friars, foundations of the, 4,
120, 141, 312
Axbridge, 174,204-207
Baily (E. H.), sculpture by, 313,
3U
Banks, sculpture by, 17, 66
Banwell, 175, 209-221
Barnes (W.), on Chelvey, 231, 232
Barns, remarkable, at Chelvey, 231 ; at
Preston, 289
Barnwell's Green, 97
Barrington, 197
Barton David, 176
Bath, 173, 174, 176, 178-180, 185, 197,
219-227
Bathampton, 228
Batheaston, 174
Bathford, 185
Bath wick, 186
Battlefields, II, 27, 120
Beam Back, 307
Beckington, 174
Bellamy (J.), on Marston Magna, 279-
281
Bells, church, 20, 30, 50, 84, 86, 91,
97, 104, 113, 123, 134, 152, 154, 155,
158, 208, 244, 255, 281, 282, 290,
302, 310
Beminster, 196, 197, 235
Benedictines, foundations of the, 49,
133, 229, 281
Bennett (G.). on Banwell, 215
Berkeley, 174
Berwick Maviston, 28, 29
Berwick (Salop), 27, 28
Bevington, organs by, 237
Birch (J., and Sons), buildings erected
by, 126, 132
Birches, The, 17, 45, 46
Bird (Prior), oratory of, 227
Bishop's Castle, 17
Bishop's Hull, 197
Bishopston, 285
Bitterley, 29-36, 103
Black Cluniac Monks, foundation of,
284
Blackdown, 175
Index of Subjects.
345
Blackfriars, foundations of the, 273,
278, 291
Blakemere, 159
Bloxam (M. H.), on Ellesmere, 62, 63
Blythbury (Staffs.), 29
Bone cavern at Banwell, 219
Boscobel, 4, 36-40, 164
Botfield (Rev. B.), on Whiteladies, 161,
162
Box, 228, 229
Boynton (Wilts), 292
Bradley Knoll, 175
Brasses, memorial, in situ, 21, 22, 25,
62, 63, 66, 77, 105, 106, in, 114,
122, 123, 153, 191, 206, 213, 245,
246, 257, 271, 272, 316, 317; muti-
lated, 122 ; lost, 122, 135
Braunston (Northants), 89
Brendon Hills, 175
Brent, East, 248-251
Brent, South, 1 86
Bridge water, 176, 1 80, 1 86, 194
Bridgnorth, 4, 9, 12, 41-45
Brimpton D'Evercy, 186
Brislington, 186
British Encampments, 3, 168, 169
Brocard's Castle, 3
Bromfield, 49, 103
Brown Glee, 5, 30
Bruton, 173-176, 186, 229-231
Buck ( — ), drawings by, 137
Buckland Sororum, 174
Buckler (J.), on Ilchester, 273
Buildwas, 3, 45, 46
Bull-baiting at Axbridge, 207
Burford (Salop), 46-49
Burton Pinsent, 186
Cadbury (Somerset), 186, 279, 280
Caer Caradock, reputed battle at, 3, 55
Cainham, 103
Camerton, 187
Cangick giant, discovery of remains
of, 191
Cannington, 174
Carleton (C.), on Ironbridge, 86
Carline (J.), architecture of, 132, 142
Carmelites, foundation of the, 120
Carthusians, foundations of the, 187,
266, 267
Carvings, curious, at Bath Abbey, 227 ;
at South Brent, 186
Cassali, paintings by, 195
Castle Gary, 174, 175
Caverns at Banwell, 219; at Wookey,
3*3
Chained Books at Hodnet, 84
Chancel Screens, 30, 104, 214, 253, 280,
285-287
Chard, 174, 175
Charlton Musgrove, 231
Charterhouse Witham, 187
Charter, grant of, to Dunster, 241, 242
Chattaway (J.), on Halesowen, 69-71
Cheddar, 175, 186
Chedzoy, 187
Chelvey, 231, 232
Cherbury, u
