At the top of one of the Hills, called Druid's Mount, some large-sized bones were dug out of a tumulus some years back. Near which, on a proud eminence, stands Crawley Wood, seen, it is said, at the distance of 100 miles, and at Portsmouth. It is a large circle of Beech-trees, the property of the Earl of Bridgewater, a fiue situation for a prospect-tower (for which a design has been made). The principal land-holders are, the Earl of Bridgewater and Wm. Hayton, esq. of Aldbury, who has a large mansion, shut up with pleasure grounds and paddock, in the town; near which remains a small part of a very old house, supposed to have been a Nunnery. Mr. Meacher, the Proprietor of an extensive Ale-brewery, has a handsome large square house adjoining; but there are no other houses worth notice except Berrystead house, mentioned in page 209. J. S. B. Berrystead House, April 4, 1811. CHURCH NOTES from FLAMSTED. (Concluded from p. 211.) ABOVE the altar-table on the S. corner, is a beautiful antient mural monument, which had formerly a hearse over it: arms at the top. "Here lies the dead, deprived of breath By death, whose fame shall outlive death. B. F." In the centre the effigies of the deceased, kneeling on a cushion before an Altar with book open on it. Beneath, "Here lyeth the body of Sir Bartholomew Fouke, knight, who served Kinge Edward, Queen Mary, and was Master of the Houshold to Queen Elizabeth for many years, and to Kinge James that now is in memorye of whose vertuous life (worthy eternal remembrance) Edward Fouke, gent. his brother, hath erected this Monument. Iulii, 1604, ætatis suæ 69." Obiit XIX Beneath this is a piscina for holy water, the shelf still remaining. Adjoining, are two stone seats, canopy above; and near these a wainscot table, rails, and floor of one step, for the Altar; under which are two stones with Inscriptions on them: "Mortale quiescat Dom.Mariæ Luke, quæ filia quinta Henrici Coningsby de Mymms Boreali, Eq. Aur. et Eliz. clara familia Botelorum de Woodhall, in com. Hertford. "Conjux olim fuit Johannis Saunders*, de Puttenham, arm. (et ibid. sepulti) in diet. com. ; tandem Joh. Luke de Flamsted nupta et viduata. Ob. 22 Aug. 1664." Ou a long stone, an effigies, with the Virgin and Child, in brass; and in old characters : "Hic jacet magist. Johannes Oudeby, quondam Rector istius Ecclesiæ, et de Barughby, Lincoln. Dioces. ; et Canonicus in Eccles. Collegiata beatæ Mariæ in Warr. et Camerarius ex parte Comitis War. in Scaccario Domini Regis; qui obiit 7 Maii 1414; cujus an. &c." Next to this is another, with figures in brass, but no inscription. Another, for " Mrs. Ann Collington, who departed this life on the 22d day of October 1753, aged 60 years." Another: "Here lyeth interred the body of Sarah Cotton, wife of Wm. Cotton, of Turner's Hall, in the Parish of Harpinden, gent, who departed this life 16th of January 1697-8, ætatis suæ 30." There are three Hatchments against the N. wall. The Chancel is divided from the Church by a rich altar-screen of carved oak, ornamentally painted; near which on a small stone in the Nave: "Here lyeth the body of Mrs.Elizabeth Haley, whoe dyed the day of October 1687." To the left a double pew for Sir John Sebright and family, of Beechwood Park, in this parish. On the first pillar, right hand, is cut with a knife, by one of the clerks it is supposed, the following inscription, and a painted head underneath: "In this midle space, and at this seats end, There lyeth buried our neighbor and frind On the first left pillar: An'o 1597, Junii 7." On the next pillar: "Of this seat's ende in the midle alley, There lieth buried John Paley the valley. An'o 1590, Junii xiiii.” * A label from his mouth (now gone) as follows (Salmon's Herts) : Miserere, Miserator, quia verè sum Pec Over one of the arches a framed board, with arms, and the following inscription: "At the upper ende of this midle ile lyeth intered the body of George Cordell, esquire, who served Queen Elizabeth, and was sergeant of the Ewry to King James and the late King Charles, in all sixty yeeres, who married Dorothy, the only daughter and heyre of Francis Prior, of this parish, with whom she lived 52 yeares, 'and deceased the 26th May, 1653, being aged 84 yeeres." One Ann Prior lived in this parish to the age of 120 years. Near the before-mentioned board was the Rood-loft, the door to which is at the top of the North aile; instead of which is a Painting by Hull over the screen, Aaron on one side, a Warrior on the other, and Moses in the rear. On the North side, between two of the columns is a very antient altar-tomb, with the effigies of the deceased, male and female, right hands joined across; at their heads a rich canopy curiously carved, at their feet two dogs; a label defaced, Weever mentions three antient tombs (of which this only now remains), supposed to have been for lords of this manor; and probably more antient than the use of inscriptions in England. Near the West end is the Font, of an octagon shape. At the W. end is a gallery. The Nave is divided from the N. and S. ailes by two rows of octagon pillars, five on each side, with rich carved capitals. At the top of the South aile is a very elegant marble monument, with six figures, viz. five on the pedestal moulding, and one in the centre of the pavement below, all in kneeling postures (a banner at top, with a red cross); there have been two others: "Thomas Saunders, de Beechwood, arm. peccatorum maximus, credens in unum Deam, divinâ suâ providentiâ terrena quecunque gubernantem et sapientissimè disponentem, et in Redemptorem Mundi Jesum Christum die ultimo futurum judicem, cum ex Helenâ, filiâ et hærede Roberti Sadlieri de Sopewella, claræ et antiquæ in hoc agro familiæ, sex liberos susceperit, viz. Thomam, Robertum, Helenam, Johannem, Annam, Helenam, quorum quinque ante parentes decesserunt, et Anna tantùm parvula superstes existit, cui Deus propitius sit! In eorum piam memoriam, quibus nihil amplius dari possit, monumentum hoc, ut signum amoris, curæ, et beneficentiæ, si vixissent, futuræ, lugens posuit, spe certâ confidens se futurum heredem