IL LINO I S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Brittle Books Project, 2009. UNIVERSrry ILLINOIS-URBANA OF ' 3 0112 079790793 C) c)J U0 CI 0 F 622-5 CV157 111STORY & ANTIQUITIES STR4TF RkDi U]PO~A I1 ONA"r III iI1Pi c r . i r M t a r HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF 5TJRATFORDJPONAVON: fO MPRISI N C THlE COLLEGIATE CHURCH,7 A DESCRIPTION OF THE LIFE OF SJL4KSPEAJRJ, AN Copies of several Documents relating to him anti his Pamni y never before printed; C4L 13IOGt4PII1 WITH A SKETCH OF OTHER -V MJNENT CILIRACT2PS , Natives of, or who have resided in STRITFORD, which, is added, To a particular Account of THE- JUBILEE, Celebrated at Stratford, in Honour of our immortal Bard, BYT R. 0 gratum Musis, B. WIIELER. 0 nornen. amabile Plwcbo, Qtam sociarn adsciscant, Minicius atque Ac tibi, cara hospes, si divinior, et te mens Meles. Ignea SiKSPEARI muss ciere queat; Siste gradum; crebroquc oculos circum undique liectas, lae inontes, hec tOb Pindus erit. Pierii &ttatfou Yon5ivbon: PRTNTED AND~ SOLD BY J. WARD; SOLD ALSO BYVLONGISAN AND CO.PATERNOSTERa ROW, LONDON'S WILKS AND CO. BIRIMINGHAM, AN!) BY BOOKSELLERS IN TOWN AND COUNTIRY MOST OTHER W2,2. Z3 cws;-7 PREFACE., FIE want of a work in some degree sifilar to the. res sent undertaking eatcouraged the publication of the follow4 ilig sheets, the'offspring oft afew leisure hours; and it is hoped that the world will, on an impartial perusal, make aflowanees for the imperfections, by reflecting as well upon the inexperieace of the Jiuvenile author, as that they were originally collected for"his own private information. Nescire quil anten quatn natus sis acciderit, est serper esse pueruib. Cic. in tkrat. It has long miature been -a subject of' regret, that a work of this has not been published : Sir William Dugdale's I 4kistorical ~luminous to. antiqusities of Warwickshire (containing the only account of this town before printed) is scarce; a-dded to which, it- records little of the modern, and nothing Srelative to the biographical history of the town. With rer Sspect to the latter, Stratford boasts of producing, not only y: the greatest dramatic poet that ever appeared in this or any Scountry, and whose name alone will render his native place Sfamous to latest posterity, but several other characters, highly eminent for their great learning and piety, who have 82327r LIled the most exalted situations both in Church and Stateto whichl a'subject ould attain, and acquired the proudest honors their monarch could bestow. The author, being a native of Stratford, has been much the. habit of contemplating and admiring whatever he thought worthy of notice in this place, particularly the ve. terable church, its greatest ornament; and he flatters him., self with a persuasion 5 that an accurate description of that Collegiate structure, and the other public buildings, toge" thur with their history collected from indubitable ties, *ill afford some atMsement, and probably iiformation, mat only to the inihabitanits, but to the numerous travellers come at every season of the year to pay a tribute of to that spot, in authori- Who respect Where "Where In this from the his first infant lays sweet SHAICSPnAItn sung, the last accents faulter'd on his tongue.)' compilation, much assistance has been .derived M'S. collections of the late learned and Reverend Josmutz GREENS, formerly Master of the Free Rector of Welford,,in Grammar Glouces-. School, at Stratford, ,and. tershire, which- were obligingly communicated by his Live, rela. Mr. Wright of Lichfield; to whom many thanks are thuns returned, for his so generously promoting this work. 'I 116M r IS TORY y AND ANTIQUITIES Or STRATFORD-JPON-A VON. STRATFORD-UPON-AVON (in north lau 52 deg. and west longitude, 1 deg. 40miii.) is near the south-west border of the county of War.. wick, on a gentle ascent from the banks of the river Avon: which derives its source from the village of Naseby, in Northamptonshire ; and continuing its meandering course in a south-west direction, passes by Warwick, Barford, and other places, and approaches Stratford in a broad and proudly-swelling stream, not to be equaled in any other part of this beautiful river. "1Avona denique (says ' qui ct numero ceteris fama non cedit; Soritur Navesbhe circa limites Avonke mediterraneae. Ve.. cc rovicum urbern cum antiquam turn nobilem alluit: Chi"6neglissi etiamn Castrum, quod nunc Killingworth, et "GStratofordam; postremo Versoram, ac Theoci.. "1Curiamn [Tewksburg], ubi Sabrinae conjugio se nobilitat. "6Sunt et alii passim fluvioli in Britannia Avonme nomine; "cat_ sufficiat in praesentia quinque maxime memorabiliunL pleasantly situated Leland,) quintuLs flnvius, Eovesum, ~meminisse." The name of Stratford is, 'undoubtedly, derived from its situation on the great north road, leading from London to Birmingham- Strcde, or Stret, signifying in the Saxon language, a street or highway; and the word ford, alluding to the passage through the Avon, parallel with the great bridge. This ancient town may be traced to a period as remote as 300 years before the invasion of England by William the Conqieror, at which ara was a monastery there, in the possession of iEthelard, a Viceroy or subordinate King this evidently appears from the words over the of Saint Egwin, consecrated the third Bishop of Worcester, 603, and founder of the once magnificent abbey of A. Evesham; who exchanged with IEthelard a monastery at Fladbury in Worcestershire, which came to him by inheritance in right of his queen, (named Ostrith) for that of (says St. Egwin) in Stratford: -' Cum maxime Wiccians: D. florerem diebus IETIELKEDI. regis MEcroum, cepi eum benigne ' "- precari, ut mihi concedere dignaretur antiqun Ceno. " bium, quod JEL uti;buntt ij. nuncupatur; quod sibi evenit ex " haereditate suae uxoris, qua fuit Osrl'rls vocata: satis 'ille libenti. aniino quod poscebam concessit. hoc Cce.r "' nobium postea dedi JE'rHELARnoSub-Jegulo, quierat S rex illius provincia qua itca dicitur, pro alio. Ccenobio "quod tc was in; tnzatfbro nominatur."-Thus St. Egwin says his utmost prosperity in the time of: 11he Etheired, "the Saxon: king of the Mercians," who. afterwards be. came a monk, and resigned. his crown. to his nephew Ken:., red in, the year 704.._. However as the venerable Egwinr, Stratford, according, to Bishop, died,. year 716,. consequently, from. that period; in Godwin, to this present year 1806, Stratford must have con.. .who had possession of ,. only, the tinned lO9u years. The charter by which St. Egwin made his exchange of Fladbury for Stratford, is preserved.i Jieming's Chartulary, and runs thus: *' Other,writers ,ahlrm that he died in7774. 3 4.1Reverentissiinm Deo semper mcmoria pontificis Ostfori, " ego Ecucuine' dispeusante successor in episcopatuni "c existo. Mo.nasterium autem, cui nomen est . tz :tutb, "cquod in hac eadem cartula ex altera ejus parte cideni £cprwdicto pradecessori meo subscriptione regali tradituim " asseratur, huic venerabili nostro secundui seculum prin.. "c cipi lf iheieardon, quantum id a me fieri potent, in pos.. ccsessionemn concedio, ea tamen coniditione, ut semper inibi ~cmnobialis vita~ statuta serentur. Pro recompensatione "cvero-hujus nostrae donationis, in l oco, cui nomen est, ~tr tfovi , C cassatorum terrain ab eo in ecciesias.- XX " j us Itt quadarn ticum accepi. S ciendum' tamen, me, rationabili ,causa coinpulsum, id voluisse facere, ut ci XLIILI maneni.. tium terrain pro viginti manentis darem, id est, ea con.. ditione, ut post diem ejus terra ista, sine contradictions is alicujus, ad Vuceogernensem ecciesiam in jus episcopale tcsit donafa m hi illi Ostforoquc imeo antecessori in dce.. " "c & Emosinam sempiternam. Pax confirmantibus atquc ser.. cvantibus : minnentibus vero vel conitradicentibuus disper.. cc slo perveniat sempiterna.-I thelric.--Ltthelwceard.c~./thelberht.--Ornulingwe, abbas.--IlHii suit confirmatores et et testes." From these ancient records it appears, that this con. tent was founded soon after~ the conversion of the Saxons to the Christian faith ; which event took place upon the accession of Peada, the first Christian king of the Men.. cins; who dying in the year' 659, was succeeded by Wuipher; a prince equally renowned for his piety and va.. lour, and whose intervals of repose from war were chiefly employed in giving encouragement to, and promoting that religion which he and his subjects had lately embraced, Wulpher' dying in 675, was succeeded by Ethelred his brother, a mild and a partiality for the humble prince, who had early imbibed and in the fourth year of his clergy; r4 reign, founded the see of Worcester, and there built a Ca.. thedral Church, in which Boselus was consecrated the first bishop A. D. 680, and presided in the episcopal chair ten years, being succeeded by Ostforus, who died in when the before-named St. Egwin was promoted to the vacant see in the eighteenth year of Etheired's reign. There is therefore some reasou to conjecture, that Egwin was at.first advanced by his.sovereign to the dignity of Abbot of Fladhury, which he afterwards exchanged for the monastery of Stratford. Egwin could not have pre.. sided many years in the Stratford convent, before he filled the episcopal chair; which exalted station he resigned'in 714 for the more retired office of the Abbacy of By whom he was succeeded as superior in the Stratford convent is unknown, for very little mention is made of it, till about a century after it was annexed to the bishopric of Worcester; when Berthulph the nineteenth king of Mercia, by his charter, granted at Tamworth A. D. 845, confirmed it, with many additional privileges, to Ieabert, the tenth bishop of that diocese: the charter referred to is as follows : 693; Evesham. " In nomine Dolini. Certe fugitiva et caduca ita;- est status istius mundi, et omnia quae videntur hic "vento velocius ad finem trahunt; et qua: non videntur, "fixa ac Mansura in acternum permaneant. Ideo cum. istiq '~temporalibus ac transitoriis hu jus saeculi divitiis icterna ''praemia, ac semper gaudia manentia, studeamus in ca!-. d~lestibus conparare, vocante nos, ad se Domino nostro c"Jhesn Christo, qui ait, Venite ad me omncs qui laborais, ." et onerati eslis, et ego rejiciamu voos. Qua de re Ego "GBERI UL L, gratia divina largiente, rex MunI~czonuM, de "cremedio anime meat, pracogitans, diemque tremendani "distincti examinis ante oculis cordis mei conponens, "cogitavique, quod aliquit de istius mundani regni per"ceptione pro memnetipsum in _perpetuan i eemosinam, nc "que "tlibertatem ecciesiasticam, Deo vivo in reternum eroga."c rem ; ideo, cumn consensu & licentia episcoporu m et gentis principum meorumn et omnium seniorum nostra?, donabo lh:AnEms11TO, meo venerabili Episcopo, lwjis Ii- cc cc bertatis privilegium, et ejus farnilie in ~rz~tz rnonasterii LZi n ~quod appellatur lfrn t cc f0 Y c± s quanhitas est Cu manentiurn, no quod "c placibile pedunio acceptus fPd, id est, libris argdnti; cea conditione, ut hibera permaneat in sem 1 33iternn..m. So"c luta et liberata sit ab omni jugo humane ser Iautis ate 7 " omnibus swcuaribus tributis et cum cuncti "c "G iltlius XX X vectigalibus, utilitatibus ad ilium ecclesiam recte per'tinenitibus, "c "G tionibus, ab opere regali cainpis wvlet lsan et pasta regis et prinucipis. vel "cjunioruin coruin, ab hospitorum refectione, on crum ctiam, equorumn regis, falconuns et zuipitruurn, "4 puerorumn qui ducunt canes. Quid plural ab ornni tri_ bulatione noti et ignoti, mnagni et modici, libera coissistit c cin urnu, quandin tides christiane religioniks apud Angina cc in Br ittanniia insula permaneat. Si quis vero regum CCpi incipuufll, ici pusfectoruin, nut alicijus gradus :hone "c hnnc n ostrain couscriptamn libertatem per disaboAicami gas.. cc trimoniamm deceptu s, frangere vel iminuere tesuptaveit, ccsciat se separatum a eonsortio sanctorum oumium in die "Ic Jagni et in atcrna danpuiatiouc daumpnan'duu cimcut diabulo et angelis ejus, nisi ante hic tlheopouto Cra._ "c anit J1udicii "ctore, et honiniibuis cum bona satisfactione ,erendaverit. "c Ilii testes adfueruut, quorum normina hic iframavesenut. cc "G esta est autemn ha c donatio anno DCCCQXLV~ "1 tur , tovti~i, indictione Villa. Domii incarnationis in loco regali qussloci.. in nativitate Domiini. *By, or near the Avon. 1-Upper, or Over-Stratford; as Ufera-bis i signifies Overbury, Ufere-breoduim denotes Over-Brecdon.---JHer. (Jiunf. 68 P. 36 and and 6 tvTt "~ + Ego rndf, rex MAerciorurn, hanc meam cfluam libertatern, cum Iargi~ vexillo sanctw crucis Christi ro.. "cboravi, ut fixa permancat in aternum. c"~ Ego atlr~tlj regina, conisensi et subscripsi. E b)b ,Vljt +Ego + cc " c go Ego unttnjt episcopus, consensi et subscripsi. episcopus, consensi et subscripsi. Ciiorrt episcopus, consensi et subscripsi. Ego t episcopus, consensi et subscripsi. Ttzvjjv 66 C cc.+ Ego (Zut1jbiufW episcopus, consensi et subscripsi, 4 Ego Gc IZijtrz episcopus, consensi et subscripsi: c cc.~ Ego annut abbas, conscnsi ct subscripsi. cc jamEgo tjzttd presbiter, consensi et subscripsi. i zdjtvic filius regis, consensi. +~Ego M1udU Ego cc0j dux, consensi et suIbscripsi. "+ Ego lltumbzrIjt dux, consensi tani dux, consensi. et subscripsi. cc 4a Ego df ccj Ego cc 12nzbtriJt dux, consensi, tljdti 'dux, consensi. ,; +Ego Ego cc 4 ,Ego unt! dux, consensi. cc ier bdux, consensi. 6"c Ego Dul~a dux, consensi. Ego fIobZdjt + Ego Ziciaf "cc.+ -1z c"c +Ego cc "s cc +Ego ; dux, consensi. .~!f bcnl. .+Ego CADtMl~ cc +Ego _ cc +E g o a u tt i When Off'a, king of the Mercians, in 758, gave Shot tery meadow in this parish, (by a charter preserved in fleming's Qhartulary,) to the church of 'Worcester, he- 7 gave also 'three farms at Nuthurst in the woodland: two of which, Wirefred, bishop of auno 872, granted to Eanwuif for forty marks of gold, to hold during his own life, and the lives of any three that he should leave them to; and after their deaths to go to the monastery of Stratford. The charter by which this grant to Ean. wulf was made, is also preserved; and as it particularly relates to the ancient monastery of Stratford, a copy of it is inserted. Worcester, + j Regnante in perpetnum Domino nostro Jhesu Christo, cunctaque non solum ccelestia sed etiam terres" tria legibus aquitatis inperium gubernante. videcc"licet anno incarnationis humarue, DCCC.LXXIL indic.. C tione V. Ego iCttalj gratia Del largifiuagratuitoqu 6 cmunere ab intonante ac regnante, lthicciovtm antistes, " et unianimo licentia illius familia inc o ali. "c quamjuris nostri Canlttfo, regis ministro, pro sua amicitia " cet placabili pecunio. XX. manecusis anriprobatissimi, do. 6Gnans concedo, id cst, duas mansiones on "G sibi dies snos feliciter possidendun; et post se tribus "' heredibus, qualibuscumque voluerit, ea vero ~ccrationed nt temporibus supradictorurn heredum E actis, hae c praffata -terra, sine contradictione nnius cu juse~ c "cque, ad illud monasterium, quod nominatur raforin, "Greddatur. Hoc est antem supra nominatus cpiscopug 6"Cpotissimnm consentiebat proxima atflictione et inmensco "~ctributo barbarorum, eodem anno, quo pagani sederunt ~cc Lundonia; et ideo" nunc rogasnu s et obsecramus cujus.~ in " libet persone homines, ut haec- nostra consentio inviolate stabilis posterum perseveret. Angentibus et servanti. "cbus hoc donum, divina benedictio amplificetur. Minu..' "Centibus ac spoliantibus, ultio demonicaw inponetur, nisi "4dignae, nt optamus satisfactione coram Deo et hominibui "Lemendaverit. Testibus autem hiis consentientibus, quo., ~rum nqmina7 infra si .naculo Lalms rucis krax-watur. " Cujus utljpvtz, reliqnendum: Cac trans" 8 ". vfEgo Zttfzvtlj, melliflua Dona Dci omnipotentis cclargiente, episcopus haic donationem signo sancta cc Crucis confirmo. " Ego tijzttjz vr prepositus cons en. " presbiter consen. Ego Qtftlj presbiter consen. ccEo o tt11)z2 presbiter consen. mEgo ljljZ cc presbiter consen. sEgo ttna t, +Ego +EgotiYlrtf Eg ottjztsn, igb rls "jjv. c c .. ztiz 'm Egollur$O iri. Ego - M Ego Egotpnijint, At what time, or by whom the Stratford monastery was dissolved, there is no certain information to be obtain ed; and, as it is not noticed after the last grant, in 872, we have some reason to conjecture it might have been disn solved about the time of King Edgar or Edward the tyr: for it is related by.Roger Hovedon and Simeon of Durham, that one Elfer, a powerful Earl of Mercia, (who probably acted as regent,) had conceived an inveterate hatred against the monks; and by his power and authority expelled them from all their convents in this province, and placed secular canons in their stead. From this circum-: stance it may be imagined, that at this time the monks were expelled and. driven from Stratford;, and perhaps never and as the monastery was the property of the bishop of the diocese, it seems probable, that some' prelate of that see afterwards consolidated it with his own episcopal chapter; because there is no particular mention of this place from the time, of Wirefred, during the prela.. cies of the twelve succeeding bishops, a period of more than two years. As' the ancient monastery ap_ pears, by the charter, to have been situated upon the banks of the Avon, Leland supposes the present collegiate church to have been erected upon thme scite of it; which conjecture Mar- returned: hundred seems very probable. 9 The town. of Stratford (which, from a few houses, w Those inhabitants it may naturally be concluded were principally dependant upon the late monastery, must by this time have assumed a more flourishing aspect) kept in possession by the bishops of Worcester during the Saxon aera; and continued to their successors many ages after the Norman invasion: to this perhaps may be attributed the silence of its history, while the estates of the laity suffered so much from the powver of the barons, or from the great the Conqueror's revolutions in the kingdom. In survey called Doomsday-book, compiled at his command between the years 1081 and 1086, it is rated, as will be perceived by the following extract, at fourteen hides and a half, (a measure of very uncertain dimensions,) and possessed by Saint Wolstan, the t'euty-fifth bishop of Wor. a mill yielding cester. At that time there was a ten shillings per annum, and a thousand eels; &c. &c.: but the value of the whole manor was calculated to amount to 251. a considerable sum in those days. was William church; " Ea .pars libri de Donesday, qua ad ecclesiam perti.. cc net Wigorniensemn. III. Terra episcopi, de Wircestre. "cIn Patelan Ilundr. lEpiscopus de Wircestre tenet et cc tenuit Stradforde. Ibi XIV hide, et dimidia. Terra '~est XXXI carucat. In Dominio sunt III carucate, et cc XXI villani, cum Presbitero, et VII bordarii, habentes ccXX.VIII caruc. ibi molin. de X. solidis, et mille anguilla " et pratum V. quarentenarum longitudine, et II quaren. "Gtenaruin latitudine. Tempore Regis Edwardi, et post., "cvaluit C. solidos, modo valet XXV. libras." In the register belonging to the bishop of Worcester, called his Doomsday-book, composed under the direction of Baidwinus, about the time of King Henry the Second, this manor is mentioned to contain fifteen hides and' one 10 yard land: of which, Frederick de Bishopton held three hides; Stephen ]e Power two hides and a half in Clifford; the monks of Worcester one virgate; Frederick de Milicia one hide; Adam de Scetrive one hide and a half, &c. King Ridhard the First, in the seventh year of his reign, granted to John de Constantiis the thirty-sixth bishop of Worcester, (and who, according to Godwin, Abington, and other writers, was consecrated at this town, October 20, 1196,) a charter dated January 25, 1197, for a market to be holden here on the Thursday in every week, which reto this day. This prelate immediately after by his own deed, referring to King Richard's charter, settled upon his burgesses of Stratford, (for by that name he called them,) the inheritance of their burgages; reserving to him. Inains self, for all services, the annual payment of twelve pence: to each of these burgages he allotted a stipulated quantity of land, three perches and a half broad, and twelve perches long, making them free of toll for ever, according to the custom of Bristol, and excommunicating all persons who should presume to infringe upon their privileges; all which Walter Grey, the Maugerius the next bishop confirmed. succeeding prelate, obtained a charter the 29th of October, in the 16th of John, for a fair to be holden annually on the eve of the Holy Trinity, arid to continue for the two sue.. ceeding days. William de Bleys, consecrated the fortieth bishop of Worcester, A.D. 1218, obtained a charter for another annual fair to be kept here on the eve of St. Au-. gustin, (May 26,) and to be continued on the two follow.. ing days: and in sixteen years after, his successor, Walter de Cantelupe, procured another, by charter dated at Winchester, the 23d of December, in the 24thl of Henry the Third, to be kept on the eve of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, (September 14,) and the two subsequent days; the toll whereof was anciently leased for 9s.4d. and the toll It of the market at 16s. per annum. The same bishop also obtained a charter of Free Warren, bearing date at Merton the 2d of A pril, in the 39th of Henry the Third, for himself and his successors in all their demesne lands here. In the 53d of Henry the Third, Godfrey Giflard, the forty-third bishop of the diocese, procured a charter for another fair, to be lolden upon Holy Thursday and the two following days; and, in the very next year, procured a new charter for renewing the old fair, (granted and established by King John,) upon the eve of Trinity Sunday, to continue for three days after. 'The bishop had in this manor in the 19th of Edward the First, A. D. 1291, a revenue of 201. two carucates of laud, rated at 20s. a mill yielding 51. the pleas and perquisites 31. and the profits of the store 20s.; and ii 1299, the revenue of the bishop stood thus L. S. D. c cEleven score acres and a half of arable land, at 5d. per acre, yearly,.....4 11 101 "' Twenty-seven acres of meadow, at per acre, yearly,.................3 7 6 2s. 6d. C Seven acres of pasture, "cThe fishery, 8 8 . -17 9 ' I is wood brought him in, yearly,-6 "6His mills,.............-_ .. .. .. ..... "6And the land adjoining to them-------, _.... .... ..--- 0 0 0 r17 "cThe eights and saileys,-------------..----2 "cThe curtilages and easements-------------.. 20 0 116 "Chirchiet,..................... "cThe aid of the bondmen, and their com-. monfline ,-r.......... - -0............ - 0 -2 0 "Panniage, ...... _........-..._...-w.......8 "'Fines and perquisites?---,-------------.. _1 0 0 "GRent of assize,........... ..... 20 .19, 11 "cFrom the cui tQrar teat,----11 18 11 In the wholes 57 1 0f1 1~2 It appears also that Bishop Gifford had a park here; for cc on the 3d of May, 180, he sent his injunctions to "41the deans of Stratford, Warwick, Hampton, Elockley, « and Stow, solemnly to excommunicate all those that had 41 broke his. park and stole his deer."Soon afterwards the weekly market (on Thursday) began to be much neglected; for Walter de Maydenstone, (consecrated bishop of Worcester, in the 2d of Edward the Second, A. D. 1313,) did in his first year procure a new charter, dated at Edward the Se. spinster on the 4th of March, in the2d cond, for a market to be kept on the same day in every as well as a new fair, to begin yearly on the eve of St. Peter and Paul, (June 29,) and to be held for fifteen days. West-. of ,week, The market and fairs heing thus established, Robert de Stratford, rector of the church, (bat afterwards highly advanced, as will be seen in the biographical part of this the Third, work,) procured a patent in the 5th of to take toll for the space of four years upon sundry dible commodities brought hither for sale, and the profits arising from thence were appropriatted tow ardls.defraying the expence of paving the streets. That patent directed cc Ballivis et -probis hominibus villa- de Stratford super Edward "c Avene," expressed that it was obtained 11 ven- ad requisitio-- Clerici nostri Roberti de Stratford;". but the toll w~hich was collected by virtae of the patent being in.. lie"' dilecti adequate. to the putpose required, a renewal of the patent a4 the request of the same person .was granted in the' 8th the Third, for four years. longer; and at his of time renewed,, in the 10th of Edward- the desire Edward 'a third Third, for two years .more. honourable To john de Peto, junior, (of family of Peto, then living at Chesterton in this county,) a lease of the manor of. Strat., {ford was granted, for his life' in the 13th of Edward the ancient and the Third, by Wolstan, bishop- of Worcester, at the rent of 601. per annum : but nothing vecry .memorable is re-. ,corded of the succeeding bishops relating to this town, till the year 1549,* when Nicholas Heath, in the 3d of Edward the Sixth, exchanged it 'Warwick, (afterwards, w John ith Northumberland,) Dudley, Earl of Duke of :created Earl, in the same year, King,. for lands iti Oxfordshire, and other counties ; but by another exchange The for lands in 'Worcestershire. advantageously disposed of this manor cane into it to the his possession again in four years 11. 6. Thomnas B~ourchier *" In crastinio Sancti Mich. Arch, 17. de Fpisc. ditnisit Johani li.ugford et Matildi uixori ejus, I1ianteria " veteri Stratford super Avonain, cum ni a doemo dcceit sspatioiitdi live -44seriiarum strarnie cooperto, cin ominibus terris arabidibus, pratis, " pascuis, et pasturis domnidalions, &c. ad termiinuni 40 annroim, " pro acosluali jeddita libiarum solvend, in testis aniuuutiatioii beate " Valrie Virginis & Sancti Michaelis Archangeli. 0. Apr. 146? Episc. apud Stratford tenemeoitam ccum eon virpastur. cums omnibus suis pertiiientiis ouper in ' gata terre, prati& ,11 S ~tenura Johi. "' Borernat, '& antea in teoura WAil . Saundres, concessit Harwell Arm. liabend. ad teredinuni 99 annruini reddciid. an- 'Will, " XXVIL Nov. anno regis Edw. 4ti. tercio et decimo, Epise. eondiniidiurn J olyif unumn toftuini. fir main Magist, cessit & Thome ad " virgate terre coim pertioeo. in James, " nap. in tenura J oh. super Abbon, Oldtowniejuxta &postea J oli. Stretford Vebbe, et uiiuin Messu- pertin. in Old-towine predict. & uttn Virgatain terre cumo 4L.4im. in tenura Will. Rokesley, & postea predict. J obi. Webb, quod Messuagium super terrain ipsius [homie, "quidem toftum abuttat sup.* terrai niuper J oh. anoes. unabenid. & tenend. " ad focusn termini z9 ann. reddendo annuatiiii 21s. ad quatuar auni ter" mnos usuales. "J.oh. Coimbes factus ab Episc. Subsenescallus Manerii sive "de Stratford in Corn. War. nec nori Ballivus Ilundredi de Pathelow, "agmuin, & abettat dictum, pre- Burgi " durante vita, coum redditu 20 annuall sol. eid. solvend. 10 Jun. 37.H.&~ Nicholas bishop of Worcester demnised to of Stratford, inhiolder, oiie messuage, one cottage, "Thomas "a half-yard land, anod two acres of laud in Old-Towxn, one. croft " half-yard laud in Welcome; and one close called Danvis Close, or 1' abyst Close, 1lying bcsidcs Tynker's lane, at the yearly rent of 20s. "14. May. 37. 11. 8. Wthateley, and 14 accession of Queen Mary, the Duke'of Northumberland was committed to the Tower, tried and found guilty of high trcason, for- having attempted to place Lady Jane Grey (whom his fourth son Guildford Dudley his deca. had married) on the throne of'Englan(L after.. Upon the After August 1553, the Fitation, which took place on the 22d of Stratford, ith all other his immense property, manor was confiscated to the crown; but was Afterwards granted to his Dutchess for life. Ambrose Dudley by Quseeni Earl of Warwick, (the late Duke's son,) restored in blood by Mary, had a grant of'this manor made to him in the Edward Greville, Esq. of eariy part of Elizabeth's reign. also possessed this manor in.1596, from whose ex_ ceutors it came to King James the First, and continued in the crown till Charles the Second conveyed it to Charles, Earl of Dorset and .Middlesex, in whose family it still ivts4ns; the most noble George John Frederick Sackville, Theke of Dorset, and Earl of Middlesex, being the present Lord of the manor, Patron of the Vicarage, and igh Steward of the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. of Mary Iilcote re. About two centuries ago the town suffered*very considerably from the ravages of several fires. In the 36th and 37th years of the reign of"Elizabeth, two dreadful ones hap. hich totally consumed pened -w to the hold goods, &c. &c. 0200 value of dwelling houses, house-. and so reduced 20,0001. the inhabitants, that the Corporation petitioned Elizabeth, not only for a remission of certain subsidies and taxes granted in her last-Parliament, but also to partake of the benefit arising from. 36,0001. which had been granted by and Parliament for the relief of -decayed cities and it appears that the Queen, in consequence, remitted their towns: suhsidies, and granted briefs, impowering them to collect eontrihutions from many of the counties' and cities in this. kingdom. On Saturday the 9th of July, 1614, the town 15 was in danger of being totally destroyed by another ire.; which (according to the 01(d brief granted on the, 11th of May in the 14th of Jamnes the First), " f nt :Ac cc zrgg thalj ltqocan~~t umtti turnt .ffift2 I fe2u r ~t 4ini "ccYnt )z , : tuv tlyzinbtin ,z ffit . out 2,',i of t a~rtz , c b,#,lotijzr liqo to of D c2t, tltrth fjgrz r toy b ort if " (&o n , lads, tatin, Zltoots imlbt t jz4n, amotun1tingt cctot batof '®iglt oi ai ouin~ ,upt r t "txljiclj lva,0 o grzat (tlj~ Z tinr tttg-ful upon tljt ' ob nz) "ctjat it ipzrst7 into pacts tijzrtof, b4ftFt'h it. Whj d ~to ljabt bbnt utt d conomi ." grzat Danz Zouz t o" t ifttr t#fraz~ oin 00-iM UP q The ire ravages of a at a time when the houses were- principally composed of wood, must be very de, structive ; but ' since different materials came into use, none. but partial accidents from that devouring element have taken place here., Specimens of the ancient mode of building town; may still. be discerned in, various parts of this but the most curious, and to appearance, the ,most permanent house of this description, is in Nigh-street, adjoining the Garrick inn, which is very much carved and ornamented. The date of 1596 is on. the outside; pre.. vious to which time we have little doubt but a consider. able number of the houses in Stratford were erected ac.. cordling to that fashion. The few remnaining houses built principally with timber are now miuch modernized, and the later buildings are in general neat and. commodious, most of which have good 'gardens attached to them. in.. There are numerous handsome structures, respectably habited, dispersed in most parts of the town, which is well paved, and remarkably clean ; and, within last years, has undergone great and highly creditable improve. ments.' It consists of twelve principal streets : viz. IHigh, Chapel, and Church. streets, which run from N. to S.