Chew, 187
Chew Magna, 187, 235, 236, 238
Chewton Mendip, 187
Chillington (Staffs.), 39
Chilton Cantelo, 232
Churchwardens' Accounts, 34, 36, 218,
219
Cistercians, foundation of the, 161
Clapton-in-Gordano, 200
Claverley, 49-53
Claverton, 187
Cleobury Mortimer, 4, 54
Clevedon, 197-199, 232, 233
Cliff, 173
Clive, 54, 55
Clun, 55, 156
Coad and Scaly, statue designed by,
142
Cockerill (— ), on Wells Cathedral, 303,
304
Coffins, stone, discovery of, 71, 89, 141,
225, 226, 236
Coins, discovery of, 89, 159, 208, 233,
234, 237, 283, 285, 286, 294
Cold Hatton, 139
Combe Sydenham, 175
Comus, Masque of, first performed at
Ludlow, 102
Condetret, ancient name of Stottesden,
149
Condover, 17
Conduit at Glastonbury, 264, 265
Congresbury, 201, 202, 218, 233, 234
Conventuals, origin of the, 142
Cookson (Rev. J.), Bible published by,
309
Coombe Down, 187
Corfe, 174
Corpus Christi, celebration of, at
Shrewsbury, 145
Correggio, copy of painting by, 131
Corscombe, 234, 235
Coxwall Knoll, battle of, 3
Cranmore, East, 251
Cressage, 57-60
Crewkerne, 176, 196
346
Index of Subjects.
Crimbleford Farm, discovery of coins at,
294
Crocker (A.), on Doulting, 235
Cromwell (Oliver), letter of, to Mr.
Hungerford, 252, 254
Crosses, churchyard, 30, 32, 236, 247 ;
market, 204, 239, 263-265, 295 ;
village, 58, 69, 107, 210, 231
Crowcombe, 187, 188
Curry, North, 197
Customs, curious, at East Brent, 250 ;
at Halesowen, 72 ; at Newport
(Salop), 107 ; at Shrewsbury, 148 ;
at Tong, 154
Dale (Rev. J.), on Whiteladies, 162-166
Dalle (H.), pulpit made by, 59
Danes, baptism of the, at Aller, 185 ;
incursions of the, 157, 179, 208
Danish encampments, 3, 175
Darby (A.), bridge designed by, 6
Davidson (J. ), on Winsham, 311
Davis (E.), architecture of, 227
Deorham, battle at, 179
Dishcove, 188
Disney (Rev. Dr.), drawing by, 234
Ditcheat, 188
Doddington, manor of, 159
Doleborough, 209, 308, 309
Domesday Book, references to, 119,
138, I47-I49» 201, 207, 267, 288, 301
Dominicans, foundations of the, 120
Donington (Salop), 162
Dorrington, 6, 17
Dothill, manor of, 155
Doulting, stone quarry at, 197, 235
Dovaston (J. F. M.), ballad by, 4, 167
Down, ii
Druidical remains, 173
Dundon Hill, 175, 188
Dundry, 175, 235-238
Dunkerry Beacon, 175, 188
Dunster, 174, 181, 238-248
Earthquake at the Birches, Salop, 17,
45,46
Earthworks, 3, 30, 55, 112, 173
East Brent, 248-251
East Camel, 174
East Chenock, 176
East Cranmore, 251
Edge Hill, battle of, 12
Eggington ( — ), painted glass by, 19
Elderton (J.), on Glastonbury, 259,
260 ; on Somersetshire, 193-196 ; on
Wookey, 313
Ellesmere, n, 17, 60-63
Epitaphs, 21-25, 28, 30-32, 45-49,
51-54, 56, 57, 66-69, 77, 84-88, 93-96,
104-106, 111-116, 121-124, 127, 128,
130, 135-137, 161, 169, 186, 225,
245, 246, 251, 252, 270-272, 279,
