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 SOM ERSETSH I RE.
 
 PRINTED BV WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, 
 LONDON AND BECCLES.
 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 In offering this book to the consideration of the public, I desire 
 to preface it with a brief explanatory notice. I have attempted to 
 describe and illustrate a portion of Somersetshire. Photography 
 has in no case been employed, nor have I described any spot which 
 I have not personally visited. How rich the county is in 
 archaeological remains, ecclesiastical buildings, quaint old manor 
 houses, many may be aware, but for some unknown reason the 
 district has been but sparsely honoured by illustration. I purpose 
 to wander with my reader through village and town, or to linger 
 by some historic spot, making use of my pencil by the way. 
 At times the natural beauties of the grand old county may call 
 for a sketch, and such opportunities will not be neglected. But 
 though my wanderings may seem to be without plan, I hope to 
 show that there is some method therein, as it is my intention 
 to make certain epochs rather than certain roads or districts the 
 means of division into chapters. For instance, the wonderful camps 
 need to be visited, and how better than by making a pilgrimage 
 from Camelot to Avalon } Later on in history, Athelney, with its 
 
 1776866
 
 VI PREFACE. 
 
 memories of Saxon Aelfred, claims attention. The Middle Ages 
 (scanty though the relics of castles may be) are yet rich in monastic 
 remains ; and where can Glastonbury be surpassed ? — that home of 
 piety and of legend — to say nothing of the many minor houses 
 which will be noted. At this period, too, the wonderful series of 
 manor houses of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries comes in. 
 Passing through the earlier years of the sixteenth century, the 
 Suppression and Reformation give ample scope — so rich are 
 the relics of those times. The Great Rebellion recalls the student- 
 soldier Blake, honest Strode, Wyndham the courteous foe, and 
 the honourable but persecuted Stawell ; with memories also of 
 Taunton, Bridgwater, and Dunster Castle. Finally the luckless 
 Monmouth and the fatal fight at Sedgmoor, to be followed by 
 Jeffreys and the Bloody Assize, claim attention. 
 
 Everywhere I cannot go, nor can I sketch everything I would ; 
 but I have endeavoured to select the subjects most interesting to 
 the general reader, and also, I hope, to the more serious student. 
 I should perhaps mention that minor antiquarian details will 
 not be neglected, record being made of many objects comparatively 
 unimportant in themselves, but which, if unrecorded, will probably 
 in time be lost sight of. Finally, though it is almost needless for 
 me to add, the State Papers will be consulted on matters of history. 
 I shall not neglect the Somersetshire worthies, and shall briefly 
 notice old Somersetshire families. 
 
 C. R. B. BARRETT. 
 
 TowYN, Wandsworth, S.W., 
 1894.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Cadbury Castle, Lvtescary, and Somerton i 
 
 I'AGK 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 Glastonbury and Meare 24 
 
 CHAPTER in. 
 
 Shepton Mallet, Frome, Norton St. Philip, etc 68 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Witham-Friary, Bruton, and Stavordale .... .96 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Sandford Orcas, Trent, and Brympton D'Evercv 118 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Montacute, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, and Martock ...... 149 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Ilchester, Barrington, and Ilminster . . . . . . .188
 
 VUl CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PACE 
 
 Chard and Whitest aunton 208 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Athelney and Borougheridge, Langport and Muchelney . . . 233 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Bridgwater and Sedgmoor 253 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Taunton 278 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 COTHELSTONE, ClEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MiNEHEAD 299 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Wells 341
 
 LIST OF ETCHINGS 
 
 1. Market Cross, Somerton To face fa<rc 21 
 
 2. Refectorj', Cleeve Abbey „ , 320 
 
 3. Dunster Castle Gate ,,, 
 
 4. Chain Gate, Wells , „ 354
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Cadbury Castle 
 
 King Arthur's Well 
 
 Manor House, Lytescary 
 
 Chapel, l.ytescary . 
 
 Heraldic Finials, Lytescary 
 
 Hall, Lytescary 
 
 Large Parlour, Lytescary 
 
 Large Upper Room, Lytescary 
 
 Heraldic Carving, Lytescary 
 
 Glastonbury Tor from Wiiral Hill 
 
 The Blood Spring, or Spring of the Chalice 
 
 St. Mary's Chapel, Glastonbury 
 
 Norman Well, Glastonbury 
 
 Crypt and Galilee, Glastonbury 
 
 St. Mary's Chapel and Galilee (exterior) 
 
 Fragment of Chancel Arch 
 
 Gatehouse, Glastonbury 
 
 Carving at Almonry, Glastonbury 
 
 Abbot's Kitchen (interior) 
 
 Detail of Kitchen Fireplace 
 
 Abbey Barn, Glastonbury 
 
 View from Glastonbury Tor 
 
 George Hotel, Glastonbury 
 
 Tribunal, Glastonbury 
 
 " Camel " Monument 
 
 Carving in Market Place, Glastonbury 
 
 PAGE 
 I 
 
 6 
 
 lO 
 12 
 13 
 14 
 
 15 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 24 
 25 
 
 35 
 41 
 
 42 
 43 
 44 
 46 
 
 47 
 48 
 49 
 
 5° 
 55 
 57 
 
 59 
 60 
 6i
 
 Xll 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Fish House, Meare 
 
 Fireplace, Meare . 
 
 Detail of Fireplace, Meare 
 
 Hall Window, Meare 
 
 Pierced Mullion, Meare . 
 
 East Window, Meare Church 
 
 Parapet, Meare Church . 
 
 Market Cross, Shepton Mallet 
 
 Ruined Hall, Valiis 
 
 Nunney Castle 
 
 Nunney Castle (interior) 
 
 Nunney Village 
 
 Merchant's Mark, Beckington 
 
 Beckington Castle . 
 
 George Inn, Norton St. Philip (front) 
 
 George Inn, Norton St. Philip (back) 
 
 Doorway, LuUington Church 
 
 Body Stone, LuUington . 
 
 Font, LuUington 
 
 School Tower, Bruton 
 
 Bruton Bow . 
 
 Window, Bruton School . 
 
 Carvings on Prior's House, Bruton 
 
 Hugh Sexey's Hospital, Bruton 
 
 Stavordale Priory (roof of chapel) 
 
 Corbel, Stavordale . 
 
 Corbel and Panel, Stavordale . 
 
 Heraldic Panel and Fan Tracery, Stavordale 
 
 Doubtful Merchant's Mark, Stavordale 
 
 Chancel Roof, Stavordale 
 
 Beam and Boss, Stavordale 
 
 Sandford Orcas Manor House (exterior) 
 
 The Hall, Sandford Orcas (interior) 
 
 Trent Spire 
 
 Panelled Room, Trent . 
 
 Hiding-place, Trent 
 
 Chantry House, Trent 
 
 Castle Inn, Yeovil . 
 
 63 
 64 
 
 65 
 
 65 
 65 
 65 
 67 
 68 
 
 78 
 
 79 
 81 
 
 85 
 86 
 
 87 
 90 
 
 9' 
 
 94 
 
 95 
 
 95 
 
 97 
 
 104 
 
 no 
 
 HI 
 
 112 
 
 "3 
 114 
 114 
 "5 
 115 
 116 
 
 117 
 118 
 
 IZI 
 
 122 
 128 
 129 
 133 
 134
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 XllI 
 
 George Inn, Yeovil .... 
 
 Chimney, Preston-Bermondsey 
 
 Chapel and Tombs, Brympton D'Evercy 
 
 Old Manor House and Church, Brympton 
 
 West Front, Brympton .... 
 
 South Front, Brympton .... 
 
 Montacute Priory ..... 
 
 Montacute House, Entrance and Screen 
 
 Montacute House, Garden Front 
 
 Garden House or Gazebo, Montacute 
 
 Carving, Fleur-de-Lis Inn, Stoke-sub-Hamdon 
 
 Bell Turret, Beaucharap College, Stoke-sub-Hamdon 
 
 Entrance, Beauchamp College 
 
 Window, Stoke-sub-Hamdon Church 
 
 Tympanum, Stoke-sub-Hamdon Church 
 
 Fragment of Canopy, Stoke-sub-Hamdon Church 
 
 Piscina, Stoke-sub-Hamdon Church 
 
 Font, Stoke-sub-Hamdon Church . 
 
 Hall, Manor House, Martock 
 
 Bracket in Hall, Martock 
 
 E.xterior of Manor House, Martock 
 
 Head of the Ilchester Mace 
 
 Barrington Court .... 
 
 Plaster Fireplace, Barrington Court 
 
 Exterior of Manor Court House, Chard 
 
 Waterloo House, Chard . 
 
 Interior of Manor Court House, Chard 
 
 Interior of Chough Inn, Chard 
 
 Door-head, Weston Farm 
 
 Whitestaunton .... 
 
 Chapel of Cruild of St. Mary, Whitestaunton 
 
 Heraldic Tiles from Whitestaunton 
 
 Well of St. Agnes, Whitestaunton . 
 
 Roman Villa, Whitestaunton . 
 
 Langport Hanging Chapel 
 
 Obelisk at Athelney 
 
 Hill and Chapel Ruins, Boroughbridge 
 
 Carving from Chapel, Boroughbridge 
 
 i'AGE 
 
 143 
 
 147 
 157 
 
 160 
 163 
 174 
 177 
 178 
 180 
 180 
 181 
 181 
 182 
 184 
 
 186 
 
 201 
 208 
 
 211 
 214 
 220 
 222 
 223 
 224 
 229 
 230 
 233 
 235 
 236 
 
 ■237
 
 XIV 
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 View from Hill, Boroughbridge 
 Slough Farm, Stoke St. Gregory- 
 Fragment of Tabernacle Work, Slough Farm 
 The Hanging Chapel, Langport 
 Langport Church Tower 
 Carving at Muchelney .... 
 Muchelney Abbey (south front) 
 Cloisters, Muchelney Abbey . 
 Abbot's Room, Muchelney Abbey . 
 Knocker, Old Vicarage, Muchelney 
 Bridgwater Port ..... 
 Bridgwater Castle ..... 
 Quaint Carvings, Bridgwater . 
 Manor House, West Bower 
 Ancient Glass, West Bower 
 Sedgmoor from Weston Zoyland 
 Weston Zoyland Church .... 
 Lepers' Hospital (St. Margaret's), Taunton 
 Municipal Buildings, Taunton 
 Taunton Castle ..... 
 Ornate Window Fastening, Taunton Castle 
 Merchant's Mark in Window, Taunton Churcli 
 Almshouses, St. James's Street, Taunton 
 Priory Barn, Taunton .... 
 Entrance to Court 3, North Street . 
 Half-timbered Gables, Taunton 
 Pope's and Gray's Almshouses, Taunton . 
 Fragment of Embroidery from an Altar Cloth 
 Bench-ends, Bishop's Lydeard Church 
 Gatehouse, Cothelstone .... 
 Cothelstone Manor House 
 Gatehouse, Cleeve Abbey 
 Entrance to Chapter House, Cleeve Abbey 
 Belfry and Refectory Window, Cleeve Abbey 
 Back of Seat in Cloister, Cleeve Abbey . 
 Market Cross or Yarn Market, Dunster . 
 Porch of Luttrell Arms, Dunster 
 Carved Timber-built Wing, Luttrell Arms 
 
 I'AGE 
 
 240 
 
 243 
 244 
 
 249 
 249 
 
 251 
 
 252 
 
 254 
 256 
 261 
 267 
 268 
 269 
 272 
 278 
 281 
 281 
 282 
 289 
 290 
 290 
 291 
 292 
 
 294 
 298 
 299 
 
 307 
 308 
 
 317 
 318 
 
 319 
 
 3'9 
 
 324 
 325 
 325
 
 LIST OK ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 XV 
 
 Distant View of Blue Anchor 
 
 Entrance to Monks' Choir, Dunster Church 
 
 Ten Encaustic Tiles from Dunster Church 
 
 Gate House, Dunster Castle (inner view) 
 
 Gate House, Dunster Castle (side view from garden) 
 
 Knocker of the Castle Gate 
 
 Minehead 
 
 Minehead Church . 
 
 Crown Yard, Wells 
 
 Bracket from Crown Yard 
 
 Pargework from Crown Yard 
 
 Market Place, Wells 
 
 Gatehouse, Bastion, and Moat, Wells Palace 
 
 Chapel and Hall Ruins, Wells Palace 
 
 Domestic Buildings, Wells Palace . 
 
 Rebus of Gunthorp, Deanery, Wells 
 
 Part of Garden Front of the Deanery, Wells 
 
 Hall and Gateway, Vicars' Close 
 
 Chapel, Vicars' Close .... 
 
 Dean's Gate, Wells .... 
 
 Arms and Rebus from the Vicars' Close . 
 
 326 
 329 
 330 
 332 
 333 
 333 
 339 
 340 
 341 
 342 
 342 
 343 
 344 
 347 
 35° 
 352 
 353 
 355 
 356 
 357 
 358
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. 
 
 Cadlurv Castle, a most remarkable, quadruple series of entrench- 
 ments, crowns the summit of a small detached hill about two miles 
 distant from the village of Sparkford. In shape the stronghold 
 
 V -ii 
 
 may be roughly described as a trapezoid, of which the east and 
 
 west sides are parallel, and of which the area is over eighteen 
 
 acres. The defensive works consist of four concentric ramparts 
 
 and trenches, to which must be added a pair of outer detached
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 works upon the north, and a similar pair, though of less extent, 
 on the north-east side. Upon the south side there appear to be 
 the relics of some six scarped terraces, or "linches;" but these 
 in my opinion are in no way to be considered as a part of the 
 defensive works, having been originally formed for the purposes 
 of cultivation. Terrace gardens have been in use for ages, and 
 are still in use in all parts of the world, and the southern position 
 of those at Cadbury in itself seems to point to this conclusion. 
 
 I have spoken of Cadbury Castle as being on a detached hill, 
 and it may be well to remember that in all probability the place 
 was once an island, being then unfortified. Later, when the waters 
 receded, it became a solid spot amid a waste of swamp and morass, 
 and naturally a stronghold. Who the builders may have been 
 remains yet to be discovered. Authorities have erroneously 
 attributed to it a Roman origin, possibly because numerous coins 
 have there been found, plentifully long before the days of Leland 
 and at the present time not infrequently. But the very plan of 
 the camp precludes this supposition, as it lacks all the characteristics 
 of the Roman fortress. Mr. Warre stated that when investi<jatingf 
 the ramparts he observed masonry used in their construction, rude 
 and unmortared, but still indubitable walling. This was denied 
 by Mr. Dymond, and it remained for the late Rev. J. A. Bennett 
 by excavation to establish the fact that masonry had been employed. 
 Mr. Bennett says that on making a section at a low place he 
 reached the natural soil at thirteen feet, the upper part being earth 
 retained by rough stone walling of a few courses, and that there 
 were two level layers of small rough stones in the outer face.
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. 3 
 
 Mr. Bennett found the remains of common black pottery, bones, 
 and burnt stones at the top, while lower down the fragments of 
 pottery were fewer in number and coarser in quality, till at the 
 bottom there were hardly any fragments found. This proves that 
 the work of raising the rampart must have occupied a very con- 
 siderable time. It was not the work of one generation, but of 
 successive generations and under different conditions of civilization. 
 He eoes on to mention that " from the differences in the remains 
 at different levels this may have happened more than once." 
 
 The question of the entrances to the fortress has been much 
 under discussion. In the days of Leland there appear to have 
 been two, viz. the main entrance at the north-east corner, where 
 the northern rampart turns inward so as to flank it, and a second 
 at the south-west corner. A pathway on the northern side was 
 professedly discovered by Mr. Warre leading to a well, though 
 its existence is strenuously denied by Mr. Dymond. I am, how- 
 ever, bound to confess that there did appear to me to be some 
 indications of an irregularity in the ramparts upon that side in 
 the neighbourhood of the spring, but whether these were original 
 or of modern date I am not prepared to say, Mr. Warre was, 
 however, right in the matter of walling, and he may be also right 
 in the matter of the spring path. Mr. Dymond, in his able paper, 
 shows that there was in his opinion an older path at the south- 
 west corner quite close to the present entrance, and gives good 
 reason for his view that it was of undoubted antiquity, hazarding 
 the suggestion that it may have been the one in use at the time 
 of Leland.
 
 4 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Within the ramparts the plateau rises from the east and north- 
 east towards the highest point, which is near the western side, 
 and from which the ground slopes rapidly away. The highest 
 ground, called by believers in the Roman theory the " Prsetorium," 
 by others " King Arthur's Palace," shows traces of a straight 
 embankment which extends for about fifty yards, but broken 
 througrh in the middle. Between this embankment and the western 
 rampart are a few mounds. These are the only remains within 
 the camp indicative of habitation, and cannot be held in these 
 days to represent either the " work ditched round called King 
 Arthur's Palace," or the praetorium of Stukely. The suggestion 
 of Mr. Phelps that this knoll might have been occupied by a 
 watchtower or look-out is rational, and may, I think, be accepted. 
 
 I will now consider the ramparts themselves. Of varying 
 height in some places, the crown of the bank is nearly fifty feet 
 above the bottom of the ditch beneath ; here and there one meets 
 with the natural rock scarped away to perpendicularity. The 
 second and third ramparts and ditches are of less size than the 
 first, so that from the crown of the second rampart to the bottom 
 of the third ditch averages not more than the depth of the first 
 rampart and ditch. The fourth rampart has no ditch, and is very 
 high, a fact specially noticeable on the eastern side, where the 
 fortifications in their entirety are bolder and stronger than else- 
 where. My sketch was taken at the most available spot upon 
 this side, and I stood on the crown of the second rampart. 
 
 Of Cadbury the enthusiastic Leland writes : " Dii boni quot 
 hie prof2indisswiar7ivi fossarum ? qnot htc egestcB terrcs valla ? quce
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. 5 
 
 demum prcBcipitia ? atqjie 7it paucis finiam, videtur niihi quidem 
 esse et Artis et Nahirce miraadum." And the ramparts, high 
 now, but doubtless higher in his day, may well excite surprise. 
 Probably when in perfect condition, with ditches deeper and ram- 
 parts more lofty, each rampart being crowned with a stockaded 
 breastwork, the old fortress was well-nigh impregnable. 
 
 I have mentioned a spring, and within the ramparts there 
 are two, stated never to fail. One of these is about the middle 
 of the north side, between the third and fourth ramparts ; the 
 other is near the entrance at the north-east corner, close by the 
 present keeper's cottage, and in the middle ditch. Round these 
 springs not a little tradition yet clings ; but on this head I shall 
 speak hereafter. Here I was met with a difficulty, and a search 
 in maps has not quite made the matter clear to me. To the 
 spring on the north side I was directed, and it was called " The 
 Wishing Well ; " elsewhere I find it named " King Arthur's Well," 
 while the cottage spring is known as " Queen Anne's Well." 
 One authority, however, reverses the nomenclature, calling the 
 cottage spring " King Arthur's Well," and in the other case 
 adding to the complication by styling it " Queen Anne's Wishing 
 Well." That King Arthur should have a traditional well here 
 can be accounted for ; but why should Queen Anne ? Which 
 Queen Anne, if any queen ? Surely this must be a corruption 
 for St. Anne, to whom so many springs are dedicated. I found 
 my well in a sad condition of decay, and fallen from its high 
 estate. The wall once surrounding it is broken down, the little 
 pond hard by which is fed by its waters is trampled by cattle.
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 In these prosaic days cattle are turned in to graze at will in 
 the plantations, which well-nigh cover a large portion of the 
 ramparts, and which render the task of inspection a matter of 
 
 TK)I WHSMDMs r'^glLLo 
 
 no little difficulty. Trees and cattle on the one side, and rabbits 
 everywhere, are fast completing the ruin of Cadbury. 
 
 The legendary interest of Cadbury Castle, or Camelot, which 
 I may now be permitted to call it, is centred in the person and 
 exploits of the British chieftain, Arthur ; and it is strange to find
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON, 7 
 
 how many traditions still cling to the country-side. That they are 
 not the growth of comparatively recent years, or the outcome of a 
 disease similar to the " Alfred mania," which afflicted the county 
 in the last century, is abundantly proved. Leland, Camden, Stow, 
 Drayton, and others, all allude to a belief current in their times ; 
 while Shakespeare seems also to hint at Cadbury in King Lear. 
 Leland in the sixteenth century wrote a defence of the Arthurian 
 fables, which was "Englished" by R. Robinson, in 15S2, under 
 the title of "Ancient Order and Societie and Unitie Laudable of 
 Prince Arthur and his Knightly Armorie of the Round Table." 
 With regard to Camelot, he specifically mentions it in connec- 
 tion with Cadbury, speaking of a silver horseshoe found there 
 in hoininum memorid. To this day the tradition remains that, 
 on the night of the full moon, Arthur and his knights ride round 
 the camp with silver-shod horses, watering their steeds at the 
 well which I have sketched. On Christmas Eve the excursion 
 is varied by a trip to the spring near the neighbouring church of 
 Sutton Montis. But not only are these traditions current ; there 
 actually exists (though in a most fragmentary state, it is true) an 
 old-world track leading from the south-western entrance to the 
 camp in a northern direction towards Glastonbury, and known by 
 the name of " King Arthur's Hunting Causeway." Wild tales are 
 even now told of wild rides along this track when stormy winds 
 tear tiles from roofs and boughs from trees. Then it seems the 
 British hero follows the chase with his knights and his hounds, 
 and thunders along the narrow way. One more belief is current, 
 which it may be worth while mentioning, and that is that the hill
 
 8 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 is hollow. This, however, is, as far as I can ascertain, unconnected 
 with any Arthurian tradition, and rests solely upon a notion that 
 the fairies once possessed the hill, and stored their gold within its 
 hollowed halls. But the fairies have now abandoned Cadbury, 
 driven away, it is said, by the church bells ; and their gold yet 
 remains safely stored beneath the old fortress, never, let us hope, 
 to be discovered. 
 
 This is not the place to enter into a controversy as to the 
 claims of Cadbury to be the Arthurian Camelot, nor to discuss the 
 variants of the Arthurian legend. Still, I may be excused from 
 pointing out that the number of districts claiming to have been the 
 scene of the legendary exploits of the prince and his knights is 
 somewhat large. Wales, Somersetshire, Cornwall, Winchester, and 
 Brittany all compete for the honour; while Mr. Stuart Glennie, in 
 his able book, transfers it to Scotland. Coming to documentary 
 mention of the real or fabulous prince, nearly all we possess that 
 is of historic value is to be found in the " Historia Britonum," 
 which is ascribed to Nennius, and probably dates from the eighth 
 century. Arthur, if real, was born towards the close of the fifth 
 century, and probably in the south of England. A warrior, and 
 gifted with ability to command men, he succeeded to Ambrosius 
 Aurelianus, who had long waged a war of defence against the 
 Saxon invaders. Arthur was not the nephew of Ambrosius, nor 
 was he the son of Uther Pendragon. In such days the strong 
 man came to the front, was either elected to command, or assumed 
 the direction of affairs. Nennius distinctly states this fact, and 
 adds that Arthur was twelve times chosen as commander. From
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. 9 
 
 the same authority we learn the names of the twelve victories of 
 the British leader ; and, lastly, the fact of his death at the battle 
 of Camlan. This account, as given by Nennius, is the most trust- 
 worthy that we have, or can ever hope to have. Troubadour and 
 chronicler are responsible for the many additions to the meagre 
 story — additions, however, which are so beautiful that few would 
 be found to prefer a historic Arthur to the Arthur of legend 
 and romance. 
 
 Standing on the highest point of the camp then, I gaze 
 towards the north-west, where Glastonbury Tor stands sentinel 
 over the Avalon of old. Not easy is it to " restore " Camelot in 
 these days to its condition in the past. In the foreground the 
 old stronghold, now deprived of its stockades and half lost in 
 trees, is deserted by man, and daily going more and more to decay. 
 Beyond, instead of wild and, in the main, pathless forest or marsh, 
 here and there only crossed by some ancient British tracks and a 
 couple of Roman roads, we have sixteen miles of country fair to 
 see. On the left hand is the high ground where Somerton lies 
 and the eastern spur of the Polden Hills. Finally, beyond these 
 projects the lofty Tor at Avalon, backed in the distance by the 
 Mendips. The view from Cadbury may not be the finest in the 
 county, nay, is not, but it is assuredly well worth consideration, 
 specially when the traditions of the district are taken into account. 
 
 Quitting the camp by the south-western entrance, and descend- 
 ing the hill, I make my way towards Sparkford. Thanks to the 
 directions given me, I managed after some little difficulty to hit on 
 a short piece of "Arthur's Hunting Causeway," which debouches 
 
 c
 
 10 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 on to the road close by a cottage, to which the only clue is that it 
 possesses a water-butt nearly the whole of which is built into the 
 wall. The large-scale Ordnance map, however, clearly marks the 
 spot. This track is very narrow, bushes nearly meeting across it, 
 but it was a satisfaction to have identified the traditional pathway. 
 The villages clustered around the base of Cadbury present no 
 particular points of interest ; and, having in view a visit to Lytescary 
 on my way to Avalon, I did not tarry for the purpose of exploration. 
 
 !^ 'I' ^^ ^l 
 
 f=-i^iiif ' " 111 t 
 
 Sparkford itself is uninteresting, nor indeed does the road call for 
 any comment, except that, at one point, I crossed the old Roman 
 Fosse Way. Here I may mention that a few days later, and but 
 a short distance to the N.N.E., I again crossed the Fosse Way, or 
 what I believe to be the Fosse Way, and found the pavement 
 distinctly visible. Quite close to this old Roman Road stands the 
 small though charming manor house known as Lytescary — in old 
 days the home of the Lyte family of that ilk. By the occupier I 
 was most kindly received, and my warmest thanks are due to him 
 
 I
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. I I 
 
 for the facilities which he placed in my way to aid me in my 
 investigations. 
 
 Lytescary Manor House is a composite structure of several dates, 
 the oldest portion being the chapel, which is ascertained to have 
 been built in 1340. The present condition of the chapel will be 
 seen from my sketch, the seats and screen having been torn down, 
 the piscina ruined, the painted glass, if any, removed elsewhere or 
 broken, and the coat-armour painted on the walls allowed to decay. 
 Be it understood, however, that the present owner has done all in 
 his power to arrest further mischief and to keep the place from any 
 further damage. The windows, square-headed at the sides and 
 pointed at the east end (in reality the north-east), are worthy of 
 notice, specially in the case of the end window, where the tracery 
 is of a very good type. 
 
 Throughout the chapel there is a lack of uniformity in detail, 
 specially noticeable in the presence or absence of mouldings, and 
 in the widths and construction of the buttresses. I have been 
 informed that originally this was a detached building with a window 
 at both ends ; but that during the fifteenth century, through an 
 extension in the house, it became joined to the dwelling. By tradition, 
 and tradition apparently founded upon good grounds, the jDresent 
 chapel did but replace an earlier thirteenth-century building. To 
 a Thomas Lyte, in 1 631, is due a certain reparation and decoration 
 of the fabric. He it was who set up the two tablets, one on either 
 side of the sanctuary, and also caused the strange collection of coat- 
 armour to be most unheraldically blazoned on the cornice, adding 
 amongst other things the quaint and inexplicable devices of which
 
 12 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE, 
 
 the faded relics are yet visible on the window-jambs. One fact 
 more with regard to the chapel needs to be noted, viz. that origin- 
 ally the floor within and the ground outside were both on a 
 different level than at present. 
 
 The entrance to the house is by means of a porch, above 
 
 which is a small room with a projecting window and a gable 
 surmounted by a heraldic finial. This finial consists of the Lyte 
 Swan supporting a shield bearing the Lyte arms. On my sketch 
 another gable will be noticed similarly topped ; in this case, how- 
 ever, the arms are those of Horsey, and the supporter now by no
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LVTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. 
 
 13 
 
 [flMMflCILiS 
 
 means resembles the dragon it is stated to be. The porch, when 
 the manor house was perfect, opened directly into the hall, and a 
 beautiful little hall this must have been. I have 
 sketched one corner which shows a part of the fire- 
 place and the interior of the oriel. The roof is of 
 a type often to be found in Somersetshire manor 
 houses, and dates from the fifteenth century, but it 
 is of a more ornate character than most, the wind 
 braces as they are called being not only cusped but 
 pierced. A cornice of pierced quatrefoil tracery runs 
 between each of the principal rafters, being ended in 
 every case by a pinnacle ; while each main rafter 
 terminates in a half-winged figure bearing the Lyte 
 shield. Unfortunately the screen has vanished, to be replaced, alas, 
 by a modern wall. I think that the panelled arch communicating 
 with the oriel, the oriel itself, and a similar arch opposite to it, 
 leading to a circular stone stair, are evidently additions, and should 
 assign to them a sixteenth-century date, possibly when the Horsey 
 marriage took place and many building operations were undertaken. 
 Moreover, too, the Horsey finial above the oriel, evidently original, 
 corroborates my view. 
 
 I now come to the oriel itself, and here meet with a somewhat 
 uncommon arrangement. This oriel, of which the windows are now 
 walled up, communicates with a chamber at the west end of the 
 chapel, a chamber merely formed by partitioning off some eight feet 
 of a large room with oak panels. The exact use of this little room, 
 which was furnished with a window, is not quite apparent. I have
 
 14 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 been informed that other examples exist elsewhere, but must confess 
 that I have never met with them. It has been suggested that this 
 room was a sort of " family pew," but I have considerable doubts on 
 the subject. That, however, the oriel room or recess was used for 
 
 
 purposes of observation, as regards the chapel, seems reasonable ; 
 for I found a curious little spy-hole or loop upon its south side, 
 which had evidently never been glazed, and by means of which 
 the chapel door was completely commanded.
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARV, AND SOMERTON. 
 
 15 
 
 I now come to the "great parlour," as it is called, and I give 
 a sketch of it. This has been a very fine room, and, though now 
 in a dilapidated condition, presents a very picturesque appearance. 
 The panels which run round its walls are in a fair state of pre- 
 servation, though the carved oak Jacobean mantel has suffered 
 somewhat severely. The fireplace, of which the original stone 
 arch is now uncovered, appears to have been blocked up with a 
 
 
 
 semi-circular stone backing, at the time when the walls were lined 
 with panel, and the pilastered oak mantel placed in position. The 
 window of this room has its stone arch panelled in a manner pre- 
 cisely similar to that in the room above it ; and, as I sketched the 
 window in the upper chamber, I omitted the lower. By means of a 
 projecting stone circular stair the upper floor is reached, and the 
 staircase itself is worthy of careful study, particularly in the case 
 of its windows. Here one is to be found with a cusped head,
 
 t6 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 and this is the only example of a single cusped-headed window In 
 any part of the dwelling-house. By means of a small quatrefoil 
 opening at the end of the landing it is possible to look down into 
 the hall beneath. 
 
 The large upper room, to which I have already alluded, is 
 even more interesting than the "great parlour" beneath it. Here 
 
 Hr 
 
 yj& ILflfl&g wnreR l^tteM tVTIiSCWf 
 
 we have sad evidences of decay, the Hoor in holes, the fine 
 heraldic stamped plaster ceiling in a decidedly unhealthy condition, 
 and hardly any of the oak panelling remaining. But there is 
 one of those interesting entrance screen-doorways cut out from the 
 area of the room and panelled with linen-pattern panels. I have 
 not infrequently met with examples of this kind of screen door, 
 some indeed in Somersetshire, but the most notable in my experi-
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. fj 
 
 ence is in the upper room of the Star Hotel in Yarmouth. My 
 sketch will give some notion of the coved ceiling- of this room. 
 Its decorations consist of moulded ribs in geometric patterns, 
 interspersed with the coat armour of Lyte and Horsey. At one 
 end of the room, on the wall, is a solitary horse's head, of different 
 size from any in the coat armour ; one cannot but wonder where 
 this came from. 
 
 In the sketch of the exterior of the manor house the main 
 features of interest have been included, and I have noticed all 
 except the projecting bay window which lights the two large 
 rooms last described. This bay bears on 
 its central band the coat armour here 
 sketched and the reversed date 1533. The 
 initials are I. E., standing for John (Lyte) 
 and Edith (Horsey). The decorated 
 parapet gives some mterestmg badges and 
 
 rebuses, in all, eight. A billet charged with a human head in 
 profile for Fauntleroy ; the Wadham crest (a rose between two 
 branches) ; a billet, with the initials E. L. for Edith Lyte, who is 
 also represented in the next quatrefoil by a shield charged with 
 a horse's head. The initials of John Lyte then occur on a billet to 
 be followed by a swan charged on a shield. Finally, the Stourton 
 badge, a sledge, and the rebus of the same familj^, S, and a tun 
 complete this interesting series. 
 
 The family of Lyte, or, as it then was written, Le Lyt, 
 appears by documentary evidence to have been settled in the 
 next manor to Lytescary as long ago as 1255-56. A certain 
 
 D
 
 1 8 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Peter le Lyt, during the earlier years of the fourteenth century, 
 was the founder of the house of Lytescary, and the property 
 remained in the possession of the family until the year 1755. 
 
 Brief mention ought here to be made of Henry Lyte, the 
 botanist and antiquary, who was born about 1529 and died in 
 1607. He was the second son of John Lyte and Edith Horsey. 
 The list of his books is a long one, and includes " The Light 
 of Britayne," a work a copy of which was presented to the 
 Queen by the author on November 24, 1588, when she was on 
 her way to the thanksgiving service at St. Paul's. The second 
 son of Henry Lyte, by name Thomas, was chiefly celebrated as a 
 genealogist, and found favour with good old Camden as a student 
 of history and antiquities. Another descendant of Henry Lyte, 
 who lived from 1793 to 1847, was well known as a writer of 
 hymns, and some of those most familiar to us were the work of 
 his pen. The present representative of the family is Mr. H. 
 Maxwell Lyte, C.B. 
 
 Two most remarkable pedigrees of the Lyte family are in 
 existence, both compiled by Thomas Lyte, the genealogist. The 
 first is headed, "A collection of myne Ancestors from the 14'^ 
 of King Edward the first even to our tyme, with their wives and 
 several issues," etc. The second shows the descendants of what- 
 ever surname of John and Edith Lyte, the grandparents of the 
 compiler, and goes as far as " cosen germans thrice removed." 
 There appear to have been as many as 835 direct descendants 
 at that time of John and Edith, besides their respective hus- 
 bands and wives. A most interesting feature in this pedigree is
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARV, AND SOMERTON. 1 9 
 
 that it is illustrated by ten portraits beautifully executed in pen 
 and ink. 
 
 I must here express my obligations to Mr. Maxwell Lyte for 
 much information derived from his paper on the Lytes of Lytescary. 
 He also was so kind as to give me permission to make drawings 
 of the now recovered heraldic glass which formerly filled the hall 
 windows in the manor house. Unfortunately I was unable to 
 avail myself of the privilege, but those curious in such matters will 
 find, in vol. xxxviii. of the " Proceedings of the Somersetshire 
 Archa-'ological and Natural History Society," a complete list of 
 these shields as well as the coats painted on the chapel walls. 
 I here merely give the blazon of the arms of Lyte and Horsey. 
 
 Lyte. — Gules, a chevron between three swans argent. 
 Horsey. — Azure, three horses' heads couped or, bridled argent. 
 
 Proceeding on my way to Somerton, I passed through 
 Charlton Makrell, in the church and churchyard of which lie the 
 bones of many of the former dwellers at Lytescary, and it is 
 interesting to note that the now sadly decayed tablet on the north 
 side of the chapel at the manor house is a rude copy of the slab 
 of William le Lyt which still exists in the churchyard of Charlton 
 Makrell. The tomb in the churchyard originally stood in the 
 north aisle of the church, but was ruthlessly turned out at a 
 restoration some years ago. William le Lyt was a Sergeant -at- 
 Law in the time of Edward L The copy of the slab now in 
 the chapel was erected by Thomas Lyte in 1631. 
 
 To reach Somerton I was obliged to diverge slightly from 
 the direct road ; but the quaint old place so well deserves a
 
 20 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 visit that I felt bound so to do. No longer can Somerton claim 
 to be the capital of the county — a position which, according to 
 tradition, it formerly held. Gone is the ancient castle, not one 
 stone remaining thereof; gone, too, are the walls which, according 
 to one authority, once surrounded the place, a portion of which, 
 topfether with a round bastion tower, were standino- late in the 
 sixteenth century. With regard to the castle at Somerton, one 
 historic event at least is connected with its existence, viz. that it 
 was one of the places of confinement of the luckless King John 
 of France, who was removed thither from Hertford Castle. But 
 Somerton Castle was destroyed, its materials being used to 
 construct a gaol on its site — somewhere, by the way, in close 
 proximity to the present White Hart Inn. This brings me to 
 the chief inns of Somerton, two in number, and possessed of 
 fearful and wonderful signs, respectively representing a " White 
 Hart" and a "Red Lion." These signs would not be easily 
 matched for quaint eccentricity. 
 
 Somerton church, dedicated to St. Michael, is in its way a 
 fine building, though by mischance, on the occasion of my last 
 visit to the place, I was unable to obtain admission. It used 
 to have, and I believe still has, one of the most notable carved 
 roofs to its nave to be found in the county. Opinions differ as 
 to whether that at Martock excels that at Somerton or not. 
 Personally I prefer the noble roof at Martock ; but this is, as I 
 have said, merely a matter of opinion. From being unable to 
 obtain admission to the interior, I am not in the position to state 
 whether the eleventh^century female effigy is still to be seen, or

 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LVTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. 2 I 
 
 whether the Overton brass yet remains. The effigy marked the 
 spot where one Edith, a well-born lady who had taken the vows, 
 was buried. 
 
 From a pictorial point of view the only sketchable material 
 in Somerton consists of the seventeenth-century market-cross, with 
 the town hall in the foreground, and the fine octagonal church 
 tower peeping up above the roofs on the other side of the square. 
 This is a subject of which I have ever been fond, and hence could 
 not resist the temptation of putting it on copper. Beyond this 
 there is nothing in this now far from prosperous little country town 
 which requires notice, unless indeed it be the Hext Almshouses 
 some distance down the street in the directon of Langport. These 
 almshouses were built by a certain Sir Edward Hext, in 1625, 
 and bear upon their front his arms, initials, and a brief inscription, 
 " He hath dispersed abroad and given to the poor, his benevolence 
 remaineth for ever." Behind these almshouses is an old well, 
 known as the " Ringer's Well," a name the origin of which seems 
 somewhat obscure. 
 
 During the time of the Great Rebellion Somerton suffered 
 not a little from the constant coming and going of detachments of 
 the rebel army. It happened to be the head-quarters of the Com- 
 missioners for raising militia ; at least, documentary evidence 
 points in this direction. This militia and the assessment made 
 for its support was a grievous burden on the inhabitants. On 
 one occasion William Strode, of Street (though himself a Republi- 
 can), ventured to object to the impost at a meeting of the Com- 
 missioners. An ultra-Parliamentarian, Colonel Richard Bovett,
 
 22 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 of Taunton, who was present, forthwith ordered his arrest on 
 a charge of high treason. Strode seems to have been lodged 
 in gaol for some time, and to have suffered no little inconveni- 
 ence and loss thereby. He, however, petitioned the Council for 
 his release, and with success, for we read that Colonel Bovett 
 received a most stinging reprimand from head-quarters. Bovett, 
 however, was a man who had deserved well of his party, 
 having in 1659-60 raised a band of militia amounting to 175 in 
 number, and paying them himself for some months. To raise 
 the needful funds he appears to have been compelled to borrow 
 money, and was for a time in great distress. Previously he had 
 raised an entire regiment, which mustered a thousand men on 
 parade. But at the time of his high-handed action against Strode 
 the political outlook was changed. The Restoration was immi- 
 nent, or rather was practically an accomplished fact. Hence the 
 zealous Bovett was sharply snybbed, being ordered to at once 
 release Strode, next to disband his militia, storing their arms in 
 Taunton Castle for safety, and finally, this being concluded, to 
 forthwith betake himself to Whitehall to be at the disposal of the 
 Government. 
 
 I do not in this place touch upon the Stawel family, pre- 
 ferring to wait until I reach Cothelstone Manor House and narrate 
 the incidents of its famous siege. 
 
 From Somerton I made my way towards Glastonbury, passing 
 the village of Compton on the left and then ascending the ridge 
 of the Polden Hills, not far from the spot occupied by Sir 
 Alexander Hood's monument — one of the many monuments which
 
 CADBURY CASTLE, LYTESCARY, AND SOMERTON. 23 
 
 have been erected in comparatively recent times in various places 
 in the county. From this point my road was plain and easy. 
 Below me lay the flat country which is spread out between 
 the Polden Hills and legendary Avalon, broken only by the 
 village of Street. Wirrall Hill and Glastonbury Tor lay in my 
 front, with the smoke of the little town curling up amid the trees 
 which seem from the distance to compass it. Not a vestige of 
 the abbey ruins was to be discerned ; but the towers of the two 
 churches, St. Benedict's and St. John's, were even yet to be 
 seen in the quickly gathering twilight. My first journey was at 
 an end, and I had made my pilgrimage, by devious ways, it is 
 true, but still I had compassed the tramp from Camelot to 
 Avalon,
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 According to the ancient chroniclers, the first religious building 
 at Glastonbury was erected a.d. 63, by certain missionaries (twelve 
 in number) sent to Britain by St. Philip. Among these missionaries, 
 and indeed their chief, was Joseph of Marmore, commonly called 
 
 
 ' TKeiw^wfa^^ mub-ii.. 
 
 Joseph of Arimathea, who, according to legend, landed with his 
 travel-worn companions at Wirrall Hill. Joseph carried with him, 
 it is stated, the chalice, known as the Holy Grail, and subsequently 
 buried it at a spot near the Tor Hill, whence to this day issues 
 the fountain known as the Blood Spring, or Spring of the Chalice.
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 25 
 
 It appears that the pagans in the district, though unwilHng 
 to receive Christianity as a creed, were yet sufficiently hospitable 
 to permit the missionaries to settle in the land. Hence it was 
 that the party took up its quarters on the Isle of Avalon, and 
 proceeded to erect a small wattle chapel there. Later it is stated 
 
 that two pagan kings, having become converted, bestowed on each 
 missionary a portion of land. Warned in a vision, a vision common 
 to all of them, to dedicate their chapel to the Blessed Virgin, it 
 is needless to add that such a dedication is duly recorded. But 
 the recluses on their island had seemingly made no provision 
 for the continuity of their society, or perhaps could not succeed
 
 26 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 in making suitable converts, hence, in the natural course of things, 
 upon the death of the last of them the settlement came to an end. 
 
 The chapel of the Virgin thus left desolate became " a solitude 
 and a resort for wild beasts." Matters remained in this state 
 until the year i66, when, according to tradition, Eleutherius, the 
 then Pope, at the request of Lucius, King of the Britons, sent 
 two saintly missionaries, by name Phaganus and Deruvianus, to 
 instruct and baptize his people. 
 
 Lucius, however, is but a legendary hero, whose existence 
 was not invented until three or four centuries after his supposed 
 death. The story of his letter to the Pope originated in the 
 fifth or sixth century, and is to be found in the " Catalogus 
 Pontificum Romanorum," dated 530. The original " Catalogus," 
 written circa 353, makes no mention thereof. Bede and Nennius 
 allude to Lucius, the latter identifying him with a certain south 
 Welsh chieftain. To Geoffrey of Monmouth we are indebted 
 for the expanded form of this myth. The most remarkable feature 
 of the story is that by the fourteenth century a letter, purporting 
 to be the letter from Lucius to Eleutherius, had been forged, 
 and subsequently two coins made their appearance, one being of 
 gold and the other of silver, which professed to be the productions 
 of the mint of the mythical hero. 
 
 Phaganus and Deruvianus, in the course of their wanderings, 
 at length reached the Isle of Avalon, where they found the 
 miraculously preserved wattle chapel of the Virgin, though the 
 worthy men knew not to whom the sacred edifice might be 
 dedicated. This was revealed to them by the usual vision, and
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 27 
 
 they pursued their labours in peace for a space of nine years. 
 Being successful in making converts, and mindful of the need 
 for continuity, they selected twelve successors, who in due course 
 took up their residence on the spot as anchorites. In this manner 
 the little religious colony continued for some three hundred years, 
 when it was visited by the Irish apostle, St. Patrick. A fresh 
 oratory was then added, this time built of stone, and dedicated 
 to SS. Peter and Paul, and the wattle church, the " vetusta 
 ecclesia" of St. Mary, was repaired. As time went on the sanctity 
 of the place increased in reputation, settlers came from various 
 parts, Avalon was known as a fitting retreat for holy and pious 
 men, and the spot was esteemed of such holiness that frequent 
 pilgrimages were undertaken to the shrine. Histories of the 
 abbey state that Gildas (Badonicus), the historian of Britain, made 
 it his home, writing there his history, and on his death being 
 buried within the wattle church. This is an error. Gildas 
 (Badonicus) the historian crossed over to Brittany in his thirtieth 
 year, and commenced to write his book at the age of forty-three, 
 at the monastery which he founded at Ruys, near Vannes. It 
 is to Caradog that we owe the connection of the story of Gildas 
 the historian vi^ith Glastonbury. In all probability Caradog mistook 
 Gildas Badonicus for Gildas Albanius, a totally different person, 
 and in no way to be confounded with the historian and saint. 
 
 But St. Patrick did more than build a new chapel and restore 
 the old one ; he taught the anchorites the rules of conventual 
 life, formed them into a religious house, and himself became their 
 first abbot. As abbot he lived there for thirty-nine years, dying
 
 28 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 in 472, aged in. He was buried in the " vetusta ecclesia," on 
 the south side of the altar. 
 
 The next man of repute connected with Glastonbury was 
 St. David, or Dewi, the patron saint of Wales and Bishop of 
 Menevia, of whom it need only be said that by tradition he much 
 augmented the Glastonbury foundation, adding thereto another 
 church. The life of St. David is so involved, owing to the con- 
 tradictory legends related of him, that any attempt here to 
 disentangle the story would be hopeless, and I shall merely allude 
 hereafter to the jewelled " superaltare," known as " the sapphire of 
 Glastonbury," which, according to William of Malmesbury, came 
 down from heaven and was presented by the saint to the abbey. 
 Nearly a century later St. Paulinus, Archbishop of York, and 
 afterwards Bishop of Rochester, is stated to have entirely covered 
 in the wattle church with boards and lead, in order both to beautify 
 and to preserve it. 
 
 According to William of Malmesbury it is to Ine, the famed 
 king of the West Saxons, that the first church built to the eastward 
 of the "vetusta ecclesia" is due, and it seems probable that he 
 was at any rate a benefactor of the monastery. At this time 
 there would appear to have been a cluster of basilicas or small 
 churches surrounding the original wattle church. Malmesbury 
 o-ives a list of them and of their founders. 
 
 For a space of a century and a half Glastonbury flourished, 
 until the success of the Danish invaders brought evil days upon 
 it, and its desolation became almost as complete as at the time 
 when the first colonists had died out.
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 29 
 
 It should perhaps here be mentioned that the sojourn of 
 Aelfred at Athelney is by Simeon of Durham transferred to 
 Glastonbury, and is stated to have lasted for a space of three 
 years. In this statement there may be truth ; but it is quite 
 possible that Glastonbury in the west, being the best known place 
 in those parts, was adopted in consequence by Simeon as the 
 retreat of the Saxon king. 
 
 I now reach a most important period in the history of the 
 Abbey, viz. the times of St. Dunstan. St. Dunstan, born in 924, 
 was the son of Heorstan, a West-Saxon noble whose lands lay near 
 Glastonbury. His mother's name was Cynethryth. In childhood 
 the future saint and Archbishop of Canterbury was sent to Glaston- 
 bury to be educated. At the abbey monastic life was at that time 
 extinct, secular clerks taking the place of monks. There were, 
 however, certain Irish scholars who inhabited the spot, and instructed 
 such children as were intrusted to their care. The " vestuta ecclesia " 
 was still in existence, and also the Church of SS. Peter and Paul. 
 While quite young Dunstan received the tonsure, and served in the 
 wattle church of St. Mary. Shortly afterwards he was sent to the 
 court of Aethelstan, where, owing to the favour with which he was 
 received, the jealousy of the other noble youths attached to the 
 household was aroused. Young Dunstan was a nervous, morbid 
 boy, a dreamer of dreams and, moreover, a somnambulist. A story 
 of his perambulating the abbey roof while asleep is extant. Devoted 
 to reading, to the exclusion of manly sports, he was accused by 
 his comrades of studying incantations and other heathen arts. 
 The charge was believed, and Dunstan was banished from court.
 
 30 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Wandering forth, he knew not whither, the poor lad was set upon 
 in a lonely place by his former comrades, seized, bound hand and 
 foot, and thrust into a morass. Escaping, Dunstan took refuge 
 with his kinsman, Bishop Aelfheah, at Winchester, where many 
 inducements were offered him to become a monk. For a time 
 these overtures were rejected, but eventually, on recovery from a 
 severe illness, Dunstan made his profession. He next appears at 
 Glastonbury, where he has erroneously been supposed to have 
 established the Benedictine rule. Dunstan occupied his time there 
 in study of all kinds, not omitting music and art. His way of life, 
 however, was that of an anchorite, as he dwelt in a small cell 
 measuring five feet by two and a half. This cell was the scene 
 of his many visions, and, among others, of the well-known story 
 of the devil and the tongs. Histories of Dunstan make much 
 mention of his skill in the working of metals, the manufacture 
 of church furniture and ornaments, casting of bells, construction 
 of organs, and playing on the harp. 
 
 When Aethelstan was succeeded by his brother Eadmund, 
 Dunstan was recalled to court, but again, owing to the jealousy 
 of others, was banished. Restored to favour about 945, he was 
 taken by the king to Glastonbury, where he was forthwith installed 
 as abbot. Dunstan immediately set about reforming the house, 
 raising buildings so that the monks should live in community 
 beneath one roof. He also laid the foundation of a new church, 
 which was to supersede the old church of SS. Peter and Paul. 
 But, as I have said before, he did not establish the Benedictine 
 rule, this being in fact unknown in England at that date. Under
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 31 
 
 Dunstan the abbey became a famous school, in which he himself 
 was the chief teacher. The Abbot of Glastonbury now appears 
 as a statesman ; he was also the custodian of the greater part 
 of the royal treasures, deeds, and charters — being, in fact, the 
 treasurer of the kingdom, an office in those days somewhat similar 
 to that of chancellor. 
 
 In 953 Dunstan was offered the see of Crediton, but declined 
 it on the score of his youth. Perhaps he aimed at nothing less 
 than the archbishopric of Canterbury ; at any rate, the interpretation 
 of a vision which appeared to him shortly afterwards points to some 
 such conclusion. The powers of administration of Dunstan must 
 have been great, for, despite his manifold duties and responsibilities 
 at court : — he in fact, in conjunction with the queen-mother 
 Aedgifu, ruled the realm ; yet he never neglected the regulation 
 of his abbey. But at no time in his life was he a popular man ; 
 and record remains of a serious assault committed on him while 
 engaged in burying his own brother. 
 
 In 955 Eadred died, and the opponents of Dunstan obtained 
 the upper hand, so much so that the whole of his property was 
 confiscated. Outlawry followed, and the Abbot of Glastonbury 
 became for a time an exile in Flanders. Here he was kindly 
 received, and found a refuge at Ghent, where he studied the 
 discipline of the Benedictines. Dunstan returned to England in 
 957, being consecrated bishop immediately. Shortly after this he 
 succeeded to the bishopric of Worcester, and in 959 was made 
 Bishop of London, a diocese which he held together with that of 
 Worcester for the space of two years. Dunstan then was elected
 
 32 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 to the archbishopric of Canterbury, and shortly after journeyed to 
 Rome to receive the pall. On his return he acted as chief adviser 
 of the King Eadgar, whom, in conjunction with Oswald, Archbishop 
 of York, and all the other bishops of England, he crowned in state 
 at Bath, Whit-Sunday, 973. Under the government of Dunstan 
 the power of the archbishopric greatly increased, and it was in his 
 day that the ealdorman of Kent disappears. It should be noted 
 that on his return from Rome he resigned the bishoprics of London 
 and Worcester, and also the abbacy of Glastonbury. 
 
 In 975 Eadgar died, being buried at Glastonbury. Dunstan 
 and Oswald declared for his eldest son, Eadward (the Martyr). 
 Eadward was slain in ]\Iarch, 97S, and Aethelred (the Unready) 
 was crowned by the two archbishops at Kingston (Surrey) on 
 April 1 4. The last years of the archbishop, according to the Saxon 
 priest B., were passed in prayer, reading, and the practice of those 
 arts for which in his youth he was so celebrated. On Ascension 
 Day, May 17, 988, Dunstan was taken ill at Canterbury, and died 
 on the Saturday following. He was buried in the cathedral church. 
 Of the dispute which occurred with regard to the possession of 
 the body of the archbishop I shall speak hereafter. 
 
 It is curious to note that there is in the Bodleian Library at 
 Oxford a book which almost certainly belonged to this celebrated 
 old Churchman. The book consists of a large part of the " Liber 
 Euticis Grammatici de discernendis Conjugationibus," some extracts 
 from the Scriptures in Greek and Latin, and certain miscellaneous 
 contents, among which there are some of the earliest written speci- 
 mens of Welsh. On the first page is a picture of the Saviour, with
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 33 
 
 a monk kneeling before him, and on a scroll issuing from the mouth 
 
 of the latter the lines — 
 
 " Dunstanum memet clemens rogo, Christe, tuere ; 
 Tenarias me non sinas sorbsisse procellas." 
 
 Leland in the sixteenth century, before the spoliation, was shown 
 this very book by the last abbot, Richard Whiting, at Glastonbury 
 (" Diet. Nat. Biog.," article on " Dunstan," by the Rev. William 
 Hunt). 
 
 When it was that the abbey of Glastonbury became abso- 
 lutely a Benedictine house does not clearly appear, but it certainly 
 was under that rule prior to the Norman Conquest. The first 
 Norman abbot was named Turstinus, and he was installed in 
 the year 1082. Turstinus commenced to build a new Norman 
 church, but dying before its completion, the walls were pulled 
 down, it is said, by his successor, Herlewin (otherwise Ethelmaer, 
 Elmer, or Aelmer). The only authority for this is, I believe, John 
 of Glastonbury, and I am inclined to reject the story entirely. 
 The next abbot was named Sigfrid, who reigned for six years, to 
 be followed in 1 126 by the celebrated Henry of Blois. 
 
 Henry of Blois was the fourth son of Stephen, Count of Blois, 
 and Adela, the daughter of William I. He appears to have been 
 educated at the monastery of Clugny, from which he was invited 
 by his uncle, Henry I., in 11 26, to become Abbot of Glastonbury. 
 Three years later, while still very young, he was elected Bishop 
 of Winchester, but received permission from both the king and 
 the pope to retain his abbacy, and did so till the day of his death, 
 in 1 171. As an abbot of Glastonbury, Henry of Blois was a 
 
 E
 
 34 . SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 success. He maintained discipline, increased the power of the 
 house, and succeeded in recovering certain estates which had been 
 alienated. Nor was this all ; he added largely to the domestic 
 buildings, erecting a castle, gateway, cloister, and refectory, as 
 well as completing the new church by the addition of a bell tower. 
 Into the political life of Henry of Blois I need not here enter. 
 He died on August 8, 1171, having on his death-bed severely 
 rebuked Henry H. for the murder of Becket. Henry of Blois 
 was buried at Winchester, in front of the high altar. 
 
 Besides the memory of his works at Glastonbury and his 
 benefaction to Taunton, the noble old foundation of St. Cross at 
 Winchester remains to this day, a living testimony to this grand 
 old Churchman. According to the account given by Adam de 
 Domerham, Henry of Blois also built at Glastonbury the chapter- 
 house, dormitory, infirmary, and its chapel, besides a large 
 brewhouse and stables. It was during the reign of Abbot Henry 
 that the precious " superaltare " of sapphire, traditionally presented 
 to the abbey by St. David, and long hidden in a secret recess, 
 was recovered. The abbot caused this valuable treasure to be 
 decorated with silver and gold, and it remained in the possession 
 of the abbey till the Spoliation, when it was delivered up to 
 Henry VIII. Henry of Blois was succeeded by Abbot Robert, 
 on whose death the abbacy was not filled up for some time, till 
 at length Henry II. appointed his camerarius, a Clugniac monk, 
 named Peter de Marci, to the post. 
 
 And now a dreadful disaster occurred. On St. Urban's day, 
 May 25, 1 184, a fire consumed the whole monastery except
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 35 
 
 one small chamber, a chapel, and the bell tower of Henry of 
 Blois. Both the churches were destroyed ; plate, furniture, relics, 
 and tombs were lost for ever. Henry H., however, came to the 
 rescue, and decreed that, " God willing," the abbey should be 
 magnificently completed by either himself or his heirs. To his 
 camerarius, the son of King Stephen, by name Radulphus, he 
 committed the direction of the operations. Under the supervision 
 
 of Radulphus the first work undertaken was a new church of 
 St. Mary, which occupied the exact site of the " vetusta ecclesia," 
 the wattle church of the earliest missionaries. The ruins of this 
 wonderfully beautiful building remain to this day, and comprise 
 the western half of the building, now vulgarly and wrongly styled 
 St. Joseph's Chapel. Sufficient documentary evidence remains to 
 assicrn the date of this grand edifice as circiter 1186.
 
 36 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 The next work of Radulphus was to superintend the founda- 
 tion of a new " major ecclesia," which, like its predecessors, was 
 situated to the east of St. Mary's Chapel. This new church 
 was four hundred feet in length and eighty feet in breadth. 
 Unfortunately, before the building was completed, the king died. 
 His successor, Richard I., caring little for church building in 
 comparison with war, stopped the supplies from the royal treasury 
 which had hitherto enabled the workmen to proceed. Now, at 
 the date of the fire, the abbot was Henry de Soliaco, nephew 
 of Henry H., and it would have been only reasonable to suppose 
 that, out of deference to his uncle's evident desire to aid the 
 monks in the reconstruction of the abbey church and the domestic 
 buildings, the abbot would have proved to be an enthusiastic 
 worker. This, however, was not the case, and I read that "he 
 lent not his hand to the work of rebuilding, but quarrelled with 
 the convent." Preachers were therefore sent out in all directions 
 to solicit contributions. With the building of the new chapel 
 and the new church an important question arose. Times had 
 changed and customs had altered. The fashion of the day was 
 to exhume the bones of saints from their graves, and to enclose 
 them in splendid shrines, there to be adored by the faithful, and, 
 under favourable circumstances, to attract crowds of worshippers 
 by miraculous cures and manifestations. 
 
 In the fire, as we read, the relics had perished, and hence 
 the sanctity of Glastonbury was in danger of considerable deprecia- 
 tion. To avoid such a misfortune recourse was had to the graves 
 beneath the floor or pavement of St. Mary's Chapel, the venerated
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 37 
 
 "vetusta ecclesia." The graves within the church, according to 
 testimony, were rifled, and the bones of St. Patrick, St. Idractus, 
 and others were exhumed and enclosed in gorgeous shrines. And 
 now it was that the relics of St. Dunstan, for ages believed to 
 have been buried at Canterbury, were produced at Glastonbury. 
 The story of the monks, told to account for this new departure, 
 was as follows. They asserted that after the Danes had sacked 
 Canterbury, and the church there was desolate, a deputation was 
 despatched from Avalon to obtain [i.e. steal) the body of their 
 once-famous abbot. The theft was (they said) successfully accom- 
 plished in IOI2, and the bones of the archbishop were joyfully 
 received at Glastonbury. Fearing, however, a day of reckoning, 
 it was considered prudent to keep the place secret where the 
 relics were deposited. Two monks were commissioned to bury 
 the venerated casket which held the bones, and only to reveal 
 the secret when they themselves were at the point of death. 
 The so-called secret was kept for one hundred and seventy-two 
 years, until the time when the exhumation was determined on. 
 Then, however, it was discovered to be no secret at all. The 
 whole convent, by tradition, knew of the existence of the relics, 
 or professed to. Many of the monks, in addition, were informed 
 of the place of their concealment, and duly pointed it out. This 
 is not to be wondered at, seeing that nearly a century before 
 letters had been received from Canterbury, written owing to the 
 boasts of certain Glastonbury monks that the abbey possessed 
 the cherished relics of the venerated saint. In these letters the 
 monks were roundly accused of dishonesty by Eadmer, who declared
 
 38 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 that tVieir pretension to the possession of the reHcs was a distinct 
 fraud. Neither side would give way when the bones were pubHcly 
 exhibited. The men of Canterbury declared the Glastonbury relics 
 to be spurious ; the Glastonbury monks, on the other hand, affirmed 
 their genuine character, enclosed them in a shrine, which also 
 contained the arm and forearm of St. Oswald, king and martyr, 
 and, removing the whole to the new great church, pointed triumph- 
 antly to the many miracles wrought on the worshippers thereat. 
 So the matter rested until 1508, when the grave of St. Dunstan at 
 Canterbury was formally opened and investigated, with the result 
 that, as far as evidence went, no previous opening thereof had 
 ever taken place. The Glastonbury shrine was manifestly a fraud ; 
 but in those days it really mattered little, both sides had their 
 partisans, and both shrines worked miraculous cures, etc. 
 
