286 



booths and sheds were put up. The word used in the convej- 

 ances as denoting the tenement is " Selda." 



The Church was situate at what was called " Bear Comer," 

 that is at the junction of Stalls Street with Cheap Street. The 

 Bear Inn stood of course just opposite at the bottom of what is 

 now Union Street. The churchyard adjoined, and probably lay 

 in common with the open space to the west of the Abbey. The 

 Abbey Church was what its name implied, and was only resorted 

 to by the citizens on special days. Stalls Church stood, as 

 regards the Abbey, in the same position and for the same purposes 

 as did the Church of St. Margaret at Westminster, the Church 

 which overshadowed it. 



Stalls was a Vicarage, the Kectory having been vested in the 

 Prior and Monks in 1263. To the Vicarage was appendant the 

 Chapelry of Widcombe. In 1322 the relations between the Vicar 

 and Rectors were put upon a definite footing, the tithes were 

 apportioned and it was ordered that the Vicar should be 

 resident, that there should be a priest at Widcombe, and that 

 the Rectors should be charged with the repairs of the Chancel. 



This Church was the official one of the city, and one of the 

 aisles was set apart for the Mayor and Corporation, and went 

 under the name of the Mayor's aisle. The seats in this aisle 

 were repaired from time to time at the expense of the Chamber. 



Numerous gifts and benefactions were made to the Church. 

 In 1326 Benedict de Stoke gave a pound of wax yearly for a 

 taper to be lighted on the Feast of the Assumption of the 

 Blessed Virgin and fourpence for four masses yearly for the 

 repose of his soul, and charged the necessary annual payments on 

 a house of his in Stalls Street. In 1403 Sybil Pochon gave her 

 best veil {nianutergium) to Stalls Church, a sum of money to the 

 Vicar to say masses for her soul and to the image of St. 

 Catherine de Stalls her best silk robe (unum flamiolum meum 

 optimum de sericoj. 



St. Catherine was a favourite saint in Bath. This appears not 