284, 287, 302, 309, 310, 314-317
Etruscan vases, collection of, at Atting-
ham, 17
Evans (D.)f stained glass by, 61, 78,
98, 129, 131, 132
Evelmouth, 179
Exford, 176
Eyton, 169
Fair maids of Foxcot, effigies of, 270
Fairs, 24, 41, 72, 107, 120, 155, 205,
211, 283, 290
Farley, 188, 251-255
Ferrey (B.), architecture of, 264
Fisher (T.), on Stanton, 148, 149
Fitz, 17, 118
Flaxman (J.), sculpture by, 303
Flechere (Rev. J. de la), sermon by,
17,46
Fletcher (Rev. J. de la), sermon by,
17,46
"Flook," representation of a, at
Weston, 310
Fonthill, 195
Fonts, church, 4, 30, 32, 56, 59, 70, 91,
104, 113, 116, 126, 135, 174, 203,
212, 236, 238, 247,272, 277, 299, 317
Fossils, discovery of, 5, 302
Foxcot, fair maids of, effigies of, 270
Franciscans, foundations of the, 120,
140, 141
Frankley Chapel, 72
Free schools at Bath, 176, 185 ; Bridge-
water, 176; Crewkerne, 176 ; Frome,
176 ; Ilminster, 176 ; Langport, 176 ;
Martock, 176 ; Taunton, 177 ; Wells,
177 ; Yeovil, 317, 318
Fresco paintings, remains of, 70, 232,
306, 307
Frome, 174, 176, 179-188, 255-258
Fryer (T. L.), on Hinton Charterhouse,
266
Gabriel (S. B.), architecture of, 237
Glastonbury, 174-176, 179, 180, 188,
189, 258-265, 297
Goathurst, 189
Godney, 265, 266
Grammar schools. See Free schools
Great Ash, 158
Great Parliament, The, at Shrewsbury,
10
Index of Subjects.
347
Grenton, 266
Grey (W.), on Somersetshire churches,
197
Grey Friars, dress of the, 142 ; founda-
tions of the, 42, 140, 141
Guido, copies of designs by, 78
Hadley (Salop), manor of, 155
Hadnall, 63, 64
Hagioscope at Cressage, 59
Hagley, 106
Halesowen, 3, 17, 64-76
Halsewell, 189, 194
Halstock, 235
Halston, 17
Ham Hill, 293
Hambdon Hill, stone quarry at, 197
Hamper (W.), on Dunster, 238-248;
on Wells, 303
Hampton (Somerset), 266
Hardington, 266
Hare (T.), on Godney, 265, 266
Harley, 76-79
Harrison (E.)» architecture of, 142, 143
Hasbury, 74
Hatherop, 267
Haughmond, 3, 79-82, 120
Hawkstone, 17, 82
Haycock (E.), architecture of, 142, 143
Helston Roundhill, 175
Hen Ddinas, 112
Henley (Salop), 103
Hestercombe, 194
Heughings, The, 210
Heywood Forest, 18
Hindon, 195
Hinton, 173
Hinton Charterhouse, 174, 189, 266-
270
Hinton St. George, 270 272
Hodnet, 4, 18, 82-86
Holbein, paintings by, 189
Holloway (Somerset), 174
Holme Hale (Norfolk), memorial brass
at, 63
Holy- water basin at Frome, 257
Holy well at Hasbury, 74
Hopton Castle, 103
Hospitals, at Bath, 176 ; at Bridgnorth,
42; at Glastonbury, 189; at Wel-
lington (Somerset), 177
Hour-glass at Puxton church, 290
Hucks Barn, 97
Huntingdon ( Henry of), verses by, 42
Hyde, tithing of, 285
Hypocausts, Roman, discovery of,
185
Ilchester, 174, 179, 189, 273
Ilminster, 189
Inglishcombe, 174
Inscriptions. See Epitaphs
Inventories of plate, etc., at St.