 Naturally the then abbot of Glastonbury, Richard Bere, took 
 up the matter strongly, and sent a rejoinder to the archbishop. 
 Richard Bere was installed as abbot in 1493, and is celebrated as 
 a great builder. He erected the greater part of the chapel of 
 King Edgar at the east end of the nave of the abbey church, 
 and by means of inverted arches, similar to those at Wells, saved 
 the vault of the abbey steeple from destruction. To the domestic 
 buildings he added a suite of chambers, where he entertained 
 Henry VH. in 1497 — chambers afterwards known as the " King's 
 Lodging." Besides these, he erected new lodgings for secular priests. 
 In the town of Glastonbury he founded almshouses for ten poor 
 women. St. Benedict's Church was also indebted to the worthy 
 abbot, and still bears his initials surmounted by a mitre. On the
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 39 
 
 Leper's Hospital at Monkton, near Taunton, the same carved 
 badge is apparent, but the R. B. on the tower of St. Mary's at 
 Taunton stands, not for Richard Bere, but for Reginald Bray. 
 Hard by Glastonbury, at Sharpham, is a manor house built by 
 the abbot Bere, and subsequently the scene of the arrest of the 
 last abbot, Richard Whiting. Sharpham had, in later times, another 
 cause for celebrity. It was the birthplace of Richard Fielding 
 the novelist. 
 
 In 1503 Bere was sent to Rome to congratulate Pius III. on 
 his election to the papacy, but arrived there only to find the new 
 pope dead. On his return he added two more chapels to his 
 abbey church ; viz. those of our Lady of Loretto, and the Holy 
 Sepulchre. The dispute with Canterbury now occupied his 
 attention, but remained unsettled at the time of his death, which 
 took place January 20, 1524. The spoliation of the monasteries, 
 a few years later, rendered the further investigation of the genuine- 
 ness of the relics unneedful. Bere seems to have been a scholar 
 of no little merit. He had a great love of learning, and showed 
 considerable liberality to scholars, a fact which is emphasized by 
 Erasmus in a letter still in existence. 
 
 Glastonbury Abbey had now obtained a store of relics of 
 saints, but desired relics of heroes or at least of a hero. To this 
 end the Arthurian legend was drawn upon, and after due search 
 the bodies of the British chief and his wife, the faulty Guinevere 
 or Ginevra, were unearthed. The story of their supposed finding 
 is well known, and need not here be repeated ; suffice it to 
 say that the relics were removed in the first instance to the new
 
 40 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 great church, and placed in a chapel in the south aisle, through 
 which there was a passage to the almery. This took place in 1 191. 
 Later they were transferred to a black marble tomb, divided just 
 as the original coffin had been, and set in the middle of the 
 presbytery. Lastly, in 1276, when Edward L and his queen 
 visited the famous abbey, the tomb was opened for their inspection. 
 By the king's command its position was changed to before the 
 high altar, the supposed skulls of Arthur and Ginevra being kept 
 outside to serve as " objects of devotion for the people." Leland, 
 at the end of the fifteenth centurv, saw both the tomb and the 
 skulls. 
 
 Meanwhile the great church had been gradually increasing 
 in size and in magnificence. It had been dedicated early in the 
 fourteenth century, during the abbacy of Galfridus Fromond. The 
 next abbot, Walter de Tantonia, ruled only for eleven days after 
 his consecration, but he had erected the pidpitum with ten images, 
 the great Rood with the Crucifixion, Mary and John, during the 
 years that he was prior. To Walter de Tantonia succeeded 
 Adam de Sodbury, who vaulted nearly the whole of the nave, 
 and decorated it with painting. He also bestowed on the abbey 
 the great clock, a restored edition of which may yet be seen in 
 Wells Cathedral. The name of the maker of this curious time- 
 piece was, according to Leland, Peter Lightfoot. Besides these 
 gifts the abbot gave a wonderful pair of organs, furnished an 
 endowment for four extra priests for the Lady Chapel, and also 
 decorated the hieh altar with a tabernacle of most delicate and 
 elaborate workmanship. With the exception of the additions
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 41 
 
 of Abbot Bere, already mentioned, there is but little more to record 
 architecturally of Glastonbury, save that Abbot Walter Monington, 
 between 1341 and 1374, vaulted the choir and presbytery, length- 
 ening the latter by two arches. 
 
 This, then, is briefly the history of the building of the grand 
 old abbey of Glastonbury, but a few other points call for notice. 
 Firstly, the well in the Norman chapel of St. Mary claims attention. 
 This well, which is surmounted by a fine and elaborate Norman 
 
 'i;';=<'3 ^l^c.s 
 
 arch with extremely rich mouldings, was discovered in 1825. It 
 can be approached in two ways, viz. either from the level of the 
 chapel floor, or from the floor of the fifteenth-century crypt or 
 undercroft beneath. As the building (excepting the arch) which 
 covers this beautiful little well does not belong to the original 
 chapel, but is an addition, it is reasonable to suppose that at first 
 the well was outside the building, and that its probable use was
 
 42 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 to supply the needful water for church functions. There does not 
 appear to be any trace of miraculous powers being attributed to 
 it, and the story that it communicates with the "Blood Spring" 
 beneath the Tor lacks confirmation. Secondly, in the fifteenth 
 
 c^ift^Ti&NBWB^r. 
 
 century, as I have said, a crypt or undercroft was added to the 
 entire length, not only of the Norman chapel but also of the Early 
 English Galilee which united the chapel to the west end of the 
 church. This crypt is very remarkable, being built of Norman
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEAUE. 
 
 43 
 
 hewn stones, in, as it were, a Norman manner. Unfortunately 
 but little of it remains, merely one section, and this is, like the 
 rest of the abbey, in a most precarious condition. Beneath this 
 vaulting some of the original hexagonal tiles are still in position 
 on the floor. They are rough and unornamental, but differ from 
 any other specimens which I have met with in the county. 
 
 I must here touch upon the Early English building which unites 
 the beautiful Norman chapel with the west end of the church, the 
 flat arched opening of which I 
 have shown in one of my sketches. 
 I here give another small sketch, 
 which shows the exterior at the 
 point of junction, and includes one 
 of the original turrets of the 
 Norman chapel. That this exten- 
 sion was a Galilee I have myself 
 not the slightest doubt, and this, 
 to my mind, is the only satisfactory 
 solution of the difficulty which for 
 so long exercised the minds of 
 both architects and antiquaries. The presence of the remains of 
 steps, which extended across the entire east end of this building, 
 proves its intention. In a book of this kind it is impossible to 
 discuss at length the intricacies of the ornaments which the architects 
 of old lavished on the walls of this wonderful chapel and Galilee. 
 I would willingly have passed weeks in executing careful drawings 
 of details, but such drawings are already in existence, hence I 

 
 44 
 
 SOMERSETSHTRE. 
 
 merely confined myself to taking a few sketches illustrative of my 
 letterpress. But, as in duty bound, I here give all due acknow- 
 ledgment of my indebtedness to "The Architectural History of 
 Glastonbury Abbey," by the Rev. R. Willis, F.R.S., to which 
 
 i\)»4l>ivv^tt' 
 
 work I would refer all who may desire further and more detailed 
 information. 
 
 The relics of the great church are sadly scanty. Gone is the 
 nave with its twenty columns, gone the central tower with its 
 reversed side arches, save that the wreck of the choir arch stands up,
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 45 
 
 a marvel in size. Still, from the fragments that remain, many 
 beautiful details in toothed moulding can be gleaned. Though 
 deprived of its east window, portions of the south walls of the choir 
 are yet left to us, so that from either east or west end of the ruins 
 an idea can be had of the enormous length of this mighty church. 
 And here I must note that the chapel of St. Mary and its extension, 
 the Galilee, are not in a right line with the axis of the great 
 church — a curious fact which will be at once observed on the spot. 
 
 I now come to a question which I take to be of vital importance, 
 viz. the present condition of these ruins and the chances of at least 
 the western portion speedily losing many of its most interestinfr 
 features and beautiful details. On the spot I was informed that 
 " not a cartload of stones had fallen from these ruins during the last 
 twenty-seven years." I can only say, on the occasion of my first 
 visit this year, three large ones fell down to the floor of the crypt. 
 Other visitors who were in the ruins at the same time can testify tc 
 my accuracy on this point. Two days later more fell, one indeed 
 narrowly missing me. At this rate the "cartload" will soon be an 
 accomplished fact. Without a doubt two causes have combined to 
 bring about this dangerous condition of things, viz. the growth of 
 bushes, etc., on and up the walls, and the abnormal weather of the 
 present year. But will no persuasion induce the owner to remove 
 the bushes and ivy, and thus to at least minimize the risk of 
 destruction to so grand a relic of antiquity ? It will hardly be 
 credited that, though relics of mural paintings are still to be discerned 
 in the Norman chapel, yet not even a few sheets of glass have been 
 devoted to prevent their complete effacement in time. To protect
 
 46 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the projecting carved ornaments, the lower sides of which appear 
 still to retain their gilding, would be difficult, nay, even impossible ; 
 but I most earnestly hope that something will be done, both in 
 regard to the removal of the growth of vegetation on the walls, and 
 for the protection of the mural paintings, to prevent the sad fate 
 which most assuredly awaits them. At the risk of being considered 
 meddlesome I have written these lines, but they are written from 
 conviction, and will, I trust, at least be duly considered. 
 
 Of the domestic buildings of 
 the abbey, beyond the fragment of 
 the almonry and the wonderful old 
 stone kitchen, there is nothing left. 
 So altered is the porter's lodge and 
 gateway (now known as the Red 
 Lion Inn), that it can hardly be 
 looked upon as an abbey relic. 
 Still it is picturesque enough, with 
 the large seventeenth-century crenel- 
 lated bay window and the little 
 badge-surmounted gateway in the 
 distance beyond the still-remaining arched opening. It is behind 
 the bay window that the large arch of the gateway is concealed, 
 its area being thus utilized as a room. 
 
 The remains of the almonry are small and very fragmentary, 
 consisting of a much overhanging broken arch and a small flight of 
 steps. But in one corner will be found the beautiful piece of carving 
 shown on the next page. It is a curious architectural freak, and 
 
 1 mSgV ®>J^^f £ H®l!^§B(K)
 
 HLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 47 
 
 remaining-, as it unfortunately does, a single example, I am rather 
 at a loss to explain its exact intention. I now come to the grand 
 kitchen, which, by the way, never was 
 the " abbey kitchen," though vulgarly now 
 so called, being the private kitchen of the 
 abbot himself. Of this type of kitchen 
 there are but three in existence in this 
 country, and all of them differ very con- 
 siderably. One is, I believe, at Durham, 
 and is, I understand, a complete ruin. The 
 second is at Stanton-Harcourt, near Oxford, 
 and varies most considerably from that at 
 Glastonbury. At Stanton-Harcourt the 
 
 structure was erected prior to the reign of Henry IV., for at that 
 date it was repaired. The fireplaces there are merely low shallow 
 party-walls, which project from the wall on one side, the ovens beino- 
 constructed in the thickness of the wall opposite. Weather-boards, 
 which work on hinges, surround the upper part of the building, and 
 afford the only means of egress for the smoke. On the outside 
 there is a parapet approached by a tiny circular stair, the orio-inal 
 door of which yet remains. Above the pyramidal roof an heraldic 
 vane carved in wood is yet in existence, though rather the worse for 
 wear. Now, at Glastonbury, we have a square stone building, with 
 stone-vaulted roof and curious double stone lantern. In each corner 
 large fireplaces exist which have arches and, apparently, chimneys, 
 though the chimney stacks have vanished from the outside. Two 
 of these fireplaces have the relics of what was once no doubt a stone
 
 48 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 partition or screen, traces of moulding appearing on them. From 
 my sketches it will be seen that these are fragments only, and 
 unfortunately, owing to the original floor having been removed, it 
 is now impossible to obtain further traces of the screen. My 
 
 theory is that this screen, which was low in its openings, was erected 
 to divide the kitchen into two portions, one for absolute roasting, etc., 
 the other for " dishing up " and preparing pastry. It must be 
 remembered that elaborate cookery would have needed an absence 
 of steam and blacks ; such a screen, as I take it, would have well
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 49 
 
 answered this purpose. One curious point is the excessive smallness 
 of the oven, and this can only be accounted for by the supposition 
 that there was elsewhere a separate bakehouse, the tiny oven 
 serving merely for special work. Built into the kitchen wall is 
 a bodystone, bearing the efifigy of one of the old abbots — a cruel 
 
 mockery to place the worthy man's presentment in such a place. 
 Still the memorial is in safety, which is at least something. 
 
 From the abbot's kitchen I make my way towards Wirrall 
 Hill, passing one of the old almshouses with its ancient gable end 
 on my right. Wirrall Hill, corrupted now into Weary-all-Hill, 
 was, as I have already mentioned, the scene of the legendary 
 landing of Joseph of Arimathea, and upon its summit he, by 
 tradition, planted his staff, which forthwith grew and flourished, 
 
 F
 
 50 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 becoming in later days the twin-trunked " Holy Thorn " of 
 Glastonbury. The story of the uprooting of this aged tree by 
 fanatics is well known, and need not be repeated. I cannot, 
 however, help asking why the site is now marked by a species 
 of oak ? From Wirrall Hill the view of Glastonbury Tor is very 
 fine, and I there took the sketch which stands at the beeinnine of 
 this chapter. Thence I wandered towards the steep ascent of the 
 
 Tor Hill, passing the old abbey barn, and tarrying to sketch its 
 picturesque buttresses and gables. The barn, which is cruciform, 
 is not of large size, and can hardly compete in interest with the 
 celebrated barn at Bradford-on-Avon. Still the presence of carved 
 statues and decorated panels upon its gables gives it a sure claim 
 to be sketched. 
 
 Not far from the barn is the Catholic Seminary, within whose 
 precincts is the once-famous " Blood Spring." With great courtesy
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 5 I 
 
 my application to sketch it was acceded to, and I here duly tender 
 my thanks to the authorities for their kindness. This is the 
 originally holy spring which after years of neglect during the last 
 century became again of repute as a healing fountain through 
 the instrumentality of one Matthew Chancellor. The waters, 
 without doubt, have medicinal properties, but failed to work the 
 marvellous cures pretended for them. Their credit soon vanished, 
 though for a brief time crowds of patients were attracted to the 
 spring. 
 
 I now climb the steep, smooth, grassy hill known as the 
 Tor, a hill upon the evidently artificially levelled summit of which 
 stands like a sentinel a solitary tower. This tower is the sole 
 relic of the chapel dedicated to St. Michael, which with monastic 
 and other buildings long ages ago covered the plateau. My sketch 
 at the beginning of this chapter shows the general appearance 
 of this hill, and a few words must needs be written as to the 
 terraces visible upon its side, seeing that they have been the 
 subject of not a little debate. Three theories have been pro- 
 pounded as to their origin. One, that the place in prehistoric 
 times was a fortified stronghold, and in connection with this view 
 some have held that the long earthwork known as " Ponters Ball " 
 formed a portion of the same scheme of defence. Another 
 theory is that these terraces, like those at Cadbury Castle, were 
 constructed for purposes of cultivation, and it may here be remarked 
 that the district round Avalon, like the district round Cadbury, 
 was in days of yore a vast morass. Round Avalon the moors 
 still exist, and the times when the place could only be approached
 
 52 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 by water are almost within the range of history. The third view 
 is that the lines on the hillside were the result of a landslip, 
 traditionally an earthquake. 
 
 Now, as far as can be ascertained, the history of this hill 
 is as follows. In the time of Henry I., before which date 
 there is no documentary record of the place, a charter was 
 granted for an annual fair, apnd Monasteriiim S. Michaclis 
 de Torre, and bearing date April i, 1127, the king being at 
 the time at Bordeaux. This points to some occupation of the 
 hill prior to that date, and it may be assumed that there was 
 then existing a religious house with a chapel on the summit, and 
 in all probability a small village as well. On September 11, 1274, 
 when John de Taunton was Abbot of Glastonbury, the little 
 church or chapel on the hill was destroyed by an earthquake, 
 at least so says John of Glastonbury. Geologists, however, affirm 
 that this earthquake was merely a landslip, and give good reasons 
 for their assertion. Within twenty years after this disaster efforts 
 were made to rebuild the chapel, though there is no mention of 
 rebuilding the monastery ; and apparently the work was soon after- 
 wards taken in hand. Documentary evidence remains of indul- 
 gences being promised to those who would assist in the meritorious 
 work of reconstruction. Of this rebuilding the tower is the sole 
 relic. Architecturally it is, in the main, assuredly fourteenth-century 
 work, though here and there additions of a rather later date are 
 to be observed. The quaint carvings on the western face are 
 well worth notice. One represents St. Michael weighing the 
 devil against a missal, a fiend hanging on to the scale to add to
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 53 
 
 the weight of his satanic majesty. I have said a missal, though 
 the ordinary description of this carved book is a Bible, and cannot 
 but fancy that my interpretation is more consonant with the methods 
 of those days. The other carving represents a cow being milked, 
 but the illusion intended to be conveyed thereby is hardly apparent. 
 Seven handsome niches adorn this face of the tower, all with one 
 exception being denuded of the statues which in past time they 
 contained. But apart from the interest that the architecture of 
 this desolate tower cannot fail to arouse, there are memories, and 
 sad ones, connected with the spot. Here, on November 15, 1539, 
 the aged and sickly Richard Whiting, the last abbot of Glastonbury, 
 in company with the treasurer of the abbey, John Thorne, and 
 Roger James, the sub-treasurer, was done to death. An unlooked- 
 for fulfilment of the old prophecy which put a term to the existence 
 of the abbey when a Whiting should swim on the Tor Hill. 
 
 Richard Whiting, or Whyting, was probably a Somersetshire 
 man. I incline to this supposition from the fact that his niece 
 married one of the Strodes of Somerton, and his sisters lived 
 and died in the county. He was educated at Cambridge, taking 
 his M.A. in 1483, and proceeding to D.D. in 1505. Later he 
 became Chamberlain of Glastonbury Abbey, and held that post 
 until, by the favour of Wolsey, he was named abbot, on March 3, 
 1524-25. It appears that the monks of Glastonbury for that 
 turn surrendered their riijht of election to the ereat cardinal. 
 Wolsey, it may be remembered, was rector of Lymington, a few 
 miles distant, from 1500 to 1503, and perhaps then became 
 acquainted with the Whiting family. It appears that Abbot
 
 54 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Whiting acquiesced both in the divorce of Queen Katherine and 
 
 also in the declaration of Supremacy, but whether reluctantly or 
 
 not is uncertain. Viewed by the light of his subsequent refusal 
 
 to resign his abbey, I should fancy him in reality hostile to both 
 
 measures. When the surrender was demanded, Whiting was 
 
 " visited " by Thomas Legh (afterwards knighted) and his priest 
 
 companion, Richard Layton. The latter was specially hostile to 
 
 the abbot ; and though compelled to own that the discipline of the 
 
 abbey was quite as it should be, nevertheless speedily trumped 
 
 up a case against his victim. Whiting was arrested at Sharpham, 
 
 his manor house, taken to Wells forthwith, and placed on his 
 
 trial November 14, 1539. The charges laid against him were that 
 
 he had furnished money and plate to the rebels in the north. 
 
 This, of course, involved the treasurer and sub-treasurer. All 
 
 were condemned ; the actual verdict being that they had robbed 
 
 their abbey church. Whiting was conveyed back to Glastonbury 
 
 in his litter, taking up a priest "by the waj^ who shrived him. 
 
 On the following morning, together with his two companions, he 
 
 was hung on the Tor Hill. His head was fi.xed to the abbey 
 
 gate, and his four quarters distributed between Wells, Bridgwater, 
 
 Ilchester, and Bath. As a man Whiting was much beloved ; as 
 
 an abbot he fully sustained the traditions of his abbey in the 
 
 best sense. He was a scholar and the patron of scholars, a fact 
 
 to which his friend Leland gives ample testimony. Under his 
 
 rule the abbey school flourished to a greater extent than it ever 
 
 had before, more than three hundred sons of noblemen and 
 
 gentlemen being educated within its walls. That as abbot, Richard
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 55 
 
 Whiting kept up great state is undoubted — the memory of his 
 hospitality has not yet faded ; but it was for his boundless charity 
 to the poor that he was most beloved. Unlike the Abbot of 
 Colchester, whose unpopularity was great and whose death was 
 unlamented, Richard Whiting went to his end amid the most 
 profound expressions of grief from all classes of the community. 
 
 From the Tor Hill in every direction there is a most grand 
 view over the county. I felt compelled to attempt at least one 
 sketch, and selected the prospect to the south-west. By this 
 means I was able to give some idea of the aspect of the country 
 
 ^^i^Ci^-- 
 
 
 over which I had travelled from Cadbury. But it is not only 
 in broad daylight that the view from the summit of the Tor Hill 
 is worth seeing. By way of experiment I wandered thither late 
 on a bright moonlight night, and well was I repaid for my 
 climb. Overhead all was clear, while beneath my feet, stretching 
 away to the distant hills, partial mists, winding and wreathing 
 their wavy lines into an inexplicable pattern, suggested the idea 
 that a priceless veil of lace cut me off from the rest of the world 
 below. Here and there a light twinkled but faintly. The Polden 
 Hills on the one side, and comparatively near, broke the illusion :
 
 56 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 but upon the other, far away, I could discern the Mendips fading 
 gradually and almost imperceptibly, till the distance closed in a 
 haze, which for aught I know to the contrary may have shrouded 
 Brent Knoll, and brooded on the waters of the Bristol Channel. 
 It was a weird scene, solitary to the last degree, but one to be 
 treasured indeed as a reminiscence of the beautiful. 
 
 Glastonbury possesses two sets of almshouses, one in Magdalen 
 Street, originally a thirteenth-century foundation, the other, which 
 stands behind the old gateway and porter's lodge of the abbey, 
 the work of Abbot Richard Bere. The Magdalen Street alms- 
 houses have suffered not a little from alteration and curtailment. 
 Record remains that as far back as the fourteenth century, during 
 the abbacy of Adam de Sodbury, the buildings underwent modi- 
 fication. Possibly the endowment was insufficient both to support 
 the inmates and to keep the fabric in repair. It is stated that 
 the hall here once communicated with the chapel, but that it 
 was long since converted into dwelling houses. Abbot Bere's 
 hospital is not very interesting, or at least I somehow failed to 
 be interested therein. Perhaps after the grandeur of the abbey 
 I could not at once descend to the level of the almshouse. 
 
 Two houses, both of antiquity, and both standing in the 
 High Street, next require notice, and well are they worthy of 
 close attention. The first is now known as the George Hotel, 
 and was originally built during the time of Abbot Selwood, to 
 act as a hostel for pilgrims. Abbot Selwood ruled over the abbey 
 during the reign of Edward IV. Now it appears that this 
 pilgrims' hostel was either built to supersede or to supplement
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 57 
 
 an earlier hostel, which formerly stood just within the abbey 
 precincts, upon the site subsequently occupied by the White Hart 
 Inn. In all probability the new hostel was intended for the use 
 of ordinary pilgrims, crowds of whom were wont to throng to 
 the abbey, while the older house was reserved for visitors of a 
 
 eS>UMST@>0% 
 
 superior class. Be this as it may, we nevertheless have in the 
 George Hotel a singular example of an original inn, and one of 
 the most interesting pieces of domestic architecture in the county. 
 This remark, however, applies mainly to the facade, for, unfor- 
 tunately, though no important structural alterations have taken 
 place within the house, yet plaster and modern wall-papers
 
 58 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 effectually conceal the carvings and other adornments, which I 
 cannot but strongly suspect are still in existence. One very small 
 room is still entered by an arched doorway. The cellars, which 
 are vaulted, appear to be nearly in their original state. To these 
 there of course attaches the common story of a secret passage to 
 the abbey ; the story, as usual, being totally devoid of truth. 
 With regard to the front of this interesting house, it should be 
 noted that the lower windows are of more modern date than 
 those above. Over the arched doorway the carving is well 
 worth notice. It is divided into three panels or compartments, 
 the central one bearing the arms of Edward IV., with the " sun 
 in splendour " and a groundwork of branching roses. On the left 
 there is a shield charged with a cross, on the right a blank 
 shield, or rather a shield from which the charges have been 
 chiselled. Some years ago these three compartments were painted, 
 and the erroneous painting of former times has recently been 
 renewed. It would not be a difficult matter to correct the 
 mistakes, they are sufficiently manifest. The same may also be 
 said for the colouring of the shields Avhich decorate the fine old 
 projecting stone bracket. Formerly it is said that a figure existed 
 between each of the crenellated battlements. Warner states that 
 there were twelve of them, but in his plate does not show one. 
 Nowadays one is still to be seen entire, and I found the remains 
 of the hand of another on the middle crenellation above the 
 gateway. 
 
 A few doors higher up the street, and on the same side, stands 
 a very quaint old house known by the name of the Tribunal. Here,
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 59 
 
 above the door, we have two scutcheons, one bearing the royal 
 
 arms — also, possibly, temp. Edward IV., the other charged with a 
 
 rose. This house is said to have derived its name from being the 
 
 court house where all small causes 
 
 connected with the Glastonbury 
 
 Twelve Hides were tried. The 
 
 interior of the house is old- 
 fashioned, and within it a few 
 
 panels of linen pattern have 
 
 escaped destruction. By tradition, 
 
 a tradition not as yet investigated, 
 
 dungeons and cells exist beneath 
 
 the ground floor. Probably there 
 
 are large cellars there which from 
 
 the name " Tribunal," have been 
 
 magnified into dungeons. One 
 
 point on the outside of the house 
 
 needs notice, viz. the curious way 
 
 in which the side windows of the bay are splayed. I cannot 
 
 recall any other instance of this in stone, but have some 
 
 recollection of seeing a similar case in wood either in Tewkesbury 
 
 or at Sudbury. 
 
 Only a short distance from the Tribunal is the church of St. 
 John the Baptist, a late fifteenth-century building with a noble 
 tower. To Abbot Selwood belongs the credit of erecting this grand 
 ecclesiastical edifice, and I most devoutly wish that it had been 
 rather less given over to the spoilers than it has been. With that
 
 6o 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 mania for making old work look new which has been so prevalent 
 in past days, and which even yet has not passed away, the interior 
 of this church has been so treated as to deprive it of almost every 
 sign of antiquity. 
 
 To all intents and purposes the church within might as well 
 have been built but yesterday. Perhaps it is by very contrast that 
 the two altar tombs, plain though they be, at the east end, and the 
 
 (THs "e'MH's.C ^lifipjifruaMf^ 
 
 "Camel" monument in the south-west corner of the church, strike 
 one as the only objects therein worth studying. Of the " Camel " 
 monument I give a sketch. It was erected, it is said, to the memory 
 of a certain purse-bearer of the Abbot of Glastonbury. The name 
 of the worthy purse-bearer was Camel, hence the rebus or badge 
 which decorates the alternate panels of the tomb. The other panels 
 consist of half angels holding shields charged with a cross. The
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 6i 
 
 whole tomb was once elaborately painted, and traces of faded colour 
 are yet visible. Unfortunately the inscriptions, which were painted 
 on the uncommon ribands which surround the camels, have been 
 effaced. On the slab of the tomb is an effigy still in very good 
 preservation. One other object in the church is worth notice, viz. 
 an ancient parish chest decorated with painted shields. Two of the 
 shields once bore the abbey arms (first coat) and, like the shield at 
 the pilgrims' hostel, have been coloured, argent a cross gules. 
 
 In the churchyard at the north-east end will be found a very 
 weather-beaten altar tomb. It is the 
 only tomb of any pretension to antiquity 
 in the churchyard, but, though hand- 
 some, is not by any means of an 
 uncommon type. 
 
 With the exception of an old 
 chapel, originally dedicated to St. 
 James, but now converted into cot- 
 tages, there are no other buildings 
 in the town of Glastonbury which 
 merit consideration. The church of St. 
 Benedict in the lower part of the town 
 can hardly be esteemed of interest, and I pass it by. One piece of 
 carving, now built into the corner of a house in the market-place, 
 must be mentioned. Locally I was told that it was the last relic of 
 the old Glastonbury Cross, and I sketched it as such. The carving 
 evidently represents the ceremony of marriage, and, even for the 
 costume of the figures, is worth study. Upon investigation, however, 

 
 62 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 I could not find any trace in old prints of this special piece of 
 carving, nor could I glean from any description of the now-vanished 
 Cross the slightest clue to its identity. 
 
 Leaving Glastonbury, virith its grand old ruins, I made my way 
 towards Meare, to visit the old Fish House and the abbey Manor 
 House. A short distance outside the town I diverged slightly from 
 my direct path, for the purpose of visiting the site of the singularly 
 interesting prehistoric village which is now being excavated under 
 the auspices of my friends Mr. BuUeid and his son. Here I met 
 with somewhat of a disappointment, for the excavations were flooded, 
 and it was impossible to sketch under the circumstances. Careful 
 inspection, however, enabled me to make out fairly well the line of 
 the habitations. Portions of the pile and wattle foundation were 
 visible, and the artificially raised fireplace mounds luckily were still 
 above water, though quite out of reach. I hope that shortly some 
 means will be found to overcome this untoward leakage in the peat, 
 and that the excavations, especially of the village moat or ditch, will 
 be capable of being resumed. Already a considerable number of 
 objects have been obtained on this spot, which are to be seen at 
 the Glastonbury Museum. 
 
 Not far from this village, not long since, a dug-out canoe or 
 boat was unearthed, rough in manufacture and, I should fancy, 
 very heavy to propel, but singularly curious from the fact that the 
 modern eel-fishers' boats now used round about Athelney are almost 
 the exact model of this prehistoric dug-out. 
 
 Returning to the road, I resumed my way towards Meare. On 
 either side the marshy grazing fields are low and perfectly flat, and
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 63 
 
 are intersected by frequent dykes, here and there fringed with 
 pollard willow or stunted bushes. Little groups of red cattle are 
 dotted about, and give variety to the scene, while an occasional 
 flock of plover flies overhead with plaintive cry. In the distance, 
 amid trees as it appears, the towers of Wells Cathedral stand out 
 white in a sudden and fleeting gleam of sunshine. Beyond Wells, 
 and forming a background, is the long range of the Mendip Hills. 
 Not a landscape of great beauty, perhaps, but pleasant withal ; and 
 the cloud effects witnessed at times on these flat lands are simply 
 marvellous. 
 
 I soon arrived at Meare, where I at once made my way to the 
 ruins of the ancient Fish House. Would that my visit had been 
 paid a few months earlier, for I have with regret to record that 
 Meare Fish House has become a ruin through the recent act of an 
 incendiary. This interesting relic, of which the fine timber roof has 
 now of course vanished, dates from the first half of the fourteenth 
 century, and was probably the dwelling of the official appointed by 
 the abbot to preserve and control the fishery of the great Meare
 
 64 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 lake. This lake, after an existence of several centuries as a fishing 
 place, was finally drained nearly a hundred years ago. From the 
 swampy nature of the surrounding land the wide divergence in 
 the statements as to the area of this lake is to be accounted for. 
 Probably in winter, or after a wet season, it would be swollen to 
 twice its normal size. 
 
 Hardly more than a bow-shot from the old Fish House stands 
 the Manor House, close to which again is the church. This manor 
 house is a most interesting relic of antiquity, though fallen far 
 from its former high estate. It probably was erected by the builder- 
 abbot, Adam de Sodbury, to replace an earlier and smaller house 
 on the same site. That such a house existed is known, for it is 
 
 an ascertained fact that one of the 
 abbots, Michael of Ambresbury, 
 retired thither in 1252, retaining 
 as well a room at the abbey. 
 This manor house contains the 
 uncommon feature of an upstairs 
 hall or grand chamber. In this 
 room there is an extremely fine 
 fireplace which has a pentagonal 
 hood, and, what is even more 
 rare, a fine pair of corbel brac- 
 kets, one on either side, to carry 
 lamps or candles. Both of these I have taken as subjects for 
 sketches, deeming them to be well worthy. The windows of this 
 room are handsome, the inner cusped and pierced canopy with 
 
 iFOK&Pt^SS , MSWRs".
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 65 
 
 its hood being specially noticeable. In the muUions are the old 
 hooks from which the wooden shutters were suspended in the 
 
 1 0^^. 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 days when glass was either absent or rarely present. The centre 
 of each mullion has a projection through which a hole is cut, 
 doubtless for the purpose of securely fastening 
 both shutters with one bolt or peg. In its fiisgggigiW^'iisld'X 
 palmiest days this room, which originally vyswvfgR \i»i Ix 
 measured sixty feet in length, must have been j.,^^''^'^" /wSfy 
 a very fine one. 
 
 Having come so far, I would not willingly have missed seeing 
 the interior of the church, especially as I believed 
 the chancel roof and also an almsbox there to be 
 both worth examination ; but by ill-luck I was 
 compelled to forego my intention. I, however, 
 managed to take two small sketches, one the 
 east window, of which the tracery struck me as 
 somewhat uncommon, the other a fragment of 
 pierced parapet on the south aisle, and which I here utilize as 
 
 G 
 

 
 66 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 a tail-piece. The church of Meare is mixed in style, the chancel 
 dating from the time of Edward II., while the nave was built 
 in the fifteenth century. According to record, the chancel was 
 dedicated during the time that Adam de Sodbury was abbot. 
 The cross which stands close by the churchyard is of no parti- 
 cular interest. 
 
 Some years ago, and indeed at intervals ever since, a curious 
 track over the moor has been uncovered at various depths, at 
 times as deep down as seven feet, at others as near the surface 
 as two. Tradition names this track " The Abbot's Way," but where 
 it started or whither it directed its course is still, and I fear must 
 remain, a matter for conjecture. The most reasonable assumption 
 is that the track joined the rising ground of Meare to the rising 
 ground near the village of Burtle. This track was constructed, in 
 a most curious way, entirely of timber. Slabs of wood split off 
 irregularly and in the roughest manner were laid side by side. 
 Over these at each end as an edging was laid a bonding rod. 
 This rod was probably wattled to posts at intervals in order to 
 keep the whole track firm. Considering the swampy nature of 
 the soil, the cleverness with which the difficulties of the situation 
 were overcome and a passable road constructed is most marked. 
 
 And now I turned my steps back towards Glastonbury, thinking 
 over the many interesting things I had seen during the day, and 
 wishing that relics had been left of many others which seem now 
 to have vanished for ever. For instance, how little do we know 
 of guild life in Glastonbury, save that something akin to a guild 
 was started there during the reign of Edward VI. For then we
 
 GLASTONBURY AND MEARE. 
 
 67 
 
 find a small band of Flemish weavers invited thither by the 
 Protector Somerset, and settled in the place under certain rules 
 and regulations. But Somerset was attainted and perished on 
 the scaffold, leaving his colony quite unprovided for. Later on 
 a petition was sent to the king for assistance, and a commission 
 of inquiry was issued. Eventually, after not a little trouble, the 
 strangers were settled, of all things, in the buildings of the then- 
 deserted abbey. When Edward VI. died, and was succeeded by 
 his sister Mary, the weavers, being Protestants, shortly afterwards 
 left the country. Several papers in the Record Office refer to 
 this interesting little episode in the history of the town, but they 
 are quite too lengthy to give in cxtcnso. 
 
 ■lii- . .J • 1 Jtl- i"
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 
 
 From Glastonbury I proceeded to Shepton Mallet and Frome, 
 leaving out for the time being any consideration of the cathedral 
 city of Wells. My reason for this hardly obvious course was as 
 
 follows. The main interest 
 of Wells, like that of 
 Glastonbury, is ecclesiast- 
 ical, for the domestic build- 
 ings there which have any 
 pretensions to antiquity are 
 almost all connected with 
 the dean and chapter. From 
 a historical point of view 
 also the associations of the 
 city are of a similar cha- 
 racter. Hence I determined 
 (being unfettered in my 
 wanderings) to take this rather arbitrary route, but I feel bound 
 to furnish this slight explanation.
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 69 
 
 Shepton Mallet is a singularly irregularly built town of 
 undoubted antiquity, but yet lacking in the outward and visible 
 signs thereof. Here and there in the lower portions of the town, 
 chiefly at Longbridge, houses of antique appearance are to be 
 met with, but otherwise, with the exception of the fine old market- 
 cross and the church tower, there is but little to appeal to one's 
 pencil. Like many other towns in the kingdom, Shepton Mallet was 
 once the seat of an important branch of the cloth trade, an industry 
 which prospered there at the end of the last century. It is the 
 old houses of the clothiers in the Longbridge district which furnish 
 a certain amount of picturesqueness to that part. Built without 
 any apparent plan upon the sides of the hilly streets — as it were 
 dropped at haphazard from the skies — these old dwellings have 
 sufficient merit to require at least a passing word. One many- 
 gabled house, which adjoins another of almost equally quaint 
 appearance, is certainly the wreck of a fine mansion. But its 
 glories are departed, it is no longer the home of some wealthy 
 clothier, but is cut up into tenements. Not far from this house 
 is another, which by tradition has claims to historic association. 
 Here, in 1685, the rebel Monmouth is said to have stopped when 
 with his levies he paid two visits to the town. Not so long since 
 this house, which goes by the name of Longbridge House, possessed 
 a handsomely carved room. This, alas, has vanished, its lining 
 having been sold to a dealer in antiquities. Evidences of age, 
 however, still exist within its walls in the shape of an old well- 
 stair with oaken balusters and carved post. One tiny room, too, 
 still has its ceiling stamped with fleur-de-lis and rose,
 
 70 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 But after all it is the market-cross of Shepton Mallet which 
 necessarily attracts the greatest amount of attention, and indeed, 
 backed as it is by the quaint wooden market booths and the 
 curious church tower, the whole scene has quite a foreign air. 
 As far back as the reign of Henry III. I find that a market 
 was granted for Shepton, the right being vested in Hugh de Vivon, 
 the lord of the manor. To this privilege was added that of 
 holding a fair on the eve, day, and morrow of St. Peter ad 
 Vincula. Ecclesiastical rights were, however, interfered with by 
 this grant, and the bishop on petition obtained an order of pro- 
 hibition. The following year Hugh de Vivon, though deprived 
 of his market, obtained leave to hold a fair, this time the date 
 being the eve, day, and morrow of the feast of St. Peter and 
 St. Paul. Again the bishop opposed the grant, and with success. 
 Four and twenty years later a weekly market and a three days' 
 fair, on the feast of the Decollation of St. John Baptist, was 
 granted to Robert de Bello Campo and his heirs. In the eleventh 
 year of Edward II. a certain Reginald Fitz-Reginald obtained a 
 similar grant, the market-day being Wednesday and the fair time 
 being changed to Ascensiontide, while at the same date Cecilia 
 Bello Campo and her heirs had the grant of a Monday market 
 at Shepton, and a three days' fair at the feast of St. Barnabas. 
 With regard to the privileges of the market and its tolls not a 
 few disputes took place, of which the most important was in the 
 time of Charles I., the contending parties being William Strode 
 and two stall-keepers, Thomas Millard and William Wilmington. 
 The fine old market-cross, of which I give a sketch, was originally
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. yi 
 
 erected in the year 1500. In appearance it does not seem to 
 liave suffered from the restoration it underwent in 1841. From 
 a brass plate thereon I derived the inscription which I here give — 
 
 " Of your charitye pray for 
 
 the soules of Walter Buckland and Agnys hys wyff 
 
 wh whoys goods this cross was made 
 
 in the yere of our Lord God MD. 
 
 whoys obytt shal be kepte for ever 
 
 in the parishe church of Shepton Mallet 
 
 ye xxvm day of November 
 
 on whoys soules Jhu pardon." 
 
 Seeing that Shepton Mallet held eminently Parliamentarian 
 principles during the Great Rebellion, it is wonderful that this 
 plate escaped destruction. 
 
 The church of Shepton Mallet, which is dedicated to SS. Peter 
 and Paul, is not without interest, despite the fact that chancel 
 and aisles are nineteenth-century work, and that the nave is 
 disfigured by those abominations called galleries. The roof of 
 the nave, which is divided into three hundred and fifty compart- 
 ments, all elaborately carved and all different, rivals those well- 
 known examples at Martock and at Somerton. From age the 
 ancient woodwork here has faded to an indescribable grey, and 
 the rare spectacle of a genuine unstained, undoctored roof may 
 in Shepton Mallet be enjoyed. The piers of the nave, which 
 are massive and, I think, of an unusual character, give me an 
 impression that either a previous church existed on the same 
 site, or else that a considerable extension or enlargement took 
 place several centuries ago. 
 
 Two cross-legged recumbent figures, traditionally representing
 
 72 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 members of the Malet family, are now placed on the window 
 ledges. These figures are clad in chain mail, and in addition 
 have oblong shields on their left arms. From their general 
 appearance, I should assign to them a late twelfth-century date. 
 Before the alterations took place, and the aisles were rebuilt, the 
 Strode and Barnard families had a mortuary chapel on the north 
 side of the church. Whether all the monuments therein were 
 preserved or not I cannot tell ; but those which are now to be 
 seen beneath the tower came from this chapel. These monuments 
 are interesting, both in connection with Shepton Mallet and also 
 with Barrington, a village near Ilminster, at which the mansion 
 once belonged to the Strodes. One in particular is a brass with 
 a curious engraved representation of William Strode, of Barrington, 
 Joan Strode (Barnard), his wife, their six sons, and three daughters. 
 A shield with eight quarterings is blazoned as follows: i. Ermine, 
 on a canton sable a crescent argent (Strode). 2. Ermine, a fesse 
 gules. 3. Gules, a bend between six cross crosslets or. 4. Gules, 
 a lion rampant or, over all a bend ermine. 5. Ermine, a chevron 
 sable. 6. Gules, a wyvern argent. 7. Ermine, on a chevron three 
 mullets. 8. Sable, a cross moline argent. The arms of the Barnard 
 family were : Argent, a bear salient sable, bridled of the field. 
 
 It appears that there are traces of two guilds in Shepton 
 Mallet, connected on their religious side with the parish church, 
 and dedicated, the one to the Holy Trinity, the other to St. John 
 Baptist. These guilds were wealthy, possessing lands in Shepton, 
 Stoke-St.-Michael, Ilchester, and several other places. On the 
 robbery of guild property, which took place in the reign of
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. J T, 
 
 Edward VI., the guild lands were granted to a certain John Horner, 
 the incumbents of the guilds being pensioned off, one at £^, the 
 other at £/^ 13^-. 2d., while the minister (.'' warden) received an 
 annuity of ^4. 
 
 In 1520, by his will, Richard Raynon gave certain lands to 
 the guilds of the church of Stoke-St- Michael, a village about 
 four miles from Shepton Mallet, on condition that the guild 
 wardens of the Holy Trinity and St. John Baptist guilds kept 
 a dirge and two masses yearly on the anniversary of his funeral, 
 for which he fixed payments to the priests and a dole in bread 
 to the poor. There was a further covenant, that after his wife's 
 death the lease of Smaldon (Smalldown) should go to the church 
 of St. Michael, to secure obits for himself and his wife. Strangely 
 enough the lease mentioned in this bequest was sold, first to 
 Elizabeth Fitzjames and her husband, and afterwards, in 1545, 
 to the John Horner who in the next reign obtained all the property 
 of the Shepton guilds. Whether these guilds possessed halls in the 
 town is not known. 
 
 The Horner family held lands at Cloford and Mells, both in 
 Somersetshire, having purchased the Mells property at the time 
 of the spoliation of the monasteries, that being one of the manors 
 belonging to Glastonbury. I find that coat armour was granted 
 to Sir John Horner in 1584, the blazon of which is: Sable, three 
 talbots passant argent. Several members of the family were 
 knighted, one, a Sir George, being dubbed in June, 1660. A 
 curious country tradition has always connected the Horner family 
 with the Jack Horner of Christmas-pie fame, and it would appear
 
 74 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 that in the local mind an impression has ever prevailed that the 
 Church and guild lands were obtained through some sharp practice. 
 This is, however, incorrect, for documents and deeds still in 
 existence show that a very considerable sum of money was paid 
 for them, and that the transaction was in every way legally carried 
 out. With regard to the familiar nursery rhyme, it appears that 
 it is merely a modified version of a chap-book ballad, entitled 
 "The Pleasant History of Jack Horner, containing the witty 
 pranks he play'd from his Youth to his riper years. Being pleasant 
 for Winter Evenings." This ballad, which begins, " Jack Horner 
 was a pretty lad. Near London he did dwell," etc., is founded on 
 a still earlier one, called " The Basyn," a fourteenth-century 
 manuscript copy of which is to be found in the Cambridge 
 Library. 
 
 I have already mentioned an interesting monument to one ot 
 the Strodes, which still remains in the church, and will here give 
 a brief note as to this old Somersetshire family. In this county the 
 Strodes seem to have been first established at Somerton, and, as I 
 have already mentioned, a descendant, one Edward Strode, married 
 Alice, the daughter of Robert Whiting, brother to the last abbot of 
 Glastonbury. This Edward was the second son of Thomas Strode 
 of Shepton Mallet, to which place his great grandfather had 
 migrated. I have already noted the arrest of a Strode of Street 
 by the Roundhead colonel of militia, Bovett. The property at 
 Street came into the possession of the family in 1628. At this time 
 William Strode, the father, and William, the son, were settled at 
 Bgrrington Court and at Street. It would seem that the wealth of
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 75 
 
 the family was derived from a grandfather who had prospered as a 
 clothier at Shepton Mallet, and who married Joan Barnard, an 
 heiress. But there was also some connection with Spain, for record 
 remains that one member of the family had established a flourishing 
 house of business there. When the troublous times of the Great 
 Rebellion arrived, William Strode of Shepton is found to be a violent 
 Republican, and in his capacity of deputy-lieutenant went through 
 various adventures while opposing the Royalist party. He obtained 
 the rank of Colonel, and seemingly took part in whatever fighting 
 there was in his neighbourhood. In 1645 he resigned his 
 commission in accordance with the Self-renouncing Ordinance. 
 Strode was now proposed as a candidate for Parliament, but was 
 opposed. The story of this extraordinary election is, unfortunately, 
 too long to insert here, and it must suffice to say that he was 
 unsuccessful. He offered himself a second time in 1646, and was 
 elected, though his seat was subsequently assailed by a petition. 
 The petition failed, and Strode was declared M.P. for Ilchester. 
 Strode had taken the Solemn League and Covenant in 1643, and 
 was therefore a Presbyterian, hence, when the Independents came 
 into power, he fell into disfavour, owing to his refusal to withdraw 
 from the League and sign the Engagement. He was ordered to 
 attend the House on an information which had been laid against 
 him, but appears to have cleared himself When Colonel Pride 
 "purged" the House, Colonel Strode was one of those excluded 
 thereby. On the Restoration, a charge against him was preferred 
 to the Privy Council, and he was ordered to attend to answer it. 
 A petition which he forwarded at the time details the story of .his
 
 76 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 political life, and is most interesting reading. Eventually, after a 
 short confinement in Ilchester, he was, on making humble sub- 
 mission, released. He died in 1666 at the age of ']•], and was buried 
 at Barrington. This is, I believe, the life of Colonel William Strode 
 in brief, and it is to be remarked that he must not be identified 
 with the William Strode, one of the " Five Members " who belonged 
 to the Devonshire family of that name. A free school and alms- 
 houses in Shepton Mallet, both founded by this family, remain to 
 perpetuate the memory of the Strodes. 
 
 From Shepton Mallet I proceeded to Frome, hoping, rather 
 against hope, I must confess, that I should find some subjects there 
 of interest. But I was doomed to be disappointed, for nearly every 
 relic of antiquity has been removed from the town. One block of 
 cottages on the road from the station is somewhat picturesque, and 
 here and there in the narrow streets an old gable or two appears, 
 but pictorially the place is a blank. Cheep Street, a narrow and 
 steep flagged lane, down which a channel of water is always running, 
 might perhaps have been pressed into the service, but its gabled 
 houses lacked any ornament, and many of them bore not the 
 slightest token of antiquity. The parish church was, I believe, once 
 old, but in recent years so many thousands of pounds have been 
 expended — lavished on it, I may say — that for antiquity one looks 
 in vain. All is modern, from the statues at the west end to the 
 Rood, Mary and John on the screen. 
 
 This Rood and its accompanying statues, together with the 
 screen, furnish a terrible example of modern paint and gilding. 
 Time may modify the effect, but I personally have doubts on the
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. TJ 
 
 subject. Of the other decorations in the church I need not speak 
 in detail — they are mostly explained on new brass plates which stud 
 the walls. On the occasion of my visit a clerical "dress-stand" 
 reposed in one of the seats in the north aisle, and I could not but 
 remark this example of modern church furniture before I passed 
 sadly out of the building. Nor is the churchyard one whit better ; 
 even the grave of good old Bishop Ken has escaped neither the 
 paint-pot nor a border of encaustic tiles — red, white, and blue. The 
 statuary, monumental and otherwise, in the graveyard can best be 
 summed up in one word — expensive. Frome church is the "show" 
 of the town and the district ; it will probably continue so. To even 
 hint at disapproval in the locality is hardly short of high treason. 
 But there are nevertheless many who will be found to hold the 
 opinion that whatever else money can do, in matters of church 
 " restoration " and decoration, its effect is not always in proportion 
 to the sum expended, and to point to Frome church as an instance 
 of great profusion but greater failure. 
 
 Quite close to Frome, in a retired little valley, are the remains 
 of an old manor house. The name of the spot is Vallis, and it was 
 once the home of a Somersetshire family called Leversedge. The 
 chief relic here is the old hall of the house which, in a terribly 
 mutilated condition, has been converted into a carpenter and 
 wheelwright's shop. My sketch shows the present condition of the 
 outside, with its shattered windows and its door arches knocked out 
 of shape. The state of the interior is hardly better, but luckily the 
 old roof has escaped destruction. In the "Visitation of Somerset- 
 shire" the arms of the Leversedge family are given as: i. Sable,
 
 78 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 a chevron or between three dolphins naiant argent. 2. Sable, three 
 bends sinister argent. 3. Sable, a leopard's head jessant a fleur de 
 lys or (Branch). 4. Argent, a wyvern vert. 5. Argent, three bars 
 sable. 6. Gules a chief indented or. 7. Sable, three lions passant 
 argent. The pedigree which follows shows that the first of the 
 name heard of at Vallis was one Edmond, who married the daughter 
 and heiress of Stephen Wynslade. For six generations the names 
 
 of Edmond, Robert, and William occur in succession, and in the 
 remaining five generations the head of the family always bore one 
 of these names. The fourth quartering on the shield is that of the 
 Roynons, introduced on the marriage of one of the Liversedges to 
 Grace Roynon somewhere in the last years of the sixteenth or early 
 in the seventeenth century. But the arms should be : Argent, a 
 wyvern erect, tail nowed sable. 
 
 From Vallis I returned to Frome, and then, turning off to
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 
 
 79 
 
 the right, made my way to the village of Nunney and the ruins 
 of Nunney Castle. The walk is a most pleasant one, though 
 not a little hilly ; and one hill in particular, just outside Frome, 
 
 is remarkably steep. After a while the round towers of the old 
 place were visible among the trees which now fringe the still 
 perfect moat, and a few minutes later I found myself in possession 
 of the castle key and crossing the single plank, which, in lieu of
 
 8o SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the drawbridge of old, gives admission to this fortified manor 
 house, usually designated a castle. 
 
 The first notice of Nunney is a grant of Henry III., dated 
 October 23, 1259, giving Henry de Monteforti and his heirs the 
 right to hold a Wednesday market at his manor of Nuny, and 
 also an annual three days' fair. Twenty years later Nicholas 
 Braunche, lord of the hundred of Frome, endeavoured to stop 
 this market, alleging that it injured the market at Frome. At 
 this date it would seem that there was a Delamare at Nunney, 
 and to the Delamares the fortification of the house is due, for 
 the license to embattle and fortify a building (manse) at Nunney 
 was granted to Sir John Delamare in 1373. From this it would 
 appear that the Delamares were not then lords of the manor, for 
 manse is not manor house. But four years later we find Sir 
 John Delamare sheriff of the county, and holding his manor in 
 capite from the king. Sir John died about 1389, and was succeeded 
 by his son Philip, who in the next year founded a chantry. In 
 two generations the male line failed, and the estate passed to 
 Sir John Poulet, Kt, in right of his wife, Constantia Delamare. 
 Constantia Poulet died in 1443, being already a widow. The 
 Poulets retained Nunney till the death, in 1572, of William Poulet, 
 Marquis of Winchester, who some twelve years before had obtained 
 a grant of the Delamare chantry. In the nineteenth year of 
 Elizabeth the manor of Nunney was sold to a certain Richard 
 Prater, gentleman. 
 
 Nunney Castle is most remarkable in its plan, which takes 
 the form of an oblong, flanked at each corner by circular projecting
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 8 1 
 
 towers. In length the oblong is as nearly as possible double its 
 width. The walls vary in thickness from seven to eight and a 
 half feet, except where a stone staircase occurs in the wall near 
 the entrance, and in another place where the large kitchen fire- 
 place makes a weak spot. When perfect there were four stories 
 to the castle, of which the 
 floors were of wood, a fact 
 proved by the absence of 
 vaulting ; and the partitions 
 must have been of a similar 
 material, as there are no 
 traces of party walls. I had 
 heard that there were the 
 remains of a chapel at 
 Nunney, at the top of one 
 of the towers, and after some 
 little trouble managed to 
 identify the place. As I 
 make it, the window of the 
 chapel is on the upper story 
 of the south tower, and 
 looking nearly towards the 
 east. Beneath this window the altar slab can be discerned, and 
 there is a piscina. I should much have liked to have obtained 
 a sketch, but it was impossible ; still I think that my idea of the 
 interior will sufficiently show the general condition of the place. 
 A very curious little pen-and-ink drawing of Nunney, and a 
 
 H
 
 82 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 written description, preserved in the note-book of a Royalist, and 
 now to be seen in the British Museum Library (Add. MSS., 
 No. 17062), gives one or two more particulars which are worth 
 attention. The towers, from the sketch, seem to have conical 
 tops, and the general roof of the place to have been not flat, 
 as one would have expected, but high-pitched. It has been needful 
 to describe the castle at this period, because during the Great 
 Rebellion the place was besieged, battered by cannon, and forced 
 to surrender. 
 
 It appears that in 1642 Colonel Prater, the then owner, 
 garrisoned it for the king. It, as a matter of fact, was more of 
 a storehouse and rendezvous for Royalists than a fortress. Whether 
 its position rendered it unimportant or not, for some cause Nunney 
 was left unmolested for three years, till the successes of the " new 
 model " army caused some apprehension, and the garrison was 
 forthwith strengthened. On September 15, 1645, Fairfax and 
 Cromwell, after success at Sherborne, marched through Castle Cary 
 and Shepton Mallet. Three days later two regiments and three 
 guns were detached to secure Nunney. Fairfax himself rode 
 over on the morrow to inspect the place, but, leaving his troops 
 to besiege the castle, returned to Shepton. On the following 
 day the castle wall was breached, and after a parley Colonel 
 Prater, the owner and governor, surrendered, but on condition 
 that he, by changing his allegiance from King to Parliament, should 
 be permitted still to hold his property and command. The castle 
 was but poorly furnished with munitions of war, having only 
 two barrels of powder. In number the garrison amounted to
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 8 
 
 O 
 
 eighty, mostly Irish, who were commanded by Captain Turberville. 
 From an account published at the time it would seem that certain 
 "papists," who were among the prisoners, fared very badly at 
 the hands of the victors. The castle banner is quoted as " red, 
 and in the midst thereof a fair crucifix cross." I have endeavoured 
 to trace the design of this banner, but without success. That it 
 was considered important seems to be shown from the fact that 
 it was sent to London and exhibited to Parliament. Despite the 
 terms of the surrender, immediately after the execution of Charles I. 
 the Parliament sequestrated Nunney, and it was ordered to be 
 sold. Colonel Prater, however, died before the sale took place, 
 and his son George, who succeeded, petitioned to save his estate, 
 but petitioned in vain. The sale took place in 1652, when the 
 purchasers were Samuel Foxley and Robert Colby. 
 
 It is stated, I know not on what authority, that through a 
 deserter the troops of Fairfax w-ere informed of the weak spot 
 in the castle wall, and that in consequence they directed their shot 
 thither. Evidently the wall between the doorway and the western 
 tower is the scene of the breach ; but in this case the cannon 
 must first have demolished a lofty wall, which is said to have 
 surrounded the castle on all sides except the east. Another point 
 which seems to involve difficulty is with regard to the toji of 
 the wall and towers. How were these defended ? The pen-and- 
 ink sketch shows crenellations, but no machicolations. This is 
 probably due to the omission of detail by the artist, and it is 
 reasonable to suppose that the machicolations supported a crenel- 
 lated parapet, which surrounded the entire building.
 
 84 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Nunney church contains some interesting tombs, mostly of 
 dead and gone Delamares. The effigy belonging to the earliest of 
 these is now on the sill of one of the windows. The figure is fully 
 armed with the exception of the shield, and apparently bears the 
 approximate date of the year 1 300. Another tomb, with the effigies 
 of a man and woman, dates about a century later, if the details of the 
 costume are any guide. This is probably the monument of Philip 
 Delamare, the founder of the chantry, and his wife. The costumes 
 of both these effigies are worth the closest study. The arms of the 
 Delamare family have the following blazon : Gules, two lions passant 
 guardant in pale argent, collared azure. Besides these, there are 
 the figures of two of the Praters, probably those of Richard Prater 
 and his wife, for the costumes are certainly Elizabethan, and it is 
 not easy to see to whom otherwise these effigies could belong. The 
 arms of the Prater family were : Sable, three wolves' heads erased 
 argent, on a chief or, a lion passant of the first. 
 
 Of the other manor house of Nunney, which used to be called 
 the Court House, and which stands near the castle, the remains 
 which are left are of comparatively little interest. Formerly it was 
 an important mansion, with a hall possessing a minstrels' gallery, 
 and I have heard that it contained a considerable amount of carving 
 and painted heraldic glass. The hall, I understand, still exists, and 
 a part of it is used as a shed ; but I must confess that I did not, 
 owing to the waning light, personally inspect the Court House. 
 The village itself does not furnish much for the pencil, except the 
 ruins of the castle. But I selected one subject for a sketch which 
 shows the church tower behind the irrecjular and tumbledown
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. THILIP, ETC. 85 
 
 cottages which fringe the muddy and shallow brook on which the 
 village is built. 
 
 Proceeding from Frome on the following morning, I took the 
 road for the village of Beckington. This is a most interesting place 
 for many reasons. The church, which is dedicated to St. Gregory, 
 was originally Norman, as the work in the tower manifestly shows. 
 
 1" 
 
 but was in the days of Perpendicular architecture considerably 
 enlarged, and the church is in fact a Perpendicular one. It would 
 seem as if the addition of a clerestory was an afterthought, as the 
 roofing of the aisles is different from that usually to be found in a 
 clerestoried church, that is to say, it is high-pitched instead of lean-to 
 or flat. The effigies and brasses within are of very great interest. 
 One brass is that of Sir John St. Maur, who died in 1485, with his 
 wife Elizabeth (Darrell). On the south pier of the chancel arch will
 
 S6 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 ©M BRASS, Ss^kW*. 
 
 be found a small circular brass plate bearing a curious merchants' 
 mark. This belonged to the brass of John Compton, merchant, and 
 Edith his wife. Upon the north pier a small brass shield has also 
 been fixed, which bears, I believe, the coat 
 armour of the St. Maurs. On the wall of the 
 north aisle is the monument with a half effigy 
 which was erected by the Lady Anne Clifford, 
 Countess Dowager of Pembroke, Dorset, and 
 Montgomery, to the memory of her old tutor, 
 "that excellent poet and historian, Samuell 
 Danyell." Samuel Daniel was born near Taunton in 1562, his 
 father being a music-master. At the age of seventeen the boy was 
 entered as a commoner at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he resided 
 for three years, but did not take his degree. About the year 1603 
 Daniel took up his residence at Ridge, near Beckington, where 
 he, according to Fuller, "turned husbandman and rented a farm." 
 He died September 4, 1619, and was buried in the north aisle 
 of Beckington church. Space will not permit me to give a list of 
 Daniel's works in poetry and prose, but it ought to be mentioned 
 that the tradition that he succeeded Spenser as Poet Laureate in 
 1599 lacks documentary evidence. Moreover, too, the inscription 
 on his monument makes no mention of the fact, an omission which 
 is seemingly conclusive under the circumstances. 
 
 In the village street there are not a few old houses, two of 
 which are of considerable interest, and I sketched one of them which 
 bears the rather exalted title of " Beckington Castle." It is a square, 
 many-gabled stone house, whose ivy-clad sides are lighted by rows
 
 (tS<«\HA-r«^ £^?TWfc 
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. I'll I LIP, ETC. 87 
 
 of mullioned windows. The porch, which projects, is crenellated, 
 and alongside the porch is a built-out turret stair. Very interesting, 
 too, is the interior of this quaint old place, for the rooms, winding 
 stairs, and passages are for the most part in 
 their original condition. Here and there, 
 however, modern additions and insertions 
 of a decorative character could be at once 
 detected, such as woodwork, panelling, etc. 
 But in its main features Beckington Castle 
 is an extremely old-fashioned and well- 
 cherished dwelling. 
 
 The other house specially worth noting is a long, low building 
 chiefly remarkable for its extensive mullioned windows and stamped 
 plaster ceilings. Like Beckington Castle, its walls are nearly com- 
 pletely concealed by creeping plants. Elsewhere in the village there 
 are, as I have already said, other quaint old houses, but beyond their 
 age they have no particular features to entitle them to special notice. 
 
 Two other spots close to Beckington require passing mention, 
 chiefly on account of their associations. One of these, formerly 
 called Cliffords, and now Clifford's Farm, is stated to have been 
 the residence of the Somersetshire family of that name. The 
 second house is called Seymour's Court, and was once the home of 
 Thomas Lord Seymour of Sudeley, who married Queen Catherine 
 Parr, and was subsequently executed, March, 1548-9. But to the 
 fact that Beckington was the birthplace of the celebrated builder- 
 bishop of Wells it owes its chief interest, and I feel bound to briefly 
 touch upon his career.
 
