By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A. 199 
Mr. Talbot also owns a most interesting document and the only 
_ one known that directly refers to any of the building works. It 
is in the form of an agreement for the erection of a Lady chapel 
in the 14th century, and will be quoted in its place. 
Unfortunately no Dissolution inventory or survey is known to 
exist, but the report of the Royal Commissioners, 28 Henry VIIL., 
is as follows :— 
*¢ Abbey of Lacock. 
**(A) <A hedde house of nunnes of S. Augusteynes rule, of great and large 
buyldings set in a towne. To the same and all other adjoynynge by common 
reaporte a great releef. (Former valuation) £168 9s.2d.; (present valuation) 
£194 9s. 2d. with £16 3s. 4d. for the demaynes of the same. 
*(B) (Religious) seventeen—viz. professed fourteen and novesses three, 
by report and in apparaunce of vertuous lyvyng all desyring to continue 
religios. 
*(C) (Servants) forty-two—viz. chapleyns four; wayting servants three; 
officers of household nine; clerk and sexton two; women servants nine; and 
hyndes fifteen. 
— “(D) Church, mansion and all oder houses in very good astate. The lead 
and bells there estemed to be solde to £100 10s. 
“«(E.) (Goods) £360 19s.—viz.,jewells and plate £64 19s.; ornaments £17 12s. ; 
stuff £21 18s. 2d.; and stokkes and stoores £257 Os. 10d. 
‘* (F'.) Owing by the house nz/, and owing to the house nil. 
*©(G) Great woods nil; copys woods 110 Acres. Estemed to be solde to 
£75 1s. 4d.” } 
In addition is a list of the pensionaries without signatures and 
- date of surrender, which was on the 21st of January, 1539.2 
On June 16th, 1540, the Abbey and its possessions were granted 
to Sir William Sharington on payment of £100, apparently a 
deposit of the £783 paid in all. He appears immediately to have 
- commenced the conversion of the claustral buildings into a manor- 
house. What he allowed to remain is in a wonderful state of 
preservation, never having been exposed to the ravages of the 
_ plunderer and the weather; but what he destroyed was done so 
completely that in places even the very foundations are entirely 
obliterated. 
1P.R.O, Chantry Certificates No. 100, m. 2, vide Wilts Arch. Mag., vol. 
XXviii., p. 310. 
4 2 Ibid, p. 315. 
3 Ibid, vol. xxvii., p. 160. 
VOL. XXXI. NO. XCIV. P 
