364 Colerne Church. 
The history of Colerne is so united with that of Castle Combe, 
the lords of the manor being either Barons of Combe or mesne 
lords holding of them, that we may consider them indirectly if not 
directly, as the builders and founders of the earlier portions of the 
church. 
The semi-Norman, or transitional features which belong to the 
first church of which we have any substantial record, must have 
been built during the life of Walter de Dunstanville, the first baron 
of Castle Combe. Upon his marriage his father-in-law gave him 
only half the lordship of Colerne, and it was not until 1190 that he 
obtained full possession.1_ From this I would infer that the oldest 
part of the present church was built by Walter de Dunstanville, 
between this date and the year of his death, 1195. The chancel, 
which I presume to have been built soon after 1240, would conse- 
quently be the work of Walter, the third baron, who died in 1270. 
It appears from the “Testa de Nevill,” that one knight’s fee in 
Colerne was held of the king by this Walter de Dunstanville, and 
he it was who first obtained the grant of a market for Colerne.? 
Those portions of the church to which I have affixed the date 1280, 
must have been erected during the tenancy of Sir John Delamere, 
who died in 1313. I have not been able to look into the “ Acts of 
William de Colerne, Abbot of Malmsbury,” (MS. penes Sir Thos. 
Phillipps, Bart.,) but the well-known fondness of the Abbot for 
building and enlarging churches, his very name, and the constant 
occurrence in this part of the building of heads, bearing testimony 
of a convent life, seem to point to him as the author of the work. 
The “Perpendicular” additions and alterations were doubtless 
effected soon after the manor and church came into the possession 
of New College, Oxford, which took place in the year 1389. 
It appears from the Colerne muniments, in the possession of 
New College, that the manor passed from Henry de Burghersh, 
Bishop of Lincoln, to Bartholomew de Burghersh, his nephew, 
who married for his second wife, Margaret, sister of Bartholomew, 
Lord Badlesmere, and that William of Wykeham purchased the 
1 History of Castle Combe by G. Poulett Scrope, Esq., p. 32. 
2 History of Castle Combe, p. 37. 
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