-Old-Town from thence, southerly, down to the the leads fifty 1G daInrh,---Ba-cr bridgc, Ilenley, Fore-bridge, and Wood streets, E. to W.-Sheep and Swine strects, through the centre of the town in the same dircction,-Rothermarket from- N. to S.-Grenhill-street, (now corruptly called More-towns.-end,) E. to W. leading to Alccter. There are, besides, several lanes, &c. viz. Chapel and Scholars' lanes, E. to W.-leniey and Meer-pool lanes, leading from Hlenley -street into (from its contiguity to the river) nearly'the length of the town, N. to S---Bull (or Butt) lane N. to S. from the end of Church-street, &e. &c.-The principal inns are, the White Lion in HIlenley-street; the Shakspeare in Chapel-street; the Horse and Golden Lion in Backbridge-street; Green Dragon in Sheep-street; New Red Lion in Wood-street; &c. Upon the whole, Stratford is 'as pleasant, cheap, and healthy a market town as any of its size in the kingdom. The roads to it are remarkably good: the- conveyances by coaches &c. from this place to any part of England are very numerous: the adjacent country is- fertile and salutary; being called by the learned Dr. Perry the Montpelier of England; and the surrounding scenery, though neither extensive nor grand, is everywhere Rother-market,-Waterside-row Red beautiful and agree ble. POPULATION. The first correct' account of the population of this town,\to *While be met with, was taken on April the 19th, 1765, 1808, treating of the population of Stratford, it may not be im- proper to observe, that, in the summer of when the invasion of Englansd was so much threatened, and at a time when almost every individual capable of bearing arms came forward with enthusiastic ardour, in defence of his King and native country; our townsmen not remiss. in expressing their zeal and loyalty to their beloved Sovereign; and 240 active men voluntarily enrolled themselves under their noble Commander, the MAUQUis of HERTFORD; while those whose were lgeauchamp .7 when the number of inha by Mr. George bitants of Stratford-upon-Avon, Old $tratford, and Bridge.. town, united, amounted to 2287, and the houses 552. Thd account taken ini 1801 by order of goternment, stands as under: Males, 1170.-Females, 1248.=Total, 2418. Persons employed in agriculture, .404 Ditto in trade, Ditto out of trade, which includes old people and last infants, r~~ 91 aI; Houses inhabited,-510 Ditto uninhabited, -:20 F'amilies, : . .. 550 GOVERNMENT. tiff, 51 me iwas formerly under the jurisdictio i of a Baia town fourteen Aldermen, and fourteen Burgesses, and incor. porated'by letters patent, dated in the 7th year of the reign of Edward the Sixth, June 28, 1553: t at which time the ancient Guild of the Holy Cross being dissolved, age, infirmities, or particular departments in life would not permit them to join in the common cause, unanimously contributed, with a liberal hand; towards the expences attending 'the formation and esta.~ blishment of the corps. 4 Stratford is, undoubtedly, an ancient Borough, as appears, not above charter, but also from an old deed made in the 9th *nly ~year of Edward the Fourth, A. D. 1409, a copy of, which is here subs joined. " Sciant presentes et futuri quod Ego Thomas Kent de Brayles ii by the '4' ' comitatu Warwicensi, dedi, concessi, confirmavi Willielmo Bury, heredibus &hac me* presenti Carta et assignatis Buis, dinmidiuni "Burgi cum suis pertinentiis in villa de Stretford, et jacet in vico vo~'cato Corn-Strete, et situatum est ibidem inter Tenementum Cnstodj8 "' Collegli de Stretford predicto, in quo Thomas Walker modo habitat, ex parte usia%et Tenensentum predicti Thonue Ieut, ex parte alters; 18 2-d. its possessions, then valued at 461.3s. per annum, to. gether with the great tithes, of the-yearly value of 341. were appropriated to their out of which they were enjoined by the charter, to maintain a Vicar, Curate, and School-master, to pay the alms-people their weekly stipend, and repair the Chapel, Bridges and other public structures. This. charter, in the 16th year of the reign of Charles the Second, was called in; and by a new onc dated at West uninster, August 81, 1664, confirming former grants 7 municipal government was vested in the which is directed to consist of a Mayor, twelve Aldermen, (of whom the Mayor is one,) and the like number of Bur. gesses; to be chosen out of the principal inhabitants of the borough. The pro tempore, is also Coroner of Stratford-upon-Avon, and Justice of the Peace within the limits of the bormugh, the town of Old Stratford, and Within, the church and churchi-yard. The Ifigh Steward, Recorder, Steward of the Court of Record, the Alfdermen, and the preceding Mayor (during one year after serving that office) are also Justices of the Peace within the same jurisdiction. use; ,the Corporation; Mayor, two.,senior " habeudem et tenendum predictum dimidium Burgi cammsups perti'~nentils, prnf ito; Wi-lichno Bstwy,~ heredibus et assignatis sarils, tenen "dum-de capitali Domino Feodn,_ (illi perfunctis iade debitis et. de r' more consuetis,) libere,-quiete, bene et in pace, ins perpetuum, &c. "Ego vero predictus Thomas Kent et heredes mei, 'predictun idhi"".diuinBurgi suis pertinentiis, prmfato Willielmo Bury heredibus et 4'oassignatis suis, contra. omnes genter warrantizabimus in perpetunm. "4Incujus rei testimonium huic presenti Carta-, men Sigilluun meurn "apposuizIlujus testibus Richardo Lokyer, Capitali Ballivo de Stret~. " ford 'predicto : Willielmo Thosna -tunc Sub-Ballivo " ejusdem; Thoma Clopton, Rogero I gett, Magistro Gildn de Stret. cumi Willets, Lacy, " ford predicto ; Johanne Hlannes, Johanne Grexy, Thoina Walker, "Johianne Barbor, et alias capitalibus apud Stretfordiama predictun., " Datum' in Festo Sancti Michaelis Archangeli, et anno regni- Regis. Af d rd quarti post cojquestum nono.l' 13 The present Corporation is composed of Aldermen. Capital Burgesses. Thomas Ilemings,,Gent. Mayor. John Payton. John Lord. Charles Pestel., William Tompkins. John Edwards. Jonathan Izod. William George Morris Robert Charles Jenkins. Edward Goate. John Rowdcn Westbury. John Tasker, William Chattaway. James Pritchard. John Holmes. Austin Warrilow. Thomas Sanders. Wlhoms Mills, Mander. Thomas Sheldon. Joseph Walker.. ,John I itchy an. high Stezard,--The Duke of Dorset. Rlecorder,-Sir John Mo rdaunt, Bart. Steward of the Court of Record,-William Hunt, Esq., Town Alist of erh4,-Thormas Hunt, and Robert Jiobbes, ; sqrs, the Mayors, from the time of Charles the Second's charter, August 31, 1664. (Sworn in, annually, on the second Tuesday in October. ) John Woolner, junior, (the last Bailiff,) was the first Richard Jacksons' Thomas 1 673 S1ohn hliccox,-1:674 Woolmer, s cn. . 1675 Mayor, to Oct. 16 64. Matthew Blackford, Symon Cale, - Oct. 1664 1A676 Francis Oldfeild,=..;..1665 John Woolmer, jun. --1677 -167$ Thomas Hill,------- 1666 Symon Cale,---Thomas Taylor, ..... ,..1667. Thomas Wootten, (he William Ly ndon, Benjamin Jones, Thomas Hone,-...1670 Francis Iladdocke, .-- .1668 .1669 -.. .--.1671 wrence Horwood,. ,1672 died in his mayor-, alty, and Thomas Homne served out the year,)-------1670 Daniel Mason,. .41681 George. Sowtharn, - -- 1682 Samuel IToltam, William Ilickes, Thomasliccox, (he died 1683 - William Baker,.. 1684 Foulke Sellar,-------,1685 Robert Fawdon, ...-. 1686 _ _ _171 John Jiuckell.,- -- 11 in his mayoralty, and Joseph Wool-. mner served out the henry Tomlins,- _._1687 Edward Elderton, .. ,..1688 Thomas Badger,-.17.15 John Smith,---------1689 Joseph Smith,----1716C John Taylor,----1690 John Halford,-------.1717 John Hunt,---------._ _ 1691 Thomas hiccox, -_1692 Samuel Case-----19 John Woolmer, jun. .1694 Samuel Iloltam, --1690 William Baker, (he died in his mayoralty, arnd Joseph W~ool iner served out the year,) 19 year,) Thomas -----------1714, Sowtham,. ..- 171~ 1719 William Weight, -- John Cookes,-------....1720 John Capp,-----1721 Daniel. Hurdisse, .-- _-_-_.1722 Richard Burman, . -1723 Philip Hatton,- - - - --- 1724 Richard Bartlett, .1725 Henry Churchill, _ 1726 John Hunt, --------- 1727 Matthew Colett, -1698 John Burman,-------_1699 Foulke Sellar,-------1700 John JHuckell,------_ _-1728 William Walford, - 1.729 Thomas Badger,-_ 1730 Ilalford,--------1731 Robert Fawdon,-_1701 Richard Ne'wcomb, George Hands,idwar4 Elderton, John Cookes,---173. Joseph Woolmer, John . 1697 -.- 1702 1701 Taylor,.,-170 John Thomas Bott,- - - --. 1732 --- Thomas iluckell, 173.4 -1735 -1736 Thomas Sowtham, --1705 William Davis,William Weight, ..... 1706, Samuel Walford, ----- 1737Henry. Churchill, Richard Goode,.-ejai-aye, .707 17389 JohnfHunt,-----1708 Joshua Smith,-------1709 William Cale,------- 1710 John Taylor,-------- 174Q -,Thomas 'Taylor,-..1711 William Dyde, Henry Turbitt - ----. - 1741 s174 F' hicks, )iugh Burman,. Robert ,-.1743 Isaac Gardner-----173~ -. . 1744 1745 1746 Richard Bartlett, Richard Ilitchcocks, _John Smith,._ ------- 1747 Halford,-----1748 John Samuel Tissell,------.174.9 'Thomas Bott, .. William Miles, .hJarvey 1750 _ .. -_ _ - - 1751 Preston, (Sal, mnuel Jarvis served out the remainder of the year, from Jar William Manison,---- 1778 Thomas Sheldon, _ .1 John Payton,-------1780 William Allen,------.1781, Samuel Smith, - -- _-_-1782 ,John,Preston,-------_ 1783 Ashford, 'Thomas -. -- 1784 .- 1752 -1753 John Lord,---------1'787 "!1704 Richard Smith, R~obert Bruce, 1.--774 - William Evetts------1775 Charles Ingram,1776 William Bolton,1777 Samnuel Jarvis,------785 William Bache,- -- ___17860 nuary 2, 1753,) Nathaniel Cooties, -m Richard Alle~, Richard Allen, - 15 m*---..1756 - William Bayliss, -,~1757 Samuel Price,----1758 William Evetts, baker, 1759 William Eyetts,currier,1760 William Bolton1761 Richard Lord, ------ 1762 _. John Bayliss,..- _ 1763 William Eaves,-.17883 Charles Pestell, .. 17'89 Thomas Nott,------- 179Q. Charles Ingram,-1791 Thomas Sheldon,---- 1792 William Tompkins, Thomas Taylor, - John Payton, -_-1793, ""w-1794 - John Edwards, 17~ 179% ----- Jonathan Izod,--- 1797 John Ilalford,-------. _1764 John Ilitchcocks, .--_-1765 Robert William Lees, .- ,"...--1766 Samuel Jarvis,. -.-... 1767 William George John Meacham, __--1768 Nathaniel Cookes,-1769 John Ilitchman,-._rr1802 William Eaves, Thomas .Nott, -- Charles Pestell, ~ichard Stevens, - 1770 ~1771 - .. - 1,774 Mander, ---- Richard Allen,John 1799.E .__179<~ Morris, 1$00 Payton,_-_-----180;. John Lord,---------Ir .. - Thomas IHemings,.- -.- g18 1804: 1 80: WARWICK HOSPITAL. 5tratford-upon-Avon has a joint privilege, with four 0-ther towns, viz. Warwick and Kenilworth, in this county, and Erlingham, in Gloucester. :hire, of presenting, in its turn, some decayed housekeeper to be maintained'for life in the Hospital at Warwick, founded by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in.the Q8tl ,aind Wootton.under-Edge -ear of Elizabeth. As often as there becomes a vacancy, a person is fixed upon by the town whose turn it is to pr. sent; who, before-he is admitted, must exhibit his recom. from the minister and church-wardens where he .mndation .iays-t resided: upon this he becomes a member of the receives his gown of blue clot., with.the Hoaspital, crest of the Earl of Leicester (a bear and ragged staff) embroidered on the left sleeve, without which he must never iuto the town.. -lnd go -cir iruinferencc, PAROCHIAL ACCOUNT OF'STRATFORD. The parish of Old Stratford is abont fifteen miles in and includes the villages and hamlets. of Wel. conbe, Cfopton, Ingon, Bishopton, * Drayton, Dodvell, The chapel of ease at Bishopton was served by the incumbents Stratford-upol-Avon, till' the year.l791l; but the Reverend Dr. Daveniport, our present vicar,, having received 8001. from the governfrom ci's and trustees of Queen Anne's bounty, it is now totally distinct hle mother church. This 8001. fell to Bishopton by lots drawn in the years 1737,1'766,1783, and '1791; and, together w ith 501.. (part of 4001. was, in 179l1, laid out z: hiich had also fallen to Stratford-upon-Avon,) land in this. by Dr, 1)avenport in the purchase of thirty-five acres parish; the incumbent of Bishopton paying to the vicar of Stratford L1 lOs. yearly- interest for such 501. for ever. The land- tax' of the per cent. per glehe land having been purchased for 471. the 'sum of annum is paid for the remaining 3031.: now due to Stratford by the same governors and trustees to the vicar, w~ho is also the patron of, and had the sole right of nomination and presentation to Bishopton; the Rev 1 and present inc 4bgktr ' iOloU Davenport, L.L.B1. being ,or of 21. the first- Wilincote Shottery, Luddlngton, Rhyne-Clifford, Little 4nd Bridgetown. Buslwood, a shall Village about nine miles from Stratford, is also reckoned a member ofthe parish, though within another hundred, and in the pre. cincts . ef the lordship of for having long be. fore the Norman conquest, been part of the possessions of the Bishops of Worcester, together with Stratford, and having been ,given away with Lapworth by the Conqueror, but continuing to that bishoprick, it was consequently by some of the succeeding bibhops as part of the demesne of Stratford, their chief manor in this county. This was a mere wood, called Bissopcs, or Bishops-wood, since corrupted into Bushwoood; .and it'seems that other persons have, by some of the Bishops of Worcester, been invested with this villa; but.a claim of right therein beingquitted to John de Constantiis, (Episc. Wigorn. 9. Ric. 1.) it ever after continued to that bishopric, as a member of Stratford, until it was passed with that manor, (of which it-still-eontiiues a member,) by Bishop Heath, in the 3d of Edward the Sixths to John Dudley, Earl of Warwick. The Duke 4ef Dorset is now Lord Paramount of the place. Lapworth; not held place THlE AVON. This fine river was, at a very great expence, made navi. gable for vessels of about forty tons burthen, from hence te_ its confiux with the Severn at Tewksbury, by that truly laudable character Mr. Sandys, of Fladbury, in 1637,. who obtained an Act of Parliament for that purpose; and, untie within these few years, this source of communication was of -immense advanrtage to the town and circumjacent coun~w ties, in conveying all sorts of merchandise from Bristoly Gloucester, Tewksbury, Worcester, &c. into the inland- part of this kingdom, returning laden with the_ natural 6r' artificial produce of the country. Stratford had then the: appearance of a -small sea-port town: at present howevery in conseqnetce of the numerous canals, acid the unparalleled improvement of the turnpike roads, the trade by water is now much diminished; and it is to be feared, that the tom" mercial, intercourse with the Bristol ChafineI, through the medium of the Avon, will ilk a short time utterly cease: FAIRS. There are seiber fairs held here; setera1 of-which having been of late years established, we find but few of the original fairs, out of the many, granted by procuration of the ancient lords of the manor (the bishops of Worcester) afunual February,-the second ont the Thursday after the 25th of March-the third on the 14th of May,-the fourth on the last Monday .in July,-the fifth on the 25th of September, following,-and -the sixth on the second Thursday seventh on the second Monday in December.. the A statute% is also held for. the hiring of servants,- on the morrow afteri Old :Michaelmas -day. LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLNOIS ; ( Ii f I !i 1 (f f I! c\ 25 TMHE CHURCHI AND COLLEGE. THE COLLEGIATE PARISH CHURCH Of STRATFORD-UPONAvoN,:dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was formerly a rectory; and, as it extended to the chapeiries within the pa rish, was valued ,in the year 1291, the 19th of Edward the First,-at thirty-five marks :-it continued in the patronage. of the bishops of Worcester (in which diocese it stands) until tlhe 1Oth of Edward the Third, A. D: 1337; at which time it was purchased of Simon (then bishop,) by John de Stratford, and 'presented by him to the chantry he had founded -live.years before, (when bishop of chester,) in the chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr, the south aisle of the church, which aisle the pious founder had lately reedified at his own expence. For this ap. jfropriation to his chapel, he gave unto BishopMontacute and'his successors, as a recompence for the damage they mlight by such alienation sustain,* one sessuage, one cate of laud, an'd ten shillings rent in Perseley-grove, near jamp ton Lucy, of :the yearly value:often iar s. Montacute, Win. adjoining caruL Tis '(the CHANTJR.Y Cfistos or whom consistedl of fie priests, two of Warden and the ,Sub-warden) were perpe-. tual; the-other three were-elected and removed at the pleasure of the twarden.. For the maintenance of these priests-, 'John de Stratford. settled the manor of huge, or Ingon, ± to *'I ow Jdhstde Stratford's title to this property stood, is uncertain; 'butby anl agreemnent made at Nottingham, the 24th of September, 1S36, Mr . ~ohts ntklaltham; :warden of the college, covenanted ith 'Bishop ; Mottacute;and' to pay him "the annual of ten maks out o' thle profits'of -the 'chapel of 54.Thoasshould such mes'carsate of land, andi ent in 1Pereley-grove, happen to be reco- V. h."-successors; .w pension 1'$ This manorwas~Snrchased of Sinon, soil of Adam Ie Crumbe, in of the 2d of Edwaf4i the:'44t i;:y Robdide'St atfu d, then rector 26 their use; and., in the 7th of Edward the Third, he added to their revenues, 69s. yearly rent, issuing out of certain lands in Stratford; and, being shortly after advanced to the Archbishopric of Canterbury, he granted the patronage, in the 10th of Edward the Third, to Bishop Montacute, and his successors for ever, aud appropriatcdthe advowson of the church unto it. For the further advant.. age of his Chantry Priests, and their successors, he obtained several immunities and privileges, as well to them.. selves as their tenants, by a charter dated at Westminster, the 26th of March,'in the 11th of Edward the Third, and confirmed by other succeeding Kings; and, the more to augment their possessioons, he gave them ten houses and six tofts in this town, with one inessuage and two carucates of land at Ingon bcfore-mentioncd. Several other benefac. tors contributed towards the increase of the chantry i.. nances: viz. Adam de Styvington, of Stratford, who gave four acres of land at Ingon; de Dudley,'rector of Kingswinford, in Worcestershire who gave four mesLuages, seventy-three acres of land, and 15d. yearly rent in Dudley, with right of pasture for all manner of cattle, Nicholas except goats, in the wood called Pensjned, near Dudley; and John Noie, and Roger le Dishere, priests, gave also eight houses, three shops, and three Lofts, in Stratford. Stratford Church, for the use of his brother John de Stratford, bishop of Winchester; who, in the 5th of Edw. III, with the permission osf j Adam de Oriton, bishop of Worcester5 settled it upon this his chantry; and to which it continued till the dissolution. Archbishop Stratford the church of Napton, in this county, in alsos ohtained the patronage the 22d of Edward the Third, .intending to 'annex it to the same chant-~ ry, but 'it appears that death prevented him accomplishing his intentions; and Robert de Stratford, Bishop of Chichester, (brother and heir to the, Archbishop,). granted it to' William de Shareshull, and osthers, in the 35th of Edward the TMrd, A D. l3614 of 27 In the 26th of Edward the Thirds Ralph de Stratford, (who was also of the same family with the archbishop, and himself afterwards Bishop of London,) erected, as an habi. tation for these iriests, a large substantial mansion-house, of squire stone, (afterwards called the COLLEGE))ad. joining the west side of the churchyard;"whose good to this town, (says Dugdale,) being his birth place, stirred him up to that pious work." This struct'ore lie began in 1353, with ten carpenters, ten masos and their servants, as appears by the King's letters patent, granted to them, with special protection, till this edifice should be finished. .;affections Henry the Fifth, in the 1st year of his reign, gave to the priests an ample charter, enriched with numerous addi. tional privileges, wherein that of Edward the Third is recited and confirmed; so that, being accommodated with a good mansion their immunities settled, and revenues much in,. creased, it soon after acquired the appellation of COLLEGIATE, for by that title was Richard the custos or warden, (then termed Dean of the collegiate Church,) presented, in the year 1423,. the 1st of Henry the'Sixth, Unto this church, Thomas Balshall, D. D. and Warden in Praty, .Edward a CHURcH the Fourth's time, rebuilt the present beantiful chancel or choir, at his own expence, and, dying in 1491,7 was succeeded by Ralph Collingwode, D. D. and Dean" of Lichfield ; who, (being desirous of completing the work his predecessor, Dr. Bi lshall began, and at his death had left unfinished,) instituted (by the consent of Sylvester Gygles, then Bishop of Worcester,) four children choris.. ters,' and admitted by. the Warden, to be daily assisting in the celebration of divine service in the church; and for whose maintenance he conveyed, on the 7th of October, in the 7th of Henry the Eighth, unto Sir Jikiward Greville, Kmt. John Greville? .Esq. and others, ce r nominated- 28 dty. as n h' on ti~dn lands in Striatford~ Dayton, and itn Itwas not long after that the College, thus complted and endowed, was suppressed: a preparative.was that fatal survc, in the 26th of Henry the Eighth, which xmarked the destruction. of this and ever other monastic institution throughout the kingdom; and by which the revenue of the lands, with the tithes, was certified to amount that time, besides the to, 1281. 9s. Id. per annum. warden, (Mr. John Bell,) and the Sub-warden, there was one priest, (who served the cure for the parishioners, and had an an n ity of 61. 13 s. 4d.) three chaplains, three clerks, and four choristers: Robert Porter being the steward of Hugh Reytheir court, had a fee of 20s. per annum; suppression itolds their bailiff, an annuity of 40s.e the Eighth, by-the in the 37th of of the college, year, another survey was taken, in statute made in, the' yearly value ii certified tobe, according to 1271. 1.8s. 9d. bnt Speed and Godwin say, only 1231. s. 9d. Anthony Barker, Warden, had a stipend out of which was annually of,: 681. 5s. 5d. per anuim; paid to the ,precedrig Warden, Dr. Bell, (then Bishop of WVorcester,) 221. for a pension. There is, in neither of totally At and Henry that which At:the Dug- 'dale,. these- surveys. any particular, valuation of the church, it, included with, the other rev enues of the college; at .established: into a. vicarage., the dissolution of which it was being and remained in the lpossession of the :succeeding bishops of Worcester, as lords of the manor of Stratford, till Nicholas Heath, in the 3d of Edward. the Sixth, parted with it to John Dudley, Earl ,of. Warwick, afterwards Duke' of Northum. berland, :upon whose attainder it fell to the crown, and con.. tinned in the gift of the succeeding lords of the manor; his Grace the DUKE of DORSET being vicarage is valued at 201. ini the the present patron. The but the sti- King's books: pend now paid to the vicar, by the Corporation of Stratford, (to whom are appropriated the great tithes,) is '1051. per. annum; exclusive of which he has a good parsonage house, six acres andi a half of glebe land,n thc surplice fecs from the town, aud the ten adjacent hamlets within parish,; several other gifts ant emoluments, (being a roy al peculiar, and enjoying episcopal jurisdictiosi two years in three,) amount to a considerable sum. the which, with PATRONS AND INCUMBENTS OF THlE CHURCH AND COLLEG Patrons of the rctory. Bishops of Wyorcestr. E. Rectors. Mauritins, inter annos 1200 and 1212 Nicholas do William John --- 1215 Wilddcbroc, do Grenef ld, - - 1294 do Cadamo, -------- 1300, J ames de Auisio,-------- 1310 John Vanne,---------1313 Henry de Hastings, Robert de Stratford,±+ - --- 1-316 William d eEstaniaco,j --- 1319 -- - -1319 John Geraud-------- *This 1331 glebe land, which adjoins the road leading from hence to Alcester, was allotted to the vicar (pro tempore) of Stratford, on the inclosure of the fields of Old Stratford, in 1774, in licu of the small. tithes of JBishopton. f Archdeacon of Lincoln and Rector of Overbury. See more of him in the biographical part of this work., S Job. Geraud, htr. de [Ipsley, in Coin. War. &] Nettleham, Linc, Dioc. permutavit cum W. dae staniaco prid. Cal. tdan. 131 9. &vacasite Rectoria de Strctford per Resign. Rob. le Stretford II. Mastii 133, adsnissus. fuit ad eandeus I8. Mar. codemn anion, sed non fuit institutus 16. Jun. ante Uw Patron~sof(e J5L d;iy.0Wardens,* oh. Bishop of Win- Joh, listcr. J*ldofiiri 133~ d Ofcich Johni de Sutliwatham, -- - -1339: Bishlops of Worcester.. John Geraud,. -- -- .. Tigh de Ferrariis, William ---- - Boys,--------- 1339 1354 1368, W1itlljam llulle, + ...-"- -- ,-- 1379 1384 Thomas at ±Ncude, Thomas iAIile,--------- ----- 1384 Simon Sloley,§----------1=414 d ub-Wardens of the Clhantry. - -- --Jelin Saucer, V.icar of Grafton, -- -- -- -- -- --------Julho de Loxdau,--------------------------Okvmgton,- ------------------.Rfeld,------------------.-------------------------Walter N icely, William Wciconih, Vticar of Kingsey, in the diocese oif Lincoln, ThomasEddem5 Rector of Derset-parva -in the diocese of Coveuti'y and Lichfield,----------------------------------_-.----Richrard Nerton, - - -- "il iani John Richard- Bragge,----------------------------------- 1349' 12,53 1361 136k2 1395 139& 1416 1414 1425 142'6 -------------------------Wa~tr Bker-------------------------------1508 154 ----------------- ----('iks Coventry,- - --1545 -----E4vwaraceAlcocke, LL..- John Botele, Job. Geraud, 11 Jan. resig. co presertim quad se, ,Apustol. Pet. &.Pauli limna visitare, sed negato per Regen disposuit passagio,. Item urn recepit 5. ,Feb. codemn aunne, + Will. ITulle, 'Re. de Nesichurche in Insula Vetta, permnutavit camn Will. O)uty, Cust. Cant. de Stratford. Tho. Mile,, de Chepyngoorton, Liuc. Dioc. permut. Wile. S .imon Sloley, Custos Cap. Tb. Martyris. cumn Will, ll3 Collegiate 'Church. Patrons of TAd Bishops of Worcester, Deans. Richard Praty-, A. M. -- -- 1423 Henry 8ever"I--- ---1436 Thomas Baishall, D. D . - Ralph Collingwode, 1). D. j 1191 146.5 John Bell, Anthony D. D.+t-------~1518 Barker, --- Paronsof the Vicarage. John, Duke Fic art Nor- of thumberland, -- inl the year 1549. King Edw. VI. eodent Iflifo. John, Duke Nor- of thumberland, in 1553. queen .Mary. Rogeriloos, Queen Elizabeth. John Brechgirdle, - A.M. -- Henry Hey croft, -:- Ambrose, Earl of War- wick. Richard Alchurch. Richard Barton,' - -- John Rushton, ----: 55 - -- 1560 15,69 - - 1584 58 -1589 SDns. Episc. assigna'vit annuam pensionem viginti quatuor libraruna ad quatuor anni termines Solveud. Ifenrico Sever qui tune resignavit. lHe was installed Prehendary of Beckhill, with Kna'etbtirgh in the Church of York, April 6, 1487; Dean of the Collegiate Church of Saint Mary,' in Warwick, in 1507; Archdeacon of Coventry, w~hich he resigned., in 1510; elected Dean of Lichfield, January 1,1 512~ and died in 1518. '1+ See more of him also in the biographical part of this work. 'ford Avosiam, SLicentia predicandi concessa Hlenrico Ileycroft, vicar io de Stint- super 8 Jan. 15714 Patrons of theie VI CI. 