By the Rev. W. H. Jones. ov 
fair Anglo-Saxon—(and really they are often convertible terms),— 
“T’ll be vower-score come Katterntide, and I beant yeable now to 
doff or don myself,” which in modern English meant, ‘I shall be 
four-score next St. Catherine’s-tide, and I am not able now to un- 
dress (do-off} or dress (do-on) myself.” 
It is not improbable also, that there was a chapel near Ashleigh. 
There is a field still called the Church-field, belonging to the Misses 
Bailward, in which a stone coffin, still to be seen, was dug up, and 
where there have been found many evidences of its having been an 
old burial-ground. At Cumberwell, also, there was a chapel; it is 
mentioned expressly in the deeds by which Henry VIII. bestowed 
the Rectorial Tithes and the Advowson of the Churches and Chapels 
on.the Dean and Chapter of Bristol. 
Whilst on the subject of chapels, we may as well speak of the 
Chapel on our bridge.! Leland, who visited our town in 1540, | 
speaks of the bridge, which he says, had “nine fair arches of 
stone,” but does not allude to the chapel. There have been some 
who have thought that this was merely a toll-house for the collection 
of pontagium—a contribution for the maintaining or re-edifying a 
bridge. Aubrey, however, (who wrote 200 years ago) says ex- 
pressly, “Here is a strong and handsome bridge, in the midst of 
which is a little chapel, as at Bath, for masse.” So that no doubt 
its object was to contain the image of the patron saint, and to 
receive at once the devotions and alms of passers-by, the latter 
being probably given to the swpport of the Hospital at the Bridge- 
foot. The chapel itself is built on the centre pier on the eastern side 
of the bridge. (Plate v.} It is almost square in plan, and rests on 
some good and bold graduated corbelling overhanging the ‘cut-water’ 
of the pier. The eastern end appears to have projected still further 
into the stream so as to form a recess, for the figure, perhaps of the 
patron saint. Concerning the dedication of the Bridge Chapel we 
1 Of this chapel on the bridge, J. C. and C. Buckler in their ‘Remarks on 
Wayside Chapels’ say, (p. 25)—*‘ This little room, which still retains its doorway 
on the footpath, and is domed over with ribbed stone-work, appears to have been 
partially altered or wholly rebuilt from the level of the floor. The supporting 
corbels which spring from the faces of one of the angular piers, and overspread 
each other, finally terminating in a square platform, present perhaps an almost 
unequalled specimen of ingenious construction,” 
