T. W. AN'. DO'. 1635." The table at the altar is of oak, the legs carved; and at the North end, in a shield, IAMES COLES, MATHEW BULL, In a North window, nigh the West end of the nave, are the portraits of King Edward the Second and his Queen. His Majesty is depicted in a biped curled beard; and on each of their heads an open crown fleury. These were probably put up in the succeeding reign at the expence of some pilgrim travelling to his shrine at Gloucester, Witham lying in the road thereto. Mr. Ashmole, in his History of Berkshire, has recorded only one inscription, viz. "In the chancel of this church lies a grave-stone, whereon is the pourtraicture in brass of a man in armour, and also of his wife. The circumscription (cut likewise upon brass) is much defaced, whereof only thus much of the writing remains : From the following inscription, on a flat stone in the chancel, it would seem that these brasses were removed, in 1730, by order of Montague Earl of Abingdon. "Robert de Wigtham marryed Juliana, by whom he had issue Richard, and seven daughters. *The adjacent town of Seckworth, we are told, formerly abounded in Inns for the reception of pilgrims. (Mr. Warton's Kiddington.) And the learned Editor of the Britannia, in his Additions to Mr. Camden, I. 271, informs his readers, that " the town" of Gloucester" was scarce able to contain the vo taries that flocked to offer at Edward IId's tomb; and the Abbey Register affirms, that, if all the oblations had been expended on the church, a new one might have been built from the ground," 1 by whom he had one daughter, named marryed to Wm. Browning, of Saresden, She, with Robert, Juliana, and Richard, as appeared by a broken inscription Which being decayed, and the brasses lost or defaced, ABINGDON, to perpetuate the piety of so good a daughter, in the year of our Lord, 1730." The legend of this inscription is, in a great measure, obliterated by the damp situation of the church; so that I was necessitated to supply some parts from a copy taken by the parish clerk in 1776 or 7. The brasses were removed to a South window nigh the East end of the church; on one side of which is the effigies of Richard Wigtham* (to the knees only) in plated armour, with a pointed helmet. Opposite to him his lady in a large mitred head-dress, kirtle, with long sleeves banded at the wrists, over it a long gown with hanging sleeves, fastened, just below the breasts, by a girdle studded with roses. From her necklace (composed of a double row of long squares,) is a cross patée pendent; and at her right foot a little dog, with a collar of roundels. Over the woman these arms a bar between two mullets, impaling Nebulée on a bar, three roundels. The last of these appears likewise beneath her. Over the man, a bar between two mullets; beneath him the same, impaling as before. On a stone fixed against the North wall of the chancel is, " 1617. Heare lies buried the bo die of JOHN PAYNTON, In the English Chartulary of Godstow nuunery, before-mentioned, Robert Wygthamn occurs as witness to different deeds of 43 Edward III. 1 Richard II. 6 Richard II. 12 Richard II. 19 Richard II. 21 Richard II. and 5 Henry IV. Richard, his son, occurs also in the 8th and 11th years of Henry IV. which deceased the 14th On the South side of the altar-rails, on a flat stone: of the Rev. Mr. ROBERT LYDALL, B.D. rector of this parish, and chaplain to He departed this life Feb. 20, 1741-2, Near the Wightham inscription is a grave-stone for Mr. Edward Purcel (brother to the well-known Harry Purcel, so much renowned for his skill in music,) who died Jan. 20, 1717, aged sixty-four years. The lower part of the legend of this stone is obliterated. The Parish Register of burials begins 1558; but that of marriages and baptisms in 1559. In 1559 there were four baptisms, four marriages, and five burials. In 1796, six baptisms, six burials, and one wedding only. The following singular entries occur. CHRISTENINGS, 1579. "Francis Norys, sonne of William Norris, Esquier,* xix Julii." " 1625.. 