120 NOTES ON TIDESWELL CHURCH. 
representatives of principles which, taking shape at that period, 
will always be powerful in England. The English nation may be 
said to have grown to manhood in the times of Edward III., 
Wiclif, and Wykeham. In 1327, Edward III. came to the throne 
when a boy of 14. Three years before, that is, in 1324, both 
Wiclif and Wykeham were born. Powerful and often opposing 
forces were embodied in their lives and acts. Edward died in 
1377, Wiclif in 1384, and Wykeham in 1404. In 1349 the 
plague called the Black Death desolated Europe, and was severely 
felt in this country. I will hazard the conjecture that the un- 
finished condition of Tideswell Chancel roof (as we found it) may 
have arisen from the disturbed state of the country at that time, 
and the engagements of the Foljambe family, on whose liberality 
this church at that time seems largely to have depended, as you 
may gather from an inscription on their tomb in the chancel under 
date 1358. In this fourteenth century occurred the well-known 
struggle between Rome and Avignon. At the time when Tides- 
well Church was built the municipal system was being developed 
from the guilds everywhere established. Take these events in all 
their bearings, and we may form some conception of the state of 
England when Tideswell Church was built. Perhaps we should 
not be far wrong in fixing on 1350 as the average date of this 
structure ; the tower might still be going on in 1370. The date 
on the Foljambe brass in the chancel, 1358, as already named, is 
not inconsistent with this supposition. 
IV. THE CHANCEL SCREEN. 
A photograph by Mr. Keene, which I now produce, gives a 
view of the chancel with the old screen as we found it. The top 
of the screen, as it appears in this photograph, was put on in deal 
some sixty years ago, when what was called the Hucklow Loft was 
removed, and the church re-seated. The erection of the Hucklow 
Loft was effected by the authority of a faculty granted by the 
Dean and Chapter of Lichfield, under date July 20th, 1724. 
This faculty is now in my possession, and I here exhibit it; it is 
in Latin, It recites that Mr. Samuel Eccles, gentleman, a 
