30 Notes on Amesbury Church. 
the acreage of Amesbury was then cultivated we have at least 1870 
acres of which you will see that only about one-sixth belonged to 
the abbey, and the great majority of the parishioners were outside 
its jurisdiction. The area of Amesbury is 5625 acres. 
And then consider this in the list of payments for taking down 
the roofs of the Church (pp. 79, 80) :—“21 Aug. 1542. The roof 
of the great quire: the roof over the Hy Au[l]tar: the roof of our 
_ Lady Chapel. All is made desolate.” 
Now in this very year, 1542 Nico Chamber dies at Amesbury, 
and makes his will. He dwells in the parish of S. Melore in 
Amysbury. He cares for his Parish Church. Does he make 
provision for its repair—now that it lies desolate and roofless? 
Nothing of the kind. He wills that his body be buried in the 
Church of St. Melore, in the body of the Church before the rood. 
To the high altar of St. Melore in Amysbury my parish aforesaid 
I leave a groat. Also to the same Church I give a canope to have 
over the holy and blessed sacrament on Corpus Christi day. Also 
I give to the attiring of the sepulchre on Good Friday a pall em- 
broidered in gold and silk with the borders of silk and fringe. His 
wife Agnes is to take charge of it—and repair it if need be. 
‘And at all time as it shall be pecmaad she shall deliver unto the wardens 
of the Church aforesaid and y™ to remain.’ 
(Is it not clear that these were the churchwardens of the parish ; 
and that the Parish Church was not then roofless ?) 
* Also to the maintenance of the service within the same Church, 3/4. 
Also to All Sowlen light in y* same Church 4%. Also to 8. Stephen’s light 44. 
Also to y*° Maydens’ light 44.” 
1 (72) ‘Committed to Mr. Berwick’s custody (i.q. for removal) Leads remain£ 
upon y* Church, quire, aisles, steeple, chapells, revestry, cloister &c. 
‘* Bells remains in the steeple y" 4 
‘The lead is not only stripped off H. Altar, Quire, Steeple, aisles, body of 
y° Church, Vestry, Lady Chapel, St. John’s Chapel, Cloisters, but it is melted 
down, and carted away—ALL 219 TONS EXCEPT a small quantity, perhaps 
% ton, given to the roof of the Chancel of the Parish Church. The Paving 
tiles before the high Altar, with all the grave stones before the Altar and 
Vestry are sold: the Roof of the Vestry of the S. Aisle, the great wall of the 
Mid-quire, all is destroyed. The N. Aisle is filled first with tiles and paving 
and then with timber.” 
