the Virgin, Bishops Cannings. 7 
profanation. In January, 1884, I submitted this opinion to the late 
Mr. J. H. Parker, of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, together 
with a measured drawing and a full description of the features. 
In his reply (dated 29th January, two days before his death) he 
says:—“ The Church of Bishops Cannings I well remember as a 
fine Early English example, but it is many years since I have seen 
it. There seems no doubt that the interesting low-side window 
that you have opened, and the window over it, are of the twelfth 
century, though not very early. Frequently the low window had 
reference to the altar of a chantry chapel, as in this case, and not to 
the high altar. The aumbry, or locker, above the window may 
have been used as you suggest from the fact that it is away from 
the altar, but I should be inclined to think it was used for other 
purposes. All this part evidently belongs to a chantry chapel of 
-an earlier Church.” This, at any rate, contains no contradiction of 
my view; probably but for Mr. Parker’s delicate state of health at 
the time he would have suggested, as I had hoped, some better. 
explanation of this unusual combination of features. 
It has been suggested to me that there was probably a floor across 
this end of the aisle, to form a priest’s or watcher’s room over, the 
upper window being for light to, and the locker for the use of, the 
occupant. There are marks in the pier and respond of the arcade 
which at first sight seem to support this view. But surely, if such 
an upper room had been contemplated in building this part, there 
would have been some structural provision for carrying the floor, 
and it would not have been left to be fitted up by running the 
bearers into the columns! ‘Then the holes, which are filled up, 
__ would only receive timbers of about 43in. X 3in., a size entirely 
out of keeping with my idea of what the beams used in a Church 
of the twelfth century would be. And further, the twelfth century 
roof, the pitch of which is plainly discernible on the outside, and is 
shewn by a dotted line on the inside, in my drawing, would come 
to within 8ft. of the level of this upper floor, as indicated by the 
marks in the columns. After carefully weighing all the suggestions 
which have been made to me, and giving the matter very full 
consideration, [ feel compelled to fall back upon my original idea ; 