 88 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Thomas Beckington or Bekynton was born about the year 
 1390 at this village, though of what parentage there are no records. 
 He went to Winchester in 1404, and two years later entered at New 
 College, Oxford, where he seems to have obtained a fellowship in 
 the short space of two years. Beckington took holy orders, and on 
 resigning his fellowship in 1420 was, probably through the patronage 
 of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, the recipient of several clerical 
 preferments. In 1423 he was Dean of Arches, and his name occurs 
 in various prosecutions of heretics which took place at that period. 
 In February, 1432, Beckington, in conjunction with Langdon, Bishop 
 of Rochester, and Sir Henry Bromflete, was sent on an embassy to 
 France for the purpose of negotiating a peace. The embassy did 
 not start till December, when the celebrated Sir John Fastolf was 
 joined to the commission in lieu of Bromflete. Beckington did not 
 CTo to the Congress at Arras in 1435, but he did proceed to Calais 
 in 1439 as a member of an embassy. To the diary kept on this 
 occasion by the ambassador we are indebted for many particulars, 
 and in a journal written by one of his followers the details of his 
 journey to the Court of Armagnac in 1422-3 are related with 
 considerable minuteness. Early in 1423 Beckington was made 
 Lord Privy Seal. Twenty years later he was nominated to the see 
 of Salisbury, which it was thought that Bishop Ascough would vacate 
 in his favour, to be himself rewarded by the primacy — a course 
 which that prelate declined to take. The story how Beckington 
 obtained papal favour by a present of scarlet cloth to the pontiff is 
 very amusing, and, being based on absolute documents, can be at 
 once accepted. Beckington, however, became Bishop of Bath and
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PIIILIP, ETC. 89 
 
 Wells, succeeding Bishop Stafford, who was promoted to Canterbury. 
 The new bishoja was consecrated on October 13, 1443, in the old 
 Collegiate Church of Eton. I need not recall his controversy with 
 Abbot Frome of Glastonbury. On June iS, 1452, being very 
 infirm, he obtained leave of exemption from attending Parliament. 
 He died at Wells, on January 14, 1465, and was buried beneath a 
 beautiful canopy in a tomb which he had prepared for himself. 
 About forty years ago the cathedral authorities had the bad taste 
 to open the tomb of their builder-bishop. It is also much to be 
 regretted that the splendid canopy of the tomb no longer stands 
 where it should, but is poked away inside the iron gates of one of 
 the smaller chapels. 
 
 From Beckington I followed the road until I reached the 
 " pratie market towne " of Norton St. Philip, or Phillipps North- 
 town, as Leland has it. Norton St. Philip is celebrated for the 
 charming old inn known as The George, which stands in its 
 main street. This building is rather a puzzle, for though possibly 
 it may have been built for a manor house, yet the more I examined 
 the place I came to the conclusion that, like its Glastonbury name- 
 sake, it Avas an original hostel. Another peculiarity is that at 
 the outset the whole of the front was of stone, just as the back 
 and sides are to this day ; but, for some remarkable reason, the 
 front of the first and second floors has been removed, and replaced 
 by projecting half-timbered work. In my sketch of the front I dis- 
 covered, to my great regret, and unfortunately too late to remedy 
 it, that I had omitted a small window which looks out just above 
 the swinging sign. My second sketch shows the rear of the house
 
 90 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 with an outside stone-capped turret-stair, and, what is even more 
 interesting, the remains of a galleried yard. I had the pleasure 
 of thoroughly exploring the whole of the house and its outbuildings, 
 and curious, though totally unadorned, I found them. The rooms 
 on the first floor are dilapidated, though weather-tight. It was at 
 the window of one of these that Monmouth was standing when 
 an attempt on his life was made. A tradition, based upon no sure 
 
 '"^"' TMrs feti@ii^(Sg,K],j, 
 
 foundation, makes Cromwell a visitor at this old house. The 
 upper story of this remarkable old place has one of the original 
 plaster floors now so uncommon. With regard to the half-timber 
 front, it is worth while observing how very few half-timber houses 
 there now are in the county. Probably there never were many, 
 but, alas, in these days the total of notable examples can be almost 
 numbered on one's fingers. The two ornamental chimneys which
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 
 
 91 
 
 terminate the gable ends are small but elegant. One of these, 
 that on the right, has been restored, but the other is original. 
 
 In support of the theory that The George at Norton St. Philip 
 was built as a hostel, it should be mentioned that originally the 
 place formed part of the Hinton Abbey lands. This abbey had 
 license, as early as the reign of Henry III., to hold a fair on the 
 vigil, feast, and morrow of the festival of SS. Philip and James. 
 
 
 Later on, in 1284, a charter was given to the same abbey to 
 hold a market at " Norton Charterhouse " every Friday. This 
 market before that time was held at Hinton. In 1345 license 
 for a fair to be held on the vigil and feast of the Decollation of 
 St. John Baptist was granted, and this fair was held at Norton 
 until quite recently. In the locality it was known by the name 
 of " Norton Dog Fair," the origin of which term is not quite
 
 92 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 ascertained. It has been ascribed to the fact that the date, 
 August 28 and 29, was near the " dog days," but personally I can 
 hardly accept this explanation. Of one thing, however, there can 
 be no doubt, viz. that the cloth and linen fairs held at Norton 
 were formerly very important, and that they were held under the 
 auspices of the monks of Hinton. The conclusion justly arrived 
 at is, I think, that the old George Inn was built, as a hostel for 
 the convenience of the traders and others attending the fairs, by 
 the monks in whose interests the fairs were held. 
 
 Norton St. Philip was the scene of one of the skirmishes 
 between Monmouth and the royal army, in which the king's advance 
 guard was repulsed. Monmouth with his troops was at Norton, 
 and his outposts were surprised by the advance guard of Fever- 
 sham's army under the Duke of Grafton. Grafton and his men 
 got entangled in a lane, the sides of which were lined with rebel 
 musketeers. Many of the royal troops fell, but the remainder 
 managed to fight their way to the entrance of the town of Norton 
 St. Philip to find the roadway barricaded. There was nothing 
 for it but to retreat, which they accordingly did ; but before being 
 able to rejoin the main body of the army more than one hundred 
 men were either killed or wounded. The rebel cavalry endeavoured 
 to cut off the retreat of the duke, but were charged, and failed in 
 their object. Feversham was awaiting his artillery, and therefore 
 did not desire a general engagement, so he fell back towards 
 Bradford, while Monmouth proceeded towards Frome the same 
 night. 
 
 The church of Norton St. Philip is dedicated to SS. Philip
 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 93 
 
 and James. It is a small building, but possessed of a very singular 
 tower — a tower which has been the subject of many uncompli- 
 mentary remarks. It is certainly of very irregular form, but I 
 venture to think that its effect is not altogether unpleasing. That 
 the church towers of Somersetshire are as a whole remarkable, 
 and that some of them are of superlative excellence, is undoubted. 
 But has there not been rather too much written about them ? 
 Have they not been discussed and over-investigated, to the neglect 
 of other portions of the churches ? Is it not rather sad than other- 
 wise to hear the work of the grand old architects verbally pulled 
 to pieces in order to frame a table of precedence for Somersetshire 
 church towers ? In these remarks I do not in the least desire 
 either to decry the beauty of the architecture of Somersetshire 
 towers, nor do I in any way depreciate them. I admire these 
 towers as much as anybody, but I can see other things in the 
 county worthy of quite as much admiration, and decline to limit 
 my vision to these particularly well-known e.xamples. 
 
 In the south aisle of Norton St. Philip church is a curious 
 tomb beneath a canopy. The effigy is that of a man clad in a 
 long and singularly well-cut robe, the shape of the straight collar 
 being specially noticeable. At his side is a short ornamental 
 dagger, and on his head a hat. There is not any inscription to 
 enable one to ascertain the identity of the effigy ; but from the 
 costume I should incline to consider it that of a merchant, perhaps 
 a clothier, who lived during the reign of Richard II. 
 
 By a pleasant road I made my way to Lullington, where I 
 desired to inspect the curious Norman doorway on the outside of
 
 94 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the north wall, and also the fine font. The doorway is in every 
 way remarkable, as my sketch shows. The arch is threefold, as 
 will be seen, the inner portion being flat, but decorated by rosettes, 
 and containing a tympan of quaint character. Next to this is a 
 bold chevron moulding, and finally, on the outside, an arch of 
 horned or long-eared heads, edged with a dotted moulding. The 
 
 ^^ ^ -. pillars are six in number, the two inner 
 
 ones being flat and plain, the middle 
 ones twisted, but unlike, while the 
 outer columns are circular and unorna- 
 mented, the two outer sets of columns 
 alone having ornamental capitals. But 
 above the arch is a niche containing 
 a figure, a nimbus round its head, and 
 in the act of benediction. The whole 
 of this is enclosed in a curved drip- 
 stone restingf on corbels. Within the 
 church there are some good arches, 
 pointed and partly decorated with dog- 
 tooth mouldings. The pillars, some 
 of which are twisted, and capitals are 
 distinctly good. In the vestry I found, built into the wall, the 
 curious body-stone of which I give a sketch. It is certainly of 
 great age ; but though I have heard a date assigned for it, I have 
 been as yet unable to come to a satisfactory decision on the 
 subject. The Norman font, which is assuredly of very early 
 date, was the last thing to which I gave my attention. Formerly 

 
 SHEPTON MALLET, FROME, NORTON ST. PHILIP, ETC. 
 
 95 
 
 an inscription ran round the edge of the top, but it has now 
 become illegible. The inscription round the font band runs as 
 follows : — 
 
 " HOC FONTIS SACRO PEREUNT DELICTA LAVACRO." 
 
 Marks on the font itself indicate that its lid was once fixed to the 
 stone by a hinge. The faces on the upper band of ornament are of 
 most primitive workmanship, but have suffered not a little mutilation. 
 Another curious feature in the font is the bevel to the interior of 
 each of the intersecting circular arches which form the lower band 
 of decoration. 
 
 From Lullington I made my way back to Beckington by means 
 of a field path, passing the sham antique gateway of Orchardleigh 
 Park, and descending into the valley. There I crossed the river 
 Frome by a little bridge newly erected, and ascending the opposite 
 hill, I soon found myself back again in Beckington, and an hour 
 later had reached my starting-point, the Market-place at Frome. 

 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. 
 
 From Frome I proceeded to Witham, otherwise known as Witham- 
 Friary, a distance of about six miles, finding, however, nothing on 
 the way to cause me to tarry and sketch. The church at Witham, 
 plain in exterior though it undoubtedly is, merits description at some 
 length, for among other things it is the relic of the first monastery 
 of the Carthusian Order which was established in Ens^land. Of this 
 Order it is to be noted that it never became popular in this country, 
 the total number of houses established being but nine, and of these 
 two were in the county of Somerset, viz. at Hinton and at Witham. 
 To St. Bruno, who was born at Cologne, is due the foundation of 
 the Carthusians in 1080. A century later Henry H. resolved to 
 establish the house at Witham, the dedication being to the honour 
 of the Blessed Virgin, St. John Baptist, and All Saints. It however 
 appears that the buildings were not begun, and many difficulties 
 cropped up which seemed likely to jeopardize the success of the 
 scheme. Of the two first priors one resigned and the second died. 
 A third appointment was more successful when, after considerable
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. 
 
 97 
 
 negotiation, Hugh of Avalon, the Procurator of the Grande 
 
 Chartreuse, was induced to come to England as Prior of Witham. 
 
 Hugh was born at Avalon, near Pontcharra, in Burgundy, close 
 
 to the frontier of Savoy, in or about 1 135. He was of noble blood, 
 
 his father being William, Lord of Avalon. At eight years of age 
 Hugh chose the priory of Regular Canons at Villarbenoit as the 
 place of his education, and remained there till he was nineteen, when 
 he was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Grenoble. Yearning for 
 a more rigidly ascetic life, he paid a visit to the monastery of the
 
 98 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Grande Chartreuse, and was immediately desirous of joining the 
 fraternity. It is stated that, on announcing his desire, Hugh was 
 bound by oath by his prior not to enter the Carthusian Order, but 
 nevertheless escaped to the Grande Chartreuse, and took the vows 
 there in 11 60. Ten years later he became Procurator or Bursar of 
 the monastery, and as such obtained a high character outside its 
 walls. Henry H. heard of the talents of Hugh from a nobleman of 
 Maurienne, and sent an embassy to Grenoble to endeavour to obtain 
 his services as Prior of Witham. After much deliberation, the 
 request was granted, and either in 11 75 or 11 76 Hugh arrived in 
 England. On arrival at Witham the monastery and probably one 
 of the churches were found to be non-existent, though a few monks 
 were living on the spot in a most miserable condition. Hugh soon 
 obtained influence over the king, from whom he obtained an 
 extended measure of assistance. The local inhabitants were 
 deported to provide seclusion for the Carthusians, the buildings and 
 the churches were built. In 1186 Hugh was consecrated Bishop of 
 Lincoln, but not until considerable opposition on the part of the 
 canons there had been overcome. They hated the idea of the 
 foreigner bishop " Hugh the Burgundian." Hugh himself refused 
 election until leave from his prior at the Grande Chartreuse had 
 been obtained. Henceforth, except on the occasion of an annual 
 visit to Witham at harvest-tide, where he in retreat practised the 
 strict rule of his Order, the connection of Hugh Avith the priory 
 ceased. He died, November 16, 1200, in the old Temple in 
 London, on his return from a long-projected visit to Grenoble and 
 the Grande Chartreuse. Twenty years later Hugh was canonized,
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. 99 
 
 and the number of worshippers at his gorgeous shrine at Lincoln 
 was only equalled by the crowds which were wont to do honour to 
 that of St. Thomas of Canterbury. 
 
 The church at Witham, and the alleged remains of the priory 
 domestic buildings at the farm close by, present one or two 
 difficulties. That the church is mainly the work of St. Hugh 
 is indubitable, but the question as to which church it is remains 
 somewhat in doubt. For at Witham Priory, according to Carthu- 
 sian rule, there were two churches, the major for the monks in 
 holy orders, and the minor for the lay brethren. There were 
 likewise two separate sets of domestic buildings. Now, from an 
 old life of St. Hugh, in the mention of the major church which 
 he built at Witham, we are led to infer that the edifice had piers 
 and aisles, a condition of things absent from the present church. 
 Consequently I can but assume it to be the minor church or 
 church of the lay brethren. A suggestion has been made that 
 Witham church was merely a parish church which St. Hugh found 
 there, and of which he vaulted the roof. Another theory is that 
 the church is merely the chancel of the major church, and that 
 it escaped destruction because its roof was vaulted with stone. 
 This theory is incapable of being sustained, from the discoveries 
 which were made when a third bay was added to the church 
 about the year 1876. It was then found that the walls had at 
 some time been increased in thickness, to render them strono- 
 enough to bear the vaulting. Internal evidence of a difference 
 in date exists in the side windows, which are circular headed, and 
 which, though they have been modified, have yet not been
 
 lOO 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 materially changed in form, while the vaulting of the roof is 
 pointed. It should also be noted that in lieu of vaulting shafts 
 there are corbels. Now in 1828 a stone tower was erected at 
 the west end of the then short church, and before building this 
 tower the w^est wall was removed. In 1876 the tower was pulled 
 down, and a half corbel disclosed in its original position, thereby 
 showing that the building had never extended further to the west. 
 An additional proof that the church was complete, though small, 
 is given by the discovery of the relics of a sanctus bell turret at 
 the commencement of the apse and not at the west end of the 
 chancel. During the alterations the original font was found 
 buried beneath the tower. This font dates from 1458, when the 
 prior, John Porter, obtained license to use a font in the chapel, 
 and at the same time to make a graveyard round the priory 
 chapel in which to bury the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. 
 The monastery was likewise to provide the requisite chaplain. 
 Collinson mentions the discovery of the rood stair, of the use 
 and intention of which he seems to have been quite ignorant. 
 A doorway was also uncovered in 1876 upon the north side of 
 the church, which was completely hidden in the wall, and which, 
 from the fact of a double plinth crossing its aperture, would seem 
 to have been the church door in the days before the walls were 
 thickened and the vaulted roof built. The discovery of this door 
 seems to confirm the notion that the vaulted roof of St. Hueh 
 replaced another of wood, and that despite the accounts given of 
 the churchless condition of the monastery a building of some kind, 
 devoted to ecclesiastical purposes, must have existed. It should
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. 10 1 
 
 in conclusion be noted that the flying buttresses on the exterior of 
 the church were only erected in 1876. 
 
 With reeard to the buildinsrs near the church, which are 
 alleged to be a portion of the monastery, I have grave doubts. 
 I looked with care, but looked in vain, for traces of a possible 
 conventual house, and it may be remarked that Collinson states 
 that the ruins were removed in 1 764, " excepting a small part 
 connected with the east end of the church." He adds that " a 
 farmhouse and another building have been erected on the site, 
 by which it appears to have been an extensive edifice." I confess 
 that this is a little confusing- ; but if we read " the church " for 
 "connected with the east end of the church," the matter becomes 
 plain. All vanished in 1764 but the present parish church. It 
 would be interesting, could the information be obtained, to know 
 somewhat of the two chantries at Witham of which the endowment 
 is recorded, one in the reign of Richard II., the other in that 
 of Henry VI. 
 
 At the Spoliation the manor of Witham, together with the 
 site of the priory, were granted by Henry VIII. to Robert Hopton, 
 the ancestor of the famous Sir Ralph Hopton, the Royalist whose 
 eminent services were rewarded by a peerage. Ralph Hopton 
 was born about 1601, and is stated to have been educated at 
 Lincoln College, Oxford, where he was a gentleman-commoner. 
 As a young man he saw military service abroad, and is said to 
 have escorted the Queen of Bohemia in her flight after the battle 
 of Prague. At the coronation of Charles I. Hopton was made a 
 K.C.B. In 1628 he was appointed one of the commissioners for
 
 102 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the draining of Sedgmoor. Hopton had already entered parliament, 
 being M.P. for Bath in the first jDarliament, and for the county 
 in that which lasted only a few months. In 1628 he was elected 
 for Wells, and continued member for that city during the Long 
 Parliament. His political principles appear to have been contrary 
 to those of the court at first, and he voted for the attainder of 
 Strafford, besides being on the committee chosen to present the 
 " Remonstrance" to the king. But by 1642 his views had changed, 
 and in consequence of his opposition to parliament on the question 
 of the " Five Members " and other burning questions, he found 
 himself committed to the tower, where he remained for ten days. 
 His military career in England began in the west, where he served 
 under the unsuccessful Marquis of Hertford. Next he worked 
 hard for the king in Cornwall, where he gained considerable 
 renown. How he routed the parliamentarian forces there, and 
 followed up his success by joining Prince Maurice at Chard, and 
 marching to Landsdown, near Bath, to give battle to Waller, are 
 matters of history. At Landsdown, Hopton was severely wounded, 
 and in that condition was carried to Devizes, where, from his bed, 
 he conducted the defence during the siege. The jealousy of Prince 
 Rupert, who insisted on obtaining for himself the post of governor 
 of Bristol, to which the Marquis of Hertford had appointed Hopton, 
 was allayed by Hopton's withdrawal. Charles wrote a most hand- 
 some letter to Hopton on the occasion, and on September 4, 1643, 
 created him a baron, by the title of Lord Hopton of Stratton. 
 After this the military career of Hopton consisted more in avoiding 
 defeats than in gaining victories. He had not only to fight the
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDAI.E. IO3 
 
 enemy, and in a falling cause, but he had to endeavour to counteract 
 the intrigues of his own party — intrigues mainly directed towards 
 depriving him of command. Finally he withdrew beyond the seas, 
 and died in exile at Bruges, on September 4, 1652. Being childless, 
 his estate at Witham passed to his nephew, Hop ton Wyndham, 
 who lies buried in the church. The arms of the Hopton family 
 are : Ermine, on two bars sable six mullets or, three and three. 
 Those of the Wyndhams are : Azure, a chevron between three 
 lions' heads erased or. 
 
 Sir Ralph Hopton's house at Witham having vanished, I 
 Avill but just mention the fact that it was in 1642 the scene of a 
 curious episode. It appears that Sir Edward Rodney, Sir Edward 
 Berkeley, and Master Dugdale, the chaplain of the Marquis of 
 Hertford, had established themselves there, and were raising the 
 country on behalf of the king, besides arming the tenants and 
 fortifying the place. Captain Pym, the son of John Pym, hearing 
 of this, determined to clear them out, and suddenly assaulted the 
 place, where, to his surprise, he met with resistance. Curiously 
 enough, the two knights and the chaplain were none of them at 
 home, but were presently descried approaching on horseback. To 
 meet them, out rode the lieutenant of the Roundheads, by name 
 Hayward, or Howard, and demanded their surrender, a summons 
 which they declined to obey. After a harmless flashing in the 
 pan of the Royalists' pistols and the Roundhead's carbine, the trio, 
 for some unaccountable reason, did surrender. Meanwhile the 
 assault on the house had succeeded, and the garrison there had 
 also yielded. Lieutenant Howard, despite his brilliant commence-
 
 104 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 ment as a Parliamentarian, nevertheless, later on, deserted his 
 party and turned Royalist. Being taken prisoner at Barnstaple 
 in 1644, he was forthwith court-martialled and executed. 
 
 From Witham I made my way to the interesting little town 
 of Bruton — a pleasant rural walk of about six miles. On my 
 left extended the ridge of hills forming the boundary between 
 
 Somersetshire and Wilts, 
 hills which are in places 
 very extensively wooded, 
 and where on the highest 
 point the triangular tur- 
 reted monument, known 
 as Alfred's Tower, domi- 
 nates the landscape. 
 Alfred's Tower was 
 erected by Henry Hoare, 
 the builder of Stourhead 
 House, in Wiltshire, 
 during the last century. 
 Bruton is a quaint old 
 town, which in Leland's 
 time was one of the 
 homes of the cloth industry. The observant old antiquary twice 
 mentions a stone three-arch bridge at the south-west corner of the 
 town, but does not name the elegant little footbridge, now called 
 Bruton Bow, which I have selected for a sketch. This bridge is 
 in close proximity to the spot where once the abbey stood, and
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. IO5 
 
 furnishes the most direct communication between the abbey and 
 the town itself. It is very narrow, wide enough at most to 
 admit the passage of a single packhorse. Far away in the fields 
 beyond Ilchester I remember seeing a similar single-arched bridge 
 some thirty or more years ago. 
 
 From coins in existence the fact that Bruton possessed a 
 mint from the time of Cnut to that of Edward the Confessor is 
 established, and the names of three of the then moneyers are 
 even ascertained. At the time of the Survey the manor belonged 
 to Roger de Courcelles, while the larger manor of Brewham is 
 assigned to William de Mohun. Whether the priory of Bruton 
 was founded by the Mohuns, or whether they merely greatly 
 increased its possessions, is at present an unsolved point. The 
 first known charter of the priory, however, is one of William de 
 Mohun, from the internal evidence of which I incline to the belief 
 that De Courcelles was founder and Mohun a ijreat benefactor. 
 Another version makes Algar, Earl of Cornwall, the founder of 
 Bruton in 1055, and states that Mohun refounded the priory in 
 1 142. The house at Bruton was of the Benedictine Order, and 
 a priory, but in 1525 it was converted into an abbey of Augustinian 
 canons. The priors, a somewhat incomplete list of whose names 
 is extant, do not seem to have included among them any men 
 of mark. On the Surrender, in 1539, the name of the abbot, the 
 second only, was John Ely. At Bruton I was informed that a 
 tomb just within the churchyard gates is traditionally that of the 
 abbot. On the Surrender, the site of the abbey was granted to 
 Sir Maurice Berkeley, Kt., who, making it his residence, pulled
 
 I06 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 down the church, we must suppose. It is to be remarked that 
 in almost every case' where the church of an abbey was retained, 
 the domestic buildings vanished, and vice versa. This is to be 
 explained as follows : it was held possible that the Catholic Church 
 might come to its own again, and therefore, in order to render 
 the resumption of conventual life in England as remote as possible, 
 either the ecclesiastical or the domestic buildinofs were demolished. 
 If the monks did return, it would only be to find a church to 
 worship in and no house in which to dwell, or else the dwelling 
 preserved but minus its necessary ecclesiastical adjunct, a church. 
 Bruton remained in the Berkeley family till 1668, when it seems 
 to have been sold, and remained alienated till 171 5, when it was 
 purchased by William Lord Berkeley, of Stratton. On the death 
 of John Lord Berkeley, of Stratton, without children, in 1773 
 the barony became extinct and the estates were sold. Of the 
 Berkeley family the most celebrated was the cavalier, Sir John, 
 who afterwards became the first Lord Berkeley, of Stratton. 
 
 John Berkeley was the youngest son of Sir Maurice Berkeley. 
 His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Killegrew. 
 Berkeley was first employed as ambassador to Sweden in 1636-7. 
 On his return he was knighted. In 1640, being elected member 
 for both Heytesbury and Reading, he sat for the former con- 
 stituency. The following year, being accused by parliament of 
 complicity in an attempt to corrupt the army in the royal interest, 
 he was expelled the house and committed to the Tower, whence 
 he was bailed by Lords Dorset and Stamford for ^i 0,000. When 
 war broke out, he served under Lord Hertford in Somersetshire,
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. IO7 
 
 and in Cornwall under Ralph Hopton. Berkeley greatly dis- 
 tinguished himself at Stratton, where Lord Stamford's forces were 
 defeated and pursued to Wells. As commander-in-chief of the 
 king's troops in Devon, he there besieged Exeter, where he 
 compelled Stamford to surrender. The next year, in conjunction 
 with Hopton, he was defeated at Alresford. On April 13, 1645-6, 
 he was compelled to surrender Exeter to Fairfax, and then retired 
 to Paris. His actions in connection with the negotiation between 
 Charles and the Parliament, which culminated in the flight to 
 Lymington and the subsequent imprisonment of Charles at Caris- 
 brook, are well known. Again Berkeley retired to Paris, and 
 was employed about the court. Later on he fought under Turenne 
 against Conde and the Spaniards, but subsequently, with the Duke 
 of York, he espoused the Spanish side. Berkeley was made a 
 peer by patent on May 19, 1658. On the Restoration he obtained 
 a post at the Admiralty, and in the following year was made 
 Lord President of Connaught, but the duties were carried on by 
 deputy. In 1670 he was appointed Viceroy of Ireland, and 
 continued to hold the office for two years. Three years later 
 he was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary to the Congress of 
 Nimeguen. He returned to England in June, 1677, suffering from 
 ill health, and died on the following 28th of August. Pepys and 
 Evelyn, in their diaries, give much information with regard to 
 Berkeley, who appears not to have been popular with the former, 
 but to have been on terms of the closest intimacy with the latter. 
 The arms of the Berkeley family are : Gules, a chevron ermine 
 between ten crosses pattee argent.
 
 I08 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Of the domestic buildings of the abbey, the home of the 
 Berkeley's, hardly a trace remains. The great hall was burnt on 
 Michaelmas Day, 1763, and twenty-three years afterwards the rest 
 of the house was demolished. Against the old abbey wall, a long 
 wall supported by fourteen buttresses, the present vicarage was 
 built some time since. Recently, in the paddock of the vicarage, 
 the arched cellars of the destroyed house were reopened. They 
 are, however, of comparatively late date with the exception of 
 one narrow passage, which may possibly be a relic of the 
 abbey. 
 
 Quite close to the vicarage stands Bruton Church, a church 
 which, though restored in recent times, and possessing a 1770 
 chancel, has got many points of interest, and moreover a tower 
 of great beauty. Perhaps the most uncommon portion of the 
 church is the north porch, which has above it two rooms, reached 
 by a turret-stair. It will be easily understood that this arrange- 
 ment converts the north porch into a fair-sized tower. Originally 
 the church of Bruton was a much smaller one, and the present 
 building dates from the end of the fifteenth century, when it 
 replaced the more ancient structure. It is dedicated to St. Mary. 
 Buried within the church, in a vault, lie many members of the 
 Berkeley family, but none of their tombs date back earlier than 
 1559- Of brasses or more ancient monuments there are none. 
 Here, as elsewhere, the carved roof of the church is a great 
 feature, and on the outside it is impossible not to admire the 
 pierced parapet both of the tower and on the south side of 
 the nave and aisle. Now it is to be noted that though this church
 
 WITIIAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. IO9 
 
 Stood almost as it were touching the abbey walls, yet it never 
 had any connection with the abbey, but was totally distinct and 
 in every sense a parish church. A ruined four-gabled tower of 
 two stories on the top of a rising ground near naturally attracts 
 attention. It is the remains of the columbarium of the abbey, 
 peculiar from the fact that the lower part thereof had evidently 
 been intended as a habitation for the keeper. I had seen at 
 Norton St. Philip, a few days before, another dovecot, attached 
 to Norton Grange there, but the Bruton e.xample is of far greater 
 interest, though not perhaps quite so peculiar as the mud-built 
 columbarium at West Bower, near Bridgwater. These dovecots 
 are common all over England and Scotland. Notable examples 
 exist at Haddon Hall, and at White Hall, near Shrewsbury. The 
 White Hall dovecot is decorated with a frieze of most beautiful 
 brickwork. 
 
 Opposite to the vicarage stands Bruton School, founded 
 originally, in 1520, by Richard Fitz-James, Bishop of London, 
 his nephew. Sir John Fitz-James, Kt, Lord Chief Justice of 
 England, and a certain John Edmondes, clerk. Sir John Fitz- 
 James, as a judge, is chiefly memorable for his participation in 
 the trials of the Carthusians, Robert Fearon, John Hale, and 
 others, for treason, in April, 1535, and in June and July of the 
 same year in the proceedings against More and Fisher. It seems 
 fairly well ascertained that he secretly sympathized with the 
 prisoners. One is more inclined to believe this from the fact 
 that he wrote, on September 2, 1535, to Cromwell, to intercede 
 on behalf of Richard Whiting, Abbot of Glastonbury, whom, he
 
 no 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 States, he believes to be harshly dealt with by the visitors 
 Layton and Co. Sir John died before May 12, 1542, and was 
 buried in the parish church of Bruton. Richard Fitz-James, 
 Bishop of London, was born at Redlynch, in Somersetshire. He 
 was educated at Oxford, and subsequently obtained a Fellowship 
 at Merton. In 1477 he was made Prebendary of Taunton in the 
 cathedral of Wells. In 1495 he became almoner to Henry VII., 
 and was, two years later, consecrated Bishop of Rochester. Nine 
 years later he was translated to Chichester, and on March 14, 
 
 1506, was again translated, this time to 
 London. He died in 1522, and was buried 
 in the old cathedral of St. Paul's. It is 
 worthy of note that Bishop Fitz-James built 
 Fulham Palace. The arms of Fitz-James 
 are : Azure, a dolphin naiant embowed 
 arcjent. At the Reformation the school was 
 suppressed, but was, by the advisers of 
 Edward VI., restored in 1549, and now goes 
 by the name of King Edward the Sixth's Grammar School. Some 
 of the buildings are ancient, and I particularly admired some 
 windows of small size, but of delicate work, which face the road. 
 Of one of these windows I insert a fragmentary sketch. In the 
 school grounds, and overhanging the river Brue, stands the pic- 
 turesque little tower of which a drawing appears at the beginning 
 of this chapter. 
 
 Passing over Bruton Bow, I made my way up into the town, 
 and found there plenty to interest me. I noticed particularly that 
 
 fill 
 
 mm 
 

 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. 
 
 I I I 
 
 inn signs of hammered iron were rather more numerous here than 
 in other places in the district. Two of those at Bruton are 
 extremely good in design, one in particular being noteworthy. 
 In the wall of a public-house, called the Crown, is a small oblong 
 opening with a shutter-grove round it, and cut slantwise, so as 
 to command the maximum range of view up the street. This 
 Is one of the now rare spy-holes through which a look-out used 
 to be kept for the coach in old coaching days. A fine example 
 of these is to be seen at the Sun Inn, at Dedham, Essex, where 
 the bow window of the kitchen- 
 
 coffee-room or bar has a glazed 
 spy-hole on either side. To 
 improve the view at Dedham, 
 the wall and door-post moulding 
 have been grooved. 
 
 In the High Street at 
 Bruton there is still a house 
 which, before the Spoliation, 
 was the dwelling of the prior. This is a rather remarkable instance 
 of a detached house in such close proximity to the monastery. 
 On the outside, and built into the wall, are some carvings. Of 
 two of these I give a sketch. The rebus and initials are those 
 of John Henton, Prior of Bruton in 1448, but the shield beneath 
 I have not identified. The other shield bears the arms of Mohun : 
 Gules, in a maunch ermine a hand proper holding erect a fleur- 
 de-lis or. The other piece of carving bears a shield or, charged 
 with a cross engrailed sable. Both these shields are those of 

 
 I 12 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Mohun, the latter being the older coat. Bruton Abbey had no arms 
 of its own, but used those of the family above named. 
 
 One spot more in Bruton needed to be visited, viz. the 
 hospital of Hugh Sexey. Bruton Hospital, compared with Abbot's 
 Hospital of Guildford, is only of small size, but it is still far from 
 uninteresting, having been erected in 1638. As a specimen of 
 late Jacobean work it is quite worthy of notice. The half effigy 
 of the founder within a frame surmounts the door, and beneath 
 
 
 this there is a dedicatory inscription, while at the top a small 
 oval bears the arms of Sexey, or what purport to be the arms of 
 Sexey. The triple windows of this old building are a refreshing 
 change from the ordinary mullion of the district. The chapel of 
 the hospital is of no particular interest, nor could I hear that 
 there was anything either curious or antique remaining among 
 the possessions of the charity. Nothing like the plate, mazers, 
 platters, Bible, and manuscript register of the Whitgift Hospital 
 in Croydon is to be found at Bruton.
 
 WITIIAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. 
 
 I I 
 
 Leaving Bruton, I turned my back on the railway station 
 and started up the hill, which leads in due course to Stavordale 
 Priory. The road thither was not too easy to find, but at length 
 I obtained specific directions which at once removed my difficulties. 
 
 r^^^^^' 
 
 Stavordale Priory was never of large dimensions. It was a house 
 of canons regular of St. Augustine, and was founded in the reign 
 of Henry III., according to one view, by a member of the Lovel 
 family. During the reign of Edward III. another Lovel added 
 a chantry. In the reign of Edward VL, 1443, the present 
 
 K
 
 114 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 conventual church, the sole relic of the priory and now the farm 
 house, was built by John Stourton. Ninety years later the priory 
 was attached to that at Taunton. At the present date the nave 
 of the church is used as a barn, while the chancel and north chapel 
 have been fitted up as a dwelling house. The chief interest lies 
 in the north chapel, which has been divided by a floor. The 
 lower portion contains some very curious corbels, of which I give 
 sketches of two. There is besides a beautiful cornice with rosettes, 
 and a small but elegant door. The panelling of the large arch 
 
 r. I/A^i 
 
 
 is very handsome, and my sketch of the upper floor shows how 
 the decoration is worked out above in a more elaborate manner 
 than beneath. It will be observed that the quatrefoil which is 
 present above is absent below. The upper part of this chapel, 
 now used as a bedroom, is most beautifully roofed with fan tracery, 
 the finials of which, though the semi-angels with which they were 
 once terminated are sadly damaged, nevertheless are still very 
 remarkable. Of such a degree of fineness is the work that the 
 finials are absolutely pierced towards the end, and it is possible 
 to put the hand quite through the opening. The heraldry of this
 
 WITHAM-FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. 
 
 115 
 
 
 sri5n/4%&K,)Li 
 
 roof is full of interest, showing the coats of Zouche, who had 
 married a descendant of the founder, Cantelo, or Cantelupe, Roos, 
 St. Maur, and Lovel. But besides the coat-armour, I found on 
 one of the smaller shields a curious 
 mark or badge, the which, upon re- "" 
 flection, I am inclined to consider a 
 merchant's mark, but how this mer- 
 chant's mark came among the coat- 
 armour of Zouch, Roos, and Lovel it 
 is hard to say. The question of 
 merchants' marks is so wide, that I 
 may be excused from discussing it 
 here ; still, I may say that in Somer- 
 setshire I enriched my collection 
 of marks by three, all different in type, and all of most uncommon 
 character. But, to return to Stavordale Priory, it is quite sad to 
 see how the heads of the angels, large and small, suffered at 
 the hands of an iconoclastic tenant, who not so 
 many years ago used to vent his spleen thereon. 
 Would that he had spared them, for the sculptor 
 or stonemason had placed all in rather unwonted 
 attitudes, the hands above instead of below the 
 shields. 
 
 Now there is one other portion of the building 
 which needs notice, and that is the roof of the chancel. This, of 
 which I give a sketch, has extremely handsomely carved beams and 
 brackets ; the corbels, too, are both elaborate and rather uncommon 

 
 ii6 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 in their plan. The roof is very flat ; still there is a slight arch 
 to the beams, and at the point of each is a curious boss. Of 
 one of these bosses I give the sketch, which I have placed as the 
 tailpiece to this chapter. Architecturally, outside, there is but little 
 to see at Stavordale. The nave, now the barn, was much blocked 
 on the occasion of my visit, so that I could not carefully e.xamine 
 it, still I noted the fine arch therein, and that there were the 
 
 Tw»ac L. 
 
 remains of a handsome roof with central bosses to the beams. 
 All the windows of the nave have been blocked, and the place 
 is therefore dark, so that if I nearly missed the piscina and 
 aumbrey, it is not to be wondered at ; and, by the way, there is 
 another piscina close by the present entrance into the house. In 
 the farmyard, which lies to the north of the church, there are 
 traces of the foundations of buildings, which may possibly have
 
 WITHAM- FRIARY, BRUTON, AND STAVORDALE. I I 7 
 
 once been the cloisters. It is a matter, however, of pure speculation 
 on my part, but I fancied that I could detect the enclosure, and 
 under all reservation express my opinion. 
 
 By the time I had finished my investigations at Stavordale 
 the day had nearly closed in, and I had to make my way back 
 to Bruton. This I did with all available speed, pausing only in 
 the field close by the priory to examine the stumpy fragment of 
 the ancient cross, round which for generations, on the 5th of 
 August, the annual Stavordale fair used to take place. But times 
 are changed, the cross is ruined, and the place knows its fair 
 no more. 

 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D'EVERCY. 
 
 From Stavordale I returned to Bruton, and thence passed by rail 
 to Yeovil, in order to visit Sandford Orcas, Trent, and Brympton. 
 Naturally I had opportunities for exploring Yeovil itself during my 
 
 s«MD>s'«wii ajtias- 
 
 stay, and I shall, in the course of this chapter, touch upon such 
 antiquities there as came under my notice. Sandford Orcas has 
 a curious name, the second portion of which is stated to be a
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. It9 
 
 corruption of a Norman family name. It would appear that the 
 manor was the property in those times of the Orescuiltzes, or 
 Orskoys. It is but fair to state that on one of the tombs in the 
 church the word Orcas appears as Areas ; the spelHng in this case, 
 however, is merely phonetic. In the reign of Edward III. I find 
 that a family, by name Knoyle, was in possession of the manor. 
 The year 1492 gives one of the same family as sheriff of Dorset- 
 shire and Somersetshire, and the present most interesting manor 
 house was built by one of his descendants, in all probability about 
 the middle of the sixteenth century. At Sandford Orcas, just as 
 at Whitestaunton, near Chard, we find the manor house and 
 church in close proximity, and, indeed, viewed from the top of the 
 opposite hill, there is a striking similarity between the two groups 
 of buildings. But Sandford Orcas has a gatehouse, which White- 
 staunton has not. This gatehouse forms a projection or small 
 wing on the north side of the dwelling, and does not lead directly 
 to the main entrance, to which access is obtained through a small 
 archway in the terraced garden wall. I have a theory that at 
 Lytescary there may have been a similar arrangement, and, 
 indeed, the relics of a small arch are still to be seen there in the 
 garden wall. 
 
 The porch, by which ultimately you enter the house, is 
 original, and has above its arch the coat armour of the Knoyles 
 in an ornamental lozenge frame. My sketch, taken from the 
 bowling-green in front, shows the general appearance of this old 
 manor house ; the gatehouse is the building half hidden on the 
 right hand, while the hall, with the drawing-room over it, stands
 
 120 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 on the left. Before entering the house, I could not help being 
 struck with the evidently loving care which had been expended, 
 not in restoring the exterior, but in preserving it. This seemed 
 to promise well for the interior, and that promise was amply 
 fulfilled. A few additions have doubtless been made to the 
 internal fittings, but whatever has been inserted has been in 
 character with its surroundings — of appropriate date, and, more- 
 over, genuine. A contrast indeed to Trent, which is to all intents 
 and purposes a very new house with two or three old and historic 
 rooms. 
 
 The hall at Sandford Orcas is a beautiful room, lighted by 
 the lower part of the great oriel window — a window which contains 
 some good heraldic glass. A fine oak screen cuts off the lower 
 end of the hall, and the fireplace has a very ornate carved oak 
 mantel. Round the room runs a narrow frieze of stamped plaster, 
 almost exactly similar in pattern to the frieze in the hall (now the 
 bar) of the Star Hotel, Yarmouth. Unfortunately the ornamental 
 ceiling, which was, I suspect, once to be seen at Sandford, is there 
 no longer. This is merely conjecture on my part ; but I must 
 aver that I never saw a room with a frieze of that date which had 
 not once possessed a decorated ceiling. In the upper rooms, 
 which are reached by two circular stone stairs, there are several 
 points well worthy of notice. In one bedroom the Royal Arms 
 stand out from the wall above a fine fireplace. Here it may be 
 remarked, that an interesting passage lobby-screen admits to this 
 room, while the bed is an extremely good example of the furni- 
 ture of its date. Another room also has a good bed, and likewise
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. 
 
 12 I 
 
 a panelled lobby-screen. In one little room there are panels of 
 at least three different dates. It is no part of my purpose to 
 write of the collections with which the house is stored, still I 
 may note their great interest and beauty. In the Visitation of 
 Somersetshire, 1623, the pedigree of the Knoyle family is given 
 for seven generations. The name is spelt Knoell, and their arms 
 are : i and 4, gules, on a bend argent, three escallops sable (Knoell), 
 2 and 3, gules, three pears or [Orchard ?]. The Knoyles inter- 
 
 
 married with some well-known Somersetshire families, such as the 
 Portmans and Pophams ; but for the most part sought alliances 
 beyond the borders of the county. Sandford Orcas manor and 
 the advowson of the church were purchased rather more than a 
 century and a half ago by an ancestor of the present owner, Mr. 
 Hubert Hutchings. 
 
 The church of St. Nicholas, Sandford Orcas, is mainly Per- 
 pendicular in style ; and the oldest thing about it is its font, which
 
 122 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 appears to be Early English. In the south aisle, which has a good 
 roof, there is a curious tomb to one of the Knoyles, William by 
 name, who married " Fillip," daughter of Robert Morgane, of 
 Maperton, Dorset, by whom he had four children, " and bee dead." 
 This must refer to " Fillip," for William Knoyle married a second 
 time, the inscription tells us, viz. to Grace Clavell, daughter of 
 John Clavell, of Barstone, Dorset, by whom he had issue three 
 
 sons and four daughters. William 
 Knoyle died January 21, 1607, aged 
 forty-nine. The arms of Knoyle, 
 Morgane, and Clavell are on this 
 tomb. On the south side of the 
 chancel, which, unlike the rest of 
 the church, is not Perpendicular in 
 style, but Decorated, there is a squint 
 or hagioscope. 
 
 Climbing the hill opposite to 
 the manor house, from which I 
 obtained the view I have already 
 mentioned, but which I regret I 
 did not tarry to sketch, I made 
 my way to Trent. The village 
 of Trent is most Interesting, and, though I was considerably 
 impeded in my outdoor investigations by torrents of rain, yet so 
 rich is the place in relics of the past that it was a matter of no 
 great difficulty to obtain a sufficient number of sketches. Besides 
 the church, which is most noteworthy, there are two, if not three,
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. I 23 
 
 manor houses, and also a fine example of a chantry house adjoin- 
 ing the churchyard. In the days of WilHam I. the Lord of 
 Trent was Robert, Earl of Moreton, and in the Survey, Ansger is 
 named as holding the place of " the Earl," of whom, besides other 
 estates, he also held Preston- Bermondsey, to which I shall draw 
 attention later. The descent of the manor subsequently is rather 
 involved, but is so interesting that, as an example, it may well 
 be set down in brief. It is an established fact that in the reign 
 of Henry II. Walter Brito was in possession of Trent. In the 
 first year of King John, Walter Croc, a nephew of Brito, paid a 
 fine of two hundred marks on being acknowledged heir of a moiety 
 of the estates of his uncle. This moiety he granted to the king 
 the next year in order that it might be transferred to Richard 
 Briewere and his heirs. Another nephew of Walter Brito, by 
 name Richard de Hasecumb, and probably coheir with Walter 
 Croc, two years afterwards surrendered the other moiety for the 
 same purpose. In the thirteenth year of King John, Richard 
 Briewere was possessed of the whole. He died without issue 
 during his father's lifetime. His father, William Lord Briewere, 
 died in the eleventh year of Henry III., and was succeeded by 
 his surviving son, also named William. This son, dying likewise 
 without issue, the estates passed to his sisters, Alice de Mohun, 
 Margaret de la Ferte ; his nieces, the daughters of Joan de Percy 
 and Griselda de Braos ; and his nephew, Hugh Wake. 
 
 Part of the rents of the manor of Trent were divided between 
 Alice de Mohun and the daughters of Joan de Percy, in the pro- 
 portions of 4^. ■jld. and 395. 2]^. ; but how long this arrangement
 
 124 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 lasted is uncertain, as later Trent is found in possession of the 
 De Braos branch. Some confusion now appears through the 
 introduction of the name of a Hawis Wat in the nineteenth year 
 of Henry III.; but it is not probable that the Trent lands he 
 held were the manor lands. In the reign of Edward I. there was 
 a dispute as to the right of possession of the manor. Now the 
 granddaughters of Griselda de Braos were four in number, Eva, 
 Maud, Eleanor, and Isabel, of which the first three succeeded to 
 Trent ; Isabel, according to Dugdale, having been wrongfully 
 deprived of her inheritance by Humphrey de Bohun, the husband 
 of her sister Eleanor. Eva bestowed one-third of the manor on 
 Studley Priory, in Warwickshire. The third of Eleanor was 
 probably sold during the reign of Edward I., for it is then found 
 in the possession of Robert de Seford and Matilda his wife. 
 
 The remaining third share was alienated by Maud to Henry 
 de Wollavington. Studley Priory retained its portion till the 
 Spoliation. The De Sefords sold theirs to the Le Chasteleyns, 
 of Suffolk, of which family in the Harleian Manuscript, 6152, 
 there is an interesting account. In the reign of Edward III. the 
 Chasteleyn portion of Trent descended to an heiress, Joan, who 
 was the wife of Roger Wyke, of Bindon, Devonshire. The 
 inquisition held on the death of her father is curious from the 
 fact that the date of her baptism was fixed by one of the Avitnesses, 
 who remembered going on that day with her father, Thomas 
 Chasteleyn, to shoot deer in Donyat Park. Two deer were killed 
 by the father, who presented the witness with the skin of one of 
 them to make a waistcoat, thereby to fix his daughter's age in his
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. I 25 
 
 memory. Roger Wyke pre-deceased his wife, who married John 
 Manyngford. The Manyngfords had a daughter, EHzabeth, who 
 married one Thomas Affleton. Again this third of Trent passed 
 away to another family, for the issue of the Affletons was a 
 daughter, Katherine, who married Hugh Stukeley, sheriff of 
 Devon. In the thirty-sixth year of Henry VHI. the descendant 
 of Hugh Stukeley (a grandson also named Hugh) sold his property 
 at Trent to a certain John Young. This disposes of two-thirds of 
 the manor up to the date of the Spoliation, for Studley Priory, as 
 I have said, retained its possessions till then. 
 
 The third of Trent, which fell to the share of Maud, the 
 wife of Roger de Mortimer, having been alienated to Henry de 
 Wollavington, remained with them till the reign of Edward HI., 
 when it appears to have become the possession of a Sir Thomas 
 West, whose son parted with the property to John de Terstwode. 
 In the reign of Henry VII., till which time the history of this 
 portion of the manor is wanting, we find it held by a member of 
 the Storke family, in the person of Tristram Storke. The Storkes 
 were west-country gentry, and had possessed lands in the neighbour- 
 hood in the days of Henry VI. Tristram Storke died in 1532, 
 leaving his property to four co-heiresses, and Trent fell to Mary, 
 the wife of William Gerard. The Gerards were then resident 
 in Dorsetshire, but claimed to be of the same family as the Gerards 
 of Bryn, in Lancashire. 
 
 At Sandford Orcas, though not at the manor house, as early 
 as the reign of Henry IV., there was also a Gerard, or Jerard, 
 family, who used different arms, viz. Argent, a chevron gules
 
 I 26 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 between three ermine spots sable. In the Visitation of Somerset- 
 shire the pedigree of this family is given, starting from Ricardus 
 Jerard, forty-fourth Edward III., and continuing down to 1623. 
 In 1618 a Thomas Gerard married Ann Coker, of Mappowder, 
 and had issue one daughter, Ann. Ann Gerard married Sir 
 Francis Wyndham. The manor house of the Wyndhams is that 
 on the north-west side of the church ; the manor house of the 
 Youngs lies on the south-west, and is now known as Church 
 Farm. 
 
 The heiress of the Wyndhams, a sister of Sir Francis, the 
 third baronet, married a Henry Bromley, of Horseheath Hall 
 and Holt Castle, Cambridgeshire. He was raised to the peerage 
 on May 9, 1741, with the title of Lord Montford, Baron of Horse- 
 heath. This title became extinct on the death of Henry, the 
 third baron, in 1851. The estate was sold to a Mr. Colliton, who 
 in turn sold it to a Mr. Francis Seymour, in whose family it still 
 remains. 
 
 Mr. Francis Seymour also acquired the remainder of the 
 manor, thus reuniting the thirds, which had been separated since 
 the sixteenth year of Henry III. The old manor house of the 
 Wyndhams is celebrated as having been one of the places of 
 concealment of Charles II. after the battle of Worcester, fought 
 and lost on September 3, 165 1. 
 
 The romantic adventures of the fugitive prince are matters 
 of history, and need not be here recounted, save so far as they 
 concern Trent. It will be remembered that Charles reached 
 Abbots Leigh, near Bristol, in company with Miss Jane Lane,
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMTTON D EVERCY. 1 27 
 
 and disguised as her servant. Finding it impossible to get a ship 
 there, they left under pretence of returning to Bentley, near 
 Walsall, in Staffordshire, the home of Miss Lane's father ; but 
 instead of going thither, on September i6, the fugitive and his 
 supposed mistress made their way to Castle Gary. On the 
 following day they arrived at Trent, where Miss Lane remained 
 for a brief period, until she returned with a cousin to Bentley. 
 
 The well-known quotation that the Wyndhams adhered to the 
 crown, even though "it should hang upon a bush," is derived 
 from the words of welcome addressed to Charles IL by Colonel 
 VVyndham on the occasion of his arrival at Trent. The colonel 
 repeated them as the commands of his late father, who, foreseeing 
 at the time of his death (1636) the troubles which were impending, 
 called his sons together and bade them be ever loyal. 
 
 Three rooms in the manor house have traditions of this royal 
 visit. The former kitchen, from the huge fireplace of which com- 
 munication was kept up with the room above, by means of a 
 string. This kitchen, now devoted to other purposes, has lost 
 all appearance of antiquity. The room above it, of which I o-ive 
 a sketch on the next page, with its heavy beams and dark panels, 
 is by no means cheerful. Behind the panels, two of which open 
 on hinges, a place of concealment easily discoverable, it is stated 
 that documents were hidden by the fugitive. In the panellino- 
 which lines the oriel of the hall at Ockwell's Manor House, 
 Berkshire, I have seen a panel of precisely the same kind. 
 
 According to the traditions of the house, the entrance to this 
 room, which is in one corner, was blocked by the bed of Mrs.
 
 128 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Wyndham in the next room ; but this I doubt, as the height of 
 the wall is not nearly sufficient to admit of a bedstead of those 
 days being placed there. Moreover, the prince would have been 
 caught like a rat in a trap had such an arrangement been carried 
 out, for the other entrance to this part of the house was hidden, it 
 is said, by a load of hay. In all probability the small hiding-place 
 in the roof, of which I give a sketch on the opposite page, was the 
 
 TK.S.WY" 
 
 place used for concealment during the major portion of the prince's 
 stay, brief and hasty visits alone being paid to the larger room, 
 and these only when the absence of search parties from the 
 neighbourhood was assured. But as hiding-places, neither rooms 
 would have availed to baffle for five minutes the experienced 
 searchers of the Parliament. 
 
 Church Farm, close by the church, shows several signs of
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON d'eVERCY. 
 
 129 
 
 antiquity in exterior, and at a glance, looking up between the 
 massive stone gate-posts, one recognizes that these are but relics 
 of glories departed. The windows on one side are of various 
 dates, and you enter the house by a flat-headed arched door. 
 Two rooms on the ground floor are interesting, one for its beautifully 
 carved oak door and heavily moulded beam, the other for a fine 
 
 €'?lei&%, TTRSM-'r W^M®fe-K10l!!l3g<. 
 
 Stamped plaster ceiling, beam, and cornice. The pattern is in the 
 main geometrical, with some heraldic badges. But I was delighted 
 in the top story to find the manor house chapel, and what was, 
 above all things, a few fragments of glass in the tracery of one 
 of its windows — a window in which the ancient shutter-hinees of 
 pre-glazing days were yet apparent. The glass was heraldic, and 
 showed the coat of the Youngs : Or, three roses gules, a canton 
 
 L
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 of the second. A part of the helmet remained, but the crest 
 had gone. The mantHng was gules and argent, while beneath 
 the shield was the date 1615. This date was reversed, and, as 
 a matter of fact, a part of the glass in mending the leading had 
 been placed inside out. From the farmyard I took the sketch 
 of the spire of the church which is given on page 122. 
 
 Trent Church is dedicated to St. Andrew. It is irregular 
 in plan, but picturesque withal. Specially to be noticed are the 
 tower and spire, which last, from the comparative rarity of spires 
 in the county, impresses the most casual observer at the outset. 
 The only answer to the rather natural query of how this spire 
 came to be in the place it is will be in the fact that Studley 
 Priory presented to the living. I am informed that the priory 
 presented the oldest of the bells, a view inferred from the inscription 
 thereon. The tower has a pierced quatrefoil parapet with corner 
 pinnacles, from which the spire rises. Beneath the parapet is some 
 delicate bracket work. The church cannot be called cruciform in 
 the literal sense, for though the south transept exists as a transept, 
 yet on the north side there is an unmistakable chapel. Here 
 there are two ancient stone effigies, one in plate armour, with 
 bascinet on head and helm for a pillow, in all probability the 
 memorial of Roger Wyke ; another, the figure of a younger man, 
 is clad in a long tunic and hood, with a sword. There is a third 
 effigy in the chapel, that of a late rector. The entrance arch to 
 this chapel is remarkable for the heraldic trees which are painted 
 on the soffit of the arch. These trees have blazoned thereon some 
 forty shields, belonging to the Gerards and the Cokers. It appears
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. 1 3 1 
 
 that in 1 792 they were correctly repainted under the supervision 
 of Windsor Herald, as time had dulled their colours and effaced 
 some of their charges. It was a judicious act, and well performed. 
 Would that in other places similar care had been taken to preserve 
 monuments. I will not here enumerate the coats blazoned, as 
 they may all be found engraved in Collinson, suffice it to say that 
 they comprise a most interesting and valuable record of the 
 alliances of both families. In this chapel there yet remain two 
 helms, two gauntlets, and a much corroded gorget. How rare it is 
 in Somersetshire to find in a church any armour, either funeral or 
 otherwise ! Ilminster, with its four helmets, is quite wealthy ! The 
 chancel screen is rather remarkable, not so good as either Dunster, 
 Minehead, or Norton Fitzwarren, but still a screen to be noticed. 
 Of benches and bench-ends Trent can make some boast, especially 
 in the case of those inscribed " Ave Maria," four in number. The 
 bench-end with the " Flight into Egypt " carved thereon is an 
 extremely good specimen, though hardly equal to the " Judgment 
 Day" at Bishops Hull, or the "Ship" and the "Windmill" at 
 Bishops Lydeard. Still it is almost a vain task to analyze the 
 bench-ends of Somersetshire, seeing that all those preserved are 
 good, while some are superb. 
 
 In the chancel at Trent is a curious monument, that of 
 Tristram Stork, of whom I have made mention before. On this 
 monument the coat armour is very quaint but very interesting, 
 dating from 1532 ; and it records that Tristram left four daughters, 
 his heirs, the fourth of whom, Mary, married William Gerard. 
 One other monument (also a mural one) needs notice. It is that
 
 132 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 of a Dorsetshire man, by name Thomas Hussey, who died in 
 1630, aged " neere 32." Thomas Hussey had married Bridget, 
 the daughter of Robert Coker, of Mappowder, Dorset. Above 
 this monument arc two crests, one (Coker), a moor's head couped 
 at the shoulders full-faced proper, wreathed about the temples, 
 argent and gules ; the other (Hussey), a boot sable, spurred or, 
 topped ermine, and bearing a crescent for a difference. A shield 
 on this monument has eight quarterings, the first and fifth being 
 themselves quartered. In the south porch there is a genuine 
 bier, dated 1757. These biers are now rare, but I regret to say 
 that, to make this one agree in height with the trestles usually 
 employed at funerals, some person or persons in authority have 
 attached legs to it. It would be well to have this at once 
 remedied. 
 
 I wandered out of the church and took my way to the 
 chantry house close by, pausing only to inspect the ancient but 
 mutilated churchyard cross. This chantry house was the residence 
 in former times of the chaplain or priest who served in the 
 chantry within Trent church. This chantry was founded by John 
 Frank, a Trent man, who became Master of the Rolls in the reign 
 of Henry VI. The site of the chantry chapel is not absolutely 
 known, but conjecturally it was the north chapel of the church — a 
 chapel afterwards annexed by the Gerards as a burial-place, and 
 subsequently used in a similar way by the Wyndhams. The 
 chantry house, as my sketch shows, is a quaint old building. 
 It has tiny windows at the ends, and one pierced quatrefoil 
 opening, which is centred by a shield. Inside there is a fine
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. 
 
 
 fireplace, the top of which is decorated by three quatrefoil panels, 
 those on the outside bearing blank shields, while the central one 
 bears a conventional flower. 
 
 In a house just across the road I noticed an ornamental 
 window of good design, and this may possibly be a relic of the 
 second chantry house of which there are traditions. At but a short 
 distance higher up the village street, on the left-hand side, stands 
 
 "TTRS-sfiT CM^WYJ^V mM^i'w 
 
 a fine old house, now occupied as a farm house, but presumably 
 in former days of far greater importance. Here I was informed 
 that stamped plaster ceilings and carved beams, like those at 
 Church Farm, were to be seen. But a prolonged course of heavy 
 rain had somewhat damped my ardour. I felt that I had every 
 reason to be satisfied with my day's work, and so, turning my 
 back on Trent, I made the best of my miry way to Yeovil.
 
 134 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 On a visit to Yeovil, and after an exploration of its streets, 
 the question which naturally suggests itself is : How is it that 
 the borough contains fewer vestiges of antiquity than are to be 
 found in almost any other place in Somersetshire ? When the 
 size of Yeovil is taken into account the deficiency is even more 
 manifest, since, beyond the fine church, dedicated to St. John 
 Baptist, the old chantry house in Middle Street, now known as the 
 Castle Inn, and the half-timbered George Inn, nearly opposite to 
 
 it, there is nothing. An answer 
 to the query is to be found in 
 the record of a disastrous fire. 
 This conflagration occurred in 
 1449, when a hundred and 
 seventeen houses were burnt, 
 among them being fifteen houses 
 belonging to the chantry of the 
 Holy Trinity, founded in the 
 parish church, eleven belonging to 
 the chantry of the Virgin Mary, and two belonging to the alms- 
 house. These hundred and seventeen houses were doubtless the 
 chief and most important dwellings in the town, and the escape 
 of the church was probably entirely due to its isolated position. 
 
 The church of St. John Baptist is in every way a noble 
 building — restored, no doubt, but in my opinion well restored. It 
 was built towards the latter end of the fourteenth century, appa- 
 rentlv on the site of a more ancient church, for beneath the chancel 
 is a crypt or undercroft, of undoubtedly early thirteenth-century 
 
 iTMll SflSTti.lfi^'iCilItc;
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. I35 
 
 work. This crypt has had the exact date of 1226 assigned to 
 it, a date which I have without success endeavoured to substantiate. 
 Why not 1225 or 1227? 
 
 And here I should Hke to insert a few Hnes on the subject 
 of assigning dates to buildings. It is so often found that a church, 
 of the building of which no record whatever remains, has an 
 exact date assigned to it without even the margin of a few years. 
 I have met architects who will positively declare that they can 
 name on inspection the absolute date of a building, and they 
 claim for their professional opinion absolute infallibility. A half- 
 century margin, or even a quarter-century, I can comprehend, but 
 to the reduction of that margin to twelve months I must object. 
 To me it appears that by this assumed exactitude much harm 
 is done, and I venture to assert here that without good documentary 
 evidence no precise date should be assigned. 
 
