By C. H. Talbot. 47 
Robert Stapylton, of Wighill, in Yorkshire, and had issue by both 
marriages. Between these two daughters, Grace and Olive, as co- 
heiresses,' the estates of Sir Henry Sharington were divided. 
The Abbey was garrisoned for the King during the civil wars, 
but had to surrender to the Parliamentary forces in 1645. 
The architectural remains consist of the principal buildings of 
the monastery, with the exception of the Church ; that is to say, 
the sacristy, chapter-house, slype and day-room, with dormitory 
over; another passage and cellar, with refectory over, and other 
vaulted rooms under the modern hall and dining-room, these sub- 
structures being of the thirteenth century; the present kitchen is 
that of the nuns modernised. There are fine vaulted cloisters, of 
three sides, two bays being transitional from Decorated to Perpen- 
dicular, and the rest Perpendicular, The Church was evidently an 
Early English vaulted building, which had undergone some alteration. 
It had no transepts and no north aisle. Whether it had a south 
aisle or not is uncertain, but we know that a Lady Chapel? was 
being added to it in 1315, and that the said chapel contained the 
the tomb? of Sir John Bluet, lord of the manor of Lackham, in 
the parish of Lacock, who, having the alternate right of presentation 
to the rectory, gave that right to the abbey. 
The walls, both of the dormitory and refectory, appear to have 
been raised from their original height, and they retain roofs, re- 
spectively, of early and later Perpendicular character. 
The tower was entirely built by Sir William Sharington, and isa 
perfect and valuable specimen of early Renaissance. Some of the 
_ windows of his work are very remarkable for the fusion of English 
and Italian features, All the old chimneys are of the same work, 
_ ? Henry Sharington had a son—William—baptised May 8th and buried August 
_ Alth, 1563, at Lacock. A most mistaken statement is made by Bowles and 
_ Nichols (p. 298), which may be corrected by striking out the words I have here 
put in italics, viz., that “Grace, the second daughter . . . wasmarried ... 
but had no issue; so that the whole inheritance of Lacock came to her sister 
Oliva, &c.” The estates were never re-united, and the portions that fell to Grace 
_ were sold in the seventeenth century. 
2 Wiltshire Archeological Magazine, vol. xvi., p. 350. 
° Older cartulary of Lacock, fol. 76, a. 