8 christenings, 2 marriages. It is remarkable that in this yeare, being a time of plague and mor tality over this whole kingdome, there was no buriall. Laus Deo." "1645. Mr. Edward Sackvile,† second son to the Right honourable Edward, Earle of Dorset, was married to the Right honourable Brigit Lady Norrice,† the 24 of December." "1646, April 11th. Mr. Edward Sackvile, second son to the Right honourable Edward, Earle of Dorset, unfortunately slayne by a souldier of Abingdon garrison neere Comner, in the county of Berks. Was buried May 18th." "Buryed, anno 1658, the Honourable Edward Wray, Esquier, lord of this mannor by the marriage of the Right honourable Lady Elizabeth, daughter and heiress to the * Lord of the manor. VOL. IV. In gilt letters. M m Lord Noreys. Dyed at Fritwell, in the county of Oxon. the 20th day of March, 1657, and was interred heere March 29th." "The Honourable Francis Berty, 4th son to the Right Honourable Robert Earl of Lyndsey, and lord high chamberlayne of England, slayne at the first Newbery fight on the King's party, was here interred, October 10th, 1658." "Peregrine Hector, an Indian boy from Bengal, about 8 years old, belonging to the Right honourable Anne, Countess of Abingdon, after having, by her order, been instructed in as much as he was at that age capable of understanding of the Christian religion, was baptised Dec. 29th, 1700." 1797, Aug. X. Topographical Description of Ellesfield, in Oxfordshire. MR. URBAN, Oxford, July 31. A RUDE outline of the history of Ellesfield, an Oxford. shire village, is here offered to the perusal of your read ers, ELLESFIELD lies about three miles and a half from Oxford, on the summit of a hill, and is remarkable for little else than the beauty of its situation. It has been asserted, without any just ground,* that Ellesfield took its name from Allectus, who, it is said, was here slain by Carausius. Several of our Antiquaries too have laboured to give a similar definition of Alchester, as the city of Allectus; and bring the various coins of the usurper found at these places as the barriers to their conjectures. Of Alchester it is not my business here to inquire. But in the modern name of Ellesfield I see no connection with Allectus, unless in feld; and that did not always denote a battle. In the Domesday Survey it is written ESEFELD, perhaps from the Saxon est-feld, as it overlooks its neighbourhood. Allowing this, we have here a flagrant instance of the contempt with which the Norman scribes treated the Saxon *See Bishop Kennett's Parochial Antiquities, p. 10. names of our towns and villages. With politic and capricious views, they frequently miswrote them.* It lies in the hundred of Bullington, and contains about forty houses. The church, dedicated to St. Thomas à Becket,† consists of a nave, divided from the chancel by a neat modern screen, beneath a pointed arch of (what is usually called,) Saxon workmanship; the capitals of the pillars adorned with leaves; and, as the time of erecting the church is fixed to 1273, we may, perhaps, look upon it as a remarkable instance where the clumsy Saxon pillars were united with the pointed arch-unless we suppose the arch to have been originally semicircular, and that, in some subsequent alterations of the church, its proportions were extended. The chancel is ceiled with rafter-work. The roof of the nave was originally of wood, but has long been hid by a flat ceiling of plaster. Over the West end is a kind of dove→ cote shingled, containing two small bells. The windows, except two of three bays each on the South side, and the great East window, are long, narrow, and lancet-headed; several of them have weatherings, or outer mouldings, supported by rude heads. The North side of the church seems to have been once larger than at present: and over the South porch, which has not stood many years, is a lar ger cross than usual; perhaps it succeeded the churchyard cross. Of its first construction this church has no memorial; but the inquisitive Bishop Kennett assures us it was dedicated by R. Bishop of Cloney, in Ireland, on the 7th of the ides * Mr. Warton, (in the History of Kiddington,) has cited several instances; to which may be added, Witham, in Berkshire, (about three miles from Oxford.) In King Edwy's charter to the monastery at Abingdon, A.D. 955, it is written Withtham, (the village among the willows;) but by the Norman, scribes, Winteham. See Domesday I. + Bells too were sometimes dedicated to this saint. Mr. Blomefield, (History of Norfolk, I. 272,) mentions one at Croxton, in Norfolk, with this inscription: "O MARTYR THOMA PRO ME DEUM EXORA." I have since, however, met with another instance at Pimperne, in Dorsetshire, where the pointed arch that divides the nave from the chancel is ornamented with Saron zig-zag. In many dioceses these were objects of aversion at the Reformation. In Bishop Horne's injunctions at a visitation of the cathedral of Winchester, Oct, 2, 1571, is this "Item: That all images of the Trinitye in glass windows, or other places of the church, be putte oute and extinguished, together with the stone crosse in the churche yarde." See Mr. Warton's Life of Sir Thomas Pope, p. 353, second edition. Parochial Antiquities, p. 515; where the deed of dedication is printed. |