on presentation of Thomas Barton, at the death of William Coly.'

May 12, 1492, during the vacancy of the see by the death of Bishop Mylling, Roger Barton was admitted, at the death of Henry Whitney, and on December 11th of the same year John Salwey, on resignation of Roger Barton.2

Blount says, that to this chapel of St. Mary did appertain divers messuages, gardens, and shops in Weobley, and a meadow, called Lady Meadow, all granted by King Edward VI, to John Harford, Esq., and his heirs.

Another writer,3 (probably Silas Taylor) says this Chantry of small revenue was sold 7 Edw. VI. (1553) to John Harford and John Farley. John Harford was a considerable purchaser of Church property of this kind. He died 1559 and was buried at Bosbury, where a tomb to his memory was erected by his son Richard in 1573, whose transaction with Bishop Bennett we saw above. 4

A field called Lady Meadow is mentioned in a parochial survey of 1790, and also some fields called "the Parks", as belonging to the Marquis of Bath. This survey is now in the parish chest.

This chapel was on the north side of the church, for the writer in the Topographer, quoted above, says, "I find in 5 Edw. VI, tenements belonging to the chantry of our Lady, the lands belonging to it in the parish of Webbeley, held in chief of the Lord Ferrers and

Monington, Gent., ex MS. de Cantar. penes G. Mayl. He says also, "In a chapel on the north side of the church in a window is or, fretty gu. (Verdon)." At a visitation of the church by Bishop Croft in 1684, recorded in the parish book, the bishop directs the 1 Reg. Mylling, p. 64.

2 Ibid., pp. 3, 4, of a later portion of the same volume.

3 Topographer, vol. ii, p. 204 seq.

Duncombe, Hist., i, 518, 595; Hill, Coll., iii, p. 377; and MS. vol. in handwriting of Mr. Phillipps; also Harl. 1442; a Visitation of Herefordshire in 1586, p. 3.

"Monington chapel on the north side to be paved anew." And this portion of the church still bears the name of the Monington aisle.

The chapel on the south side, mentioned as belonging to the Ley, was founded to the service of S. Nicholas, not long before the Dissolution, by John Chapman and Alice Baker, who gave the manor of Blackhall, with the appurtenances, in the county of Hereford, and part in King's Pyon, and other lands, tenements, for the finding a priest to celebrate mass, and to pray for all the founders. Sir James Morgan was the last priest there. (This is a copy of the Survey, 1 Edward VI.) In 5 Elizabeth (1562-3) it was granted to Sir Christopher Hatton, who sold it to John King, of Hereford, in 24 Elizabeth (1581-2), being then valued at £6 13s. 1d., or according to another statement £6 12s. 8d.

There were once two coats of arms on the rail of this chapel,1 Bridges, and 2 a coat, which is repeated, and still exists on the roof of the nave. (Sourdevall, or

Surdwal).1

Blount thus describes the chapels. "The one, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and appertains to Bridges of Ley, wherein was a monument, the inscription whereof, on a brass lamina, is still preserved, having the arms of Brugge, and other quarterings, and these words, "Hic jacet Rowlandus Brugge de Ley in Com. Hereford gen' et Margaretta Helorn uxor ejus, qui quidem Rolandus obiit die Anno Dni-et dicta Margareta obiit 18 Die Novembr. Anno Dni Jhi quorum animabus propitietur Deus.' The other chapel is dedicated to St. Nicholas,2 which in

1 Bacon, Lib. Reg., p. 375, 6766, 6695, p. 111, p. 126; Harl. 6726, and Topographer, u. s.; also MS. by Mr. Brome, at Belmont, in which it is also stated, but without mention of authority, that fourteen priests belonged to Weobley Church. This MS. calls the chapel the Lady Chapel (p. 66).

2 Blount is clearly wrong in this. The north chapel was the one dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, and the south one to S. Nicholas. (See the Visitation of Bishop Croft supra.)

truth was a chantry, but by whom founded I have not seen, it belongs to Little Sarnesfield, and to Ed. Monington, Esq., as owner thereof. In the window of the chapel are the arms of Verdon, and below the remains of a monument of alablaster, with the effigies of a churchman, and a circumscription not legible, only obiit......cujus animæ...... This chantry was by Queen Elizabeth granted to Sir C. Hatton, Kt., and his heirs."

Bishop Croft at his visitation in 1684, ordered that as to the chapel on the south side, in which Col. Birch and Mr. Bridges sat, Mr. Bridges was to take his choice between the chapel and a seat in the church, and the occupant of the chapel to re-pave it and erect seats.

The arms of Verdon in the window of the north chapel, and the "alablaster" monument have perished, likewise the coats of arms, and the monument on the south side to Rowland Brugge, unless it still exists beneath the modern floor. On a flat stone close by is an inscription to "Simon Bridges, Gent., who departed this life 1702," and a shield with the arms of Bridges. There is a piscina in the south wall of very good eleventh century workmanship.