'joh Edward Greville, Esq. Milcote. -rr of rVicars.. Richard 1589 1596 Bi feildI,------ John111Rogrers, King James I. --- Bromhaill-, - vvr rvr1610 Tihomas Wilson, B. D. 1619 - -- 1640 King Charles I. Henry King Charles 11. Alexander Beane,;- -- ---- 1648 John Ward, K.M. -- - ---- 1662 Charles, Earl of Dorset? T wit chet, A. M. Josiah Simnco and AMiddlesex.- - - A.. B68 -18 -18 John TrapAM-Richard Croft, A. M. jJ - - - 1684 John VOveington, A. M. - -1-170;1 John 'Jackson, A. M.±- -1 701 Thomnas Aill es,---------1702 Nicholas Brady, D. D.t - 1702 Richard Syagne, A. M. - - -- 1705 Lionel, first Duke of Dorset.------- I Walwy n Meese, A. M.~ 1709 Edward Deane, A.M.-- 1729 -Nason, D. - Edward Kenwrick, Charles,-Duke of Dorset. Joh FrderckDuk Stephen ~James - A. M j %.: Davenport, D. of Dorset.-- Sle A. M. 1736 1763 1787 is. said to have been put in lby the Cromw eli party. J):Rector of Barcheston. 1- Rector of Weston-upon-Avon, in Gloucestershire. tSee the btiographical account of him in a subsequent page. SRector of Oxhill, in this county, where he was buried. ~*Rector of Binton, *~He in this county. was also a Justice of the Peace fTr this county, miany years. The exact time of the erection of our church is not record. ed; so that we can onily judge of its antiquity by the archi, teeture of the fabric ; Which, beirig built at different periods, is comnposed of a union of the Saxon and Norman Gothic; a style frequently used soon after the Conquest. Leland, the great antiquarian, in his Itinerary, (compiled in the reign of Henry the Eighth,) conjectures, that the present church was erected upon the scite of the ancient monastery, given in the time of Saint Egwin, in augmentation of Evesham, aiid that " the Church, as it is supposed, was renewed in " buildinge by John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbu. " ry, in the begining of the raigne of K. E. 3." Camden in his Britannia, unlike his predecessor, explicitly afrms, (though he quotes no authority,) that it was erected by that Archbishop; but the learned Dugdale says, that the south aisle only was built by him, and that it is "little less " than the Conqueror's time," as he guesses, " by the fabric cc of the tower steeple." From this circumstance, and an examination of the building itself, it appears, there is no part of the original church, previons to the time of the Conqueror, now extant. The charnel-house, (lately taken down,) from its being of the Saxon Gothic architecture, might have been part of the ancient conventual church, and erected about the time of Edward the Confessor. The tower and nave seem to lay claim to as early a period as the eleventh or twelfth century. The approach to this aicienit fabric, (which is situated on the margin of the Avon, at the southern extremity of the townJ is under a long vista, or avenue of arched trees; whose sombre shade, added to that of the surrounding plan. tation, and the natural respect which the sanctity of the place commands, is well calculated to create a proper se. dateness, previous to entering so magnificent an edifice. It is universally acknowledged to be in a very romantic si. 34 tuation: most other religious structures arc barely ornamlented -by a few straggling trees, or incumbered with adja. cent buildings; but this our Collegiate Church, " whose sacred foot, for many a distant day, ",Has press'd the verge of Avon's wat'ry way," in the midst of its spacious cemetery, and embosomed in its encircling.lofty elms, presents to the view a pile at once venerable and grand. A recollection that it covers the ashes of our admired 'Bard, contributes, in some degree, to the reverence this sacred mausoleum inspires; and, by the enthusiastic native in particular, some extraordinary adora.. tion, even with a religious zeal, may justly be offered to the manes of his immortal townsman: "6Tale tuum carmen nobis, divine Poeta, " Quale sopor fessis in gramine; quale per mstum "6Dulcis aquae saliente sitim restringuere rivo. "1 Nam neque me tantum venientis sibilus "4 Nec percussa juvant fluctn tam litora, nec qua; valles." " Saxosas inter- decurrunt Austri, flumina The before mentioned avenue is composed of planted at equal distances on' each side of the lime trees, and, walk;. in 1798, -by. the direction of our present vicar, the Rev. Dr. Davenport, underwent a very judicious improvement, by entwining the boughs in such a manner, as to form a coma~ plete bower. This terminates at the north entrance into the nave; consisting of a handsome porch, buttressed and crnhattled, evidently of a later date than the adjoining aisle, and probably of, the age of the chancel. Above the door is. a Gothic window, formerly lighting a small room over the porch; the entrance to which is by a staircase in north :wile : to the what purpose thbis chamber was appropriated is unknown; * the window is now covered with a neat tablet fixed on the outside, commemorating the name of the gentleman, at whose expence the walk was paved. The inscription is as follows:' THIS WALKE WAS PAUED AND PICHI'T IN YE. " YEAR OF OUR LORD GOI 1719, AT THE ONELY " COST AND CHARGE OF MR. JOHN HUNT, AN AL" DERMAN & STANDING JUSTICE FOR THE BO" ROUGH OF STRATFORD, & VILLAGE OF OLD " STRATFORD." TIIE CHURCH, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, is built in the form of a cross, and consists (like other collegiate structures,) of a nave, and two aisles, with a transept or cross aisle, chancel or, choir, sacristy, and, till lately, a crypt or charnel-house; almost every one of which seems to have been the work of a different age. THE NAVE is a regular and handsome structure, raised on six hexagonal pillars, terminating in pointed arches: above which, the sides are divided into twelve compartments, forming as many well finished Gothic windows in trisec. tions. The principal, and by far the grandest entrance into the nave, is at the west end, under a Gothic receding arch or door-way; over which are three niches conjoined, evidently designed to contain three statues, and probably of tutelary saints; the spiral canopies, which are much carved and ornamented, shoot into the large and noble west window, which is nearly the width of the naves and is justly adAIired, as, well for the masterly design, as the beautiful workmanship. Under this window is placed the It was, probably, the muniment chamber, frequent instances of which occur in collegiate churches, &c. (not to enumerate others) in St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, where Chatterton discovered the M.S.S. which formed the basis of his well known forgeries. font ; which is a large vase of blue marble, put up in tb beginning of the last century. From the centre beam of the roof is suspended a handsome brass chandelier;'and GIFT OF MRS. SARAn the globe is engraved, tC WOOLMER, WIFE OF MR.JOSEPIIWOOLMELI, OF TIII CORlPORitTIONt 1720 :" farther eastward stands the pulpit and reading desk, removed in 1792, from one of the pil, lars on the south side. The nave terminates at the east end, with the west arch df the tower, now filled up with a spacious loft, and a good organ, luilt by Thomas brick,. about the middle of the last century; the exphce, being defrayed by a subscription, to which Dr. then bishop.of the dioceses was a liberal benefactor. Under the organ loft were formerly two altars; that on tie north side, was dedicated to the Holy Trinity; and the other on the south, to St. Peter and Paul; theFe.was also a third altar, dedicated to St. Andrew, but in what part of the church is undiscovered. The roof of the nave is surnounted by battlements, greatly inferior in elegance and grandeur, to those taken down in 1764, which were much ornamented, and were further enriched by six fine pinna cles on'each side. upon Tin: Sware- Hough, Tim NORTH AIsLE, if we may judge by its appearance, is of a very ancient date, probably as early as the reign of. Ed.. ward the First; the buttresses are irregular, and the windows, four in number, (but originally five, that at the east end having been walled up, for the conveincice of erecting one of the Clopton tombs;) differ in their construction, as well ps the materials with which they' are formed. At the east rend was the chapel, dedicated to the, Holy Virgin;- the altar appears to have had an ascent of three steps, which' is all that can be at present discovered; the chapel being wholly taken up by the tombs and monuments of_ the Tlopton family. HIere is also a large gallery, erected at the -beginm. ding of the 17th century. Tu SOrTI AIsru is a well-built structure, strengthened the addition of buttresses, terminating in foliaged pinnaIles ; and at the west end is a circular staircase, which, on the pntside, has the appearance of an octagon embattled tower. This aisle was rebuilt by John de Stratford, in the begin. Bihe fling of the fourteenth century, during the shop of -Winchcster; ad at the east end he founded his The chapel, which he ledicated to Thor as a Becket. ascent to the altar is now remaining; and in the south wall, are three empty niches, spirally canopied, and ornamented with perforated carved work; which, when perfect, .Ieave had an elegant appearance: at present, however, it is very much mutilated;' but from what remains, some idea may he formed o f its primeval beauty Inthis,aisle is ano175-1. gallery built in the lJy time was must year t,(,r TH TnANSEPT is separated frQm the nave by large folds the Du'gdale ing doors, and was erected, according. Clopton, about the close of the fif, of Sir Iugh tenuth century; but the building seems to be of equal arntiquity with the tower, which is evidently of a much ear hier date. It is very probable, that the donation. of 501. irk Sir~ Hugh's will, was expended in the temporary repairs of. this -transept, and other parts of the church. Over the south window is fixed a stone, on which is carved, "c N..'Ii9 cc It. 1589," conjectured to be the,--nitials of. the church-warden's names, with the year in which the transept underwvent considerable repairs, (being a century after Sit Hugh Clopton's death,) 'when the ancient pointed roof was to executors by . down, and the taken by the parishioners. present platform and parapet raise. The south end of the transept .was used as the sacristy, till the year 1773,. when a small brick. room, ill corresponding with any other part of the church, was built for that .purpose on the east side. perfecta TnL GCHANCEL OR CoIIn, themost well as beautiful part of the whole fabric, was erected in the fifteenth century, by ThomasBaishall, D. D. who was instituted warden of the college, in the year for this havre the authority of Leland and Dugdale,. the latter the most 1465; we cif whom has preserved the following inscription, formerly isti: in black letter, in one of the windows, " ornta '541411, Doctor of ibinitp, rz-zmfpt gtquzr, annbM ixno 1491.'" *There are five uniform windows, en each side the chancel, beautifully finished, and on. large of 0),W was *t (fones not appear who the founder of the oldchancel, a. medotssn by Dr. BaIshall; but it was very probably coeval with the erypt or charnel-house adjoining, (which wehavc before conjectured to have been erected about the period of Edward the and ether cicunstances corroborate this opinon, for several inlaid or mosaic tiles, (with which some partS, if the whole of church was vsiginally p~aved,) now remain- on the ascent to the altar, hearing the sfolins lasgarms a cross pa/once between filue snartets; which was cery the arms of Edward the Confessor on others sword ale;,two keys in sal/ire; the arms of the see of Exeter; and ten Tori*eau ess4, 3,, and 1, which are those of the see of Worcester. sthe first bishop who was placed in the episcopal chair of .eter, A.m 1). in fourth year of the reign of Edward the cofessor,, to whom hie w~as chancellor and and in wshose tm 'the 'see of Worcester was filled by oistan, iswho was a zealous .elmrclsnan-, and supported his dignity with such exalted reputation, tt his decease he was canionized hy the Papal Court. If the t1e snossastie church existed from the time of Ethelredto Edward. the ,oncssor, it must have been nearly. 400 y ears old; and considering as the Saxons erected their primitive relicell the slight manner in pcios str ctures, as that the above three pcrsonages wsere cotemuporaSties,. and' eminently distinguished alike for the sanctity and purity of t~i lives; the circumstance of their arms being depicted in this edit. fce, Wshich at that time wsas part of episcopal revenue, ueiers it probable that Wolstan built at le'ast that part which wsas ta-. Confessor,) not our tain are, a ~ is Leo- 1049, .the W treasurer, after which the Worcester Dr. that and leaown. by Balshall, and the -Confessor, Leofric, ( amangst many others, arms ace now too much mutilated to be 4istiegmkhed 5 ) were wshose great benefactors towards its erection. ~39 ginai1y adorned xwith painted glass,* the subjects taken from holy writ, which must have had an extremely solemn effect; time and accident, however, had so mutilated damaged this glass, that, in the year 17Q0,.at the alteration of the roof, (which was formerly of oak, pro. fusely ornamented with curious figures,) the remains of it were taken out, and that which was preserved, is now con fusedly put together in the centre of the east window. this end are two niches exquisitely finished with a variety of ornaments, in the style-of the fifteenth century, generally called the Florid Gothic. There are also three other niche conjoined, in the south wall, opposite the altar, which are adorned in the same manner as the former, numerous spe: cimens of which may be seen in our collegiate, and other churches, and were as many consessus or seats, gene. rally supposed to have been for the use of the deacon assisting priests. On each side is-a range of stalls, on. ginally belonging to the ancient choir, and remarkable for the manlier in which--.the lower part of each seat is carved; being wrought into a great variety of grotesque designs, some of theme capable 'of a religious or moralexplanation. and At and The exterior walls are strongly buttressed, and some of the, ornaments 'The on the, frieze correspond with carved on the stalls within. the figures choir is divided from the transept by a wooden skreen; and, on the north side, are (now walled up) that the remains of a CGothic formerly led door-way into the Charnel..house. *We are informed by Stow, that Sir Hugh Clopton glazed- this chancel; and, in Dugdale's time, Sir Hugh's arms, with another coat, (viz, a fesse vair, between three leopards'faces, supposed to be the oriborough, as both shields are carved on the outside of ginal arms and prythe Chapel of the Guild,) were embhlazoned these of. the served in the, antiquities of Warw~ickshire. in windows, 40 TUE CarYT on CIIARNIL-IIOU5E, though not stand. not to be passed over in silence' It was a plainbuilding, thirty feet long wide, iug at this time, ought andiifteen nearly the height of the chancel ; and had eery appearance of being the must ancicut part of*the whole church. this charnel-house was containedl a vast collection of human bones: how long~ they had been deposited there, is not easily-to be determinied; but it is evident, from the immense quantity contained in the vault, it could have been used for no other purpose for many ages. it is supposed the enstom was discontinued at the Reformation, as no addition to the bad been made in the memory of the oldest inhabitant of .the town, living in the last century. This fault was built in the unornanmented Saxon Gothic pillars, a little above the surface of the earth, each divided into three ribs, intersecting each other, and closed up with unhewn stone. Above was a room, supposed to be the bed-chambe appointed for the use of the four choristers; the ascent to -which was' by a fight of stone steps, and the general ap pearance of the building, afforded some reason to believe that it was part of the church in being at the time of Edward the Confessor. In consequence of the dilapidated state of this building, a faculty, at the request of the church. wardens, was granted by the Bishop of Worcester, 7111 style; the were to raze it to/the ground; accordingly, the bones were care- fully covered ov er} and the charnel-:house taken down, ini the year 1MOO is THE PoWERn which has -a very antique appearance, built in the early Norman G-otlsic style, upon four pointed arches, supported by 'massy. clustered pillars, and contains as, originlly, on this towver' six musical hells. There xv atinnber steeple, covered with lead; and measuring in height besides wanting frequent re-# about forty ~wo feet ; pairs, seemed of too mean and ~diminutive a size: for soobt wvhichi, 41 an edifice. The parishioners, therefore, in the year 1763, obtained a faculty from the Bishop of Worcester, to take down their decayed spire, and erect a new one of Warwick hewn stone; which was accordingly raised in an octagonal form, at the expence of the inhabitants of this town and pa. rish, in the following year, by an architect from Warwick. DIMENSIONS, OF THE CHURCH. Feet in length, breadth, height. The nave, .------------103..._.28._._.50 The side aisles, each,---------103... The transept,94._..28._..30 The chancel, -----------G... .28.._.40 Total length, from east to west, 197 Area of the tower, --- 8- .8 Tower, -with the spire,- - --163 .20..25 MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS,* &c. IN THE CHURCH. In the chapel, dedicated to the blessed Virgin, at the east end of the north aisle, and under a Gothic arch, is rais.: ed an altar tomb about four feet and a half from pave. ment, constructed of carved the free-stone, with numerous pan- nels, originally filled with brazen shields of arms ; but which have been long since torn away. Upon the top lies a large marble slab, without either effigy or inscription, which has caused different surmises; many being of opinion that it was erected by Sir HUGH CLOPTON, Knt.' temp. H. VII. to the memory of his father and mother, John and Agnes Clopton; while others think, it' is presuned, with more certain(i')that it is an honorary sarcophagus, or. cenotaph for Sir (and *In copying the mnonnmental inscriptions, the obsolete spelling, abbreviations, and character have been closely a~dhered to; it being proper to preserve, as nearly as possible, fac-simniles'of the originals. Jiugh himself, not only from the circumstance of Iis:ow arms, with those of the city of London, (where he was Lord Mayor in1.492,) and the company of wool staplers, (of which he was a member,) being carved, and yet existing on the arch above it, but because Sir Hugh, in his dated the 8th of September, 1496, desired, if he died at Stratford, or in Warwickshire, to be buried in this chapel, Trinity adjoining it; which the altar, and that of the is the very place whereon this monument now stands. wil , between Holy Against the north wall is another tomb, on which are WILLIAM two recumbent figures in white marble; CLOPTON, Esq. who is represented in armour, his head reclining upon his helmet, his sword and gauntlets lying by his side, with a couchant . lion at his feet; and his consort ANNE, the daughter of Sir George Griffeth; a family originally of Welch extraction, but settled in Warwickshire as early as the reign of Edward the Third. The armorial bearings upon and over this monument, are-Pall offour, c and azure, a lion; rampant, counterchanged, for Clop_ ton,-impaling, Gales, on Jese danceIc argent, between .six"lions ramnpant or, three martlets- sable,. for. Griff'ethi. inverted, standCrest, an"eagle, with winges expanded namely, a and a tun, or :-Motto, VINCIr QVI PATITY~t.following inscription, now somewhat defaced,' was ing the- verge of the slab Pe~re tetb " fe nangljtex neceffen ;on botiof tF~e of $X, The cut ,on uqon which the effigies are placed:.- . lita, (Ctopton, 5Cntein, ann Anne ljio Mii. George .diffctlj, Lnigbjt, tvcli. ttje PAmiiftb of April, 1592; tjt fain nt ncceltn tj "~it~of ezpttmbcr, 1596," Above this tomb are several small figures of the children Wife; with this inscrip.f of William. Clopton, and Anne his litlj 1r,'Lonottke 0, 31opct C0l..(with Lion over them : - rU the arms of Carew and -Clopton,) 0 pv tnrn 43 20'Z Co Wt~ifm Counder which is-a TILERIGHT lION OR.. LFABLE DAME JOYCE, CO FNTESSE OF TOT:NES, THEIR ELDEST 6GD]AUGHTER CAUSED THIS THEIR MONITMENT TO BE REPAR.IED & BEAUTIFIED ANNO 1630." on a small tablet is "Sit JOHN CLOFTON, Knight, their Great " son, caused this again, & ye. rest of these Monuments to "be repaired bautify ed, Ano. Duj. 17146" And Grand- "& A gain st the east wall of this chapel is a magnificeit monuiment crected to the memory of GEORGE CAREW, EARL oP- TOTNESS, and BARRON CLOPTQN, and JOIcE his COUNTESS, (eldest daughter of the before named William. Clopton, whose efilgies in alabaster, to -resemble life, a, large qranieited arch, supported qr Esq.) coloured lie under by Corinthian columns, and adorned as well with numerous figures. of angels and cherubims, as,, with various arms, warlike accoutrements, and insignia, carved in bass relief; being emblematical of his .office as Master oaf the Ordnance. Tfhe noble E~arl" is represented iii armour; over which is his mantle .of estate, a coronet on Ilis hiead, and a lion coucharit at his fee~t. On a large escutcheon, above the arch, are the followiug armed an arms :Or, three .lionspassant in pale sable, .l igued gales.-2. Per pale, gules and ermines a sultir~~.ounerchanged.-3.Argent, thzree eagles displayed Qua'terlj,1argent and gales-5. 4rgent, thrce. usdes.-4. addersproper.--6. Gales, a dexter arm in a maunch, grasp- ing afleur-delis} or.-7. Vair, a chief chiecque, or and gales. -8. Gales, tweo bendlets ingrailed or.-'9. Sable, six mal. lets, three, two, and one, argent.-I10. Uhevronyg of seven, crgent -4 2. and sable.-n-1 1. .4zure, -a Bench of seven-) bend or, over all, grgenut and sable. ajfile gales.---13. Gales, four fisils in.fesse ermiine. -14. Gales, three bezants; a fide argent.-15. Gales, three arches argent.-16. Argent, c fesse btwcen. three bears passant sable.-Crest, C(lo, 44 gides, sable.--Supporters, two antelopes TIvTvs attired or. Motto, SVB VMBRLA LEONIS. On other parts of this monument are the arms of Clop ton, and Griffeth, as given before, and the following ;-1. Guics, a bend" argent, charged with three trefoils slipped, vert.- 2. Six bars, 'argent and vert, three torteauxes in chief, afile for distinction. The inscriptions on the monument, (the first of which is STAFFORD, an intimate friend of the Earl for Sin THoMAs and Countess of Totness, and who desired to be interred near them,) areasfollow:* THOMAS STAFFORDVS, STRENVYS MILITVM D-YCTOR, IN HIBERNIA., ET MERITO SYG, EQVLS AVRATVS; SERINISSIMIS MAGNA BRITANIE REGIBYS JACOJ30 ET CAROLO, EORVMQ. CONJYGIBYS, ANNIE ET HENGB FIDELEM PRIESTITAM OPERAM ,,IUETTJE-MARIIE, INTER DOMESTICOS CHARVS; QVIA CVM ILLYSTRI 00VIXIT, 111 J\ ITE EJVSQ. CONJYGE DIV PARITER REQVIESCERE VOLVIT, DONEC CHRISTI RE VEN-1DEMPTORIS, VOCE AD ]ETIRNAM VNA CYM TRLVMPHATI BEATORVM CELIS RE. .DAMV, SVSCITABITVR SVPERSTITIB'.---V ALEDIXLT ANO. 'AB3 EXHIBITO IN CARNE. MESSIA' SUPRA MILLESSIMY'. SEXCENTESS. POSTQVAM OMNLBVS NOTIS GRATIS, FAMILIARITER GLORLAMLND ANNOS VLXISSET.....'......- illegit. Coin. Totness; Test. Hlugone Clopton, milite." *"Fil. 1\LS. S. Greene. Dugdale and' Camden, sub ann. 1578 and 1584, mention one. Sir 1east, EdwardStafford, him,"« of great honor and parts." as Dugdale calls sent twice at 'A mhassador to France; a person, He married Lady Lettice, daughter of Sir Francis. Knollys, Knt. of the Garter, and treasurer of the household to Queen Elizabeth; which Lady Lettice's first husband was. Walter, Earl of Essex; her second, Rohert Dudley-, third, this Sir Edward the great Earl of Leicester ; and her Stafford. 45 D.O0. M. ET MEMORIJE SACRYM. SPEM QVI IN IMORTALITATIS, MORTALES IIIC DEPOSVIT-EXVVIAS, GEORGIVS CAREW;' ANTIQVISSIMA, NOBILISSIMAQ. ORTVS. PRO.. SAPIIE, EADEM SCILICET. MASCVLA STIRPE ILLVST RISSIM E GIRA.LDLNORYM IN III.. BERNIA, -Er WINDESORIENSIVM IN.ANGLIA, FAMILLIE, A CAREW CASTRO IN AGRO PEM:. QVA BROCHIENSI, COGNOMEN SORT ITVS EST. AB INEYNTE J TATE BELLICiS STVDIIS INVTRI,. TVS, ORDINES IN HBERNIA ADHYVC JVVEN.IS, CONTRA REBELLEM DESM ONLE COMITEM PIL POSTE ELIZABETILE FIELICIS. MVM DVXIT. SIMiE' MEMORLE, REGINIE, IN EODEM REGENO, CONSILIARIYS, ET. TORMEN TORVM BELLIC&. RVM PRI-EFECTVS FYIT ; QVO-ETIAM MVNERE, IN VARIIS EXPEDITIONIBYS, IN ILLA PRIESER. TIM LONGE C ELEBERIMA, QVA GADES IIlSPA. NI.LE EXPVGNAT.IE- SVNT, ANNO M,D,XCVI, FELICITER PERFVNCIVS EST. DEMYMIV, CVM JILBERNIA VNIV ERSA DOMESTICA2 REBELLI.0 ONIS ET IIISPANICIE4 INYASlONIS IN CEN.DiIO FLAGRARET, MOMONLE PRIEFECTUS, PER INtT TEGRYM TRIENNIVMN CONTRA HOSTES, TAM INTERNOS QYAM EXTERNOS, MYLTA; FORTh. W GE-SSIT, TANDEM IN AN GUAM REVOCATVS A JACOBO MAGN - BRI~a TER, FIDELITERQVE TANNLIE REGE, AD BARONIS DE CLOPTON,. TDIGNITATEM EVECTVS, ANNIE REG INIE PRO... CAMERARIYS ET THESAYRARIVS, TORMEN. BELLICOTLVM TORM PR LE R'I YV , 'CT GA-?. rNX1:1LE.INSY LE CONSTI[TYT'VS, Sr1LI1 S ,4AT AD- IN.rDE C(ELESTEMI AFJIX ET IN ET SECR EST. ANG.LIAM. G VL3ERNAT1 lOR-iIS CON"\T JACOBO PATRIAM EV OCATO; COOPTAT1VS KVM DE. CA,. NON .qifVVLGARIA FILlO OL.O TER PER. TOTAMJ VSQC. ADEO) CIARVS FYIT, -T IN.. BENEVOLI, AFFWXm T VS INI)IC IA, ABU ELO CO MIITIS DE TOTNESS ,. I10. NOIRE SOLIENNI ITTVESTITVRtA EXORNATYVS TANTVS VIRI, iNATALI VU SILEY. FVVERLtT. IDORE ILLVSTR'IS, BELLI 'ET PACiS ARTIB3VS ORINATISSIM 'VS, MAGNOS IJONORES PRO0PRIA CVI\'I AD P-LENAMA ET VIRtTVTE~ AlDYLTAM SBNFSCT VTEMl PE.RVENISSET, PIE, DEG CREATOR1I REDDIIT, PLACILWQ. IN1 EDIBVS SABAVDLCE; ANNO DO., IN IC ' INCAR1NATIONIS, J VXT1A ANC LLCA. MAR.. NAM COMPVTATIONEM-, M, !)C,X XlX, LAMESES T NNOS I 4 XI xxvij. VIXI' CONSECVTVS, 4NDINI, ANIMAM DlIE TI JOISIA CLJOPTONT (ElrvR A, FERU1 CXJVS EFFIG IES, X ANTr1Q.VA CLOPTONORYMI\ ET IG FA--! LEI' tES, EX FILIA RIMOcGENITA L \IL1 ISSE, VLLELM I CLOPTON DE CLDQPTON M 4 J VX LNLESTSSIMA _V:I1-1.L CILA. iRIGl C .14; OPTLM;,E EITI (tJIQUO VIXIT IUSSIII, 1:I >1OLEPAIUTI,' AC O, XX) IN SPEM 44 LLICISS.IM4 RES V'R1RECTIONIS NUME I?''U. hOC, PRO S VPREMO M VNEIE', NON SINE LACIIRIMIS, CO'NSECRAVIT.' ILL: E43 A 1,N COQN 4"r SVIE, 11O1* D NI. -VIXLIT ALNO. P ANNOS 78, ET 14W DIE INCAII NATi. M DYE FEI3RIAR. ',a OBIIT, 47, On monument, a womani -On a lozenge, argent, tlree .seine of crosses paltee filched, t1hrich is ,hinll represented on fixed to the same.wally kneeling at a greilQunlds courant, bet wee sable. desk ;Arms, INTERRED YE. BODY OF (BEING ABOVT YE. OF YEARES, AND A MAIDE,) DEPART. ED TILS AT NONSYCHIN ISVKREY,'TILE 13th. DAY OF SE P. A2 9DNL 1626. SE ATTENDIIEERE LYETII MRIS. AMY 160 AGE -SMITH, WHO LIP E ED VPON TILE RIGIT ILOBLE. JOYCE, LADE CARE W, COYNTESSE OF TOTNES TIER WAITING GENTLEWOMAN, YE. SPACE OF 40 YEARS TOGETHER: BEING DESIROYS IN HER LIFE TYME, THAT AFTER JER DEA T SILE MIGHT BE aAIDE .IN'TIS-CILYRCIL OF STRATFORD, LADY YE. SAYI COVNTESSE ALSO IERSELFE INTENDED TO BE BYRILED; AND ACCORDINGLIE TO FVL. FILL IER REQUEST, & FORTILER SO LONG TREW &' FAITIIFVL SERVISE, YE. SAIDE RIGHIT NIOBLE. COVNTESSE, AS AN EVIDENT TOAKEN OF ILER AFFECTION TOWARDS TIER., NOT ONELY CAYSED TIER BODY TO BE BROYGLIT AS VERY ' WHERE FROM .. BLY A NONSVCH BVRYED, HER ILEITILER, & HERE IIONOR~. BYT ALSO' DID. CAVSE THIS MON VMENT AND SVPERSCRIVTION 'TO BE ERECTED,, IN A GRATEFULL MEMORIE OF WHOM SHIE LAD FOYN go GOOD A. -SERVANT H TER, In the arch _betwecri this chapel and tablet with the arms of Cloptoni, a tile nave, Th*Ssiia impfliig,- . rst and sixth, 48 azure, a chevron between three kites heads, erased, or.-2. Sable, thrce bells argcnt, a canton ermine.-3. Sable, three a bend azure, a mullet in trout sinister chief, an annuct in base.-5. Gules, a fesse between six billets, argent. To the meinorie of Thomas Clopton, of Clopton in ye. Covnty of Warr: Esq. and Eglcntine his wife, one of ye. DJavghters of John Keyte of Ebrington, in the covnty of Glocester, Esq. the saide' Thomas departed this Life the 22d. Day of Avgvst A. Dni. 1643; the saide Eglentine departed this Life the 22d. Day of November A.Dni. 1642. They left Issve, two sonnes, John and Thomas Clopton. fishes, propr.-4. Argent, Against the east wall is a monument, with the follow.. ing arms and inscription :-Quarterly ; first and fourth; argent, on a cross, gules, five leopards' faces,'or; second and third, argent, a chevron, potent at the point and ringed, between three crescents,sable, for Walker; impaling, azurc, a cross of lozenges, ermine for Reeve. Motto-LoYAYTE MON IIONNEUR. M. S. EDWARDI WALKER, equ.. anrati, cx antiqna ejus.. Staff.) oriundi; demv nominis stirpe (de Casterne in Agro Qui per omnes Curiae Ieraldicie, gradus ascendens, in prin-. Angliconu. titulo GARTER, merito cipalem Regem Armorn. (tandem) evectus est; serviente nuper civili incendio a Secretis Belli Regi CAROLO primop:-CA.RoLo, deinde II, ab interioribus Consiliis, Clericus fideliter inserviit : Uxorem AGNETEM Joni. REEVE de BOOKERN, S.' Th. D. in coin. Surr. filiam, (juixta heic tumulatam) duxit; e qua fiiain unicamn suscepit, B A ,BARAM, quan - JOHANNI CLOVTON equ, aurato uptui dedit; obiit xx i Febr : Ao. IDni M,DC,LXXV'TI, atatis LXV 49 On another~, against the north wall, arde the arms of Cloptoni;- viz. Quarterly,'--First andfourth per pale, or and gules, a cross pattee flicked, counterchanged; second. and third, pall of four,' or and azure, a lion rampant, changcd: and, on an escutcheon Walker, with this counter. of pretence, the arms of inscription:- M.S. lT.JOHANNIS CLOPTON de CLOPTON equitis aurati ; e. familia suis. virtutibus inclyta; quay turn in aliis Anglik cornitatibus inclaruit, turn !Cloptonenses, ,AEdis in vicina villa per annos plusquam quingentos incoluit, oriundi : qui progenitorutn feliciter asnulus, non sibi sed aliis vixit, nec -ullitin uilquarn munus molesturn licet et sumptuosum, quo de Ecciesia, Patria, ant Amicis, bene mereri potuit, de.