76 THE CHURCH OF NORBURY. 



uf the north aisle are of exactly the same size and shape as 

 those of this chapel, so that the figure of St. Burloke may quite 

 possibly have been moved to the chapel during one of those 

 unhappy general shiftings of the glass of this church in the first 

 half of last century. 



In the face of the express declaration of these two wills by 

 members of the patronal and residential family, everj^ ecclesiolo- 

 gist of experience will agree that the old and true dedication 

 of Norbury was in honour of St. Barloke. Efforts that had 

 previously been made to identify St. Barloke have recently been 

 renewed with assiduity. In addition to a fresh and thorough 

 search through the mighty tomes of the Ada Sanctorum of the 

 Bollandist fathers, as well as those which deal specially with 

 the saints of the Benedictine order, the best-known ecclesio'.o- 

 gists, both English and continental, have been consulted, and 

 without result. As St. Barloke is described in the glass as an 

 abbot, every known list of early abbots of British and Con- 

 tinental foundations has been searched, but in vain. It may, 

 however, be remembered that the term abbot used from time 

 to time to be applied in early days to almost any priest of fame 

 who followed the Benedictine rule, even if the community under 

 him had been very small or of vague historic probability. 



The only possible solution of the difficulty — and it is set forth 

 briefly, in default of anything better — is that St. Barloke may 

 be identical with St. Barrog or Barroc, a British saint of some 

 repute of the sixth century. St. Barrog, who was commemorated 

 on November 29th, was a British saint of high birth, of the age 

 of St. David ; he became an anchorite, and was buried on the 

 island of Barry, which is said to have taken its name from the 

 recluse who hallowed it. The church of Bedwas, ISIonmuuth- 

 shire, is dedicated in his honour. The recent discovery of early 

 pre-Xorman crosses, which were built uj) into the fabric of 

 Norbury Church, make its dedication t(j an early national saint 

 all the more probable; for in those days it was customary to 

 dedicate churches in honour of saints who had first preached 

 Christianity in the particular place or district, or whose names 



