134 PAPERS, ETC. 



point significantly to wboever or wbatever may be signified 

 by the four letters. (See Plate XI.) 



It is thus made probable, by tbese letters R. B., wbicb 

 signify Reginald Bray, at St. George's, Windsor, and 

 Riebard Beere, at Glastonbury, tbat it must be to one or 

 other of tbese distinguisbed men tbat the angebe forms 

 draw attention ; and it is in order to elicit from some one 

 of our able archajologists a more certain light on tbis sub- 

 jeet than 1 am enabled to tbrow tbat I now suggest some 

 reasons for my belief that Sir Reginald Bray was tbe 

 illustrious man, as arebiteet of the tower, denoted by these 

 initials. 



There may possibly bave been some record relating 

 to tbe builder of tbe tower on a scroll, whieb, sup- 

 ported by angels, was sculptured on tbe transome of 

 the belfry window on its west front, nearest the south 

 side ; if so, it perished during an age in which archasological 

 research was dormant — though there is no evidence of let- 

 ters remaining,nor in any published authority is any mention 

 made of the four initial letters ; and I only find the two 

 first, R. B., noticed by Mr. Ferrey, who, in bis Remarks on 

 the Gothic Towers of Somerset, in the Rev. Dr. Cottle's 

 book published in aid of the fund for the restoration of St. 

 Mary Magdalen, says : " There are unfortunately no coats 

 of arms or cognizances upon the tower to settle the exaet 

 date when it was built ; but on the transomes of the two 

 upper series of belfry windows are sculptured angels sup- 

 porting shields, on which are carved the initials R. B. 

 These letters may refer to Richard Beere, Abbot of Glas- 

 tonbury, who presided over the establishment in the 15th 

 Century — a dignitary eminently skilled in architecture, and 

 who built the churches at Glastonbury, on which are sculp- 

 tured the same initials, R. B. It is, therefore, not unlikely 



