i 



307 



rampant .... and around the edge is an inscription in Norman-French, 

 deeply cut, which offers an antiquarian puzzle. Some of the letters seemed to be 

 turned the wronff way, as if the carver did not know the language he was using. 

 The Rev. F. T. Havergal, after again studying the careful rubbing made by 

 Mr. Robert Clarke, finds that the whole difEcult3' of the inscription has arisen 

 from the curious mistake of the early mason, who laid his paper copy down on the 

 stone wroiiy side up. If it is read from behind through the rubbing, all the 

 inscription that is not effaced by time becomes clear, and this is it — 



CI GIST DAUE MAHAVD DE GOBNETE 



COMPA(GNE) sire ROGER nE CLIFFORD 



PRIEZ POVR l'aME 



Here lies Dame Maud de Gorneye 

 Partner of Sir Roger de Clifford 

 Pray for her soul. 



The maiden name of this lady is given in Burke's Peerage as Isabel, eldest 



daughter and co-heir of Roger de Vipont, Lord of Westmoreland. Mr. Arthur 



Armitage was present when this vault was opened, and therein was found a large 



skeleton and beside it a smaller skull, but neither were disturbed, and it was all 



closed up again immediately. 



On the chancel floor is an early slab — though cut short at the foot — with a 



floriated cross, and along the centre of the shaft is the following Norman-French 



inscription : — 



ICI : GIT : lOHANA : pavncev. 



Here lies Johanna Paunce (foot). 



Another early slab here ajipears to have been used in the 18th century as a 

 grave-stone with modern letters. A black marble records the death of Sir Henry 

 Barnard, Knt., 25 April, 1680, in ye 65 year of his age ; and on other common 

 small stones in the chancel are recorded the deaths of John and William Brydges, 

 1672 ; of Barnard Brydges, 1676 ; and Dame Mary Powell, 1682. In the body of 

 the church a stone records the death of Ben. Mallow, M.A., at 80, Rector of the 

 parishes of Dinedor and Birch, 1692. 



The present floors of the nave and chancel are about two feet above the 

 original levels, the western end having steps to descend, as at Llandaff Cathedral 

 and some other places. Under the chancel a large vault was built by James, Lord 

 Chandos, when he repaired the church, added the altar rails, and put on a new 

 roof, removing the old wooden roof to the barn. He was buried here in October, 

 1714, near the remains of Sir Henry Barnard (Hill MSS.). The barn existing 

 now is a new one, and the roof, if removed there, is gone. 



The vault is now walled up, but when last opened it contained three lead 

 coffins, holding remains of members of the Chandos family. Mr. Bird's MS. 

 mentions four coffins, one being that of Lady Elizabeth Chandos, 1719. A stone 

 on the interior of the south wall states that the vault was repaired in 1826 by 

 Ann Eliza, Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos. 



The Topographer for 1789 states that the following shields were visible at that 

 time on an arch in the Nuns' Chapel at Aconbury :— Barney of 10 pieces, Argent 



