266 Notes on the History of Mere. 
In 1563, November 5th, Sir John Thynne further sold to the 
said Thomas Chafyn, Esq., the aisle or chantry chapel, 
“ adjoining and placed on the sowthe side of the parish church of Meere aforesaid, 
wherein lately the late chantry priest of some certayne chantry, being in Meere 
aforesaid, called the Chantry of the Blessed Virgyn Mary, in Meere, used to saye 
masse; and which chappel or ile lately app’tained to the said chantry, and came 
to the handes of our late Soverign Lord, of famous memory, King Edward the 
Sixth, by the dissolution of the said chantry, by forse of the Act of P’liament 
made in the first yeare of the rayne, of the said late kynge, cone’ning giving of 
chantries to the saide late kinge, his heyres and successors, and after granted by 
the said late kinge by his letters patents, amongest other things, to me the said 
Sir John Thynne, and to one Lawrence Huyde, Gent, and to my heyres for ever.” 
The grantees of the chantry and its endowment were both com- 
missioners acting on behalf of the Crown at the suppression. The 
chapel having been purchased by Thomas Chafyn, Esq., became 
the burial-place of that family and their descendants, the Groves, of 
Zeals, and contains many sepulchral memorials appertaining to both. 
But subsequent to this conveyance it appears that a chantry 
bearing the name of Berkeley’s was granted by Queen Elizabeth, 
A.D. 1592, by letters patent to Edward Downinge and Roger 
Mant, their heirs and assigns, together with certain lands, tene- 
ments, etc. 
In 1609 the chantry lands were granted by the King (James I.) 
to Frances Phellips, and Richard Moore, Gent., their heirs and 
assigns, for ever, on payment of an annual fine of £3 17s. ld. 
All which premises in Mere were formerly the property of the 
Chantry of Mere. 
These chantry lands were afterwards held by Henry Andrews, 
Esq., only son and heir to Sir Matthew Andrews, Knight, who was 
buried at Mere, 16th March, 1711. 
Twenty tenements also belonged to the chantry, the rents of 
which amounted to £11 4s., besides three tenements of Thomas 
Stourton, valued at 1s. 10d., and four of Mrs. Moore’s at ls. 8d., 
both of whom are described in an old court roll as tenants of the 
chantry. 
There are still chantry rents collected at Mere, by the repre- 
sentatives of the late Meyrick Bankes, Esq., whose ancestors 
