The Church of Etchilhampton. 183 



possessors, but himself exercising all its rights and privileges. 

 And in course of years the Lordship became vested in his descendants, 

 and indeed is so at the present time. As the accompanying pedigree 

 will show, by the marriage of Agnes, daughter of John Malwyn, 

 to Simon Best, and the subsequent marriage of their only daughter 

 and heiress Joan, to John Ernie, the property and eventually 

 the manorial rights became transferred to the Ernie family. In 

 that family it remained in direct succession till the death of Sir 

 Edward Ernie, Bart., in 1728, a period of some 350 years. The 

 only daughter and heiress of the last named Sir Edward Ernie 

 was married to Henry Drax, Esq., of Ellerton Abbey, in York- 

 shire, and from him descended Mr. Drax Grosvenor, who in due 

 course came into possession of the Lordship of the Manor. The 

 Manor now belongs to Mrs. Burton, widow of Col. Burton, and 

 daughter and coheiress of J. S. W. S. Erie- Drax, Esq. 

 The Church.* 



The Church at Etchilhampton, according to Ecton, is dedicated 

 to St. Andrew ; but a mutilated effigy of St Anne as she was often 

 represented during the middle ages — in the act of teaching the 

 Blessed Virgin — remained a few years since in the Church, and 

 was said to have been taken during some repairs from a niche over 

 the north doorway, where it had long been plastered over and 

 hidden from view. An effigy in such a position would probably 

 be that of the patron Saint ; so that, as has been already intimated 

 (p. 13), this may be "the Chapel of St. Anne," named in the 

 Protector Duke of Somerset's Register of Estates at Longleat. 



The building consists of Chancel and Nave, which seem to have 

 been erected during the decorated period, probably about the mid- 

 dle of the 14th century. There is also a Porch on the south side 

 which has recently been entirely re-constructed in oak, with open 

 wood-work. The entire roof of the Nave has also been restored, 

 the old beams of the decorated period being retained. 



The Chancel, which is 20ft. in length, by lift, in width, has 



an east window of two trefoil- headed lights. The chancel-arch 



' We are indebted to Mr. E. Kite for some notes on this Church as well as 

 on that of All Canninsrs, 



