250 



to the Abbey of Gloucester of the Cliurch of St. Peter, founded by his father. 

 He also presented the tithes of the jjarish of Weobley to the Abbey of Llanthony 

 as part of its endowment, in virtue of which present the Chapter of that Abbey 

 became patrons of the Vicarage, which was held by them down to the time of the 

 dissolution of the Monasteries, a.d. 153.5. I may, perhaps, be allowed to point out 

 in passing that this gift bears witness to the contradiction of the statement, often 

 refuted but industriously repeated, that tithes were originally an endowment 

 bestowed upim the Church by the State. You will observe that in this case the tithes 

 of a parish were given by its proprietor to endow, not the benefice, but a religious 

 house to which in virtue <if this gift the patronage of the benefice devolved. As 

 Hugh de Lacy chose Weobley Church as his place of biirial early in the twelfth 

 centuiy, we can have little doubt that he was in a great measure, if not altogether, 

 its builder, and, of his work the porch, and a piscina, of the 11th century, on 

 the south side of the nave are the existing remains. 



The chancel of the Church is 54 feet 8 inches in length and 22 feet in width. 

 The nave measures 65 feet 5 inches in length, and 25 feet 1 inch in width, 

 besides the aisles, of which the north aisle is 23 feet ^ inch, and the south aisle 

 20 feet 2 inch wide. 



There are portions of 13th century work both in the nave and the chancel, 

 but the greater part of the Church belongs to the 14th century with some later 

 additions, especially the east window and the oaken roof of the nave. -We are 

 able to point almost with certainty to the date of the re-building of the nave, for 

 we find in the Register of Bishop Orleton that on April 14th, 1325, that Bishop 

 dedicated the Church of Webbelye and three altars therein ; and the ball-flower 

 moulding in the east arch of the nave agrees with work of Bishop Orleton's date 

 in the Cathedral at Hereford. The tower stands at the north-west angle of the 

 nave, is partially isolated, and projects obliquely into the north aisle. It belongs 

 to the 14th or early 15th century, and is surmounted by a spire of the same date, 

 of which the top was blown down about 1640, but was repaired in 1682 at the 

 expense of Colonel Birch, then M.P. for the borough. The tower contains six 

 bells. There were formerly two chantry chapels, one on the north side of the 

 nave dedicated to B.V.M., which went by the name of the Monington Chapel, as 

 appears by an order made by Bishop Croft, a.d. 1684, and bore it because lands 

 belonging to its foundation were held of Mr. Monington, of Sarnesfield. It 

 existed before a.d. 1430. The one on the south side was dedicated to St. Nicholas, 

 having been founded not long before the dissolution of monasteries, and 

 subsequent abolition of chantry chapels. It belonged to the family of Bridges, of 

 The Ley, and contained a monument bearing the arms of that family. The screen 

 work of botli of these chapels was in excellent preservation until 1868, when the 

 whole of it, except one post belonging to the north chapel, on which was carved 

 the usual emblem of the Trinity, was removed, entirely without leave or authority 

 of any kind, by the proprietor at that time of Garnstone, an act of needless 

 demolition which can now only be regretted, but without possibility of reparation. 

 The post now mentioned has been removed to the south side of the nave. Near it 

 is a flat stone bearing a floriated cross nf beautiful wmkniaiisliip of the 13th 



