Ixiv. CHESJL BEACH AND FLEET MEETING. 



So far for description of the stone. Let us now consider to what uses this 

 venerable cross may have been put in ages gone by and the reasons for its 

 erection. 



Crosses, as is well known, are our earliest symbols of Christianity ; no objects 

 in our island belonging to historic times are older. They were erected as 

 memorials to the dead, and for preaching and praying purposes before each 

 parish had its chapel or church. The markets in our country towns and villages 

 were held around or under them, and all important notices, and often banns of 

 marriage, were proclaimed from them. They served as guide posts, where the 

 weary wayfarer might rest and breathe his evening prayer, and as boundary or 

 bond marks, where the reverence paid to the cross in early times would be an 

 efficient guard against encroachments. Many of the possessions of religious 

 houses had their boundaries so denned, as evidenced by records wherein these are 

 named, and that not always by crosses set up for the purpose, but by adopting 

 those already existing. 



This cross, then, it may be safely surmised, was set up for one of these two 

 latter purposes, or possibly for both. 



It may have been a guide mark and praying station for those pilgrims landing 

 at Weymouth and journeying to the Monastery of St. Catherine's Chapel at 

 Abbotsbury, and, on reference to the map, it will be found that it is in the 

 direct route and about half-way between that port and the Abbey ; or it may 

 have served as a boundary mark of the Abbey lands, for which no further use 

 was required when the Monastery was dissolved and deprived of her possessions. 



In the absence of direct proof, either of these hypotheses must be merely 

 conjecture, and I must leave you, ladies and gentlemen, to form your own 

 opinions as to the original use of this ancient monument. 



The brakes were then driven on to Langton Herring, and the 

 party were received at the church by the Rector, the Rev. W. O. 

 Cockcraft, who showed them over the church. The Rev. W. 

 MILES BARNES supplementing the remarks of the Rector, 

 observed that the church was originally built in the i3th 

 century. Of that date the tower remained almost intact, al- 

 though a coping of later date had been added to the top of it. 

 There were also two lancet windows of the same date, as well 

 as some of the walling. They would observe two brackets in 

 the east wall ; these he thought, had been moved from their 

 original position, which, however, was not far off; they 

 supported images of S. Mary and S. Peter, the patron saint of 

 the church, and it would be observed that on the face of one 

 of them crossed keys, the emblem of S. Peter, were carved. 



