The Parish Church. 15 



porcLes. It is octagonal, the bowl being enricbed with quatrefoil 

 pannels, each alternate one enclosing a blank sbield. It has a 

 lining of lead and also a drain. The carved oak cover bears the 

 initials " T. M. ;" and the date "1633." 



The Transepts varj', as will be seen from the measurements 

 given above, both in length and width. ^ They were probably 

 originally built of the same dimensions ; and the one on the south 

 side, enlarged at the time when the chantry chapel was added. 

 There is a difference to be observed in the probable date of the two 

 windows in the extreme wall of each transept ; the one in the 

 northern being some few years earlier than that in the southern 

 transept. There are a ievf fragments of stained glass in the tracery 

 of both these windows. On the north side we have an angel 



1 Under the floor of the north transept there Was discovered a few years ago 

 a Purbeek marble coffin. It was interred there no doubt before that portion of 

 the church was enclosed, and whilst it still formed part of the churchyard. 

 The following account of it was given in the Devizes Gazette of February 28th, 

 1861. — "During the past week, whilst maldng excavations for a flue in. the 

 north transept of All Cannings Church, the workmen accidentally came in 

 contact with an ancient cofiin of Purbeek marble, seven feet in length, gradually 

 tapering from the head towards the feet, and constructed from a solid block 

 hollowed out for the reception of the corpse, with a circular cavity at the tipper 

 end for the head. It lay across the middle of the transept, with the head to 

 the west, and when discovered was only from six to nine inches beneath the 

 ground, so that the slab with which it was originally covered, and which 

 probably bore an incised cross or inscription, must have formed a portion of the 

 pavement of the church. Of this slab unfortunately no trace could be found. 

 The coffin, from long interment had become very much decayed, but the skeleton 

 seemed to have been undisturbed. The skull was quite sound and well 

 proportioned : the nose a fine aquiline ; several of the vertebrae were grown 

 together in consequence of disease, and the sides of some were carious, so that 

 death may have been occasioned by spinal curvature and attendant abscess. 

 The general appearance of the bones indicated that the deceased was a stout 

 well proportioned man, nearly six feet in height, and perhaps not much above 

 thirty years of age. Coffins of this description constructed from stone found in 

 the immediate locality of the interment, were in general use amongst the higher 

 classes during the 12th and 13th centuries ; but Pui'beck marble from the 

 distance of the quarries and the difficulties which must necessarily have attended 

 its transit at this early period, seems to have been rarely used in this neighbour- 

 hood. The interment may perhaps be referred to the commencement of the 13th 

 century, at which date the Purbeek beds are known to have been extensively 

 worked for architectural purposes. Near the coffin was found a silver penny, 

 nearly illegible, but apparently of the reign of Edward I." 