 To return to the crypt or undercroft. This interesting portion 
 of the church is entered by a vaulted passage, and is itself 
 vaulted from a central pier. It is now used as a species of vestry. 
 The nave roof is a fine one, and the unusual size of the windows 
 in the aisles is a feature in the church which differentiates it from 
 other Somersetshire churches. Viewed from the outside the edifice 
 appears to even greater advantage. The tower, with its elegant 
 parapet of narrow-pierced cusped-headed panels and charming 
 windows, stands proudly up. The same parapet, it should be 
 remarked, runs round the transepts. Another feature in the 
 building is the great height of the aisles. But to its position, no 
 less than to the harmony and uniformity of its style, the church
 
 Ijfe 'SOMETRSETSHIRE. 
 
 of Yeovil owes much, for it stands nearly on tlie edge of a sharp 
 'declivity, with a spacious tree-planted yard around it — a church 
 site not easily to be matched in Somersetshire. In monuments 
 the church is sadly lacking. There is a fifteenth-century brass to 
 an ecclesiastic, another of sixteenth-century date to a man and 
 his wife, and a third — a deeply-cut mural tablet — to Thomas 
 Hawker and his wife, the daughter of Richard Duke, of Otterton, 
 Devon. This tablet bears the arms of Hawker: Sable, a hawk 
 standing on a perch argent beaked and legged or ; impaling Duke, — 
 per fess, argent and azure, three chaplets counterchanged. One 
 object of church furniture is well worth notice, viz. the fine 
 inscribed brass lectern. 
 
 In ancient times, according to Collinson, there were six 
 chantries, viz. those of St. John Baptist, Holy Cross, Holy Trinity, 
 Virgin Mary (2), and Samborne's. Of these the second, third, 
 and last appear to have been amply endowed with lands and 
 houses. It would be interesting to know to which the old 
 chantry house, now used as the Castle Inn, belonged. Much 
 mutilated though the old place is, as a relic of antiquity it is not 
 without interest. The half-timbered house nearly opposite, which 
 is now the George Inn, from the comparative rarity of half- 
 timbered houses in this stone county, should be most religiously 
 preserved. That the front has suffered not a little from altera- 
 tion is manifest, but the alteration is not of recent date. The 
 wing at the back of the house is of the same age as the house 
 itself, and is approached through the old gateway. On the left 
 hand side of the gateway as you enter, a door up two steps gives
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. 
 
 137 
 
 admission to an old room, in which the cracked stone arched fire- 
 place is still to be seen. 
 
 Rather over a mile from Yeovil is the village of Preston, a 
 place which, in former times, was divided into two tithings, 
 respectively known as Preston-Plucknett and Preston-Bermondsey. 
 Nowadays it appears to be the feshion to drop the distinctive titles, 
 and to the majority the place is simply Preston — so much so that 
 
 an inquiry for Preston-Bermondsey elicits either a stare of astonish- 
 ment or a confession of ignorance. Yet Preston-Bermondsey owes 
 its addition to its connection with the mighty abbey of Bermondsey, 
 on the south side of the Thames. An abbey, like that of Barking, 
 the refuge for distressed royalty — for did not more than one 
 widowed queen die there in poverty and distress .'' Of Barkino-, 
 the place of education for ladies nobly born, as Glastonbury was
 
 138 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 for youths, what remains ? Nothing but the abbey gateway. Of 
 Bermondsey even less, for here the two huge hooks, deeply 
 embedded in a fragment of wall, and on which one of the heavy 
 iron abbey gates used once to swing, alone serve to identify the 
 spot. To the Thames-side abbey, at that time a Clugniac priory, 
 as far back as the year 11 26, Ansger gave two hides of land at 
 Preston to provide two chaplains at the priory to say masses for 
 his soul, the souls of his ancestors, and of all faithful departed. Of 
 this grant a confirmation by his son occurs, and before the end 
 of the twelfth century we read that the value of Preston to the 
 monks was £8 ^s. ^d. 
 
 There seems to be a difference of opinion as to the building 
 now called the Abbey Farm. Some assert that it had a monastic 
 origin, and was, in fact, the grange belonging to the abbey manor. 
 Others hold that it was merely a manor house. With the latter 
 view I entirely disagree. On consulting the Proceedings of the 
 Somersetshire Archcsological and Nattcral History Society, vol. xii. 
 (New Series), I find it under the heading of " The Mediaeval 
 House." Surely, however, the fifteenth-century barn at right angles 
 to the main house is of ecclesiastical origin, i.e. was built by 
 ecclesiastics for storing the dues so often paid in kind. The barn 
 is by no means a large one, and has a roof of a character which, 
 I venture to say, would not have been erected by a non-ecclesiastical 
 builder as a storehouse for agricultural produce. The entrance- 
 porch of the house has a good arch and stone seat, while the 
 inner arch is also of interest. On the right hand, as I take it, was 
 a room, with a small dormitory above, while a pleasant little
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AXD BRYMPTOX D EVF.RCY. 
 
 139 
 
 ^^^••^qkei.. 
 
 chamber looks out from above the porch. Externally, however, 
 the greatest beauty in the place is the chimney, which is octagonal, 
 and formerly consisted of a double tier of pierced panels. These 
 pierced panels have been bricked up, perhaps necessarily in order 
 to preserve the chimney from complete destruction. 1 had the 
 pleasure once of examining the fireplace belonging to this chimney, 
 and found it very interesting. 
 Altosfcther, thousfh of course de- 
 prived of not a few of its internal 
 features, the old fourteenth-century 
 monastic grange of Preston- 
 Bermondseyis better worth visiting 
 than many other far more belauded 
 places in the county. 
 
 From Preston- Bermondsey I 
 made my way to Brympton 
 D'Evercy, or Brympton, as it is 
 now generally called. Here I 
 found a wealth of material to 
 study. A small and curious, but in 
 
 many respects beautiful church, adjoining the churchyard of which 
 stands the old manor house of the D'Evercy family — for I entirely 
 repudiate the chantry house theory. At right angles to this, and 
 almost touching it, is the present manor house — a house of mixed 
 styles, ranging from the reign of Henry VII. to the days of Queen 
 Anne. I will first consider the church. 
 
 Brympton Church is dedicated to St. Andrew, and was 
 

 
 140 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 originally cruciform. Unlike the " celebrated " churches of 
 Somersetshire, it never had a tower, and except for a few addi- 
 tions, is either Early English or Decorated, in lieu of Perpendicular, 
 in its architecture. The south transept remains fairly in its original 
 condition, with an interesting arch and a fine window. The north 
 transept has, however, been subject to a curious extension or 
 alteration, for when a third chantry was founded, this transept was 
 prolonged eastwards, the roof being gabled east and west. This 
 makes what is really an extended transept appear like a chancel 
 aisle. Internally, this part of the building was used as two chantry 
 chapels ; it is therefore reasonable to sujopose that the south transept 
 formed the third, the presence of a piscina there lending support 
 to this view. Brympton Church boasts of a stone rood-screen, in 
 this part of the country a rarity. This screen is of Perpendicular 
 date, and though it has been somewhat mutilated, is nevertheless 
 in fair preservation. There are four open panels on each side of 
 the central door, with carved spandrels. On the west side of the 
 screen there is a stone bench-table — another rarity, and a feature 
 which in itself entitles the structure to more than ordinary con- 
 sideration. The north transept contains the tombs and font of 
 which I give an illustration. Here the evil effects of restoration 
 are very manifest. The carving above the effigy of the ecclesiastic 
 holding a chalice is original, but the head of the effigy is modern. 
 The figure of the lady in the other tomb is original, while the 
 carving representing the Crucifixion above it is modern. This 
 carving of the Crucifixion has absolutely been purposely but half 
 finished, and left in that condition, to give it the air of antiquity !
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND DRYMPTON D EVERCY. 
 
 141 
 
 In both cases the crenellations above the canopies are of later 
 date than the canopies themselves. Apologists for this Flint- 
 Jacquesque freak may possibly be forthcoming. Nero has been 
 excused, and even Henry VIII. whitewashed, but I trust that 
 the experimental "faking" at Brympton may never be taken as 
 a precedent for elsewhere placing young " restoration " heads on 
 old mediaeval shoulders. 
 
 "'""""''WgWWF'TOM (?« 
 
 In the north chancel chapel are two more effigies, a fourteenth- 
 century knight and a lady of rather later date. These effigies, 
 as well as those in the other chapel, according to Collinson, had 
 been turned out of the church in his day, and were then lying 
 nearly buried beneath the turf of the churchyard. He records 
 that the ecclesiastic then possessed a head and a shaven crown. 
 Between the chancel and this chapel is the curious tomb of one 
 of the Sydenhams. The tomb consists of a canopy supported
 
 142 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 by four columns, a central block, intended to represent a sarco- 
 phagus, and a lower tier, sculptured with skulls and bones lying 
 in confusion. The upper part is a mass of heraldic decoration. 
 One, the chief shield, has twelve quarterings, of which the first 
 is : Argent, three rams passant sable, horned or — the coat of the 
 Sydenhams. A strange inscription informs the reader that — 
 
 " My founder Sydenham, matcht to Hobye's Heyr, 
 Badde me informe the (Gentle Passenger) 
 That what he hath donne in mee is onlie meant 
 To memorixe his fathers and 's discent 
 Without vayne glorye but he doth intreat 
 That if thou coms't his legende to repeate 
 Thou speake him truly as he was and than 
 Report it (S'), he dyed an honest man." 
 
 Besides the monuments which I have mentioned, there are the 
 worn relics of several slabs, bearing nearly vanished crosses 
 and inscriptions, probably the memorials of thirteenth-century 
 D'Evercys. The exterior of the church is chiefly noteworthy for 
 the uncommon little square bell turret at the west end, an addition 
 dating either from the reign of Elizabeth or James I. 
 
 The history of the manor of Brympton D'Evercy is briefly 
 as follows. In early times it was held by the family of D'Evercy, 
 and so continued till Peter D'Evercy died temp. Edward II., 
 leaving a daughter and heiress, by name Anne. Anne D'Evercy 
 married Sir John Glamorgan, Kt., and died, leaving five daughters 
 co-heiresses. For a brief period the manor seems to have reverted 
 to a certain Dame Isabel D'Evercy, who was possibly the mother 
 of Dame Glamorgan. By Dame Isabel the estate was entailed
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. 
 
 H2 
 
 on the Glamorgans, and continued in them till the third year 
 of Edward III. Some little confusion has arisen as to the 
 identity of the next owners, but it appears that during the earlier 
 part of the reign of Edward IV. Brympton was in the possession 
 of a certain John Stourton, who settled it on his only daughter 
 Joan, the wife of John Sydenham, of Combe Sydenham. The 
 Sydenhams retained the property till it was sold early in the 
 eighteenth century. Brympton then changed hands more than 
 
 fi;s^?:rr«i)F*- 
 
 once, till in 1 730 it was purchased by an ancestor of the present 
 owner. It should be noted that there was a baronetcy in the 
 Sydenham family, which became e.xtinct on the death of Sir 
 Philip, in 1739. 
 
 I shall now consider the old manor house, which is sometimes 
 called the chantry house. This building, as my sketch shows, 
 stands at the north-east corner of the churchyard. The grounds 
 upon which it has been assumed that this most interesting
 
 144 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 fourteenth-century house is a chantry house are as follows : Firstly, 
 in the reign of Edward I. a certain Peter D'Evercy gave land 
 in the parish to found a chantry within the church. The land 
 amounted to forty acres. Secondly, it is averred that the archi- 
 tecture of two of the chantry chapels in the church corresponds 
 with the architecture of the so-called chantry house. On the 
 other hand, I would point out that chantry houses were not 
 usually built with an external turret stair to the first floor, a stair, 
 by the way, loopholed for purposes of defence. And it should 
 be observed that another arrow-loop exists in another part of 
 the building. Very unlike the peaceful abode of chantry priests 
 is this ! Remains of that which was once the hall show that 
 it formerly occupied the greater part of the first floor on the 
 right of the stair turret, with another large room on the left. 
 The hall roof, with unpierced cusped wind-braces, is plain but 
 original, and certainly not an apartment likely to be built 
 for a chantry priest. The fireplaces on this floor, one of which 
 has four handsome decorated stone panels, and dates from the 
 days of Henry VII., are still to be seen. On the ground floor, in 
 a room of which the ceiling is heavily beamed, I found, though 
 off its hinges, a very finely carved arch-topped oak door, but 
 whether belonging to the house or not I am unable to state. To 
 the room on the left of the stair on the first floor a Jacobean 
 stamped plaster ceiling has been added. As the building has long 
 since been uninhabited and used for a species of lumber store, 
 it may not surprise the reader when I state that on exploration 
 I found a fragmentary sedan chair forgotten in a corner, and
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. I45 
 
 various hatchments, which had been discarded from the church in 
 days gone by. The more I have considered the question of this 
 old building the less able am I to entertain the opinion that it 
 ever had a nearer connection with the chantry than to have 
 been the residence of its founder. And I will go farther, and say 
 that in probability this house did but replace an earlier manor 
 house, the real home of the D'Evercys, whose last representative 
 
 »<wiff 
 
 (certainly a wealthy man) built the new hall for his heiress, and 
 then founded the chantry for the good of his soul. 
 
 The west front of the present manor house presents a curious 
 complexity of style. On the extreme left there is the handsome 
 Tudor work of John Sydenham, enriched with its armorial panels, 
 crenellated parapet, fine window, and half-projecting turret. I 
 say half-projecting turret, because the west wall of the remainder 
 
 M
 
 146 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 of the house was, for some inconceivable reason, advanced many 
 years ago, when the original windows were taken out. At that 
 date (1722) the projecting porch was, I understand, added, but 
 as an oriel window to the hall, of which the door was by its 
 side. The present doorway in the porch was pierced and decorated 
 at a later date. Remains of the vanished Tudor house still exist 
 on the present front, in the shape of twisted pinnacles topped with 
 Sydenham " Rams," supporting one of the family coats. The 
 other heraldic decorations which ornament the carved panel band 
 on the left of the house consist of a fleur-de-lis, a Prince of Wales 
 feather and coronet, the arms of Henry VIII., as I believe, though 
 by some held to be those of Henry VII.— a crowned rose and 
 a portcullis. I am willing to admit that the crowned rose and 
 portcullis point to Henry VII., but the supporters to the royal 
 arms, as at present visible, and which may have been inserted 
 later or "restored," certainly belong to Henry VIII. 
 
 On the north side of the house the curiously irregular line 
 of the windows marks the place where the singular staircase runs 
 up inside. If it were not for the evidence of the external stone- 
 work, I should have believed these windows to be insertions, but 
 they are certainly original. The south front of the house comes 
 on one rather in the nature of a surprise, for, after the ancient 
 church, the ancient manor house, and the semi-Tudor front of 
 the present house, an immense Inigo Jones terraced garden-front 
 is hardly to be expected. Still, there it is in all its regularity, and, 
 be it known, with all the picturesqueness peculiar to the elevations 
 of that now rather unfairly depreciated architect. Believe me or
 
 SANDFORD ORCAS, TRENT, AND BRYMPTON D EVERCY. 
 
 '47 
 
 not, the garden-front at Brympton has its points quite as much 
 as the west front, and whether it is seen from a distance or 
 nearer from the flower-decked terrace, where the due alternation 
 of vase and ornament is broken only by a many-gnomoned cubical 
 dial, the place is beautiful. 
 
 Of the interior structurally there is not very much to tell. 
 The hall has been altered in days long gone, so that in lieu of 
 
 
 "■'■t'n'fliinjBim MBA ««l^ai»>i'*<te« ^aB^i^aiS^ ^ v«:W>fif^ 
 
 the roof or ceiling, which might be expected, flat plaster prevails. 
 The staircase I have already noticed. From differences in the 
 levels of the flooring of various rooms and passages, it is fairly 
 easy to make out the internal communications between the houses 
 of divers dates, thus getting an idea of the extent of the alterations 
 at different times. Naturally the larger and more lofty rooms in 
 the house, with the exception of the hall, are those of the Inigo
 
 148 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Jones wing. These are chiefly decorated in the style of the date 
 
 of their erection, viz. the reign of Queen Anne ; and to prevent 
 
 misapprehension on this point, I ought to state that it is on the 
 
 authority of Horace Walpole that the designing of Brympton is 
 
 credited to Inigo Jones. As all know, that architect lived from 
 
 1573 to 1652, and consequently could not have executed the work 
 
 in the reign of Queen Anne, though he did design it. Of the 
 
 collections and works of art with which Brympton is stored it is 
 
 not my purpose to write, though a good anecdotal chapter could 
 
 well written be on the pictures here, at Montacute House, Dunster 
 
 Castle, and elsewhere in the county. I must, however, in a brief 
 
 concluding sentence, express my grateful acknowledgments to Lady 
 
 Fane for the great kindness shown to me on the occasion of my 
 
 visit to this most interesting old English home.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 
 
 On the following day I proceeded to Montacute, a village situated 
 about four miles from Yeovil. This interesting spot I had pre- 
 viously visited on more than one occasion, and had explored the 
 streets, the priory, and the church. But hitherto I had not had 
 the pleasure of inspecting the interior of Montacute House. 
 Thanks, however, to the kindness and courtesy of the owner, I 
 shall be now able to insert into my chapter a description of the 
 inside of the mansion. Montacute is now a pretty village, but the 
 wide though rather desolate looking market-square tells us at once 
 that in former times the place was one of far greater importance. 
 Good old Leland calls it a " town," and mentions that its market 
 was even then " poore." The place is somewhat curiously situated 
 at the foot of a steep conical hill, which stands detached from the 
 ridge, known as Hamdon Hill — Hamdon, famous among anti- 
 quaries for its camp, and hardly less renowned for its quarries. 
 The original name of the village in Saxon times was Leodgares- 
 burh, a name which was subsequently changed to Bishopston ; in 
 the Survey, " Biscopestone." After the Conquest, Robert of
 
 1 50 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Mortain obtained the manor, it is stated, in exchange with the 
 Abbot of Athelney. Here on the summit of the conical hill he 
 erected a Norman castle, to which he gave the name of Montacute, 
 and this name was eventually applied to the village also. 
 
 But long before the time of the Conquest this little Somerset- 
 shire hill had acquired a celebrity of its own. In the days of Cnut, 
 upon its summit was discovered (miraculously, of course) the 
 celebrated Rood, which afterwards became the most treasured 
 relic of the mighty abbey of Waltham Holy Cross. The legend 
 is briefly as follows: The village blacksmith at Montacute, who 
 is also stated to have been sexton, was on three separate occasions 
 troubled by the same vision while sleeping. He dreamed that 
 Christ appeared to him, and commanded him to go at dawn to 
 the priest. The priest was to be enjoined to call together his 
 flock, and after prayer, fasting, etc., to climb the hill and dig. 
 Twice the blacksmith disregarded the vision, but on the third 
 occasion the figure, instead of being mild, was very stern, rebuking 
 the doubter, who in vain tried to excuse himself. At length the 
 figure seized him by the arm, leaving thereon the prints of his 
 nails. In fear and trembling the blacksmith sought out the priest 
 at dawn. The commands of the phantom were obeyed ; the flock 
 was collected, prayings and fastings were instituted, and finally, a 
 few days later, a move was made for the hill. Arrived at the 
 top, digging at once commenced, with the result that a large and 
 immovable stone soon barred further progress. While occupied 
 in laying bare this stone, the legend states that suddenly a cleft 
 appeared in it, and that within the cleft was seen a large crucifix
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 151 
 
 wonderfully carved out of black flint. But this find was not enough. 
 Lo and behold ! there was another crucifix, a small one, of wood, 
 as well as an ancient bell and an ancient book. In those days 
 Tofig, the standard-bearer of Cnut, was lord of the soil, and he 
 appears to have been dutifully informed by the priest of this 
 miraculous treasure-trove. Down to Montacute hurried Tofig 
 to take possession, and found that the excellent cleric had in his 
 zeal erected a booth or tent over the spot to keep these valuable 
 treasures protected from the weather. The pious Tofig was highly 
 delighted to find that the discovery was an absolute fact, and 
 speedily made up his mind what to do. Having placed the large 
 crucifix, the bell, and the book in a wain, he harnessed thereto 
 no less than twelve red oxen and as many white cows, but being 
 undecided upon what church or abbey he should bestow his 
 treasures, ordered a start to be made in an indefinite direction, 
 possibly intending to make up his mind later on. But the relics 
 had a will of their own, and objected to be carried where they 
 were not destined to go. So the wain, despite the efforts of the 
 team, could not be got to move. Tofig then tried cunning — he 
 was certainly a man of resource. With many pious ejaculations 
 he ran over a list of holy spots, in the hope that some indication 
 might be vouchsafed of the destined future home of the miraculously 
 found treasures. Still the wain moved not, till by chance he men- 
 tioned Waltham, in Essex, a place where he was building a cottage 
 or hunting-lodge. Immediately the wain rumbled off, seeming to 
 drive the twelve oxen and the twelve cows rather than to be 
 dragged along by them.
 
 152 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Such is the legend of the finding of the Rood of Montacute 
 and the foundation of the Abbey of the Holy Cross at Waltham. 
 The most amusing portion of which is, that it was needful to find 
 two crucifixes, in order that one might be left behind at Montacute. 
 But the effects of this cunningly contrived and executed fraud on 
 the part of the priest and the sexton produced wonderful results, 
 when we consider how Waltham Holy Cross furnished, or was 
 said to furnish, a warning of misfortune to Harold, and how it 
 indubitably originated the English war-cry. 
 
 Robert of Mortain, as I have said, erected a castle on the 
 summit of the hill, and was therein attacked by the men of 
 Somersetshire and Dorsetshire, who revolted against their Norman 
 tyrants. This was the last struggle for freedom, and terminated 
 in disaster. The accounts of the tortures inflicted by the victors 
 on the vanquished are very terrible. By William, the son of 
 Robert Mortain, in 1091, a small priory of Clugniac monks was 
 founded at Montacute, and dedicated to .SS. Peter and Paul. As 
 an endowment the founder conveyed to the priory the borough 
 and market of Montacute, together with exemption from tolls. 
 He also gave the castle and chapel the orchards and a vineyard. 
 In the time of Henry I., through the confiscation of the Montacute 
 estates, according to Leland, the priory was in great monetary 
 difficulties, and it was not until Reginald, the Chancellor of 
 Henry I., became prior that the monastery prospered. The castle 
 on the top of the mount was now in ruins, and Reginald utilized 
 these to make on this commanding site a beautiful chapel, which 
 was " rofed all wyth stone, covered verye artyfycyallye, dedicated
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 53 
 
 to St. Mychell, vawted within, with stayres made of stone from 
 the fote of the hyll to the toppe." The account which I have 
 here quoted, if it could be substantiated, would point to a vaulted 
 roof of far earlier date than that at Witham Friary. Leland tells 
 us that a chapel of St. Michael was at the top of the hill when 
 he visited the place. Now every vestige of ancient building has 
 disappeared from the summit, a small modern tower occupying 
 the top of St. Michael's Hill. Round the sides of the hill there 
 are traces of earthworks, which may possibly be remains of the 
 Norman fortress ; but of the stone steps of later times there is 
 not the faintest vestige. 
 
 A fairly complete list of priors of Montacute exists, but, 
 with the exception of Thomas Chard, the last prior but two, none 
 of them were men of mark. In 1207 the conventual church was 
 burned down, and it is curious to note that not even tradition 
 assigns a site for the new church of Montacute Priory which 
 succeeded it. Like the chapel on the hill, the church has vanished ; 
 but though we know where the former was built, the position 
 and size of the latter is merely matter for conjecture. To Thomas 
 Chard, whom I have already mentioned, we are indebted for the 
 beautiful gatehouse which still exists. Thomas Chard, so called 
 from his birthplace, was the son of one Tybbes. He was educated 
 at Oxford, where he was admitted B.Can.L. on January i8, 1505-6, 
 and in the following year took his D.D. In 1508 he was con- 
 secrated Bishop of Selymbria, in Thrace. Dr. Chard became Prior 
 of Montacute June 18, 1514, an office which he held until June 
 or July, 1532. In 151 7 he was also Abbot of Ford, and this
 
 154 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 position he held until March 8, 1538, when, in company with 
 thirteen other monks, he surrendered Ford Abbey, receiving a 
 pension of ;i^8o and forty wain-loads of firewood. Abbot Chard 
 died in March, 1544. 
 
 The gatehouse of Montacute Priory, as my sketch beneath 
 shows, is both interesting and picturesque. Above the oriel 
 
 l?lilf'X';jit.i'S-e 
 
 window, but now concealed by a Virginian creeper, are the initials 
 T. C, probably for Thomas Chard, beneath a rose and a mitre. 
 The oriel on the outer side of the gate is nearly, if not quite, as 
 good as that on the inner, but the absence of the unequal turrets 
 deprives that side of much of its quaintness. The details of the 
 carvings which decorate the panels of the windows, and also fill
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. I 55 
 
 in the crenellations, are chiefly heraldic. One feature more requires 
 notice, viz. the interior of the gateway. This, by means of 
 partitions, is now used as a room. The vaulting is of very good 
 type, and in one wall there is a curious fireplace, certainly of 
 very late date. The presence of this fireplace is somewhat of a 
 puzzle, as fireplaces in gateways are by no means common. To the 
 best of my remembrance, one in St. John's Gate at Colchester, and 
 one doubtful specimen in a hotel arch at Huntingdon, are the 
 only other examples. I have heard the Montacute fireplace called 
 Elizabethan, but entirely dissent from that view, for I do not 
 think that it is an insertion. When Prior Chard built the gate- 
 house, he for some purpose had that fireplace constructed in the 
 curious situation in which we now see it. 
 
 The name of the last prior of IMontacute was Robert 
 Sherborne, alias Whitelocke, alias Gybbes, who, together with 
 thirteen others, signed the deed of surrender, March 20, 1539. 
 Whitelocke was pensioned, receiving ;^8o per annum, as well as 
 a gratuity of ^20 and a house free at West Chinnock, in which 
 to dwell. He lived for one and twenty years to enjoy his leisure, 
 and by his will, which is extant, appears to have remembered all 
 his friends, whether clerical or lay, dividing his substance between 
 them and charity. One entry in his will is sufficiently amusing : 
 " To my lad James Kitto one fetherbed, one bowlster one pillow 
 one paire of blanketts one payre of sheets one coverlett of dornix 
 ij stillatories, one brasen potte to make aqua vita in, my little 
 amblinge mare with bridle, gurses & sturopps with all suche books 
 as I have of Phisicke and Surgery."
 
 156 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 The worthy prior, by will, desired to be buried in the " chancell 
 of the parrishe Churche of Saynte Katherin at Mountegue." 
 
 On the Dissolution the site of the priory was granted to 
 Sir William Petre, who sold it to one Robert Freke, from whom 
 it was shortly afterwards bought by an ancestor of the present 
 owner. 
 
 Close by the priory stands the Parish Church, in the churchyard 
 of which are the remains of the old Cross of Montacute. The 
 cross, which formerly stood in the street in front of the church, 
 was, for purpose of preservation, removed within the churchyard 
 between fifty and sixty years since. Of the cross the head is 
 missing, for now only the socket and shaft remain. The shaft 
 is square, and about nine feet six inches in height ; its edges are 
 moulded, and upon the west face, at the base, there is a niche 
 with a crocketed canopy containing a much mutilated image. This 
 image is, or seems to be, mitred, and to hold a pastoral staff. 
 Possibly it may be the effigy of one of the early benefactors of 
 the priory, some abbot of whom history is now silent. The church 
 is an interesting building, of which the earliest portion is Norman, 
 and originally possessed only nave and chancel. Afterwards 
 transepts were added, the arches of which are either late Early 
 English or Early Decorated in character. There are several tombs, 
 presumably of the Phelips family, the identity of which has been 
 the subject of not a little investigation. The questions involved 
 by these tombs are complicated by the fact that some of this 
 family are known to have been buried in the priory church, now 
 vanished; and it is just possible that on its destruction monuments
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK . 157 
 
 from thence may have been removed to the parish church. One 
 body, that of the wife of Richard " Philipps," of Winterborne, 
 Whitchurch, was, by will, directed to be removed from Langport 
 to Montacute. The heraldry on the tombs and monuments is 
 confusing, as it does not in many respects tally with the quarterings 
 to which the Phelips family by marriage and descent are 
 entitled. 
 
 The village of Montacute has a very old-world air about it, 
 and at a first glance, when v/alking in the street, this is most 
 noticeable. The reason is that nearly every house is built of Ham 
 Hill stone, many with mullioned windows and arched doors, after 
 quite an ancient pattern — a type to be found in the houses of 
 undoubted antiquity, and which, having been copied pretty faith- 
 fully in the eighteenth century, produces the effect described. But 
 an investigation of the date slabs in many cases dispels the 
 illusion. The market-place, where once, no doubt, a thriving 
 trade was done, is now a wide empty space. Did Montacute, 
 one is inclined to wonder, ever possess a market-cross ? In one 
 corner of the square, near Montacute House Lodge gates, stands 
 a quaint old house, at one time used as a school, on the projecting 
 oriel of which is a handsomely and quaintly carved device. This 
 device shows a shield, with the initials R. S., flanked, I cannot say 
 supported, by two " fools " whose motley caps are being seized 
 by a couple of grotesque monsters. The side panels have shields, 
 on the right hand a water-bouget, on the left a sword in pale over 
 a spear in bend sinister. 
 
 I now come to the fine old mansion known as Montacute
 
 158 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 felMj^, 
 
 House, built for, and still inhabited by, a good old Somersetshire 
 family. INIontacute House is, in the main, the work of the architect 
 John Thorpe, alias John of Padua, to whom we also owe Burleigh 
 and Longleat. It is curious to note that the life of this eminent 
 
 artist has never yet been written, 
 and that were it not for Horace 
 Walpole, in all probability even 
 his name would hardly have 
 been preserved. Walpole was 
 not, however, enthusiastic in 
 praise of Thorpe ; he commends 
 the " disposition of apartments " 
 at Montacute, but calls the 
 ornaments on the balustrades, 
 the porches, and the outsides of 
 the windows, " barbarous and 
 ungraceful." Finally, he sum- 
 marizes this architect's design 
 for Montacute as being in the 
 " bastard style, which intervened 
 between Gothic and Grecian 
 architecture." The custom 
 which obtained, towards the end of the sixteenth century, of 
 designing the ground-plan of a house to form the initials or one 
 initial of the owner's name, affected Thorpe, and he occupied his 
 leisure in plotting down on paper a house of which his monogram, 
 I-T, was the motif. His original draft is in the Sloane Collection,
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 59 
 
 together with a iJortfoHo of his drawings. The draft bears the 
 following jingle : — 
 
 " Thes 2 letters I and T 
 loyned together as you see 
 Is ment a dwelling-howse for mee 
 John Thorpe." 
 
 The hyphen in the plan was a corridor which joined the offices I 
 to the dwelling-house T. As an instance of a similar conceit, 
 I may mention the Horner manor house at Rlells, which was 
 originally built in the form of the letter H. 
 
 Opinions differ as to the respective merits of the eastern or 
 garden front of IMontacute and the western facade. The former 
 is the work of Thorpe, pure and simple ; the latter has been 
 embellished by a beautiful stone screen, brought thither from the 
 manor house of the Horseys at Clifton INIaybank, and still bearing 
 their arms. Both fronts are beautiful, but I must own to a pre- 
 ference for that on the garden side, with its balustraded garden, 
 quaint garden houses or " gazebos," and still more irregular minia- 
 ture temples surmounted by double stone rings. Of this side of 
 the house I give two sketches — one showing one of these 
 "gazebos," the other including about one-third of the house. 
 Nine curious statues are set up on this front, locally called the 
 " Nine Worthies." They are supposed to represent three Chris- 
 tians, viz. Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey de Bouillon ; three 
 Gentiles, Julius Csesar, Alexander the Great, and Hector; and 
 three Jews, Joshua, David, and Judas Maccabceus. It is a quaint 
 conceit, but not more quaint than the well-known hospitable
 
 i6o 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 inscriptions which, as eighteenth-century additions, are graven 
 above the portals of this interesting old sixteenth-century house. 
 
 The interior of Montacute House, though possessing most 
 of the architectural features to be expected in a mansion of its 
 size and date, is lacking in one particular, viz. that it has not 
 anything approaching to a grand staircase. A rather remarkable 
 omission, but possibly to be accounted for from the fact that the 
 
 
 ^A'l':..'^'--- 
 
 depth of the house is very small in comparison to its length. 
 The great hall, which occupies a large portion of the central 
 range of the house, is a very fine room. At one end a curious 
 screen, pierced with two arched openings and surmounted with 
 the conventional carving of its date, shuts off a passage. At the 
 other end is a large bas-relief, representing the Somersetshire 
 custom of riding "Skimmington," or, as it is called in the north 
 of England, " Riding the Stang." This curious custom was, it
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. l6l 
 
 is said, intended to ridicule a man who has been beaten by his 
 wife. Strype, in his continuation of Stowe, mentions that in the 
 year 1562, on Shrove Monday, at Charing- Cross, a man was 
 carried by four men, with bagpipes, shawm, and drum played in 
 front of him, and twenty linkmen to bring up the rear. The 
 cause of this procession was that his " next neighboti,r s zvi/e had 
 beaten her husband" though why an innocent man should have 
 been thus introduced into the affair passes all comprehension. 
 In " Hudibras," part ii., canto ii., Butler gives a lengthy and 
 racy description of the custom, and there is also an allusion to it 
 in the first volume of " State Poems," 1703, as follows: — 
 
 " A punishment invented first to awe 
 Masculine wives, transgressing nature's law ; 
 Where when the brawny female disobeys. 
 And beats her husband, 'till for peace he prays, 
 No concern'd jury damage for him finds, 
 Nor partial justice her behaviour binds ; 
 But the just street does the next house invade, 
 Mounting the neighbour couple on lean jade ; 
 The distaff knocks, the grains from kettle fly. 
 And boys and girls in troops run hooting by." 
 
 Here we have a slight difference, in which the next couple are 
 mounted on a sorry jade, while ordinarily a pole was used. It 
 should be observed that the word " stang " means stake, wooden 
 bar or post. 
 
 " When I'm in pomp on high processions shown 
 Like pageants of lord may'r or skimmington," 
 
 writes Oldham in one of his satires, thereby intimating that he 
 had no very high opinion of the great civic show. As far as I 
 
 N
 
 l62 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 have been able to learn, no other bas-reHef representing this 
 quaint custom is known to exist. At Montacute itself the word 
 used is " Skimmetty," not " Skimmington ; " while in the " Somerset- 
 shire Glossary" I find a third variant, viz. " Skimmerton." In the 
 glossary the custom is described as follows : " The effigy of a man 
 or woman unfaithful to marriage vows carried about on a pole 
 accompanied by rough music from cow's-horns and frying-pans. 
 Formerly it consisted of two persons riding on a horse back to 
 back, with ladles and marrowbones in hand, and was intended to 
 ridicule a hen-pecked husband." I am inclined to doubt the 
 interpretation given in the glossary, and fancy that the compiler 
 had in his mind the custom of burning Mommicks, or Mommets, 
 an exhibition of which I saw at Ilchester Meads rather more 
 than thirty years ago. " Skimmington " ridiculed the husband 
 beater, the burning of "Mommets" the unfaithful husband or wife. 
 The large dining-room at Montacute is a fine apartment, 
 handsomely panelled with a frieze decorated alternately with 
 Phelips coat armour and quite a menagerie of curious animals. 
 A less spacious room, known as the small dining-room, has an 
 armorial fireplace dated 1599; its walls are panelled, the panels 
 running behind the double pillars on either side of the mantel- 
 piece. I rather hold the opinion that these panels are not in 
 their original position, but belonged to the former home of the 
 family. The date of the fireplace is the date of the house, and 
 the panelling of the room, unless I am much mistaken, is at least 
 thirty or forty years older. Of course the Great Gallery, which 
 runs the entire length of the house, was meant to be the chief
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-IIAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 
 
 i6- 
 
 apartment in the place, and probably was in the days prior to 
 the Civil War. Then, alas ! its furniture, books, and hangings 
 were destroyed, and it is to be feared that much of the heraldic 
 glass which decorated its windows perished at the same time. 
 A gallery, which is sixty yards in length, and occupies nearly the 
 whole of the top floor of a house, is slightly inconvenient in these 
 days, however stately it may have been considered in years gone 
 
 Wti'MTftSbTa 
 
 by. With one exception, all the galleries that I have seen else- 
 where have been on a lower floor ; the exception I allude to is 
 at Hazeleigh, in Essex, where the relics of a panelled gallery are 
 still in position amid the rafters of the roof, and, in these days, 
 only to be seen after climbing through a trapdoor. 
 
 I have purposely left the best room in the house until the 
 last — I mean the Library. This beautiful room has a very fine 
 fireplace, but its chief charm lies in the splendid collection of, for
 
 164 SOMERSETSHIRli. 
 
 the most part, ancient heraldic glass which adorns the windows. 
 Some of this glass dates from the year in which the house was 
 built, but other shields appear to me to be older still, and pro- 
 bably were removed here from some former hall or gallery. The 
 curious fact about this glass is that it not only includes the family 
 coats, but also the coats of several of the nobility, of a great 
 number of Somersetshire gentry and of others. This is the 
 carrying out in window decoration of an old custom generally 
 confined to mural adornment, and though to be found elsewhere, 
 is not to be found on so large a scale. Had only the whole of 
 the glass which was once at Montacute been spared, the series 
 would have been simply unrivalled. A few of the shields have 
 been inserted in recent years, but merely for the sake of producing 
 uniformity. The windows in the library are four in number, of which 
 one is a large bay. They contain in all forty-two coats of arms, 
 some of the shields having as many as sixteen quarterings, so that 
 to blazon the whole, or even to give where possible the bare names 
 of the families to which they belong, would require more space 
 than I have at my disposal. A similar reason prevents more than 
 the simple mention of the singularly complete series of family 
 portraits which literally hide the walls of both rooms and passages. 
 The Phelips Family are known to have been settled at Monta- 
 cute as far back as the year 1480, when the then head of the 
 family, Thomas Phelipp, armiger, lived there on his own estate. 
 Traditionally, this family migrated into Somersetshire from Wales 
 some long time previously, but I here merely treat of its connec- 
 tion with Montacute. The grandson of Thomas Phelipp, also
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 65 
 
 Thomas, succeeded to the estates in 1560. The name was now 
 spelt Phelips. 
 
 Thomas PheHps had four sons and two daughters. The 
 eldest son, John Phehps, Hved at Corfe Mullen, in Dorsetshire, 
 and sat for Poole in the year 1555. This branch is represented 
 by Sir John Alexander Hanham, Bart. The second son, Thomas, 
 married Jane Farwell, of Bishops Hull, Taunton, and lived at 
 Barrington, near Ilminster. I shall write of Barrington in a future 
 chapter. In this branch was a baronetcy, created 1619-20, in 
 the person of Sir Thomas Phelips, but it became extinct seventy 
 years later. A document, dated December 5, 1620, shows that 
 the title cost Sir Thomas ^iioo. The third son, Edward, suc- 
 ceeded to Montacute. Edward Phelips was Master of the Rolls, 
 Chancellor to Henry, Prince of Wales, and Speaker of the House 
 of Commons. He was knighted as a reward for his many services. 
 Sir Edward, in 1580, commenced to build the present Montacute 
 House, and finished it in 1601. Dying in 1 614, he was succeeded 
 by his eldest son, Robert, also a knight, and M.P. for Somerset- 
 shire. Sir Robert accompanied Buckingham to Spain when the 
 Spanish match was projected. Subsequently, having fallen into 
 disfavour owing to his opposition to the king in Parliament, he 
 was, on the Prorogation (1622), sent to the Tower. A petition, 
 dated April 12 of the same year, and written by his brother, was 
 addressed to the king. The petition sets forth that his brother. 
 Sir Robert, had retired to his country house during the last recess 
 of Parliament, where he was arrested by a sergeant-at-arms at 
 Christmas, brought before the Council, and committed close
 
 1 66 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 prisoner to the Tower. Neither the petitioner nor the prisoner's 
 wife were allowed access. Commissioners, he states, were sent 
 to examine Sir Robert, but they have not done so since the first 
 week of his imprisonment, which has now lasted three months. 
 This petition is indorsed : " Petition to his Ma''" for y" release or 
 enlargement of a Parliam' man close prisoner in y° Tower." The 
 king received the petition, but refused to release the prisoner. 
 Sir Robert was still in durance on July i, but was set at liberty 
 about six weeks later; at any rate, he was free on August lo. 
 Unfortunately the petition of the brother is unsigned, so it is 
 impossible to say whether the writer was Richard or Francis. 
 
 To Sir Robert succeeded the Royalist Colonel Edward 
 Phelipps, who suffered greatly for his loyalty. His house was 
 sacked and his property sequestrated. Colonel Phelipps compounded 
 on the Exeter articles, April 30, 1646, for delinquency in deserting 
 the Parliament, being a member of the House of Commons. On 
 June 16 the fine was assessed at ^3191 13^. 4^. at one-third, and 
 ^1267 i2,s. ifd. at one-tenth. He was granted a licence for thirty 
 days on July 24, to fetch the money and pay it. This amount 
 appears to have been paid on December 18, 1647, but Fellowes in 
 his list, probably by mistake, gives the sum as ;^ii76 13^. a,d. On 
 November 22, 1650, Colonel Phelipps of Montacute obtained a 
 licence to repair to Wells and reside there, on giving security for 
 ;^2000 himself and finding two other securities in ^1000 each, to 
 appear before the Council when summoned and be of good behaviour. 
 He died in 1679, aged 66. Colonel Edward Phelipps had a 
 younger brother Robert, also a colonel in the royal army. Robert
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 67 
 
 Phelipps was one of those who assisted Charles II. after the battle 
 of Worcester. On August 13, 1653, he was committed to the 
 Tower, where his wife Agneta, whose trunks and chamber had 
 already been searched at Salisbury, was permitted to join him. She 
 reached the Tower on September 12. A fortnight later the colonel 
 petitioned the Council to render his imprisonment less close by some 
 relaxation of its conditions. The petition was granted, and before 
 November 12 the prisoner managed to effect his escape. Very 
 numerous are the documents relating both to Colonel Edward 
 Phelipps and his brother Robert to be found among the State 
 Papers, but for extracts therefrom, unfortunately, space cannot be 
 given. On the Restoration, Robert Phelipps was made Chancellor 
 of the Duchy of Lancaster. He died in 1707, aged 89. 
 
 The next owner of Montacute was Edward, the eldest son of 
 Colonel Edward. From his letters, signed " Edward Phelipps, 
 Junior," it is clear that during his father's lifetime he took a very 
 active part in county business. 
 
 At this period Somersetshire was far from being reconciled 
 to the Restoration. In July, 1662, Phelipps and William Helyar, 
 writing to Secretary Nicholas from Yeovil, speak of the "ill- 
 humours that disturbed the kingdom " still abounding, and add 
 that the cause is to be found in the remissness of the Government 
 in " sending orders for the militia" since the late Act. They beg 
 their speedy despatch, and send an information. Five days later, 
 July 12, Sir Hugh Smythe and Edward Phelipps write from Hinton 
 that they have discovered further disorders, and fear a general design 
 to disturb the nation. They have secured suspicious persons, and
 
 1 68 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 want some militia sent into Taunton. A general refusal on the 
 part of discontented persons to the payment of rates and taxes is 
 also reported. They also forward the examination of Paul Ball of 
 Taunton, which contains the particulars of the plan of an intended 
 rising. Ludlow is to be general, and Desborough the lieutenant- 
 general. Drums are to be beaten for liberty of conscience, the 
 sheriffs are to be summoned to declare for them, and if they refuse 
 are to be hewn in pieces. The malcontents aver that they are not 
 afraid of the militia. A week later orders come to Edward Phelipps 
 to search certain houses, and to suppress any attempts at insurrection, 
 by his old powers until the new commissions for lords-lieutenant of 
 the Militia Act be despatched. On July 19 Secretary Nicholas 
 writes intimating that the king approves their efforts to check the 
 disturbances by placing two companies of foot in the " factious town 
 of Taunton," and securing suspicious persons. The arrest of our 
 old friend Colonel Buffett, alias Bovett, is ordered in the same 
 paper, together with that of Captain Ouarle. 
 
 Bristol was the next place which occupied the attention of 
 Edward Phelipps, who, together with Sir John Sydenham, was 
 engaged in rooting out disaffection there. Failure, however, attended 
 their efforts to make arrests, their agent being suspected. On 
 November i, 1662, in a letter dated from Montacute, Edward 
 Phelipps, junior, writes to Muddiman informing him that the soldiers 
 are dismissed after securing certain disaffected persons. The horse 
 went from Yeovil to Chard, where the Commissioners for regulating 
 Corporations met to tender the oaths to the mayor and others. 
 The aldermen refused to take the oaths, and were bound over.
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 69 
 
 The mayor, being in an absolute loyal minority, subscribed a 
 request to the king to call in the charter, there not being honest 
 men enough to carry on the Government. Nearly a year later 
 he again writes detailing how only one nonconformist was tried 
 at the sessions, and he released on a fine. Rumours of a rising, 
 he says, are rife, and Ludlow is reported to be in the county. 
 He then mentions that he is to meet the " Devil of Dulverton " 
 and the Mayor of Tiverton at Dulverton. On November 7, 
 writing to Williamson, Phelipps states that "there are no meetings 
 now ; " for on the first discovery " the face of things changed," and 
 people began to conform to Church discipline. He mentions that 
 " a new sort of people commit notorious robberies, one of whom 
 has £ico and another ^200 a year." They attacked the house 
 of a Mr. Gray, but were repulsed. Only two of the gang had 
 been captured up to date. But the meetings had not ceased, 
 for on February 6, 1664, he again writes to Williamson informing 
 him that the Separatists continue to hold their assemblies " under 
 the nose of authority." Two hundred met within a mile of the 
 garrison church, and others at Colonel Steand's, but the militia 
 disturbed them. Prisoners were taken, and these refusing to be 
 bound over were committed. The colonel first tried to excite a 
 mutiny among the militia, and on failing made his escape. He 
 reports that the gaol is so full that an assize is longed for, lest 
 sickness break out. At these assizes seven were condemned, one 
 being "a witch who in part confessed that she had power to kill in 
 that way." 
 
 Matters had now quieted down, or were supposed to have.
 
 1 70 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 if the last letter, which I shall extract, is any criterion. It is 
 dated from Montacute on October 26, 1664. Therein Edward 
 Phelipps informs Muddiman that he has been at Dorchester, where 
 the Duke of Richmond is "recreating himself with hunting," 
 and has reviewed all the militia at Blandford. The militia, he 
 adds, "behave so nobly and civilly as to beget terror in the 
 disaffected, and encourage the loyal"! Mr. Edward Phelipps was 
 subsequently knighted, and died in 1699. The family name is 
 now written Phelips. 
 
 Arms — Quarterly : ist and 4th argent, a chevron gules 
 between three roses of the last, seeded and leaved ppr. ; 2nd and 
 3rd or, on a chevron engrailed vert, three eagles' heads erased 
 
 argent. 
 
 The family crest, a very remarkable one, is a square beacon 
 (or chest) on wheels or, filled with fire ppr. 
 
 From Montacute House I retraced my steps to the Priory, 
 and thence made my way to the beautiful lane which is one route 
 to the famous camp on Hamdon Hill. This lane is not by any 
 means a long one, but it is certainly the most picturesque byway 
 that I met with in the course of my wanderings. High, tree-grown 
 banks on either side, overhead a canopy of interlacing oak boughs, 
 and beneath the feet a sparse carpet of oak leaves and acorns. 
 At the time of my visit the first fall of the leaf had just taken 
 place, and the village children, armed with baskets, were hastily 
 collecting acorns while still they might be found with ease. The 
 crop of acorns this year was abnormal, and many a score of bushels 
 did I see carefully stored in barn or granary, so much so that I
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 171 
 
 wondered where they could possibly have come from. To a 
 stranger to Somersetshire in autumn it is rather a novelty to see 
 acorns collected while apples lie rotting in orchard or even by 
 the roadside. 
 
 Presently I reached a side path to which I had been directed, 
 and, making my way across a couple of fields, soon found myself 
 at the famous camp. My first business was of course to make a 
 circuit as far as I could — no easy matter in half a gale of wind, 
 which seemed mysteriously to have sprung up since I left Monta- 
 cute. The plan of the earthworks cannot be readily described ; at 
 least, there is no particular figure to which it can be likened. 
 Imagine a large irregular rude parallelogram with a projecting flat- 
 ended spur on its north-west corner, the total area enclosed being 
 about two hundred acres, rather more than less, and the circumfer- 
 ence as near as possible three miles. Here and there in the sides 
 of the hill gullies or combes run down into the plain beneath, one 
 of which, the largest, is specially designated " The Combe." Round 
 the top of this hill and its spur run these mighty entrenchments — 
 entrenchments made and in use long ages before the Romans came, 
 but so made that the Roman conquerors found the defences of the 
 spur capable of adaptation. Hence, while we have the main camp 
 with its main entrance of prehistoric age, we have on the spur 
 distinct traces of Roman military occupation. That this semi- 
 detached portion of the hill range should have been selected by the 
 Romans is not to be wondered at, for though not perfectly quad- 
 rangular, it is at any rate fairly so, and the position was from a 
 military point of view one of immense strength. Here in one
 
 1 72 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 corner we have a small excavation locally called " The Frying-pan," 
 but, according to competent authorities, the camp amphitheatre. 
 Close by this amphitheatre, until they were nearly all maliciously 
 destroyed, stood those curious rows of holed stones which have 
 occasioned most animated antiquarian discussions, and formed the 
 subjects for archaeological papers innumerable. The size of these 
 stones was rather over twenty inches in height, fourteen in width, 
 and four in thickness. They were buried usually to the depth 
 of about their width, and the holes, which were rudely square, were 
 pierced in the portion which remained above the surface. The 
 use of these curious posts is completely unknown, and no other 
 examples elsewhere have been met with as far as I can ascertain. 
 One suggestion made is that they were intended for cavalry to 
 picket their horses, another that poles were thrust through the 
 orifices to make seats. Probably neither of these suggestions is 
 anywhere near the truth. 
 
 From the summit of Hamdon Hill the view around is simply 
 magnificent. To the north the country lies stretched out before 
 me till the Mendips close the distance. To the south and west 
 I see the county of Dorset, with what I take to be Lambert's 
 Castle — itself a camp — round whose breezy heights I have 
 rambled many a time in years gone by. Eastward, and Wilt- 
 shire comes in view, with its border marked by "Alfred's Tower." 
 Westward, and I look over pleasant Somersetshire in the direction 
 of Taunton, but fail to discern the small wooded camp of Norton 
 Fitzwarren, a few miles from that place. Turning my glance 
 a little to the north-west, I can just make out the Ouantocks,
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 73 
 
 which from this point appear to be distant about as far as the 
 Mendips. 
 
 Of the fighting which must have taken place in and around 
 this ancient stronghold we know hardly anything. One portion 
 of the hill is still designated " Butcher Hill," and there a few years 
 ago rude iron weapons were found — pretty conclusive evidence of 
 a fierce bygone fight. In Norman times it was here in all proba- 
 bility that the revolted Saxons met with defeat and disaster at the 
 hands of Robert of Mortain, when, by the aid of timely reinforce- 
 ments, he sallied forth from his castle on Montacute Hill and 
 crushed the patriotism of the Saxon west. 
 
 Nestling beneath the steep side of the hill is the village of 
 West Stoke, which, together with its neighbour. East Stoke, com- 
 poses the parish of Stoke-sub-Hamdon. The straggling street of 
 West Stoke at first does not appear promising as far as antiquities 
 are concerned, and possibly the too casual wayfarer might be 
 inclined to pass on without investigation. This is, however, a 
 case of decejDtive appearance, for the village happens to be one 
 of those places where a hard day's work can easily be done without 
 leaving much time for rest. The village inn, which bears the sign 
 of the Fleur-de-lis, is in itself interesting as a building, though its 
 history is quite unknown, and, despite its ecclesiastical appearance, 
 it does not seem possible to connect it in any way with a religious 
 house. The two arched doors, with well-carved spandrels, which 
 pierce its walls, forming a passage to the back of the house, are 
 of very good design, the condition of the ornamentation of the 
 protected inner door being superior to that of the portal opening
 
 1 74 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 on to the street. A short time since the small carving of which 
 I here give a sketch was found covered by plaster in the wall 
 above the staircase. It has been asserted that 
 this was probably the Manorial Guest House, a 
 view hardly seeming to me to be warrantable. 
 If conjecture is permissible, I should incline to 
 the supposition that the place was the house 
 belonging to some old-time and now-forgotten chantry. But the 
 interest attaching to the Fleur-de-lis is small compared with that 
 connected with another house hard by. This house is now known 
 as the Parsonage Farm, but should by rights be designated the 
 Beauchamp College. 
 
 It appears that in the reign of Edward I. a Sir John de 
 Beauchamp of Hatch built a house in Stoke, and had there a free 
 chapel. Of this house, afterwards fortified, no relics of masonry 
 now remain, though in Leiand's time there were "very notable 
 Ruines of a areat Manor Place or Castelle." Leland continues, 
 "And yn this Maner Place remaynith a very auncient Chapelle, 
 wheryn be diverse Tumbes of Noble Men and Wimen." Now, the 
 barony of Beauchamp of Hatch, or Hache, was created by writ in 
 1299, and has been in abeyance since 1360. License to fortify his 
 manor house at " Estokes " was obtained by John Lord Beauchamp, 
 " lo de Bello Campo," in 1333-4. and in 1336 he died. The arms 
 of Beauchamp of Hatch, or Hache, were : Vaire, azure and argent. 
 Now, it is interesting to read in Leland, " In the South West side of 
 the Chapelle be 5. Images on Tumbes on hard joynid to one 
 another, 3. of Menne harneshid and shildid, and 2. of Women,
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1/5 
 
 Ther hath bene Inscription on eche of them, but now so sore 
 defacid that they cannot be redde. I saw a Shelde or 2. al verry 
 of blew and white. Ther be in this part of the Chapelle also 2. 
 Tumbes without Images." He mentions another "goodly Image" 
 of a warrior on the north side of the chapel " Ouyer," with a shield 
 "al verry." 
 
 Next the worthy old antiquary gives the inscription on the 
 brass of Matthew de Gurney, or Gournay, who was a mighty 
 warrior. It is quite worth transcribing. " Ici gist le noble & 
 vaillant Chivaler Maheu de Gurney iadys seneschal de Landes 
 & capitain du Chastel Daques pro nostre seignor le roy en la 
 duche de Guyene, que en sa vie fu a la batail de Beaumarin, & ala 
 apres a la siege Dalgezire sur le Sarazines, & auxi a les batailles de 
 Le scluse, de Cressy, de Yngenesse, de Peyteres, de Nazara, 
 Dozrey, & a plusours autres batailles & asseges en les quex il gaina 
 noblement graund los & honour per le space de ^^^:. & xvj. ans, 
 & morust le xxvj. jour de Septembre Ian nostre seignor Jesu Christ, 
 Mccccvj. que de salme dieux eit mercy, amen." 
 
 Leland mentions other tombs in the chapel and " 3 sortes of 
 Armes " in the windows, one " al verry blew and white, another 
 with iii Stripes Gules down right in a field of gold. The 3 was 
 Crosselettes of Gold many intermist in one yn a Feld, as I 
 remembre. Gules." We also learn that " Ther is a Provost 
 longging to this Collegiate Chapelle now yn Decay, wher sumtyme 
 was Good Service, and now but a Messe said a 3 Tymes yn the 
 Weeke. The Provost hath a large House yn the Village of 
 Stoke therby."
 
 I 76 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Now, in the year 1304 John de Beauchamp obtained leave from 
 the Bishop of Bath and Wells to found a chantry in connection with 
 his free Chapel, which, by the way, was dedicated to St. Nicholas. 
 He also desired to endow a College of five priests. The endowment 
 was obtained from the free Chapel and the tithes of Stoke. The 
 five priests were presided over by one of their number, who acted 
 as prior. 
 
 The connection of Gournay with Stoke was but slight. He 
 married Alice of Warwick, the cousin and widow of the fourth Lord 
 Beauchamp. She died in 1383 without issue, but leaving Stoke, 
 which was her dower, to her husband. Gournay married secondly 
 Phillipa, the widow of Sir Robert Assheton, and died himself in 
 1404 — Leland says 1406. The widow, on whom the manor was 
 settled for life, married a third time, viz. to Sir John Tiplot, and 
 died in 1418. Sir John Tiplot then appears to have become Lord 
 of the Manor. Some excavations which have taken place in recent 
 years have revealed the sites of the castle, or manor house, and 
 also of St. Nicholas Chapel. A few fragments of carved stone were 
 recovered, and also some heraldic tiles, the latter mostly in small 
 pieces. Some tombs were opened up at the same time which 
 contained bones, probably those of the Beauchamp family. 
 
 To return to the Beauchamp College or Chantry House. This 
 cannot possibly be the dwelling originally built for the occupation of 
 the college of priests, as it only dates from the fifteenth century. 
 It could not have been built by Gournay, and the name of the 
 subsequent benefactor to whom it is due has apparently been lost. 
 From the road the approach is by means of a fine Tudor arch,
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 
 
 177 
 
 alongside of which, though now blocked, is a smaller arched door. 
 On the right-hand side of the arched entrance to the house is the 
 hall, on the left hand the curious gable still topped by a ruined bell- 
 turret. The hall still possesses a fair timber roof, but has suffered 
 from having had in later times a floor inserted half-way up its walls, 
 and windows pierced in its sides. Opening off the hall is a small 
 
 room with a fireplace, a room which communicates with one still 
 smaller. There is a large four-light window, of which the muUions 
 are carved both within and without. A curious little cusped recess 
 resembling a piscina in the wall of one of the smaller rooms is 
 worth notice. It is evidently not a piscina, but its intention is not 
 easy to conjecture. Outside in the rear of the hall is a quaint 
 
 O
 
 178 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 circular stone columbarium, which is entered by means of a low 
 arched door. Unfortunately the roof of this building became 
 ruinous a few years ago, and has been removed. At one end of the 
 barn is a tiny ornamental window of good design. The house itself 
 is decidedly curious ; the arched entrance passage has doors of good 
 
 ^■rteicsg.sjf'" 
 
 type, one especially so. On the ground floor is a panelled room of 
 Elizabethan date, with carved brackets bearing the following initials : 
 T. S., and the date (1585) ; I. C. and R. S. ; M. S. and W. F. 
 
 These initials are those of some members of a branch of the 
 Strode family. From a monument in the chancel of the church it 
 would appear that the Strodes kept up their connection with Stoke
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 79 
 
 till at least 1725. A recumbent effigy beneath a canopy there of 
 earlier date is also stated to belong to the same family, and may 
 possibly be that of William Strode, whose initials are carved on the 
 bracket at the Chantry House. 
 
 Much controversy has at different times arisen as to the gable- 
 ended building upon which the ruined bell-turret stands. It has 
 been asserted that it must have been a chapel. This is obviously an 
 incorrect view, for the free chapel at Beauchamp Castle was tlie 
 chapel served by the College priests, the little belfry being merely 
 a turret to contain the bell needful to summon the inmates to their 
 duties, meals, recreations, and rest. It should be noted that the 
 upper room above the porch is reached by means of a small stone 
 stair, and also that another argument capable of being adduced 
 against the chapel theory is that this room which lacks the least 
 trace of piscina, aumbray, or altar, points north and south, instead 
 of east and west. 
 
 Leaving the interesting chantry house, where the kindness of 
 the occupier had enabled me to make a tolerably thorough exami- 
 nation, I took my way to the church of St. Andrew, the parish 
 church of Stoke-sub-Hamdon. This building is tiny compared 
 with very many of the ordinary parish churches of the county, 
 but within its narrow limits contains more curious and uncommon 
 features than any other church I visited, unless perhaps I 
 except Dunster. Norman originally, and consisting only of a nave 
 and chancel, it possesses the original north doorway, with its 
 quaint tympan, the built-up relic of its south door, and the 
 excellent chancel arch. In addition to these we have two very
 
 I So 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 STeKa.-5'.'3-J.W.^''\''-^° 
 
 small, circular-headed slits in the nave, one headed with a double 
 cable pattern, the other with the remarkable sculped represen- 
 tation of St. Michael and the Dragon. On the south side of the 
 chancel is one similarly small Norman window, 
 and a string-course above it, with strange corbels 
 at intervals. 
 
