ALMSHOUSE OF ELIZABETH, COUNTESS OF SHREWSBURY. 1 1 



together with the Indentures of Fine, and some at least of the 

 " Seaven pieces of Evidence," have disappeared, but the duplicate 

 Inventory and copies of some early deeds are preserved by the 

 Duke of Devonshire with the grantor's parts of the principal 

 Indentures. The old Enrolment Book has gone, and till quite 

 recently no record of the almspeople appears to have been kept. 

 One of the present number, Richard Knowles, is 104 years of age, 

 having attained 85 at the time of his admission in 1874. 



With the Duke's papers is an interesting Sketch Plan of the 

 latter part of the sixteenth century, showing All Saints' Church 

 and the neighbouring streets. It was perhaps prepared in con- 

 nection with the title to the Full Street site. And with reference 

 to this title, which was derived from the Babingtons, there is a 

 letter from Robert Bamford to Mr. Chaworth at his coming to 

 Hardwick, which denies the lunacy of one Francis Babington, and 

 attributes his escape from capital punishment, after killing a man 

 and woman in a fit of drunkenness, to the fact of the judges then 

 using to lie at assize time at Mr. Michael Babington's house, and 

 for that Francis Babington himself was a gentleman well 

 descended. 



The almspeople have long since ceased to wear their livery and 

 badge, but the allowance includes the annual payment of ^i for 

 cloak money. The badges, with the silver seal, are in the care 

 of Mr. Gilson Martin, of Edensor. The badge is engraved by 

 Simpson. 



The Seal was, so the deed of gift recites, the design of the 

 Countess. The principal device is a hart trippant gorged with a 

 garland. Quartered above on a lozenge, between the initials E. S. 

 and surmounted by an earl's coronet, are ist and 4th Hardwick as 

 above, 2nd and 3rd arg. a fesse, and 3 mullets in chief ja/^. (Leigh). 

 The Seal bears the date 1598, and the inscription — Sigill. Dom. 

 Hospit. De. Darby. Ex. Fundat. Dnoe. Elizabeth. Comitisse. 

 Salopie. 



The almspeople have, too, long since ceased to resort daily or 

 at all to their place in All Saints'. The vault beneath the chapel 

 was used continuously before and after the restoration of 1725 as 



