48 Broughton Oifford. 



The whole interior was burrowed. Some of the vaults were filled 

 with water. That the roof stood was a mercy : it certainly would 

 have gone, but that the pillars on the south, which are much out 

 of the perpendicular, incline inwards. Had the pressure been the 

 other way, the roof must have been split asunder. We have now 

 set all right, except the roof. That we leave to the next genera- 

 tion. The plans for it are in the parish chest, and I hope my suc- 

 cessor will carry them into execution. 1 



We have a brass, of which an engraving is annexed. The lines 

 are quaint, but touching. The age of Robert Long is stated as 46, 

 but this must be an error. Some Long papers in the British Mu- 

 seum (Add. MSS. 15,561) contain most careful statements of the 

 births of all the eleven children of Henry Long and Mary May. 

 Robert, the sixth child, was born 10th Nov. 1574, and was conse- 

 quently 48 at his death on 13th Nov. 1622. 



Of bells we had one of renown ; 2 everybody said there was not 

 such another between this and Hungerford, where was its fellow. 

 There is a constant tradition that this bell was given to the parish of 

 Broughton Gilford by the parish of Melksham, on consideration of 

 a right of holding a fair here on our common being transferred to 

 Melksham, and that there was a large admixture of silver (some 

 said gold) in its composition. However this may be, its charms, 

 provoking temptation, proved, as with other beauties, its own ruin 

 and that of others. On the marriage of the late clerk's son, some 

 of his young bachelor friends, fresh with beer from the marriage 

 feast, locked themselves up in the belfry, determined to try the 

 tones of the bell to the uttermost, and for this purpose, not conten- 

 ted with the bell rope, they struck the bell itself with a sledge 

 hammer. It rang magnificently its own knell. Split and frac- 



1 Mr. Hickes was the Church restorer of the last century. He enumerates, the 

 " Reading desk altered 1725, the iles of the Church new laid 1726, the gallery- 

 built 1708, Church ceiled 1720, Church walls adorned with Scripture sentences, 

 the ten commandments, Lord's Prayer, and Apostols' creed or belief, and King's 

 arms Done 1724." 



2 " Church Goods. 1553. Certificates of Anthony Hungerford, William 

 Charington [Sherington] and William Wroughton, Knights." (Augmentation 

 office, Carlton Ride.) ***** << Broughton. Delivered to Michel 

 Quinton and to Thos. Redman by indenture iij belles." The sign of our village 

 ale-house has been (time out of mind) " The Bell." 