Kenelm's Chapel, 73
Ipswich, memorial brass at, 62, 63
Ironbridge, 86
Jacobean pulpit at Bitterley, 32
Jones (Inigo), architecture of, 283
Kenyweston manor, 289
Ketley, 156
Kewstoke, 174, 312
Keynsham, 174, 193, 291
Kilmington, 176, 179, 189
Kilsall, 162
Kingsdown Hill, 228, 229
Kingsland, 145
Kingston Seymour, 274, 275
Kings Weston, 190
Kinlet, 18
Knockyn, n, 160
Knoll Hill, 236
Lady Oak, the, at Cound, 57, 58
Langport, 176, 180, 181
Lansdown Hill, 175, 180, 190
Lawes ( — ), music by, 18
Lawrence, Simpson and, column
erected by, 143
Leasowes, the, 18, 73 76
Lectern, with book attached by chain,
at Winsham, 311
Leebotwood, 86-88
Legends of St. Kenelm, 72 ; of the
Virgin Keyna, 291
Leigh (Rev. G. H.), on Dunster,
242
Leighton (W. A.), on Wroxeter, 169
Lely ( — ), paintings by, 189
Leominster, 103
Library at Bridgnofth, 41
Lilleshall, 88, 89
Little Ash, 158
Little Ease, at Glastonbury, 259
Littleton (Somerset), 278, 279
Locking, 312
Long Ashton, 236
Longford, 12, 108
Longleat, 236
Longner, 1 8, 89, 90
Ludford, II, 102, 103
Lummis, ploughs invented by, 156
Madeley, 18
348
Index of S^t,bjects.
Maeserfield, ancient name of Oswestry,
no
Maesbrook, n
Maiden Bradley, 236
Manners ( — ), architecture of, 226
Maperton, 278, 279
Marches (Lords President of the), court
of, II, 12
Margetson (N. ), carvings by, 238
Market House at Newport (Salop),
107
Markets, 24, 41, 107, 120, 150, 240
Marston Magna, 279-281
Martial's Elm, 180
Martock, 176, 190
Mendip Hills, 190
Meole Brace, 74
Middle, 63
Middlezoy, 190
Milton (J.), composes "Masque of
Comus," 18
Minehead, 190
Mineral Springs, 5, 176, 177, 189, 191
Mitcheldean, 311
Money-stone, The, at Dundry, 236
Monkton, 297
Monkton Butleigh, 284
Montacute, 174
Moorlinch, 175
Morfe, The, a common at Bridgnorth,
41,43
Morris (G.), on Wenlock, 156, 157
Mortimer's Cross, II
Morton Corbet, 149
" Moundeywarkes " at East Brent, 250
Muchelney, 173
Much Wemlock, 3, 20, 156-158
Mudiford, 288
Munslow, 104-106
Nether Stowey, 176
Nettlecombe, 181
New Bow, 211
Newport (Salop), n, 18, 107-109
Newton (Somerset), 285
North Cadbury, 186
North Curry, 197, 285, 286
Norton Fitzwarren, 286, 287
Norton St. Philip's, 269, 270
Nunney, 181, 190
Oak Chairs in Portishead Church, 287,
288
Oakley Park, 49, 103
Oak Trees, at Boscobel, 36-40 ; at
Cound, 57, 58 ; at Shelton, 5, 117
Observantines, origin of the, 142
Ofifa's Dyke, 3
Okey Hole at Wookey, 313
Orchard, 174
Organs, church, 238
Osmere, 160
Oswald's Well, no
Oswestry, 8, 9, n, 109-112
Painted Glass, 19, 56, 59, 60, 65, 78,
92,97-102, 104, 123, 129-131, 134,
149, 247, 250
Panzetta, modelling by, 142
Parkes (D.), on Acton Burnell, 20,21 ;
on Battlefield, 26 ; on Berwick, 27,
28 ; on Bitterley, 29-32 ; on Bosco-
bel, 40 ; on Bromfield, 49 ; on
Claverley, 49-53 ; on Cleobury Mor-
timer, 54 ; on Clive, 54, 55 ; on Clun,
55 ; on Cound, 56, 57 ; on Hadnall,
63, 64 ; on Halesowen, 64-69, 71-76 ;
on Leebotwood, 86-88 ; on Longner,
89, 90 ; on Ludlow, 97 ; on Muns-
low, 104-106 ; on Oswestry, 110-112 ;
on Pontesbury, 113-115; on Quat-
ford, 116; on Shelton, 117; on
Shrewsbury, 121-124, 126 128, 133-
138, 140, 143 ; on Whiteladies, 161 ;
on Whittington, 166, 167 ; on Wrox-
eter, 169
Parkes (J.), on Alberbury, 22
Parliament at Acton Burnell, II, 20
Paulton, 191
Pavements, tessellated, 192
Pen, 179, 180
Pendomer, 174
Pengwerne, Welsh name of Shrewsbury,
119
Petherton, south, 191, 197
Pidgeon (H.), on Cressage, 57-60; on
Harley, 76-79 ; on Ludlow, 98-102 ;
on Shrewsbury, 125, 126
Pile (J.), on North Curry, 285, 286
Piscinae, remains of, 52, 56, 307, 315
Pitchford, 19
Plealey, 19
Poleston (Devon), 281
Pontesbury, 113-115
Porlock, 173, 179, 1 80
Portbury, 174
Portishead, 287, 288
Frees Heath, 159
Premonstratensians, foundations of the,
64, 71
Preston (Somerset), 288, 289, 317
Prior Park, 191
Privilege, ancient, in favour of Foresters,
168
Index of Subjects.
