Oil the Consuetudinary of S. Osmund. 321 



possible indication of such, a place is to be found in the field behind 

 the Church farm, where there is the appearance of a moat, and where 

 wrought stones have been dug up. If, however, we may not boast 

 of the former presence of Royalty, we have the present satisfaction of 

 feeling that we have been considered worthy of a visit by so learned 

 and honoured a body as the British Archaeological Association. 



[Since the above was in type, the rubbings of the inscription on 

 the first bell have been submitted to the author of " Church Bells 

 in Sussex,^' who is an expert in such matters. He explains it 

 " Johannes Xpe (for Xpi) Care." He says, " It is a very common 

 inscription on bells dedicated to St. John ; and, like many others, 

 contains an error — giving an t for an t. ' O John beloved of Christ ' 

 would be the expected inscription on bells dedicated to St. John. 

 The date would be Henry VII. or early Henry VIII. There was 

 a bell-founder at the above epoch at Salisbury; but, barring the 

 X of Xpe, the letters look like those of the usual London type.'* 



By William Henbt Jones, M.A., F.S.A., 



Canon of Sarum and Vicar of Bradford-on-Avon. 



JI^MONG churchmen in England of the eleventh century there 

 was no one better known or more esteemed than Osmund, 

 who, in the year 1078, became Bishop of Sarum. His diocese, 

 uniting in itself the two older ones of Ramsbury and Sherborne, 

 was by no means of small extent, for it comprised what we now 

 call the counties of Wilts, Berks, and Dorset. Without entering 

 on the doubtful question whether he were Earl of Dorset, we 

 know that he was of exalted position in Normandy, his native 



