ST. MARY'S TOWER, TAUNTON. 141 



which is more than probable included his favourite 

 minister, wbo we know took an active part in tbe civil 

 wars ; that tbe friend of tbat minister, Lord Daubeney, 

 was Constable of Taunton Castle ; and tbat Sir Reginald 

 was eminent as an architect. Tbere is anotber reason for 

 believing tbat Taunton may have been mucb in favour 

 witb the King just now, as it was at tbis period that 

 Richard Fox was Bisbop of Wells— a divine who ren- 

 dered important Services in belping Henry to the throne ; 

 and tbat he was well disposed towards the town we 

 have evidence in the grammar-scbool he has given us. 

 Another of the favourites of Henry VII was also in the 

 west ; Dr. Oliver King about this time was Archdeacon 

 of Taunton, still rising in favour, until he was at length 

 promoted to the see of Bath and Wells. He it is said 

 had great knowledge of Gothic architecture, and was in- 

 duced by a vision to rebuild Bath Abbey. We also find 

 tbat he was Registrar of tbe Order of the Garter, of which 

 Sir Reginald was a Knight.* They botb died in the same 



* By the occurrence of so many circumstances common to each of these 

 notable men ; their favour witb. tbe King ; tbeir knowledge and love of 

 architecture; and their connection with the Order of the Garter — imagina- 

 tion leads one to picture Bray as taking an active share in designing the 

 new Abbey, the style being Tudor, and the pierced parapet of the tower 

 having a strong resemblance to St. Mary's, Taunton. It would seem also 

 that King Henry was in some way connected with the building, as beneath 

 the pedestals supporting the figures of St. Peter and St. Paul we find the 

 portcullis and the union rose crowned, and a niche over the great western 

 door is supposed originally to have contained his figure, his arms, crowned 

 with supporters, being sculptured at the base. Below another bracket, 

 likewise on the west point, are two shields, charged with the arms of the 

 see, surmounted by a dragon and greyhound, Henry's supporters, sustain- 

 ing a rose crowned. 



There was another important Tudor building, richly decorated with the 

 arms and badges of the seventh Henry, in the course of construction at this 

 time, whose fan tracery roof resembles in design that of Bath Abbey, 

 St. George's, Windsor, and the Westminster Chapel, and the termination 

 of whose turrets are almost identical with the buttresses at Westminster, 

 —I allude to King's College, Cambridge. We have stated on authority that 



VOL. VIII., 1858, PART II. T 