& tractavit.' Uxorem daxit, Barbararn D. ED-wAitbI WAL.. equitis aurati, Garterii Regis Arinoruin filiain unicam et hearedem ; religione uii Deuin, pietate ini parentes, obsequio tnaritnts, studio in liberps, benei'olentia in omflesj tere eximiam, vere Ch ristianam ; ex ea progenuit see filios, }.DWAIIDUM, JOHANNEM, hUG ONEAT, JOTIANNEMr, GUJIIET.. A.ETI i et CAIIOLUM; fiiasq. quatuor, Agnetern Barbaram, ELIZABETHAN, et JocosAM; quorum susperstites rehiquit, M HUGONEM, GULTELMUM, Agnetem et Bard MUM, EDWVATDU barani. Animarn Deo reddidit 5 ifla Dec. 10 A.D. i QZt 4 Ilie Apr. 18 1719 . t~u 80 Memoriam optimorum parentumn, in posteriorurn imita.. tionem, hoc monuinento, quod suis sumptibus crexit, con.. secrari curavit, DINT, Armr. HUGO CILOrTON, de Medio Temple o ox Ona neat white marble 'monument, fixed to the-eastern pillar of the. nave, are the following arms and inscription. Arms: Clopton; impaling, quarterly.l. Ermine, afesse' G so charged zwith tWre e zants-2. 4ziore, nine cross croslets between Three- roses, argent.---3. Argent,: a lion Argent, a fesse vqir, or and rampant, gules, collared or-4. toles, gules, between three water bougets, sable, for Miiwward. IL'S.I. ELIZABETITA, LIUGoNTS CLOPTON, Armig. Conjut dilectissima THOM]E M.ILWARD, DERBJENST, Armigri. Annmeque in Agra gle STANTON-WARD, Uxoris,, filia -et hrres super. stes; preclaro genese oxiunda, majorum, diguitatem, tam cor..: poris venustatc,. qam a1ofimae tirtutibus, ornavit et auxitn IEtatis 42. Obilt 2. die Julii, Anno Jilorini 1'72L. Against inscribed :- the ttorth wall is a large marble' tonumnent, thus NATHiANIEXL 1MASON, of the Borough of SYTRATFORB~a UPON.A~voN, GENT. Cau~sed this: Monument to bc erected in our Lord, 1719, to the,Menworyes of Mu.. JourN. e.Year of late of Old STRATFORD,. and ANNE BARTLET, ter &. heir, his only Daugh.. (late Wife of the said Mu. MASON ;) who with ten of the Childrenn of ye. said Mn. MASON by the said ANN-E1 lye interred under ant Altar TOMB in this. Cuuiin yard, orb ye. north side of this wall, near this. place...Mrs,. JOHN 1718, aged 72 Years.BARTLFT dyed the 26th dyed the 11th of December, 1717, aged Mrs. ANNE MASON LMsoN dyed. the 27th of June, 1711, 39 Xears.-~jow,abed 12-Years, 2 1MQnthhs, and odd .days.--=NATHIANIEL, 1718,. aged 17 dyed the. 9th. of sp u 1 JANUAR' Y, ,d10l Years Junie, cths.-DIANIELMAsPN dyed the 27th of Fehru.~ ary, a10.6,, aged about 11 MVIonths.-ANNE MASON dyed the 13th .of February, 1707, aged about 9 Months.-Day~ Briel the ~ndL7 2nd ot dyed the 2nd of March, s..-M, n. 1711, aged 2 Years,. Iuon: dyed. the 17th of Decem.' ier, 17111) aged. 12. Months,. and ord days.-JQHN the d4yed th~e 17th. of. Marche 17111 aged 2 Months, ai4 5I1 4edd Days..-ANNA MARIA MASON dyed the 4th of July, 1713, aged 15 days.-JAMES iVIASoN dyed the 1st of May, 171A, aged about 5 Months.---JonN the 3rd dyed the 23rd Days. December, 1718, aged 12. Months, of- RtESURG EMUS. and odd There was, formerly, (according, to- Dugdale,) in the body of the church, a monument "cin fair Marble, witlh "a Portraiture, a brasse thereon, and this Inscription.-, 91 lfloiiieno 0, quater lr. nuatriplato Iwicuu exiinitur anuu , tutaa, nangfo fit lnoio t I ni C004,7" Also on a br~ass plate (now gone) on the floor in the south aisle :" HERE VNDER LYETH BYRIED THE BODY OF FRAVNCIS SMITH, ~THE ELDER, HIERCER, WHO WAS BORNE &BREP 1IliTHIS TOWNEy ~& BORE THE CIIE4F OFFICE Or THE SAMlE THRIEE SEVERAL TYMES. ~HE DYED THE XVII. DA-Y OF APRILL, 1625, BEING 66 YEARS OIL "IF HONESTY BE-HONOUR, LET HIM HAVE " ALL HONOUR, THAT LYES BVRIED IN THIS GRAYH. *HERE BORN,, HERE BRED, A CONSTANT FRIEND "'OF GOD & GOOD15ESS TO HIS END," At the east end of the nave :-Arms ; Gules, a chevrons letceen three escqllop shells argent. grasping a sword, point upwards, enveloped Crest, a dexter proper. To the Memory of Mr, or, &,for ten Years JOSEPh WoLr srn, Senr. Alderman arm Weba,.seret twice May,? of ye. Borough of Stratford; -while conversant in 'Trade, his behaviour .wgs with industry and integrity ; as a Magistrate, he was aavi., gilant promoter of peace and regularity ; as a christians fervent and constant in his devotions, public and Privat@; af. pious towards God;. generous & obliging to relations ; fable and courteous to.his neighbou:rs; charitable & friend. distressed; with such dispositions ly to ye. necessitous a temperate life, aud without more bodily infer, throughout mities than are naturally attendant'on old age.;he opened to himself, through the merits of his Redeemer, a pleasing prospect of eternal bliss: lie died, September the 3d, 1747, in the 89th yearof his Age,and was buried near this place. & Against the east wall of the south aisle, is a handsome monument, on which are-Arms; Ernine,'afesse gales between three hinds-heads erased, azure;.impaling, quarterly per fesse indented, argent and sable, in tha dexter chief and sinister bqse q qters, a bugle orn stringed, sable. Crest, {a hind's he~td erased, azu?',-4nd this inscriptiorl marble P. M. Beneath lye interred the Bodyes of Baronet, and Dame MARY his Sir REGINALD Fore wife daughter of ED STER, in1the county of KENT, W'ARD NASA, of EAST GREENWICH, Esq. who had 'thjree chidren; REGINALD and 'MARY died young, and JANE, the wife. of FI~nKLYxNJMILLER, Esq. who 'was only child of Sir NICHOLAS MILLED., of lYDE HETFORDsShIRE, by HALL,- in the parish of- SANDON, died February Dame MARX his wife; which JANE the 12th, 1731, a!tat. near sixty-two. years. Sl~e was a very careful! and frugal wife, a tender and indulgent mother, extensive in her charity, which reached to all the widows, in MILLER the fatherless, and ,the distressed : she led a life of vertue, lived. desired and dyed and went about in doing. good; much lamented by all that knew her: to the pious ,memory of whom, and her ancestors, this monument was erected by ;JANE, (her only Vr~mrru, of tiw Inner daughter,)- the wife Temple, Esquire, of WILLIAM~ Noit.. 53 On another large monument, fixed to the south wall of the -samc ; Azure, 'in,fesse point a ducal .coro.. net or, between three seaTpies heads erased, argent.-Crest, a sea-.horse duca1ly gorged, -supporting an anchor-proper. aisle :-Arms ]Borough the Beneath this MONUMENT lie the bodies of three sons and Sdaughter of ,Mr. HUGH BURlMAN, of this and Jleste r-his wife, viz. IJESTEit BIJM N, died Septemiber 27th, 1751, aged 23. WIsLLIAM BbRMAN, who died April the 21st, 1755, aged 25. ILURDIS BURMAN, who died the 8th, 17.56, aged IV~archi W0.Mr. anid An~d who died January the 8th, 1757, aged 34. MARY Iieapis, JIURMAN, a niece 4114 flestpr STEVEN BURT. citizen MAN, ye. eldest son, sugar r'efin~er, of LONDON, Here also Beth wife, daughter 'of 4r. WXILLI IHuuii of the above mentioned his Mr. she M1U RDIS, and Lucy his' wife, late of this Borough ; died March the 16th, 1756, aged 241; also MARYv, another daughter of the said Mg. IJUGJI EURPI4Ne, jnd Rester his wife; she died July the 10th, 17,58, aged 33; also 14'. HUG~H BURM4N, their father; he died July the 23d, 176.1, aiged 64;, and Mrs. IHESTER BUK.MAN, widow of the said [r. J3ul~ran, died Yh rch the 30th, 1766, aged 69. Hugh On another, against the same this place lje the wall ;-Th a vault near remains of WILLIAM ALLEN, late of this Borough, who died May 5th, 1785, aged 37. Also three of his children, Elizabeth, Reb~ecca, and James, who died young. On another, fixed to the same wall ;---hN A VAULT BE, lie interred the remains of SAMUEL JAnVIS, of this B~orough; he died August the 5th, 1778, aged 61. Aiso NEATH, MARY his wife; she died January the 3d, 1781, aged 59, 4lso SAMUEL their son, who- departed this life, June thq ~4th, 179~, aged 504 54 Against the eastern pillar : -Arms, Argent, apaefus1 sable, and,- on an escutcheon of pretence, Bur, the arms of man, as before: Near. this place family vault, wiife of in the lie the riains of Lucy Daniel, the Rcv. WN. Dmiel,, of Stretton. tspon.-.Dunsmore, in this couknty, and daughter of Hugh and' Tester Burman, of Shottery, in this parish; she was borri October the 28th, On the 17,32,)and contrary side Troy died July the 31st,. 1787. of the same pillar are the arms of Woolmer :-In memory of Mr. Ts~oM S W~OOLMER, Attor. 'a at Law, Town Clerk of this Borough' for 50 years; person, honest, diligent, and well skill'd in husiness ; gene., ru in his way of living, courL qua in his. conversation;. (who spoke no evil of~ other people, nor gave others -cause a trusty friend, a kind relation, an tospeak evil of life. He isefull neighbr. and commeudalule in all parts him;) died December the-2.5 th, i s e nl 17312, 77 xI the on ESQ.da g t ellr. at Cou nu r C possessor ofi aged Law ; N A.i of years,.Ile left saidri CATHARINE, m d t Dec. all her father's virtues, died the 8th , 'MA years. 1760, aged. 60 ON N\SCR1PT1ONS THE IN FLOOR, THE AND NAVE AISLES. -Mary,. tle wife of John Burman, died 4th Dec. 17111, aged 63. Flizab,eth their daughter, (late wife of John~ T'homasen, the 21. 1711, s,) died 30th 'Iagen died 23d July, wife of William Burmann, senior, of Nov. 1674. William aged Burman, senior, Shottery, of Shottery, died, 6th Oct. 1717, aged 83 years and 10 months. ter of Hlester, daugh_: Hugh Burman, dicd 25th" Sept. 1751, aged 27. . ~William Burman, .gent. died 1st July 1742, aged 41. 9 died lth Febry.175 8, aged 62.. Lucy,, fhicn B rman, Gent. Ste. 55 wife of.toha Burmamn, daughter of Hugh Waiford, of Lang ley, Gent. died 28th Sept. 1719, aged 59. John uinalI% 67 Rich ten. of this borough, died 4th ,rd 'Burman died 30th August, 1732, aged 46. Elizabet, wife of Richard Burman, died 8th of October, 1751. 1692 Richard Hathaway, of Shottery, died 15th Robert Hathaway died 4th March, 1728, aged 64. Edmund Hathaway died 14th June, 172, aged 57. Jane his wife died 12th Dec. 1729, aged 64. John Hathaway died 11th Oct. 1731, aged39. Abigail, wife of John Hathaway, jun. of Luddington, died 5th of May, 1735,.aged 2 Mary her daughter died 13th July, 1135, aged 10 weeka Robert Hathaway, soil of Robert and.Sarah Hathaway, died the 1st of March, 1723, aged 21. Ursula, wife ofJiohj John Hathaway, died the 23rd of Janry. 1731, aged 50. Hathaway, sen. died the 5th of Sept. 1753, aged 73. Johit Hathaway, of Luddiugton, died the 23rd of June,.1775, aged 67. S. II. 1756. S. II. 1785. Gyles Roberts died the 30th of April, 1704, aged 8. Anne, wife of George Crosse, died the 22nd of Janry4 1770, aged 55. May, 1710, aged April, Priscilla Cooper,' Daniel Hurdis, aged 67. Mary buried the 2nd of October, 1728. Alderman, died the 21st of April, 1729f his, wife died the 7th= of Sept. 17271. aged 7 5. Thomas Careless died the 8th of March, 1744, .aged' 78~ Diana his wife died: the 5th of A pril, 175'7, aged 70. Thou wnas their son died the 16th: of Febry, 1761, aged 46. Edward Eccles, late of. Adlington, Cheshire, died- thi end- of April, 1708. eh1t died the 19th of Oct. 1133Timothy. Troy, aged68. John Wooliner the elder, the first Mayor of Stratford1 tnd iwho, twice afterwards served that office, died in 1710; aged 85. John Wooliner, Juan. died the -30th of Nov 17Q64 John l'rornley died the 18th of March, 1717, aged lYd Thomas'and John Lord, sons of Richard and Susan Lord, died young. "Ann, wife of.John Bromley, died in Decemer, 1728, aged 49. Mrs William E'etts, Alderman, died-the 12th o'f 1768, aged 77. Sarah his wife. Date gone. Margaret, of Francis Midford, Gent. only daugh.d ter of James Manwaring, of Kerrincham in Cheshire, 1 Esq. died the 30th of Nov. 1761, in the 42nd year of he Mrs. Sarah' Wood, wife' of AdamnWood,.Esq..of London, died, 4th of Oct. 1795, aged Francis, son of Lieut. Col. Wood, died the 30th of Ma ich, 1795, aged' 10 weeks. Francis Cox, Gent. died the 21st of Janry. 1760, aged.71. Sarah his wife died the 18th of June, Wife age. Wood., the 61. 69, Arms, -Vithin a lozenge, 'on a March, 17A, aged canton, a decal coronet. Mrs. Jane Lucas, daughter of thellonorable Col. Lucas by his wife: Esther, daughter' of Sir Ralph Delavaf, died the 4th of Sept. 174f 3d. Samuel Tissel died the 15th of Nov. 1754, aged 61. Sarah 'his wife died the 10th of Dec. 1752, aged 57. kilt. ,aged erms,-Be tzeeen a chevronael, three stags heads caboshed. 3 Captain Griffith White, son of. Roger White, 'Esq. of Lienland, in the County of Pembhroke, died the 9th .of Oct.1726, -aged 66=r Edward died thre trd of Mare , 1733,.aged 28. George Pitt- Gent. died the 29th of May, 1775, aged 50., Mary, wife of Henry Turbitt died the 22nd of Sept. 1723, aged 59. henry 'Thrbsittdied the 6th of May, 1740; aged' 75. Elizabeth, fife of henry T'urbitt, Mercer daughter of John and Ursula Hathaway, of Luddington9 Cooke died the 17th of July, 1752f aged 46. Ann their daughter died the 29th of April, 1749, aged 17.- Henry :their son' cind the 28th of Jan. 17 38, aged 1 month. Henry Tura 57 bitt died the 25th of March, 1756, aged 53. Alice, wife of Turbitt of Luddington, died the 14th of July, 1780, aged 32. their daughter died an infant. Turbitt died the 28th of Dec. 1780, aged 40. Vicars'died the 16th of Dec. 1756, aged 48. Ann', wife of Nicholas Jarret, died the 12th of August, 1789, aged 75. fhoiwas Brigham, Gent. died the 26th of Nov. 1778, aged 74. Mr. John Magenis, Ironmonger, died the 14th of Dec. 1719, aged 32.. Ann his wife, daughter of H.. Walford of Langley, died thc 5th Aug. 1730, aged 54. Mrs. Bridget Jarvis died the 17th of Dec. 1739, aged 51. Mr. Samuel Jarvis, Mercer, died the 5th of Aug.1778, aged 61. ' Mary his daughter died the 30th of Jan. 1754, aged 7 months. Mary his widow died the 3rd of Jan. 1781, aged 59, Mary, wife of Richard Bartlett, died the 4th of Sept. 1728, aged 30. Richard Bartlett, twice Mayor, and stand. ing Justice, died the 7th ofOct. 1750, aged 67. Elizabeth, wife of Mr.-Thomas Bott, died the 27th of Henry Elizabeth Henry 'Thomas -of Sept. 1733, aged 39. George Cbrfleld died the 9th of July, 1735, aged' 38. John Leptoni died the 5th of March, 1738, aged 67'. Ann his wife died the 1st of.Sept. "1741, aged 59. Ann, daughter 'of Samuel Price of Stratford, and wife of John Ferrers of Chadwick, died the 17th of Feb. 1747,, aged 29. Mr. Win. hlurdis son of Mr. Danjiel and Mary hlurdis of this corporation, died the 8th of July, 1732, aged 37. Avis, wife of William Dyde, died the 5th of 1757, aged.5 9. Jolin Brittaii of Clifford,-'Gent. -died 'the '4th of Nov. 1723, aged 38. Ji Aug. Rine, 58 7th of Junec Joyce, wife of Samuel Mallory, died the aged 35. Mary his wife driedthe4th of 1755, aged 36. Samuel Tome died the 3d of July, 1746,.aged 52v. Elizabeth his wife died-.the 15th of June, 1761, aged 68. Mrs. BridgetHerne died the 26th of May, 1773. Ann Elford died the 13th of May, 1750. Mary Rogers. died. the 9th of April, 1761, aged 20. Ann'Rogers her daughter died the 27th of June,-1766, aged 24. 175-4, Dec. MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS IN THE TRANSEPT. Within an arch, in the west wall at the south end, of the transept, is .a very curious inscription, much obliterat.i ed, over a raised, tomb, rudely carved. The first sentence itext from Job; the next is Greek, signifying is an 11ebreV that this monument covers the corporeal part of the decease dd, and that his spirit is ascended to happier follows:- regions.The. 110 NVTRITVS ERAT,-NAT & NVNC 1110JACET HILLYS, IIICQVE MAGISTRATYS FAMA TER CVMQVE{ BONOS ANNOS AD, TERRAM CORtP VIXI.SSET MYNERE FVNCTVS;r SEPTVAGINTA,. VS, SED MENS MIGRAVIT AD ASTRA. HEARtE BORtNE,HEARE. LIVED,.aHEAR-E DIED, AND .By~ RLED-; HEARE,IAETtI RICH4ARtDE HI5L,- THRISE BA-LIF OF TI--1 BOR. ROB; TOO..MVATRONES OF GOOD FAME,' HE MARRIE-D. IN. GODES FEAREg: AND NOW ILELEAST INJOb HE REASTS FROM WORLD-LIE SORlIOW. 3IEA}RE LIETH INTO114BD HILL,. K. THE CORPS- OF RICHARJIL WOOL E, X, D1IAPEWt BEE fG IN HIS TIME 59 WHOSE VIRTVES LIVE, WHOSE FAME DOOTH FLORISIT STLL, _ THIOVOJI ILEE DESOLVED BE, TO DVST AND SLIME. A. MIRROR lIIE, AND PATERINE MAL BE MADE, FOR SYCHAS SHALL SVCKCEAD JILMINTT HAT TRADE; lIE DID NOT VSE TO. SWEARE, TO CLOSE, EATIL FAIGNE, ILLS BROTHER TO DEFRAYDE IN BARGANINGE; HEE WOOLD NOT STRIVE TO GET EXCESSIVE GAINE THINGE: IN ANI _CLOATH OR OTHER KINDE HIS SERV~ANT, S. I. THIS TRYETIJ CAN TESTIFIE,. MI EIE, A WITNESS' THAT BEHELD IT ER OF WITH There is no date upon this tomb ; but by the register ME. Richard ,Hill, Alderman, was buried on~ jt appears the 17th of.December, 1593. that On a monument against the same wvall ;--arms :Azure, a ,Fleur-dc-lis gules; wings fa s horn; buck' ai base embattled argent, charged with middle bat/lcment, -a dove with on the /he second.:.-Crest, a proper. talbot, in H, tIle S. expanded of mouth I. Daniel Mason, c hoc Burgo, Geucrosus, (ex stirpe pjusdem nominis in agro Wigorniensi, oriundus) et F'ran,_ cisca uxor ejus, ex qua complures 'suscepit natos, quorum tantum superstites reliquit : it~ Thomam et muemoriam Nathanielem, optimorum parentum, Thomas Mason corumi nepos et filiu s Nathanielis natn nMaximus, hoc marmor pie posuit; illic obiit septimo die Junii, 1689, atatis 50; illy, autem septimo Augusti, 1723 , tat. 81. GOnne capaaa noyet urea nomen. die near Pr,On anotherper it are the, arms of achevron loses pale, azure.4f of (he4first, for Rowney. Mason, impaling; gales, charged w~ith th e 60 H. S.E. NATHANIEL .MASON, Gencrosus, Dei cultor, ho- in negotiis minum amlator, fidei datae observantissimus, agendis, probus; olers acuratus, sine fuco bis matrimo. nium contraxit, n unquain violavit, ixoiribus placers amidus, liberis monitor fidelis, servis exactor minjiine severus ; valens hilariter vixit, non improvide; norbo affectus, wq uo animno tulit, et Christo fidens, impavidus obit, 12'' Februarii, On aniother with the same arms . I Juxta reliquias' charissimi conjuigis, ELIZABETILA MASON, Arthtiri Riowney, de 1)arlingscote, Gensi. filiy et hares; Plorate (quotquot estis!) orbo viduaw, et langu. enti indigentiamn turbae, patronain lcniterniisericordem; rate juvenes privigni! .novercani indulgentissima, plo. matris aCnu1amn; plorate chiristiani fideles ! simpliciter probam, exi. die Februaik. mide pialn; mnopina morte corrcpta, ?biit A. D. 1738, .atat. 50; hlujusce sdlicet vitae coinintercio ce_ T:, \M: P. leriter-evasit, felicius in icternum victura. 20 On with the arms another Subtus jacet, of Mason: in expectatione MASON, de Interiori Templo, didi supremi, Londini, THOMAS Ariniger; Barras,. terms ad Legem,: et unus Jugs'ticiarioruin ad pacem, pro hioc comitatu, Nathanielis- Mason,, Generosi, et Annie- uxoris ejus filmus; obiit Ccelebs, die -1 ° Februarii, Anno quals erat, dies pos tremus indicabit. 1748°."a tatis .s ua Do'ni. 4704 On another: lhis is erected to the memory of Mr. Win. eldest son of Mr.' Th'.' Hiccox, who this burro igh, & iliccox, was twice Mayor of a standing justice twenty years ; the 61 bur Wmn. Iliccox, was a capitall burgess of this h fAgsi ough, but died a single mian the 25t year of his age; and in the year of our Loin, 1707; his body, with the rest of ,the family that are deaseced, lie interred near this place. Also-ncar to this place, lieth the body of Mr. TihoMas lliccox, 2d. son of Mr. Tio. Hiccox, aforesd. who mayor of this. burrough; & died in mayoralty, the 15th day of Jiune, 1715, atatisnu 43, w14o caused this nonument to be erected. said Mr. 39th wfas his On another: Non ita procil, jacent exuviw- GULIELMI Ihccox, nuper de Burgo Stratfordiensi, Generosi, qui animo sanior quam corpore, omnibus facilis, jucundus, et utilis vixit; nulli non cal.'Julii, A.D. 1732, atatis 33. "flebhis occidit, 16. die On another against the same wall.-Arms, Quarterig, fourth vel, a goyub or; second and tird or. Crest, upOnl a mural coronet argent, a stn in slendour. To the memory of Edward Iliccox, Gent. ywho died ie was.pious,"charitable,& March 23d, 1774, aged"66. of the strictest integrity. Sf istad On the opposite wall:- Aragent, in Arms, afesse sable, .chargedwcith a martle!,, or} chief of the "Sccond.-Crest,a dexter hzand three mullets gules, holding can ostrich; feather sable. To. the memory of Mr. Samuel Walford, late mayor of; this borough, son of Mr. Thomas- Walford, of ilinton, and, Rebecca his wfe; who, after many years employed in trade, retir~ed to prepare. for eternity, and -died the 24th day of Februafy, 1746, aged 51. Reader,*repent, for thou shalt likewise dye; And, soon or late, must go to your.account. jith all your imperfections on. your W ci. posuit. bcad.* 62 On another : bend befwee n six coparIsfar s, or, Arms, Azure, impaling, argen, a fsse charoged withthree qcorns or, be. :Ieenu three sexfoils slipped vert. hUNT, Esqr.who died the To the-memory of WILLIAM of Sept. 1783, aged 52. Also of CATUARINE, his danughter, who died an infant, in the year 1766. Also " Ot. of SAMUEL OLIVER hluN'r, his youngest son, who died Janry. 3rd, 1801, aged 30* On. another:Near to this place, lieth the body of Mary, ye. daugh who de? of Richard-rryler,, Gent. & Ursula parted this life, Septbr. ye. 12th, Anno Dom. 1716, Etat, s1ua 25. Also near this place lieth the body of Frances, ye. claugiter of hichard Tyler, Gent. & Ursula his do the 6th, AnnoDom.1717, Etat. sne 254 parted this life his wife, 'ter wife, who July On another, against the south wall In nmemory of ED WD. GIBBs, Esqr. lite of Old Strata s aged 72. At a County 11a, ford; he died. 30th Jan. gistrate, he 1788, was eminently 'distilguish'd : in urbanity and sweetness of disposition, he had no superior; henevolencc Feem'd to have plac'd her Seat irt hini.:-as he .liv'd, so .lied without an Enemy. Ijis Daughters AGNES and FRtAN~ ~ES WALFORD, have erected this mnume it, as well to re.. the Virtues of, as -their Affection for one. of the best of Fathers and of men.' AGNES GIBBS his Widow, last surviving Issue of Sr. KEYT, Bart. formerly of' cord the WILLIAM *"No-reclk'ning made ! WAitlh all but sent to my account my im~perfections, on my head !" Skakcspca?'4 63:' this plate, by the Ionbie. ANNE, Daughter of Writ. 4th Visct. Tracy; shc died 19th Apr. 1795, Aged 79. Against the nforth .Wafl of, the transept, is a Iarge free.. stone monument with the stone~inasons' arms Tim On the North side of this Wall, lye the bodyes of Carver, and EIzABETII his Wife; she died June the 3d, 1736, aged 76'. died the 6th, 1738, aged near 80. MIAS HARBERT, He June On arother agaist the' east wall, at the north end In memory of Mr. JOHIN AUsTIN, of this Borough, Stonie Carver, an honest Man, a, sincere Friend, & a good Artist, died August ye. 25th, 1752, aged 40, who is interred in a aault near this place,,. On another against the same wall ~OYE. AN MtMORItY OF ANNE, YE. WIFE OF THO WOOLMEn, THIS BYEROVGH, WHO DEPARTED TIH ATTORNEY; OF LIFE, OCTOBER YE. 3RD, 1704' Mirrour-of curteuie adieu ! 'Till ye. ,last trump, thy Life renew Belov'd of all;-of biewail'd;that our teares might have bail'd. all 0 'thee LYES WITH HER ALSO NEAR THIS PLACE BODYES Or ELIZABETH, THEODO S1A, INTERtR'D, iLII, AND MARY ; ThREE O'F HlER: DAYGHTEP..: On another:NEAR I'E. UNTO"THIS PI At E. LI 1HlE WIFE ".&F JOSEPH BODY O0f ELIZABETI WOOLMER, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIPEF XE., 3OTLL DAY OF NOVEMBER, ANO. DOM.. 1690.- ALSO~ NEARE THIS. PLACE, LIETH THE, BODY OF STEPHEN, YE. SON OF JOSEPH WOOLMER 'WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFER TAlE DAY OF SEPTEMBER,: MW.' .DOllM.1689e 18Ttru ,64 On the opposite wall upon separate monuments In Memory of THOMAs TAYLOR, Who was once Bailiff, and, once Mayor, and many years a standing Justice of this Borough; who died' in 1i79, aged 760 Also ANN his Wife died 16760 1n Memory of Mr. Thomas Tay lof, Alderman of this flurrough, who died May the 19th, 1731, aged 63 years. Rllo Ann Taylr his who died August the 1st, 1729, aged 63. Litt taitz to the Memory of hugh Taylor, Crandson of ye. above Thos.'and Ann.Taylor, and son of Mr. Hugh Taylor of W arwick, 'who (ied June the 29th, 4 aged 7 months. Also Hugh Taylor, (late an Alderman of the Borough of Warwick,) who died Jne the 2nd, 1788, aged 86 years. Also Alice his who was bied July 25th, 1773, aged 55, and three of their Children,-John, who was buried April 23d, 17721 aged Cathes'he, who died 'l ay 5th, 1784, aged 25; and Thomas, (late of this Borough,) who died July 21st, 17913 aged 44= Wife, 1.750, Wife, 15; To the-Memory of TIios. ILALroRD, who departed this Life August the 23d, 1796, -aged,56years. al'so of ELZ. NEwcoMu; she died Jany. 31st, 1797, aged 90. On others fixed to the north wall:- Hannah Beineath lieth ye. bodys of John Lacey and hl4; wife.. Also Hannah their daughter, wife of Michael Evetts; she departed this life September the 18th, 1752, aged 62. Near this -place lieth the body of ?Mary, the. daughter of George & Ehiz. Story, who departed this life the 1 3th, of Novesnbr. 4 nno Dom. 1716, su~e 3? Also ieth the .body of Eliz. .re. daughter of. Geo. and Eliz. Story, who departed this life the 18th of Noi embr. Dorn. etat. Al-no 65 INSCIPTIONS. ON THE FLOOR. Mr. Thomas Hiccox died the 15th of June, 1715, aged 43. Elizabeth his wife, (daughter of Mr. Wn. Baker, who was twice Mayor, aid died in his mayoralty the 5th of Sept. 1694,) died the 27th of July, 1699, aged 27. Arms,-On afetse, between two lions passant gardant, three crescents. Crest, A dewny lion, holding in paw a crescent.--Richard Tyler, Gent. died the 20th of Oct. 1719, aged 58. Ursula his wife died the 24th of Marc'h, 1743, aged 75. Ann their daughter died the 22d of February, 174,9, a.ged 61. Samuel Tyler, of Shottery, Gent. died the 14th of May, 1693, aged 69. Ann his wife .died the 13th of March, 1694. Sarah, wife of Samuel Tyler, Esq. died the 14th of May, 1756, aged 67. Samuel lTyler their youngest son died 'the 28th of May, 1668. Samuel Tyler, Esq. died the 6th of June, 1763, aged 70. Katharine his sister died the 17th of March,1762, aged Dorothy, another sister, died the 8th of August, 1778. Mirs. Decima Nason (sister of Samuel Tyler, died the 4th of October, Thomas Challoner, Gent. died the 18th of July, 1691, his right 66, Esq.) 1181. William Challoner his aged 32. brother died the 13th of May, 1719, aged 49. Sarah, wife of Thomas Peyton, Mercer, died the 4th of July, 1714, aged 23. Sarah their daughiter died the 14th of April, 1717, aged S Thomnas. Peyton died February the 3d, -, aged 51. William Smith, Ironmongber, died the 21st of May, 1716, aiged 29. Sarah, wife of Joseph Smith, died the 25th of April, aged -58. Martha, wife :of Abel Peyton, Iron.. monger, died the 1st of December, 1730, aged 35. 1718, seven Also aged 6 children :-Joseph died the 14th of April, 1722, aged 3 years ; Abel died the 13th of November, 1722 w~eeks; Sarah died the 26th of April, 1725, aged .5years;: Elizabeth. died the 23d of 1725 aged 13 months ; John July, Edward died the.6th of February, 1725, aged 3,months ; of October, 1726, aged 5 years; died the ham died' .February the 1727, aged 8 months. Jo.. stephi Smith, Ironmonger, died the 18th of October, aged 81. Nieolas Vangable, Gent. died the 11th of April, 1774, Wcl 37. Willes died Feb. the 22nd aged 64. Mrs \illarl nlltiht, Draper, died the 1st of June; 1696, aged' 37.1 illia1iliHunt his grandson died the 19th of 1696, aged . MLar Twife of Willia Ihhunt, died the 27th of Aug. 1631. Thiinas Sniith, son of Joseph Smith, Iron: Aunt,) died the 26th of ttie said ihonger, of Aug. 1708. Mr. William Hunt, Merger,.died]the 18th of Aug. ., 700, aged' 3'8. Mrs. Sarah Iunt his wife died the 20th of Nov. 1705. Richard Goode, Alderman, diedthe 31st of March,. 27th of April, age6d 60.- Mary his widow died 1755; aged 68. Mr. Salisjiry Goode died the 28th of Jan. 1767, aged 46. Mary his wife died the 7th of June, aged 81. 19th and Wil. 1t, 1736, 1752, Rebecca Oct. '(grhndsoa Mary "Mr. the 171 1803, Ma'y. 1679. Mr. aged widow of henry Harbidge, died the 2nd of Nov. Robert Fadwom. died the 25th of March, 1737,. 80;' Mr: Oliver;Fleetwood) died wife T 1737, the 'nth of .Tuly, 1713, aged' died the 2~nd of March, 1737, aged 68. 56. Sisahntd1his I1 r:fohns oo ker twice Mayor, died, the 5th of May, 1760, aged 60. J'annali lhis wife died, the 9th of Oct. aged 80. Hannah, wife of Thomas Dilly, died the 4th of Feba 1748, aged 26. Ann, wife of Mr. ilenjamin hhaynes, died the 9th July, .of of" 1765, April, aged 1768, 62. aged Mr. Benjamin hlaynes died the'25thr 72+ 67 Mr. Edward Elderton, twice Mayor,,died the 13th of 1712, aged 74.' Susannal his wife died the 30th of Oct. 1717, aged 68'. Mr. Robert Elderton died the 25th of Nov. 1732, aged 45. Alice, wife of Step.howA4.diins, ied Dec. the 29th,1659. ''standing'Justice, Mr. Foulk Sellar, twice mayor,;a died thc 5th of'March, 1719, aged 77. Elizabeth his .daughter died the 4th of Sept. 1687. Ann, another daugh.. ter, died the 12th of Oct. 1687. Mr. Robert Davis died March the 11th, 1706, aged.60. Catherine Willes died the 28th of Oct. 1755, aged 66. Mrs. Sarah Allesidied the 5th ,Ju1y, 1767, aged 74. Ann, wife of Mr. Samuel West, died the 11th of ,Jan. 1718, aged4 44 John Xylest, Gent. died.tM Jst of Nov. 1759, aged 54. Mr. Sauel West, Aldermian, died 31st of Oct. 1719, aged 48,. Anne Ilornby died-thy 5tI of 1732, aged 63. Elizabetji, dughter "of Joui Charles ljich rsondied the 21st of April, 1636. Mr.