PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 5 



To Cheltenham visitors one feature of the church has 

 a special interest, because of its connection with Richard 

 Pate, founder of the Cheltenham Grammar School. In 

 the reign of Henry VI, a religious guild was founded in 

 Chipping Sodbury, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 

 Its objects, to quote the quaint language of the period, 

 were "to crecte a chauntry for ij priests to celebrate at 

 thalter of S. Mary within the Chapell or Church of the 

 seid Chipping Sodbury prayeng for the good estate of the 

 seid King, and after his deceasse for his sowle, the 

 ffounders' sowles, and all Xpen (Christian) sowley." The 

 chantry chapel was behind the north chancel of the church 

 and has disappeared. Part of the possessions of the 

 guild were, in the reign of Henry VI, bought by Richard 

 Pate, as one of the King's Commissioners, and several 

 years later Pate sold a portion of them to the Burghers of 

 Sodbury, part for a Town Hall and part for an Almshouse. 



The members then drove to Little Sodbury, to see the 

 Manor House, and the httle that remains of its parochial 

 church. The Manor House stands on the hill slope, a 

 short distance below the Roman Camp, and Mr John 

 Bellows is of opinion that it occupies the site of the 

 signalling station belonging to the Camp. The house has 

 a long and interesting history, which has been carefully 

 traced by Mr Bazeley, of Matson. It was built, he tells 

 us, by Sir John Walshe, who in 1490 was the King's 

 receiver for the Berkeley lands which had been alienated 

 from the Berkeley family by William, Marquis Berkeley, 

 and entailed on the King and his heirs male. This 

 appointment was a profitable one, and Sir John Walshe 

 who died in 1492 left his son heir to several manors. 

 Sir John Walshe (the 2nd) was the champion of 

 Henry VIII at his coronation, and was a great f:ivourite 

 with the voung King. He married, first, Ann, daughter 

 of Sir Robert Poyntz, and secondly, Ann, daughter of 

 John Dinley, of Hampshire. The house ow^es much of 



