138 PAPERS, ETC. 



Beere seeuis confirrned by the fact that thc same letters 

 occur on a stone in a wall close to the town of Taunton, 

 accompanied by an Abbot's mitre, and that this building 

 was a hospital for lepers, founded by one Lambright, 

 in the reign of Henry III, afterwards enlarged by Richard 

 Beere. But then it should be remembered that this 

 house Stands in the parish of West Monkton, the manor 

 of which belonged to the Abbots of Glastonbury, and 

 that the successors of Lambright annexed the advowson 

 of the hospital thereof to the Abbey. And it must be 

 remarked that though the place is little better in appearance 

 than a cow-shed, and that it was only improved by Beere, 

 we have this made evident, not only by bis initials, but by 

 the Abbot's mitre. (See Plate XII.) 



Who then, having deposed the Abbot, can be recognised 

 as shadowed forth in the mysterious R. B. A. S. ? I reply 

 Reginald Bray, Architectus Senatus, (or perhaps, for the 

 last letter, some other Interpretation). Sir Reginald Bray, 

 Knight of the Garter and Bath, Privy Counsellor, Con- 

 stable of the Castle of Oakham, in Rutlandshire, Joint 

 Chief Justice of all the Forests south of Kent, High 

 Treasurer, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, High 

 Steward of Oxford, and Architect, being principally con- 

 cerned in this capacity, in building bis Royal master's 

 chapel at Westminster, and finishing St. George's Chapel, 

 Windsor, where bis device — a hemp-break and bis initials, 

 R. B. — frequently appear. Such is the eminent man I 

 suggest as the architect of St. Mary 's Tower, and I have 

 strong reasons for so doing. 



If you turn to the Companion to Parker 's Glossary of 

 Architecture, you will find that "in 1488 the nave and 

 aisles of St. Mary's, Oxford, were built by subscription, 

 and that the architect was Sir Reginald Bray, having con- 