- Thomas Aslhwin, of Bradforton, died 20th of Oct. '1710, aged 21. Sept. the Jan. the Ann Palmer, of Radway, died the 12th of Oct. 1727, aged 78. Elizabeth, daughter of died'the 114th Tfhomas 'and Elizabeth Birch, aged 11. Elizabeth Birch rd pf Dece; aged .56. of Feb. 1738, P7AO~ Widow, died the E. Walford, Mrs. Frances Bott died march tbeQ;21-t, 1777, 1756. aged .0. Mr. John Halford, twice Mayor, died the 2nd of Nov. 1733, aged 54. Bridget, wife of' John Ilalford, died the 7th of Jan. 1743, aged 33. aged John their son died" the 14th of. July, 1748, 9 years and 3 months. Frances- the 2nd wife died the 21st of Nov. 1756,. aged, 82,. Mr. flenry Halford died the 16th of June, -1740, aged 36.. Mr. Johr~ ib ford died the 20th of "1770, aged' 04. MaTry; Feb. 68 daughter of Mr.-Henry Tomlins, and wife of JohnHalford, died- the 5th of May, 1710, aged 37. Mary, daughter of the above John and Mary Ilalfora, and wife of Richard Hitchcocks, died the 16th of June, 1734, aged 25. Mr. Thomas Newcomb died the 18th of June, 1746, aged 37.- Mr.Thomas Newcomb; alderman, died 2d of August, -- , aged 58. Elizabeth his wife died the 4th August, 1741, aged 38. Martha, the second Wife of Mr. Richard Newcomb, died 2d Jan. 1741, aged 70. Richard Hitchcocks, once Mayor, died 4th June, 17$, 54. John Hitchcocks, once Mayor, died 27th May, 1772,aged 3 $ Thomas Turaer died 14th of Jan. 1787, aged 47. Mary, wife of Joshua Smith, died 31st Dc1718, -aged 65. Ann his wife, died in 1687. Samuel Watson, died 23d of June, 1739, aged 28. Ann, daughter. of Thomas Green, died 23d Jan. _1653 Sarah, wife of Thomas -Green, died 20th of April, 1655. Thomas Green died 10th of March, 1699, aged 75. Elizabeth 'his daughter died 25th of June, 1720, aged 62. Mr. Anthony Wake died Nov. 1768, age4 71. Elizabeth Wake, 1759. Susannah Mr.Stephen Nason died August the 19th, 1728, aged 60., Sarah, daughter of Mr. William Townsend,; of TiddingtQn, died 14th of March, 1670. Mary Townsend,. of Tiddington, died Dec. 19th, 1669. Rehecka, sister Sarah' Townsend, and w ife of Mr, Thomas Iliccox, died of Jan.- 1702, aged,64. Rebecka,' daughter of the above, died. 20th of August, 1728. Jdward Hiccox died 23d of March, 1774. Thomas Hiccox, twice ,Mayor, and of ;ged Mr, Wake 18th Wake,'1767. of 20th standing Justice 20 years, died the 14th of March, 1705, asged 71. Richard Hunt died 12th, of 1Sept. 16$2, aged 76.; i. gail hiswife pdied f Junk, 1703. Toseph th~eirel 4est 'son ;died..14th ea 17 Q, aged Elizabethx 27th of':jus A 743. ,daughter stied Asp ~ and wife of ,John.Letherland,1 of Joseph' Hunt, 2d.of Nov.. 1715,, aggd 42.. daughter Martha, of Jo.. nde Joseph and Elizabeth Hunt, died ,of 5ho a,1.3ae 5yas 30th of May, naaughter 1700, aged 17.. 1';chard, son .of-JVr. John Huntwas jhuried 30th of March, 1681. Also seven. other children, ,Joseph, Stephen, and Elizabeth,. William, Mary tis, ancd Mary, of Mr. ,John Hunt. John Hunt, aged 24. -bigail Hunt,. aged 31. Elizabeth, Thomas Home died 27th of Sept. 1851 aged 64.. Su.. sannah his wife died Q'7thi of Oct. 1679, aged 46. Samuel their son died 5tb of Dec. 1709, aged 36. Alice, wife of john Smithi, Mercer, Tied. 26th of August, .1737, aged 31. Ann, wife of, Mr. William Beauchamp, died 22d :of June, 1724, aged .Elizabeth their daughter died 15th of ;July,. 1737, aged Mr. P3eaucJampNMercer, ;ied 13th of Jana. 1715, aged 9.TlceodosIa daughter died '12th of April, aged 1. Ann~, daughter of ,Josgeplm and Mary athaway, diet °5th of "Dec. 1751, aged 16.' Joseph hauway died 5th pf Juice, 1737, aged 28. Beauchamnp, son of Joseph .an4 Mary Hathaw ay, died 20th of)June, 1737, n ed 4. 47. 25. NWilliam 1713, I his MON UMIENTAL INSCRIPTIONS IN TILE CHANCEL. The most ancicut of these, remaining ia 'this part of our venerable structure, stands under the north woall being am .;1tar tombl, about three feet and a half in~heig1ht, and sevem feet and a. half long, formed of alabaster, representing sonic of most remarkable -passages" in the New Testa, the dnent; anld though*the fi ur. s are snow much defaced, it is well deserving the attention of them curious. Upon lies a miarble slab, rigiilly emnbellishecd"with a "Ilgure top in braiss, 'and an' inscription ; and it 1l WArden ryof ) Dean3 Me-I# ;1h the was erected to the thew O~ilege, and '0f 70O founder of this Chcr, who died in 1491; the bjitials of l i. nane 'viz. t. -with the lettersa"iju, still- parts of, the tomb. remiain on, many At the east end is the m ulnen~t of onN Cvoi~uzEsq .satirical epitaph, ascribe 1 the pen of his acqiuaintance SIJRKSPEARE, is said to have been' to neon wj om a celebrated written during Mr. Combe's life. long gown,_ with a hook in ad His effilgy,' habited his hand, adorned with chearnbin ss ,&e. lies at full length ina uieanoamtdarhsupte. Pale ;--rmine, three lions passanttin gules =deer hand rand armz embowed, in armour, gqr u or; wreath ed about th arm= arg ent-and or; -holdinbgtin the hand a broken tilting spedr of the 'last. Arms Crest, A nished HERE LYETH INTERfr AT BODY OF JO IN E. LIFE YE, COMBE, ESQu W~HO, PEARTJNO 10THi DAY OFJV , Ao. Unsi. 1614, BEQVEATIJI. TUlLs TO El) BY" HIS L4.ST WILL &PEST MENT, JIVS$&CIhARIT BLE YSES, ThIESE SVMES 1T.. Y"ING, ANVALLY TP J E3P'lD FOB EVER;- ED IN BE VIZ .)s. FOR -TWO, SERMVONS TO PREACH. TIS C-jYRCJI i;. IX POQW DES, XIIs. & 4 PENCE, TO BV Y TENT GOVNDES, FOR TEN J'OORE PEOPLE, WVTII. INTYE.. IOROVGII OF 'TRATFORDE; &UONE JINDIIED s POWN\D S, TO BE LENT YVNTO 15 POORE kTRADESMVENT ORROYQIHFROM 3YEARES SAMEII TO 3 yEAR1ES, CJJNGING CTIJE PrIE{S4 EVERY -E8 OF- T.IIIRD YEARE, AT YE.' RArTE OF FIFTIE SIL, JANG S':; . ANVM.I Y 7 WICH . 'CR EAS L IE A~ j'OY NTED TO J3E DFSTIBVTED TOWVARDES THE RELEIFE OF '~-Pi'OLE THIC4 L. .118RR OF THE -12 ,22Zz22ZL 4RRt~, FORD HE GAVE TO TIEPOORE, OF STRATJTWENTY LI. VIRTVS POST The newt tos unteiet, the - north that claifs our attention, is against (beifg efe:fated wall, f;AVIVIT2 FNE a'out file feet from the floor,) erected above the tomb which enshnes the dust of or ir'omparable poet, WILLIAM SHAKSPE ARE Whose e excellent genius "cOpened to him the art Eman, "All the mines of Fa try,All thestores of Nature, " And gave him power, beyond all other writers, " To move! astonishh! and delight maim ind1" whole Our immm'tal bard is represented in the attitude of id 8piration, with a cushion before him, a pen in his right hand, and' his left rested upon a scroll. Thisbust is fixed inder an arch, between two Corinthian columns of marble, back with gilded bases and capitals, supportht the entablature; above which, surmounted by a death's head, are carved his arms; and on each side is a small figure in a sitting posture, one holding in, his left hand a spade, and: the other,. whose eyes are choeed,. inverted, torch' in his feft hand, the right resting upon a. scull,: smbols of Mori fality. This bust originally coloured to resemble life, Conformably to, the taste of the times in' which the flonun6 meent wasercd; * the eyes being} of a light hazel, and and with an was as *Sir Henry Woofton, in his Elements of At'chitecture, calls the fashion of colouring statues ani .barbarism: but' Sir William English Hamilton, in the M. S. accounts which accompanied several valuable drawings of the discoveries made Pompeii, and; presenlted by .him ta the Antiquarian Society, proved 'that it was usual to. colone statues- at among the ancients. In the chapel of Isis, in the place already mnen~ t'ioned,- the image of that goddess had been paintedas her robe 'was of &purplehue,: andiJunius, onthe painting-of the ancients,-observed- froni '72 the hair and heardl auhnorn. The dress consisted of a -scar a loose black gown without ,,.leeves : the upper part of the cushion before. him was of a crimson colour, and~ the lbwer part greets, with gilt tassels, &c. SHIAKSPEAatE, hovec:er, stood it need of no such nice. morial as this; his own works ,have rendered him immzortalY "c to the last syllable of recorded timer'' let doublet, over Which wa's Exegit mnotusmenturn me pereflnius, Re clique situ Pyrainidum altius; "Qusid non iber edax,' non aquilo impotens,Possit diruere,9 nut innuinerabilis " Annorui series, et fuga teniporun s." A doubt, perhaps not uttworthy Sixty years ago, of notice, arose ahout whether this originl n onumental bust of SJIAKSPEAUE, had any resemblance of the bhasrd; but -thii the, public regard= shewn' to. doubt did not take date ,his -memory, by erecting for him the elegant cenotaph before The'statue in that 17rl Westminster Abbey. tiamgnificent monmli mneet i in a noble attitude, and excites an awful admiration in the beholder;s the face is ieerable andi majestic, and well expresses that irrtenseness of serious thought, teat depth of contemplation, which the poet,undouhtedly, some.~ times The face on' the Stratford monument bears very little, if any 'resemblate~ to that at Westminster. The air' ofi is indeed somewhat thoughtful, brit then it seems to arise from a cheewfulness of thought, 'which, it tust he a. had. no lowed, SnAI~sPEARE, at proper times, was, stranger to. however this 'may as faces on the two monunment, are unlike each others. the admir rs of. thatcat Wstmister be, the ancients Pausanias and Hierodotus, that somefimes th~e statues of thy' Wvere coloured after the manner of pictures. There -are numerous stances, both before and after SIIAuSPEARE'S time,: (not to mentiont those in Stratford Church,) of the monuniental portraits of the great' in-- being painied in their~ proper colours, 73 Ozly, averred, that the country figure differed as much fro m the likeness of the man, as it did from the face in the Abbey; and so far endeavoured to depreciate its merit. This is a derogation by no means to be allowed of; and for the fol. lowing reasons :-SIIAKSPEARPE died before he had completed the age of 53; the unanimous tradition of this neighbourhood is, that by the uncommon bounty of the Earl of Southamptoti, he was enabled to purchase houses and land at Stratford; where, after retiring from the public stage, he lived cheerfully among his friends some time before he died. If these circumstances are considered aright, that SIIAK.. SPEARE'S disposition was cheerful, and that he died before he could be said to be an old man, the Stratford figure is no improper representation of him. Some observers discover a strong similitude of this bust, to the earliest print of our poet, prefixed to the folio edition of his works, printed in 1623, which Ben Johnson, (who not only personally knew, but was familiarly acquainted with SHARSPEARE,) in his verses under it, plainly asserted to have been a great likeness; and Ben was of too austere a disposition to pay unnecessary compliments to the artist.* The exact time of the erection of this monument is now unknown; but it was probably done by his executor, Dr. John Hall, or relations, at a time when his features were perfectly fresh in every one's memory, or perhaps with the assistance of an original picture, if any such one ever existed. It is evident however from some verses made by Leonard Digges, a cotem. porary of our poet's, that it was erected before the year 1623. In the year 1748, this monument was carefully repaired, and the original colours of the bust, &c. as much as possible from * The original articl,, which the above is extracted, wa written by the Reverend Joseph Greene, and inserted by him in thl Gentleman's Magazine for 1759. K '74 preserved, (by Mr. John Hall, a limner of Stratford,) by the receipts arising from the performance the play of Othello, at the old Town-hall, on Tuesday, the 9th day of September, 1746; and generously given by Mr. John Ward, (grand-father of the present Mrs. Siddons,) manager of a company of comedians then performing in the town;* and of * To give every encouragement to the performance for so laudable a purpose, the following elegant lines were composed hy the Reverend JosephGreene, and spoken in au admirable manier by Mr.Wardwhich' such contributed to the evening's entertainment:- To rouse the languid breast by strokes of art, When listless indolence had numb'd the heart; In Virtue's cause her drooping sons t' engage, And with just satire lash a vicious age; this first attic theatres were rear'd, When Guilt's great foe in Sophocles appear'd; For this the bards their scenes display'd, And Vice in its own vicious garb-array'd; Traught men afflicted Innocence to prize, And wrested tears from even tyrant's eyes, But,- to great Nature to hold up the glass, To shew from her herself what is and was,- For Roman To reason deeply Uss the Fates Whether decree, 'tis best" to be,or not to be,"-( This, wond'rous ShAKSPEARtE, was reserv'd for THEE! Thou, in thy skill extensive, hast reveal'd,. , What from the wisest mortals seem'd conceal'd; The human- breast frein ev'ry wile to trace, And pluck the vizard from the treach'rous face; Make the vile wretch disclaim his dark designsp nervous'lines;, And own conviction from Reform the temper, surly, rough, and rude, thy And force tihe half-unwilling to be good; In martial breasts new vigour to excite, And urge the ling'ring warrior still to fight., Jr, if a state pacific be his view,i Inform'd by thee,just paths he dares pursue, And serves his Makers- and his neighbour too. ( 75 in 1793, the bust and -figures above' it, together with the p f effigies of. Mr. Combe, were painted white, at the request Mr. Malone, to suit the present taste. The armorial bearings appropriate to SHAnsPEARE, first, the family of are,-Or, on a bend sable, a tilting spear of the point upwards, headed argent.-Crest, 4 falconi displa~yed argent, supporting a spear in pale or. INSCRIPTIONS. JYDICIO PYLIVM, GENLO SOCRATEM, ARTE MARONEM, WTERRIA TEGIT5 POI'VLY5 S~TAY PA5SENGER, READ, 1ItET, OLYMPYS ILABET. WHlY GOEST TIIOY BY S0 FAST, IF THOV CAWNST, WHIOM ENYIO'VS DEATH ILATH PLASH', WITHIN THIS MONV MENT, %VICI( NAT VRE fDIRE; SHAKSPEARE, WITh WHOME WHIOSE NAME POTIh DECK YS. TOMBE' VAR MORE TIIEN COST; SIEH ALL YT. HE IIATH WR1TT, ~EAVES LIVING ART, BYT PAGE TO. SERyE O}1IIiT ANO. POI. 1616. HIS WITT. TTIS Ask by what magic are these Wonders 53. DIE 23. AP,* wrought? Know, 'tis by matchless words from matchless thought, A ray celestial kindled in the soul, While sentiments unerring fill'd the whole. Hence his expressions with just ardour glow'd, While Natnre all her stores on hjnk bestow'd. Hail, happy STS.ATFORD !-envi'd be thy fame ! name? What city boasts than thee a greater "Here his first infant lays sweet ShIARSPEARE ung "Here the last accents faulter'd on his tongue! " Ilis honors yeti with future time shall, grow, Like Avon's streams, enlarging as they flow; these thy trophies, Bard, these might alone 5 1,3e stone:. Demand thy features on the mimic numberless perfections still unfold, ev'ry praises are enroll'd i B3ut In breast thy 4 riuher shrine than if of molten gold!,I Below the monument is the following curious inscription, (said to have been written by himself,) upon the stone co. vering his grave:GOOD FREND FOR JESVS SAKE FORBEARE, TO DIGG THE DVST ENCLOASED IIEARE; BLESE BE YE. MAN YT. SPARES TIES STONES, AND CVRST BE LIE YT. MOVES MY BONES. If any judgment may be formed from the imprecation contained in the last line of this epitaph, and from several passages in our poet's plays, particularly in Hamlet, and there is little doubt but SIAKSPEARE Romeo and held the custom of removing the bones of the dead from the grave to the charnel-house, in great horror. Of this practice he might perhaps have had ocular demonstration; and, in viewing such-a melancholy scene of human mor. tality, SIAKSPEARE might naturally have suggested an ap prehension, that his relics would probably be added to the immense pile of human bones deposited in that gloomy ceptacle. Through a lapse of nearly 200 years, have his ashes remained undisturbed; and it is hoped no sacrilegious Juliet, re- hand wVill ever be found to violate the sacred repository. Between hsis grave and the north wall, lies Mrs. SIIAKSPEARtE, for w~hom there is this inscription, engraved on a brass plate fixed to the store: IIEERtE LYETH INTERRED THE BODYE OF ANNE, WIFE OF 1VIR.WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, WHO DEPTED. TIS LIFE THE 6TH . PAY OF AVGV ST, 1623, BEING OF THE AGE OF 67 YEARE5. Vbera, tu mater, tu lac vitamq. dedisti, Val mihi; pro tanto munero Saxa Quam mallem, amoucat lapidem, dabo! bonus Angel' ore' Exeat ut Christi Corpus, imnago tua ~ed nil vota valent, venias cito Christe resurget, fleet ti mulo mater, et astra petct. Mlusa 77 On another -flat stone :--Arms- -Tiree erased; impaling SHARSPEARE. tkdbots' heads HEERE LYETH YE. BODY OF JOHN HALL, GENT. HlEE MARR1 SYSANNA, YE. DAUGILTER'-& COHEIRE OF WILL. SHAKESPEARE, HIEE DECEASED NOVER. 25.. AO. 1635, AGED 60. :GENT. Iallius hic situs est medica celeberrimus arte, Expectaris regni gaudia 1ata Dci ; Pignus erat meritis qui Nestora vinceret annis, In terris omnes, scd rapit aqua dies; Ne tumulo, quid des it adest fidissirna conjux, Et vita comitemRnurse quoq. mortis habet. On. others: Arms, a-Perpale, baron and femime : baron; quarterly, and fourth, on a chevron between three ravens' !heads erased, a pellet, between four cross croslets. Second and first nounted by third, a buck's head cabossed, surm a cross p~atee, ija- ,4w inbuth an arrow. .Femme, -Hll;--quartering SiiAK. SPEARE. HEERE RESTETH YE. BODY OF THOMAS NASHE, ESQ. HIE MARL. ELIZABETH, THE DAVG. & HEIRE OF JOHN HALLE, GENT 11E DIED APRILL -4. A. 1647, AGED 5f3. Fata manent omn es, hunt non virtute carentenm Vt neque divitiis, abstulit atra: dies;Abstulit; at referet lux vtirna; siste, viator, Si peritura paras, per male parta pens. Arms,-On a lowng e,-Ilall ; impaling, SHAKSPE ARE, HEERE LYETHI YE. BODY or SVSANNA~ WIFE TO JOHN HALL GENT. YE. DAVGIITER OF WILLIAM SHIAKESPEARE, GENT. D)ECEASED YE. 11TH OF JVLY, AO. 1649, AGED 66. Witty above her sexe, but Wise to Salvation was that's not all, good Mistris Hall, Shakespere was Something of W~holy of him with whom in that, but this she's now in blissek SHE; Then, passenger, ha'st ne're a tear, To weepe with her that wept withall? That wept, yet set herselfe to chere Them up. with comforts cordiall. Her Love shall live, her mercy spread, When thou hast ne're a teare to shed. These English verses (preserved by Dugdale) were many years since purposely obliterated, to make room for another inscription, carved on the same stone, for Richard of Ry hon Clifford; a person of Q ilatiQn to the family. aR SISPE Watts, a Against the north wall is tiandsomp monument, witl1 two busts in white marble;one of Richard Combo, Esq. thi other of Judith, Combe, leis intended wife. A rns,-First sxh, anrd zhee Combe as before. 3. Gales, between three a cross croslets argentl. 4. Argent, a chevron q. Azure; chief wavy argent, trefoils slipped sqble. .Argent, a fesse. betaween three loznges gules. .HERE LYETI THE BODY OF JVDITH COMBS, (HAVGIITER OF WILLIAM- COMBE,. OF OLD STRATFORD, IN ye. COVNTY OF WARWICK, ~SQ.) WHO WAS TO HAVE BIN MARRIED VNTO COMBE, OF HEMSTED, IN ye. 'COY"NTY OF HIARTFORD ESQ. hIAD NOT DEATH PRE~ VENTED IT, BY DEPRIVINGE HER LIFE, TO y EXTREA.ME GBIEFE& SORROW OF BOTh TI EIRE FRIENDS; BVT MORE ESPECIALLY OF e.SAID RICHIARDI COMBE1,; WHO, IN TESTI, RICHARD OF tIONY OF IS VNFAINED LOVE, HATH EREC.,, TED THIS MONVMENT V~ IGYS MEMORY. FOR PERPET'VATINQ SHE TOOKE HER 4AI 79 LEAVE OF TILS LIFE, TIlE 17 DAY OF AV.. CYST, 1649, IN ye. ARMES OF HIM, WHOAMOST INTIRELY LOVED, & WAS BELOVED OF HER, EVEN TO ye. YERY DEATH-. Oi the flat stone beneath, are the following h.-Interr'd beneath this marble, lyes at rest, Brest; Vntimnely pluckt from her Desires nil vltra, nature's quintessence, In whom, perfections in their excellence, Their stations kept:-her life unspotted was; soule ustained, unto heauen did pas. Could birth or beauty, loue or to be lov'd, Of powers diulne, this sad decree have mov'd Might many thousand sighs, large streams of tears Brought fourth with prayers, hauc added to her yeares beloued's Her Epithalamions might have joy'd our'cares. Against the opposite wall is another nonument, with the arms of Combe:-NEAR VNTO 'TIllS PLACE, LYE INTERRED' Ye. BODIES OF WILL. COMBE, -OF OVLD STRATw FORD, ESQ. WHO DIED Ye. 30th DAY OF JANU-V ARY, 1666, AND OF KATHERINE 1115 WIFE DAVGHTER OF EDWARD BOVGIITON, OF LAW.. FORD, IN THIS COVNTY OF WARWICK, ESQ~ AN"' BY WHOME HE HAD ONE SONNE, AND NINE JJAVGHTER.S, OF ,WHICH, TWO ONLY HAD ISM SVE, VIZT. MARY,- WHO MARRIED'Wth. THOMAS WAGSTAF,* OF TACHBROOK, IN TIS COVNTYj. *After whose death,' she married John Rous, Esq. second son of Sir John Rous, ,of Rouslench, in' Worcestershilre, Knight she, died a ILhkintonn in Cheshire, March,4thr 1656," so ESQ. AND. KATHERINE, WFIO OF M-ARRYED WITH Sig. THOMAS STEPHENS, SODBVRY, IN 'Ye. COVNTY OF GLOVC. KT. THE SONNE AND' ALL Ye., OTHER DAYGHITERS DECEASED VNMAR. RYED; WHEREOF, FIVE LYE HERE ALSO E IN.. TERRED; Wth. ONE- DAVGHTER OF SR. TIIO. MAS STEPHENS, IIVRYED IN THlE GRAVE WITH SAMIE HER GRANDMOTHER. wall :-A rms ,-Sable, three On another against the same swords in pile bar se argent, hilts and w pomels or; impaling, azure, a -chevron between three rams' heads erased argent, attired or. filia & coheres THOM] E i~nnsnH Corn. SUFOLCIEE Arm. ex ELIzA EUIZABETHA-RAWLINS, de STOWE-MAR1\ETT, DYDlLEY, filia EDW. in DVILEY, de CLAPTON .in Corn. North.. ton. Arm.-. Laudes hic nullas vides, lector, quia miinores sunt omnes; inagnam scilt. famani Iadunt, violantq. verborum pigmeata; pietatem, famam, candorem, indolem, pricclarass aiiin~i copo'risq. dotes; su.avissimosq. mores, nulla rhetorum anquabit- oratio, obduci malnit velum miestissimus L'onjux, quarn sugihiari tantam itirtutern impari penicillo. Terronas hasce- reliquhas deposuit circa itniu. a3 tatis tri., cessirnum, adc.cnlu evecta .Sponso fruitur. sempiterno Dim. Jesu, ingens sui ini terris reinqucns desideriu. Memorhe lectissimie conj ugis dilectissimieq. qiialecunq. ho c cbarissimn atuoris pignus sacravit lugens Maritus" T~hhO. RAWLINS, ARM 81 Below it, on a flat stone, with the arms of Rawlins IIC SITA EST ELIZABETLA ILAWLINS. Stay yodth; whose lighter thoughts contcntments seeke, With fading trifles of a well mixt cheeke; let those looks, who, whilst alive, would try To inflame thy bosome, now dissolue thine eye;'Stay, grauer age, whose serious 1rests doe prize The faire and younge, beneath the good and wise; Lament her' earlfr fate, Whose actions shew'd All vertues earth e'er had, or heaven bestow'd;Wltay lovely maids, and let'youer eys dispence One teare for beawty, youth, and innocence; Stay sober matrons, and let pitty finde, -A sigh for th' chaste, the constant, and the kinde; But we'll no more bade her lamented herse, Which now expects a trumpet, not a verse; Whose sond will find her shape so exact 'Twfill others change, but only her' esoe 'And before, Against the east.wall is a very elegant and beautifully finished monument, by the celebrated adorned 'of Kendall, withs an admirable bust a profile of Mrs. Rjsbrack, the late James Kendall, Esq. on a medallion; and two well executed figures ; one of which rests upon the medallion, and the other holds an entwined serpent. Arms, Argent, a chevron between three dolphins naiant sable, for Kendall, impaling; Sable, -a chevron or, between three lions' heads erased argent, langued gales, for Weston6 ' Near this place, lies interr'd the body of J~AMES KEN-. SmRATFORD-upon..AvON, WAAItWCKSHIRE; who departed this life, October the 19th, 1751, aged 51. Hie was son of JAMEs, KENDALL, Esqr. one' of the gentlemen of the bedchamber to -KING JAMES the second,: colonel in the' guards, and member. in several parliaments ; but, ra.. ther than vote for the. repeal of the penal laws and test, B$ALL, Esqr. Of 82 resigned his place and commission: after the revolution, KING WILLIAM regard to his merit) appointed him Governor of BARBADOES;- in which post, & every part of (in life, he preserved such honor & integrity, that he wasbe.. loved & respected by all degrees of men. le dyed in the year 1708, and was buried in WESTMINSTER ABBY, leaving this, his only son JAMES, inheritor of his virtues & fortune; who married JANE, the 5th daughter of JOIN WESTON, Esqr.-late of OcKHAM, in the county of SunnY, (who caused, this monument to be erected to his memory:) by her, he had two sons, & otte daughter, JAMES & EARIROT, both died infants; and JAMES JOHN, who died at PAnIs, in the year 1750, & the 22d of his age, is buried at West JORSELY, in Sunny. The said JANE KENDALL ded parted this life, August the 31st, 1769, aged 72. On separate monuments- against the south wall Arms,-Walford, as given before. Prope hoe marmor quod mortale habuit, reliquit Maria, Gulielmi Walford, Gen. Uxor dilectissima Timothei Clare, 1e Civitate Vigorniensi, Gen. filia: cul pietas et fides, pudor et charitas, corporis decor et animi, dotes frustra ehn!l non ita creditam possit viduus lugens ; lugent etiam omnes, vicini -sed necesse est pati., Cito nimis conjunxit in Ccolo quam in terra Gulielmum Walford, Mercatorem, Deus,, monument *A scription is there erected to his memory, upon which this in- occurs:-" Near this place lieth the body of JAMES KEN- DAL, Esq. He was. first chosen a Member of Parliament in the year 1684, served 'in most of the succeeding Parliaments. He was five years Governor of Rarbadnes; and, soon afterreturn to England, & his was appointed, by his Majesty, King WILLIAM, one of the commnis,. sioners for executing the office. of Lord HIigh Admiral. Some years before his death he retired-from all public business,, excepting only isi~ service' in Parliament. Hie died at Caselutn, iu Surr/, July inthe 6lst f'car of age." h2is 10, 17087 83 Burgi Stratfordiensis, nuper Majorem, erga Uxorem, cog. natos vicinos, et oinnes honiines, bene merentem, et dignum laude virum 1 Obiit 28 die Augusti 55° .G: W: 1746.Atat. P. A rms,--Azure, on a fesse or, between three lions' heads erased argent, langued gales; three-escalops of the field Impaling; Argent, a chevron sable, charged with afleur dc-lis of thc An eagle rising, argent. first.-Crcst, Ncar this place lie the remains of JOHN MEACrIAM, DINAH he died June 1st. 1784, aged 19 years: a young man sincerely lamented; who was on of JOHN & MEACHAM; cut, off in the bloom of youth, when he gave the most flat, tering hopes of being a source of happiness to his friends, & an ornament tQ society, by a distinguished sweetness of character, & diligent attention to his studies; the gentleness of his manners, & the purity & benevolence of his heart, modest, sober, exemplary; faithful in his attachment to his friends, tenderly affectionate & dutiful to his parents, serious and manly in his duty to God. To whose beloved memory, together with that of CJIARLES MEACHAI, another very dear, dutiful, & promising son, who.died in London, Octo. Der. 19th, 1780, aged 14 years, and was buried at St. Mar.. tin's in the fields, this monument is erected b7 their truly afflicted parents, In a vault, near the south.,east corner of this chancel, are deposited the remains of WILLIAM EAVES, and MARY Jbis wife' she died March 24th, 1792, aged 74 years. died April 5th, 17'96, aged He 72 years. To THE MEMORY .OF PETER JUDD, of Stratford-uponAvon, late captain. in his Majesty's 34th regt. of foot; w ho died at St. Pierre, in the island -of ico, on the . th day June1 179 52 aged 27 years, fIis death w~is of Martin 84 occasioned by a wound he received at the hcad of a dew tachment of his own regiment, in the island of St. Lucia, in the West Indies. Ile died truly deplored by his afflicted family; beloved and lamented by his brother officers, and fellow soldiers; esteemed and regretted by all who knew him. monument was erected by his afflicted sister, CATHERINE JUDD, as .a feeble testimony of her affection; and in commemoration of his virtues; A. D. 1796. '.This Arms,-Argent, a chevron between three otters' heads impaling,-Or, two lions paserased gules; for sant gardgqn, between three cross croslets fitchep sable; for Garth.-Crest, On a wreath, a camnel's head erased, 1)opcr. Fullerton: Motto,-LUx SACRED IN TENEsj) IS, To THE MEMOY of the Revd. JOJN FULLER KENDAL,) who, (nephew and heir of Mrs. JANE both in private life, and in the exercise of his sacred ministry, faithfully- discharged the several duties of a true christian, and a zealous clergyman, le departed this life on the 25th of May, 1800, aged 69. TON INSCRIPTIONS ON THlE 1FLOOR. William Combe, Esq. of Old Stratford, died the 30th of Jan. 1666, aged 80. Katherine his wife died the 21st of June, 1662, aged 55. Major John Combe, Esq. Stratford, died the 12th of Sept. 1709, aged 58. hswf N 171 v asie before; 8t of ti ilnpaling; Two of Old Frances bars, e over all, a bend a 42.Combe, countereomponed. Edmund Rawlins, Esq. only son of Thomas Rawlins, Serjeant 'at Law, died the 24th of June, 1681, aged 21. Edmund Rawlins died the 21st ofFeb. 