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-of the commissioners for taking in 1552 the Cumberland portion of 
‘that king’s Inventory of Church Goods, which was compiled with 
-a view to the confiscation of the greater part of such goods “ for 
ye Kinges use.” The possessions granted to Dacre for these 
“services consisted of the demesne lands of the suppressed priory, 
to descend to his heirs male, and much other property of the 
priory, including the tithes and advowsons of Lanercost, Brampton, 
Walton, Irthington, Stapleton, and other churches, to descend to his 
heirs general. In 1559 he converted all the buildings south of the 
abbey into a dwelling place ; which is what he meant by the words 
“condidit istud opus” in his Latin elegiacs. ‘‘ This inscription,” 
says Chancellor Waugh, “may puzzle inquirers hereafter.” In- 
quirers, but for Dr. Waugh’s explanation that the coats of arms 
and the inscription were originally in the dining hall, would 
certainly have been puzzled by the words “‘condidit istud opus.” 
It might even have seemed that Thomas Dacre wished posterity 
to believe that in 1559 he founded the abbey, or at least that 
portion of it now used as the parish church; which, by the way, if 
such had become the belief of any members of posterity, would 
not have been a more absurd mistake than was made by a New- 
-castle paper which on April 8, 1891, reported—and the report 
‘was copied by some of the London papers—that ‘“‘Lady Cecilia 
‘Howard’s wedding took place yesterday in the pretty church built 
-on and out of the ruins of the ancient priory of Lanercost.” I 
have heard other persons, on entering the abbey for the first time, 
-express surprise when informed that the nave and aisle were not 
-—___-of modern construction. 
A metal tablet on the east wall, south of the window, bears this 
inscription : 
Sir Bawland de Baus that was sometume ve Lord of Trnermanne 
Gs dead his body clad in lead and ligs la under this stayne 
Givin as we ebin so fas he ou earth a leband man 
Gbin as he ebin so monn foe for all ve craft We can. 
To which is subjoined the following statement : 
_ Sir Rowland de Vaux lived temp. K. John & was nephew of Robert the. 
_ Founder of this Priory. His epitaph formerly existing in it has beea restored 
