164 SHERBORNE ABBEY AND SCHOOL. 



south aisle of the choir. It would have been better if the figure 

 had been placed on the north side of the same aisle, for in its 

 present position the fine head of the pastoral staff cannot be 

 properly seen. It was commonly held to be the effigy of Abbot 

 Meere, 1504-1535, but that is impossible ; the stiff-stalked 

 foliage on the staff-head shows that this abbot belonged to the 

 1 3th century. It, therefore, represents either Abbot Henry, 

 1228-1246, or Abbot Lawrence, of Bradford, 1246-1261. 



The rebus, numbered 3 in the plate, is described in Hutchins' 

 as containing the letter P, and it is, therefore, assumed that the 

 rebus is one of Peter Ramsam, the restorer of the nave. But 

 the letter is D, as an inspection of the rebus, and even of the 

 plate itself, shows ; it is the rebus of Bishop Oldham, of Exeter. 

 The shield of Sherborne Abbey, shown in the same plate thrice 

 over, and numbered 8, 10, and n, is wrongly drawn. In all 

 untouched examples in the church the pastoral staff is not laid 

 over the cross as here represented, but pierces the cross from 

 above. The shield, or rebus, numbered 22 in the plate, is 

 wrongly drawn ; it looks as if the artist wished to represent W, 

 two curling stones, and an annulet, whereas what he should have 

 shown are W and three bread baskets or cottage loaves about a 

 cross. This, I believe to be the rebus of Abbot William Brad- 

 ford, the restorer of the choir i.e., it represents W. Bread-foured. 

 If this conjecture is right, then we have a memorial in the 

 church of one who did a great work for it; if not, this 

 distinguished Abbot is without any commemoration in stone 

 within the church. 



Let us now pass to the plate of illustrations opposite page 294. 

 The cut marked church-house presents the letters I G and the 

 date 1570. If you look at this date now on the church-house, 

 you will find that at the restoration of that building some years 

 ago the stone was put in wrong side up, so that it now reads 

 oLSi, and the smaller stone with I G on it is gone altogether. 

 The initials I G are those of John Gardiner, who was Master of 

 the Almshouse, I conjecture, in 1571, when certain repairs 

 were made in the church-house, which is much older than this 