 But the church did not remain Norman, for 
 the chancel bears traces of Early English work. 
 Transepts were added, and a beautiful north 
 porch. Upon the north transept stands the tower, which, though 
 not ornamented on the outside, has very beautiful vaulting 
 within, borne on shafts, with capitals of a floriated design. Of 
 the transepts, that on the south side is rather later than the 
 one on which the tower stands. Trefoil-headed lancet windows 
 are here, as well as in the chancel. The north porch, which is 
 vaulted, and which has likewise a vaulted parvise chamber above 
 it, has been so built as to spare the Norman door and its tympan. 
 Why this happened I am not prepared to say, but the arch of 
 
 the porch has evidently been 
 constructed so as not to inter- 
 fere with this most extraordinary 
 carving. It is much to be re- 
 gretted that the inscription 
 around this tympan has in the 
 rrt-m >n-Pi ir-rrt. j." .p.,-^i: "bpki.. main vanished. " Sagitarius " 
 
 is legible, and also " Leo ; " fragments of a V can yet be 
 deciphered, but there is nothing else to explain the presence of
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 
 
 i8i 
 
 the strange, bird-haunted tree or the quaint emblem of St. John. 
 But while sparing the Norman tympan, the builder of the porch 
 curtailed on the outside thereof a very remarkable canopy when 
 he constructed his parvise stair. Of this canopy I give a sketch. 
 It will be noticed at once that the porch wall cuts off only a 
 small part, for, as I think, the centre of this canopy was marked 
 by the cross, which is still visible. The size precludes the possi- 
 
 
 bility of this having covered a tomb, unless indeed it was a tomb 
 of very small dimensions. The height from the ground contradicts 
 the notion that it belonged to a stoup. I merely offer as a 
 suggestion the following reason to account for this most puzzling 
 detail, viz. that it was the canopy of a small holy well or spring. 
 The interior of this quaint church is quite as remarkable as 
 its exterior. Strange piscinae, set cornerwise, are to be found 
 in both the chancel and the south transept. The stone screen 
 which once blocked the south arch of the north transept has, for 
 soine unknown reason, been moved to its east wall. I have
 
 l82 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 already mentioned the Strode monuments, and have but to record 
 that in the south transept, beneath an arched canopy, is the 
 recumbent stone effigy of a priest. Of perpendicular work in 
 the church there is comparatively little. A few windows were 
 inserted, and the old, high-pitched roof was replaced by a flat 
 one. This roof, to all appearance, is in rather a perilous condition 
 at the present time. It would be a matter of great regret if it 
 
 were to fall in, for of its kind it is by 
 no means a bad example. The font, 
 which is a good one, and the extra- 
 ordinary squints which pierce the masonry 
 in a manner more than usually peculiar, 
 are very noteworthy. Fragments of 
 mural painting remain yet above the 
 chancel arch, and had it not been for 
 the plaster-hackers of not so many years ago would probably have 
 been perfect even now. In my account of this church I have 
 purposely dealt mostly with minor details. The chancel arch is 
 fairly well known, and has been often described. It is in itself 
 so striking, with its curious soffit, that the most careless observer, 
 one who had missed the porch tympan, could not fail to be 
 struck with its beauty and enrichments. 
 
 I walked from Stoke to Martock — no great distance — more 
 for the purpose of seeing whether changes had taken place there 
 since my last visit than for any idea I had of taking sketches. 
 I rejoiced to find that however busily the destroyers of antiquity 
 had been employed in some places, the old market town of
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 1 83 
 
 Martock had apparently been spared. There stood its fine old 
 church, a church which in my opinion has the finest nave in the 
 county, so elegant is the ornamentation of the piers, and so noble 
 are the panels of the roof For each pier has an elaborate niche 
 with crocketted canopy, supported on a panelled shaft. The 
 spandrels contain quatrefoils, and the crown of each arch is 
 surmounted by a demi-angel holding a shield, while an orna- 
 mental crested string-course runs between each niche. The roof 
 is one mass of carving ; figures, panels subdivided into smaller 
 panels, pendants — all are there, and with a wealth of ornamentation. 
 Now, I will confess that I have deliberately avoided Wrington. 
 In the course of my wanderings I was so perpetually being 
 pestered with Wrington, that I grew to dislike the very name of 
 the place. Some people have told me that not only does Wrino-ton 
 tower eclipse Martock, but that its nave surpasses the Martock 
 nave. Personally I cannot say, but from an inspection of plans 
 I should opine that the Wrington nave was too small for its tower, 
 while Martock is in perfect proportion. Tombs of interest in 
 the church there are none, but in the graveyard at the very 
 extreme end is an ancient bodystone, and also a much-mutilated 
 effigy of a figure clad in a winding sheet. The other features of 
 the church which are worthy of particular notice are the curious 
 priests' room at the end of the chancel — similar to that at 
 Langport, the south porch with its parvise, and the beautiful 
 panelled tower arch. A great peculiarity in this tower is that 
 it projects inwards, thus bringing the arch within the nave. 
 
 The relics of a fine old fourteenth-century manor house
 
 1 84 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Stand close to the church. The place has no history, nor does 
 it seem possible even to identify the family of which it was 
 once the home. That the buildings are quite perfect cannot be 
 said ; still they may be fairly well made out as to plan. The 
 arch at the gate I fancy is but the smaller entrance, and formerly 
 a larger arch stood alongside it. Of the house, the remains 
 
 consist of the hall, with traces of the minstrels' gallery ; the 
 kitchen, which runs at right angles to the hall ; and a portion 
 of the dwelling-house between the two. The hall, now used as 
 the workshop of a cooper, has a fine roof, and some really 
 remarkable windows. These windows are of two lights, with 
 trefoiled heads and transoms ; and the scoinson arch is cinque- 
 foiled, but in an uncommon way. The window at the end of
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 
 
 18: 
 
 4 
 
 
 the hall, which differs slightly from those at the sides, has now 
 been blocked. One remarkable omission in the room will be at 
 once noticed, viz. that there is no fireplace. Brackets of an 
 ornamental character are to be seen, 
 one on each side of the hall, and it 
 is doubtful for what purpose these 
 were placed in position. The sugges- 
 tion that they were intended to support 
 lights is perfectly untenable. Other 
 brackets, which I regret to say I have 
 not seen, are said to exist at Twickenham Court, near Clevedon, 
 and by report were formerly used to sustain lights. This solution 
 seems to be merely conjectural, and I would ask how would it 
 be possible to illuminate so large a room as the hall at Martock 
 from two small and narrow brackets .-' INIy sketch of the outside of 
 one corner of the courtyard on the next page shows the kitchen on 
 the right hand. The gable, with a handsome window, probably 
 contained the only decent upper room in the house. Here the 
 scoinson arch is cinquefoiled in the same way as in the windows 
 of the hall. In the kitchen the ancient fireplace, with a wide, 
 rather pointed, flat arch, occupies one end ; the windows are 
 small, and the door likewise. Unfortunately the screen and 
 minstrels' gallery have been plastered over, so that they have 
 lost all appearance of antiquity. 
 
 Two other spots, also close to the church, claim notice. One 
 is a curious old barn, in which ever since the days of the 
 nonjurors a congregation has been wont to meet. I managed to
 
 1 86 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 peep in through the shutters, and found that there were pews 
 enough to hold a considerable number on the floor, in addition 
 to which there was a gallery. I could see a pulpit, or reading- 
 
 ~CfiBa^ 
 
 desk, but whether there is or is not an altar I am unable to state. 
 In the little graveyard attached there are a few graves, one 
 burial being as recent as the year 1891. It is a strange survival, 
 but, from what I could understand, the sect no longer adheres
 
 MONTACUTE, STOKE-SUB-HAMDON, AND MARTOCK. 187 
 
 to nonjuring methods of worship, having gradually become merged 
 into ordinary nonconformity. 
 
 Not one hundred yards from this quaint chapel-barn you 
 find yourself on the edge of a small moat. This moat formerly 
 surrounded the now-vanished manor house of Lord Monteagle. 
 The house and manor were, it is related, bestowed on him as 
 a reward for the "discovery" of the Gunpowder Plot.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ILCHESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 
 
 The ancient and now much-decayed town of Ilchester was the 
 next place I visited. I turned in an easterly direction from 
 Martock until I reached the Roman Fosse Way, by which, after 
 a walk of three miles to the north-east, I arrived at my desti- 
 nation. Ilchester, the spelling of which name varied in years 
 gone by, taking the forms of Ivelcester, Yevel- or Yevilchester, 
 and Ivelchester, derived its appellation from the river Ivel. A 
 Roman town (Ischalis), standing on the Fosse Way, it in Roman 
 times was walled. In Leland, Camden, and Stukeley, we find 
 accounts of the place, all interesting, and all telling tales of the 
 past glories of the borough, the ruined relics of which were even 
 then visible. Now, alas, nearly every vestige of antiquity has 
 vanished. Of the Roman walls there is no trace ; of the more 
 modern fortifications, dating only as far back as the Great Rebellion, 
 a few fragmentary earthworks are all that can be now discerned. 
 Five churches were once included within the gated walls, and of 
 these but one (St. Mary Major) is left to us. The North Gate, 
 which stood close to the bridge on the Bath road, has been
 
 ILCHESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 1 89 
 
 removed ; and the same applies to the West Gate, which blocked 
 the road to Exeter, the South Gate, on the Yeovil road, and the 
 East Gate, facing towards Limington, the quondam cure of the 
 great cardinal. Of the Friary, which stood within the walls close 
 to the West Gate, and not outside, as Stukeley placed it, not one 
 stone remains in position. The nunnery of White Hall, or Albe 
 Aula, stood near the North Gate and opposite to the church of 
 St. Mary Minor. Close by White Hall was the old gaol, of which 
 the existence is recorded in 1429. This gaol was subsequently 
 removed to the other side of the river, and continued to be used 
 until 1843, when it was pulled down and the materials sold. In 
 Martock I was informed that Ilchester gaol lock was still used 
 on a barn, and that the gaol bell was until lately employed at a 
 factory near to that place. My informant was the man who, when 
 a boy, bought both lock and bell at the sale. Ilchester possessed 
 two crosses, one standing in the Market Place, and now represented 
 by a pillar, the other the cross of St. Peter, erected near the 
 South Gate, and, like that gate, now destroyed. Hence it is that, 
 beyond the restored church of St. Mary Major and a portion of 
 the manor house, the Ilchester of ancient days no longer exists. 
 
 But the lines of the town remain practically unaltered intra- 
 murally. Five streets there were centuries ago, and five there are 
 still, modified only in name. Chepstrete has become Church Street ; 
 the West Strete of the fourteenth century, which before 1390 was 
 sometimes known as High Street, has retained its original nomen- 
 clature, The road bearing the title of La Venele, or V^enella, till 
 1424, became firstly Abbey Lane, and subsequently Almshouse
 
 190 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Lane ; while another, known as La Lane, changed its designation, 
 firstly to Back Lane, and lastly to Free Street. The fifth road, 
 which led from Chepstrete to the East Gate, had no name. In plan 
 the walled part of the town was a parallelogram with rounded ends, 
 and facing north-east, south-east, etc. West Strete was the intra- 
 mural portion of the Fosse Way, ran north-east on the north-west 
 side of the parallelogram, and terminated at the bridge. Chepstrete 
 cut the parallelogram diagonally from the bridge-head to the South 
 Gate. La Lane and its continuation. Free Street, ran at first 
 parallel to the north-east face of the wall, and then turned at right 
 angles till it again met Chepstrete nearly opposite to the end of 
 Venella or Abbey Lane, which ran parallel to the south-west wall, 
 and which joined Chepstrete to West Street. At a spot on the 
 other side of the road, opposite to Venella Lane, was the east gate 
 of the Friary. 
 
 As far as buildings were concerned. West Street was the most 
 important, for along its sides were the thirteenth-century manor 
 house of Hugh de Venele, the almshouse hard by, founded by 
 Robert Veel in 1426, and, opposite to these, the Friary and its 
 precincts. Further along, and near to the Market Place, stood the 
 old house of the Cordelyon family. The Cordelyons, from the 
 similarity of their name to the sobriquet of Richard L, gave rise 
 to a tradition that that king once held court in that house, and 
 descent from the warrior himself was also hinted at. The name of 
 Cordelyon died out in Ilchester during the last century. The 
 greater part of the house was pulled down, and the remainder, 
 degraded into stables, perished by fire half a century since.
 
 ILCHESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 19I 
 
 In the Market Place stood the cross, in front of the ancient 
 guild hall— a guild hall which was long ago demolished and 
 replaced by a sessions house. The sessions house has now 
 vanished, and in its stead is a small and hideous brick town hall. 
 On the other side of West Street, and reached by a side road 
 known as Shire Path Lane, stood the old gaol, while in the angle 
 between this and the river were the buildings of the nunnery called 
 White Hall. 
 
 Chepstrete was in those days the business street of the town, 
 and the only buildings other than shops and houses would be the 
 churches of St. Mary Major, St. Mary Minor, and probably also 
 that of St. Peter. The church of St. Mary Major is small and, with 
 the exception of a good east window and a portion of an Early 
 English arcade, discovered in 1880, not remarkable for antiquarian 
 points of interest. Two seventeenth-century tablets are worth 
 notice, viz. those of William Raymond and Mary his wife. William 
 Raymond died in 1625, aged 56, and his wife in 1639. Mary 
 Raymond was the daughter of John Every, Esq., servant to King 
 Henry VHI., Edward VI., and Queen Mary, and sergeant-at-arms 
 to Queen Elizabeth. The tower of the church is peculiar from the 
 fact that it is octagonal throughout, for most of the octagonal towers, 
 it may be observed, rest upon a square base. 
 
 Of the appearance of the church of St. Mary Minor there are 
 no records. That it was very small is to be inferred from the 
 diminutive size of the church of St. Mary Major. Stukeley thought 
 that it stood on a piece of land formed by the silt of the river 
 against an abutment of the bridge, and calls it Little St. Mary's
 
 192 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Chapel. But documentary evidence proves it to have stood in 
 Chepstrete, opposite to a house near the dwelHng of the prioress of 
 White Hall. This would bring its site quite close to the gate and 
 river bank, and at the very end of the busy thoroughfare. 
 
 Of the church of St. Peter there is no trace, documentary or 
 otherwise. 
 
 Similarly the site and proportions of the church of St. John are 
 completely unknown, and were it not for the fact that the patronage 
 of this lost church was vested in the abbots of Muchelney, its 
 existence in the past could easily be doubted. 
 
 The fifth and last church was that of St. Michael, which Leland 
 mentions as follows : — " The greatest Token of auncient Building 
 that I saw yn al the Towne ys a Stone Gate archid and voltid, and 
 a Chapelle or Chirch of S. Michael, as I remember, over it." Now, 
 was this "chapelle or chirch ' built above one of the town gates, 
 like the Hanging ChajDel of Langport, which I shall illustrate 
 hereafter ; or was it on a separate arch constructed entirely for 
 ecclesiastical purposes, standing in one of the streets to block the 
 way ? Unfortunately, Leland tells us nothing as to the situation 
 of this now-vanished church or hanging chapel, and mere 
 conjecture will in no way clear up the matter. 
 
 The bridge which separates Ilchester from its neighbouring 
 parish Northover is quite modern. In Roman times there was a 
 paved ford at the spot, and when Stukeley wrote, the pavement was 
 visible. Next, a bridge was thrown across, which in Leland's time 
 (1540) seems to have possessed seven arches, with two small houses 
 of stone in the middle, one on either side. One of these houses
 
 ILCHESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 1 93 
 
 Leland calls a chapel, but there is a good deal of confusion in his 
 statements, and neither Camden nor Stukeley have thrown much 
 light on the subject. The present bridge was erected in the early 
 years of this century. 
 
 How Ilchester, in the course of its existence, has been the 
 scene of fighting need not be entered upon in detail ; suffice it to 
 say that it was successfully held for William Rufus, in 1088, against 
 the confederate barons, and that during the Great Rebellion it 
 shared the fate of every other Royalist stronghold in the west, viz. 
 it was captured. 
 
 I must now briefly consider White Hall, of which the history 
 is somewhat uncommon. It seems that some time between 1216 
 and 1220 certain lands in and near Ilchester were given by one 
 William Dacus, for the purpose of founding a hospital, in honour 
 of the Blessed Trinity, and for the reception of poor travellers, 
 pilgrims, etc. This information comes to us from a charter, in 
 which document White Hall is mentioned. The hospital, however, 
 never seems to have been a prosperous establishment, though 
 protected by the king and exempted from tax. Sixty years later 
 the hospital, which had hitherto been ruled over by a master and 
 brethren, was converted into a priory of Augustinian nuns. As 
 a nunnery White Hall became a hotbed of vice and corruption, and 
 frequent interferences on the part of the bishop were needful. 
 Prioresses and nuns alike were accused of immorality, several of the 
 former being deposed. In Collinson's time the memory of these 
 misdoings survived in the shape of a tradition of " an arched way, 
 now nearly filled up, leading to a subterraneous passage betwixt 
 
 P
 
 194 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 this house (the Friary) and the White Hall Nunnery. This passage 
 is in many parts broken through, but in those that remain entire the 
 vault is high enough for a man to walk upright in ; there are niches, 
 or resting-places, in the walls, and the floor is well paved with 
 flag-stones." How remarkable it is that these passages are always 
 either stopped up or fallen in, and that in mediaeval times no house, 
 however large, is ever supposed to have possessed a sewer ! But 
 these nonsensical stories of underground passages meet one all over 
 the kingdom, and in most cases without the justification of any 
 proved ill-doing to account for their origin. In the middle of the 
 fifteenth century the nunnery of White Hall was still poor, and 
 its constitution was then entirely transformed. The building was 
 converted into a free chapel, and the revenue applied to the 
 maintenance of the priest or chaplain thereof. 
 
 Of the friary and the morals of its occupants, beyond the 
 mention in Collinson, there are no records. The house appears 
 to have been founded before the eleventh year of Edward I. It 
 belonged to the Order of the Franciscans, or Grey Friars. At 
 the Spoliation I suspect that the domestic buildings perished, while 
 the church was retained, for Camden mentions that the north 
 transept was in his day used for spinning silk. On July 4, 1545, 
 Henry VIII. granted the site of the " Grey Friars at Ivellchester," 
 and some houses at Bridgwater, to William Hodges of Myddel- 
 chynnock, William Hodges of London, his son, and their heirs, 
 for the sum of ^"695 o^-. s^., the value of the Grey Friars' site 
 being estimated at 13^. ^d. per annum. Here and there in buildings 
 and field walls on that side of the town pieces of worked stone
 
 ILCHESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 1 95 
 
 are to be met with, evidently relics of the former greatness of 
 the town, but whether belonging to church, guildhall, friary, or 
 nunnery who can tell ? 
 
 Ilchester claims to have been the birthplace of the celebrated 
 Roger Bacon. The point is doubtful, but if not a native, he was 
 probably born quite near to the place. His father was of gentle 
 blood, one of his brothers wealthy, and the other, like himself, 
 a scholar. 
 
 I have hardly touched upon the municipal life of Ilchester, 
 
 nor have I entered upon the question of the lost parliamentary 
 
 representation of the borough. Both were, I believe, irretrievably 
 
 corrupt. But a relic of the municipal life of the now-extinct borough 
 
 remains in the shape of a most ancient, and in some 
 
 respects, unique mace-head. This mace-head dates 
 
 from the thirteenth century. It is made of cast 
 
 latten, and is seven and a half inches in length. 
 
 Round the base of the head runs the followino- 
 
 inscription in two lines : — 
 
 >B IE SV DE DRVERIE 
 ^ NE ME DVNET MIE, 
 
 which may be interpreted, "I am a mark of amity ; 
 
 Do not forget me (or give me away)." Above this 
 
 comes an ornamental band, out of which spring four 
 
 trefoiled arches, supported on twisted capitals. Under 
 
 each arch, on a decorated bracket, stands a small 
 
 figure. The four figures represent an angel and three kings. Had 
 
 there been but three kings it would have been natural to conclude 
 
 
 
 'm:mm^, 
 
 '\fi. 
 
 '/ 
 
 ft,-" I? 4. '
 
 196 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 that they represented the three kings of Cologne, but the presence 
 of the angel in the fourth arch suggests that some other solution 
 ought to be found. In the spandrel of each arch, when perfect, 
 a conical spike stuck out in a somewhat similar way to those on 
 the iron mace of Chard. Two of these spikes, and a part of a 
 third, still project, but the fourth has vanished. My description, 
 meagre though it be, will be sufficient to show that this mace-head 
 is of more than passing interest, and if it be not the oldest in 
 the country, it must be nearly so. Though no longer a borough, 
 the affairs of Ilchester are carried on by a town trust, into whose 
 safe custody this valuable relic of antiquity has been committed. 
 The municipal badge of Ilchester is as follows : — " In a crescent 
 an estoile of sixteen points " {vide title-page). 
 
 I have mentioned the almshouses and the manor house. The 
 original fifteenth-century almshouses having become ruinous, were 
 replaced by new buildings in 1810. It is interesting to know that 
 there is in existence a series of more than one hundred and fifty 
 deeds and charters relating to this charity, the earliest of which, 
 though undated, belongs to the reign of King John, while the 
 latest brings us down to the year 1727. Among these documents 
 the greater portion by far belong to the fourteenth and fifteenth 
 centuries. 
 
 The old manor house of Hugh de Venele has likewise 
 vanished. In later times the property came into the possession 
 of the Lockyer family, who, on the site of the old mansion, built 
 a large manor house. Of this manor house a portion still remains, 
 but it is by no means picturesque.
 
 ILCHESTER, HARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 1 97 
 
 While investigating the history of llchester I came across 
 a curious story of breaking out of gaol there. My authority is 
 derived from the "Letters and Papers of Henry VIII.," vol. vi. 
 As the matter so nearly concerned the family of Phelips of 
 Montacute, of which I wrote in the last chapter, it is interesting 
 to insert it. In the year 1533 Richard Phelip of Montacute and 
 Charborough possessed the estates. He had been escheator for 
 Somerset and Dorset, and M.P. for Melcombe Regis in the 
 nineteenth year of Henry VIII. He had an eldest son Thomas. 
 It appears from the depositions dated July 29, 1533, that on 
 the night of the eve of Holy Rood Day certain prisoners, by 
 names Richard Wyllyams, a servant, John Smythe, John Morgan, 
 Will Arnold, John Budd, and others broke out of prison. 
 Discipline was lax there, for by bribing the keepers some of 
 their chains, collars, and shackles were unfastened. A French 
 prisoner, a " lockyer " of Wells, made two files of a knife and 
 a pair of shears, with which they released themselves from their 
 remaining bonds. Twenty-two prisoners in all were in hold, seven 
 being women. The accounts of the pursuit are amusing, and tell 
 us how the neighbours turned out and gave chase. One, by name 
 Thomas Collyngs of Northover, " took a bill and went into the 
 street, all naked except his shirt." But an attempt was made, by 
 means of false accusations, to fix a charge of inciting these men 
 to escape on Thomas Phelips. Why this was done was never 
 explained. Thomas Phelips appears to have gone to London 
 shortly afterwards, and to have been on his return apprehended. 
 He was for a considerable time in a position of great danger.
 
 igS SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 The sheriff of Somerset at that period was a, not the, Sir Thomas 
 More, and appears to have been hostile to the Phehps family. 
 He reported the accusation to Cromwell, and gave it merely on 
 the supposed confession of an ex-keeper of the gaol, one Richard 
 Wyllsham. More gained much unpopularity in the county by 
 his action, and states in one letter to Cromwell that " Since I 
 left you I am rudely handled." County men of influence came 
 to the rescue, and though the unlucky Thomas Phelips was " in 
 the king's mercy," he was eventually cleared. Lord Daubeny 
 of Soke and Sir Thomas Arundell were specially active on his 
 behalf, and in letters from the latter to Cromwell, thanking him 
 for his efforts in the cause of Phelips, he hints at the bias of the 
 accusation, and also wishes that something could be tried out 
 that is yet " in close and hid." But Phelips nearly lost his life. 
 Eventually Richard Wyllyams, alias Howchyns, the servant of 
 W. Lythe, Robert Dylle, and John Parkinson were executed 
 for breaking out of gaol. John Budd was pardoned, but all 
 confessed that their accusations against Phelips were false, though 
 they declined to state by whom their testimony had been suborned. 
 
 Leaving Ilchester, I returned to Martock, and then took my 
 way to South Petherton, a quaint place and somewhat picturesque 
 withal. The church, which has an octagonal tower on a square base, 
 stands in a rather commanding position. It is dedicated to SS. 
 Peter and Paul, and in style is partly Early English and partly 
 Perpendicular, the older portions being the chancel, the south porch, 
 and the base of the tower, while the remainder belongs to the later 
 period. At the foot of some steep steps near the east end of the
 
 ILCHESTER, BARklNGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 1 99 
 
 church is an old inn, which has all the appearance of having once 
 been a chantry house. In other parts of the town quaint windows 
 and gables are visible, one especially, at the corner of the road to 
 Martock, having a hood moulding terminated by small carved heads. 
 But the show of South Petherton is the now much-modernized 
 fifteenth or sixteenth-century house, known as King Ina's Palace. 
 This was built on the traditional site of the home of the Saxon king, 
 and it is possible that some of its walls or foundations may contain 
 Saxon masonry. But a few years ago the present dwelling, being in 
 a bad condition of repair, was restored — and well restored. Still, to 
 all intents and purposes the place is hardly to be classed as an 
 antiquity when compared with the many original manor houses in 
 the county. 
 
 From South Petherton I wandered over the pleasant country 
 to Shepton Beauchamp, where I found nothing of interest. The 
 church there, dedicated to St. Michael, has recently been in the 
 hands of the decorators, to judge from the series of singularly 
 inartistic pictures of personages more or less angelic in type, which 
 hang in narrow frames upon its piers. This ecclesiastical art gallery 
 is of the cheap illuminated, organ-case order. Let us hope that it 
 is effectual in elevating the thoughts and minds of the congregation. 
 
 I left Shepton Beauchamp by an old-time lane, with a high 
 causeway on one side thereof, and took my way over the hill, in the 
 valley beneath which lies the wreck of stately Barrington Court. It 
 is open to question from which point of view this once-splendid old 
 Tudor house looks best. For myself, I incline to think that the spot 
 to select is in the fields about halfway up the hill towards Shepton
 
 200 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Beauchamp. But at that distance all detail is lost, and hence to 
 sketch even a portion of the rambling old place it is needful to 
 approach more nearly. 
 
 Barrington Court was built by one of the Daubeny family, 
 Henry, second Baron and first Earl of Bridgwater, who died in 1548. 
 In 1605 the property was sold to the Phelips family, who retained 
 it only a short time, as we know, for before the reign of Charles I. 
 it had been sold to the Strodes. It is curious to mark that built 
 .\ 
 
 Ia ^ ? ■> 
 
 
 into a wall near the stables at Montacute is a stone scutcheon 
 bearing Strode impaling Barnard, which was sent to Montacute 
 a few years since, under the impression that it bore the Phelips 
 arms. In plan the house is shaped like the letter E, and the 
 chief entrance is in the centre. The right wing formed the hall, 
 and is now used as a cider cellar. This part of the building is in 
 a sad condition indeed. The panels are mostly destroyed, and it 
 is to be observed that there are rooms panelled with woodwork
 
 ILCHESTER, HARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 
 
 20I 
 
 of several different dates in different parts of the house. Not a 
 little of the tall, heavily moulded Queen Anne panelling even yet 
 remains. High up on one wall of the "cider cellar" I saw a 
 sadly mutilated fireplace. Above the mantel were three carved 
 panels, the central one containing a shield. By means of a ladder 
 I endeavoured to get close to this, but in vain. The shield, as 
 I read it, has nine quarterings, now nearly faded away. I could 
 not make out either the arms of Strode, or those of Daubeny, 
 viz. Gules, four lozenges con- 
 
 
 joined in fess argent. Of the 
 
 pilasters on either side of the 
 
 fireplace only one now remains, 
 
 the other having been ruthlessly 
 
 sawn through. Other fireplaces 
 
 are to be seen elsewhere in the 
 
 house, one of Queen Anne date, 
 
 which being partly torn away, 
 
 discloses the original stone arch 
 
 behind it. On an upper floor 
 
 is the plaster fireplace top, which ' ^^=®^a^BN &WM^ 
 
 I have sketched, having for the subject of its central plaque the 
 
 " Judgment of Solomon." The fireplace beneath is bricked up, and 
 
 it in fact now forms part of the landing wall. In a window near, 
 
 on the wide ledge, rests an ancient helmet, a relic which it is 
 
 curious should have survived the many vicissitudes of the house. 
 
 My sketch shows the outside of the front of Harrington Court, 
 
 and as the details of the pinnacles and twisted chimneys will be
 
 202 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 seen therein, I hardly think it needful to give any further 
 description. 
 
 The village of Barrington is extremely pretty and old-fashioned, 
 quite a sketchable place for those vi^ho like to wander about 
 with block and colour-box to pick up nice bits. Most of the 
 houses there are old, some indeed very old, notably the village 
 inn. The church, in which lie generations of Strodes, is small, 
 but ancient. It has a central octagonal tower like that of Somerton, 
 only on a far smaller scale. 
 
 Proceeding on my way, I passed through Pucklington, where 
 there is a restored church, and in the main street an ancient 
 gable-ended house, which still retains traces of beams and brackets, 
 showing thereby that it was originally half-timbered, but was 
 converted into a stone house by the lateral enlargement of the 
 gable. At Pucklington I lost some time trying to find the way 
 to two ancient houses in the neighbouring parish. Everybody 
 who knew of their existence was ignorant of the path, and after 
 considerable wandering over hedge and ditch, I was compelled to 
 give up in despair and proceed to Ilminster. 
 
 This day I seemed doomed to fail in finding places or obtaining 
 directions, for I heard that near the road between Pucklington 
 and Ilminster, in a house now used as a farm, but formerly an 
 inn, the old petty sessions furniture was still in position. This 
 old inn happened to be one of the many which, in the absence 
 of court-houses, was used by the Justices of the Peace. I should 
 think that its fittings must be almost unique if they really now 
 remain. Failing, however, to find this house, I continued on my
 
 ILCIIESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 203 
 
 way, and crossed the little stream in the valley. Next ascending 
 the hill, I turned sharply to the left into the old coach road which 
 lead over the brow, and then by a steep descent brought me 
 suddenly into Ilminster. This old coach road is merely a deep 
 hollow worn by time and traffic, and seems to be the playground 
 of the children of the neighbourhood. At any rate, as I came 
 over the crest of the hill in the gathering twilight, some thirty 
 youngsters, male and female, fled headlong down the track with 
 piercing screams. Later on I discovered that the locality had 
 been infested by tramps, one of whom had recently maltreated 
 a child. Hence the flight and screams. I was a tramp ! 
 
 Ilminster is a pleasant little town, with long, straggling streets, 
 one of which — a wide one — stretches from the small market-house 
 to the hilltop, which in that direction limits the extent of the 
 place. From this hill there is a fine view, and a large house 
 there seems to be located in a most enviable situation. But like 
 Yeovil, Ilminster has suffered from the ravages of fire, and on 
 this account old dwellings are perhaps less in evidence than would 
 be expected. Still, the old Grammar School is a building of 
 respectable antiquity. It was erected on the site of one of the 
 chantry houses (four in number), which in pre-reformation times 
 existed in the place. The old dial, with its date and the quaint 
 inscriptions on its front, are worth at least a glance. Quite close 
 to the school stands another house called the Chantry, in which 
 until a few years since there were two secret hiding-places. One 
 of these was behind the large kitchen fireplace, the other in a 
 room above it. Relics of a small bracket, or credence table, and
 
 204 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 also of the pedestal of a statue, are, I hear, still preserved within. 
 The front door, which is of carved oak, is ancient, but has unfor- 
 tunately suffered considerable mutilation. 
 
 The parish church of Ilminster, with the exception of its nave, 
 is a fine one. Here, as at Langport, there is a projecting room 
 at the east end, which communicates with the sanctuary by two 
 beautiful arched doorways, one on each side of the altar. The 
 south transept contains the tombs of the Walrond family, notably 
 that of Humphrey Walrond, who died in 1580. There is a good 
 deal of heraldry on this tomb. One shield, with a crescent 
 for difference, is blazoned as follows : — i. Argent, three bulls' 
 heads, cabossed sable armed or (Walrond) ; 2. Argent, on a fess 
 sable three cross crosslets fitchee or (Ufflete) ; 3. Azure, six fishes 
 haurient argent, 3, 2, and i (Fishacre or Fisacre) ; 4. Or, three 
 bars sable, an eagle displayed with two heads gules (Walrond of 
 Langridge). On the other two shields we have the same arms 
 quartered on the dexter side, impaling in one case a shield which 
 I have not identified ; in the other, Popham, viz. argent, on a chief 
 gules two bucks' heads cabossed or. Above these tombs are two 
 funeral helmets, but not belonging to the Walrond family. Stand- 
 ing against the south wall of this transept is a stone erection, 
 which at the first glance looks like a tomb. It is not, however, 
 a tomb, but a modern stone altar, the use of which was prohibited ; 
 hence its present position. 
 
 But the chief beauty of the church is found in the north 
 transept, or Wadham Chapel. Here we have two tombs of sur- 
 passing interest. One is that of Sir William Wadham, who died
 
 ILCHESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 205 
 
 in 1425, and of his mother Joan, the widow of the Judae Sir John 
 Wadham. The brass inscrii^tion which runs round the tomb is 
 fairly perfect, and the stops are elegant little sprays and Wadham 
 roses. Some doggrel Latin verses are also there, of the same date 
 as the tomb, but their Latinity is open to grave question, and I 
 hardly think them worth quoting. Upon the slab of the tomb 
 are the figures of a knight and a lady, beneath beautiful canopies. 
 The sides and ends of the monument are adorned with canopied 
 niches, now despoiled of the figures they once contained. Between 
 these are buttresses with finials, and a foliated cornice runs round 
 the whole. Alas ! from mutilation and whitewash this tomb has 
 suffered terrible things. The other tomb is that of Nicholas 
 Wadham and Dorothy his wife, and consists of an altar with a 
 black marble top slab, on which are effigies in brass of Nicholas 
 and Dorothy, the founder and foundress of Wadham College, 
 Oxford. Nicholas Wadham is in armour, with a ruff, sword and 
 dagger, but bareheaded. Dorothy is clad in hooped petticoat, 
 puffed sleeves, and ruff. From the mouths of the pair issue the 
 following legends respectively : — " Death is unto me advantage," 
 and " I shall not dye but lyve and declare ye worke of ye Lord." 
 Nicholas Wadham died on October 20, 1609, and Dorothy on 
 May 16, 16 1 8, as we learn from the reversed plates at the foot 
 of the effigies. The heraldry on the tomb is both elaborate and 
 interesting; there are five coats on the slab, one of which has 
 fourteen quarterings, and this coat is repeated in stone on the back 
 of the tomb, which as a kind of reredos has a cornice decorated 
 with heraldry, supported by two classic pillars, and enclosing
 
 206 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 several inscriptions. From careful examination it is evident that 
 the tomb and its backing have both been moved. Above both the 
 Wadham tombs hang Wadham funeral helmets bearing the " white 
 rose " crest. The blazon of the arms of Wadham is Gules, a 
 chevron between three roses argent. Space does not permit me 
 to give in full the blazons of the fourteen quarterings, and I con- 
 tent myself with the enumeration of the families to which they 
 belong: i, Wadham ; 2, Chesildon ; 3, Popham ; 4, Zouch ; 5, St. 
 Martin ; 6, Nevile ; 7, Walrond ; 8, Lorty ; 9, Reade ; 10, Tre- 
 garthin ; 11, Hendover; 12, Plantagenet (of Court in Brannel) ; 
 13, Chamberlain; 14, Fever. 
 
 The Wadham tombs are enclosed within an oak screen, dating 
 from the reign of James I. This consists of panels in the lower 
 part, while two rows of open arches form a double arcade above. 
 The condition of the tombs, screen, and transept at the present 
 time leaves much to be desired. But, assuming that funds are not 
 easily obtained in these days to repair the roof, it would not be 
 a serious drain on the income of the parish if shelves could be 
 provided elsewhere to store the boxes, etc., which, on the occasion 
 at least of my visit, were resting on these beautiful brasses. If the 
 parish cannot or will not do this, perhaps Wadham College could 
 be persuaded to assist in saving the tomb of their founder and the 
 tomb of the builder of the transept from ill-usage. Poverty is no 
 excuse for permitting the Wadham Chapel to degenerate into a 
 lumber-room. It is quite bad enough to have hidden the place 
 from view by the erection of an organ. 
 
 Of the remainder of the church within, not much more need
 
 ILCHESTER, BARRINGTON, AND ILMINSTER. 207 
 
 be said. The squint, or hagioscope, is a fair one, and the chancel 
 singularly deep. In the north-west tower pier there is a rood 
 door and stair apparent, and the panels of the tower arch are 
 very fine indeed. 
 
 Outside, the beauty of the tower is most striking, and it is to 
 my mind one of the noblest that I have seen in the course of my 
 wanderings. The exterior of the Wadham transept, or chapel, too, 
 is most noteworthy, with its beautiful frieze, composed of shield- 
 centred quatrefoils framed in decorated crocketting, and having 
 between each quatrefoil a crocketted plinth. The pinnacles which 
 surmounted the frieze are gone, though their panelled plinths 
 remain, except two on the north side, between which there is a 
 crocketted gable. But the effects of wind and weather are clearly 
 discernible on the whole of the work, and it is not without reason 
 that I plead for something to be done to arrest further decay. 
 
 Having — not for the first time — then, visited Ilminster church, 
 I felt bound to prolong my journey a little further, and so walked 
 over to Merifield to see if I could obtain a view of any relics of 
 the old home of the Wadhams. Alas ! the old hall passed away 
 ages ago, the moat alone remaining, and a few fragments of wall. 
 Subsequently I ascertained that the house was pulled down by one 
 of the Wyndhams in the seventeenth century, about thirty or forty 
 years after the death of Nicholas Wadham. It should be remarked 
 that Merifield fell to the share of Sir John Wyndham, one of the 
 nephews of Nicholas Wadham.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 
 
 My next stopping-place was the old town of Chard, a place of 
 whose history and antiquities a volume might well be written. 
 
 The long, wide street — for- 
 merly blocked by the old 
 market - house, the sessions 
 hall, and the shambles — must 
 in ancient days have been 
 singularly picturesque. Now, 
 however, all these have passed 
 away,' for the edifice in which 
 not a few trials of more than 
 passing interest took place 
 vanished in 1834, together 
 with the market - house, a 
 building originally by tradi- 
 tion a chapel ; the shambles, 
 as I understand, being removed at the same date. That these 
 buildings were inconveniently situated is without doubt, for record 
 
 (gwaaa '— -■
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 209 
 
 remains that it was with difficulty that the coaches could singly 
 pass between them and the opposite dwellings. 
 
 The parish church of Chard is dedicated to St. Mary, and is 
 not a remarkably interesting structure. The earlier part of it dates 
 from the first years of the fifteenth century, when it replaced an 
 older church. Unlike most Somersetshire churches, the interior 
 seems to contain no detail worthy of record, unless it be the 
 monument of William Brewer, of Chard, " phisitian," and Deanes 
 his wife. Mistress Brewer died in 1614, and the worthy doctor 
 four years later. They left six sons and five daughters, " all men 
 and women growne, and all comforts to them." Their arms are : 
 Gules, two bends, wavy, or. The effigies of William and Deanes 
 Brewer are represented kneeling, with sons and daughters re- 
 spectively attendant. 
 
 Chard, unfortunately, besides having suffered from demolition, 
 has been the scene of one or two serious conflagrations. One, 
 which took place in August, 1727, besides other buildings, destroyed 
 the Grammar School, " a large pile of buildings belonging to the 
 said borough." This I learn from a petition praying for a brief 
 to beg money. Now, it is curious that no tradition e.xists of the 
 site of this school. This is strange, for the present Grammar 
 School has all the appearance of having been originally intended 
 for scholastic use, and certainly is of seventeenth-century date. A 
 leaden water-pipe thereon is dated 1583, but is apparently more 
 ancient than the rest of the building, and was probably removed 
 thither. Inside, a few years since, some fairly moulded beams were 
 discovered hidden by the plaster of the passage ceiling. Externally 
 
 Q
 
 2IO 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the porch is the most interesting portion, though not nearly so 
 good as the porches of "Waterloo House" and its neighbour. 
 
 Norrington's is now used as an ironmonger's store, and of a 
 particular type of building is, I believe, the best example in the 
 county. My sketch gives a view of both fronts, showing the porches 
 with their quaint pinnacled gables, mullioned windows, and balustered 
 
 C(!=5Al^53>. 
 
 : (Cftfttt/voAJL '*S* 
 
 grating beneath. In the interior are some handsomely moulded 
 ceilings of a geometrical pattern. But the most charming portion of 
 these interesting old houses lies in the rear, and is reached through 
 a small courtyard by means of the arched door of the porch. It 
 consists of a large room on the first floor, which was in all 
 probability the Manor Court House. This noble room is lighted 
 by two twenty-light mullioned windows, which, by the way, are not
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 
 
 211 
 
 directly opposite to one another. The approach to the court room 
 is by means of a stair on the right-hand side of the arched doorway. 
 Of the exterior I give a sketch at the commencement of the 
 chapter, and here insert one of the interior. From this it will be 
 seen that the coved ceiling is most handsomely decorated in stamped 
 plaster, and that the fireplace occupies a rather unusual position, 
 viz. at one end. As the decorations are of a very remarkable 
 
 
 
 CilrtvSi — if^ t^x, 
 
 (s5iKl«li;ii)„ 
 
 character, I will endeavour to describe them briefly in detail. 
 Above the wide-arched fireplace in the centre is a phoenix in an 
 oblong plaque, flanked by two grotesque demi-figures terminating 
 on plinth pedestals, the ground being filled in with conventional 
 fruit and flowers. Above this, again, and completely covering the 
 curved portion of the end wall, is a curious design partly composed 
 of bands which terminate in eccentric birds, whose tongues are
 
 212 SOMERSETSHIRE, 
 
 trails of creepers or possibly roses. The centre of this design has 
 an animal depicted amid leaves. This animal has been called a 
 " brock," or badger, and also a boar. Personally I do not think 
 it is either one or the other, and for this reason. Creatures are to 
 be found on the ceiling at the other end of the room, all being 
 monstrosities, such as birds with rabbits' heads, etc. This animal 
 has, without doubt, the head of a pig, but the claws of some other 
 creature. A brock, or badger, certainly in no way resembles a pig. 
 The coved ceiling of the room is ornamented with a most elaborate 
 banded lozenge-cross pattern, the points of which terminate in a 
 pseudo fleur-de-lis formed of a single leaf in the centre and two 
 trails or two blossoms on either side. Above the fireplace in the 
 first panel are stars which surround a faced crescent (man in the 
 moon). In the corresponding panel at the other end are similar 
 stars surrounding a full-faced sun. This portion of the ceiling, 
 strange to say, is far more elaborate than that of the upper end 
 of the room, and wild freaks of nature are introduced ; but quaint 
 though all are, the decorative effect is most excellent. The curved 
 wall beneath the ceiling bears on it three plaques. On the left 
 the " Judgment of Solomon," different in treatment from that at 
 Barrington ; in the centre, in a circular medallion, are Shadrach, 
 Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace ; on the right Daniel 
 stands in a den of, to all appearance, singularly amiable lions. 
 Between these plaques are two figures — one of Justice, with sword 
 and scales; the other Law, bearing a book. The whole room is 
 surrounded by a handsome frieze of conventional foliage mingled 
 with monsters.
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 213 
 
 Without doubt this building is older than the portion of the house 
 in front known as Waterloo House ; but a great difficulty arises in 
 deciding to Avhom it belonged. Three theories have been advanced 
 with regard to ownership, and all documentary evidence on the 
 subject is lacking. I give them with all due reserve. The first 
 is that the " brock " was the crest of Lord Cobham, owner of the 
 manor, and attainted temp. James I. But is the creature a " brock " .-* 
 The second ascribes the place to the Cogan or Coggan family, 
 because one of that name had property near the hall. The third 
 suggests that it might have been the dwelling of John Bancroft, 
 merchant, in whose house Charles I. twice stayed during the 
 Rebellion, on one occasion, it may be remarked, quartering his troops 
 at Whitestaunton, of which interesting place I shall have more to 
 say presently. 
 
 There is another house in Chard of considerable interest 
 internally, though the outside has been modernized to a lamentable 
 extent. This is the Chough Inn. Here, in one of the upper rooms, 
 is a small stamped plaster fireplace-top decorated with two quaint 
 dragons surrounded by roses and fleurs-de-lis, all of rather unusual 
 type. But the best bits in the house are the balustered doorways 
 and old doors leading into two small rooms. That these are 
 uncommon my sketch on the next page shows. 
 
 Three years ago, when I chanced to be at Chard, I found in 
 this house that from the ground to the roof a portion some eight 
 by ten feet was walled up, and, strange to say, the tenant had never 
 noticed it. On my visit in October last I found a new tenant, 
 equally ignorant of the fact that two if not three rooms were
 
 214 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 cut bodily out of the house and hidden. At any rate, there is 
 something in the Chough Inn which is worth investigation — at least, 
 so it seems to me. 
 
 I have spoken of certain celebrated trials, and will here briefly 
 notice one, at least, since it concerned the question of villeinage, 
 or slavery. It was tried as late as 1568, and is cited in law 
 books as Crouch's Case. It seems that one Butler was lord of 
 
 Tjfi 'S^i&uwrswm 
 
 the manor of Badminton, in the county of Gloucester, and Crouch 
 was his villein regardant. As such Butler claimed Crouch as 
 real property. Crouch bought lands in Somersetshire, which 
 Butler took possession of, and leased them to one Fleyer. Crouch 
 then ejected Fleyer, who brought an action in which he set up 
 Butler's lease, and pleaded that Crouch was a villein, that " Butler 
 and his ancestors, and all those whose estate he hath in the 
 manor of Badminton, were seised of Crouch and his ancestors
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 215 
 
 as villeins regardant, to the same manor, from time whereof the 
 memory of man runneth not to the contrary." The jury found 
 a special verdict, " That Butler and his ancestors were seised 
 of the manor from time immemorial ; and that the ancestors of 
 Butler were seised during all that time of the ancestors of Crouch 
 as villeifis regardant, until the first year of Henry VII., and that 
 Crouch was a villein regardant to the same manor, and that no 
 other seisin of Crouch or his ancestors was had since ; but whether 
 the said seisin of the said manor be in law a seisin of the said 
 Crouch and his ancestors since the said first year of Henry VII. 
 the jurors prayed the opinion of the court." Sir James Dyer, 
 the Lord Chief Justice, and all the judges of the Court of Common 
 Pleas, gave judgment for the defendant Crouch, on this ground 
 chiefly, "because no actual or full seisin in Butler and his ancestors, 
 of Crouch and his ancestors as villeins regardant, is found, but 
 only a seisin in law, and the lord having let a hundred years 
 pass without redeeming the villein or his issue cannot after that 
 seise them." If Butler could have managed to have taken posses- 
 sion of the person of Crouch prior to the trial it might have 
 been different. It seems that some such attempt was expected 
 at Chard, and the Somersetshire men turned out in great numbers 
 to prevent this or to rescue the defendant Crouch. 
 
 Lord Chief Justice Dyer was born at Roundhill, in Somerset- 
 shire, about 1 5 12. He was the second son of Robert Dyer of 
 Wincanton. He studied at Oxford, passing thence to " Strand 
 Inne," a Chancery Inn. Next he entered the Middle Temple. In 
 the reign of Edward VI. he was a member of the House of
 
 2l6 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Commons, and was also elected Speaker. In the first year of 
 Queen Mary Dyer became Serjeant-at-Law. Though a Pro- 
 testant, he suffered no persecution. He prosecuted Sir Nicholas 
 Throckmorton for complicity in Wyat's rebellion. The jury 
 acquitted Throckmorton, and were in consequence both imprisoned 
 and fined. Dyer next became a Puisne Justice of the Common 
 Pleas, and soon afterwards Puisne Justice of the Court of King's 
 Bench. On the accession of Elizabeth he was brought back to 
 the Common Pleas, and shortly afterwards made chief justice of 
 that court. In this capacity he assisted at the trial of Thomas 
 Duke of Norfolk for high treason, attending with the other 
 judges to assist the peers. Dyer was subject to a severe attack 
 on his conduct as judge of assize, in which he was charged with 
 most arbitrary behaviour. The fact was, he discountenanced 
 oppression and loathed "jobs." Dyer replied to the accusations 
 in a lengthy document still extant, and the matter passed over. 
 He died at Great Stoughton, in Huntingdonshire, aged seventy-one. 
 Dyer married Margaret, daughter of Sir Maurice a Barrow, and 
 widow of Sir Thomas Elyot, by whom he had no children. As 
 a counsel Dyer was not distinguished, but as a judge he was 
 most celebrated. His collection of " Reports of Cases," published 
 after his death, is justly renowned for its lucidity. 
 
 The Humphrey Walrond, whose tomb in Ilminster church 
 I noticed in the last chapter, was mixed up in a curious tithe 
 dispute at Chard, which eventually led to a Star Chamber cause. 
 Humphrey Walrond claimed the rectorial tithe, and appeared 
 as plaintiff, while Sir Richard Pollard, Kt, of Ford Abbey, was
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 217 
 
 defendant. The upshot of the affair is not known, but from 
 the depositions and answers to interrogatories of various persons 
 cited, it seems that a great disturbance took place at the tithe 
 barn, and that both parties armed their friends and servants 
 with weapons, such as swords, bucklers, staves, pikes, and bows. 
 
 It was either at Chard, or near, that the Parliamentarian troops 
 under Captain Crook defeated the Royalist rising of 1655. This 
 outbreak was led by Sir Joseph Wagstaff, Mr. Jones, Mr. Hugh 
 Grove, and Colonel Penruddock, whose following amounted to 
 hardly more than two hundred men. The judges were seized 
 at Salisbury, and brought out in their robes, being ordered to 
 "humbly produce their commissions," after which the gaol was 
 broken open and the prisoners released. Wagstaff and his 
 friends next proclaimed Charles II., and followed this up by 
 condemning the judges to be hanged. From this summary method 
 of procedure Penruddock dissented^ and Wagstaff dared not to 
 persist therein. When defeated by Captain Crook the leaders 
 and sixty of their followers were taken. Thirty were sold as 
 slaves in Barbadoes, Wagstaff escaped, while Penruddock, Grove, 
 and others were tried and executed. One Royalist who had 
 been condemned at Chard for this rising, by name Major Hunt, 
 managed to escape from Ilchester gaol disguised in his sister's 
 clothes. The story of his escape is most romantic, but unfortu- 
 nately very lengthy, hence I cannot give it. 
 
 In the sad time after Monmouth's rebellion Chard bore its 
 share of horrors. There is no doubt that Monmouth had been 
 received with acclamation on June 16, 1685, five days after he
 
 2l8 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 landed at Lyme. After the defeat at Sedgmoor, Chard, as was to 
 be expected, became one of the scenes of Jeffrey's ferocity. Twelve 
 prisoners were hung there on an oak tree, which was only cut 
 down in 1864, and which grew nearly opposite to the station of 
 the London and South Western Railway. The borough was 
 further punished by the imposition of a Personal Estate Tax, 
 amounting to £^6 55. per annum. For some reason this tax was 
 regularly paid until 1834, when an energetic inhabitant succeeded 
 in getting it remitted. 
 
 I need not here tell in full the story of the trial at Chard of 
 Master Babb for Murder in 161 3. The whole tale is to be found 
 in Sir Simonds D'Ewes. It is sufficient to say that the man 
 murdered a rich widow, and then placed the knife in her dead 
 hand. It was considered at the inquest to be a case oi felo-de-se, 
 and the body of the unfortunate woman was buried at a cross-road 
 with the usual barbarous accompaniments. A Taunton justice, 
 by name Wane, suspecting foul play, exhumed the body, and 
 collected the inhabitants in order to make them touch it, according 
 to the prevailing superstition, that at the murderer's touch the 
 murdered body bleeds. Babb was present with the rest, but took 
 to flight before his turn came. Though pursued, he escaped, only, 
 however, to give himself up to justice some months later. He was 
 hanged, after trial at Chard, in 16 14. 
 
 In an amusing old tract in the British Museum, dated 1680, 
 there is a curious story of a Quaker who wanted to sell himself to 
 the devil. This tract has as its title the following: "A strange 
 and wonderful (yet true) Relation of the cursed and hellish design
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 219 
 
 of Abraham Mason, a pretended Quaker, to give himself to the 
 devil, with the means how he would have done it and how strangely 
 he was prevented. Also an account of his behaviour afterwards, 
 and of his strange death." Abraham Mason was said to be a native 
 of Chard, and a bookseller. Being foolish enough to confide in a 
 stranger that he would be willing to sell his soul, was made the 
 subject of a practical joke in consequence. The stranger, with 
 the aid of a brother, counterfeited the devil, with all the usual 
 accessories of fire, brimstone, etc. Mason is eventually stated to 
 have broken his neck one night while drunk ; but the whole story 
 is of course fiction, and was merely printed to cast discredit on 
 the Quakers. It will be remembered that great persecution was 
 endured by the members of that sect about the year 1684, and 
 record remains that the Quakers of this town underwent a full 
 share thereof. 
 
 Chard was incorporated as a borough by Bishop Joceline, of 
 Wells, in 1206, when he gave fifty-two acres out of his manor to 
 enlarge the town. The borough remained ecclesiastical property 
 until 1801, with the exception of a brief space of six years during 
 the reign of Edward VI., when, in company with much more of 
 the Wells cathedral church property, it was transferred to the 
 Protector Somerset. To this is possibly due the stone carving of 
 the arms of the Protector which is no\v at Whitestaunton manor 
 house, and which was removed thither when an old dwelling was 
 destroyed in the neighbourhood. 
 
 Edward I. confirmed the charter of Joceline, and under this 
 confirmation the borough had the right to send two members to
 
 2 20 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Parliament, provided that they paid their expenses. This privilege 
 was only exercised for twenty-nine years. Charles II. granted a 
 new charter, which his successor afterwards dissolved by proclama- 
 tion. Oueen Anne si'ave another charter. 
 
 The borough of Chard was from the earliest times under the 
 government of a port reeve and burgesses. Charles II. changed 
 this by his charter to a mayor and town council. In the time of 
 Queen Anne a return was made to the old form, and this lasted 
 until the Municipal Reform Act, in 1835, when a mayor and town 
 council were again adopted. 
 
 There are three curious staves, or maces, which I have seen 
 in the Town Hall at Chard. They are mounted on long poles, 
 one being topped by a crown, another by a hand which originally 
 grasped a billet, only unfortunately the billet has now disappeared. 
 The third head is of iron, and is studded with short spikes. None 
 of these maces are of the least intrinsic value ; still, the possession 
 of three of such totally different types is interesting, and it is to 
 be regretted that no record of their age or origin is in existence. 
 
 On my way to Whitestaunton I was enabled, through the 
 kindness of Mr. C. I. Elton, O.C., to pay a visit to an old 
 sixteenth-century house now known as Weston Farm, but formerly 
 Watson or Waterleston. This interesting old manor house was 
 in past time the home of the Bonner family. Its date is given 
 on a stone slab above the quaint doorway — a doorway which one 
 is pleased to see still retains its curious panelled door, carved 
 doorposts, and massive pull-out bars. In the hall passage is a 
 quaint curved cupboard set in the wall and a doorway of which
 
 I I 
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 22 1 
 
 the ornamental head is decidedly uncommon in type. But the 
 chief interest lies in the stamped plaster ceilings, of which there 
 are two. Of these that on the upper floor, though good, is not 
 particularly remarkable except for a most 
 elaborate floral design. But that in the 
 ground floor room is very quaint, and 
 merits some description. From the oc- 
 currence of the arms of the Bonners ®®"^ «"^ «^*^- , 
 on a shield, viz. Gules, a crescent ermine within an orle of martlets 
 or, there can be no doubt as to the family by whom the ceiling 
 was erected. According to the design there should have been 
 four shields, but there now are only three, one having been replaced 
 by a blank. The other two shields bear sham heraldry of a 
 singularly comic nature — owls and birds quartering lobsters, fish, 
 and monsters. Here we have winged horses, and griffins or 
 dragons sprawling about amongst the coat armour of the old 
 Bonner family, and mingled with the burlesque shields with which 
 it suited the fancy of some sixteenth-century itinerant Italian 
 workman to complete his design, 
 
 Whitestaunton, which lies but a short distance from Weston 
 Farm, is a spot of singular interest, and not a little beauty. The 
 old manor house, which stands close to the church as I have 
 already remarked, is architecturally a building of various dates, 
 and possesses associations of an historical character. The church 
 has points worthy of study, notably the guild chapel and screen. 
 But the special antiquarian treasure of the place is its Roman 
 villa.
 
 222 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Whitestaunton church, of which the dedication is unknown, is 
 small in size, and mainly Perpendicular in style. The tower stands 
 well, and church and manor house, seen from the top of the 
 neighbouring hill, appear to belong to the same range of buildings. 
 That in ancient times an earlier church existed, which is now 
 destroyed, seems probable, from the fact that the font is distinctly 
 Norman. The screen, a Perpendicular one, is of a very good type. 
 There are two chancel chapels, of which that on the north side 
 
 ■^»'t^m^w^- 
 
 ^^"^mmrmm^^ 
 
 was the chapel of the guild of St. Mary of Whitestaunton ; that 
 on the south belonged to the Brett family, in days long gone 
 the owners of the manor. My sketch shows the stone screen 
 which separates the guild chapel from the chancel. Within this 
 chapel, on the wall, is a brass to Margaret Brett, one of the 
 daughters and co-heiresses of Hughe Ratcliffe, Esq., and wife 
 of John Brett, " lord of this manor of Whitestaunton, who died 
 February 22, 1582," and also to her daughter Mary, the wife
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 
 
 223 
 
 of Christopher Morgan of Maperton, who died January 4, 1582. 
 This brass has two shields. The south chapel has a stone altar 
 tomb, which has evidently been moved from its original position. 
 Four carved shields can still be seen, though probably one if 
 not four others are now hidden. One shield has thereon a lion 
 rampant impaling a chevron 
 
 
 
 between three roses. The 
 arms of the Bretts were : 
 Argent a lion rampant 
 between five (another nine) 
 cross crosslets fitchee gules. 
 This shield therefore does 
 not seem to belong to Brett. 
 The coat impaled might, of 
 Somersetshire families, be 
 either that of Phellps or 
 of Wadham. There is no- 
 thing, however, to lead one to suppose that it belongs to either 
 of them. The second shield bears three fusils conjoined in fess, 
 and is supposed to be the coat of Montacute, though here again 
 there is no actual knowledge upon which to ground the belief. 
 The third shield is " fretty," and this being the coat of the 
 Stauntons {i.e. Gules fretty argent), of which family a Brett 
 married an heiress, it is reasonable to ascribe it to the Stauntons. 
 The fourth shield bears three negroes' heads filleted, and of this 
 coat there is no means of tracing the connection. 
 
 An opening, called a " squint," of very late date, is cut through
 
 224 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the south chancel pier, and commands, not the high altar from the 
 body of the church, but the altar (possibly) of the chapel. It, in 
 fact, is reversed in direction. My opinion is that it is not a squint 
 in reality, but simply a spy-hole from the squire's seat or pew. 
 On the wall of this chapel is a tablet to Catherine Elton, the 
 widow of Isaac Elton, and daughter of Robert Bayard, Esq., of 
 Stubbington, Hampshire, the loyal American. 
 
 Some ancient encaustic tiles, small in size, have been discovered 
 in the church, and where possible have been laid down in the 
 
 !E.'.t5«'?*!^J!«li,. .'■;;' " iliJ;} " 
 
 
 ■'•''• !:,(, 
 
 
 \ 
 
 'fiX^it f^&i^ ^a(lfSST&l3!irv'(?M« 
 
 C'-''.fl.-.VJ -t*,"> 
 
 sanctuary. I give sketches of two which were kindly forwarded 
 to me for that purpose. One of these bears, or may reasonably be 
 supposed to bear, the arms of the Stauntons ; the other is stated 
 to bear the arms of Montacute, but certainly does not. The arms 
 on the tile are three mascles conjoined in fess, and not three fusils. 
 Of the Ferrers family the coat armour is Gules, three mascles 
 conjoined in fess or, and I submit that this blazon accords more 
 with the coat on the tile than argent, three fusils conjoined in 
 fess gules belonging to Montacute. In the nave are some curious
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 225 
 
 bench ends ; one has carved thereon a monster with a long tail, 
 a conventional fretted mane, and scales. This has also been 
 called a "brock," and has been likened to the "brock" (?) at 
 Chard. There is not the slightest resemblance. Another bench 
 has a fretty pattern down the panel, terminated at top and 
 bottom by two loops, and studded all over. It is a pattern of by 
 no means uncommon occurrence, but here has been supposed to 
 stand for the Staunton coat of arms. With this view I entirely 
 disagree. A diamond-paned window would do equally as well. 
 Another bench end has on its panel a pair of conventional leaves 
 with twisted ends, like an S and S reversed, united by a studded 
 band. The ends are caught on to a ring, which is attached to a 
 twisted pillar or pedestal. This, it has been suggested, was the 
 origin of the Chard " borough arms." Now the borough of Chard, 
 as far as I can discover, has no arms ; at least, none are recorded. 
 The small oval borough seal, dated 1570, has Avithin the legend 
 two curious birds facing one another, but separated by an orna- 
 mental staff. There is no possibility by any twisting to derive 
 the birds of the Chard seal from the conventional foliacre of the 
 Whitestaunton bench end. The remains of a rood stair are still 
 visible in the church. Outside in the churchyard there does not 
 appear to be anything of peculiar interest, save perhaps the Locock 
 monument. This marks the vault of an old Whitestaunton yeoman 
 family now vanished locally. The vault is, however, still used 
 from time to time. 
 