349
Pulpits, stone, 4, 137, 176, 237 ; wood,
32, 59, 70, 77, 3i7
Pulteney, architecture of, 220
Puxton, 289, 290
Quantock Hills, 175
Quarry Walk, 19, 121
Quat, 43
Quatford, Il6
Queen Charlton, 291
Queen's Bower at Haughmond, 120
Queen's Camel, 191
Quo Warranto, issue of writs of, 82, 83
Redlynch, 194
Registers, church, 243
Reynolds (Sir J.), paintings by, 189
Ribera (J.), painting by, 196
Richard's Castle, 103, 116, 117
Rings, discovery of, at Shrewsbury, 141
Rodden, 291, 292
Rodney's pillar, 22
Roman encampments, 3, 30, 55, 112,
173, 208, 209, 308, 309 ; provinces,
3, 175 ; remains, 173, 185, 188, 191,
208, 268, 283, 285, 286, 294;
stations, 3
Rood lofts and screens, 32, 59, 212,
215, 217, 245, 311, 312
Ros (T.), on Montacute, 282
Ross Hall, 19
Roubiliac, sculpture by, 17
Round Towers, 4
Royal oak at Boscobel, 36-40
Rubens, copy of painting by, 78
Rudge (J.), on Winsham, 311, 312
St. Adhelm's Well, 235
St. Dunstan, legend of, 188
St. Joseph, tradition concerning, 189
St. Kenelm's Chapel, 169-171
St. Lawrence, legendary history ofj
98-102
St. Leonard's Well, 239
St. Nicholas's Chapel at Shrewsbury, 133
St. Paul, statue of, 80, 134
St. Peter, statue of, 80, 134
Salisbury Hill, 173
Sandford Orcas, 292, 293
Sansaw, 54
Saundle, 181
Saxon architecture, 3, 25, 38, 50, 65
70, 73, 79, 80, 123, 149, 161, 174,
278, 280, 312, 313
Saxon remains, 173
Scaly, Coad and, statue by, 142
Scolds, presentation of, at Seaborough
Manor, 293
Screen, carved, at Clapton-in-Gordano,
200
Screens, chancel, 30, 104, 214, 253,
280, 285-287
Seaborough, 293
Seals, chapter, 65 ; conventual, 156
242, 260, 265 ; corporation, 4, 138
Seavington, 293, 294
Sedgmoor, 181
Sedilia at Wells, 307
Sepulchral stone, discovery of, 74
Serel (T.) on Wells, 304, 306
Serjeanty, tenures by, at the time of
Domesday, 138
Shakerley, 164
Shakespeare, epitaph by, 20
Shelton, 5, 117
Shepton Mallet, 294, 295
Shifnal, 19
Shorland (The Misses), gifts of, to
Dundry Church, 237
Shrawardine, 5, 117-119
Shrewsbury, 3-6, 8, 9, 12, 19, 20, 44,
119-148
Shrewsbury Show, 19, 2O
Silk mills at Bruton, 229
Simpson and Lawrence, column erected
by, 143
Skeletons, discovery of, 226, 228
Snetzler, organ by, 97
Sock, 202, 203
Somerton (Somerset), 174, 179, 19*
South Brent, 186
South Petherton, 191, 197, 295, 296
Spagnioletto, painting by, 196
Spur, discovery of, at Glastonbury,
291
Stained glass, 19, 56, 59, 60, 65, 78,
92,97-102, 104, 123, 129131, 134,
149, 247, 250
Stanton, 148, 149
Stavordale, 174
Steventon, 103
Stiperstones, disaster at the, 5
Stoke Courcy, 174, 179, 19*
htoke Gifford, 191
Stoke St. Gregory, 197
Stokesay, 12, 116
Stone Castle, 103
Stone coffins, discovery of, 64, 71, 14 1»
225, 226, 236, 280, 281
Stoneleigh, 236
Stottesden, 149-152
Stourhead, 194, 195, 236
Stourmouth, 44
Suckham, 191
Sudatories, Roman, discovery of, 185
350
Index of Subjects.
