By the Rev. J. Baron, B.D., F.S.A. ]17 



in spite of much obloquy, so precious an hi^orical monument, or 

 " lamp of memory," to use a Ruskin phrase. I am also told that 

 the Marquis of Bath, F.S.A., visited the Church and expressed a 

 strong opinion in favour of preserving the very peculiar features of 

 the east end of the nave. 



In the case of a small Church or chancel the arrangement is not 

 so inconvenient as might be supposed for the services of the Church of 

 England. In the communion service at Stockton the clergyman's 

 voice is well heard throughout the building. Nor is it necessarily un- 

 sightly. Before the recent restoration the large space of wall over the 

 doorway and hagioscopes was encrusted with eighteenth and nine- 

 teenth century monuments. These have been moved to more suitable 

 situations, but the wall in the meantime is left blank. It is to be 

 hoped that, in due course of time, by study of archaeological and 

 artistic lore, some subjects will be chosen to decorate this space, so 

 that this historic east wall — without detriment to its archaic features 

 — may become an iconostasis as well as ILdyKeka. There can be no 

 doubt that it was so decorated in olden time, in conformity with 

 both Greek and Latin examples.^ 



In order to appreciate the great wisdom of the Stockton arrange- 

 ment in very early times, it is desirable to ascertain approximately 

 when it was devised. I am not aware of any known examples which 

 are older than the Norman Conquest, if so old, but the arrangement 

 was probably devised long before.^ 



The most Greek period in England before the conquest dates from 

 A.D. 668, when Theodore of Tarsus became Archbishop of Canter- 

 bury. He was very energetic in his duties and occupied the see 

 twenty-two years. He deceased A.D. 690. His primacy naturally 

 gave a great stimulus to the study of Greek, and intercourse with 

 the Greek Church.^ At this time there was no actual schism be- 

 tween East and "West. 



* Cf . Texier, Byzantine Architecture, and the sculptured angels at Bradford- 

 on-Avon. 



^ Cf. Church of Eeculvers, Arch. Cant., vol. xii. 



^ Cf . Dr. Hook, Lives of Archbishops, vol. i., pp. 145, 164. 