1696. Mrs. Jane Mrs. Ann Gelsthorp, (niece of Mrs. Jane Rawlins,) died the 23d of Rawlins died the 31st of Oct. 1718, aged 43. 85 T8. Apri , i 88, aged Thomas Rawlins, Serjeant at Lai, died, the 16th of Sept. 1699, aged Samuel Rawlinas, Gent. died the 20th of Oct. 1699, aged 75. Alice his wife .died the 2d of Nov.1699, aged 65. Rawlins, once Rector of Cornwell, in Oxfordshire, died 3d of May, .1705, aged '40. Francis Wtvtts, Cent. of Ryehan-Clifford, 'died the 2( Sept. l691, aged 64. A'fms,---On a hevron beiwee;three lions' heads erased, Jive 'mllets; impalig; a cross, within a bordcr engrailed, pellets. wife of Francis Watts, died the 2.2th of March, 1701, aged 67. Ar:s, On a lozenge, a lion passant, bet zeen three crosses jaec itched. Richard Watts, of 1IyhonClifford, Gent. died the 23d of May, 1707, aged 46. Ann, .wife of Samuel Paston, A pothecary, of this bo rough, died the 13th of October, 1705. Thomas Cooke, son of William Cooke, Gent. late Al_ der'man of the borough f Warwick; was born in Warwick, lijyed. many years citizen of London, and died in this place, the- 6th of June, 1718, aged 57. Ann, wife of the 1ev. Divine Mr. Thomas Wilson, once Pastor of this church, interred the 27th of Oct. 1612. John Trapp, A. M. Vicar of this church, died the 5th 77. William the On ive Ann, was 168 , 48. Edward Dean, A.M. Vi Icar of this church, and Rector of of July, aged Binton, in this county, died the 14th of Dec. 1735, aged' 60. Mrs. Bradley, relict of Mr. Bradley, of , in the couqity o f-Slop,.and daughter of Eusebe Dormer, .Esq. of-sreat Appleiy, in the county of Derby, died the 16th Great Ness of August, 1735. Mrs. Mary Woolmer, (only daughter of Mr. Benjamin Woolmer, and Elizabeth his wife,) of London, died the 12th of August,_ 1728, aged 33. Mr. Benjamin Woolmaer, Cities zesi and Fishmonger of London, died the 25th of Sept., 1744, aged 85. -Sarah, wife of died the 30th 'of Nov. 173, aged Joseph 75, Wooiner, cI4. 8G John Ward, A. M. born, at Spratton, in Nortliamptonw 4th shire, and Vicar of this church for 19 years, died ,of Sept.681, aged 52. Josiah Simcox, Vicar of this church, died the 27th Dec. 3.681. Sir Henry Spencer, late of this borough, Bart. Chirurgeon, died the-6th of April, -162, aged 43. Mr. Joseph Fisher, Gent. died the 3d of Dec. 1769, aged 85. Ainey .flsher, his Wvife, [relict of Sir Henry Spencer,] died the 19th of Oct. 1777, aged 94. M'rs. Ann Winshurst died the 31st of Oct.1706, aged 74. .William Smith, of Old Stratford, Gent. died the 13th Anrt Smith died the 30th of October, of July, 1708.- lMrs, 1' 29, aged 62. Mlrs. Jane Westrop, widow, daughter of Sir Hugh brawn, gf Aiscot, in the county of Gloucester, Knt, died the 28th November, 1675, aged 79. Margaret, only daughter of John Webb, Esq. of Sherborne, in this county, and wife of the Rev. James Daven. port, D. 1). Vicar of this church, died the 25th of June, 1796, aged 36. the of Of AN ACCOUNT Or I1ENEFACTIONS TO THIS TOWN AND PARISH, AS JN SCIR1 )LD UPON THE FRONT OF THE OLD GALLERY IN THE THlOMAS OAIEN, poor NORTH -ISL. Gent.* gave 401.' to be let out to eight tradesmen of this borough, from three years to three. rears, at 3d. in the pound, changing the parties every third ear ;. the increase thereof to be given as followedi, viz. ~s. 4d. for a sermon to be- preached every first Wednesday y *See !° an account of this Thomas Oaken, in Sir William u sgdaW Waruickshire, p. 349 and 350, 87 in September; and 10s. to the mayor and aldermen, to be drank the same day;. the remainder to be given to the poor in bread, three days before Christmas. ROBERT PARROTT, Gent. once an of this ho. rough, gave 401. to be let out to poor tradesmen of the said borough, at the rate of the pound; and the yearly increase thereof he disposed of as followeth, viz. 3s. for a sermon to be preached on Friday in Whitsun-week, yearly, and 10s, for a collation for the members of this corporation, the same day. JOHN TURNER, Gent. ga~e 40s. yearly, to be given in bread to the poor, with Mr. Oaken's. JOHN COMBE, Esq. gave to pious and charitable 20s. for two sermons to be. preached in this church; and 61. 13s; 4d. to buy ten gowns for ten poor people in this borough; and 1001. be let out to fifteen poor tradesmen of the said borough,'from three years to three years, at the rate of 50s. per annum, changing the parties every third year; which increase lie appointed to be distributedto.. wards the relief of the alms-people, borough. 4d. -in alderman 4d. uses to MOUNTFORD, in this WItLIAM Gent. gage to the mayor, aI. diermen, 'and burgesses of this borough, 201. for ever, to be let out at 1id. in the the interest thereof, he disposed of as followeth, viz. for a sermon'to be preached pound; 6s. 9,d. the April; and remainder to heg distributed yearly to the poor ini bread on the same day. ANN LLOYD, widow, gave to this parish, 1W1. be let to out by the church-wardens, at the yearly increase of ltis.. which she ordered to be disposed 'of as' followeth, viz. yearly, on the 15th day of in B.s for a sermon toz be preached yearly the church. the sun-, day, before Sft. Thomas, the remainder towards re.. pairs of this 'church, the chapel, and mill-bridge. arid the out to LAWRANcE' PALMOR gave -101. to. be ''let poor tradesmen of this borough, at 12d. in the pound; the in.. crease to be given to the poor in bread, with Mr. Oaken's. 88 SMIT , Gent. of this borough, gage 51. to be 16d. in the, pound, annual terest; which increase, being 6s. 3d. be ordered onehalf for a sermon to be preached, ycarly, on Friday in Easter week, and the other to be given to the poor in bread, with IaLTr let Otut to Mr. in- poor tradesmen, at Oake's. 'ThoMAs BAUIWu gave 51. to be let out to poor tradesmen of this borough, at f d. in the pound, interest; and the increase to be yearly bestowed on the poor in bread, with Mr. Oaken's. NIcHOLAs IsiLSAM gave 101. to be let out to poor tradesthe increase to men of this borou ti, at 1 d. in the poor in bread,, with Mr.Oaker's. be yearly bestowed on _T-LERK,, Gent. citizen of London, gave 9001 to buy land of iniheritance the increase thereof to be give:2 to twelve poor people inhabiting in the borough, as shal one part of it to be givesv not inhabit in the on the 24th day of June, and the other on the 1st of December, yearly, for,ever. pound; thc 'WILLIAM aims-houses; WoLLAA T-viir-, Gent. gave 501. to be lent forth to poor tradesmen: the interest thereof to be bestowed upon the poor, according to the direction of the mayor and chief aldermen. Mr. TYLERI gave to be lent out at 100l. 31. per annum ; the increase thereof hl ordered to be disposed of as follows eth:-l5u. for a sermnor to be preached on St. Thomas' day; 5s. to the dark and sexton; and 40s. to the may or and saldermnen, to he spent in' a dinner on- St. Thomas' day,' for ever. JOHN SADznt &RICHARD 1501. QUNEVr, Ge '.lemen. and 'of to be lent out the increase, citizens of London, gave the borough .for ever. to be given to the poor Gent. and citizen of London, gave iicIHAIW CnANDIx U~a, 20s. 1001. to the borough :of Stratford to buy laud ; the increase to the minister to p~reach thereof to be disposed. off. viz. Baptism, sermon concerning the exeedleey of in the C iapel, on the 20th of Mardi, yiarly,'unless tsill x'11 on a Sunday, then. on the next day following: l0s. for the ;elark andseton; '30s..'to be distributed to the poor 6f the ,borough, yearly, by the church-wardens of the same;and early,.for their -pains; and the overluhs to be laid ebs. .in- cloathing for poor children ,of the.borough. RIEARD SMIT , Grocer, and Citizen of.London, gave the rent of two houses, .in the: Henley-street, in Stratford; and tied the same to be given thus; l2d. per week to the poor of the bordugh, and 6d. per week to the poor of OM Stratford in bread; and l Os. to the minister topreadh:a sermorn on the day the mayor is elected;'and-l2d. to the lark, yearly, for ever; Largientipauperibus nulla indigentia. out SMITH~, Gent. of Old.Stratford, gave 12d. per raised. out of the rent of six tenements, peo: Chapel-lane, to buy bread to be given to twelve tIzNit indie be wieek, to poor ple of this parish, onievery Lord's Day for ever. Ne avcrtas friciemt tzirc dlo piuperi, a te nainix avertetur fcies Dei. ama6 Ma. JOHN :BARTLETT, ford, decea scd; by his t % overseers will, theo parish of Old "Strat. gave 'to the church-wardens late of and of the: poor of the said =parish for the time being; 51.. to be -paid yearly, on every- Easter~ Monday, during the term of forty years; to be poor boy, yearly, (a native applied to, the placing out one of .the said parish,) apprentice said parish; the boy to be chosen .and appointed by the hurch::wardens acid the parish, for the .time being~ with the overseers consent. of his grandson, MR. THOMAS- MAsON hip execu_ to some tradesman, living out of thre -of said the tots-,or administrators, who is, by said will, directed to The first payment did comdmence on ' ;:\Aonday, in ,the year of our -Lord),.17. *pay the same. aster OF THE -COLLEGE, INCE ITS DISSOLUTION. It now remains to say something of the COLLEGE, since its dissolution by Henry the.-Eighth, i 1546; after which, the scite of it granted, inthe 4th of Edward the Sixth, to John, Earl of Warwick, afterwards Duke"of Northum berland, and his heirs: upon his attainder (1st Mary) it was annexed t6 the crown lands ;.arid, in 1576, Queen Elizabeth granted it to RichardConingsby, Esq. upon lease for twenty.. one years; at the expiration of which period, it was sold to John Combe, Esq-. who afterwards-,made t his principal place- of residence, and died therewithout issuec the 10th of July, 114 ; when it came to his nephe ,William Combe, Esq. who also resided there;-durin which time he twice served the office .of Sheriff forthis viz, in 1608, and and dying withont male issue, January the 30th, 1666, the -College ,afterwards beeame the property of his nephew, William Co mrbe, Esq.-whose only daughter and heiress, Martha, married Edward Clo-ton', Esq. eldest son of Sir John Clopton, K it. y Barbara, the sole child was county, 1616;- Wit and heiress of Sir Edward Walker, Knight, Garter Khg at Arms, Secretary at to Charles the First, and Clerk of the Privy Council to Charles the Second; who,' after the- of death Sir Edward .on =the20th. of February, 1676, -by her means became heir to the -estates of his father .inlaw. From Edward Cl&pton', Esq., the. College,: about the year 1700,. cameto his nephew, '(by Agnes :his eldest sister, } Sir William Keyte, Baronet, of Ebrington', in Glouncestershire; who conveyed it, ;,orn the add of November 17341, toThomas' q.: fourth Viscount Tracy, of Rathcioule, Charles Keyte, ' his- eldest sosi by Anmne, -daughter of in' Ireland; William, whom it was sold, in December, 1740, toJamnes Kendall, in th sa (sow of James Kendall, Esq. M IP. uards, and. ofte gentlemen of then dchpim-hrAo by C one Colonel } 711 JA , { S a el , t N"fif Nfx ='-K"x C-7 r 4r ', '_ LR Y , OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILINS 91 No the Second,) who, by will aed the 2th his estates, stjeg 1759, gave the College, with 41. John Weston, Es9 . Ito Jane his wife, the fifth daughter sof Ockham, in Surry. Under Mrs. Kendall's will, made in the year,'176.6, the college came (after. heirdeath, which qof August,:1769).to.her nephew, took. place on the 81st Rev. John Fullertop, Rector of AllCanonsin-Wilts, ,who-sold-it in 1796, to Edmund Battershee,.Esq. of Strat. ford, by.whom it was entirely taken down in .179; and, the following; year, the -furnitm'e of the house,'together with a large collectiot of family portraits, bunting pieces, :nd other paintings, having -been sold by auction, on the 13th, 14th, and 15th June,1797j;The building itself, which was.surrounded by extensive gardns and :pleasure was capacious,, Jawdsome, and. strong;, being grounds, ;James of sveinber, the .of wholly, construtcted of hewn free-stone; the east entrance under a-large door-way, (emiellishe4 with the arms of Jeyte,) into a spacious hall, extending the whole length of the front,. and vaulted to the roof; the concave .ceiling was was ,was four ,liegantly .stucco adorned wit4, wqrk;;..and4 at each angle, of representations of, the emblematical symbols Evangelists ; they north wing was occupied by the apartments,, originally destined. for the :warden and offici. priests, and .since converted ..into a modern dining room, drawing room, and ibrary; in the opposite wing was he itchen, withi its offices, stablest coach-houses, .&c. &c, arude Otng, 92; THE'GUILD AND CHAPEL OF THE Tits HOLY CROSS, FaA.TERNT'FY, which was partlyreligious, had the and partly civil, existene as early as reign of Edward Dugdalle says;"ymta ge the First, being used, a~s " ment of friends and neighbours,'who particular lip cc cences them,: for conferring lands.or Ycrts, to c' defray their public harges; as' by the statute of Mort.: ' main, such gifts would otherwise. have been forfeited.' Stratford, and theybrethrmi the year. 126, .Robert and sisters of this ; fraternity, obtained permission of God. Bishop of Worcester, to found au hospitals frey and erect a chapel for their, use; which was accordingly done under Robert, de Stratford's direction. i ishop Gif. fard appointed Robert-de Stratford their firstmaster, giving them the rule of:St. Austin, with a.proper, habit; and this in afterwards call'ed he Hospitalof.'eIeolt/Gross, For the support of this institution, several inhaStratfordl. bitants of Stratford, in the 5th of Edwrd the Third, obtain.. red leave. to grant, to the.use of this guield, sundry -smallrents had granted .to .'de In Giffard, was arising from certain houses hre' and, inthe 7th of ard; the Second, to- the Rich. Ricbard. Fille (then- resident in this town) eight mnessuages, one toft, and half . foundation, a yard land, lying is °Stratford, Clifford, and Shottery, zr~thout 'icence. o .. Which accouint they were. forfeited to the crown; i: ut their po'pularity having by this time considerably increased, Henry the Fourth, by letters patent, dated at Westminster, the 8th of June, in his 4th year, gave permissidilto Thomas Aldebury, Clerk, Nicholas Sauser, jun. and Thomas Compton, sen. ijof only to continue to them.. pelves, and the brethren and sisters of "the guild, the twenty yard land, s-nessuages, three shops, 4s. and 4d. rent, and the moiety of two burgages, in Stratford-upon-Avon; iBridgetown, and Rhyrne.Clifford, (which Edward the Third gave half ,a 93 by letters patentdated the 12th of November, in his 5th.year, ,but, confirmed unto, them,) at their discretion, to make and begint a new fraternity rof themselves and other of their friends, to the honour of the Holy Cross, and St. John the Baptist, and to provide two priests to celebrate divine scr. vice within their chapel. They were also empowered nually to.chue sight aldermen' out.of their society, who should.have the :powe.er of electing a master, proc.. tors, to superintend and manage their lands and revenues; to whom- and their successors, .the brethren might assign the same for ever.. This patent was confirmed at Xestinstct, the .of June, 4the 7th of.Henry the S th.* had an, and two 1-5th In this state it .appears to hae continued, till the general survey was taken in'the 26th of Henry theEighthA.D.l535V there at which period, it was' found that were four priests belonginlg to the uild, each qf whom had uan;nnal stipend of 51. 6s. 8d. and a pertain clerk, who was: sc'oolmaste here, at 101. per ann.: By the survey made in the 37th of Henry the Eighth, their lands and tenements, with thetithes ,f Wilmcote, (which, together with the rectory or chapel of Little Vinlcote, were given to Thomas Clopton, their mash der,.by. 1Hpnry L'isle, of Moxhull, in this county, Esq. nn4 *Some, disputes; in process of times having arisen between the blaster of the guild and the Warden of the Collegiate Church, Bisho, F'ulton, as the mediator, ordained, that the Fraternity of the Holy Croce should pay nill their titlies and oblations to the Collegiate Church; that they should bury no dead, nor ,administer any sacraments, except giving the blessed bread and .wine to the sick; that, at the four great feasts in the year, the Master of the Hospital, together with the chaplain brethren, should personally come to the Collegiate Church, and there nttend. divine service; the chaplains of the Guild officiating in thi surplices, with the chaplains of the Church; that they should ther, make all their offerings : and, in token of their subjection to the Colle,; ;irate Church, they should. yearly pay thereto 4s. at the feast of the de, dication. This ordination bears date the 27th of September, l43O an4 94 Eli aeth his wife, temp. E4ward.the Fourth,) were vauedat of 501. per ann, There was at that time a mansion.house for the four prjests,* having five chambers, one dove-house 1eto nging.to it; and Dalun was master of the gamsmar sdcool, with an annuity of 101. John Combes, steward, having aF of 20s. per annum; a fee ,cook,- serritpf -to thle priests, who had.l s. per annum; q~ dlersk, serving in the chapel, who had 4s. per annum; and a bailiff, collector of-the rents, 11. 6s. 8d. perannum. ;3y the same survey it also ' ppeared, tlat the whole societ ty, with their tenants, &a. met once a year to settle the of. fers accounts; there being,- according to the ancient torm, 21.1-3s. 4d. allowed for defraying the charge of the that 'the - yearly for-wine and wax, spent jn the chapel, was to the four priests, (exclusive o their annual stipend of 51. 6s.-8d.) for several diriges there sng, was paid 6s. 8d. and to four people belonging to the guild, somewhat reduced in their circumstances, yearly, anongst them. It further append, that Jjenre 4th as accounted the founder of the guild; and that one of the p;rests, (teacher of' the grammar school,) celebrated diving ,upwards garden, and q cus feast: allowance 40s.; 21.13s. 4d. 'service in the chapel, for the convenience of iulrm people, ~ho could not- attend at the church, which. was at a consi?, ~enable distance from some parts of the town. This ancient fraternity being dissolved, its possessiorns Appear to have remained in the crown, till the. 8th of June, 14 the 7th of Edward the Sixth, A. D. 1553;- at which time and, together with the cha. they were at sel, guildhall, and alms-houses, (as well as the great tithes, 3 41. per annum, formerly 4belonging to the Col;. valued ~ege,) at were *This plse valued 461.3g.z2d. granted to the members of the corporation, whq mansion was probably. situated, on the scite of the oqn the south side of-the hel 'yic~ 95 werie enjoined, by charter, to apply the rents and profits to certain -charitable and other uses, elsewhere noticedi this ION, town, Sin Itvmi Cr oa'.. That liberal. benefactor to Knt. (who then resided here,) took down the chapel (except the chancel, w hich, from the material difference in the masonry, colour of the stone, architecture of the wig. dows, &c. evidently appears of much greater antiquity,-be ing probably part of the original fabric,) and rebuilt it in beautiful manner:, at his sale expence, in the latter end of the reign: of .henry the Sevelnth. It is dedicated to the holy Trinity, and is a well built and handsome structtre; the architecture of the windows being in imitation of theeit the -chancel, o r choi-r of the Collegiate Church. A Against the vast wall of the nave, (but lately removed from the south wall,) is erected a monument to the memory are the arms of the of the,.builder'of this fabric ; on city of London, Mwith those of Sir Hugh, and the following inscription :iThis -monumental table erectedA. Dxi.-1708, t request of this corporation, (by Si. JOHN CLOrrox, of their'Recorder, ) -in memory of Sni. HUGHClopton,. (a younger branch of yt. ancient faii which ye. ,wats KNT. CLOPTON, Knt. works were so -many & great,, they otught ly,) _whose pious to he had in e terlasting ,remembrance, especialy by thia$ town & .parish, to which he was a particualar :be nefactor; where- he. gave -1001. to poor -housekeepers, & 100 tarkk ,marriages Tth. to 20 poor maidenvsOf -good their , -name*& -over fame,- to lie paid at Aivo-, lie built. ye. stone bridge ye. caiwey .at ye.- west esd; farther manifesting his pi. love to this place of his nativity, as ety .to G ode Centurion, in ye. Gospcl did to :ye. Jewish Nation & Reli. gion, by building them a Synagogue; for at his sole charge,: was rebuilt, happel, of ye. Holy Trinity,temp. I. VII. & ye. Cross Tie of y e. parish Church. this beautiful-- Hi. .96 ,gave 501. to ye.. rePdi'ing of bridges & highways, within 10 also made a causey, 3,mies from AYLESBURY towards London, & one mile on thisside; 3 & gave an Exhibition to 3poor scholars in OxonD & 3 in CAMDRIDGE; to eachscholar 31. per annu. for 5:years. of LONDON, le was likewise a great benefactor to of which, he was an Alderman, & LORD MAYOR Ao. 1492. lie gave 1001. to poolr Householders; & 100 marks to 20 Maidens, of that City, td be paid at their marriages; 201. to ye. Prisoners in ye. 4.chief prisons; 281. to 5 pitals; 101. to ye. Chamber of LONDoN; 101. to ye. corn. Parson of ye. mon box of ye. Mercers ; and 40s. to tithes forgotten; parish where: he limed, for offerings and besides legacies.to a great number of religious houses, to divers of his relations & friends, to ye. executors & otersoers of his will; to all his god-children & - vauts, he.ordered, that if certain of his legatees (who were his near relations.)should die-before they came to lawful or were married,their legacies, (amounting to than 3004)r together with a d parto e esdeo i chattels, after debts, funeral expences & legacies miles of this town. Hie ye. City .poor hog. ye. age, move goods & disposed Pinaid, should -be of in repairing decay'd churches, househvolders, h relieving poor in WARWICK shire especialy in :helping-:poor prisoners, in amending bridges & highways, insmaintaining -poor children' at school, in portions .to poor, good works & alms deeds. honest maidens, or charitable Gent. died aBachelr. 15. Sept.11496, & was in S'AIN ' MAIG~ar's2 Church,' Lothbury, LOxNON, having well observ'd ST. PAUL'S charge to them that are rich That they do good, that they be rich it. this.XVWorld;" "good JWorks, ready to distribrcte, willing comitewuniate; thicmselves, a good Foundation store "lajingup other if, This buried in for that in they-Ira lug hold on eteriwat 17, 18, 19 . i1. j~vi. (cv and do thou likewisee"Likex. V370 the thime to come, ' "ginst "Life." to 01 the pulpit, is die following;... Upon thse foot~, near ;ughite r of Richd. In memory of ArthAt LLA .ELh, Cliffoq,) who died 16th day of' Decor. ~ighto , Esqr. 11787, aged 78, ,(of In the sorth-east corner of the £haacel, With Ricardi Croft, A , .M., apud lpos is 4 flat stone, this inscription Stratfordienses 'circiter septeudecin. Vicaril; omnib. Eeclihe memorandi 4 an. quen dementia tandem- Dei a viris nempe de mundo, ac vita. An. Dan-, lNalis conrertiss. fmvliciter avocavit. Die 9 sine LB Ex ainicorn. samptibs, ; ~ DCC °AJ Apr. t. The walls were formerly ornamente4 with notions paintings., which discovered during the reparation o~f hi 1804; and upgrxa crefully scraping off the the many with which they were whitew ,ssl and were. found to he nearly in a perfect- state. rThe most iincieut \vere thos~e in the chancel,* which were probably coeval with that part of the chapel, before conjectured to have been erected by Robert de Stratford, in, or soon after the year 12i96: many parts of them, particularly the cross. ps had been evidently mutilated with some. sharp: instru.. chapel, parts were cov ered, paint *Paintings somewhat similar to., and probably of the same, age with those lately discovered in the Chiancti,gftis Ohapet, are in many' places to be seen in the Transept the fColkfiate C1hurch, particularly einder the gallery leading to the organ J ft; end the following ipacrip~ rtop inblack fetter, yet remains upon the north Wtal'i- of -----q o it~e,a iqtcqull t no ~it bett tug uf a pnat tqii po;*g quag CM Pt rtvptesca fat%u. btoatope ti~u% Cjuauq"t a'~N ns 9$ ment by the ill..directed ravages. of time had zeal .of our _ arly also. contributed. to much, that the plaiste~r upon. whic . of necessity taken down before, reformers;,- thie injuire them~ so they were. paiinted, wad the reparations could be compleated; so that those which were in the chancel, with a small -exception, are now destroyed ;. the rest in -the nave being painted on the, stone itself, yet remair4, though again~ coloured over.* It is presumed, that a description of those which were most perfect will not be unacceptable, particularly to antiquarian readers. Against the the arch, west wall of'the nave, upon the south side of. was' painted the martyrdom of Thomas a Becket,' whilst kneeling at"the altar of St. Benedict, in Canterbury' Cathedral: below this, was represented the figure of an angel, (probably St. 'Michael,)' supporting a long scroll, upon which were written the following rude verses ontiude t ougbe. Qtt .outs of etjth ad) gotgu upon ertb a.t ntt of nought tirtlj lb rtb upon etlj bath sett altl jp tljobhjt o~tabetl upon 4 tat nmap be b pbrotogbt tb ppn ee4tljtolwbe a lupn but h~ots then ectb ottpn eertlb etljpnh notljpg ~illjeu sal' 1ibtnp%ems. bi reutp%Ivbjom bngn ij~enc~jatt eeelj upon ereb ba1te 'la npt ug .,Leland in IhisItinerary says, ".about the body of. this, chaple' "swas cusriously paynted the Daunce of Deathe, commonly called thie was soinetyme there paynted "GDaunce of'; Powles, becawse the c' abowte the yteDkeoSmretmoe CloistersI on the north-west syd of Powles Churche, pullfro. .6"I uhpit same ings of the Dance of Death now-exist in the body of our chapel, they are. probably upon the north acid south walls;,greater part of the pews, &c, uinder the large windows, not being disturbed in the late srtir 4&tj pon £xt j to rnt caoteltp anri totuirp Seen 9getlj ertlj unto ertj tbrjp oall otrpo IpvjurdobothrpO beM rtjupon b cErjtI)ft) Zbn gcj~U t rtj for crtb ouftur ~an jarti tjott'r %Ortb garb upon trtt a# man upon mottn spite a#ertlj upon crib ntorx goo ocjoti it gotb anDipct upon ertlb a g geoterp~ng 0oti gcball ertlj unto 'trtlj ratifier thern beft mb, go upon.er nt Ut~jp trtb tobttlj eLtWbon= me tpnltt that tj at ertlj tziolti for trtlj ottjer gbuctt or n1vn. lben trttj rogtjt 1lui1 pn br n 'ljzn gijiuttb upon trtb babe a font gtpnkt Or tbr . sar ,o trtij upon t rtl ctt tlr tljot fi 1lob £rtab toflttf)to ?rtl nafiptaU tar 04 31 Z be itje gcjafl ertlj upon trtlj goo Ototute or ga ej out of crtab gcjaUt patge' pn pour arap rtlj counfiU ecrtij upon ertb pg tuontiurtp Ioglje, tupt pt. ertb upon ertbj to torn fbpg tbotuat - nti prap to on upon trtbj pt. alt . rtlj:liwogfjttat alt rrpftpn gotutll0gto p4. l p tgp betbrogt g Beneath were two men. holding body wrapt in a winding -sheet, another scroll over and emblems of mortality with, these lie:nogoo tjpnx t itogj to 31ntarlip andi oftt fYotttlbarkrlipt to fLet 1inmbeur to prpt f1rom prpt to pzpnr ?ctaat urn gcbatl c~ps %rtcpn thontnot tIo no ppn Ott c4 tuortn to tipit lcr a covered -with some 100 , On the oppo to. side of the arch wits. epreet ed the- combat between: St. George and the Dragon ; his spear was of the monster, after which he appears broken in the pieckc to have, encountered him with his sword. Behind stood the princess for whom he' is fabled to have fought,. and in the distance a castle, appeared river, ships, &c. Under this was, am allegorical painting, corresponding figure of the: martyrdomi of Becket. A with that beneath a man, singularly habited,, was represented standing on a pedestal, holding in one handa cup, the contents not easily bp to -lug ascertainoed, and with his left, opening a box, contain. money, presented by agrotesque figu~re with wings, (prod" bably intended to represent an evil a spirit,) byachain dawn who was endea.. fastened round his enormous mallet was middle; while similar figure with attempting to break: the pedestal: .omx each. side,. was an vouring to pull him, an s-sxo, with. aninseriptionin Latin;. and various other sc'rolls similarly inscribed, 'were attached to th Almighty surrounded the evil spirits.' Above inscriptions, much fiutilated, were as by angels. angel bearing a. appeared The follow :- Quanl. O a :iiC libi test Fhitrtti5tn-------t nont? ~ptnt xnication co aneabecrig at Pewite--C51"- --- - eteto factant atat, et aai -aq amablie - ~b --. emabo 't% tue - :al- --- ann -l - bibe e. omnen Matt inmmn. et '-enrabme, ot on - n baw, ta.met DRio-aKntoi ninV c t tbi ctrtum p nuA- tog; n i n e ac h of the i'c lie s, l. etw t n - -I e ei T e e igh t la rge w i nid th ow s on the north and. south. sides of the nave, was painted a whole length .figure; of a. saint;and, over the great arch representation of the Ieading itnto the chanc l4 "f 'Judgment our Savianjr,, w~eted axoe, surrounded by pv was a, Day 106i of nagels or his right hand, at the -entrance hto a castle tower, stood St. Peter with the keys, Surrontded by iru.4 bers that pressed for adnittance; amongst whom might be seen, numerous crowned, as well as mitred heads; the only ones that wore asly distinguishing badges. The left side was curiously descriptive of the punishment of the wicked. The paintings on the chancel walls (as before observed) were more ancient than those in the nate, and apparetiy executed'at or near the time this part of the.chapel was built. On the north side were eight compartmen ts, four between the two windows, and two each side of them; they were square, uniform size:and style: scrol at the bottom of each, originally contained an inscription Latin or English, illustrating the subject; but generally either illegible or viery imperfect. The first upper compart.. tuenton this side represented-a battle; principal figure en a white horse, and another onabrown one, were with their spears. hearing down their antaonsts; while two others on foot. were fighting with. swords r all were armed; the vietorious party bore the cross on- their breasts, and their, adversaries°, a lion ramnsat, gules: the standard bearer of displayed the arms of his respective party; but. instead of a. lin rampant,. as on their armour, th rooted ,forces had on their' standard, a lion passanrt gar n in by a In the each, dant,. sable. of As, a In an, upper corner the picture, crowned figure with an angel,. and them ascross:s the inscription destroyed. Tiem mtpartnemrt beneath presented two seen, completely armed- and wearing crowVs 1 upon a. bridge; at a little distance, anid separated frm- the- combatants; by barrier, were, nmerokis, other betwixt fghting a amdmn:o.tebesoonothcobtns{-hwas plunging. a weapon, resembling the ancient bill, intw his adversary's bosom,) was a red cross, -and Ioex chu% Apon part of his armour: the inscription: ol the lower re;. t he -- 102 ,scroll.:was perfect at. the 'omlmencemer#, aiid read thus, 'le= tactia a crp t n pra ce faitnljte bttlj pe. oin of (olbrop bl tr tbnas a Srzt znrn of ft of C rp4t' , two Between. the two windows wre four compsartmenfs; :above, and two'-below; the subject of the first upper one was the interview of the Queen of Sheba with Soloirron, who was represented with his crown, sceptre, acid regal words robes:: on the border of the latter were the 1Rex ~a tonon. T1he Queen of Sheba; richly arrayedi was seeming.: ly in Consversation with him ; several attendants around; and beyond them appeared a gate with a portcullis, and part of a town; inscription on the scroll began 1Rgina r~aa -.renmainder except the-word ptr o(ttuv, was illegible. The other compartment; was connected with the subject of the the oaba -. the two below, and next to :befeet, 4and read described: thus,-lptthan pvtm the scroll was per.: 3 ipakhtt jici ybi zbiwntl b~erg croO- tijat once abiouvre ffrD p ratlj altn onge a tbl to lpfr, 'The EZmpress Helena was represented bearing the cross -in her. arms~ and touching with it the bo~ lstlj Uae from dy of a in a female,- ly ing coffin; an attendant carried the two other crosses,. (in size mnore like crutches,) one on 'ea'ch shoolddr : meni dogs, trees; atid beasts, filled up the land.: stapes The pair of paintings beneath, represented other parts of-the same history,. and in point of time precede' the picture. The first ev idently seemed intended express the setting, out of Helena for Jerusalem, in search of thehIloly Cross, after the miraculous victory obtained by her son Cornstantine:. the inscription was entirely obliter." last described to ated, andi the centre of the picture destroyed~ where Helena oft may be supposed to :have been drawn, seated a white horse ; her crown only and part of the horse remained there attendants on horseback, and before there vent two men, blowing singularly shaped trumpets, to one of. was suspended a red banner inscribed. i b 0: behis4 were four which 103 them was seen a ch urch, a4c, other public buildings, (part stood Qf a town,) and on' the top of an embattled" tower two persons of distinotion, viewing the. cavalcade:" The ad.