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The Destniction of the two Churches of St. Mary in Bath. By 

 Austin J. King. 



(Bead December 14fh, 1888.) 



There were at one time three churches in Bath dedicated to 

 the Blessed Virgin. One of these was Saint Mary extra muros, 

 otherwise called St. Mary by the Southgate. This Church is, I 

 think, intended to be shown on the earliest map of Bath, which 

 formed the subject of an interesting lecture in this room by Mr, 

 E. Green. I say intended, because the situation given to it is 

 almost certainly wrong namely on the north instead of the south 

 side of the Avon. 



I am inclined to think that it was near to the south side of 

 the Old Bridge, but it must not be confused with the little 

 Chapel of St. Lawrence built on the centre pier of the bridge. 



Warner speaks (p. 123) of this Church being a Rectory but it 

 is clear from the document he cites as liis authority that it is the 

 Church of St. Mary intra muros which was intended. 



The words are "ecclesie beate marie infra portam acquU." 

 Leland does not mention this Church on the occasion of his 

 visit in 1530. It is probable therefore that it was only an oratory. 

 The two other Churches dedicated to the Blessed Virgin were 

 Saint Mary de Sialics or " Sancta Maria de Stabulis" more 

 commonly called Stalls Church and Saint Mary intra muros or 

 Sancta Maria intra pmiam Borealem. 



And first as to Stalls Church. It has been suggested that the 

 original name of the Church was "Sancta Maria in Stabulo " 

 (our Lady of the Stable), and that it was intended to honour the 

 Blessed Virgin by reference to the stable where Christ was bom. 

 This derivation is ingenious, but I think inaccurate. In the 

 earliest deeds in our Record room, dated 1218, a district "the 

 Stalls of Bath " is mentioned, and I am incUned to believe that it 

 was so called, as being a sort of rough place where temporary 