Sweating sickness, outbreak of, at
Shrewsbury, 19
Sycamore-tree at Halesowen, 64
Taunton, 174, 175, 177, 179, 181, 191,
194, 297
Telford (T.), bridge erected by, 6
Thorney Down, 175
Tiles, discovery of, at Halesowen, 65 ;
Lilleshall, 89; Shrewsbury, 141, 142;
Whiteladies, 161
Tilstock, 158, 159
Timber buildings, 133, 144
Titterstone Clee, 5, 30
Tokens, tradesmen's, 142, 208
Tong, 12, 20, 152-154
Tottendown, 302
Traditions connected with Dunster,
239, 240
Trent (Somerset), 191
Trickey ( — ), altarpiece by, 218
Uphill, 301, 302
Uriconium, 3, 20, 119, 169-171
Urles Farm, 234
Urn, memorial, at the Leasowes, 74
Vandyke, paintings by, 189, 194
Virgin and Child, carving of, 27 ;
image of, discovered at Lilleshall, 89
Wakes at Wellington (Salop), 155 ; at
Whitchurch, 159
Walcott (M. E. C. ), on Bitterley, 29-36
Walnut-trees at Clive, 54 ; at Glaston-
bury, 1 88, 189
Waltham (Essex), 153
Wansdike, 173
Wardour, 195
Warley, 191
Watchet, 179
Watergate at Shrewsbury, 142
Water stoup at Tickenham, 300
Watt's Dyke, 3
Wearyall Hill, 189
Wedmore, 191, 192
Wellington (Duke of), portrait of, 168
Wellington (Salop), n, 12, 154-156
Wellington (Somerset), 177
Wellow, 192
Wells, sacred, 236, 239
Wells (Somerset), I73'i75> 177. 194,
303-307
Wem, 20
Wenlock, 3, 20, 156-158
Weston-super-Mare, 307-311
Whitchurch (Salop), 20, 158-160
Whitehall, 174
Whiteladies, 4, 12, 37, 38, 161-166
Whittington, 166, 167
Willey, 167, 1 68
Willock (M.),on Dame Joan Pendrell's
headstone, 165, 166
Wimnicas, a nunnery founded by St.
Milburga, 157
Wincanton, 182
Winnington, 21, 22
Winsham, 311, 312
Winthill, 208
Win wick, 153
Wiveliscombe, 177, 180, 181
Woda House, 4
Wolsey (Cardinal Archbishop), archi-
tecture of, 277, 278
Wombridge, 20
Wood (— ), architecture of, 176
Wooden church at Shrewsbury, 133
Wookey, 175, 186, 192, 313
Woolaston, 22
Wor field, 168
Worle, 312
Worlebury, 308
Wrekin, The, 168, 169
Wrington, 193, 313, 314
Wroxeter, 3, 20, 119, 169, 171
Wyatt (T. H.), architecture of, 6,
25i
Wycherley's Walk at Clive, 54
Wyle Cop, timber house in, 144
Yatton, 192, 201
Yeanston, 174
Yeovil, 177, 1 80, 314-318
Yew-trees at Dunster, 247
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