regni cœlorum; et licet è corpore hæredem in terris non relinquit, hanc tamen consolationem assecutus, quod ex se additur regno cœlorum.” On the moulding, "Talium est regnum cœlorum." (On a hanging piece of drapery below:) "Hee that lookes hereon may consider how fleeting all worldly comforts are, and how great a vanity it is to place his affections thereon. Such things there are as worldly comforts, 'tis true; but they ought to be looked on as little streams, and whoever delights in them more than in the fountaine from whence they proceed, may soone find them dry and vanished: the truth of which, hee that wrote this hath sensibly found, and wills others to place their affections chiefly on that object of love which is unchangeable, and is the center of all true joy and lasting felicity." Near to this in the floor, black marble slab: "M. S. E. Thomas Saunders, filius natu maximus Gulielmi Saunders, de Loudino, generosi, (fratris Thomæ Saunders, de Beechwood, in hâc parochia, armigeri) et Abigalis, uxoris ejus, filiæ Thoma Saunders, de Hadnam, in com. Bucks, armigeri. Obijt 15 Feb anno Dom. 1690-1, ætatis suæ undecimo. Indolis optime ac maximæ spei, luctus nunc, olim delicia parentum. Hic juxta reconditur Gulielmus, vix bimestris, filius natu minor Gulielmi supradicti." Against the wall a white marble mural monument : late of Milbank Street, Westminster, "To the memory of Richard Pearce, Brewer, and Lord of the Manor of Flamsted; who lieth buried in the family. vault in this Church-yard. He died January 16, 1800, aged 79 years; having the character, which he well deserved, of a tender Husband, a good Father, a true Christian, and a sincere Friend." Near this are two antient hatchments. Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick, married the daughter and heir of Sir Wm. Hatton (alias Newport), of Cheverells Green, kut. in this parish; which Robert died 18th April 1658, and buried at (Felstead). Perhaps Flamstead is meant; but there is no monument, nor any traces of his being buried here. Heylin. To be preserved as not now to be found: "In this isle is buried the body of Ann Poure, second daughter of Francis Poure, of Blechinton, in the county of Oxon, esq. and of Ann his second wife, the third daughter to Julius Ferrers, of Market, in the county of Hertford, esq. who died 13 June, 1631." Salmon's Herts. The Tower at the W. end has a lofty arch into the nave, but stopped up, and a double door opposite. Above is the ringing-floor; over that a floor occupied by the Clock and Windlass, and another floor occupied by a peal of six tunable Bells; on five of which is inscribed "Chandler made me 1664," and on another," John Waylett, London, fecit 1729." The Tower seems going fast to decay. It is held together by iron ties in several parts, and buttressed up on the outside. The body of the Church seems crippled the walls without, and the pillars within, are visibly out of the upright. According to Matthew Paris, 1006, this Church was a Chapel depending upon Redborn, which Richard, Abbot of St. Alban's, fraudulently and simoniacally alianated from his Monastery about the year 1112. : In the Church-yard surrounding are several grave-stones and eight altartombs. Four Almshouses,facing the Church, were built and endowed by the Saunders family; on the front of which are two portraits in stone, defaced. They are for two Widowers and two Widows, who have 51. per annum, out of lands called Gately Grounds. On April 24th, 1783, as some men were sinking a chalk-pit, about half a mile from the Church, in a field belonging to Green-lane Farm, called Wood Field, in the centre, about three feet deep, was found a vase, about the size of a quart pot, like a honey-pot in shape, containing above 200 Medals of the Roman Emperors, gold and silver. A tradition exists, that there formerly stood a Church in the next field, dedicated to St. Paul. Yours, &c. I Mr. URBAN, J. S. B. Worcester. BEG leave to submit to your better judgment, whether the adjective" Topographical" is strictly grammatical, as applied to our modern Histories of Counties. Should it not ratherbe" Chorographical?" because Bailey's Dictionary (which I presume is pretty good authority) tells us that "Topography is a description of a place, or small quantity of land, such as a manor or particular estate;" and that" Chorography is a part of Geography which treats of the description of particular counties, or of a county or province." I think it requires but little discernment to discover which is the properest term. But perhaps there may be a reason for this, of which I am not aware; and if you, Mr. Urban, or any of your learned Antiquarian Correspondents know of any, I shall be obliged in being set right. This remark is occasioned by that Herculean labour lately completed, the History of Leicestershire; which, from its bulk, to say nothing of the mental exertion, one would think was the work of ages; and yet we find it but that of a few years, being begun in 1790*, and published, complete, in all its parts, in 1811! And what adds totheastonishment,and stands without a parallel, is, that even a broken thigh and his house on fire about his ears, consuming invaluable property, could not repress the ardour of the Author, nor check his assiduity,till his favourite pursuit was ended! But to the point. Is this astonishing Work, Mr. Urban, to be called by the petty name of "Topographical," when, though it treats of hundreds or parts, it is at the same time the history of a whole? No, no, let it be called by what I think its proper appellation, Chorographical," as treating of a County or Province, and not of a Parish or Manor only. I have read in the Introduction to a County history, now rising into great celebrity, that" a County historian is by profession a dealer in smallware." But however humbly the learned and reverend Author might have thought of his own Work, I am certain, if he was now living, he would not say it of that of Leicestershire: for that its assiduous and judicious Author was not a dealer in small ware, the Work itself is a manifest and splendid instance. R. |