* joining. compartmnent, represented Jielena attended, among by others, person of consequence, denoted b~y a hawik upon his~fist; she was addressing a Inan in a supplicatory: posture, who seemed just liberated from a prison, at the door of wlhichi stdod_ the. keeper, with a key in his in the ancient breviari the t pis corresponds cif the Rtoiisjihnrch, wherein Helena is said, on her arri-' val at Jerusalem, to have called before her, Judas, the grandon of achlius, and commrandea hinm to show lher-the wood of the cross, which" he evading or, refusing was cast into a place of confinement, without food, for seven days.; at Qonbeing released, for the end of which period, lie produce the cross., In the baick ground of the samve picture, with hand: acpnt es promised, ( y a licence. very usual with the. designers of those days,>' was represented the finding' of the three crosses ; two -men the two lesser cross. working with pickaxes ))ad discovered es, and Helena was depicted assisting, with maich devotion tq h~ear that of our Saviour., Part of the inscription only ret.4 TJ ; to er c.onpartment beyond. the -next window was ofw of those inttentionally mutilated; (as befoe mentioned.; tim inscription likewise'-was -illegible; h~ut fgom what re~ of th~e painting,,, it was :Qbvioiisly a continuation of;~ inained the newly discovered cross,, the subject la~st treated upon: word. supported by three persons, ozne of a parently a crown,-.stood in front of an. altar and- cru-cifix,. before,: which as whom a bjshop was ceasinig; Helena knelt beside the altar, did 'amale figure, wearing 'a crown.: angels, playing on: m~usical instrumnits, appeared in a. corner of the °pictu re. this was represented the martyrdom of some chritian; Above ~in "; who, with hkands elevated, aiid .clad; in. a wl ite .robe, ?04 meekly was subn itting himself to the.fword ,of his executi. oner, a man in armour, and, crowned : over the martyr's head, and beneath a kind of--gothic canopy, was depicted a yellow cross~ and sun, upon a red ground: view of a .castle in the distance. This compartment, as well as the last, was considerably mutilated, and tl~inscription also waniting. On the south side of. the chancel, and opposite the last were two oblonig ones parrallel with other ; (those, on the north side being square;) the easterly, one represented a person- on horseback, in 1 described paintings, each, most royal -robes, haud ; crowned, ,could The the nrumber of not and bearing a sceptre in his right his attendanits, who- were, on foot,, accurately traced, as the centre of the piece, whorc;the cross seemingly was supported by one or more of them, been intentionally destroyed4, and doubtless had the reformation.- at, The inscription, on rernaing, was perfect, and read thus -i. cro~ o re z rwn Above to the part of the scroll - The was an angel, -flying towards them. pompanion this painting was .much more mutilated,. the bottom part; pnd cenrtre of the piece tbeing entirely destroyed; yet enough.. Tained to furnish, a conjecture, that-this and the last were to ~tended represent the removal of the, press from Mount C~aly;ary .to Jderusalgm. In front .of the gate of entrance to Scity, f (of which several buildings appeared, and on the wall: par zit -f pod in- was ihscr~bed " 3 altta) was seemn.the transverse: the, cross, .(the lower part being entir ely ohfl terated,.) appeared.to. have seen e~lrried by the -king 4ecscrihed which the- last painting, who ;prohahly was hareheaded,, Was as, a: -and crown held by one-of his aftendants : a female personage PE"di tinh Lion, and others, were represented kneeling; of a whzite banner, bearing .i lh surmounted F~kw was introduced -ft an upper corned of the pictuo part; with 4. 105l Whatever subjects had been delineated betwixt the two windows on this side, ,were so completely destroyed, pre_ vious to removing the coats of whitewash in 1804, that scarce a trace remained. was painted a red, and a greyish .Oter the vicar's door, coloured dragon; and on each side had been an oblong compartment, corresponding with those last described: that dearst the window (tolerably well preserved) repre. sented a bishop in rontflcalibuskneeling before a crucifix; of at youth held his crosier, and therewas one the inscription, a single word only remained, ending the frst line; viz. Pevjnttt. Above was an angel supporting a red shield ; on which was depicted a chalice, continin the host. Of the corespoming panig nl h oe subdivision remained perfect ~this represented, on a red ground, the heart, hands, and feet of our Saviour, pierced with the nails and spear, and bleeding: beneath was this inscription,-iflt fit mo140a bulnttc1mquinq. spectator: VM this fraternity It should be recollected, that the. title of Guild of the Holy Cross ;" which will account both 'for the choice of subjects in the chancel, and for the was ".The peculiar violence offered to those paintings where'the cross was a prominent object. In the front of the porch is a niche, (which might on.ginally have contained some statue,) surmounted by a cross. Beneath are two compartments : in each of these is the figure of an angel, supporting two shields ; on which are carved the arms of the City of London, and the Mer. chants of the Wooi-staple; with those of Sir Hugh, and an. other shield, viz, a fesse vair. between three leopards' faces, generally supposed to be the original 'arms 'of the borough. the chapel (in -the tower of which are The dimensions of 0 106 two bells and a clock, the latter being the gift of Sir John CTopton, Knt.) are as follow - The Feet in1Lngth,-breadth, 1i6iht, tower, .... 20.... 20... _......... Tt 30....24. lefgth, fror east to west, THE 58 54....33...4 The nave,.... The chancels. .............. - ..24 .10 GUILD HALL, Which'adjoins the chapel on the south side, was built tinder the- direction of Robert de Stratford, as before no. ticeci, (Wh'o obtained periission for that pirpose,-froufGod. frey Giffoid, bishop of WVroreeer, ifa 1296jand aPPropri. ided to the use of td fraternity of the foly Cross,-though the frequent exterfa ateratioi's aid repairs it has under. gone, have given it a more so'erif appearance. The'large room'below, together with the si ialrer ais niow used'by the Corporation, on council, and other particular days-and here their records, manuscripts, &c. are deposited. Over the hail is TfE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, t~ree for all boys who are natives of the borough,. which . vas founded- in' the reign of Henry the Sixth, by the Rev., --- Jolepe, M. A. (a native of this town,. and member, by of the before-mcntioned guild,) and a revenue given hinm to .that fraternity, support of this his seft for the perpetual mlinary.. At the: geheral dissolution of chantries, religious houses, &c. this guild shared the common fate ; and all were seized by the crown, remaining in the same its, revenues ill the reign of Edward the Sixth. This good prince may be considered as the second founder of the school; for, about a fortnight before his death, he granted an ample charter of 'incorporation, with. many privileges, the principal inha.. to. itnso-the Jborough; :and Qon certain conditionssei 107in the charter, (such as amongst other the support of this grams#r s,,chool,) he restored to them the houses and lands fiat h. ,d been taken by his;father from the ancient guild. By virtue of this charter, the master of the free gram. mar school, receives from the corporation of Stratford, an annual stipen4 of 201. and is provided with a dwelling house' so long as he contislues it that office. The Duke of Dorset as Lord of the Manor, has the sole right of appointing the master. to this which is now under the direction of the Reverend John Whitmore, LL.LI. Adjoining the guild htaitl are the school; ALMS IOUSES; In.which (before the dissolution of the guild) 'twenty. four poor people were maintained by that fraternity. Up.. on the incorporation of the 'town in these alms hous. es were appointed to be continued and maintained in the same manner as, the school. There are now twelve poor ZIen, and an equal number of women supported therein, by a weekly allowance of 2s. 6d. each : several other perquisites, cloathing, &c, are annually given to them, and each has a. separate room to reside in. This building, though much modernized, is probably of equal antiquity with the guild hail; being, what are called, half thered hoquses, an4 1553, exhibiting at this time a very decent appearance, THlETOWN WALL, First erected in 1633, was a lofty 'edifice? built on seznicircular arches, supported by round columns, with a cu.. pola on the top, under, which was suspended the market bell; there being a common goal at the south, and a pillory at the north end. Above was a large handsome room;s =which, being occasionally used as a muunition ,was' in the year 1642 magazine for. arms very materially and injure. 108 by the accidental 'explosion of a barrel of gunpowder, and the :adjoining house (now the Shakspeare Inn) much day maged. The walls of the hall-chamber were afterwards strengthened with large iron bars extending across the room; in which state it remained till the year 1767, when the great est part of it was taken down; and, in the following year, the present TOWN hALL, a fine structure in the-Tuscan der, was built; and dedicated to the memory of Shakspeare, by David Garrick; Esq. at the Jubilee, in 1769. Against the west front are the arms of the corporation, viz. a che. between three leopards'faces; and a niche at the north end is placed an exccllent statue Qf Shakspeare, which, at the conclusion of the Jubilee, 'was presented to the cor poration by Garrick, as a memorial of his veneration for the matchless original. The bard is represented in 4 graceful attitude, (as on his monument in Westminster Abbey,) resting upon some volumes, placed on a pedestal, ornamented with three-busts, viz. Henry the Fifth, Richard the Third, and Queen Elizabeth. Upon a scroll, to which he points, are the following lines, selected fr~n his own Misummer Niight's Dra Or. vron, il lasting judiciously "rm h s ra:The o poet's eye,u in m e n M d a fine frenzy' rolling , i h earth, SDoth glance 'fromt heaven to from earth to heaven; "cAnd, as imagination hodies forth "The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen "Turns them to shapes; and 'gives to airy nothing "A local habitation, and a name." Upon the pedestal beneath, let:- are these words from 11am.. take him for all in all, "GWe shall not look upon his like again." Below is the following iscription:The corporation and inhabitants of Stratford, assisted by the munificent contributions of the nobility and gentle- 109 men of the x4cighbourhood, rebuilt this edifice, in the year 1768. 'The statue of Shakspcarc, and his picture within.. w given ere by DIa -id Garrick, Esq. long The great room, which is' BO feet and 30 wide, adorned with several very large and-elegant paintings:at. the north end is an admirable one by Wilson, wherein our inimitable poet is represented in the attitude of inspiration, sitting in an antique chair; upon the ground lie books and M.S.S. among the former are distinguished North's Plutarch's Lives, Jlolingshed's Chronicles, Cj . thio's Novels, &c. being spine of the authors which Shaks peare consulted; and in the.window are the arnorial bear. ings of his family. At the south end is a whole length painting, by C ainsborough, of David Garrick, Esq. reclin. ing against a pedestal; upon which is represented a but.of his favourite author. These paintings were presented to the corporation by Garrick, in 1769. There is also ann. ther superb painting of the late John Frederic, Duke of Dorset, presented by his Duchess to this corporation. .Be. hind the great room, are two smaller ones; and below ar and the kitchens, several &c. with two cells, or places of confinement. THlE MARKET HOUSE. It .is unknown by whom, or at what time this market gouse (or, as it is generally called, the cross) was built; but it was certainly subsequent to the reformation; and is probably as ancient as the time of Elizabeth. It is 4._ tuated at the top of High-street, and tolerably well adapted to the use for which it was intended. In the centre arc remains (viz, the base with part of the shaft) of an ancient cross, which undoubtedly stood there long before the erc. the formerly at tion of the present market house. There was the north end of Rother Market, and Wood-street, opposite 110 another stone cross; some parts of which were, i the men msory of the inhabitants, remaining two Qr three feet above ground, and the foundation of it may still be perceived. Tmu GREAT STONE- BRIDGE AND CAUSEWAY, Crosses the Avon from east to west, at the northern cx_. tremity of the town; being confessedly the noblest edifice of its kind upon this beautiful and extensive river: it is 376 yards in length, about 16 feet wide; walled ,offboth sides, and consists of'fourteen principal arches, with five small ones under the causeway at'tile, west end. On the third pier from the east end, is a stone pillar, decorated with the arms of the city of London, and the Clopton family; under which is the following inscription: Sr. ILvHuCLOVTON, Knight, LordMayor of London, built this bridge, at his own proper expence, in the reign of King Henry ye. Seventh. During " Wars, part of this bridge"by comc the Civil wand front the Parliamtent, in pursuant directions fron (I Cot. "Cty, Bridges, was broken down, for and securinge the coun.. preventinge the incursions of appears by 11w two. orders made at the-Sessions enemnje5," as in 1651 , for its reparation at the charge of the county,. for thqat time oily ; thei corporation being bound, by their charter, to defray such expences : the care of -this--work. was given to Willian4 Combo, Esq. one of the Justices of the peace. There is no particular mention as to what part of the bridge was demo-. lished, and afterwards re-edified in 1652; but upon a close inspectio , it appears to have been the second arch froml erection of this bridge, there thec east end. Previous to one of timber only, and no causeway; on which account was thme the passage was very dangerous on the -overllowimng of river. the - 4 V I!V Cal r t< Si I' NMI i ._ t2 M'me 1 f t " .d i r . ry't t.rri - 1 L 1 to~tn 3. fi . 1'i'la Ga. ct' - Glr; ti L? RYW OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS A1.1 There is another bridge, for foot passengers, (built in 1590, as appears by a stone at the east end,) which stands over a shallow ford below the mills it consists of a wooden frame, forty-eight yards long, elevated upon eight-stone piers, and railed on each side. In 1595, the corporation co.. venanted, by deed under their common seal., with Sir Geoge Carew, Knt. of Topton, (afterwards Earl Totness,) Sir Edward Greville, Knt.; of _Milcote, Sir Baptist ilickes, Bart. of Campden, Rainsford,.Esq. of Cliff'ord, and others, (at whose expence this Bridge wits erected,) keep Hercules. it in perpetual repair, to 112 1}c GRAPICAL ACCOUYNT or 9010tN EM1ITENJ' PERSONS, AT, ontWHO HAV ERESIDED) IN STI-ATFOiID-UJPON MoX. A-V~ O +, JOHN DE STRATFORD dRCBINHIIDIOP OF CA LRURY. lwaS born at StratfordiponLAvoxfy CIIgreat man the son of Robert de S trdtford and Isabel his wife; persons, it may be presumed,. of suilent fortune and much respectability, from their giving their two sons, John and date of their birth Robert, a'liberal education. age is not very certain: but, as John, the eldest, died in the year 1348, in Edward the Third's reign, and as he was fifteen yea'rr Archbishop of Canterbury,"and ten years Bishop of Winchester, if we assign the term of fifty years bIeing and The before his episcopal consee'ation, his age will then be 75, and the time of his nativity .about the the viz, near c'omrneneed was eminently Archdeaconry at Merton~ College, Oxford, eanon axnd civil law; of which he Doctor, and in which, by all The course of his sftadies ay, for a long time, in the he year 1273, beginning. of the reign of Edward the First.. accounts, skilled. His first preferment was to the of Lincoln : when, being famous for his and good government of that jurisdiction, Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury, made him his, prin.. learning, dpal Official, and Dean of the Arches ; and King Edward the Second, solely in regard of his merit, shortly after that, appointed him his Secretary, and a Mlember of the Privy 113 Council. It was generally the custom, in those days, for the Popes to assume the privilege of conferring English Bishoprics, and other high spiritual preferments, on whom they thought proper; and John de Stratford happening to be Ambassador at Rome, at the time of the death of Re. ginald de Asser, Bishop of Winchester, the Pope, at the request of Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury, bestowed the Bishopric of Winchester on John de Stratford, then present with him. This was done without the King's pri. vity, whose intention it was to have preferred to that see, Robert Baldock, his Chancellor: and, being enraged that the Pope should give, and Stratford, his subject, should dare to accept the Bishopric without his knowledge, he, for a time, countenanced and encouraged Baldock, who laid many schemes to prevent the other's obtaining it; which, notwithstanding all his efforts, proving ineffectual, he was then as industriously troublesome to him, when invested) to make him weary of it.* John de Stratford was consecrated on the Sunday, then called " multw tribulationes justorum;" (June 26, 1323;) which he considered as a prognostication, that, in the whole course of his life, he should find nothing but continual trou. bles; and the event was undoubtedly suitable to the predic. tion: never, I think, (says the venerable Bishop Godwin,) any Archbishop, either before or after him, giving so little cause and doing his endeavours to please, was more incum. bered with undeserved and frequent crosses. He had no sooner entered upon his diocese, than the King (who was wholly ruled by the crafty Baldock) caused all his effects to be seized, and his livings to be sequestered to his use; and summoned him, by an unusual kind of writ, to appear at a certain time and place, to answer for his conduct; * See Rymer's Fcedera. P Tom. 4, p. 30. 114 (which was generally allowed to be irreproachable;) and when, upon just apprehension of danger, lie was constraine d to abscond, proclamation was made, that no man should dare to harbour him, or even afford him the common ne. cessaries of life. Having suffered many afflictions the space of a year, he entreated his old friend, Archbishop Rey. nolds,* to be an intercessor to the King in his behalf; who mnaking it :appear what a dishonourable action it was, for a nlonareh to persecute a true subject so malignantly, both for another's fault, and for a third man's pleasure too; he was soon won to receive the distressed Bishop into his good graces; and to lay all the blame of that injurious treatment upon Baldock the Chancellor. Being thus restored, he grew daily more and more into the King's favour; and hav. ing now an interval, or short respite from his usual fatigues, as well as the means of being serviceable to others, he took into consideration the state of his native place, STRATFORD ; where, for the good of the iihabitants, he founded his chantry, and continued his kind offices and benefactions to them, in many other respects elsewhere treated of. 'Tis recorded of this bishop as one instance, among many, of his steadiness and loyalty, that towards the close of the reign of Edward the Second, and when all his former ad-.. herents had forsaken that unfortunate monarch, (among whom was even Walter, the Archbishop, who had more than ordinary obligations to the King, for his many favors,) Stratford would never be allured to the contrary part by any means; but served his royal master, both diligently and faithfully to the last hour: for this the Queen and Ro. ger Mortimer, who were then in power, attempted to take * It is probable, that Walter Reynolds' acquaintance with John de Stratford might first commence when the former was Bishop of Worcester, in 1308 ; five years after which he became Archbishop of Can. terbury., 115 away his life; but apprized of their design, he secreted himself from their malice, and was necessitated for a long time to continue his concealment. The Queen, however and her son, (afterwards Edward the Third,) well knowing they had nothing to lay to the charge of this Bishop, but that he was true and loyal to his Prince, were content, only to receive him into their favour, but to appoint him Lord of the Treasury, in the twentieth and last year of Edward the Second. not Upon the accession of Edward the Third to the throne, lie became one of the greatest favourites of that renowned monarch; who, in the early part. of his reign, made him Lord Chancellor of England;* and, upon-the death of Si., iHe was appointed, Lord Chancellor of England, four several 1329, the 4th of Edward times; the first time on the 28th of November, the Third. Being sent Ambassador to France about the public affairs} he did not (like Cardinal Wolsey, Chancellor in the days of Henry Eightb) presumptuously carry the great seal with hin out of the with the tile dom; but delivered it to his brother Ie resumed it soon after,, heing installed Lord Chancellor at York the 6th of April, 1335; and again delivered it tohis.brother, to be kept in his absence. On the 6th of- June, 1336,, lie. was a third time made the king, Robert, oKeeper. Chancellor, but was succeeded by his brother Robert the 23d of. OcThe last time he received the great seal,, was on the 28th; of April, 1341, in the 16th of Edward the Third. lie twice served the, tober, 1338. viz. upon the remioving of William Waiwain; office of Lord Treasurerz, admitted into, len he was, in the 12th of Edward the Second, wh the office of Treasurer, until the King should otherwise determine., 1319,, Stratford found in the treasury, only the small sum of 291.17s. 8d. whieb might be the cause of displacing Walwain,, who had, wasted. the rublic money. After holding this office one year,,lie was succeeded by Walter Stapleton, Bishop of Exeter; and,. the last year of Ed.. William Melton, Arch, ward the Second, he w~as appointed successor bishop of York, in that to honourable situation., in In Philipot's catalogue of tihe Chancellors, Lord Keepers of the-great seal,,and Lord Treasurers of England,,'&c. it appears, that John de Stratford, on the 14th- of November, in the 20th of Edward the Second, went into the exchequers Kipg's eldest wyith, a patent or open wr it, under the seal of Edward, thme mon Mepham, Archbishop of Canterbury, soon aftcr, the King wrote earnestly to the Pope, to prefer Dr. Stratford to the see of Canterbury, to which the monks there, (though they usually claimed to themselves a right of nomination to that dignity, yet,) having lost much of their power, made a virtue of necessity, by electing him and he was therefore, on the first of December, 1333, consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury; a station which rendered him for life, the second person in the kingdom. About.this period, ward the Third began to lay claim to the crown of France, in opposition to Philip de Valois; and crossing the seas with a great army to justify hisspretensions, committed the government of the realm at home, to the new Archbishop; who, besides other general promises of faithfulness and dili. gence, in the charge delivered to him, assured the King he should want no money to defray the expence of this expedition: the people also in general shewed themselves so wil ling to ,contribute, according to their abilities and likewise; Ed. situations son, (afterwards Edward the Third,) to witness his election and creation to the place of Treasurer; a 'copy of which, as it shews to what power the young Prince arrived, previous to the depositijon of his fa- titer, is deserving a place here. " DWARDUS Rex Anglin, et Dominus 1ibernlae, Baronibus et siis de Scaccario suo salutem. Quum pro quod Pater W. [William Metlton] Archiepiscopus Ebornm, super co "Camerariis rahilis vene- Thlesaurarius Scaccarii prmdicti, circa diversa negotia in Isartibus "borealibiis est quo minus intendere possit ad ea qum ad "oficium illud in dicto Scaccario pertinet exercenda. Constitueri"mus venerabilem patrein Johannern, Wintoniensem Episcopurn, te"tnentein .locum Thesaurarii Scaccarii preudicti, quousque de officio "illo aliter duximus ordinandum. Percipendo in eodem officio, (dum "c occupatus, "ilind sic tenuerit,) feodum consuetum pro ut in literis nostris paten,~ "tibus Episcopo praefato inde confectis plenius continetur. Vobis "mandamus quod ipsum Episcopuma ad officium admnittatis, et ei in his 66,qum ad officiur prudictum pertineant intendatis in forina prawdicta. Teste EDWARDO fiuo nostro primogenito, Custode Regni nostri, "'apud Hereford, sexto die Novembris, anno regni nostri vicesisuo." at 117 in life, that the new vicegerent observed, the King might command of them even what lie pleased; nor he-wholly nmistaken in the conjecture, for no sooner had the King landed in France than immense sums were collected with the general approbation, an(I transmitted to Edward upon the continent. This money, (which was thought by the tributors, sufficient to support that war for two or three years,) the King being young and easily to be mistaken.or imposed upon, was spent in less than one year. The Arch bishop, surprized at this, advised the King, by letters, to remove from hint such as had the disposal of his treasure, treachery, it was because that, -without embezzlement impossible so much wealth could be so soon consumed. rT he King, on the other hand, put the Archbishop in mind of his promise, and called upon him continually for move. m~oney: lie then, wx knowing how difficult it would be, ell collect any reasonable sum so soon afte the late liberal contribution, attempted prevail on the King to;accept the reasonable conditions, which he heard the King had offered him, and to come home. The King either was, or seemed to be, exceedingly angry with this motion;yet was con- and to 't French knowing there was no alternative but to return, his money being expended, and his credit with- the usurers stretched to the utmost; he told his soldiers on the one side, that the Archbishop head betrayed him to the French King, who no doubt had bribed him to detain their pay ; and on the other hand, made his creditors believe that the Archbishop had taken upon hn tihe dischiarge. of all his debts, having at length gathered money sufficient for that purpose. Thus the disconstent of these people being either allay.. Archbishop; d or cast upon the it was devised, for the further 'countenance of this that the King should return to England, suddenly, and imprison together scheme, him; With his brother, Robert de Stratford, Bishop of Chiches-. 