 Whitestaunton manor house is partly a fifteenth-century build- 
 ing, though the outward and visible signs of this oldest portion are 
 
 R
 
 226 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 not easily to be distinguished from tlie later additions of the Brett 
 family. But that there can be no mistake about the date of a 
 portion of the house is proved by the presence of the relics of the 
 ancient roof. This roof is a handsome one, and by far more 
 elaborate than any other manor house roof I visited. In lieu of 
 curved and cusped wind-braces, such as are met with at Lytescary, 
 the spaces are as it were panelled, each panel being pierced with 
 a quatrefoil surmounting two trefoil-headed lancets. For my 
 description I have to rely on a careful drawing which I had the 
 opportunity of inspecting, as, owing to the situation of this roof, it 
 is a matter of considerable trouble to get up to it. Several rooms 
 in the house, notably the library, are most interesting. Here there 
 is a fine Jacobean fireplace, and a frieze in stamped plaster which 
 bears the strongest resemblance to the frieze at the Manor Court 
 House, Chard. This frieze was erected in 1577, I understand, and 
 bears that date impressed thereon. I have met with a repetition 
 of plaster work elsewhere, viz. at Rayne and Bocking, in Essex, 
 where, on the walls of two houses, I found the exact pattern 
 repeated in parge work. In one of the upper rooms there is 
 another extremely fine fireplace ; and this is the room in which, 
 according to tradition, a curious event once occurred. To this 
 event I shall briefly allude hereafter. Scattered thickly all over 
 the house are objects of interest — books, pictures, china and 
 antiquities ; but it were vain for me to attempt to catalogue them 
 here. Some of the furniture has, however, a strange history, for 
 either during the troublous times of the Great Rebellion, or on the 
 occasion of the siege of Whitestaunton by the sheriffs, it was
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 227 
 
 buried. It has only recently been unearthed and restored to its 
 old home. 
 
 The museum has a most carefully arranged collection of objects 
 found on the site of the Roman villa, by means of which the 
 materials used in the building thereof are exemplified with great 
 clearness. 
 
 The Brett family first appear at Whitestaunton (as far as 
 documentary evidence goes) in 1532. In 1579 we find one of 
 them, John Brett, high sheriff of the county. John Brett had a 
 son Robert who was knighted, and who died a Roman Catholic 
 at Valladolid in 1652. Another son, the eldest, by name Alexander, 
 was knighted in 1603, and died six years later. He married twice, 
 his first wife being Ann Morgan, the widow of Nicholas Turberville ; 
 his second, Ann Gifford, a Roman Catholic. Lady Ann Brett was 
 fined in 16 10 as a popish recusant. She died in 1647. ^^ o'""^ of 
 the State Papers, dated November 28, 1625, an account is given 
 of the armour taken from " The Ladie Anne Brett of White- 
 staunton, Somerset, widow, a popish recusant," when the recusants 
 were disarmed. Sir Alexander was succeeded by his son of the 
 same name, who also married a Catholic, Elizabeth Kirkham. He 
 died in 161 7, and was followed by his son the Royalist, Sir Robert 
 Brett, Kt. Sir Robert married twice and had two families. Owing 
 to a dispute between the eldest son by the first wife and his father, 
 the curious event took place to which I have alluded. The father 
 was bound by settlement to provide for the children of the second 
 marriage. This he refused to do. His son Alexander, the eldest 
 of the first family, sided with his half brothers and sisters, and was
 
 2 28 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 forthwith turned out-of-doors with an allowance of ^12 10^. An 
 action was brought against Sir Robert, and decided in the favour 
 of the children. Sir Robert bolted and barred his house, and 
 having previously sent away a good deal of his furniture, prepared 
 to stand siege. The sheriffs arrived, and were compelled to break 
 into the house, having quite a fight in the room on the first floor 
 before they obtained complete possession. It seems that the second 
 wife of Sir Robert was his daughter's maid, and that the wedding 
 was celebrated in a very clandestine manner. The last of the 
 Bretts who owned Whitestaunton was Henry, and he sold it early 
 in the eighteenth century to Sir Abraham Elton, an ancestor of 
 the present owner, Mr. C. I. Elton, O.C. 
 
 The Roman house or villa at Whitestaunton lies quite close 
 to the manor house — not fifty yards distant, in fact. It was 
 accidentally discovered about twelve years since, though fragments, 
 presumably of Roman origin, had for a long time previously been 
 met with on or near the spot. It was known that remains of old 
 Roman mines existed on the hillside close by, in the shape of 
 heaps of slag and ore. These workings are mentioned later in 
 Domesday, as also are the stream, and a little mill of which a 
 few stones yet exist. This stream skirts one side of the villa 
 and then flows into the valley of the Yasty. About half a 
 century ago the remains of a ruined well shrine were discovered 
 above a spring by the side of the private road, and not twenty 
 feet from the villa. Tesserae were then found there ; but the 
 well was known as St. Agnes' Well. Of its present state I give 
 a sketch, but it is most curious to know that within the last few
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTOX, 2 29 
 
 months a narrow tessellated pavement, with fragments of side 
 walls of painted plaster, has been unearthed, leading directly to 
 this spring and within a few feet of it. 
 
 Here, then, we have a sacred Roman well and the absolute 
 Roman relics of its shrine which, in later times, has become a 
 Christian holy well. The name of the Roman nymph to whom it 
 belonged, or was supposed to, we may never know ; but the 
 Christian dedication to St. Agnes still sticks to this tiny wayside 
 
 '■T)iTg3-ir«uHlTeW» 
 
 fount. My sketch shows the present appearance of the Roman 
 house. It was presumably the residence of the man in charge of 
 the mining operations, and was small in size. The atrium still 
 retains a part of its pavement, which is of a very plain character. 
 Here, from the fragments discovered, it is reasonable to think that 
 there was a roof, and moreover a glass one. Pieces of glass have 
 been found on the tesserae, evidently cast and apparently cast on flat 
 stones. The cloister which runs round the atrium is at a higher level 
 and had an archway at the back. When this villa was destroyed
 
 CHARD AND WHITESTAUNTON. 23 1 
 
 it would appear from the ashes in the atrium that it perished by 
 fire. An additional support to this view is given from the con- 
 sideration that arches and walls for the most part fell outwards. 
 The centre of the house contained the heating apparatus, and 
 possibly the kitchen. Bath rooms and a sweating bath were 
 situated on the side most remote from the atrium. The burnt 
 relics of these, though they have been exposed to the atmosphere 
 for a dozen years, are still perfectly manifest. 
 
 Of other small rooms the side walls remain to a greater height, 
 and one from its circular shape we must suppose served for a 
 sacrarium or place of worship for the occupier and his family. 
 Unfortunately the coloured plaster work which lined the walls has 
 vanished ; nay, it did not even give Mr. Elton a chance to preserve 
 it, fading almost immediately. 
 
 Some of the stones in the atriu7n are scored with a diamond 
 pattern resembling, I hear, the masonry of the wall of Hadrian. 
 Except the roof or portion of the roof of the atrijim which was 
 glazed, it appears from fragments discovered in great numbers that 
 the remainder of the building was roofed with thin slabs of stone 
 as well as with tiles of the ordinary type. This seems to point 
 to a commencement with tiles until the mining manager found on 
 better acquaintance with the resources of the district that he had 
 stone fit for his purpose ready to hand. The site of this interesting 
 little Roman house is in itself beautiful, a fact which of course 
 adds a charm to the associations of the spot. Personally I have 
 wandered in many directions over my native land, but I can truly 
 say that I never chanced upon the counterpart of the Roman
 
 232 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 miner's little house hard by the fountain of the nymph. I must 
 here offer my best thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Elton for great kindness 
 shown to me when I visited Whitestaunton, and also express my 
 obligations to them for much valuable information which they 
 freely placed at my disposal.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ATHELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 
 
 From Chard I proceed to Langport, in order both to revisit a 
 district that I had explored more than once in years past, and also 
 to investigate one or two spots of 
 which I had heard accounts, and 
 which seemed to promise subjects 
 of interest. 
 
 My first excursion was to 
 Athelney, Boroughbridge, and 
 Stoke St. Gregory. The tradi- 
 tional tales of Aelfred and Athel- 
 ney are well known, and I shall 
 not refer to them, preferring to 
 dwell briefly on the historical 
 rather than legendary associations 
 of this noted spot. Here, on the 
 little rising ground, a marsh island, 
 the fugitive king made a secret refuge for his wife and family during 
 his wanderings — solitary wanderings, undertaken for the purpose
 
 2 34 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 of reorganizing his scattered power. Here, later, out of gratitude, 
 he erected the little abbey, of which, save a few tiles and fragmentary 
 stone carvings, not a trace remains. That Aelfred ever made the 
 Isle of Athelney a resting-place for himself for a longer period than 
 a few hours I can hardly credit, since it is plainly stated that he 
 wandered about ever alone, and that not even his most trusted 
 followers knew the place in which he had concealed those near and 
 dear to him. It is stated that the place was ultimately fortified, 
 just before his final victory over Guthrun. To me it seems far 
 more probable that the site of this stronghold was the knoll of 
 Boroughbridge close by. The name yEthelinga-aeg signifies Isle of 
 the y^thelings — noble or royal personages. It has been suggested 
 that it arose from the fact that none but nobles assisted in the 
 erection of this fort. I, however, prefer to consider it as the refuge 
 for the royal mother and her children. Historically, as we know, 
 in 878, just after Christmas, the Danes overran Somersetshire, 
 meeting with hardly any resistance. Aelfred became a fugitive, and 
 it took him till Easter to reorganize and to build his fort. Seven 
 weeks after Easter he won the victory of Ethandun, when peace 
 was made. Guthrun was baptized at Aller, and his " Chrisom- 
 loosing" was held at Wedmore. Into the much-vexed question of 
 the identity of the scene of the battle of Ethandun I need not 
 here enter. Somersetshire men like to locate it at Edington, in 
 their own county, but the majority of those who have investigated 
 the matter place the battlefield at Edington in Wilts. 
 
 Of the abbey buildings, as I have said, no trace now remains, 
 but the spot is marked by a small monument on which a tablet
 
 ATHELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 235 
 
 commemorates its historic associations with the Saxon king. 
 Accounts which have come down to us speak of the abbey as being 
 small, but of great magnificence in its decorations. These accounts 
 are fully borne out by the ornamental character of the fragments 
 which from time to time 
 have been discovered. Of 
 these relics the well-known 
 Aelfred Jewel, now in the 
 
 Bodleian at Oxford, which «<" ir- '". "^ ^v^. '.--S-V-, 
 
 was discovered near 
 
 Athelney, is the most celebrated example. Of one of the chantries 
 founded at the abbey as far back as the eighth of Richard II., 
 it is curious to note that the abbot and convent agreed that if 
 they neglected the duties imposed on them the heirs of the 
 foundress might distrain on their land. This chantry was founded 
 by Elizabeth, Lady Blount, and provided for two chaplains, one a 
 monk and the other a secular priest, to say mass every day 
 except Good Friday at the altar of the Holy Trinity in the abbey. 
 A number of obits were also to be kept on the anniversaries of 
 the deaths of the foundress and about twenty other relatives or 
 friends. 
 
 From Athelney I proceeded to Boroughbridge, crossing the 
 river by the new bridge which has been built near the junction of 
 the rivers Parret and Tone. It was the time of the apple harvest, 
 and the road was fringed with orchards laden with the most brilliant 
 fruit I ever had the good fortune to see. The gradations of colour, 
 from the palest yellow or green to the deepest crimson or brightest
 
 '■3(> 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 scarlet, were simply marvellous. This must be clue to the influence 
 of the soil, for though accustomed all my life to a fairly large and 
 well-stored orchard, I can safely say that never have I witnessed 
 anything at all approaching to the splendid hues of the Athelney 
 apple trees when fully laden. 
 
 At Boroughbridge is one of those tors or knolls which rise 
 suddenly out of the marshes. It is steep and smooth at the top, 
 but its sides are scored by evident traces of former fortifications. 
 
 The top is crowned by the ruins of what is stated to be an 
 eighteenth-century church, which was commenced but never 
 completed. There is a certain conflict of testimony about this 
 ruined church or chapel. Collinson writes of it as being dedicated 
 to St. Michael, and states that mention of a chapel there occurs very 
 early in the records of Athelney Abbey, to which house it was 
 appendant. In appearance the place does not show signs of any 
 great antiquity, and bears the date of 1724 carved thereon, if I 
 remember aright. Most of the carved details, especially the
 
 ATHELNEY AND BOROUGIIBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 237 
 
 pinnacles, belong to this late date ; a similar remark applies to the 
 little tracery which remains in the windows. On the other hand 
 the gargoyles and two carved heads bear evi- -^---a:;.--^ 
 
 dence of age, and to me appear to have belonged 
 to some earlier building. One point in the ruin 
 seems worthy of note, and that is the door or 
 window which looks into the nave, not on the 
 ground level, but high up in the wall at the 
 north-west corner. There is also a flat-headed squint on the 
 north side. All things considered, I think it probable that the 
 ruins of an early chapel were utilized in the eighteenth century, 
 and a tower was added, but that the entire edifice was never 
 completed. Boroughbridge has twice been fortified, and, from its 
 contiguity to the low flat Isle of Athelney, was in all probability 
 the real site of Aelfred's strong fort. Certain it is that from the 
 base of this mount, in very ancient times, a causeway stretched 
 across the marsh to another knoll near Othery, upon which there 
 was another fort. It should also be remarked that the path up the 
 hill is upon this side. From the top there is a beautiful view, and 
 
 
 I could not resist aeain snatching- a sketch of the Somersetshire 
 
 plains and distant Glastonbury.
 
 238 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 The second fortification of Boroughbridge took place in the 
 days of the Great Rebellion, when it was occupied by the Royalist 
 troops of Goring. Collinson tells us that the chapel on this 
 occasion suffered much from the effects of shot as it became, 
 though in a ruinous condition, the citadel of the besieged. It 
 will be remembered that in 1645 Goring was investing Taunton, 
 but was compelled to raise the siege after the Royalist defeat at 
 Naseby had freed the forces of Fairfax. Goring then took up 
 a position at Langport, and placed a garrison of one hundred and 
 twenty men on the hill at Boroughbridge. Fairfax defeated him 
 at Langport, and the royalist troops fled headlong in the direction 
 of Bridgwater, after attempting to rally at Aller. The little garrison 
 on Boroughbridge had meanwhile passed through some very rough 
 times, but being as it were supported by the presence of the bulk 
 of the royalist army in the neighbourhood, had hitherto been able 
 to maintain the post. After the battle of Langport, Fairfax sent 
 a certain Colonel Okey with a body of troops to reduce this 
 outlying stronghold. Further resistance was useless on the part 
 of the besieged, so on summons to surrender they capitulated. 
 Coming so soon after Naseby the loss to the king's party was 
 most severe, for at Langport three hundred were killed and fourteen 
 hundred captured, besides the garrison of Boroughbridge. 
 
 From Boroughbridge I returned to Athelney station, and 
 crossing the line took my way to the little village of Stoke 
 St. Gregory, noticing as I went the picturesque tower of Ling 
 church, which lies not far away on the other side of the river 
 Tone, and in close juxtaposition to the Isle of Athelney. In
 
 ATHELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 239 
 
 Stoke St. Gregory there are two things worth consideration. One 
 is the old moated manor house, now known by the name of 
 Slough Farm, the other is the church. At Slough Farm I was 
 most kindly received by the occupier, and was at once permitted 
 to view the house. My sketch illustrates the exterior and shows 
 the remains of the gateway, now entirely ivy-clad, and the moat, 
 partly filled up, and crossed by a causeway. As will be seen. 
 
 >-i ^fi@wss^~wmsi>- 
 
 this old gabled house is by no means unpicturesque. Within I 
 found some old arches and windows in odd corners, heavily beamed 
 ceilings, and in one room some curious fiat oak arches supported 
 by stone pillars and mouldings. The remains of the oak screen 
 in the hall — a very plain one — are still visible. One or two 
 doors yet retain their linen-pattern panels both back and front, 
 and in this district I may observe that the linen panelling is of
 
 240 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 a very good type indeed. I have now, I think, just upwards of 
 one hundred different patterns of this decoration, of which no less 
 than eight came from this particular neighbourhood. In one or 
 two parts of the house there are some trefoil-headed or cusped 
 windows of extremely small size ; there are also a few quatrefoils. 
 In one tiny room I came across the small piece of carved tabernacle 
 work of which I give a sketch. By its side were 
 two other fragments of carved stone, one of which 
 was a head. The tabernacle work still retains its 
 colouring — red, black, and gold, and was found 
 beneath the staircase when the old stair was replaced 
 by a new one. It is evidently the relic of some 
 portion of the long-vanished chapel, and appears to 
 me to be a part of a canopy and niche. Unfor- 
 tunately neither the bracket nor any other fragment 
 was found. Still the fact of the discovery is one 
 which it is well worth while to record. 
 
 From Slough Farm I proceeded to the church of Stoke 
 St. Gregory, where I found several details which were worthy 
 of notice. Of these the chief perhaps is the curious arrangement 
 of the stone belfry supports within the tower. Now it is to 
 be remarked that here the tower is octagonal, and that the belfry 
 floor is sustained by corner vaulting brackets not made of one 
 solid block, but composed of some ten or a dozen stones, and 
 regularly built out in a curved shape. The effect is very odd, 
 and is not one, in my opinion, to be imitated. To this octagonal 
 tower an external belfry turret-stair is attached. Four statues 
 
 SWK6, i:?tKEBSSX;
 
 ATIIELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 24 1 
 
 of modern date have been placed in niches outside upon the 
 alternate faces of the tower. In plan the church is cruciform, 
 and both transepts contain points of interest. In the north window 
 of the north transept are two fragments of ancient glass, represent- 
 ing the "Lamb and Flag" in the one case, and in the other I 
 think, as far as I could see, an eagle and child. The south transept 
 has carved capitals to its western arch, which consist of demi-angels 
 bearing shields with the Montacute coat. Of this there can be no 
 doubt, as the same coat occurs on a tomb in the churchyard between 
 the initials I. M. The east wall of this transept has two small 
 windows between three niches. The niches are unfortunately con- 
 siderably mutilated, but a few traces of the painting which once 
 adorned them are still visible. They were formerly covered by 
 two oak memorial tablets to the Court family of Lillsdon. These 
 tablets have now been removed to another part of the wall. They 
 are of seventeenth-century date, and bear the arms of Court 
 impaling another coat — or, three bulls' heads gules. The wood- 
 work of the church now claims attention. There are some fair 
 bench-ends ; the west door is of a curious type, and has a quaint 
 finial to one of its dividing bands. A cupboard in the vestry is 
 decorated with the carving and panelling of the former reading- 
 desk. Here linen pattern of uncommon type is again to be met 
 with. This carving bears two dates, viz. 1595 and 1628. Certain 
 plaques thereon, five in number, each show the figure of a woman 
 holding some utensil, rather like a dustpan, in one hand, and in 
 the other a rolling-pin. As there are five of these, it has been 
 suggested that they represent either \!ae. five wise or the. five /oolis/i 
 
 s
 
 242 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 virgins ! But the pulpit is the best piece of carving in the church. 
 It is very ornate, and round its sides are panels with figures : 
 I. Time with an hour-glass and scythe; 2. A woman holding a 
 spear ; 3. A woman holding an anchor ; 4. A woman holding a 
 dove; 5. A winged female figure with a child in her arms. The 
 whole of the work on this pulpit is excellent, and it has been well 
 preserved. 
 
 Passing from the church I glanced at the old village stocks, 
 which yet stand beneath a large yew tree, when just as I was 
 leaving I discovered that I had missed two points, both of which 
 deserve notice. The first is the fine pierced panel parapet of 
 quatrefoils and shields which runs round the exterior of the church, 
 the second the quaint statue, possibly that of St. Gregory, which, 
 in a rather elegant niche, stands above the inner arch of the 
 south porch. The figure in the niche holds in his right hand 
 a palm branch, and in his left a dove ; at least, this is how I 
 interpret the carving. 
 
 Returning to Athelney station, I took the train back to 
 Langport. The town of Langport, formerly a borough, but now 
 managed by a " Town Trust," was in ancient days a place of much 
 greater importance. Traces of the fortifications which encircled 
 it are still faintly to be made out by those who search diligently. 
 One of the gates, or presumably one of the gates, as it stands in 
 the line of the fortifications, still remains. At the beginning of this 
 chapter I have given a sketch of one side of this rather curious 
 building, and I here insert a view of the other. Locally, the gate 
 goes by the name of the " Hanging Chapel " — a name which is
 
 ATIIELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 243 
 
 supposed to have originated in the execution there of three 
 unfortunate rebels condemned by Jeffreys. This is, however, a 
 mistake, as I believe. The name originated because of the chapel 
 above the road or overhanging it. I have already noticed the 
 fact that a similar gate existed at Ilchester. It is somehow difficult, 
 despite the proximity of the earthworks, to associate this Hanging 
 
 '■mm In— 
 
 TIHll 7 
 
 Chapel in one's mind with a fortification. Traces of gates, bars, 
 or portcullis are entirely absent. Town gates used to have a 
 portcullis sometimes ; one thus closed existed at Yarmouth. 
 But this Somersetshire Hanging Chapel, or town gate, must have 
 been more devoted to matters ecclesiastical than military. Traces 
 of mutilated niches for images appear in the wall within the dark
 
 H4 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 narrow vaulted way through which all who journey thence to Huish 
 Episcopi or Muchelney must pass. 
 
 The little chapel above the arch has had a somewhat chequered 
 career since mass ceased to be sung within. Not so long since it 
 was devoted to scholastic purposes, a free grammar school being 
 held therein ; subsequently it became a museum ; now it is, I 
 understand, a Freemasons' Hall. One naturally considers this 
 uncommon building first in Langport, though, as a matter of fact, 
 one needs must pass the church to reach it. 
 
 Langport church is dedicated to All Saints, and stands on 
 
 the top of the hill, as 
 may be seen from my 
 sketch. I have mentioned 
 its chief feature in a 
 former chapter, viz. the 
 vestry or room at the 
 east end. Otherwise, with the e.xception of a south door, which 
 is well carved externally, a squint, and a few fragments of ancient 
 glass, there is nothing worth particular notice. The heedless way 
 in which old gravestones have been used to pave the church 
 paths is, however, most reprehensible. 
 
 In the long street of Langport there are few vestiges of 
 antiquity. Here and there I caught sight of an ancient gable end 
 half hidden by modern work. In the coach-house of the Langport 
 Arms Hotel I found an old cusped window, apparently belonging 
 to the wall of the next house. Roman remains have, I under- 
 stand, been discovered in the locality with tolerable frequency, and
 
 ATHELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 245 
 
 I heard that the fragments of the long-disused lepers' hospital 
 were duly preserved when the building was demolished. Still, 
 there cannot be said to be a great deal to see in Langport itself. 
 Through the kindness of Mr. Stuckey I was able, about three 
 years ago, to examine the old Langport mace. This mace is not 
 of large size, and its two halves, in my opinion, are of different 
 dates. The head, which is of the usual type, goes back only as 
 far as the reign of Charles I. It has round its sides a rose sur- 
 mounted by C. R., a harp, and, if I remember rightly, another rose 
 and a fleur-de-lis. All these are crowned. Between them are 
 grotesque demi-figures and conventional twists. On the staff 
 beneath the head is a portcullis. In the centre of the staff is a 
 knob, and the lower part (the most ancient) terminates in a ball, 
 upon the flat base of which is engraved a very singular king's head. 
 I took several rubbings of this head, but none were sufficiently 
 satisfactory to warrant their being reproduced. The seal of Lang- 
 port bears the very curious device of a hideous man's head looking 
 to the sinister, filleted. The head is couped at the shoulders, but 
 the four top laces of the coat are visible. 
 
 Only a short distance from the Hanging Chapel stands the 
 church of Huish Episcopi, remarkable for its fine fire-marked 
 Norman south door and its beautiful Perpendicular tower. I do 
 not think that I shall ever forget the effect which this tower pro- 
 duced on me some years ago, the first time that I saw it. It came 
 on me unawares, just after I had passed through the gloomy arch 
 of the Hanging Chapel. Anybody who knows Langport will, I 
 believe, know the exact spot from which this noble specimen of
 
 246 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Perpendicular architecture is seen at its best. The Norman door- 
 way of the south porch is very handsome, the zigzag and other 
 mouldings being of extremely bold design. That the original 
 Norman church either perished by or received great damage from 
 fire is apparent in the colour of the stones of this arch. On the 
 door itself are two iron bands with ornamental twisted ends. 
 Somersetshire is rather lacking in ornamental door bands. The 
 interior of the church is rather disappointing, and indeed, beyond 
 a curious squint on the south side, does not contain any- 
 thing remarkable. As regards the main fabric of the church, it 
 appears to be of various dates, the oldest bit being of course the 
 Norman door. The porch I should consider to be thirteenth- 
 century work, the remainder, with the exception of the fifteenth- 
 century chapel and a little window tracery, dating from the 
 fourteenth century. Unlike most doorways to a rood-stair, that 
 at Huish Episcopi is ornamental instead of plain. 
 
 Without entering into the question whether the beautiful 
 tower of Huish Episcopi belongs to the ni-'^ class of the «''" type 
 of Somersetshire churches, or occupies some higher or lower 
 position in the table of precedence, I shall here only briefly note 
 its special points. These consist of battlements of marvellously 
 elaborate work, corner detached pinnacles, which add greatly to 
 the grace of the structure, horizontal bands of foliated ornament, 
 which wonderfully enrich the face of the work, and, in addition, 
 handsome belfry windows, not filled in with board shutters, but 
 closed by decorated pierced stone panels. Huish Episcopi is a 
 tower to be seen, not to be written about. Close by the church,
 
 ATIIELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, I.ANGPORT AND MUCHELNEV. 247 
 
 on the opposite side of the road, stands a modern house, in the 
 walls of which have been inserted several carvings in stone and 
 some coat armour. 
 
 The way now lies over some very flat and uninteresting 
 country for the distance of about a mile, when there is a slight 
 rise in the ground. This rise was in marshy days a marsh island, 
 which from its size was designated Muchelney, or Great Island. 
 Here, somewhere about the year 939, /Ethelstan founded a small 
 abbey. The date of the dedication of the abbey church is very 
 early in this year, so that we may conclude the foundation of the 
 abbey to have taken place some time previously. But the present 
 remains of the successor of this abbey are for the time quite 
 invisible, and it is not until the church, the ancient vicarage house, 
 and the restored parish cross have been passed that any clue to 
 the whereabouts of the abbey is obtained. 
 
 The church of Muchelney is an interesting one ; it has a nave, 
 two aisles, two chapels, and a fine tower. The tower, I think, 
 looks best from the south of the abbey, and I have therefore 
 included it in my illustration of that front. Remains of five niches 
 in the inside of the church are interesting, and both sedilia and 
 piscinae worthy of remark. But of the internal features of the 
 church, the quaintly painted roof and the stone vaulting of the 
 tower probably attract most notice. Of porches there are two, and 
 the north porch has a parvise chamber. The font has been restored, 
 but is a good one. On its west face it has a rood, while three 
 kneeling figures appear on three other sides. It is octagonal in 
 shape, with four projecting square plinths, and round its base are
 
 248 SOMERSETSHIRE, 
 
 laid some of the old encaustic tiles which were excavated from the 
 site of the abbey church in 1873. Other tiles of the same origin 
 are also in the church. An ancient stone coffin-lid is carefully 
 preserved within. 
 
 In the churchyard outside, on the south side, are the foundations 
 of the grand abbey church. These were laid bare a few years since, 
 when the excavations were conducted with much skill and loving 
 care. Most curious discoveries were made on this occasion, viz. 
 relics were found of a small, irregularly built apsidal Norman Lady 
 Chapel, which projected from the round-ended Norman chancel. 
 These had evidently been replaced in the fourteenth century by 
 a square-ended Lady Chapel and a square-ended chancel. It 
 was in this fourteenth-century Lady Chapel that the tiles I have 
 mentioned were discovered. Several coffins and coffin-stones were 
 found, and under a roof, to protect it from the weather, one body- 
 stone, surmounted by a mutilated effigy of an ecclesiastic, now 
 stands in its original position, and amid the wreck of the abbey 
 church. The find of encaustic tiles was a valuable one, more than 
 fifty different patterns coming to light. I cannot undertake to 
 enumerate all the designs, but I may mention a few of the most 
 remarkable, i. Elephant and castle. 2. A set forming a hunting 
 scene. 3. Knights on horseback, etc. One curious fact is that 
 these tiles were laid without the slightest regard to pattern. 
 
 I have mentioned the ancient vicarage house which stands just 
 opposite the north porch of the church. This is a most interesting 
 little specimen of fourteenth and fifteenth-century domestic work. 
 It has been at one time used for a school, but is now partly devoted
 
 ATHELNEY AND I30R0UGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 349 
 
 to the Storing of various fragments of tiles, carving, etc., from the 
 abbey, which have been from time to time discovered there. The 
 door is an ancient one, and has on its weather-beaten plank the old 
 knocker, a sketch of which forms the tailpiece 
 to this chapter. 
 
 Close by this old vicarage is another house, 
 creeper-clad and picturesque. Above its door 
 has been built in the carving of which I here 
 give an illustration. It is evidently a fragment 
 of the Norman church. And now I pass 
 through a farmyard to the right, and in a few 
 minutes am standing facing the south front of Muchelney Abbey. 
 
 Of the domestic buildings of the abbey of SS. Peter, Paul, and 
 
 
 
 ''rnkwrnA 
 
 ^\^.>^fc^ H? 
 
 Andrew, Muchelney, sufficient remains to enable one to make out 
 the plan with tolerable accuracy. My sketch shows the largest 
 extent of the house. The panelled wall on the right is the inside
 
 2=;o 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 of the north wall of the refectory. The two four-light windows on 
 the upper floor are those of the abbot's room, of which I shall give 
 a sketch presently. Behind the refectory wall is the south arcade 
 of the cloister, now, alas, destitute of its vaulting, and used as a 
 
 cider cellar. The inner 
 arches of this cloister have 
 been walled up, and some 
 later windows inserted. In 
 lieu of vaulting there is a 
 ceiling, and the room above, 
 with this exception, is in 
 its original shape. This 
 cloister, which when perfect 
 must have been of singular 
 beauty, occupied the inter- 
 vening space between the 
 refectory and the south wall 
 of the abbey church. 
 Through the kindness and 
 courtesy of Mr. Westlake, 
 the occupier, I am enabled 
 to give the illustration of a corner of the cloister. It was taken 
 under difficulties, for the place is dark. Thanks, however, to the 
 kind way in which my host manipulated a candle and some matches, 
 I was able to get an approximation to this beautiful fragment on to 
 the page of my sketch-book. The doorway which led into the 
 refectory is now the entrance to the house. This leads into a lobby
 
 ATHELNEY AND BOROUGHBRIDGE, LANGPORT AND MUCHELNEY. 
 
 2=; I 
 
 beneath the abbot's chamber, and thence into the cloister. Several 
 arched doors and panelled arches are scattered about the house, 
 both upstairs and on the ground floor. But beautiful though the 
 
 i^ii®T^ mm^ . m(mimr. Am^v^
 
 252 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 south front is, with its lovely weather-worn and lichen-tinted stones, 
 perhaps the most interesting spot in the abbey is the old abbot's 
 room I have illustrated. There the original settle runs round the 
 side beneath the windows — a settle rich with linen-pattern panels, 
 with elegantly pierced tracery in its frieze, and broken at intervals 
 in its regularity by quaintly topped plinths. At the end near the 
 fireplace the elbow-rest of the settle still remains. The fireplace is 
 richly adorned by three horizontal bands of elegant carving. The 
 upper band bears ivy and its trails, the middle the vine and its 
 bunches, while the lower is composed of singularly elaborate 
 quatrefoils of a pattern as uncommon as it is beautiful. On either 
 side are quaint plinths, surmounted by extravagant monsters of the 
 lion species. 
 
 That the relics of the domestic buildings at Muchelney are of 
 late date goes without saying ; in fact, they can hardly have been 
 more than finished before the day came on which Thomas Yve, the 
 last abbot, was perforce compelled to say farewell to his pleasant 
 chamber, his house, and his noble church. In company with 
 Richard Coscob, prior, John Montacute, and eight others, he had, 
 in July, 1534, acknowledged the supremacy. On January 3, 1538, 
 he signed the deed of surrender.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 
 
 The ancient borough of Bridgwater has changed its outward 
 appearance nearly as much as Ilchester since the days when old 
 Leland " enterid into a Suburbe, and so over a Bridg, under the 
 which renneth a Brook, that risith a 4. Miles of by West at 
 Bromefelde." It was even then going to ruin, and the worthy 
 antiquary notes that " the Castelle, sumtyme a right fair and strong 
 Peace of Worke," was a wreck. Of the religious houses the 
 domestic buildings of the college of " Gray Freres " were in 
 existence then ; but in these days an arched door in Silver Street, 
 if my memory serves me aright, is the sole relic thereof. The 
 " Chapelle of S. Salviour at the South side withoute the Towne, 
 which was buildid in honmtum memorid by a Merchaunt of Bridge- 
 water cawllid William Poel or Pole," has vanished completely, and 
 the same remark applies to the college of St. John, the only 
 thincr " notable " in the " Est Part of the Town." This collesfe 
 is called by Leland " late," as if then unoccupied. It stood 
 partly without the East Gate. To it adjoined "an Hospital for 
 poore folkes," and it appears that the costume of the priests had
 
 254 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 been that of secular priests with a " Crosse on there Breste." 
 The house of the Gray Friars was then in the occupation of 
 the "Accustumer" of Bridgwater, who had " translatid " it to a 
 right goodly and pleasant dwelling-house. Leland also mentions 
 another hospital built and founded by the townsfolk, but "endowed 
 with little or no Lande." Of the ancient three-arch stone bridge 
 over the Parret, we read that it was " stronge and high," and that 
 it was begun by William Briwere the first lord of Bridgwater, 
 temp. Richard I. and John. This famous bridge was finished by 
 
 yifrp 
 
 a certain Triveth or Trivet, a man of " Devonshire or Cornwalle," 
 and thereon he placed his arms " in a Sheld yn the coping of 
 the Chekes of the Bridge." The old bridge endured from his 
 day till the year 1795, when it was taken down to be replaced 
 by an iron structure. My sketch, taken from the new London 
 and South Western Railway swing-bridge, shows the present 
 appearance of the old port of Bridgwater. 
 
 Leland makes no mention of the very curious market-cross 
 which formerly stood on the Cornhill opposite the entrance to
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 255 
 
 High Street. This market-cross was notable from the fact that 
 it contained, in its ujDper part, a cistern to which water was laid 
 on in pipes from a certain mill known as the Queen's Mill. In 
 form it was hexagonal, with flat-arched openings and a crenel- 
 lated parapet. Curious bamboo-shaped buttresses stood at each 
 corner, and terminated in plain elongated conical pinnacles. 
 Similar pinnacles also projected upwards from the crown of each 
 arch. A band of quatrefoils ran round just beneath the crenella- 
 tions, except on one side, which lacked both crenellations and 
 quatrefoils, but bore a sun-dial. The pertinent inscription, " Mind 
 your own business," was sculped on this interesting market- 
 cross. Alas, all vanished about the same time as the ancient 
 bridge. 
 
 But though ruinous in the days of Leland, the old castle 
 of Bridgwater was destined to play a part, and an important 
 part, in the county history more than a century later. Of this 
 I shall speak presently. Nowadays there is unfortunately but 
 little remaining to us of this historic spot. Built, like the bridge, 
 by William de Briwere, it probably shared in the discomforts 
 attaching to the capture of the town by the barons during the 
 reign of Henry HI. The only relic of the castle visible at the 
 present day is the archway of which I give a sketch — an arch- 
 way which, in all probability, formed the Watergate of the strong- 
 hold. Some arched cellars beneath a house a few feet distant 
 are stated to have also belonged to the foundations of the castle 
 defences ; but these, I was given to understand, had been bricked 
 up quite recently, owing to the constant irruption of the tide,
 
 2S6 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 which rendered them useless. The main buildingfs of William 
 de Brivvere's stronghold occupied the open space now known as 
 the Square — a site on a rising ground a little drawn back from 
 
 the river and reached by walk- 
 ing up Chandos Street. Here, 
 not so many years ago, a few 
 walls were yet standing ; and a 
 portion of the fosse, even then 
 thirty feet deep, was visible. 
 The castle well, a very large 
 one, is believed to have been 
 situated in one corner of the 
 present square. It should also 
 be mentioned that a " castle 
 bridge," distinct from the " three- 
 arch " bridge, existed formerly ; 
 and I understand that a few 
 fragments of its masonry are 
 at times to be seen when the tide is very low. 
 
 Bridgwater was never a walled town, though possessed of 
 four gates, known as the North, South, East, and West Gates. 
 Leland states that the " Waulles of the Stone Houses of the 
 Toune be yn steede of the Towne Waulles." But despite its then 
 decaying condition (two hundred houses recently gone to ruin), 
 the borough of Bridgwater must have been a most picturesque 
 place in the days of Leland. That it is not so now is mainly 
 owing to the making of its history, as I shall presently show. 
 
 "^RSlSjiw^-pE 

 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 257 
 
 First, however, it will be more fitting to notice the church 
 of St. Mary and such other buildings of antiquity as remain 
 — few enough, alas ; but for their rarity there is ample reason. 
 
 St. Mary's Church is large, and possesses one feature which 
 in this county I have already alluded to as being uncommon, 
 viz. a spire. In style the architecture is mainly Perpendicular; 
 but traces are observable of Decorated work, which may safely 
 be assumed to be fragments of a former church. Externally 
 the most interesting portion is on the north side, where near the 
 ground level some curious arches are visible. A most extraordinary 
 series of hagioscopes was destroyed some years ago. These 
 hagioscopes gave a view through three different walls, so that 
 a person standing in the porch had a perfect sight of the high 
 altar. 
 
 On first entering the church I was struck by the large amount 
 of carved woodwork. That the chancel roof was modern I could 
 at once discern, but with the side screens there it is far different. 
 These are of late fourteenth-century date, or I am much mistaken. 
 They are handsome and extremely well preserved. By no means 
 so ancient, of course, though equally well kept, is the Jacobean 
 screen or grille which partitions off the seats appropriated to the 
 corporation on the south side of the church. How different the 
 condition of these, which evidently show that loving care has 
 been bestowed on them, from the ruined corporation benches in 
 the north aisle of the tumble-down Orford chapel in Suffolk. 
 Above the altar is a large and valuable picture of which the 
 subject is " The Descent from the Cross." 
 
 T
 
 258 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 The Story of this picture is somewhat remarkable. According 
 to tradition it was taken out of a privateer, of nationality variously 
 stated as Spanish or French. In some way the Hon. A. Poulett 
 (his name in fact was Anne, after his royal godmother) became 
 possessed of it. At that time he was one of the members for 
 the borough, and presented this painting to the mayor and 
 corporation, with the proviso that it should form the altar-piece 
 for the parish church. The picture is one of great beauty, and 
 it is somewhat remarkable that hitherto the painter thereof has 
 remained unidentified. It has been suggested that its origin is 
 either Spanish, Italian, French, or Flemish — a suggestion which 
 includes a fairly w^ide number of schools ! Flemish it certainly 
 is not ; French I should consider it impossible for it to be. 
 There remains but a Spanish or Italian origin, and of these, 
 speaking not as an expert in any way, I should be inclined to 
 reject the first named. But in these days it seems extraordinary 
 that no absolute clue has ever been obtained to clear up the 
 mystery attaching to the painter of this noble work of art. In 
 Bridgwater I was told a curious story that Sir Joshua Reynolds 
 on more than one occasion went out of his way to visit this 
 church and study the painting and composition of this picture. 
 If true, this speaks volumes for both its beauty and its artistic 
 value. 
 
 One tomb in the churchyard needs notice. It is that of a 
 native of Bridgwater, John Oldmixon, who was born in 1673. He 
 was a prolific writer, being the author of a " History of the Stuarts," 
 a " Critical History of England," and a " Life of Queen Anne,"
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 259 
 
 besides various pastorals, plays, criticisms, and political pamphlets. 
 His political services obtained for him the post of collector of 
 customs at the port of Bridgwater, while his abusive attacks on 
 various men of letters obtained for him the distinction of being 
 ridiculed in the Tatler under the name of " Mr. Omicron, the 
 Unborn Poet." Pope, whom he had abused, accorded to him the 
 questionable honour of mention in the Dunciad, where he is 
 represented as mounting the side of a lighter in order the better to 
 plunge into the mud of the Fleet ditch. Oldmixon, in his writings, 
 was a fierce opponent of the house of Stuart, and was guilty of 
 making a most false and shameful accusation against three persons 
 — Dr. Aldrich, Dr. Smallridge, and Bishop Atterbury — two of 
 whom were dead ; viz. that they had interpolated certain passages 
 in Lord Clarendon's History. Bishop Atterbury, the survivor, 
 refuted this calumny, writing from his place of e.xile in Paris, 
 October 26, 1731. The story will be found in full in the 
 Gentleman's Magazine, vol. i. p. 514, and vol. iii. pp. 117, 129, 140. 
 Oldmixon died in 1742. 
 
 A very remarkable manuscript account or inventory of the 
 vestments and furniture belono^ino- to St. Katherine's aisle in the 
 church of St. Mary, Bridgwater, is still among the corporation 
 archives. To this list is appended a statement of the rents which 
 were then the property of the aisle. The document, from its 
 character and phraseology, appears to be of fifteenth-century date. 
 From the list, the aisle of St. Katherine must have been fairly well 
 equipped with both vestments and furniture. One or two entries 
 are remarkable, such as a " quer of Comemorations," and " ij steyned
 
 26o SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 clothes to stand bifore the Tablemer in y^ lent tyme." The 
 materials used for the vestments, altar-cloths, and hangings were 
 not by any means costly, four only being of silk, while the remainder 
 were damask, worsted, "chekered" (probably some inexpensive 
 stuff in squares), " Bustyan," diaper, plain cloth, and "Howlond" 
 cloth (? Holland). A mass-book with two silver clasps and a 
 chalice weighing nineteen ounces comprise the plate. There were 
 four " sacryn belles," three pairs of candlesticks, two " cruetts ot 
 tyne," " i j corpas with ij cacys," and three "steyned bannarse." 
 The plate certainly was but a meagre supply, though possibly 
 some of the bells and candlesticks were of silver. For the above 
 details I am indebted to the paper of the Rev. W. A. Jones, 
 " Som. Arc. Soc. Proc," vol. vii. 
 
 Close by the churchyard on the north side, and separated only 
 by a narrow pathway, stood, until a few months ago, a very 
 beautiful old house, rich with carved wood decoration, both within 
 and without. It is most orrievous to think that this has been 
 entirely demolished, to be replaced by an ugly red brick dwelling — 
 even more grievous when we consider the scarcity of half-timber 
 houses in the county, a scarcity which I have previously mentioned. 
 
 In a house at the east end of the churchyard, now used as 
 refreshment-rooms, there is a very remarkable ceiling, from which 
 I derived the two details here illustrated. This ceiling has twelve 
 panels, divided by massive, well-moulded beams, and decorated with 
 very quaint bosses. My sketches show tv/o of these, and the most 
 remarkable of the remainder have for their subjects four pigs or 
 boars intertwined, a tomfool, an ecclesiastic and lion, a demi-figure
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 26 1 
 
 clutching- a fiend, and an animal devouring grapes. Behind some 
 matchboarding, which has quite recently been nailed on to the 
 staircase, I was told that some beautiful carved "windows" exist, 
 
 
 but I suspect that these " windows " are in reality the remains of 
 a screen. 
 
 There is one house in Bridgwater which, though unpretending, 
 nay, even uninteresting in its exterior, from its associations needs 
 a few words : I allude to the birthplace of Robert Blake. This 
 house stands at the bottom of Blake Street, close by a little foot- 
 bridge which spans the brook. The view up this brook, of walls, 
 buttresses, and tenements, is in its way picturesque, but I did not 
 tarry to sketch it. The interior of "Blake's House" contains one 
 room of which the panelled ceiling is an interesting specimen of its 
 date ; and there is also a fair fireplace. In the passage on one side 
 of the house I discerned traces of old work now half concealed 
 by whitewash. 
 
 Robert Blake, admiral and general at sea, was born at 
 Bridgwater in this house, August, 1599. His family had originally 
 belonged to Bishop's Lydeard, but had settled at Bridgwater, where 
 they were merchants. Robert was the eldest of twelve sons. He
 
 262 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 was educated at the Bridgwater Grammar School, going thence to 
 St. Alban Hall, Oxford, from which college he migrated to the 
 newly founded Wadham. Blake remained at Oxford for ten years, 
 taking his degree and unsuccessfully standing for a fellowship at 
 Merton. In person he was not prepossessing, and this, it is stated, 
 was the cause of his failure. He left Oxford in 1625, and returned 
 to Bridgwater, where he carried on the family business in conjunction 
 with one of his brothers. At this time he was in poor circumstances, 
 but soon acquired a small competence. Elected M.P. for his 
 native place in 1640, he was rejected the next year, the successful 
 candidate being Colonel Wyndham. When Wyndham was expelled 
 from the House in 1645, Blake was again elected. Three years 
 previously he had joined the Parliamentarian force of Sir John 
 Horner. His first military exploit was the defence of an important 
 outlying fort at Bristol during the siege. When Bristol was tamely 
 surrendered, Blake for twenty-four hours held out, refusing to 
 believe in the capitulation. Rupert, on this occasion, was with 
 difficulty dissuaded from hanging him. Blake next held a command 
 under Popham, in the regiment of which the buff-coats, muskets, 
 bandoliers, gauntlets, and steel caps still adorn the Hall of Littlecote 
 in Berks. A brother of Blake, by name Samuel, commanded a 
 company in the same regiment. When Blake made his unsuccessful 
 dash at Bridgwater this brother, to his great grief, was killed. The 
 story of Blake's public utterance, " Sam had no business there,'' 
 and of his private sorrow — "Died Abner as a fool dieth" — is well 
 known. Perhaps even more brilliant than his defence of Taunton 
 was the holding of Lyme Regis in Dorsetshire, in which ill-equipped
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 263 
 
 little place he defied Prince Maurice till relieved on May 23, 1644. 
 Less than two months later he seized Taunton, which he retained 
 against overwhelming odds for many long and weary months, till 
 relief came. His subsequent exploits were by sea, and need not 
 here be entered upon. Blake, politically, was an honest man, and 
 this is the highest political praise that could be given to him, for it 
 implies the possession of a virtue most rare then, and none too 
 common now. That he was a patriot in the wide sense of the word 
 seems assured. Whether he did or did not utter the speech 
 imputed to him when urged to intrigue, " It is not for us to mind 
 state affairs, but to keep foreigners from fooling us," need not be 
 discussed. But in his own hand there remains one sentence worth 
 quoting, " I cannot but exceedingly wonder that there should yet 
 remain so strong a spirit of prejudice and animosity in the minds 
 of men who profess themselves most affectionate patriots, as to 
 postpone the ways and means for the preservation of the Common- 
 wealth." Blake died at sea, August 7, 1657, and was buried in 
 Westminster Abbey. At the Restoration, political rancour tore the 
 body of this distinguished man from its resting-place and cast it 
 into a pit on the north side of the abbey. 
 
 I must now touch briefly on the celebrated siege of Bridgwater. 
 In the summer of 1645 Bridgwater Castle and the town was 
 occupied by the Royalist forces, the governor of the castle being 
 Colonel Wyndham. Naseby had been fought and lost by the 
 king on June 14, through which victory the Parliamentarian forces 
 were free to turn their attention to the reduction of the west, 
 the sole remaining district in which the royal party were in any
 
 264 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 force. On July 10, the Royalist defeat at Langport took place, 
 and two days later Fairfax and Cromwell reconnoitred the defences 
 of Bridgwater. How Cromwell was nearly shot by Mrs. Wyndham 
 on this occasion, and the amusing message sent by the lady, all 
 know. On July 14 there was another inspection of the works 
 which had been thrown up by the besieged ; a council was held, 
 and finally it was decided to storm the place. But the garrison 
 were found to be informed of the plan, and prepared, so the 
 attempt was abandoned. For storming, a blockade was substituted. 
 The forces engaged numbered some fifteen thousand besiegers as 
 against rather over three thousand besieged. Works of investment 
 were commenced on the fifteenth, and continued to be constructed 
 for four days. Meanwhile at another council of war it had been 
 determined not to blockade, but to take the place by another 
 method. The width and depth of the river was a factor which 
 was found to provide an obstacle too great to surmount ; and, 
 moreover, the nature of the ground was such that the trenches 
 in time of rain would assuredly be flooded. Bridgwater was well 
 armed, no less than forty-two cannon, large and small, being 
 mounted on the walls. A deep ditch nearly twenty feet wide, 
 and filled by the tide, surrounded the castle and the main defences, 
 but the rest of the town, whether on the castle side or beyond 
 the river, was defended by strong and regular works. The suburb 
 beyond the river was and is known as Eastover, and the approach 
 thereto was by means of the three-arched bridge. 
 
 On Monday, July 21, a storming party, equipped with ladders 
 and portable bridges, after a severe fight, effected a lodgment, and
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 265 
 
 then captured the " fort royal." The captured guns were turned 
 on the Market Place. Next, a house near the bridge-head, which 
 had been decreed for destruction by the defenders but spared, was 
 carried by the Roundheads, who proceeded to arm it with more 
 guns. Shortly afterwards the drawbridge was let down at one 
 point, viz. St. John's in Eastover. The east gate was battered in, 
 and the storming party poured over the old three-arch bridge, and 
 cleared the defenders out of the suburb, the defenders retreating 
 into the town by the same bridge. At this juncture five hundred 
 Royalists from Pembroke surrendered to Fairfax. Considering the 
 severity of the contest, the loss of the besiegers in killed and 
 wounded was very slight — twenty killed and about one hundred 
 wounded. Colonel Wyndham was now shut into a much more 
 restricted area, and in order, if possible, to retrieve the disaster in 
 Eastover, he proceeded to cannonade that suburb with hot shot, 
 by which means it was speedily set on fire. The Parliamentarians, 
 however, held their ground despite the flames ; but this conflagra- 
 tion accounts for the absence of antiquity in Eastover. 
 
 On the following day fighting was resumed, but not until a 
 summons to surrender had been rejected with scorn. Subsequently, 
 however, during the afternoon the women and children were 
 humanely invited by Fairfax to leave the place, and did so to 
 the number of about eight hundred. Among them were Mrs. 
 Wyndham, Mrs. Warre, and Lady Stawell. The attack commenced 
 at about five in the afternoon, red-hot shot being used on both 
 sides. The besiegers were assisted greatly by the Royalist cannon 
 captured at Naseby, which was both numerous and heavy in calibre.
 
 266 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Soon nearly every street in the town was in partial flames, and the 
 damage done was enormous. The inhabitants, Roundheads at heart, 
 tried to add to the confusion by firing their own houses, thereby 
 causing dismay among the garrison. Wyndham now sent out a 
 messenger to treat for terms, and after some demur on both sides, 
 as the Royalists wanted too much and the Roundheads offered too 
 little, a capitulation was agreed upon. Bridgwater surrendered on 
 the morning of July 23. The booty captured was enormous, for 
 much of Goring's property, besides the accumulated goods of many 
 another Royalist, were stored in the doomed fortress. It is stated 
 that the value of the plate, jewels, and money alone which fell 
 into the hands of the victors amounted to nearly ^100,000. That 
 there should be a lack of old houses in Bridgwater itself is there- 
 fore easily to be accounted for, and the marvel only is that the 
 church escaped, seeing that at one period of the contest the 
 defenders were compelled to take refuge therein. In the list of 
 the prisoners the names of most of the noted Royalist families in 
 the county occur, viz. Wyndham, Phelips, Sydenham, Speke, 
 Walrond, Warre, and a host of others. Dr. Rawley, the Dean 
 of Wells, was taken, and sundry other ecclesiastics designated as 
 "a good store of fat priests." 
 
 Before making my way from Bridgwater to the equally historic 
 Sedgmoor, I rambled for a short distance in a westerly direction 
 to visit a most picturesque old manor house not far from Enmore 
 Castle, but in the parish of Durleigh. It is known now by the 
 name of West Bower Farm. My reception here by the occupier, 
 Mr. Talbot, was most kindly, and I was freely permitted to
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 267 
 
 thoroughly inspect this interesting fragment of an old-time manor 
 house. jNIy sketch shows the general appearance of this quaint 
 old place, whose creeper-clad sides and wild-garden surroundings 
 form in the summer or autumn tide a sufficiently pleasing picture. 
 The porch roof between the turrets is, it is almost needless to 
 state, comparatively modern. By means of a low tlat arch I 
 
 ■itKSLs; 
 
 entered the house, and found an inner arch of larger size within, 
 but this is cut by a modern ceiling. There are four arched doors 
 in this vestibule, of which three are moulded, while one in front is 
 plain. A fifth door arch which was to be looked for appears to 
 be lacking. A well with a pump is in one corner. I next inspected 
 the turrets, and was delighted to find in the windows some of the 
 charming glass of which I here give a sketch. From what I can
 
 268 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 'WS5T ®®WS 
 
 learn West Bower belonged long ago to the Malets, and possibly 
 the initials in the glass refer to some member of that family. In 
 the right-hand turret room there are small windows amounting in 
 number to twenty lights. Upon each side are two stone panels 
 
 which are blank, while the old door 
 is surmounted by balusters. The left- 
 hand turret contains a stone newel, 
 and is entered by a low flat-arched 
 door. Above the windows on the 
 inside are three shields and two orna- 
 ments, which are repeated in the 
 tracery on the outside. There are 
 fragments of the same glass in this 
 turret, and I also noticed a peculiar 
 swelling in the centre of each mullion somewhat similar to the 
 pierced knob in the window at Meare. There were also traces of 
 shutter-hinge hooks. Unfortunately the vaulting of both these 
 interesting turrets has been removed. It is not, I believe, generally 
 known that the columbarium at West Bower is perhaps the most 
 remarkable specimen in the county. It is circular in shape, of 
 large size, and with the exception of its thatched roof built entirely 
 of mud. The nesting niches number nearly nine hundred, and 
 are formed in the mud wall, which is actually more than three 
 feet in thickness. It should be noted that West Bower Farm 
 is but a fragment of the original manor house. Foundations have 
 frequently been met with in the garden and yard, which prove 
 that the e.xtent of the place when perfect must have been very
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 
 
 269 
 
 considerable. At West Bower I was told that, traditionally, it 
 was the birthplace of " Queen Catherine." This statement could 
 only refer to either Catherine Howard or Catherine Parr. But 
 on reference I find that the tradition has no warrant in fact. 
 
 The road to the battlefield of Sedgmoor is not picturesque, 
 and were it not for the frequent orchards laden with ruddy fruit 
 at the time of my visit, I should have unhesitatingly called it ugly. 
 Muddy I can assure the reader that road was, and, indeed, my 
 expedition to Weston Zoyland and its sister parish was the most 
 
 
 
 SMie^an^- 
 
 unpleasant experience, as far as the weather was concerned, during 
 my entire trip. 
 
 The village of Weston Zoyland occupies the centre of the 
 position taken up by the royal troops the night before the 
 memorable battle of Sedgmoor. Looking towards Bridgwater, t'.e. 
 north-west, Chedzoy lies nearly due north, while Rliddlezoy is at 
 an equal distance to the left, but rather towards the south-east. 
 After inspecting the church, I ascended the tower for the purpose 
 of obtaining a sketch of the chief fighting-ground, which extended 
 over the flat marshy expanse between Western Zoyland and 
 Chedzoy. My sketch, taken during a heavy downpour of rain,
 
 2/0 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 gives some indication of the present appearance of the historic 
 spot. The three "Zoys," as they are called, were originally marsh 
 islands. Now, thanks to the drainage, which had already been 
 undertaken before Monmouth's Rebellion, the intervening land is 
 no longer absolute marsh. The Bussex rhine, it is true, no longer 
 exists, but the many ditches which intersect the meadows— nay, 
 more, in most cases bound them — render the battlefield a most 
 uncomfortable place to traverse, as I found to my cost. It was 
 only, in fact, by hunting for practicable jumping-places, and after 
 divesting myself of a waterproof, that I was able to cross. My 
 plan was to, as it were, "burn my ships," /.6'. to throw my water- 
 proof over first, and then perforce follow it. I luckily escaped 
 disaster, though I hardly expected to. 
 
 Weston Zoyland church is a very fine one, and its tower is 
 most notable. It has a clerestory of six windows to its nave of 
 six bays. The roof is a fair one, and the west arch and tower 
 groining are extremely fine. There is a squint on the south side 
 of the chancel, piscinae in both south and north chapels, while in 
 the latter there is a canopy tomb with the recumbent effigy of an 
 ecclesiastic. One peculiarity of this north chapel is that the 
 clerestory window looks into it, and not out to the open air. It 
 should be noted that in the centre of this chapel roof-ceiling there 
 is a quaint irregularly pierced and decorated quatrefoil panel, 
 measuring, I should say, rather more than 12 x lo inches. In 
 the chancel are a few fragments of ancient glass ; one of these, I 
 observed, bore three ears of corn tied together, another the initials 
 R. B., with a pastoral staff" between them. These initials are those
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 27 I 
 
 of Richard Bere. The church also contains some interesting corbels 
 and very fair oak bench ends. Of tombs and monuments, beyond 
 the one already mentioned, there are none of particular interest. 
 Beneath the font is the matrix of a brass, and paving the aisles are 
 some quaint slabs — one to a member of the Bragg family. These 
 slabs are mostly of seventeenth-century date, and some bear incised 
 crosses. Now I had heard upon good authority that there was 
 preserved in this church a most interesting manuscript book con- 
 taining the entries relative to the cleansing and purifying of the 
 church after the battle, when, it will be remembered, some five 
 hundred wretched prisoners were huddled together therein. I 
 naturally applied to the sexton or caretaker, and was informed 
 that " he did not know what had become of it." He had seen the 
 book in 1877 or 1S78, when a "gentleman" marked on its first 
 page (the book had no covers) that it was " very valuable." Since 
 that time, as far as the sexton is concerned, information is lacking 
 as to its fate. In the parish chest within the church are several 
 manuscript parish books, but the book I wanted was not among 
 them. It is most sincerely to be hoped that this record has not 
 disappeared for ever. 
 
 The outside of Weston Zoyland church is as interesting as the 
 inside. On the wall of the south chapel are two most elegant 
 niches, on its west buttress I saw the monogram of Richard Bere, 
 while on the east is carved the " pelican in piety." The centre 
 of the crenellated parapet is occupied by the arms of Glastonbury. 
 On the tower are triple windows, the centre one of the first tier 
 alone being pierced. Double corner buttresses run up the west
 
 272 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 end, but are deprived of their pinnacles This face of the tower 
 has four niches, from which the statues have now nearly crumbled 
 away. The second and third tiers of the tower have only single 
 windows. Remains of a huge sun-dial are visible on the south 
 face, and the gargoyles are quite worth notice. 
 
 Just opposite to the church, on the south side, is a building 
 
 evidently of ecclesiastical 
 origin, and now used as 
 a reading-room. On the 
 u^^^^^f side which faces the road 
 
 are six triple-light, flat- 
 
 
 
 «.i» v«- - «-.-. - ^^r^W"^-- arched windows, two 
 
 ~ '-^- ^ ^T - - small-arched doors, open, 
 
 ''•""'^"'"'^ """'^ and a large one, now 
 
 blocked. Two small trefoil-headed openings also are to be seen, 
 
 which have not the appearance of being intended for windows. 
 
 The story of Monmouth's Rebellion is so well known that it 
 is needless to enter again on it in all its sad details, and I shall 
 therefore only briefly touch upon certain side questions. One 
 remark I must make at the outset, viz. that more houses in the 
 west claim to have been visited and slept in by Monmouth than 
 there were days and nights between June 11 and July 6. This is 
 possibly to be accounted for from the fact that in 16S0 the duke 
 paid a visit to the west. Tradition has confused his stopping-places 
 at that date with those at which he was entertained during the 
 Rebellion. It should be noted also that the accounts of the 
 numbers executed both by Kirke, and subsequently by Jeffrey, are
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 273 
 
 much exaggerated. Dispassionate investigation has reduced the 
 victims of the Bloody Assize who lost their lives in Somersetshire 
 to considerably less than the traditional number. One curious 
 fact has been recently established, viz. that the name of the man 
 who fired the shot at Langmore Stone, by which the alarm was 
 given to the Royal troops, was Captain Hucker, a native of 
 Taunton, and Hucker had entertained the duke while at Taunton. 
 After the fight he was taken prisoner, and had much ado to pre- 
 vent himself from being torn in pieces by his fellow prisoners. 
 The literature regarding this sad episode in the history of our 
 country, both published at the time and during the earlier years 
 of the eighteenth century, is voluminous, but hardly to be accepted 
 as veracious. It was chiefly hack-work, got up for sale and to 
 tickle the public palate. But the documents in the Record Office, 
 the Goal Delivery Roll, the Harleian Manuscript, No. 6845, and 
 the return of the Constables of the Hundreds, put matters in quite 
 a different light. Other manuscripts add to our information, 
 notably, the journal of the then vicar of Chedzoy, the Rev. Andrew 
 Paschall. So that when the real history of Monmouth and his 
 brief revolt comes to be written, it will prove a volume not only 
 full of interest, but containing many corrections. 
 
