50 
On a Ketter of Six Tilkam Sharingtow to 
Sir John Thynne, Aune 23th, 1553. 
By C. H. Tazzor. 
E¢HH.)Y attention was first called, by my late friend Canon Jackson, 
IA GY to the very interesting letter which is the subject of the 
following remarks, in August, 1878. The original is in the 
possession of the Marquis of Bath, at Longleat, where I have seen 
‘it, but only hurriedly. The text is printed from a transcript of 
Canon Jackson’s copy of the letter, and the spelling and punctuation 
are modernised. Canon Jackson printed a few copies of a second 
edition of his paper on Longleat (which had originally appeared in 
this Magazine), with additions, but it was, I believe, not published, 
and, as he had no copy left, I have never seen it. He informed me 
in a letter (September 22nd, 1887) that one of the things he meant — 
to do, if he could possibly find time, was to print a third edition, 
and, I believe, it was his intention to have included this letter. It 
gives the only name, yet known, of any artist employed on the 
buildings of Sir William Sharington. Chapman, who was evidently 
a skilful carver, is mentioned also in Canon Jackson’s paper on John 
of Padua (Wiltshire Magazine, vol. xxiil., p. 27). There can, I 
should think, be no doubt that some of the excellent Renaissance 
work remaining at Lacock Abbey is his handiwork, though it would 
be impossible, in the absence of further evidence, to say how much, 
as we do not know what other carvers may have been employed. 
It is remarkable that a chimney, or mantelpiece, should have been 
worked at Lacock, with the intention of conveying it so great a 
distance as to Dudley, yet such appears to have been the case. It 
would be interesting to know whether any early Renaissance work 
now exists at Dudley. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, 
was executed, August 22nd, 1553, and Sharington, at the date of 