118 ter,. thcn Lord Chancellor, and Robert Northborough, Bra shop of Coventry and J ichfield, the Lord s.uant to these measures, the King came to London secretly ,by night, arrested the two Bishops and sent them'to-the tower; but the. Archbishop, by mere chance, had gone from smbeth the day before, and having some timely intimation afterwards of what was meant, he withdrew Canterbury, and there remaiiied upon his guard. To this place a mess.. age was brought him from the King, by Sir Nicholas Can.. tikupe, accompanied by John Farringdon, a Notary Public; requiring him to make immediate payment of an immense sumi pretended to have been borrowed of foreign merchants, credit; or else, that he should on his (the cross the seas, and surrender to these merchants his body, satisfied; which the King had undertaken till the debt he should, being encouraged so much by his own promise. Soon after there came messengers from theDuke of Brabant, desiring to speak-with the Archbishop, but upon his refusal to confer with them, they cited him, by writings, to make pay ment of certain great sums, which they pretended he owed to the duke for money the King of England had re-" Treasurer..Pur. to Archbishop's) was ceived ; and this citation they, with' many ceremonies, pub licly fixed upon the high cross at Canterbury. The Archbishop perceiving what a tempest was gather& liug round him, (being both charged with a-debt of many thousand pounds more than he could ever satisfy, and with treason too, that might at length, not only take- away his life, hut make him odious to latest posterity,) wrote many wherein he clearly purged himself of letters to the whatever was objected; and prayed -him not to command his repairing to his presence, till such time as a parliament should be assembled; wherein, if he should be charged any crime, he vowed to offer himself to the baud of justice., Understanding that the King had written numerous invec.. King, with. 119 tives against him, to Ralph, de Stratford, Bishop of London, the Convent of Canterbury and others, intended for public perusal; he thought it requisite, for preserving his crcdit and character, to make his. apology in the pulpit; which he did upon this apocryphal text, that speaks of the greatness of the-prophet Eli, « Non pcrtinuitpriCipe'fn, et potCndu. vicit ilium." (Eccie. xlviii. strenuously main_ taining, and clearly proving his innocence. 46nemo 1.) -Some time after this epistolary altercation,* a pnrlia, ment was summoned; whereto, upon safe conduct being granted him, our Archbishop came; but the Steward and Chamberlain forbade him, in the King's name, to enter the house before he had answered to certain crimes, objected against him in the Court of Exchequer. le accordingly went there, and receiving a copy of the articles, promised to make answer to each of them in their order. The next day, coming for entrance, it was again denied him, by Sir William Attewood, Captain of the King's Guard; and a great number of people flocking. round hmini the mean time, he told them after what manner he had been summoned to the parliament, of which lie was, next the King, a principal member; and that, -being now come, he was kept out by violence: c"but (said he, taking the cross into his own hand,) I will not stir from hence, till either I amn " suffered to resume my seat in the house, or hear some "cause alleged, why I should not." Upon this, some of *Numerous letters passed and repassed, upon this extraordinar'y occasion;: the particulars of wvhich (as they describe the several notions aof church power held in those days) are worth the perusal of the curious: but, as they would swell time account of this great man's lifetoo much5 in proportion to other matters, the reader is referred to w~ell Barnes' life of Edwanrdcap. 18,) the Third, (lib. 1, given entire) with tihe authorities. where they are 120 the was the standers by, reviled and told hinm that e a traitor had deceived the King, and betrayed realm to whom he thus answered:-" the curse-of Almighty God, and of ""his blessed mother, and 'mine also, be upon the heads of "41thosewho informed the King so; amen! amen!" In this hurry some noblemen happening to come out, he requested them to intercede with the King in his behalf, and for the right of his church of Canterbury: their means he into the .house; and leing charged with several heinous crimes, he offered to clear himself of them. Twelve ioblesnen chosen to examine this matter; four prefates, vii. Ralph de Stratford, Bishop of London; B.ishop- of Bath and John, Bishop of Exeter; and Thomas- Bishop- of Hereford: four of Arundel ; William, of Salisbury; William, Earl of lntinigdon ;,and Robert, Earl of Sulfilk: and four Barons, viiz.. Henry, Lord Piercy; Thomas, Lord Wake; Ralph, Lord Basset; Ralph, Lord Nevill. All this was but to niake the Archbishop odious with the common people: fault was committed, and the King, willing the blame of it s-hould rest any where, rather than on himself, by hip agerts and secret foes to the A'rchbishop, (Adam Orleton, by admitted wa. were Wells; Earl Ralph, Earls, viz.,Richard,,Earl and T. Bishop of Winchester, Lord Darcy, and Dr. William Kit. teshy, keeper of the Privy Seal,) occasioned him this great and vexation, to blear the eyes of the people. Theaffair how ever never came to a hearing before the above- trotuble comminittee; for bs on the i~th of April, 1341., the King came' into Saint Edward's (commonly called the painted) chain. ore whom, the- Archbishop, requiring, his gracious her; pardon, publicly humbled himself; and upon the whole par.. liament's general suit and entreaty, was readmitted into the King's favour; who further declared ,himself ,perfectly satistied of his innocence, thanu before. and. ever after' held him more dear 121 Thus ended our metropolitan's troubles; and it was both then and since thought, that the King had no mind to destroy so able a minister, but only to humble and break his high prelatical consequence and authority, which for a while seemed to cope with the regal power: and though some historians accuse Stratford of acting inimical to the interests of his sovereign, yet there is little doubt but he was perfectly innocent, and ill deserving the unjust persecutions of his enemies; for in a few days after his humiliation (the 28th of April, 1341) at the feet of his royal master, he was a fourth time appointed Lord Chancellor, and entrusted with the administration of public affairs. Ile survived this for seven years with much peace and quietness; and having held the archiepiscopal see about fife teen years, he fell sick,* and died (of the plague, as is con. jectured by some) at his manor of Magfield, in the year 1348. Hie was (in Barns' words) a mai of great learning, * It is remarkable concerning Simon de Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury, that when Archbishop Stratford lay upon his death-bed, he foretold that Islip would" be promoted to that see, which happened within two*years after Stratford's death, though two others (John Uf& ord, or Offord, and Thomas'Bradwardine) were appointed before him. ] What an opinion Archbishop Stratford had of men of great learning and piety, may be gathered from his friendship to, and promotion of Dr. Bradwardine, whose character Godwin, in his Treatise de Pruesulibus Anglia, thus mentions,-" that he was a good mathematician, " a great philosopher, and so excellent a divine that he was commonly " stiled Doctor profundus; which title, that he well deserved, is suffi" ciently testified by many of his works, not yet perished; but above " all, he. was greatly to be commended for his sincerity of life and " conversation." Archbishop Stratford, in regard of these virtues, invited him to court, about 1343, and recommended him unto Edward the Third for his Confessor. Bradwardine was cotemporary with Wickliffe, in Merton College, Oxford, as appears from Lewis' life of that celebrated Reformer; where we find also that, by our Archbishop's recommendation, he was made Canon of Lichfield, and Chancellor of Q Iz judgment, l3ishop Godwin dew loyalty,* and charity.j clares, that he was a very gentle, and merciful man; rather too remiss, than any way rigorous to offenders. Among other proofs of his humane, and compassionate temper, the following will give an idea of his benevolence, lie con. stantly, thrice every day, distributed alms to thirteen poor people: in the morning a penny to each; at 9 o'clock bread, meat, and broth; and at noon, every one a loaf and another penny. In his will he bequeathed all his effects to his serrants and domestics: he gave to his church of Canterbury, a very sumptuous cope and mitre; and certain books, com posed by himself, and yet preserved in the archives of Lam. beth: he assigned also to the monks of Canterbury, a pension of 51. out of the parsonages of Boughton, and Preston, appropriated to the abbey of Feversham: and, to name no more, he founded the COLLEGE at Stratfordoupon.Avon, where he was born, and endowed the same so largely, that at the suppression of religious houses, in the reign of Henry the Eighth, it was valued at 1231. 11s. 9d. He was buried in Canterbury cathedral, on the south side of the high altar, by the steps of that of Saint Dunstan, under a beautiful and majestic tomb of alabaster, whereon his statue lies at full Paul; and, after Stratford's death; his the Cathedral Church of St, great learning and moral character presented him as a fit person to fill the vacant sees * He was (says Speed in his History of England) the first who called the arguments of a Cardinal(who spoke in council to favour the French King) vain and frivolous; and that King Edward had a right to the became him by honourable force to procrown of France, which it also secute. SSomner, in his Antiquities of Cantet'bury, has preserved copies of ordinations, by John de Stratford, of the vicarages of St. Mary Northgate, and Holy Cross Westgate in Canterbury, A. D. 1346, and 1347: and a copy of his augmentation of the vicarage of St. Dunstan; in that city, in 1342. 193 length, in a devout posture, with his crosier, mitre, and other episcopal habiliments; a venerable canopy of the same materials as the tomb being over it, supported by pillars, and adorned with curious and stately arches, and pendant Gothic work, ROBERT DE STRATFORD, BISIIOP OF CHICIESTER, RontRT DE STRATFOU,* the younger brother of John, Archbishop of Canterbury, was also born atStratfordupon, Avon; but the exact time of his nativity is unknown. Ii the early part of his life, he was a member of the Guild the Holy Cross; and, being appointed by Godfrey Gifford, Bishop of Worcester, to be the first master of that society, in 1296 hie superintended the erection of a chapel, (part of of IIt was customary, before and since the reign of Henry the Third, for persons totally to relinquish their paternal nave, and assume that of their residence; or to use either, at their own option. One instance of this occurs particularly under the article Haseler, in. Dngdale's Warwickshire; where it is said, that Robert de Haselovere, or Ilaseler, is the same man w~ho if elsewhere called Robert Lyvet., and owned the manor of Hoseler. Of a 'descendant of this Robert Lyvet, in the 7thj of Edw ard the Third, Robert de Stratford purchased the manor,, for 100 marks of silver ; and, ip the 10th of Edward the Third, (being Archdeacon of Canterbury,) he obtained, for 100!. sterling, the ad. von son of the church, and an absolute possession there, which he re-! sold in about ten years after. Robert de Stratford also purchased. the village or manor of Shottery, in this parish, upon the Tuesday next after the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle,. in the 6th of Edward the Third: this manor he entailed by deed, on Saturday, the feast of All Saints, in the 28th of Edwiard the Third, (being then Bishop of Chi.. chester,) upon John de Bishopston, and Isabel, daughter of John Stretch, and their heirs;, and, in default of issue, to return. to the Bishop and his heirs, the, 124 which yet remains,) the guild hall, and alms houses, found. ed by that very ancient fraternity. ie was rector of Overt bury, in Worcestershire, and afterwards of Stratford-upon. Avon, for several years; during which time he exerfed his influence in the improvement of his native town, and procured letters patent from Edward the Third, enabling the inhabitants to pave the streets. Being a man of an enterprising disposition, and eminent for his learning, it was not to be expected he could confine himself to the narrow limits of his native town; and he accordingly appears to have been promoted to the Archdeaconry of Canterbury, a dignity he enjoyed many years.* On the 23d of June, 1333, the 6th of Edward the Third, he had the custody of the great seal of England given to him by his brother John, (at that time Lord Chancellor, and who was otherwise engaged in the King's affairs,) with the title of Keeper; but he restored it soon after. The great seal was again delivered to him, in 1335, by his brother to be kept, but he had it not in his possession long; for Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham, was appointed Chancellor, and had the great seal on the 28th of September following, On the 24th of March, 1336, he succeded his brother in the exalted station of Lord Chancellor of England; and, upon the death of John de Langton, he was promoted to the vacant see of Chiches., ter, being confirmed bishop by the King's letters patent, dated the 23d of October, and consecrated the 30th of November, 1337. In consequence of this his latter promo.. Somner, in his Antiquities of Canterbury, mentions having " seene a Splea of Archdeacon Stratford's, consisting of many articles, and containing, in the first place, an enumeration or particular of all the c " rights and priviledges of his Archdeacoiry; after which followes a ' suggestion of certaine grievances offered to him, and it, by the then " Commissary of Canterbury, put up against him to his brother, the " Archbishop; With what successe I know not, for I cannot finde t0 ' issue." 125 tioa, he desired to be removed from the office of Chancellor; which request being granted to him, he accordingly surrendered the seal to his sovereign, and was succeeded by Richard Bentworth, Bishop of London, in July, 1338. Ile soon after became involved, with the Archbishop, in his dispute with King Edward; and, with Robert Northborough, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, was committed to the Tower, upon suspicion of detaining the supplies that were granted to the King, to assist him in carrying on the war against the King of France. Edward threatened to send them into Flanders, there to lie as pledges for money which the King owed; but, upon the Bishop of Chichester's remonstrance to the King, that he would be in danger of incurring the penalty of Pope Clement's canon, De non incarcerandis Episcopis, he'relented, and set them free, though deprived of their offices. About this time he was elected Chancellor of the uni. versity of Oxford, and soon after, by his prudent conduct in that situation, he pacified the violent feud among the students (then supposed to be 30,000 in number) which had so much disturbed that university; and being divided into factions, distinguished by the names of the northern and southern scholars, their disputes were carried to such an height, that the former retired to Stamford, in Lincoln. shire, where they established schools, and appointed profes. sors, in opposition to Oxford. They were however recalled by the King's proclamation, directed to the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire, under penalty of forfeiture of their books, and incurring the King's displeasure; and Chancellor Strat. ford then appointed, tht one proctor should be elected front the northern,/and the other from the southern students, which prevented their future commotions. This probably was the occasion of Edward the Third's sending the Chan I2 elor (at his request) a writ, to continue in force three -by which he a1Iowed him to arrest persons excom, isunicated, after the manner that had been practised and used on the signification, and denunciation of bishops. years; in the King's favour; It appears that he Still continued for, in the year 1340,, lie again received the great seal as Lord Chancellor of England, though le held it very in, considerable tine; for he delivered it up on the feast of Saint Andrew, (the 30th of November,) in the same year; and Sir Robert Burgchier, Knight, was soon after appointed succeed hiim, The remainder of his life seems to have jeen spent in retiremgent, and the duties of his.episcopal function: he died at a very advanced age, at Aldingburne, of Chiches@ 1362; having sat Bshop April the years. twenty-.five a -to 9th, RALPH DJ STRATF1'ORD, I ISI1OP OF LONDON. RAs i'ij D STRtATFORD (nephew* to the e for aiued prelates) was also a native of menu Stratford-upon-Avon, yet conjecture if a might his father's name is nnknown ; 1e allow'd, it is not improbable that IHenry Stratford, (who, in Barnes' Edwvard the Third, is mentioned as being a clergyman, and clerk of the chancery. in that reign; and, in the, year 1340, was, through the King's displeasure, committed but ta prison, as were also several -noblemen in different pla- ces,) was the father to Ralph, and brother to the Archbi.~ shiop of Canterbury,, and Bishop of Chichester : but at this *Mag. Brit. Antiq. & voL.3, Nov., p. 20 5 9 .,1 dew period it is impossible, with ahy degree of certainty, to termine. There was also a Nicholas de Stratford, who was member for this county, at the parliaments held in the 0th of Edward the Third, at York; and in the 7th, 10th, and 11th of the samne reign, at Westminster: it maybe presume. that this Nicholas de Stratford, as well as a Thomas de Strafe ford, Archdeacon of Gloiumester, hi Edward the Thirds time, were of the above named family: Ralph was first a Canon of St. Paul's Cathedral, Londo; but, upon the death of Richard Bentworth, Bishop of London, was promoted to that see; being consecrated at Canterbury, the 12th of March, 1339, in the 14th of Ed ward the Third. Ie also seems to have had in view the welfare of this his native town; for in 1353, he obtained the King's letters patent, enabling him to erect a mansion house (afterwards called the'COLLEGE) on the west side of our church yard, for the residence of the chantry priests, belonging to the chapel of St. Thomas, founded by John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury, and in a preceding page taken notice of We finid but little recorded of this 6 prelate's life, though he appears to have been much inte.. rested in the aff'air between his unude, the Archbishop, and Edward-the Third;. in consequence of which, many letteis passed betwixt the King and the Bishop of London, relative to that extraordinary dispute. During the great pes. tilence in 1348, he purchased a piece .of ground, called no" gnan's land, near Smithfield, and consecrated' it as a plane of burial for those who died of the contagion ; the church.. yards not being large enough, several fields. were selected for that purpose, and in Charter-house church-yard, near Smithfield, more than two to Stow, daily interred. heath, in 1353, .having fourteen years hundred bodies were~ according Ralph de Stratford died at Stupen.. the episcopal chair of Loiidoa filled 128 His arms (and which, it is presumed, were those of his family) were,-Sable, acsse cwavy or, between three tretles, arge7 t.* JOHN BELL, BISHOP OP WORCESTER, Born in that county, was educated in Baliol College, Oxford, and passed some time at Cambridge; to both of which universities he was a benefactor, particularly'to the former, endowing it for the maintenance of two scholars, born in the diocese of Worcester. He was Rector of Weston Sub. edge, (where the Bell's family continued, till within these few years,) Archdeacon of Gloucester, Prebend of Lincoln and Lichfield, and Vicar General of the Bishop of Wor_ cester. In 1518 he succeeded Ralph Collingwode, as War.. den of our College, and, consequently, Dean of the Cot. he continued about legiate Church of Stratford; in eight years, resigning in 1526, when Anthony Barker was appointed in his' place. lHe appears. to have been a fa.. vourite of Henry the Eighth's, who made him his Envoy to foreign princes, and- one of his council: and, as a reward for his great services, in defence of his divorce from Queen Catherine, he gave him the bishopric of Worcester; in which he was confirmed on the 11th of August, 1539. He- did. not long enjoy this dignity; as he resigned it on the 17th of November, 1543, and retired to a private life 'atClerkenwell, where he died on the 11th of August, 1556, and interred in. St. James' church there. which was SWharton de Episcp. Lond. p.130. LIP"~ OF MME UNIVERSITY OF ILLNOIS K K K;. \. I K K. WILLIAM SIHAKSPEARE. Our immortal Bard was the eldest-son of Mn. Jorn $HAKSPEAE) a very respectable man, and who is mention. ed in the register and public writings relating to this town, as "4 gentleman of good figure and fashion:" he was a a High Con siderable dealer in wool, and served the of ice Bailiff, and Justice of the Peace in Stratford, A. D. 1569; but his name (on. account of his non-attendance at the hall, on council and other-particular days, on the corporation buy: siness) was erased from the list of the members, and another substituted in his plate. He also enjoyed some hereditary estates in Ward:wickshire, where his ancestors"bysomed "sce ts continued in good reputationand credit,"given them as a reward for their faithful services to Henry the Seventh: Mr. John Shakspeare married the daughter and helr Ro.. .bert Arden, (of that ancient and honourable family, then settled at Wellingcote, int this county,)andpresided at a house (at this time divided.,inT twwoseparate dwellings, and ;possessed by the Hart's family, who:are'.the.seventh de. scendants, in a direct line, from JONE sister of our illus. triOus townsman) now standing in Henley.Street; and here of of the his eldest son WILLIAM, the pride of nature and paragon of poets, was born on the .23d of April, 1564; and was -bap.. tized onl the 26th. of the same month. large Was His father had so a family, (ten children in all,) that though our Bard his, eldest song he could give him no better occupation than his own employment. He had. bred hini_ it is true, for som~e time: at the free grammar school, at Stratford, where it is probable he acquired what Latin he was master of: but the narrowness of his circumstahices, :and the want of his son's. assistance at home, forced his father to withdraw him from school; and thus. prevented his further proficiency in literature. Upon leaving school, he seems to 'have con" RL 13 3 formed to the way of living, which his father proposed to him; and in order to settle in the world, by the time he had attained his 19th year, he thought fit to marry Anne Hathaway, daughter of a substantial yeoman, then living at the village of Shottery, in this parish, about a mile distant from Stratford: this lady was eight years older than himself and with her he passed some years of his life in domestic obscu. rity, till an extravagance that he was guilty of, forced him out of this county, and from the way of living he had taken up; and though it seemed at first a blemish upon his good manners, and a misfortune to him, yet it afterwards happily proved the occasion of exerting the greatest genius that ever appeared in dramatic poetry. He had, by a misfor. tune common enough to young men, fallen into ill compa. ny; and amongst them, some, that made a frequent practice of deer stealing, engaged him more than once in robbing a park belonging to Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote, near Stratford. For this he was prosecuted by that gentleman, as he thought, somewhat too severely; and in order to revenge this ill usage, he made a ballad upon him so very bitter, that it enraged the prosecutor to such a degree, that he was obliged to leave his business and family in Warwick shire for some time, and shelter himself in London. It was at this time, and upon this accident, that he is said to have made his first acquaintance in the playhouse. lIe was received into the company, at first, in a very mean rank; but his admirable wit, and the natural turn of it to the stage, soon distinguished him, if not as an extraordinary actor, yet as an excellent writer; and the people of his age, who began to grow wonderfully fond of diversions of this kind, could not but be highly pleased to see a genius arise amongst them, of so pleasurable, so rich a vein, and so plentifully capable of furnishing their favourite cntertainmnent. 131 Besides the advantages of his wit, lie was in himself a good-natured man, of great sweetness in his manners, and a most agreeable companion; so that it is no wonder, if, with these good qualities, he made himself acquainted with the best company of those times. Queen Elizabeth,'who was an excellent judge of merit, had several of his plays acted before her, and without doubt gave him many marks of her favour: but what grace soever she conferred upon him, it was not to her only he owed the fortune which the reputation of his wit made; he had the honour to meet with many great and uncommon marks of favour and friendship from the Earl of Southampton. It was to that noble Lord he dedicated his poems of Venus and Adonis, and his Rape of Lucrece. One singular instance of the munificence of this patron of Shakspeare is, that he gave him, at one time, a thousand pounds, to enable him to compleat a purchase which he heard he had a mind to. What particular habitude or friendship he contracted with private men, has never been handed down to us; more than that every one, who had a true taste for merit, had generally a just value and esteem for him. His exceeding candour and good-nature must certainly have inclined all the gentler part of the world to love him; as the power of his wit obliged men, of the most delicate knowledge, and polite learning, to admire him, His acquaintance with Ben Jonson began with a re. markable piece of humanity and good-nature. Jonson, who was at that time altogether unknown to the world, had offered one of his dramatic works to the, players, in order to have it acted; and the persons into whose hands it was put, after having turned it carelessly and superci.. liously over, were just upon the point of returning it to him, with an ill.natured answer, that it would be of ao ser. R2 vice to their company; when Shakspeare luckily oast hit eye upon it, and found something so striking in it, as to engage him first to read it through, and afterwards to re commend Jonson and his writings to the public. Jonson wias certainly a good scholar, and in that had the advantage of Shakspeare; though at the same time it must allowed,that what nature gave the latter, was more than a balance for what books had given the former; and opinion of a-great mnan, upon this occasion, was very just In a conversation betwcen Sir John Suckm ding, Sir William D'Avenant, Endymion Porter, Mr. Hales, of Eaton, and Ben Sir John Suckling, who wasa. professed admirer of Shakspeare, had his dew against Jonsor with some warmth; Mr. Hales, who dad sat still foy some time, said -" that if Mr. Shakspeare "had not mead the ancients, he had likewise not stolen any "rthingfrom them; and that, if he would produce any one "topic finely treated by any one of them, he would un.