ST. MARY'S TOWER, TAUNTON. 137 



ing to the north side of the church ; that he made withal 

 a chapel of the sepulchre in ihe south end of the nave of 

 the church; an almshouse with a chapel in the north part 

 of the abbey, and the manor place at Sharpham, in the 

 park" — I but understand that he caused these works to 

 be done, and perhaps, as a man of some architectural 

 knowledge, regulated the doing ; but as to designing and 

 executing, I may for the same reasons believe that he 

 was eminent as a working goldsmith ; as I read " that he 

 made a rieh altar of silver gilt and set it before the high 

 altar." Also in reading this list of works redounding to 

 his glory, how can we aecount for the Omission of the 

 building of St. Mary 's tower, a far more famous work than 

 any of these recorded? There are other Abbots named as 

 having built portions of Glastonbury Abbey, much in the 

 same way as it is recorded that Richard Beere " busied 

 himself in adding to the Monastery such buildings as were 

 deemed necessary to its character and almost unique per- 

 fection," such as Nicholas de Frome, who u built the house 

 of reeeption for the sick poor, the Abbot's great audience 

 Chamber, the Bishop's apartment, and other needful edi- 

 fices." But I do not apprehend it is intended to convey 

 to us that such buildings were from the original designs of 

 these holy men. An unfortunate eoineidence of initials 

 has, I believe, led many, with Mr. Ferrey, to suppose that 

 Abbot Beere was the architect of St. Mary 's steeple ; 

 and had it not been for the two letters, on shields on the 

 transomes of the other windows, which he has not noticed, 

 I believe I should not have questioned the Abbot's claim. 

 But there are four letters on these windows, R. B. A. S., 

 and it was in endeavouring to deeipher the two latter that 

 I was induced to believe that Richard Beere was not the 

 name signified. The idea that R. B. signified Richard 