 It was with great regret I heard at Weston Zoyland that 
 the green mound in the fields between the church and Chedzoy, 
 which traditionally covers the bones of those slain in the battle, 
 had been opened recently. The reason given to me for this 
 act was " to see if the story was true." Tradition in this case 
 was found to be amply substantiated by results, and the bones 
 
 u
 
 2 74 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 were then covered up again. But was there any good object 
 to be obtained by the performance ? Would it not have been 
 a preferable course to have left the tradition unsubstantiated, and 
 the bones of the brave Somersetshire men undisturbed ? To me 
 the deliberate opening of graves, whether those of christians or 
 pao-ans, appears a most inexcusable act. Antiquaries and others 
 are too prone to disturb places of burial. The exhibition in a 
 glass case of fragments filched from tombs is, I take it, unseemly. 
 That the majority hold a different opinion I am well aware, but 
 having here an opportunity of uttering a protest, I feel it my 
 bounden duty to do so. From another point of view my contention 
 has an even more serious aspect. Suppose that a man tears up 
 a brass from a church floor and carries it off, the world in general, 
 and antiquaries in particular, apply, and justly apply, a very strong 
 term to denounce his conduct. But what should be said to 
 censure the frequent exhumation of bodies, which goes on during 
 the restoration of churches, etc., when occasional heart-cases are 
 pounced upon as treasures and duly exhibited, seldom or never 
 to be returned to their legitimate resting-places. Coffins of dead 
 and gone ecclesiastics are robbed of chalices, rings, and other 
 relics with all possible alacrity by some cold-blooded collector. 
 These objects intrinsically are of little value, being — save the 
 rings, in most cases made of pewter or lead— but even then why 
 permit them to be practically stolen ? To me it appears a worse 
 crime to rob a grave than to rob a till, for in the latter case 
 the person robbed has a chance of punishing the thief; in the 
 former the theft can be committed with impunity, and is therefore
 
 BRIUGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 275 
 
 not only a dishonest but a cowardly act. The consideration of 
 these points I leave to those who, like myself, are lovers of the 
 antiquities of our land, but who are not prepared to go any 
 lengths to furnish their museums. 
 
 Besides the deeds of Jeffreys, those of Percy or Piercy Kirke 
 
 naturally are suggested when considering the fight at Sedgmoor 
 
 and its sequel. The stay of Kirke in the west was brief, but 
 
 marked by actions ever to be reprobated. Still the story has 
 
 been exaggerated. Kirke was born in 1646, and served first in 
 
 Captain Bromley's regiment, next under the Duke of Monmouth. 
 
 As an officer he was both energetic and capable. In private life 
 
 he was most dissolute, though in this his conduct was not singular. 
 
 He fought at Maestricht, then in two campaigns under Turenne, 
 
 in 1676 under Marshal Luxembourg, and in 1677 under Marshal 
 
 de Creci. In 1680 he was made lieutenant-colonel and then colonel 
 
 of the 2nd Tangier Regiment. Bishop Ken, when Chaplain of the 
 
 Fleet, tells how Kirke tried to palm off a brother of one of his 
 
 mistresses as garrison chaplain. The doings of Kirke at Tangier 
 
 are fairly well known. He returned to England in 1684, and 
 
 was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general in the following 
 
 year, two days before Sedgmoor. At the fight Kirke was present 
 
 with part of both the Tangier regiments. After the victory 
 
 Feversham appointed him to the command in the west, and Kirke 
 
 with Feversham next day entered Bridgwater, hanging prisoners 
 
 en route. Two days later he marched to Taunton, escorting a 
 
 gang of captives and two cartloads of wounded. There he hanged 
 
 nineteen in front of the White Hart, a hostelry now destroyed.
 
 276 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 The White Hart, by the way, was long afterwards kept by the 
 Mannings, the murderers. It is stated that a part of Taunton 
 owes its name of Tangier to the fact that it was the camping- 
 ground of " Kirke's Lambs." The sobriquet " Lambs " was 
 derived from a " Paschal Lamb," the regimental badge. On 
 July 14, 1685, the king objected to the severity of Kirke, and 
 sent him a despatch thereon through Sunderland. He was 
 recalled on August 10, the regiment remaining until the last day 
 of the month. So the tradition that Kirke and his Lambs assisted 
 in the executions which followed the course of Jeffrey, acting as 
 his bodyguard, is shown to be false, for the Bloody Assize did 
 not commence till August 25. Kirke died abroad in 1691. 
 
 My tramp, or rather cross-county steeplechase, to Chedzoy 
 occupied me much time, and I was compelled to forego my 
 intention of visiting Middlezoy, where I wished to see the brass 
 of Louis, Chevalier de Misieres, who was slain in the fight "against 
 y" king's enemies commanded by y" Rebel Duke of Monmouth." 
 Chedzoy church is handsome, with a fine tower, but by no means 
 equals its neighbour, Weston Zoyland, in beauty. Here again 
 we have the initials of the builder, Abbot Richard Bere. On 
 the south side of the church a much-worn stone is pointed out 
 as having been reduced to its present condition by the sword- 
 sharpening operations of the royal dragoons. Inside the church 
 the chief objects of interest are the bench ends and a piece of 
 early arcading. The unfortunate Dr. Rawley, Dean of Wells, 
 was once rector of Chedzoy. After his capture at Bridgwater 
 his sufferings in various gaols were terrible. Finally he was
 
 BRIDGWATER AND SEDGMOOR. 277 
 
 confined to his own house at Wells, and while there was killed, 
 it is said, by his keeper, one Barrett. At Chedzoy there is a 
 wonderful piece of ancient embroidery, now converted into an 
 altar-frontal, but originally a cope. It dates from either the end 
 of the fifteenth or the beginning of the sixteenth century I am 
 informed, but has during its chequered career been the object 
 of not a little mutilation under the guise of repairs. Weary and 
 not a little wayworn, wet through and somewhat miserable, I 
 made my way back to Bridgwater. Still, to me the day was 
 full of interest and instruction. Had the weather been propitious 
 it would have been one of complete enjoyment.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 TAUNTON. 
 
 From Bridgwater I proceeded to Taunton, and as there is so much 
 rhaterial at my disposal for this section of my book, I may be 
 pardoned a rather abrupt commencement of this chapter. In the 
 
 town itself I purpose to notice the castle, the restored churches, 
 the priory, almshouses, municipal buildings, and chief domestic 
 remains. To write an exhaustive account of Taunton in a few 
 pages is, as the reader knows, an impossibility. I begin with the
 
 TAUNTON. 2 79 
 
 castle. The origin of Taunton Castle, according to the most trust- 
 worthy authorities, was a Saxon stronghold erected by the famous 
 Ine. Of this fort, an earthwork, crowned by paHsades and 
 encircled by a moat, it is stated that a few traces yet remain. 
 The Saxon Chronicle mentions that in a.d. 772, having been 
 seized by a rebel, it was besieged and taken, and that after capture 
 the fort was destroyed. It does not definitely appear that Taunton 
 possessed any stronghold from this date until the reign of 
 Henry I., when, on the site of the vanished Saxon fort, a strong 
 stone-built castle was erected by William Gififord, Bishop of 
 Winchester. Here it should be remarked that the town and 
 lordship of Taunton had belonged to the diocese of Winchester 
 from a period shortly subsequent to the capture of the castle. 
 
 One writer states that a Norman castle was built at Taunton 
 immediately after the Conquest, by one of the bishops of Win- 
 chester ; but for this statement there does not appear to be any 
 documentary foundation. It is however possible that the house 
 of the manor there was fortified by one of the bishops — a wise 
 act of precaution in those troublous times. In 1490 Taunton 
 Castle was ruinous and required extensive repair ; which it received 
 from Bishop Langton. Six years later, during the Cornish 
 insurrection, the castle was stormed and taken by the insurgents, 
 who murdered therein the fugitive Provost of Penrhyn. The 
 year 1497 found the impostor Perkin Warbeck holding this' 
 important stronghold, only however to evacuate it on the news 
 of the approach of Henry Yll. But these events probably did 
 not improve the condition of the building, for within a century 
 
 i\
 
 28o SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 (1577) Taunton Castle, being again in disrepair, received both 
 reparation and improvement at the hands of Bishop Horn. 
 
 In the days of the RebclHon the castle played an important 
 part, and it is to this period in its history that most attention 
 needs to be drawn. Occupied firstly by the Roundheads, it was 
 besieged and taken by the Royalists under Hertford. Blake, as 
 I have already stated, obtained possession of the place, held it 
 against overwhelming odds for a protracted period, and held it 
 successfully. After the Restoration, Taunton Castle was dis- 
 mantled, by the order of Charles 1 1. One cannot but regret the 
 fact, still it was in a way a measure of precaution. The west 
 at that time was hardly loyal. A strong garrison in Taunton 
 Castle meant a considerable annual expenditure, and, moreover, 
 the presence of garrisons was always unpopular. A weak force, 
 in the event of a rising, would have been worse than useless, for 
 if overpowered, as it undoubtedly would have been, the moral 
 effect of the defeat would have been great. Obviously the best 
 solution, because the simplest, from a political point of view, was 
 to dismantle the stronghold. In so doing, it may be remarked 
 that it was a Restoration adoption of a Parliamentarian practice. 
 
 When perfect, the water defences of Taunton Castle were 
 as follows. Upon the north the mill stream, on the west another 
 stream, on the south and east the outer moat. An inner moat cut 
 off the north-east corner and ran round beneath the two circular 
 towers, which still stand. In the Outer Bailey stood the East 
 Gate, on the ruined arches of which, a few years ago, the tower 
 of Clarke's Hotel was built. The former College School, a
 
 TAUNTON. 
 
 281 
 
 building now used as Municipal Offices, was also within the moat. 
 Of the Municipal Offices I give a sketch taken from the clearing 
 which has recently been made on the site of the old moat for the 
 
 .; 5i,. ,^Wk 
 
 purpose of building a new street. Within the Inner Bailey are 
 all the remainder of the present castle buildings. The approach 
 to the Inner Bailey is by means of the arch- 
 way, of which I also give an illustration, and 
 where the inner moat must have been 
 traversed by a drawbridge. Inscriptions 
 above this arch, and coats of arms, more or 
 less mutilated, give its date, and confirm the 
 tradition as to the builder. 
 
 Of the Norman keep there are now no 
 traces, but its site is known to have been 
 on the raised ground in rear of the house now standino- on the 
 right hand of this gateway. This old house has a quaint door- 
 way, and when the church tower is included in the view forms a
 
 202 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 sufficiently picturesque subject. But I contented myself with 
 sketching- a singularly fine and elaborate window-fastening in 
 one of the lower windows. In an upper room I found another 
 window-catch, also good, but hardly of equal merit 
 to the one illustrated. Of the Great Hall, the 
 scene of the Bloody Assize in Taunton, the lower 
 
 •i ^'^ walls remain, but one can hardly look on the 
 f. /^^^^ present hall as more than a historic site. The 
 
 ij,>^'v*;/P>=- "if rest of the castle buildings are but scanty, and 
 «*^'yMt>tiw fajirgMiMfi they were so pulled about before being rescued 
 and converted into a museum, that the old 
 fortress has been almost completely lost amid the modern masonry. 
 Of the contents of the museum nothing need be said here, save 
 that the objects exhibited are of considerably greater local interest 
 than is usual in local museums. As far as funds permit, the col- 
 lection is thoroughly well cared for by the curator, and it is a 
 pleasure to note the county spirit which supports so admirable an 
 institution. 
 
 The civil war history of Taunton is briefly as follows. 
 In 1642, with a Roundhead Mayor, Taunton declared for the 
 Parliament, and received a sum of money to fortify the place. 
 The garrison is stated to have consisted of five thousand of the 
 local trained bands. Whether the money supplied was insufficient 
 for the purpose or was ill employed does not appear, but the 
 intended outworks were not finished by the townsfolk. In May, 
 1643, Hopton joined Hertford, their united forces amounting to 
 over six thousand horse and foot, with sixteen guns. Popham,
 
 TAUNTON. 283 
 
 being unable to oppose such an enemy, ordered the evacuation of 
 Taunton, and sent instructions that the castle cannon were to be 
 thrown into the moat, but the ammunition he directed to be with- 
 drawn. The townspeople, however, objected to this order, and 
 by force compelled the garrison to remain. Suddenly the Royalist 
 army appeared and summoned the place to surrender, which it did 
 without much delay. Taunton Castle was then held by either 
 Sir John Stawell, or his deputy, Colonel Reeve, for the space of 
 about a year. 
 
 In 1644, matters went badly with the Royal cause in the 
 west, and the garrison of Taunton was weakened. It was at this 
 juncture that Blake, fresh from his successful defence of Lyme 
 Regis, arrived on the scene. After a brief siege of a few days, 
 in which much powder was burnt but few casualties occurred, 
 Taunton Castle surrendered, and was again garrisoned for the 
 Parliament. Three months later Wyndham was told off to reduce 
 the place, and proceeded to lay siege thereto in due form, planting 
 batteries on both sides of the town. Those on the east were 
 armed with guns from Bridgwater, those on the west with guns 
 from Exeter. Blake managed to collect within his fortress a 
 garrison of about a thousand men, a part of whom were mounted. 
 Provisions and munitions of war were both sadly lacking, and 
 eventually the horses formed food for the starving garrison. The 
 garrison was thrice assaulted ; the first two attacks failed, but the 
 third succeeded so far as to capture the town, leaving only 
 the castle in the hands of the besieged. 
 
 The sufferings of the defenders were now intense, starvation
 
 284 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 stared them in the face ; and though information of intended 
 succour had been conveyed to Blake by some means, it was 
 doubtful whether the place could possibly hold out. It is related 
 that the besieged successfully adopted the expedient of voluntary 
 fasting two days in each week. Meanwhile, despite the exertions 
 of well-wishers in London, the promised relief was not afforded. 
 One expedition, it is true, was ordered to march to Taunton from 
 Chichester, but did not do so. At length, when things were at 
 their very worst, and not until December 4, a Parliamentarian 
 force was despatched from London. This force appears to have 
 covered the distance between London and Dorchester (120 miles) 
 by December 9. If these dates be accurate, and there is no 
 reason to doubt them, this march in mid-winter was a most remark- 
 able military feat. At news of the approach of the relieving force 
 the besiegers withdrew, apparently intending to offer battle, but 
 on coming almost within striking distance suddenly retreated, a 
 retreat which was subsequently converted into a rout. The . 
 relieving force pursued, and managed to inflict considerable loss 
 on the fugitive Royalists, taking many prisoners. On December 
 14, the castle was actually relieved, the siege having lasted for 
 three months. 
 
 The courtesy of Colonel Wyndham towards the besieged, 
 as evidenced by letters extant, gives a most favourable impres- 
 sion of his character both as a man of humane feelings and 
 an honourable foe. Colonel Holborne, the commander of the 
 relieving force, shortly afterwards retired from Taunton and 
 marched into the neighbouring county of Dorset, but left behind
 
 TAUNTON. 285 
 
 him muskets and powder, a regiment of horse (Popham's), and 
 seven companies of foot. 
 
 The coast being again clear, the Royalists — this time under 
 Hopton— proceeded to renew the siege. Owing to divisions 
 among the besiegers this was not actively pressed, and in 
 fact a sudden raid by Holborne caused a partial raising of 
 the siege and inflicted some loss on Hopton's troops. To 
 Hopton now succeeded Goring, whose conduct of the operations 
 was a decided failure ; his time being divided between quarrelling 
 with Grenville and repelling relieving raids. This condition of 
 things lasted till April, 1645, when Goring was withdrawn with 
 his cavalry, leaving Grenville before Taunton with his infantry. 
 The siege became a blockade, the country for miles round was 
 overrun, and all provisions annexed by the besiegers. Two 
 attempts to storm Taunton having failed, Grenville drew his 
 cordon more closely round the town and castle — reinforcements 
 enabling him to show a bolder front. Trenches were dug, and a 
 continuous cannonade was kept up. Grenville, owing to a wound 
 received at Wellington, now resigned his command to Sir John 
 Berkeley. Urgent messages had meanwhile been conveyed to 
 London to endeavour to procure the relief of the beleagured 
 town, but it was not until April 30 that Fairfax started thither 
 with a large force. Five days later an express sent after him 
 brought orders countermanding his advance, but these he heeded 
 not, and proceeded to Blandford, which he reached on May 7. 
 Here a second order followed him to the effect that he was to 
 despatch four thousand five hundred men to Taunton, but with
 
 286 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the rest of his force to turn off to Oxford, Fairfax detached 
 for this purpose four regiments, whose commanders wasted some 
 hours in unseemly bickerings as to seniority. Reinforcements 
 joined the relievers to the extent of six companies from Lyme, 
 and some horse, thus increasing their numbers to five thousand 
 foot and two thousand cavalry. This body moved forward, and 
 by May 9 had arrived at Chard. 
 
 The condition of things at Taunton was very desperate. 
 Goring had returned for a time, re-assuming the command. 
 During his stay great excesses were committed. He was again 
 recalled in haste to Oxford, whither he was directed to lead 
 a portion of his troops. Prior to this the besiegers had numbered 
 about eight thousand men, and the reduction of the force was a 
 miserable error. Assaults were made on April 25 and May 6. 
 The first was a failure, but the second was a partial success, for an 
 important outwork fell into the hands of the Royalists. Taunton, 
 it must be remembered, was not a walled town, consequently the 
 defences of the besieged consisted of outworks, barricades, and 
 fortified houses. Street fighting, with all its horrors, was of 
 frequent occurrence. 
 
 On May 8, a ruse was employed which failed, viz. the 
 besiegers fought a mock battle in hopes of entrapping Blake into 
 attempting a sortie. Rumours of the approach of a relieving 
 force now reached Hopton, and he considered the advisability of 
 retreating, but determined first to attempt a general assault on 
 the town, not the castle. This assault succeeded in two places, 
 and the Royalists obtained a lodgment on the east and west sides
 
 TAUNTON. 287 
 
 of Taunton. Their chief gain was in the district known as East 
 Reach, from which they spread round the line of defensive works. 
 An endeavour was then made to fire the town, but this was 
 frustrated in a great measure by a contrary wind. Friday, May 9, 
 dawned, and the assault was vigorously renewed from the captured 
 barricades. Nearly the whole town was in the possession of the 
 besiegers, and each moment they drew nearer to the castle. 
 The priory was taken, more houses — some say one hundred and 
 fifty — were burnt, and the defenders by the evening found them- 
 selves masters only of the castle, the parish church, and two 
 forts. 
 
 On the following morning Hopton offered scandalous terms, 
 which were rudely rejected, and the assault was immediately 
 renewed. For some reason, however, the attack was less 
 vigorous than on the previous day, and the besiegers made no 
 way. Hopton again determined to retire, and even went so far 
 as to send off his heavy guns. These, however, he recalled ; and 
 preparations were made for a renewal of the assault. The fatal 
 vacillation of Hopton saved Taunton. During the cessation the 
 advanced guard of the relieving force was descried through a 
 glass by Blake himself. At all risks he determined that for a 
 few hours longer he could and would hold out. Probably his 
 resolution would have lengthened this period into a few days, but 
 after that the end was assured. Hopton, on INIay 11, summoned 
 the place to surrender in brutal terms, and was again denied. 
 Within a few hours the relieving force had reached the walls, the 
 besiegers had departed, and Taunton was free.
 
 288 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 One point is clearly to be made out from the story of this 
 memorable siege, viz. that the success of Blake was solely owing 
 to the unanimity of his garrison. Intrigues, petty jealousies, and 
 bickerings among their leaders, caused the failure of the Royal 
 troops, and nearly caused the relieving force to arrive too late. 
 The discipline of the "New Model" was sadly needed by the 
 Parliamentarians. It was established in 1645, and thenceforward 
 success followed on success. Blake's troops, it must be remem- 
 bered, were only leavened by veterans, and were not soldiers of 
 the " New Model ; " but this great man possessed the power of 
 inspiring confidence in subordinates, and also of compelling disci- 
 pline. Hence his earlier success as a military man, and his later 
 renown as admiral and general at sea. 
 
 After such a terrible experience, it is not to be wondered that 
 the ancient buildings in Taunton are not very numerous. Still, 
 those who care to wander around the historic old town with an 
 observant eye, will find ample traces of antiquity, and not a few 
 objects of singular interest. On the churches, rebuilt and restored 
 as they are, I shall not greatly enlarge ; for accounts of modern 
 restorations may always be obtained. One point calls for remark — 
 nay more, for eulogy — and that is, the loving and careful way in 
 which the beautiful tower of the church of St. Mary Magdalene 
 has been reproduced. This was, I understand, effected by marking 
 all available stones, and replacing them in their original positions. 
 Details on this tower are of course, in many cases, modern ; but 
 I am assured that they are as faithfully copied as possible from the 
 mutilated and crumbling originals. The ancient carved spandrels
 
 TAUNTON. 289 
 
 over the west door should specially be noted. The nave is lofty, 
 with a good roof, while the double aisles on either side greatly 
 increase the beauty of the interior. In one column of the nave, 
 on the north side, is a handsome niche of large size. This is now 
 filled by a modern statue. Tombs and monuments are sadly 
 lacking ; and, indeed, the mural monumental effigy to Robert Gray, 
 the founder of the almshouses which bear his name, is the only 
 one of interest. In the north-west window I found the piece of 
 ancient glass bearing a merchant's mark and the initials R. B., 
 which I have illustrated. This is a very 
 interesting relic of the days when windows of 
 churches and guild halls were so often filled 
 both with the heraldic coats of those of gentle 
 blood and the more plebeian badges or trade- 
 marks of the merchant. In this particular 
 case, the curved back of the inverted 4 is a / X 
 
 feature. I have met with other instances, but the type is 
 uncommon. Above the south porch is a parvise chamber, the 
 internal window of which commands a view of the high altar ; such 
 windows are comparatively rare in the county. 
 
 Like the church of St. Mary Magdalene, the church of St. 
 James has been renovated, and its tower has also been rebuilt. 
 Within, the font is the most noticeable object ; it is octagonal, and 
 has on one panel a rood, the other seven being each decorated 
 by three figures. The carved oak pulpit, dated 1633, is an excellent 
 piece of work, and a couple of parish chests, inscribed and dated, 
 are worth remark. 
 
 X
 
 jgo 
 
 SOMF.RSETSHIRE. 
 
 Not far from the church of St. James, at the corner of the 
 street, stand the quaint old ahnshouses, of which I here give a 
 sketch. These tenements, I hear, originally belonged to the priory. 
 They were, at the time of my visit, already condemned as unfit for 
 
 habitation, and by this time are 
 probably demolished ; for this reason 
 I specially determined to secure a 
 record of them. Another building 
 in the same road excited my curiosity, 
 and I entered to investigate. It is 
 known as the Ring of Bells, and is a public-house. The door 
 arch at the entrance is decidedly old, and an inner one like- 
 wise. I found a few ancient brackets within, but no carving. It 
 was curious to see hung up above one of the doors in the house, 
 a complete set of miniature bells, possibly as an internal sign. 
 
 At the end of St. James's Street a path 
 leads to the remains of the Priory Barn, of 
 one end of which I give an illustration. 
 Of Taunton Priory but few relics remain — in 
 fact, of its buildings, this old barn is the 
 sole representative. At a short distance, on 
 the other side of the field path, the lines of 
 some of the foundations can easily be made 
 out. The Priory of SS. Peter and Paul, at Taunton, was founded 
 about the year iir5, by William Gifford, Bishop of Winchester. 
 This monastic house appears to have thriven apace, for, before 
 the end of the century, it had waxed wealthy, possessing both 

 
 TAUNTON. 
 
 291 
 
 lands and most valuable privileges. In a charter of Inspeximus, 
 o-ranted in the reifrn of Edward III., and dated October i, 1334, 
 the enormous number of donations and grants which had by that 
 time been bestowed on this favoured priory is clearly set forth. 
 The bare printed transcript thereof would occupy at least seven 
 or eight pages, if not more, so I may be excused from quoting it. 
 One peculiar privilege possessed 
 
 by the prior for a short time 
 before the dissolution, was a right 
 himself to admit members of the 
 house to inferior orders. On a 
 small scutcheon on the Priory 
 Barn, and evidently an insertion, 
 I noticed, "three swords in pile." 
 Returning along St. James's 
 Street, I made my way towards 
 the " Parade," pausing first to 
 sketch the entrance to one of the 
 old courts. These narrow and 
 thickly inhabited passages abound 
 in Taunton, and bear a strikino- resemblance to the Yarmouth 
 RoAvs and the Tewkesbury Courts. They are the Yarmouth Rows, 
 minus the stream which runs down the centre of those hardly 
 savoury byways. The Tewkesbury Courts, it will be remembered, 
 in the days of the Chartist Riots, caused the troops much trouble, 
 for as fast as the rioters were driven down one they emerged through 
 side passages and attacked their assailants in the rear. INIy sketch 

 
 292 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 shows what I believe to be the quaintest of these old-world openings 
 now left in Taunton. Another archway higher up on the opposite 
 side, leading to Park Street, is more handsomely carved, but the 
 passage lacks interest, and so I neglected it. I should remark 
 that at the house of Mr. Fry, next to this Park Street archway, 
 there are some fair stamped plaster ceilings and a good fireplace. 
 At a house on the parade, now occupied by Mr. Atton, I was kindly 
 permitted to inspect a very interesting fireplace on the ground floor. 
 This fireplace has three panels, the central one bearing the old 
 royal arms, the side ones the initials T. F. and M. F., both in 
 shields. These, I understood, represented Thomas and Mary 
 Faulkner. The ceiling is decorated with a good geometrical pattern, 
 and studded with fleur-de-lis and rose, a handsome frieze running 
 round the wall. In the rear of this room is a staircase with a fairly 
 well carved oak post ; and I also observed an old arch and door 
 at the back. One opening at the side of the shop is blocked with 
 beams and plain slabs, and the end of the room has an old three- 
 light cusped window. 
 
 But the most interesting piece of domestic work in Taunton 
 will be found in the half-timbered houses, which I have illustrated 
 on the following page. In a passage close by, until quite recently, 
 there were five panels and a half of finely cut tracery. They were 
 suffering considerably from ill-usage in that position, and the 
 occupier, Mr. Whitaker, has, I think, wisely removed them within 
 his house for protection and safety ; he was kind enough, however, 
 to permit me to inspect them. These panels have evidently an 
 ecclesiastical origin, and were probably spoils from either a church
 
 TAUNTON. 
 
 293 
 
 screen or from some religious house. The house with the large 
 gable, now occupied by Mr. C. Lewis, is one of remarkable interest. 
 Here, under the left-hand corner of the gable, is a fine arch, with 
 its original massive iron-studded oak door. This door is heavily 
 panelled, and has its ancient knocker, barred peep-hole, and huge 
 lock. In the front room of the first floor, the windows of which 
 appear in the sketch, there are panels of various dates, a frieze, 
 and some good beam-and-plaster work. The approach to this 
 room is by means of a winding stair. There is also a circular stair 
 
 JU 
 
 •!•■ 
 
 
 .«ai^9;;vrm 
 
 ^^l^ft "A-uXt iM,, 
 
 with a good oak post. I observed that the roof beams, from the 
 first floor to the roof, were arched on the inside. On the ground 
 floor, at the back of the shop, is a curious room, raised (like the 
 Star Hotel hall at Yarmouth) two or three steps above the level 
 of the entrance. This room was decorated early in the eighteenth 
 century, and evidently by foreign workmen. The chamber above 
 this has internal fittings of the same date ; here I noticed two very 
 remarkable pilasters, whose stems were fluted, but whose bases 
 were finely diapered with tiny lozenges, each lozenge containing
 
 294 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 either a rose, fleur-de-lis, lion rampant, or a lion sejant ; one 
 lozenge, for some reason, had a tiny squirrel carved therein. 
 Passing to the back of the house, I found a timber-built wing of 
 Elizabethan date, having block beams carved with a foliated cO 
 pattern. Here there was a large arched fireplace, partly cased in 
 wood, and nearly nine feet in width, with a small oven at the side. 
 But the most interesting relic of old-world cooking apparatus is 
 also there, in the shape of a stone hot plate, pierced with three 
 circular openings, with gratings, and intended for charcoal fires. 
 The use of this triple furnace was evidently for the preparation 
 of jams, cordials, etc., which the good housewives of days long gone 
 were wont to store in their still-rooms — days when a recipe was 
 handed down from mother to daughter as a valued legacy, and 
 only disclosed to an outsider as a mark of special favour. 
 I can assure the reader that I greatly enjoyed my visit to this 
 extremely interesting old house, and I must here express my 
 warmest thanks to the occupier, Mr. Lewis, for his kindness to me 
 on that occasion. It appears that the more modern embellishments 
 of this house were due to the Portman family, who used the place 
 as a town residence. 
 
 Turning down Fore Street, I made my way to the almshouses 
 founded by Robert Gray. This interesting old range of buildings, 
 with its quaint chimneys and narrow, arched doors, was quite worthy 
 of illustration. The exterior need not be described, but as the 
 internal arrangements are somewhat peculiar, I must sacrifice a few 
 lines thereto. The chapel is on the ground floor, the room of the 
 governor, or " reader," being above it. This fact at once tells us
 
 TAUNTON. 
 
 295 
 
 that the place was founded in post- Reformation days, for no good 
 CathoHc would have permitted a living room to exist above a 
 chapel. By a strange arrangement, the almsmen and almswomen 
 enter the chapel by different doors, and are seated apart. Here we 
 have old oak seats, none of them by any means elegant, a picture 
 of the founder, and the arms of the Merchant Taylors, of which 
 London company Robert Gray was a wealthy member. The 
 ceiling is a queer compound of clouds, stars, and cherubim, in 
 
 Pgllpg* Afc!Sl»Sa«'«S>li* A SR.AV« WItiSCD'PSTE", ■i?«t)Klf5>Kl- 
 
 which it is difficult to decide whether the effect is produced by 
 paint or by dirt. An old Bible, which was formerly chained to the 
 desk, is lying about, and in the middle of the small open space 
 between the benches, stands an ancient oak chest carefully locked. 
 I should much like to have investigated the contents of that chest, 
 but it was not possible. The " reader," I should add, performs the 
 service in the chapel of this quaint retreat. Nor is the other portion 
 of the building devoid of interest, the stairways and corridors being 
 all of them curious, though hardly sketchable.
 
 296 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Robert Gray was a native of Taunton, and was born in 1570. 
 He was brought up in London, as the inscription on his monument 
 tells us. Later, he became a tailor, and prospered. The foundation 
 of the almshouses took place in 1635, the year of Gray's death, at 
 which time he was sheriff-elect of London. The inscription on his 
 tomb is very quaint, but I give the less known one which appears 
 on the tablet in the chapel of the almshouses, " D. O. M. To the 
 glory of God and honor of his blessed name, is this sacred oratory 
 and hosjiitall consecrated by Robert Gray, Esq. Borne in this 
 towne, citizen, Marchant Taylor, and Sheriff-elect of London. In 
 thankfull acknowledgment of God's sreat & gracious mercies 
 conferred on him this memoriall in all humbleness is here erected." 
 Gray is understood to have lived in the house next to these 
 almshouses, and it is somewhat singular to find the building again 
 beyond this house to be another almshouse. This last is known 
 as Pope's Almshouse ; but, on investigation, I did not find anything 
 therein worth recording, so pass it by. 
 
 It was at the end of the buildings which I have just described 
 that the east gate of the town formerly stood, and beyond this 
 the street is known by the name of East Reach, Here there is 
 little to interest one, thanks to the devastation caused by the siege ; 
 but on the left-hand side of the road I noticed a rable-ended stone 
 house which seemed likely to prove worth inspection. This 
 range of buildings lies back from the road endwise, and has 
 evidently once been either a hospital or an almshouse. Two of 
 the arched doors are very ancient, formed of massive slabs of oak, 
 and held together by heavy fieur-de-lis tipped hinge-bands. One
 
 TAUNTON. 297 
 
 Staircase is old, and I understood that in one room, which I was 
 unable to see, the stamped plaster fireplace yet exists. But it was 
 specially to visit the old lepers' hospital at the very extremity of 
 the town, and, in fact, in the parish of Monkton, that I had started, 
 and presently I arrived thereat. My sketch at the beginning of 
 this chapter shows its appearance in these days when shorn of its 
 chapel. The hospital of St. Margaret, founded for lepers, is now a 
 simple little almshouse. This hospital was founded prior to the 
 year 1160, as its existence is mentioned in certain documents of 
 that date. Rather more than a century later, a certain Thomas 
 Lambrit, until recently supposed to be the founder, increased its 
 revenues by benefactions. By tradition this hospital was burnt 
 down early in the reign of Henry VIII., and in confirmation of this 
 tradition the stone slab bearing the mitre and initials of Richard 
 Bere is shown. For locally, the builder-abbot of Glastonbury is 
 stated to have re-edified the hospital of St. Margaret at Taunton 
 after the fire. Certainly the present little building, with its verandah- 
 like cloister, old oaken posts, and thatched roof, bears the date of 
 Henry VIII. The mitre and monogram of the abbot I have used 
 for the design on my cover, partly because to Richard Bere the 
 county owes so much architecturally, and partly because this 
 out-of-the-way slab has sculped thereon one of the most beautiful 
 jewelled mitres to be found in the kingdom. 
 
 I have not touched upon the municipal life of Taunton, nor 
 have I attempted to tell once again the story of Monmouth and the 
 maids of Taunton. My chapter has been mainly descriptive of 
 the buildings as I saw them. Still there is one other sketch to
 
 igS 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 which I must allude. I obtained it from a small framed piece 
 of embroidery hanging in the council chamber, and it represents 
 the badge of the town. This fragment of embroidery once formed 
 the centre of the altar frontal of the church of St. Mary Magdalene. 
 Whether the frontal became worn out, or whether in the rage for 
 things new it was discarded, nobody seems quite to know, anyhow, 
 this fragment, cut out of the central medallion, is all that remains 
 thereof. 
 
 t MI!Ka«>K,u, „"-™~p t,«
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 
 
 The first place which I visited on the outslcirts of Taunton was 
 the village of Bishop's Hull, or, as it used to be called, Hill Bishop. 
 This is a large parish, and extends into Taunton. The name is 
 derived from the fact that, like Taunton, this village on a hill 
 
 myMf 
 
 
 ■■■'M 
 
 
 #-;i:|f'i^i'h 
 
 '1 1! 
 
 ' -i r / /"I "*\ -^irtl^ 1- ' 1 
 
 ■it,-/- -I'^^vrn 
 
 ^' »» *i •^ »fv»»4r »H^*, 
 
 ' --'J'. 
 
 6.SM€MtlElf!;il?-S , gOSfSerS LYB>SAKS> eiHltJaSM. 
 
 belonged to the bishopric of Winchester. One spot, which I have 
 already alluded to in a previous chapter as " Tangier," in reality 
 forms a part of Bishop's Hull — nay, even Taunton Castle itself 
 stands mainly within its limits. My road thither lay through the 
 new part of the town ; for I passed down Park Street, where stands
 
 300 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the large modern Shire Hall. Turning to the right, the village 
 and church of Bishop's Hull are soon within view. The first 
 house of any antiquity that I saw was a small seventeenth-century 
 manor house, which bore on a stone slab the date 1661, surmounted 
 by the initials /^^. On inquiry, I understood that the interior 
 contained some interesting domestic work ; but, unfortunately, I 
 failed to obtain admittance. On the same side of the road, and just 
 opposite the east end of the church, stands the Court House, a fine 
 old Elizabethan E-shaped mansion, gable ended, and possessed 
 of mullioned windows ; its front is one of considerable architectural 
 merit. Above the porch, the door of which is of fine old oak, is 
 sculped a shield bearing the arms of Farewell — Sable, a chevron 
 between three escallops argent ; impaling Dyer — or a chief indented 
 gules, with a mullet for a difference. Formerly a valuable series 
 of some fifty shields existed in this interesting house, but these 
 were removed several years ago. It was to Richard Farewell and 
 James Dyer, both nephews of Lord Chief Justice Dyer, that we 
 are indebted for the publication of the celebrated " Reports " of that 
 eminent lawyer. This work was bequeathed to them in manuscript, 
 and intended for their instruction and private reading. Their 
 publication for the benefit of the legal profession in general was 
 therefore a most public-spirited action. 
 
 The little church of Bishop's Hull is dedicated to St. Peter, 
 and appears to me to be a building which has at some previous 
 time been of far greater size. A modern and very ugly nave is 
 a great disfigurement, and is quite out of keeping with the quaint 
 octagonal tower. But parts of the interior of this church are
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 3OI 
 
 decidedly worth study. Some of the bench-ends are remarkably 
 good, and it will be remembered that I have already made mention 
 of one of them. I noted some capitals of excellent design surmount- 
 ing the columns of the chapel arch, and the monuments to members 
 of various Somersetshire families are interesting. Among them 
 is one to Sir George Farewell, who died in 1650. In the windows 
 I noticed a few fragments of old glass, and can only wish that 
 there had been more thereof. 
 
 Through Bishop's Hull ran the old coach road from Taunton 
 to Exeter, and I consequently hoped to find an old-world inn. 
 But, alas, though the present inn there possessed a fairly extensive 
 stable-yard, signs of antiquity in the building itself were lacking. 
 Some little distance along this coach road is a high hill, known as 
 Rumwell Hill, where, on the " Stone gallows," criminals were 
 formerly hung. From this lofty spot I am told that their dangling 
 carcases were visible in the neighbouring county of Devon, a 
 distance, as the crow flies, of some five miles. 
 
 From Bishop's Hull, I made my way to Norton Fitzwarren, 
 cutting across so as to avoid returning through Taunton. Norton 
 Fitzwarren possesses an interesting church, and, on the hill above, 
 is a tree-girt British camp of some note. The church of Norton 
 Fitzwarren is dedicated to All Saints, and, though much restored, 
 is worth a visit, if only to inspect its interesting rood loft and 
 screen. It appears that a dragon legend attaches to Norton Fitz- 
 warren Hill, and the memory thereof is kept alive by the carving 
 on the top beam of this screen. This information was locally 
 imparted to me, but I am bound to say that I have been unable to
 
 302 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 gather any further particulars as to the details of the legend, beyond 
 this, that the dragon was bred from corpses. The carving represents 
 this monster pursuing human beings, presumably the ploughmen, 
 who, in another part of the beam, are represented as ploughing with 
 an antique plough. The probable date of this screen is late 
 fifteenth century, a century later than the church, and nearly two 
 centuries later than parts of the chancel. There is no rood stair 
 now visible leading to the loft, and it seems that when the north 
 wall of the church was rebuilt it was not thought worth while, 
 or was perhaps deemed too expensive, to rebuild the stair then 
 demolished. It may be remarked that the screen has been recently 
 painted. I am informed that until the earlier half of this century 
 the original colouring existed thereon, but that somebody in a fit 
 of enthusiasm then treated it to a coat of oak crraininsr. This 
 disfigurement was removed at the restoration of the church, and 
 the original colours were repainted as far as existing traces enabled 
 the architect to carry out the apparent intention of the builder. 
 It is a pleasure to note a piece of work of this kind well and 
 sympathetically performed. Norton Fitzwarren church is also 
 possessed of some fair bench-ends, but they are in no way equal 
 to those at Bishop's Hull. I found in the tower a rather remarkable 
 hatchment belonging to a member of the Welman family. Their 
 paternal coat is blazoned thus : ist and 4th, argent on a bend 
 gules between two pomeis three mullets or, for Welman ; 2nd and 
 3rd argent, three torteaux, a chief gules, a label of three points 
 azure. But this hatchment bore, if my memory serves me, no less 
 than fifty-two quarterings. The exterior of the church is not
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 303 
 
 noteworthy for anything besides the uncommon treble set of 
 gargoyles, which are to be seen on the tower. It would however 
 be curious could the reason be ascertained why so many gipsies 
 are and have been buried in the churchyard of this little Somerset- 
 shire village. 
 
 Crowning the hill, at the foot of which nestles the church and 
 village, is the entrenchment known as Norton Fitzwarren Camp. 
 This camp is small in size, its area being rather over thirteen acres. 
 Roughly speaking, it is circular in form, and merely consists of 
 a deep ditch, irregular in its width, possessing both an inner and 
 an outer vallum. The camp is approached, or used to be approached, 
 in three different directions, viz. on the north, on the south-east, 
 and on the south-west by west. At least, one may fairly conjecture 
 that the depressions in the ground which radiate out from the camp 
 were the roadways which led up to the gates of the stronghold. 
 In these days the rampart is almost entirely overgrown with 
 trees and bushes, a condition of things which is to be regretted. 
 There has been much dispute as to the origin of this camp ; but 
 was there ever a camp which did not produce an antiquarian 
 wrangle ? The probability of Roman, or pre-Roman construction, 
 has been freely and almost acrimoniously discussed. Supporters of 
 the Roman theory point triumphantly to Roman remains found 
 in the valley beneath, and a small circular depression, some fifty 
 feet wide and six: or seven deep outside the camp, has been e.xalted 
 into an amphitheatre. Now the camp at Norton Fitzwarren, 
 lacking as it does all the characteristics of a Roman fort, may be 
 reasonably adjudged to possess greater antiquity. In later times
 
 304 SOMERSETSHIRE, 
 
 the Romans may have occupied it, as they did many other camps, 
 or they may not have done so. But to convert the simple track- 
 roads into " covered ways," to suggest that this simple — very simple 
 — rampart was once a city and the origin of Taunton, and finally, 
 reverting to the Roman theory, to style a small, shallow, relicless 
 depression in the hillside an amphitheatre, appears rather beyond 
 the mark. 
 
 Descending the hill on the opposite side, I reached the high- 
 road, by which I shortly afterwards arrived at Bishop's Lydeard. 
 At the entrance to the village I noticed a strange double sign to 
 the inn which stands there, viz. " The Lethbrldge Arms and Gore 
 Inn." The armorial part I could understand, but the "Gore Inn " 
 was a puzzle. In the house itself I could not obtain any Information, 
 except that the vessels used in their trade bore that mark. At 
 Taunton I was also unable to hear of any explanation. In London I 
 was told that Gore Inn was originally its designation. I do not ever 
 remember coming across a similar example, of a local family coat 
 being allied on an Inn sign, with another term of no local signification 
 whatever. Attached to this Inn, though now disused, is one of the 
 old fashioned fives' courts, the which used to be so common. 
 In the course of my wanderings, I noted only three or four 
 examples In the county. 
 
 Bishop's Lydeard church possesses one of the towers of 
 Somersetshire, and It assuredly Is a fine tower. It Is, however, 
 a tower to be seen from a distance rather than close ; and to my 
 mind the best point of view Is through a gate half-way between 
 the Gore Inn and the station. Here this fine piece of architectural
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 305 
 
 work shows up in all its beauty, and has the advantage of being 
 backed by a lofty hill. In the churchyard, try how one may, it 
 is not easy to get a satisfactory view. Unlike most of the Somerset- 
 shire churches, that at Bishop's Lydeard is built of a local red- 
 tinted stone, the effect of which is decidedly pleasing. Bishop's 
 Lydeard church is rich in carved oak, the screen being excellent 
 and old, with the exception of that part in the north aisle, though 
 I cannot conscientiously express a favourable opinion of the modern 
 colouring thereof. Of the splendid series of bench-ends, I must 
 speak more in detail. On the north side of the centre aisle, at least 
 fourteen are worthy of notice ; among their designs I observed 
 several either of a floral or geometrical character, besides the 
 "pelican," an elaborate quatrefoil, the "five wounds," a "stag and 
 foliage," one mainly geometrical, but surmounted by hares and other 
 animals, and, finally, a head with foliage. On the south side, the 
 first eight have floral designs, the ninth seems to be pieced, the 
 tenth is geometrical, the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth I have 
 figured at the beginning of this chapter, as being specially curious. 
 Others there are in the church of varying merit, but calling for no 
 particular mention, except in the case of a very narrow female 
 figure on a tree in the south aisle. Into the backs of some of the 
 seats, fragments of carving have also been introduced, possibly 
 from the original screen of the north aisle. One brass I found 
 affixed to the wall. It was to Nicholas Grabham, 1585, and 
 Eleanore his wife, 1594, with their three sons and two daughters. 
 The pulpit is of oak, and well carved, a very fair specimen of late 
 Jacobean work. Panels of rather elaborate geometrical design, and
 
 306 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 a handsomely decorated shaft, are the distinguishing features of 
 the octagonal font. The tower arch is of fine proportions, and 
 beneath it is the original narrow iron-bound and banded door 
 which formerly gave admission to the belfry stair. This door is 
 now disused in favour of a new one on the outside. Externally 
 one or two things require notice. On the south porch are the 
 remains of a sun-dial. An external buttress stair-turret leads to 
 the rood loft in the chancel and south aisle. In the churchyard 
 stands the village cross, which, together with its head, was removed 
 thither from the street some years since for safety. Close by it 
 is the churchyard cross, with a restored head. It is not often that 
 two ancient crosses are to be met with in one churchyard. Built 
 into the churchyard wall is a fragmentary stone slab, with a 
 mutilated and rapidly vanishing inscription, the only portion of 
 a name to be deciphered is " Robart." " Byshopps Lyddeard" 
 occurs in the second line, after which comes what I make to be 
 " whose life to death her due did yield ; " the date has gone. 
 I understand that much more could be deciphered when the stone 
 was first found, and can but regret that it was not built into the 
 wall within the church for protection from the weather. 
 
 From Bishop's Lydeard I tramped over to Cothelstone, to visit 
 the church, but even more than the church I desired to see the 
 partly rebuilt home of the Stawell family. Two miles of pleasant 
 road separated me from my destination. I first visited the manor 
 house, passing under the arch which has been removed to the 
 entrance gates from its former position near the church. Looking 
 down the avenue I could see at some little distance the quaint
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 
 
 307 
 
 gatehouse, which is even now, I am glad to record, in its original 
 state. After consideration, I determined to sketch its inner face, as 
 being less shrouded by trees and creepers. Permission was will- 
 ingly granted me to explore. I found the curious little chambers 
 of this old-world place full of interest as specimens of domestic 
 work ; they are now converted into stores for ruddy-cheeked apples. 
 The uncommon muUions of the windows, both in the gatehouse 
 
 i?-'--^ 
 
 
 and in the manor house itself, and the quaint plinths of the latter, 
 immediately attracted my attention. They are half cylinders, 
 bearing more resemblance to balusters than window mullions. 
 Similar mullions, but of small size and made of wood, used a 
 few years ago to be in a long gallery window at the back of 
 a draper's shop at Newark (the Old White Hart). But Cothel- 
 stone manor house was in the days of the Great Rebellion pounded 
 with cannon, taken, sacked, and almost demolished. At the house
 
 3o8 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the wing on the left is pointed out as the place where the Par- 
 liamentarian party finally burst in. Still above the entrance door 
 the scutcheon, minus its first and fourth quarters, robbed of its 
 crest, and deprived of its supporters, yet remains to remind us of 
 the now extinct Stawells. 
 
 This scutcheon has twelve quarterings, of which the twelfth 
 is itself quartered. I shall only give the blazon of the paternal 
 coat of the Stawells, viz. : Gules, a cross lozengy argent. The 
 
 -f-^mll 
 
 
 
 -.•^"■'■S 
 
 
 W0!r-'' 
 
 pedigree of Stowell or Stawell, in the Visitation of Somersetshire, 
 gives four and twenty generations, doubtless more or less correctly, 
 but it is not needful for me to trace it through. Suffice it to say 
 that, according to this document, the first fourteen Stowells are all 
 asserted to have been knights, the next six in descent were com- 
 moners, after which we come to John Stowell, of Stowell and 
 Cothelstone, who married Francis Dyer. His eldest son was John 
 Stowell, made a K.C.B. at the coronation of James I., who married
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD, 309 
 
 Elizabeth, the daughter of George Lord Audley, Earl of Castle- 
 haven, in Ireland. Sir John was succeeded by his second son, also 
 named John, and also a K.C.B., who married Elizabeth Hext, the 
 daughter and heiress of Sir Edward Hext, and widow of Sir Joseph 
 Killigrew, Kt. They had four sons, by name John, Edward, 
 George, and Ralph. When the Civil War broke out the Stawells 
 were most energetic Royalists. In a letter from Sir Edward 
 Nicholas to Sir William Boswell, dated from Derby, September 15, 
 1642, an account of one of the young Stawells is given as follows : 
 " On Tuesday the king marched with his banner from Nottingham 
 with five hundred horse, five regiments of foot, and twelve guns." 
 He was joined by five hundred or more trained bands. Here he 
 heard of a skirmish in which Hertford had been successful, and 
 despatched two hundred horse and three hundred dragoons to aid 
 in the pursuit of Lord Bedford. The pursued turned on their 
 pursuers, and the son of Sir William Balfour "in a bravado rode out 
 single from his troop, brandishing his sword, as if he would dare 
 somebody to combat with him ; whereof Colonel Lunsford, giving 
 notice to young Stawell, telling him there was honour for him, he 
 (Stawell) made straight up." Sir William Balfour's son discharged 
 his pistols at some distance, but Stawell reserved his fire till he 
 might be surer of his mark ; which he did so well that he fired at 
 the other "buff at his breast," and with his sword by a quick blow 
 made an end of the duel and his adversary, and so returned to 
 his troop " full of the honour he went for." 
 
 On March 14, 1649, there was an Order in Parliament that 
 Sir John Stawell be proceeded against for life in the Upper Bench.
 
 3IO SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 Now Stawell had been made prisoner at the capture of Exeter, 
 April 9, 1646, and had taken the "Exeter Articles." But in 1650, 
 June 28, another Order of ParHament appeared, in which six 
 persons were ordered to be " tried for their lives, upon their 
 former offences," upon occasion of the assassinations of Mr. Ascham, 
 agent for the Parliament to the King of Spain, and his interpreter. 
 Ascham's murder was reported from Madrid on June 9, 1650. 
 Action was taken thereon at the suggestion of Sir Henry Mildmay. 
 Stawell was selected as one of the six persons, though in England 
 at the time of the murder, and not in Spain. It was alleged that 
 Ascham met his death through the agency of certain exiled 
 Royalists, and the trial of Stawell and the others ivas an act of 
 reprisal ! 
 
 On April 5, 1651, Mr. Salwey moved the House to call upon 
 the High Court of Justice for a report of their proceedings in the 
 case of Sir John Stawell. Meanwhile Sir John had been for some 
 time a prisoner in the Tower, but obtained his liberty on May 25, 
 1653, "on good security being given to the lieutenant that he will 
 not leave the city, and will give himself up prisoner again on sum- 
 mons." July 22, 1656, brings a petition from the trustees for the 
 sale of estates forfeited for treason to the Protector, in which it is 
 stated that Sir John had presented to them a " scandalous " petition, 
 charging them with high crimes in the disposal of his estates. 
 They beg that good security should be taken from Sir John either 
 to prove his allegations or to make reparation, they themselves 
 professing willingness to be similarly bound. It seems that friend 
 Bovett, of Taunton, who I fear must have been a scamp, was one
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 3II 
 
 of the trustees appointed by Parliament to administer Sir John's 
 estate, and that this worthy Roundhead had a distinct objection 
 to parting with the cash to various persons to whom shares had 
 been adjudged. I may as well here mention that Jeffreys, years 
 after, hanged Bovett in front of Cothelstone, but only to annoy 
 the son of Sir John, who had then been raised to the peerage. 
 Bovett's name occurs many times in the documents belonging to 
 the " Cases " of the Committee for Compounding. 
 
 In March, 1659-60, I find Sir John Stawell in receipt, by 
 Parliament Order, of a weekly pension of £(i. In November, 1660, 
 Sir John was engaged in recovering possession of his estates, and 
 a petition was forwarded to the Lord Chancellor by one John 
 Collins, relative to his right in a part of the manor of Netherham. 
 It seems that when Sir John's lands were sequestrated, Lady 
 Stawell had redeemed Netherham, but had subsequently sold it 
 in 1659 to Collins. On the Restoration, Collins was summoned 
 before the House of Lords, on the petition of Sir John, and had 
 apparently been compelled to surrender his purchase willy nilly. 
 Sir John survived till February 21, 1661, and was buried in 
 Cothelstone church, where his monumental inscription briefly but 
 graphically tells the story of his life. " J\Iagnas equitum pedi- 
 tumque copias suis sumtibus in auxillium Regis paravit. Post 
 perditam rem familiarem, aedium ruinam, carceres, aliasque 
 calamitates exoptatissimo Regis Caroli Secundi reditu laetans." 
 By letters patent, dated January 15, 1683, Ralph Stawel was 
 raised to the peerage as Baron Stawel of Somerton, for some 
 reason dropping the second / in his name. He was succeeded
 
 312 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 by John, his only son by his first wife. John, second Baron, 
 died childless, and was succeeded in turn by both his half brothers, 
 William and Edward. Edward, fourth baron, died childless in 
 1735, when the title became extinct. 
 
 The papers regarding the compounding for the Stawell estates 
 are very numerous. It seems that Sir John neglected to appear 
 in time, after taking the " Exeter Articles." He was summoned, 
 and committed to the custody of the Serjeant-at-arms, for refusing 
 the National Covenant and Negative Oath on August 13, 1646. 
 March 18, 1650, his estates are reported to the House as fitting 
 to be sold. Cothelstone, in ruins, was awarded to Lady Stawell, 
 as a residence for herself and her children ; and there Bovett caused 
 her much annoyance and loss, by first refusing to pay her allowance 
 of one-fifth, and then by " extending it for a pretended debt." 
 Her complaints against Bovett are frequent. Abetted by Bovett, 
 the tenants refused to pay her her fifth, but paid it to him instead. 
 On August 10, 1653, Sir John petitions the Committee for relief 
 on Articles of War, setting forth the date of his surrender, and that 
 by its terms he could compound for his estates at not more than 
 two years' value. He had sworn then not to bear arms against the 
 Parliament, and had kept that oath ; but, notwithstanding, he had 
 been taken into custody, committed first to Newgate, where he 
 remained for four years under accusation of high treason, being 
 thence conveyed as prisoner to the Tower, where he even then lay 
 captive. During the whole of this period, he had been vexed with 
 various actions laid against him in the courts, at a cost in damages 
 of £jooo. His estates were declared forfeited in 1651, and sold.
 
 He begs liberty, etc., and again urges that neither he nor his sons 
 have committed any act of hostihty since they took the " Exeter 
 Articles." But Parliament would not give way, and ordered the 
 purchasers of Stawell's estates "quietly to possess them." Nor, 
 beyond obtaining his liberty at last, and a pension of ^6 per week, 
 could this honourable and luckless Royalist obtain any redress until 
 the Restoration. Justice has never been done in the county to this 
 fine old cavalier, possibly because the historical bias there even yet 
 inclines to the other side. For this reason I have briefly endeavoured 
 to set forth the main incidents in the career of one on whom I look 
 as in every sense a Somersetshire worthy. 
 
 Cothelstone church, which is dedicated to St. Thomas of 
 Canterbury, stands just behind the manor house. It is small but 
 interesting, and a few years ago underwent restoration. A pillar 
 in the interior, which supports the arches dividing the nave from 
 the south aisle, has been stated to be Saxon, but this I am much 
 inclined to doubt. In the windows are some extremely good 
 medallions of ancient glass, the subjects of which are St. Dunstan 
 with his tongs ; a saint carrying a crowned head ; St. Aldhelm 
 holding a chalice ; St. Thomas of Canterbury bearing his staff; 
 St. Richard . . . with a chalice, and St. Thomas. All the figures 
 are mitred. But the tombs and monuments of the Stawells, and 
 a little heraldic glass belonging to that family, naturally interested 
 me the most. In the south chapel are two fine monuments, each 
 with two recumbent effigies. Of the two men, one is in armour, the 
 other is not. On the costumes, both of knights and their ladies, 
 traces of painting are still visible, the pale blue mantle and red gown
 
 314 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 in one case being in fair preservation. This female effigy wears 
 an interesting head-dress, her head is pillowed with angels, and 
 two squirrels lie at her feet. The exterior of the church is worth 
 notice, inasmuch as the tower is of a rather unusual type. The 
 peculiarity lies in its upper part, and in the square turret on the 
 north side, which is capped by a short stone spire. 
 
 I returned that evening to Taunton, and the next day journeyed 
 by train to Washford station, from which, after a few minutes' walk, 
 I reached the famed ruins of Cleeve Abbey. The abbey of the 
 Blessed Virgin at Cleeve was founded in 1 1 88, by William de 
 Romara, who obtained inmates for his religious house from the 
 Abbey of Revesby. Cleeve was under the Cistercian rule, an 
 Order at one time very popular in England, but which in later days 
 so much declined in estimation, that with considerable difficulty 
 sufficient inmates were obtained to carry on the business of the 
 abbey. This was specially the case with regard to the strictly 
 ecclesiastical members of this fraternity, and it would appear that, 
 during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the semi-lay brethren, 
 who performed all duties requiring manual labour in the Cistercian 
 houses, far exceeded in numbers the more rigidly governed monks. 
 Still, these semi-lay brethren were Cistercians, though under a 
 much less restricted rule than their ecclesiastical brethren. Many 
 distinguished names occur as benefactors to Cleeve, among which 
 may be instanced Hubert de Burgh, Richard Plantagenet, two of 
 the De Mohuns, Reginald and William, Henry III., and Edward 
 IV. Founded in 11S8, within a century the abbey buildings, both 
 ecclesiastical and domestic, were finished ; the house was prospering
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 315 
 
 to such an extent that the number of monks was augmented from 
 twenty-six to twenty-eight. By 1483, as one of the visitors of all 
 Cistercian houses in the kingdom (a papal appointment), the Abbot 
 of Cleeve had become an important personage. Early in the 
 sixteenth century, the last abbot, William Dovell, restored a 
 portion of the gatehouse, which was then in a condition of disrepair ; 
 and during the previous century much rebuilding of the south and 
 west sides of the cloister garth had taken place — but to these I shall 
 allude hereafter. 
 
 Cleeve Abbey, when perfect, had four courts, an outer court 
 of small size outside the gatehouse ; a great court in which, near 
 the west end of the church, the cross stood, but which otherwise 
 was disencumbered of buildings, save on the north and east ; a 
 cloister court, and finally an infirmary court. A moat ran round 
 the north and east sides of the abbey precincts, while on the west 
 there was a stream, the inner bank of which was strongly walled. 
 Upon the south a wall alone completed the enclosure, within which 
 were a mill and the abbey stews, besides the church and the entire 
 domestic buildings. Of the church, though the ground plan has 
 by means of excavations been accurately ascertained, beyond some 
 of the tiled floor, the foundations of the bases of the columns, the 
 relics of one or two altars, one tomb, and the south walls of the 
 south aisle and south transept, there is nothing. But the presence 
 of richly decorated encaustic tiles, which are very considerable in 
 number, both in the church and in the old refectory, is remarkable, 
 since a lack of ornamentation was a conspicuous feature in all 
 Cistercian houses. These tiles, evidently from the same kiln as
 
 3l6 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the tiles at Dunster, Muchelney, and elsewhere in the county, are 
 mainly heraldic. But at Cleeve, three designs are on tiles of large 
 size, viz. eight inches square. These bear the arms of England, 
 Richard Plantagenet, and Clare, and will be found lying in situ 
 on the floor of the old refectory. They are divided by narrow strip 
 tiles, some plain, others elaborately floriated. Of the smaller five 
 and a half inch tiles, with which the church is paved, the number 
 and variety is very great. The coat armour of Mohun, Peverell, 
 Fitzwarine, Staunton, Beauchamp of Hache, Montacute, Bardolf, 
 and a host of others is to be seen. I would willingly give a 
 complete list and their blazons did space permit, but in lieu must 
 refer the reader to the " Journal of the Archaeological Association," 
 vol. xxxiii. 
 
 Opening out of the south transept is the sacristy, and this 
 presents certain peculiarities, for it is lighted by a large circular 
 window, now without any tracery. But examination reveals that in 
 all probability it has lost an inner ring of masonry, and to this 
 masonry possibly tracery was attached ; for a plain circular hole 
 in the wall above the stone altar which existed at the east end would 
 have been very unsightly. Here, besides certain cupboards and 
 receptacles, there is in the thickness of the wall a curious little 
 piscina, the back of which is painted with a design of not a little 
 elegance, and now wisely protected by glass. On the walls and 
 on the vaulting, which has been altered in form, are traces of mural 
 painting. I now proceed to consider the actual remains of the 
 domestic buildings of this once-famous abbey. The gatehouse was, 
 as I have said, repaired by Dovell, the last abbot, and his name
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 
 
 317 
 
 in the centre of a lozenge grounded with vines and grapes yet 
 remains on the face of the south gable. He it was who erected the 
 unsightly, though necessary buttresses, which keep the side walls 
 from falling. The old arches in these walls, which in former times 
 probably contained benches for the repose of travellers, are now 
 blocked. When perfect, the upper floor formed one long room, 
 with a fireplace in the centre of one side, and a window at each 
 end. How damaged the place 
 
 now is my sketch shews. On 
 
 the north side, above the 
 
 window, is a statue of the 
 
 Virgin — a statue of very early 
 
 date ; beneath the window a 
 
 Latin inscription, " Porta 
 
 patens esto nulli claudaris 
 
 honesto " — at least this is 
 
 what I made it to be. The 
 
 south gable has above its "S^Trs-Bewas "\ v;- 
 
 window a handsome rood in 
 
 a niche, and there are two other niches, both now empty and 
 
 probably intended to contain statues cf INIary and John. 
 
 Passing through the archway which admits to the cloister 
 garth, I found myself in a most interesting place. In front of me, 
 that is to say looking towards the east, was the west end of the 
 chapter house, with its elegant windows and door, the doorway 
 of the dormitory staircase, and the door leading to a passage ; the 
 range of building above being pierced by the numerous lancet
 
 318 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 windows of the monks' dormitory. On my right hand were the 
 beautiful windows of the hall, decorated with their elaborate 
 tracery, the arch of the lavatory beneath and other windows and 
 doors, together with the remains of the quaint little projecting 
 fern-decked abbey bell turret. On my left was the south wall 
 of the abbey church, a stretch of wall broken only by the trefoil- 
 headed shallow recess, which in the old days contained the seat 
 
 
 ;"^ltfS®lr4:V:a.-llrf''-;SdlQstr; 
 
 mmmmmmm 
 
 
 of the monk told off to superintend the reading within the cloister 
 of certain passages from prescribed books. I give a sketch of this 
 elegant recess, and have to note with indignation that it has been 
 made a target for a charge of shot, several pellets of which were 
 actually adhering to the stones when I visited the place in October 
 last. I was informed that the shot " could not have been recently 
 fired," but I leave the settlement of this question to others. Such
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 
 
 319 
 
 then is the present appearance of the cloister garth — a garth without 
 its cloister, save on a small portion of its western side, where three 
 
 
 
 or four much-defaced arches of later work still remain on the left 
 of the entry. 
 
