Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/171

 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE. 153 its south side massive square-edg-ed round arches on massive Norman pil- lars, and pointed massive arches on the north. It is probable, therefore, that the "domus" in the inscription only refers to the chancel. " At the time of the Domesday Survey the manor of Bookham belonged to Chertsey abbey; in Edward Vlth's time it was granted to William Lord Howard, (son of Thomas, second duke of Norfolk,) created Lord Howard of Effingham by Queen Mary." With reference to Dr. Plumptre's notice of the ancient grave-stones found in Bakewell church, Derbyshire, (Archfpological Journal, vol. iv. p. 37,) Mr. Fradgley, of Uttoxeter, writes : — " I am induced to send draw- ings of a few of similar character, discovered about twenty-five miles from that place, in the adjoining county of Stafford. In the year 1842 I was employed to superintend the taking down and rebuilding of the upper part of the tower, and the whole of the wall of the south aisle of Ilanbury church. The tower had been struck by lightning, and much shaken, about ninety years before ; the aisle-wall had fallen into a dangerous state, owing probably to the old but culpable practice of digging graves close to the building, by which the foundations "were set at liberty. On removing this wall the crosses shewn in the accompanying drawings were found ; not reared vertically, and hid by the plastering and whitewash, but laid hori- zontally in the wall, forming bond-stones to the rest of the work. The church has evidently been built at different periods, but the wall in ques- tion was late Perpendicular, with square-headed windows. These slabs are in general in a good state of preservation, and one of them is curious from the circumstance of its never having been finished by the masons, the outlines of the pattern being merely strongly incised, and in a few instances only cut away or relieved, as shewn in the last drawing. When the church wall was rebuilt these crosses were placed against its inside, as panelling, forming a back-ground to the stone font, which is Early English. The old walls of the aisle were originally diapered in colours, but what with age, plaster, and whitewash, the design was so obliterated as to prevent the possibility of copying it."' Mr. Fradgley supposes that the presence of these relics may be accounted for by the fact that a nunnery once stood in the immediate vicinity of tlie church. It is however obvious, from the character of the incised slabs, which are here figured, that they cannot be attributed to an earlier date than the latter half of the thirteenth century ; whereas the nunnery referied to is said to have been founded in the seventh century, by Ethelred, king of Mercia, and was destroyed two centuries later by the Danes, and not sub- sequently rebuilt. (See woodcuts, next page.) Dr. Bromet submitted to the Committee the following communication from the Rev. John Stacye, vicar of Woiksop : " In reply to your communication of May QOth, I beg to state that I am sorry to say that during the repairs of our church very little of archieolo- gical interest has been discovered. This, I confess, has turned out much to my disappointment, as I had hoped that upon the removal of the pewing, &c. VOL. IV. X