By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 53 



was given by the owner of that Manor, Sir John of Easton, to pray 

 for the souls of himself and family. 



Below this coppice, and beyond a rivulet south of the Priory, in 

 a field called the Minchin meadow were their fishponds. And on 

 the east side of the House was a large ground called the Nymph 

 Hay,* where the Sisters with their young scholars used to take 

 exercise. In his remarks upon Nunneries as places of education, 

 Aubrey thus describes their appearance : — 



" The young maids were brought up, (not at Hackney, Sarum 

 Schools, &c., to learn pride and wantonness,) but at the Nunneries, 

 where they had examples of piety and humility, modesty and 

 obedience, to imitate and practice. Here they learned needlework, 

 the art of confectionary, surgery, [anciently no apothecaries or 

 surgeons : the gentlewomen did cure their poor neighbours : their 

 hands are now too fine] ; physic, writing, drawing, &c. Old 

 Jacques, who lived where Charles Hadnam did, could see from his 

 house the Nuns of the Priory of St. Mary's, Xington, come forth 

 into the Nymph-Hay with their rocks and wheels to spin, and with 

 their sewing work. He would say that he hath told threescore and 

 ten, but of Nuns there were not so many, but in all, with Lay- 

 Sisters, as widows, old maids, and young girls, there might be 

 such a number. This was a fine way of breeding up young women, 

 who are led more by example than precept : and a good retirement 

 for widows and grave single-women to a civil, virtuous, and holy 

 life. In the old hedges belonging to the Priory were " (and stUl 

 are) " a good number of Barberry trees, which t'is likely the Nuns 

 used for confections. Their last priest^ was Parson Whaddon, 



' Now corrupted into "Empty." Names, like the coin of the realm, suffer 

 by currency ; and every parish map ib rich in riddles which it is by uo means 

 easy to holvc. Such as " Izell's" from East-hills, " Vauitj'-field " from Wal- 

 nut-tree-Jield, "Marriage Park" (near Malmsbury,) from Alauchnfs Park, 

 " Crawlboy's wood " from an old Norman name Croile-hois. A copse on 

 Bedwyn common planted whilst Lord Ailesbury was travelling- in Sicily, and 

 called, in order to mark its age, the " Sicilian" plantation, is now "Thistle- 

 hand." 



2 The Priory had a Priest to perform Divine Service from the time of its 

 foundation, with a stipend of £5 68. 8d., nearly equal to the whole Tithes of 

 the Rectory £6 V.\n. 4d. {tee Val. Eccl.) 