 The chapter house is a very remark- 
 able room, undivided by pillars, entered 
 by an arch which never owned a door, 
 and lighted by windows which have never 
 been glazed. It has a vaulted roof of 
 three bays, but the third and most easterly 
 one is far more lofty than the other two. 
 Unfortunately the east wall, which projected, 
 has been demolished. On the roof of the 
 chapter house fragments of distemper painting still remain in the 

 
 320 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 shape of a narrow simple wavy pattern, which runs on each side of 
 the vaulting ribs. Coming out of the chapter house and entering 
 the staircase door, I ascended, and found myself in the long lancet- 
 lighted monks' dormitory, a narrow chamber upwards of a hundred 
 feet long. Here the old plaster floor was much of it perfect, though 
 it did not extend the entire length of the dormitory, but stopped 
 short at one wall, thus enabling me to look down into a now ruined 
 but once exceedingly handsome room, the fratry ; fragments ot 
 whose splendid windows, piers, and arches are, even in their sad 
 decay, well worthy of the closest scrutiny. The ground floor of 
 the buildings on the southern side is more curious than picturesque, 
 still I ought to note the strange triangular quatrefoiled slab which 
 forms a roof between the groins of one of the entrances. This 
 entrance was skew-built, in order not to interfere with the arch 
 of the lavatory in the south cloister wall outside. 
 
 Next, ascending the stair, I found myself in the noble hall, 
 later in date of course than many other portions of the buildings 
 at Cleeve, but still without a doubt the most beautiful relic of 
 them all. The hall measures fifty-one feet by twenty-two feet, 
 and is lofty in proportion, with a finely decorated waggon roof. 
 My etching shows the appearance of the east end of this grand 
 room, where still on the plaster, though sadly faded, are the 
 relics of a rood of a more than usually large size. On the right 
 hand, between the fireplace and the window, is the recess which 
 formed the pulpit for the reader. Curious it is to reflect that 
 of the domestic buildings and hall of Shrewsbury Abbey, the 
 pulpit is the sole remnant, while of the hall at Cleeve it is the
 
 ?^,. \k-:*6s ^."a' 
 
 'v/^^/^^
 
 COTIIELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 32 1 
 
 only thing which has vanished. A dais never existed here in 
 old times, and the present one is modern, constructed merely to 
 preserve the tiles and fragments of tiles from the relic-pilfering 
 in which persons visiting the abbey almost systematically indulge. 
 To do justice to the details of this beautiful hall in a few lines 
 or even in a few pages is impossible. But I have yet no little 
 distance to journey, so must regretfully pass on. Opening out 
 of the hall, on the same floor, are some strange little rooms, one 
 of which is said to have been the buttery. Here the fireplace 
 had once a hood, but this has vanished. The walls were twice 
 decorated with paintings, one picture, unless I am very much 
 mistaken, having been executed on the top of another, for I made 
 out, or thought I made out, traces of two separate mural paintings 
 of two different dates on at least one wall. Two more points 
 need to be mentioned before I pass away from Cleeve, and they 
 are important. The old refectory, of which the tile floor is 
 visible in the garden, was built north and south ; the new refectory 
 or hall ran east to west. This is a remarkable deviation from 
 the usual Cistercian plan, and is essentially noteworthy. That 
 the chapter house should be without columns is also curious. 
 The fact that the hall, instead of being a ground-floor room, 
 is situated on the first floor, is one which ought not to be passed 
 without comment. With regard to the change of axis in the 
 hall and its upstair situation, in all probability the lateness of 
 the date of building may be held accountable, but the reason for 
 the columnless chapter house will, I fear, ever remain an archi- 
 tectural mystery. 
 
 z
 
 32 2 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 It is a beautiful walk from Cleeve Abbey over the hill to Old 
 Cleave and Blue Anchor. At Old Cleeve the church, with its 
 churchyard cross, under ordinary circumstances would have tempted 
 me to tarry and explore, but after the abbey, and with Dunster 
 ahead, I cared not to delay. Not far beyond, in the village, I 
 noticed a cottage of more than ordinary picturesqueness. It was 
 one of those of which Corfe presents two good examples, and 
 Newlyn, I think, still furnishes one. The porch room with its 
 latticed windows is supported by two massive circular pillars. 
 Late in the year though it was, the garden here was a mass of 
 blossoms, trailing plants covered the walls, and roses were in 
 profusion. Farther on I passed an early seventeenth-century house, 
 called, I believe, Benham Farm, where above the quaint doorway, 
 in a small room, some meritorious dated plaster work is stated to 
 exist. Soon, leaving Chapel Cleeve on my left, I mounted the hill, 
 and before me lay Blue Anchor ; beyond it the expanse of the 
 Bristol Channel, bounded by the Welsh coast, and dotted with 
 the two islands known as Flat Holme and Steep Holme. The 
 day was then fair, and the scene was one of great beauty. Glancing 
 to the left along the coast, the Beacon Hill at Dunster, and the 
 castle ; Minehead too, and its church, were of course plainly visible, 
 for the extreme limit of my projected wanderings was distant but 
 a bare five miles. While I tarried for rest at Blue Anchor, a small 
 hamlet with a railway station, deriving its name from an inn, the 
 weather changed. Clouds rolled up, the wind rose, and the scene, 
 with the utmost rapidity, became autumnal if not wintry. Along 
 the shore the waves dashed with considerable violence right up
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 323 
 
 and over the targets at the foot of the cliff, where a small body 
 of volunteers were endeavouring to fire their classes. Presently 
 down came the rain in torrents, and I had perforce to abandon my 
 projected tramp. Hence it was that after a dreary waiting at the 
 little shore-side station of Blue Anchor, I took the train, and with 
 but little delay steamed into Dunster. F"ortune here was kind to 
 me, as just before I reached the station a transient beam of sunshine 
 fell full and bright on the castle — a beam which, though it lasted 
 but a few seconds, was still sufficient to imprint its beauty for ever 
 on my mind. In good sooth, for a wonder, the view to be obtained 
 of Dunster Castle from the railway is essentially the view. 
 
 Besides its chief glory, the castle, there is enough in the streets 
 and houses of this quaintest of quaint little west country towns, 
 to afford a hard day's work to the lover of antiquity ; and this 
 without reckoning the double church, a thorough inspection of which 
 would assuredly occupy a day itself, so that to exhaust Dunster 
 without overstrain, at least three or four days are required. At 
 any rate, that was my experience. I wandered round its old-world 
 streets, pausing of course to sketch the interesting old octagonal 
 market house. Dunster Market House was built by George 
 Luttrell, sheriff of the county in 1593 and 1609. The date 1647, 
 and initials G. L., which appear on the weather-beaten vane, are 
 those of the grandson of the builder. In ancient days Dunster did 
 a great trade in yarns, and the manufacture of broadcloth there 
 was extensive. But the trade has gone, the mills are silent, and 
 only the Market House or Yarn Market remains to perpetuate 
 the memory of this extinct industry. The arrangement of the
 
 324 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 radiating timbers and posts in the interior of this quaint building 
 is most curious. In one place the mark of a cannon shot, fired 
 from the castle during the siege, which pierced the roof and damaged 
 a beam, is shown to this day. Not so very many years ago the 
 present wide street of Dunster was divided down the middle by 
 a row of sheds or shambles, but these, becoming useless, were 
 removed. Close by the Yarn Market stands the inn of the place, 
 of which the sign is the Luttrell Arms. Here the old stone porch, 
 
 _^fe!'!«ls5T!liS.CB@p. 
 
 on the gable of which is carved the scutcheon sign, is semi-fortified, 
 for on either side of the outer arched doorway are most unmistak- 
 able crossbow loops. The inner arch has well-carved spandrels, 
 and the moulded roof beams are excellent. My sketch shows this 
 portion of the building. Nor is the interior deficient in interest. 
 In one room there is a fine plaster fireplace overmantel, on which 
 the story of Acteeon occupies the central plaque, two female figures 
 support the cornice, in the middle of which there is a demi-male
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 
 
 325 
 
 figure flanked by lions bearing the arms of England and France. 
 This plaster work dates from the first quarter of the seventeenth 
 century. But the most interesting part of this inn is the wing at 
 the back. Of the carved wooden exterior of this wing I here give 
 a sketch. The interior was, I understood, worth doing, but the 
 
 eiiifeipsfc 
 
 
 iVi^VTlS^LI- WSUfiS- 
 
 " oak room " being occupied, I was unable to inspect it. This house 
 does not appear to have any historical associations, and on that 
 account is rather disappointing, for it looks like a veritable home 
 of country-side tradition, and it is from these traditions that so many 
 clues to historical fact are obtained. When on my way back to
 
 126 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 London, I was told by a fellow-passenger, who appeared to speak 
 with authority, that behind the Luttrell Arms was still remaining 
 a " very ancient and rather ruinous kiln," called locally the " bell 
 house." My informant suggested that from this kiln issued the 
 tiles at Cleeve and Dunster. His statement and deduction I give 
 with all reserve, for I did not at Dunster either see the kiln or hear 
 of it. From the garden at the back of the house I took the sketch 
 of the country towards Blue Anchor, which I here insert. 
 
 Next door to the " Old George," which is a house rather lower 
 down the street, there is a quaint entrance. I doubt the antiquity 
 
 --l/'-U'tJ !U..-.f:^ 
 
 of the door itself, but the knocker and hinges are genuine ; the posts, 
 decorated with scroll work and mutilated heads, are original, while 
 the very flat, hardly arched lintel, with diminishing scrollwork in 
 its spandrels, is, to say the least, uncommon. An old oak staircase 
 is stated to exist in the inside of this house. Here and there I 
 detected in the little windows some of those ornamental fastenings, 
 which are yearly becoming rarer. One house, quite at the bottom 
 of the hill, has an oaken arched doorway of curious form, but 
 restored. Two village crosses were once to be found in the village 
 street, of these, one, the " Butter Cross," has been removed to the
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 327 
 
 roadside up the hill behind the church, but of the other no trace 
 is now existing. Turning the corner towards the church, I came 
 suddenly on a very quaint building of which the proper designation 
 is the High House, but which, for some unexplained reason, is 
 locally called the " Nunnery." This High House, in pre-spoliation 
 days, formed a portion of the endowment of the Chantry of St. 
 Lawrence. In apjDearance, the place is a long, tall dwelling, with 
 two projecting stories, the lower of which has, as it were, a pent- 
 house roof. The timber work of the house is good, the whole of 
 the upper stories in the front are weather-tiled, both gables are 
 tipped with pinnacles, while one stone-faced gable, of which the 
 wall is visible, is pierced by two small trefoil-headed windows and 
 a tiny slit. A view up the street here is most picturesque. On 
 the right is the quaint High House ; on the left, in the foreground, 
 the creeper-clad home of one of the castle guides, while above the 
 more distant houses a portion of the tower of Dunster church 
 appears. 
 
 Then I wandered on till I reached this well-known, and in 
 some respects extraordinary building. Church I called it, but 
 churches would have been the more correct designation, since, 
 though under one roof, we here have the nave, transepts, and aisles 
 forming the parish church, with its own specially contrived choir, 
 while the chancels and chapels are, like a part of Arundel church, 
 absolutely private property. This curious condition of things came 
 about owing to a dispute between the Prior of Dunster and the 
 vicar of the parish in 1499. Reference having been made by the 
 aggrieved parties to the Abbot of Glastonbury and two others,
 
 328 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 the award was as follows, viz. that the vicar and parish should 
 possess the nave, and the monks should possess the choir. Hence 
 it was that a special choir is to be found in the nave. These 
 two churches are separated by a magnificent oak screen which 
 extends quite across the church. The screen consists of fourteen 
 arches, with a marvellously fine vine and grape pattern carved 
 on the frieze, the designs of the coving and panels are wonderfully 
 intricate. Three doors pierce the screen, and each of the fourteen 
 arched panels is divided by pierced tracery into four compartments. 
 It should be noted that the number and width of the bays on the 
 north and south sides of the nave are unequal, so that the screen 
 is near to one column but some feet distant from the other. 
 Though built mainly at a later date, traces of Norman work are 
 to be discerned within the church. 
 
 The chancel proper and its chapels, in ancient days the monks' 
 choir, is now the private property of the owner of Dunster Castle, 
 and it has been by him most carefully restored in recent years. 
 On the dissolution of the monasteries the site of the priory was 
 leased in 1539 to one of his ancestors for twenty-one years at a 
 rental of ^3 13^'. 4d., with a remainder to a certain Humphrey 
 Colles. Now this choir had been used as a burial-place for the 
 Luttrell family for several generations, and the prospective lessee 
 Colles was bought out for the sum of ^85 i6s. Sd., in order to 
 retain possession of the burial-place and tombs. I give a sketch 
 of the entrance to this private portion of the church, to which I 
 obtained admittance after paying a visit to an old-world, half- 
 timbered, half-stone built cottage in one corner of the churchyard,
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 
 
 329 
 
 ..^"■^^". 
 
 -•1 ''/ 
 
 M^'i-- 
 
 the abode of the custodian. The remarkable shape of this arch 
 is due to a mediaeval widening thereof, when the arch itself must 
 in some way have been supported, while the corbels which now 
 sustain it were inserted and the sides cut away. There is great 
 beauty in the short screen which 
 closes in this entry, but in so 
 small a sketch it is almost im- 
 possible to do more than indicate 
 its details. The interior of the 
 monks' choir is singularly interest- 
 ing. In the chapel on the south 
 side are two monuments which 
 formerly occupied other positions 
 in the church. One is the incised 
 slab to the memory of Lady 
 Elizabeth Luttrell (1493), the other, 
 which stands against the south 
 wall, is that of Thomas Luttrell 
 (162 1 ). Lady Elizabeth's slab is 
 very interesting, from the details of the costume, and the rather 
 elaborate way in which two angels are depicted supporting her 
 pillow. At her feet is curled up a little dog, or possibly a 
 fox. In the wall which separates the chantry of St. Lawrence 
 on the north side of the church from the chancel is a tomb 
 with two mutilated effigies thereon. It is the monument to Sir 
 Hugh Luttrell and Catherine his wife, and dates from about 1428. 
 On the floor of this little chantry chapel have been placed the 
 
 
 
 (?>':• I?." f
 
 330 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 ancient encaustic tiles which were discovered in the choir during 
 the restoration. Of these tiles I give illustrations of ten specimens. 
 The designs are mainly heraldic, and chiefly bear the coat armour 
 of Somersetshire families. The fish design, though not unknown 
 elsewhere, is almost Japanese in its quaintness. I selected these 
 as typical Somersetshire encaustic tiles. 
 
 Feeling that I had not half studied the peculiarities of Dunster 
 
 church, or the beauties of its screens, I passed outside the building. 
 The exterior is to a certain extent picturesque, though by no 
 means so pleasing as the interior. Perhaps the best view is from 
 the south-west. Close adjoining the north-east corner of the church, 
 abutting on the churchyard in fact, are a few relics of the priory. 
 Here and there traces of the domestic buildings are apparent; 
 I fancied that I detected signs of a cloister, but cannot be sure.
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 33 1 
 
 The old priory barn, which by the way appears to have been 
 subject to considerable alteration in recent times, is still in existence, 
 and close by is the priory columbarium, a fair specimen, possessing 
 its original door. 
 
 Returning through the churchyard, I noted the fragment of the 
 churchyard cross which stands there, and gazed at the ancient yew 
 tree which grows hard by. How many good English long-bows 
 have been cut from that old yew in ancient times, I wonder ? Then 
 I followed a side street in an aimless way, till I found myself in a 
 winding path between two streams at different levels which led me 
 down to an old mill, evidently the castle mill. Here there was a 
 moss-grown overshot wheel, turned by the waters of the upper 
 stream, and in front of the mill a pleasant blooming garden, backed 
 by the lofty tree-clad hill. And then returning I again passed the 
 High House, and began to climb the steep ascent which leads to 
 Dunster Castle. Presently I arrived at the Gate House, a building 
 which is known to have been begun about the year 1420. That 
 this gatehouse was meant less for defence than for ornament seems 
 tolerably clear, for its construction is such that it could never have 
 offered any strong resistance to an energetic attack. It was built in 
 a slanting way, so as to incorporate in one of its angles the circular 
 bastion which projected from the castle wall at that point. Three 
 of these bastions originally projected on that face of the wall, and 
 relics of two of them are still visible from the road. But behind 
 the wall the ground has, in comparatively later times, been raised 
 to a level expanse, triangular in shape. This raising of the ground 
 enables one to enter the first floor of the gatehouse on the garden
 
 332 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 side. The towers were picturesque, and I sketched them. The 
 turrets shown on each side of the doorway in ni)- second sketch 
 were erected about 1765, at the time the level of the ground was 
 raised. But this raisinsf of the Sfround caused a curious thin^ to be 
 done, viz. a wall was built behind the noble old oak gates of the 
 
 castle, which are just within the gatehouse, to preserve them from 
 injury, and then the earth was filled in against this wall, thus entirely 
 closing the old castle entrance. 
 
 In recent years this earth has been removed behind the gate, 
 the wall has been pulled down, and a short stair constructed, by
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 333 
 
 which access is obtained to the platform, the upper floors of the 
 gatehouse, and for foot passengers to the present main entrance 
 of the castle. My etching shows this fme old gate as it at 
 present is. The little sketch inserted in the text gives the details 
 of the woodwork and the knocker. This last is a mighty implement 
 more than twenty inches in length. To the castle itself a good 
 deal has been done in late years in the way of addition and altera- 
 
 -SBTE Dac»eSfS I'Jwiaa'v'aiiii ^ias-jts 
 
 
 tion. But in the interior are several rooms of interest, and many 
 things of which one fain would write. The staircase with its 
 elaborate ceiling is handsome, and contains some curious carving. 
 This is said to be elm and not oak as would have been expected. 
 Panelled rooms are not infrequent, and there is at least one most 
 handsome plaster ceiling of late sixteenth-century date. Fireplaces 
 likewise there are which are well worthy of notice, but I must
 
 334 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 confess to having been particularly interested in King Charles's 
 room, where, at the back of the bed, a long narrow hidden 
 chamber extends across the whole width of the room. This narrow 
 place of concealment, for I doubt if it could have had any other 
 intention or use, has no window, but there is an inner door part 
 of the way along the passage, and at the end is a stone seat. 
 Pictures, objects of art, curiosities, and antiquities are in evidence 
 throughout the building, but among the decorative treasures I shall 
 only mention the strange seventeenth-century corami or painted 
 leather hangings which line the walls of one room. These, I 
 believe, are of Italian workmanship, and are remarkable for the 
 use of a warm-tinted glazing applied to a silver-leaf ground, by 
 which means a golden hue is produced. This ground was then 
 diapered with impressed tooling, and finally quaint designs were 
 painted thereon in oil colour. 
 
 Leaving the interior of the castle, over which I had been most 
 courteously conducted by one of the ladies of the family, to whom 
 I here desire to express my grateful thanks, I wandered along 
 terrace paths amid terrace gardens till I ascended the hill on which 
 once stood the castle keep. This keep was of Norman origin, 
 probably polygonal in shape, and contained the castle chapel, 
 dedicated to St. Stephen. But both keep and chapel, then in a 
 ruinous condition, were removed towards the end of the seventeenth 
 century, when the site was levelled and converted into a bowling- 
 green. 
 
 From the bowling-green with its herbaceous wild border 
 edging I wandered down, pausing at one spot to note the old
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 335 
 
 lemon trees, which, with but the slight protection afforded by 
 matting in winter, have become as it were acclimatized, and grow 
 against the castle wall, freely fruiting each year. On again till I 
 passed the grand old wooden gates, then, going beneath and 
 through the deep gatehouse arch, I turned and took a final survey, 
 noting the ornamental panel of nine shields which surmounts the 
 crown of the arch. A little lower I left the old stables behind 
 me, and then by a short steep descent returned to Dunster street. 
 The arms of the Luttrell family are blazoned as follows : Quarterly : 
 1st and 4th or, a bend between six martlets sable, for Luttrell ; 
 2nd and 3rd azure, two eagles displayed in fess and a mullet in 
 base argent, for Fownes. Crest — out of a ducal coronet or, a 
 plume of five feathers argent. Supporters — two swans collared and 
 chained. 
 
 I shall now touch briefly on the history of the owners of this 
 fine old castle. Dunster in the time of Edward the Confessor 
 belonged to a certain Aluric, and then bore the name of Torre. 
 With the Norman Conquest came a change of owners, and the 
 De Mohuns became the masters of Dunster or Torre. About iioo 
 the priory of Dunster was founded as a cell to the priory of Bath, 
 the Mohuns having endowed the monks of Bath with lands with 
 a view to ^ettincr them to erect a church at Dunster. At a later 
 date a William de Mohun took up arms in favour of Matilda. 
 Stephen collected troops, and laid siege to Dunster, whose hill 
 was at that time washed by the sea. He found it useless to attack 
 the place, so strong and inaccessible was the castle, and blockaded 
 it instead. Under the third William de Mohun the priory
 
 336 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 flourished ; and indeed the whole family seem to have been great 
 benefactors of ecclesiastical establishments throughout the land, 
 but specially in the west. The last male De Mohun who owned 
 Dunster was Sir John. He died in 1376, having in 1369 conveyed 
 his estates under certain conditions to feoffees, viz. that the feoffees 
 should dispose of them according to the instructions of his wife. 
 The widow. Lady Joan de Mohun, obtained a reconveyance of 
 the lands to herself for her life with remainder to the Lady 
 Elizabeth Luttrell. 
 
 The Luttrell family is first heard of towards the end of the 
 twelfth century. In the reign of Richard L one member was 
 settled in Nottinghamshire. Between that date and 1376 I need 
 not enter into a detailed account, suffice it to say that the husband 
 of Lady Elizabeth was Sir Andrew Luttrell. Lady Elizabeth died 
 in 1395, and before she had taken possession of Dunster, for the 
 widowed Lady Joan was still alive. The son of Lady Elizabeth 
 was Sir Hugh, and he succeeded to Dunster in 1404. But his 
 possession thereof was challenged by the heiresses of the last De 
 Mohuns, who took legal proceedings against him. Luttrell was 
 at that time one of the members for Devon, but he was poor, and 
 had to borrow ^50 from the Abbot of Cleeve to defend the suit. 
 Eventually, on petition, the case was referred to the arbitration of 
 four peers and all the judges. The arbitrators declined to give an 
 opinion, and a trial came off at Ilchester, which terminated in favour 
 of Sir Hugh Luttrell. 
 
 Of the warlike deeds and political services of Sir Hugh I 
 shall say nothing, nor have I space to give extracts from the curious
 
 COTIIELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 337 
 
 inventories and accounts belonging to him which are still extant. 
 He died in 1428, and was succeeded by his son John, who died 
 two years later, leaving a three-year-old only son James, Like the 
 rest of his family James was a Lancastrian, and fell at the second 
 battle of St. Albans, leaving two sons minors, viz. Alexander and 
 Hugh. 
 
 Edward IV. confiscated the Luttrell estates, which in June, 
 1463, he granted to the Earl of Pembroke and his heirs. The 
 family now for a time lay under a cloud, and it was not until 
 Bosworth had been won that the cloud was lifted. For twenty- 
 four years they were exiled from Dunster, but then returned in 
 the person of Hugh Luttrell. After no little trouble he enjoyed 
 his possessions in peace and quietness, but had at first quite a crop 
 of legal battles to fight. These matters settled. Sir Hugh 
 Luttrell, K.C.B., married twice, had two sons, and then died in 
 1 52 1. He was succeeded by his eldest son Andrew, who was 
 married to Margaret Wyndham. Andrew Luttrell suffered much 
 from his stepmother, who claimed certain lands, and accused her 
 stepson of using her ill in money matters. Eventually the quarrel 
 was composed. Andrew Luttrell was knighted about 1530. He 
 seems to have lived mainly at East Ouantockshead, a house I 
 had hoped to visit, but I was unfortunately unable to parcel 
 out a day to get there. The next Luttrell, John, was a great 
 warrior, seeing much service against the Scotch and French. He 
 was knighted, and died in 1551, leaving three daughters and co- 
 heiresses, Catherine, Dorothy, and Mary. The estates were entailed 
 on the male issue of his brothers Thomas, Nicholas, and Andrew. 
 
 2 A
 
 33^ SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 A curious case of ecclesiastical law cropped up in regard to 
 the marriage of Thomas Luttrell, which required to be settled in 
 1558 by an appeal to the pope. Thomas Luttrell died in 1571, 
 being sheriff of Somerset at the time of his death. He was 
 succeeded by his son George, at that time a boy of eleven. 
 George married Joan Stewkeley, the daughter of his guardian, 
 in 1580. He died in 1629, and was succeeded by his son 
 Thomas. It was during the time of this Thomas Luttrell that 
 Dunster was besieged. Luttrell, like most of his neighbours, was 
 a Parliamentarian. 
 
 By a stratagem or rather by diplomacy Colonel Wyndham 
 obtained possession of Dunster in 1643, ^.nd held it for the king. 
 He even persuaded Luttrell to pay a subsidy towards supporting 
 the royal army. For some time Prince Charles was resident at 
 Dunster. When Bridgwater fell, and the battle at Langport was 
 lost, Dunster became absolutely the sole remaining royal garrison 
 in the county. Wyndham was its governor, and found himself 
 shut up there by November, his opponents being Blake and 
 Sydenham. Despite the great straits to which the garrison was 
 reduced Dunster held out, nor did it surrender till April 19, 1646, 
 after a siege of one hundred and sixty days. Further I need not 
 continue the account of Dunster, save to state that for five years 
 the castle was a Parliamentarian garrison, and at the end of that 
 time it was ordered to be "slighted." Much damage was done, 
 though it might have been far worse. The greatest loss was the 
 destruction of the keep, with the chapel of St. Stephen therein. 
 During its occupation by the Roundheads, William Prynne was
 
 COTHELSTONE, CLEEVE, DUNSTER, AND MINEHEAD. 339 
 
 for a time a prisoner at Dunster. It is curious to read that, finding 
 time hang heavily on his hands, he devoted himself to the proper 
 arrangement and classification of the muniments there, the which 
 he had found to be in the direst confusion. 
 
 I had arranged to go to Minehead, and thither I was bound 
 to make my way, though, beyond the church, I felt sure that there 
 would be little to interest me. On my way I outlined the pro- 
 montory on which the town is built, and insert here my sketch. 
 When I had arrived in Minehead itself, I found that a goodly climb 
 was necessary before I could reach the church. This church 
 
 ':i^=sr=-wiMgKlSfl©. 
 
 presents some interesting features in the interior, having a screen 
 hardly inferior to that at Dunster, and evidently the work of the 
 same artist. The rood staircase is very peculiar, and instead of 
 the turret being of the usual tiny proportions, the Minehead turret 
 is like a large oriel window. I had heard of an inscription above 
 one of the windows on the outside of the church, but the failing 
 light rendered it impossible for me to decipher it. The church 
 contains one very fine monument, apparently erected at the 
 commencement of the fifteenth or at the end of the fourteenth 
 century. Traditionally, this is the tomb of Judge De Bracton,
 
 J40 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 but this, if dates are to be believed, must be an error. There is 
 a beautiful font in the church, though it has suffered considerable 
 mutilation. But the least common object is the oak arch in the 
 south aisle. In the eastern counties I have met with several 
 examples of wooden arches, but in the west they are rare. The 
 tower is a fine one, and dates from the first years of the sixteenth 
 century. On the south face is carved a representation of the 
 
 Elevation of the Host, on the 
 east St. Michael appears weighing 
 souls, in which operation the devil 
 is opposing him, while a female 
 figure (possibly the Virgin, from 
 the lily beneath) assists the saint. 
 In Taunton I heard that the 
 extraordinary size of the rood 
 stair was to be explained thus : it 
 was used as a species of light- 
 house in former times to guide 
 the vessels into the little port. 
 The suo^crestion is reasonable, and 
 in a rational way explains an architectural difficulty. The final 
 sketch of this chapter shows the quaint, many-stepped path which 
 leads up to the church, a subject, I must own, better suited to 
 colour than to black and white. At Minehead, my wanderings 
 ceased, but I have reserved for my concluding chapter a brief 
 illustrated notice of the domestic buildings at Wells.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 WELLS. 
 
 My purpose In visiting the cathedral city of Wells was to inspect 
 the various most interesting specimens of domestic architecture 
 to be found in what must be for brevity termed the precincts. 
 
 
 
 
 'iL^^^- fox 
 
 r!?^ YABk©, wgLi.^. 
 
 Not that I personally omitted visiting the cathedral, far from it ; 
 but cathedrals require at least a volume each, and two portly tomes
 
 342 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 would hardly, I fear, exhaust the beauties of Wells. Besides, the 
 subject has been handled many times and oft, and hardly calls for 
 fresh treatment. Hence, I shall simply concern myself with the 
 Palace, the Deanery, the Vicars' Close, and the gates. One 
 interesting piece of purely secular architecture I feel bound to 
 introduce, specially because it is constructed of or rather greatly 
 beautified by its carved timber work. My sketch of this house, 
 the subject of which is to be found in what is known as the Crown 
 
 . Yard, heads this chapter. I also give detail sketches 
 
 of one of the ornamental brackets beneath the 
 windows, and a pargework panel of fair 
 design, which I noted as occurring there. 
 This house much resembles the type of 
 domestic building so frequently found in 
 the eastern counties, where the ornamen- 
 tation is perhaps more elaborate in detail than in 
 Tewkesbury or Evesham, but far less than the 
 noted examples in Chester and Shrewsbury. It was from the 
 street close by this house, and in the immediate neighbourhood 
 of the Conduit, that I took my general sketch of the Market Place; 
 a street scene which I venture to think could not be equalled in 
 any other spot in Somersetshire, despite the mutilations which its 
 gates have undergone, and the hardly architecturally beautiful 
 houses which fill in the intervening space. From the Market 
 Place, through the right-hand gate, where above my head in the 
 centre of the groining is the rebus and coat armour of Bishop 
 Beckington, I move on to the famed Palace of Wells. The rebus
 
 WELLS. 
 
 343 
 
 of Beckington, by the way, is the quaint conceit of a " beacon and 
 tun." His arms are blazoned as follows: Arofent, on a fesse azure 
 a mitre with labels expanded or, between three bucks' heads 
 cabossed gules in chief, and in base as many pheons sable. Here 
 I must insert a word of explanation and apology to the reader. 
 By some unaccountable mistake or oversight I made use of a 
 
 
 WMimM'^ tm 
 
 KSt.t%' ^^3 
 
 wrong blazon of these arms in my title-page. The error was, 
 I regret to say, discovered too late for alteration. 
 
 The ancient Bishop's Palace at Wells stands within what is 
 stated to be the largest moat still in use in England. In shape 
 this moat is roughly a pentagon, and it is crossed by the bridge at 
 the gatehouse, which I shew on the next page. The history of the
 
 
 <0 
 
 
 <3 

 
 WELLS. 345 
 
 palace is briefly as follows. That a house for the bishop existed 
 prior to ioS8 is probable, but of its site and extent nothing is 
 known. History, however, tells us that the first bishop to 
 enforce conventual life on the canons of Wells was Gisa, who 
 built a house for the worthy men to inhabit in common. Gisa died 
 in 1088, and was succeeded by John de Villula, who it is related 
 pulled down the conventual buildings of his predecessor and 
 utilized the site for a house for himself. Whether, however, this 
 dwelling was a palace or only a manor house remains doubtful ; 
 I however incline to the latter theory, because John de Villula was 
 Bishop of Bath, and had his chief abode there. Bishop Josceline, 
 early in the thirteenth century, commenced the present palace ; and 
 indeed the main block, modernized though it is at the present day. 
 was the work of that prelate, who also enclosed the park. The 
 next addition to the palace was the now ruined Great Hall, which 
 may reasonably be supposed to have replaced an earlier hall. 
 This was erected by Bishop Robert Burnell, between the years 
 1275 and 1292. Next in order of date of construction, and I 
 think built immediately afterwards, was the chapel — a chapel still 
 in existence, though it has been subjected to certain modifications. 
 Lastly, Bishop Ralph, utilizing the abundant supply of water in the 
 neighbourhood, dug out the moat and encircled its inner side with 
 a fortified bastioned wall. These operations took place between 
 1329 and 1363, the licence to crenellate the wall being dated 1340. 
 Wandering round the outside of the moat beneath the shady 
 avenue of trees which fringes it on two of its sides, I see on the 
 left, in a field near the south angle, the old Bishop's Barn. It is
 
 34^ SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 a plain structure, unadorned by statuary or carving such as I have 
 already noticed on the gables and porch of the Glastonbury example. 
 The Bishop's Barn at Wells is a good specimen of fifteenth-century 
 work, probably dating from the earlier half of that century. Its 
 chief features are its length, one hundred and ten feet, which, 
 compared with its width, twenty-five feet, is excessive, and the 
 extraordinary number of buttresses which break the monotony of 
 its sides. There must be quite a dozen, exclusive of those on the 
 porch entrances, on each side. The south-east and north-east sides 
 of the moat are free from timber. It is curious to note that though 
 the south-west and south-east walls are of about equal length, it is 
 only from the latter that a circular bastion projects in the centre. 
 The bastion which appears in the sketch of the gateway was 
 formerly the prison and guard-house of the palace. Within the 
 south-west wall the earth, possibly excavated from the moat, was 
 heaped up so as to form a solid platform near the top of the wall. 
 Close by the south bastion is a quaint little seventeenth-century 
 grotto or summer-house, shaded by trees, overgrown by ivy, and 
 internally decorated with crystals and shells. This grotto was, by 
 tradition, the favourite out-of-door study of good Bishop Ken. 
 
 It was from the platform of the central bastion on the south- 
 east side that I took the sketch which I here insert. This shows 
 the ruins of the grand hall and a portion of the chapel. I will here 
 briefly describe this noble room. William of Worcester states that 
 it was about eighty paces long and forty wide ; but more accurate 
 measurements place it at one hundred and sixty-three feet by eighty 
 feet externally. The hall possessed the remarkable feature of a
 
 WELLS. 
 
 547 
 
 double row of five central columns, which, as it were, divided it into 
 a nave and aisles. Of course, in these days, a roof of the span of 
 eighty feet would be nothing extraordinary, but in those early times 
 such a span was beyond the engineering skill of the workmen. 
 It may be remembered that immense difficulty was experienced in 
 buildine the arch of the " Traitor's Gate " in the Tower of London, 
 which fell down twice during the operations, and needed the apparition 
 
 
 .^c-^jrgSW&a?-- 
 
 of St. Thomas of Canterbury, and the dedication of a chapel to that 
 departed saint, to ensure its stability. But so huge a wooden roof 
 as this hall required, absolutely could not have been constructed in 
 the thirteenth century. From one stone which is left at the north- 
 east end turret, the pitch of the roof can be ascertained ; and this 
 pitch was considerably less than 60°. Whether the columns were 
 of stone or wood cannot now be determined. There are indications
 
 348 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 that a gallery supported by corbels projected at the east end of the 
 hall ; but as the east wall has now disappeared, its details can only 
 be conjectured. At the west end of the hall and in the upper part of 
 the building was a fine room, which extended across it, cutting off 
 about twenty-three feet from its length. Beneath it were the pantry, 
 buttery, etc. This room formed a solar, and probably by means 
 of openings looked down on the floor of the hall below. On the 
 north side and jutting forth from the hall at the spot where the solar 
 finished, was a large projecting porch. The bishop's kitchen was 
 in the rear of the hall, and so in all probability were various offices. 
 If it were not for the fact that this solar is known to have occupied 
 the position I have named, I should be inclined to disbelieve it, 
 since, contrary to custom, this room must have been at the inferior 
 end of the hall, i.e. remote from the dais, and also from the 
 remaining rooms belonging to the bishop, which were of course 
 in the main building of the palace. The windows of this noble, 
 but now, alas, nearly demolished hall, were very fine, the remains 
 of the elegant tracery with which they were filled bearing sufficient 
 testimony thereto. Possibly a crenellated parapet ran round the 
 building, thus rendering it in a measure a place of strength in 
 troublous times, and at a pinch capable of defence, since the space 
 between the roof and parapet might have been manned. Still, 
 under such circumstances, one cannot but reflect that any foe who 
 surmounted the obstacles of moat, gatehouse, and outer wall, would 
 undoubtedly have been strong enough to have made short work 
 of the hall by breaking in through the windows. 
 
 The palace chapel was in two parts, like many another
 
 WELLS. 349 
 
 collegiate chapel, possessing an ante-chapel of one bay divided by 
 a screen from the choir, which was twice its length beyond. This 
 ante-chapel had three doors, one communicating with the turret on 
 the north, one the main west door, and one which led out on the 
 south side. In this south-west corner in later times a vestry or 
 priest's room was erected. Architecturally, the details of the chapel 
 are very beautiful, the foliation of the decorations being specially 
 noteworthy. The floor is beneath the level of the ground on the 
 exterior, and as a similar condition of things would obtain if the 
 hall floor were still in existence, it is reasonable to suppose that all 
 the eround on the outside has been raised. It will be at once 
 seen that the window at the west end is not original. That this 
 beautiful chapel has undergone much modification since its erection 
 centuries ago is to be expected. We know that it was restored 
 early in the seventeenth century, and the work done in recent 
 years is patent. Unfortunately the original screen and stalls have 
 vanished entirely — not a fragment remains to give the slightest clue 
 to their form or decoration ; but that they must have been elaborate 
 and beautiful in their elaboration may well be conceded, when the 
 splendour of the building itself is taken into account. 
 
 Passing along the platform of the south-east wall I reached the 
 end bastion, and then descending, wandered along the pleasant 
 garden to the bastion at the east angle, which, not being filled up 
 by earth, gave me an opportunity of examining it. I then returned 
 to the garden front of Josceline's block of buildings. This front is 
 very picturesque, the walls being handsomely buttressed, and the 
 windows not without interest. The basement of this range is
 
 550 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 a beautiful room, with a central row of slender columns dividing its 
 vaulting. Originally this was the servants' hall, but it is now of 
 course devoted to a far different purpose. The projecting building 
 at the north-east corner has a fine though not original oriel window. 
 
 ■ :V:''l 
 
 
 
 
 
 Of the remainder of the palace the present domestic buildings 
 and hall are in the main the work of Bishop Beckington, who 
 however, strangely enough, has not left his rebus sculped anywhere 
 within the walls. My sketch gives a view of the north side of 
 Beckington's buildings, but it should be borne in mind that the
 
 WELLS. 351 
 
 oriel and also the little square turret were the work of Bishop 
 Clerk, to whom also the erection of some of the upper chambers 
 is assigned. 
 
 The garden here is very pretty indeed, and the old well of St. 
 Andrew is a most pleasant spot near which to linger. Returning 
 again within the walls, and coming to the front of the palace, it 
 should be observed that the porch is modern, and the upper portion 
 of this face has been raised. The entrance hall is rather curious, 
 being a long vaulted passage which extends the length of the house, 
 and which in width is about one-third of that of the entire block. 
 Of the fourteenth-century gatehouse not much needs to be said, 
 save that it projects much farther into the moat than such buildings 
 are wont to do, a fact which seems to point to its having been 
 constructed more for grandeur than for fortification. The doorway, 
 with its quaint pierced brass key scutcheon, is interesting, and the 
 porter's lodge, though of course internally fitted in a modern 
 manner, is original. Of the cloister, now destroyed, which once ran 
 along the south side of Beckington's addition, I need say hardly 
 more than that he built it. At the corner he added a gate tower, 
 from which the cloister at a slant joined on to the west end of the 
 chapel. 
 
 After the Civil War the palace was sold to one Cornelius 
 Burges, and he also bought the deanery, besides other church 
 property. This worthy did an immense amount of damage to 
 the fabric, despoiling it of lead, timber, etc. Some of this he sold 
 and some he took to the deanery, which at that time underwent 
 considerable alteration. At the Restoration the bishop (Piers)
 
 J 
 
 52 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 returned to Wells, to find his palace in a sadly mutilated condition. 
 It is however due to Burges to state that the destruction of the 
 great hall was not his evil work, but was the act of Bishop Barlow 
 in 1552. Barlow had alienated the palace two years before, when 
 it became the property of the Protector Somerset. When Somerset 
 fell, Barlow by an exchange of other property obtained a regrant 
 of Wells palace from the crown, to whom it had lapsed, and 
 immediately afterwards either obtained leave or was requested to 
 take down the great hall. Barlow appears to have been a sad 
 destroyer of ecclesiastical buildings, for he is credited with having 
 done immense mischief to the palace of St. David's at the time 
 he held that diocese. 
 
 The first deanery of Wells of which record remains was erected 
 in the reign of Edward III. by Dean Charlton, and somewhere 
 between the years 1350 and 1361. More than a century later, 
 i.e. between 1472 and 1498, the deanery was practically rebuilt 
 by Dean Gunthorp. He it was who raised the handsome west 
 front, which, with the exception of modern 
 window sashes, remains to this day as he left 
 it. But to my mind the most interesting ex- 
 . ternal feature of the deanery is the garden front, 
 where beneath the windows the builder dean 
 YMg^aEBtsT^^ placed his quaint rebus — a rebus of which I 
 here give a sketch. 1 he notion 01 his name is 
 also carried out, and in a way even more curious. From the wall 
 of the oriel project certain cannons' mouths. The rebus, of v/hich 
 the signification is patent, consists of a hand-gun encircled by a
 
 WELLS. 
 
 353 
 
 riband. This interesting garden front is mainly original, though 
 of course some slight alterations have been made to its upper 
 story in modern times. Still the exact line of the old work can 
 be at once detected. 
 
 Internally, despite the alterations which have at various times 
 taken place, the house remains in the main a very good example 
 of a high-class fifteenth-century dwelling. The state rooms were 
 
 -^oJ 
 
 -i4-j=s 
 
 
 v5- 
 
 
 ■W^^"^:^ 
 
 
 all on the first floor, the hall facing towards the north. Here 
 the bay windows at each end of the dais still exist — bay windows 
 vaulted with beautiful fan tracery ; but, like the windows at the 
 Court House, Chard, they are not exactly opposite one another, 
 neither are they on the same level. A most curious example 
 of a music gallery exists here. At the lower end of this hall 
 there is a wide stone arch with a small room above it pierced 
 
 2 15
 
 354 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 with three small windows, which look into the hall a few feet 
 beneath them. The whole arrangement of this gallery is 
 necessarily very contracted, owing to the small space occupied 
 in height by the hall. Outside, in that which is now a passage 
 and beneath a stone arch, is a lavatory niche with a drain. 
 In this niche is a hook, from which it is stated a vessel of water 
 was in former times suspended. Behind the dais of this hall is 
 the chief guest chamber, which contains a fine window. Tradition- 
 ally this was the room occupied by Henry VII. when he visited 
 Somersetshire at the time of Perkin Warbeck's rebellion. That 
 he stayed at the Deanery of Wells when in the city is assured, and 
 this, the chief guest chamber, might well be that occupied by the 
 king. It has been suggested that this room was a chapel, but 
 as there is a room above it I cannot readily accept the notion. 
 In writing of this hall I have considered the present partitions 
 which divide it into rooms as removed. The entire deanery is 
 walled, with the exception of that portion occupied by the west 
 front and the gatehouse. 
 
 From the deanery I passed beneath the Chain Gate, pausing 
 on the other side to take the sketch, which I here produce as an 
 etching, and I then turned under the gateway to the left, and 
 found myself in the interesting Vicars' Close. The incorporation 
 of the vicars-choral of Wells dates from the time of Bishop 
 Josceline. It does not appear to be certain whether he did or 
 did not erect any range of buildings for the vicars to inhabit in 
 community, unless the existence of certain beautiful fragments 
 built into the vicars' chapel are to be taken as evidence of a previous
 
 y/^oa
 
 WELLS. 
 
 355 
 
 building. In the fourteenth century Bishop Ralph of Shrewsbury 
 mentions in his will that he had built houses for the vicars, and 
 the present dwellings in their main fabric are his work. To Ralph 
 also is due the hall with its windows, but this has a sixteenth- 
 century addition {temp. Henry \'III.) above the gate. It was 
 
 
 
 in this hall that the vicars dined in common, for their houses, 
 which contained but two rooms and a staircase each, were destitute 
 of any kitchen. The two long lines of dwellings were inhabited 
 college-wise by the vicars with this difference, that each vicar had 
 his separate two-roomed house instead of living on a staircase 
 as is the usual college custom. On slabs on each of these now 
 much mutilated houses are quaint coats of arms and rebuses.
 
 50^ 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 from which I selected three for illustration, and which form my 
 tailpiece to this chapter. It appears that the kitchen of the hall 
 was upon the first floor, i.e. level with the hall. This was a most 
 unusual place for a kitchen, but there seems no reason to doubt 
 the fact. 
 
 At the same time that the hall was lengthened in the fifteenth 
 century the vaulting of the room beneath this kitchen was begun, 
 
 but I understood that the 
 masonry was not completed 
 till about twenty-five or thirty 
 years ago, when a restoration 
 was undertaken. It is a ques- 
 tion which of the three chief 
 points in the Vicars' Close is 
 the most beautiful, viz. the 
 gatehouse and bridge, which I 
 have etched, the hall and arch 
 represented in one of my 
 sketches, or the chapel corner, 
 of which I here insert a view. Personally, however, I am bound 
 to add that the gatehouse and bridge appealed most to me, and 
 hence I give it the place of honour. 
 
 Returning past the deanery I proceeded till I made my exit 
 from the ecclesiastical domestic portion of Wells through a gateway 
 known as the Dean's Gate. This I also sketched, and here insert 
 it as the last sketch in my book. It is a fine old bit of work, 
 more rugged than anything else In the city, and to my mind very 

 
 WELLS. 
 
 357 
 
 picturesque. Here I must express my obligations to the Very 
 Reverend the Dean of Wells, and also to the Reverend Canon 
 Bernard, from whom I received on the occasion of my visit 
 valuable information, kindness, and hospitality. 
 
 In a few brief sentences I will now conclude my attempt to 
 
 
 describe and illustrate a part of Somersetshire. I have first to 
 acknowledsfe much kindness received there — kindness which was 
 almost embarrassing to a stranger. Chapter and verse for my 
 authorities I have not given, except where needful, believing that 
 the constant footnote is a most irritating object to the reader, and
 
 35« 
 
 SOMERSETSHIRE. 
 
 certainly hardly an improvement to the appearance of a page. My 
 wanderings were somewhat varied, and their results worked out 
 in rather a different form to that of my original scheme, but the 
 modification became a necessity, owing not to the lack, but to 
 the superfluity of materials at my disposal. Finally, I must 
 express my warmest thanks to the Assistant General Manager of 
 the Great Western Railway, J. I. Allen, Esq., for the kind way 
 in which he interested himself in my work, and placed facilities 
 in my way for its execution. 

 
 INDEX.
 
 INDEX 
 
 Aelfred, 29, 233 to 235. 
 Arimathea, Joseph of, 24. 
 Armour, 131. 
 
 Arthur, King, Huntuig Causeway, 7, 9. 
 „ ,, Supposed Tomb, 39, 40. 
 Arthurian Legend, 8, 9. 
 Athelney, 233 to 236. 
 Avalon, Isle of, 23, 25, 26, 51. 
 
 B. 
 
 Barnard Family, 72. 
 Barrington Court, 199 to 202. 
 Beauchamp of Hatch, Family, 174 to 176. 
 Beckington, 85 to 87. 
 
 „ Bishop, Life, 88, 89 
 
 „ „ Tomb disturbed, 89. 
 
 „ Castle, 86, 87. 
 
 ,, Church, 85. 
 
 „ Merchant's Mark, 86. 
 
 ,, Old Houses, 87. 
 
 Bare, Abbot Richard, 38, 39, 297. 
 Berkeley Family, 106, 107. 
 Bishop's Hull, 299 to 301. 
 Bishop's Lydeard, 304 to 306. 
 Blood Spring, 24, 42, 50, 51. 
 Blue Anchor, 322, 323. 
 
 Boroughbridge, 236 to 238. 
 
 Bovett, Colonel, of Taunton, 22, 168, 310. 
 
 Brett Family, 227, 228. 
 
 Bridgwater, 253 to 266. 
 
 Castle, 255, 256. 
 Church, 257 to 260. 
 
 Picture, 257, 258. 
 „ St. Katherine's Aisle, 
 259, 260. 
 John Oldmixon, 258, 259. 
 Old House, 260, 261. 
 Robert Blake, 261 to 263. 
 Siege, 263 to 266. 
 Bruton, 104 to 112. 
 ,, Bow, 104, 105. 
 ., Carvings, in. 
 ,, Church, 108, 109. 
 „ Hospital of Hugh Sexey, 112. 
 „ Priory and Abbey, 105, 106, 108. 
 ,, School, 109, no. 
 Brympton, 139 to 148. 
 
 „ Church, 139 to 142. 
 
 „ ,, Sham Antiques, 140, 
 
 141. 
 „ ,, Sydenham Tomb, 141, 
 
 142. 
 Manor, 142, 143. 
 „ Manor House, 143 to 148. 
 
 >> „ ., Inigo Jones, 
 
 146, 147-
 
 362 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Cadbury Castle, i to 9. 
 
 Springs at, 5, 6. 
 Camel Tomb, 60, 61. 
 Camelot, 6, 7. 
 
 Carving at Glastonbury, 61, 62. 
 Chard, 208 to 220. 
 
 „ Babb's Trial, 218. 
 ,, Borough, 219, 220. 
 ,, "Borough Arms," 225. 
 ,, Butler J'. Crouch, 214, 215. 
 ,, Chough Inn, 213, 214. 
 „ "Quaker Mason," 218, 219. 
 ,, Waterloo House, 210 to 213. 
 Charlton Makrell, Tombs of Lytes, 19. 
 Chedzoy, 269, 276. 
 Cleeve Abbey, 314 to 321. 
 
 „ Chapter House, 319. 
 ,, Cloister Garth, 317 to 319. 
 „ Gatehouse, 317. 
 „ Refectory, 320, 321. 
 ,, Sacristy, 316. 
 „ Seat mutilated, 318. 
 „ Tiles, 316. 
 Cothelstone, 306 to 314. 
 
 „ Church, 3T3, 314. 
 
 „ Manor House, 306 to 308. 
 
 D. 
 
 Daniel, Samuel, 86. 
 De Mohun Family, 335, 336. 
 Delamare Family, 80, 84. 
 Dunstan, 29 to 33, 37, 38. 
 Dunster, 323 to 339. 
 
 „ Castle, 331 10335. 
 
 „ Castle Mill, 331. 
 
 Church, 327 to 330. 
 
 ,, Luttrell Arms, 324 to 326. 
 
 „ Market House, 323, 324. 
 
 Dunster, Old Houses, 326. 
 Priory, 330, 331. 
 
 ,, The High House, 327. 
 
 „ Tiles, 330. 
 Dyer Family, 215, 216. 
 
 Eleutherius, 26. 
 
 Elton, Sir Abraham, 228. 
 
 F. 
 
 Fitz-James Family, 109, no. 
 Fosse Way, 10, 188. 
 Frome, 76. 
 
 „ Church, 76, 77. 
 
 G, 
 
 Glastonbury, 24 to 62. 
 
 Abbey Barn, 50. 
 Almonry, 46, 47. 
 Almshouses, 49, 56. 
 Chapel of St. James, 61. 
 Chapel of St. Mary, 25 to 
 
 41. 
 Church of St. John Baptist, 
 
 59 to 61. 
 Condition of Ruins, 45, 46. 
 Crypt, 41 to 43- 
 Fire, 34> 35- 
 
 Flemish Weavers, 66, 67. 
 Galilee, 42, 43. 
 Gatehouse, 46. 
 George Hotel, 56 to 58. 
 Gildas Albanius, 27. 
 Gildas Badonicus, 27. 
 Kitchen, 47 to 49. 
 Norman Well, 41, 42. 
 Relics, 36 to 38.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 363 
 
 Glastonbury, Tor, 9, 23, 50, 52, 55, 237. 
 
 „ Tribunal 58, 59. 
 
 Gray, Robert, 296. 
 Gurney, Matthew de, 175, 176. 
 
 H. 
 
 Hamdon Hill, 170 to 173. 
 Henry of Blois, 33, 34. 
 Henry de Soliaco, 36. 
 Heraldry, Barnard, 72. 
 
 ,, Beauchamp of Hatch, 174. 
 
 Beckington, 343. 
 „ Berkeley, 107. 
 ,, Bonner, 221. 
 
 Brett, 225. 
 „ Delamare, 84. 
 „ Dyer, 300. 
 „ Farewell, 300. 
 „ Ferrers, 224. 
 „ Fitz-James, no. 
 „ Gerard, 125, 126. 
 ,, Hawker, 136. 
 ,, Hopton, 103. 
 „ Horner, 73. 
 „ Horsey, 13, 17, 19. 
 „ Knoyle, 121. 
 
 Leversedge, 77, 78. 
 
 Luttrell, 335. 
 
 Lyte, 13, 17, 19. 
 ,, Mohun, III, 112. 
 „ Montacute, 223. 
 ,, Phelips, 170. 
 
 Prater, 84. 
 ,, Staunton, 223. 
 ,, Stawell, 308. 
 „ Strode, 72. 
 ,, Sydenham, 142. 
 ,, Wadham, 206. 
 „ Walrond, 204. 
 ,, Welman, 302. 
 
 Heraldry, Wyndham, 103. 
 
 „ Young, 129, 130. 
 Holy Grail, 24. 
 Horner Family, 73, 74. 
 Hucker, Captain, 273. 
 Huish Episcopi Church, 245 to 247. 
 
 Ilchester, 188 to 198. 
 
 ,, Breaking out of Gaol, 197, 198. 
 
 „ Hanging Chapel, 192. 
 
 „ Mace, 195, 196. 
 
 „ White Hall, 193, 194- 
 Ilminster, 202 to 207. 
 Ine, 28, etc. 
 
 J. 
 
 "Jack Horner," 73, 74. 
 Joseph of Arimathea, 24. 
 
 K. 
 
 Kirke, Percy, 275, 276. 
 Knoyle Family, 119 to 122. 
 
 Langport, 242 to 245. 
 
 ,, Church, 244. 
 
 ,, Hanging Chapel, 242 to 244. 
 
 „ Mace, 245. 
 Leland's Itinerary, 33, 149, 174 to 176, 
 
 188, 253 to 256. 
 Lucius, 26. 
 Lullington, 93 to 95. 
 Luttrell Family, 336 to 338.
 
 364 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Lytescary, 10 to 19. 
 
 Chapel, II, 12. 
 
 Exterior, 17. 
 
 Family of Lyte, 17 to 19. 
 
 Finials, 12, 13. 
 
 Great Parlour, 15. 
 
 Hall, 13. 
 
 Oriel, 
 
 M- 
 
 Porch, 12. 
 
 Upper Room, 16, 17. 
 
 M. 
 
 Martock, 182 to 187. 
 
 ,, Church, 182, 183. 
 „ Lord Monteagle, 187. 
 
 ,, Manor House, 183 to 185. 
 „ Non-juring Chapel, 185, 186. 
 Meare, 62 to 66. 
 
 Abbot's Way, 66. 
 „ Church, 65, 66. 
 „ Fish House, 63, 64. 
 „ Manor House, 64, 65. 
 Minehead, 339, 340. 
 Montacute, 149 to 170. 
 
 „ Church, 156, 157. 
 
 „ House, 157 to 164. 
 
 „ „ Gallery, 162, 163. 
 
 „ „ Library, 163, 164. 
 
 „ Legend, 150 to 152. 
 
 „ Priory, 152 to 156. 
 
 „ Village, 157. 
 
 Muchelney, 247 to 252. 
 
 „ Abbey, 249 to 252. 
 
 „ Church, 247, 248. 
 
 „ Old Vicarage House, 248, 
 
 249. 
 „ Tiles, 248. 
 
 N. 
 
 Nine Worthies, 159. 
 
 Norton Fitzwarren, 301 to 304. 
 
 Camp, 303, 304. 
 
 „ „ Church, 301 to 303. 
 
 Norton St. Philip, 89 to 93. 
 
 „ „ Church, 92, 93. 
 
 „ „ Skirmish, 92. 
 
 „ ,, The George, 89 to 92. 
 
 Nunney Castle, 79 to 83. 
 
 „ Court House, 84. 
 
 Penruddock's Rising, 217. 
 Plielips Family, 164 to 170, 197, 198. 
 Prater Family, 80, 82 to 84. 
 Preston-Bermondsey, 137 to 139. 
 Prynne, William, 338, 339. 
 Pucklington, 202. 
 
 R. 
 
 Radulphus, 35, 36. 
 
 " Resurrectionists," 273 to 275. 
 
 " Riding Skimmington," 160 to 162. 
 
 St. David, 28. 
 
 St. Patrick, 27. 
 
 St. Philip, 24. 
 
 Sandford Orcas, 118 to 122. 
 
 „ ,, Church, 121, 122. 
 
 „ „ Manor House, 119 to 12 f. 
 
 Scenery, from Cadbury, 9. 
 Sedgmoor, 269 to 277. 
 Shepton Beauchamp, 199.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 365 
 
 Shepton Mallet, 68 to 76. 
 
 „ Church, 71, 72. 
 „ „ Guilds, 72, 73 
 
 „ „ Longbridge, 69. 
 
 ,, „ Market Cross, 70, 71. 
 
 Somerton, 19 to 22. 
 South Petherton, 198, 199. 
 Spring of the Chahce, 24. 
 Stavordale Priory, 113 to 117. 
 
 „ „ Merchant's Mark, 115. 
 
 Stawell Family, 308 to 313. 
 Stoke St. Gregory, 238 to 242. 
 
 ,, „ Church, 240 to 242. 
 
 „ „ Slough Farm, 239, 240. 
 
 Stoke-sub-Hamdon, 173, 182. 
 
 „ „ Beauchamp College, 
 
 174, 176 to 179. 
 „ ,, Church, 179 to 182. 
 
 „ „ Fleur-de-Lis Inn, 173, 
 
 174. 
 Storke Family, 131, 132. 
 Strode Family, 21, 22, 53, 72, 74 to 76. 
 
 Taunton, 278 to 298. 
 
 „ Almshouses, 290. 
 
 ,, Castle, 279 to 282. 
 
 ,, Church of St. James, 289. 
 
 ,, Church of St. Mary Magdalene, 
 
 288, 289. 
 Civil War, 282, 283. 
 ,, Courts, 291. 
 ,, East Reach, 296, 297. 
 ,, Embroidery, 297, 298. 
 ,, Gray's Almshouses, 294, 295. 
 „ Hospital of St. Margaret, 297. 
 „ Merchant's Mark, 289. 
 „ Mr. Atton's House, 292. 
 „ Mr. Fry's House, 292. 
 ,, Mr. C. Lewis's House, 293, 
 
 294. 
 
 Taunton, Mr. Whittaker's House, 292, 
 
 293- 
 „ Priory, 290, 291. 
 „ relieved, 284, 287. 
 
 Siege, 283, 284, 285 to 287. 
 Thorpe, John, 158, 159. 
 Trent, 122 to 133. 
 
 Chantry House, 132, 133. 
 Church, 130 to 132. 
 
 „ Bench-ends, 131. 
 Dated Bier, 132. 
 Heraldic Trees, 131, 132. 
 Church Farm, 128 to 130. 
 Hiding-places, 127. 
 Manor, 123 to 1 26. 
 Turstinus, ^^. 
 
 V. 
 
 Vallis, 77, 78. 
 Village, Prehistoric, 62. 
 
 W. 
 
 Wadham Family, 204 to 206. 
 Walrond Family, 204, 216, 217. 
 Wells, 341 to 358. 
 
 Bishop's Palace, 343 to 352. 
 
 Crown Yard, 342. 
 
 Dean's Gate, 356. 
 
 Deanery, 352 to 354. 
 
 Market Place, 342. 
 
 Vicars' Close, 354 to 356. 
 West Bower, 266 to 269. 
 
 „ ,, Ancient Glass, 267, 268. 
 Weston Farm, 220, 221. 
 Weston Zoyland, 269 to 273. 
 
 ,, ,, Missing MS., 271.
 
 ?66 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 VVhitestaunton, 119, 221 to 232. 
 ,, Bench-ends, 225. 
 
 ,, Church, 222 to 225. 
 
 „ Guild of St. Mary, 222. 
 
 ,, Manor House, 225 to 232. 
 
 „ Roman House, 228 to 232. 
 
 „ Roman Well, 229. 
 
 ,, Tiles, 224. 
 
 Whiting, Richard, 33, 53 to 55. 
 Wirrall Hill, 24, 49, 50. 
 Witham Friary, 96 to 104. 
 „ „ Buildings, loi. 
 
 „ „ Church, 99 to loi. 
 
 „ „ Episode, 103, 104. 
 
 „ „ Hugh of Avalon, 97 to 99. 
 
 Witham Friary, Sir Ralph Hopton, loi to 
 
 103. 
 Wolsey, Cardinal, 53. 
 Wyndham Family, 207, 263 to 266, 283, 
 
 284, 338. 
 
 Yarmouth Star Hotel, 17, 293. 
 Yeovil, 134 to 137. 
 
 „ Castle Inn, 134. 
 
 ,, Church, 134 to 136. 
 
 ., Church Crypt, 135. 
 
 George Inn, 134, 136, 137. 
 
 PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.
 
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