82 THE CHURCH OF NOREURY. 



Coming to history, the episcopal registers show that Henry 

 Kniveton was instituted to this rectory in 1349, the verj' year 

 of the awful pestilence, on the presentation of Sir John 

 Fitzherbert, and that his successor was not instituted until 

 1395. Between these two dates the chancel of.Norbury must 

 have been erected. The Meynell MSS. and the Rawlins MSS., 

 as the result of visits made to this church in the respective 

 years 181 7 and 1823, make mention of the fact of an inscrip- 

 tion on a slab in the floor of the chancel to the memory of 

 Henry Kniveton, wherein it was stated that he was the builder 

 of the chancel. This slab was apparently ejected and never 

 replaced during the restoration of 1842. 



In addition to that which has been cited from Mr. Bowman's 

 discriminating remarks as to this somewhat peculiar and beauti- 

 ful example of a fourteenth century chancel, a few other brief 

 lemarks may be permitted. Its interior measurements are 

 46 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft. A particular feature of its nine large 

 windows, for it has four on each side, is the insertion in each 

 case, at the central intersection of the upper tracery, of a well 

 carved double flower or rose of twelve petals. It should be 

 noticed that the five lights of the large east window are of 

 imequal width, the centre one being 3 ft. 6 in. in breadth 

 between the mullions, the two next lights 2 ft. 9 in., and the 

 outside lights 2 ft. 7 in. The arcade work of the interior of the 

 chancel also deserves mention. The walls below the window 

 string.s, save at the east end, are filled in with a series of 

 slightly sunk cinque-foil headed arches, five below each window. 

 One of these arches in the south wall is occupied by the piscina 

 niche, which has a double drain and a double credence shelf. 

 Against the same wall are three sedilia of equal height, but 

 without any canopies over them. 



The simple old Norman church had been doubtless content 

 with a mere bell gable turret, for one or two bells, at the west 

 end of the nave, and this continued to serve for some time after 

 the erection of the splendid chancel by Hector Kniveton, 

 who was a man of considerable wealth. In the early years. 