The screen work in each of the two chapels was in excellent preservation up to the year 1868, but in that year the whole was removed with the exception of a single corner post, belonging to the Monington chapel, on which was a shield carved with the emblem of the Trinity. This post has been transferred to the south side, and erected against the east wall. The removal of the screens was no doubt effected with the best intentions, but to all appearance was an act of needless demolition of ancient and interesting monuments.

With regard to the Church in general, the episcopal registers furnish us with a list, though not a complete one, of the incumbents from the thirteenth century to the present time. They begin with the episcopate of Bishop Cantilupe, but are not complete for the period,

1 Pat. 24 Eliz., p. 5. (Sce note 2, p. 173.)

and the only point on which they inform us is that Weobley was then, as it is now also, the site of a rural deanery.

1287.-Bishop Swinfield. 13 Kal. Jul. (June 19) Philip de Wonyton was admitted to the vicarage on presentation of the prior and convent of Lanthony, p. 43. 1308.-Jan. John Lucas, p. 164.

1312.-Roger de Baskerville, then only sixteen years old, and notoriously unfit, was rejected by the good bishop, who instead of him admitted W. de la Wode, p. 182. The same worthy bishop in 1282 had refused to give clerical promotion to Nicholas de Genevil, son of Geoffrey de Genevil, lord of Ludlow (husband of Maud de Lacy), then only ten years old, though requested by the king to do so; but undertook to allow him ten marks per ann. out of his own purse till he should be of age to hold church preferment.1

Bishop Trilleck, 1344.- Richard de Tunybourht (Tunbridge) resigned benefice, and Nicholas de Hopton was presented.

1345.-Nich. de Hopton, rector of Escall Parva in dioc. Coventr. and Lichfield, admitted to vicarage of Weobley in exchange for former, p. 10.

Sept. 11th, 1349.-Roger Bruggewhrith, p. 29.

Bishop Trefnant. Nov. 4th, 1396.-John ap Jor., p. 38. In p. 44, I find an entry of the presentation of the Vicar of Weobley to the benefice of Brugwyn in the diocese of St. David's, but no mention of his suc

cessor.

Bishop Polton. Jan. 24th, 1420.-John ap Eynon, on resignation of Walter Drayton, to whom a pension is assigned on account of his infirmities of seven marks per ann. payable at Lady Day, Midsummer, Michaelmas, and Christmas. He was also to have a chamber with a fire-place over the door of the vicarage, with free ingress and egress.

Bishop Spofford. Oct. 21, 1446.-John Clerk, p. 1, presb. chaplain of the chantry of S. Mary, on resigna1 Reg. Swinfield, p. 1; Harl. 6596.

tion of John ap Griffiths, alias Payne (doubtless the John ap Eynon of the last entry). The said John ap Griffiths resigns on account of his infirmities, especially strangury and stone, and as he has behaved well, he is to have a pension of eight marks, and also a chamber on the ground floor (bassam cameram) near the door (of the vicarage), and the way which leads to Weobley church; also light, fire, and use of kitchen, p. 20.

Bishop Boulers. May, 1450.-John ap Richard, on death of John ap Griffiths.

Bishop Stanbury. Oct. 19th, 1463.-Thomas Gough on resignation of Philip Porvale, p. 55.

July 17th, 1473.-John ap Richard, on resignation of Lewis Jonys (Jones). The reader will notice the frequent occurrence of Welsh names.

April 23th, 1480.-During absence of Bishop Mylling, David Clous.

June 25th, 1482.-During vacancy of the see by the death of Bishop Mylling, the Vicar-General Thomas Morton, Archdeacon of Salop admitted David LL.B., on resignation of Robert Vobus.

N.B. At this place the MS. has been much damaged by erasion and otherwise, and the writing is difficult to decipher.

Bishop Foxe. May 2, 1535.—William Duppa, on resignation of John Battye, on presentation of Lanthony near Gloucester, p. 4. Lanthony prima was annexed to Lanthony secunda in the time of Edward IV.1

Bishop Scory. February 14th, 1561. Lancelot Kinsley, Presb. was admitted to vicarage on presentation of Queen Elizabeth, p. 4.

The same Launcelot Kinsley at the general requisition for arms in 1608 was assessed at one musket.2

Bishop Bennett. June 1st, 1611, gives a license to Richard Childe, B.A., Vicar of Weobley, to preach there and at Lempster, p. 70. Richard Childe was also in 1635, in 1638, and 1640 assessed at one musket. ib. pp. 47, 50, 99. In the same year the commissioners 1 Tanner, Not. Mon.

2 Scudamore MS. X, 11050.