ANCIENT MEMORIAL BRASSES OF DORSET. 243 



Abbotsbury Monastery. He mentions his wife Katherine and 

 his son, Giles. He gives Anne and Christian, his daughters, 

 300 marks each. 1 



Sir Giles Strangways (the elder), son of Henry, married Joan, 

 daughter of Sir William Mordaunt, of Bedfordshire, and was 

 the first of the family that possessed both Melburys. On the 

 death of Henry Trenchard and Anne, his wife, widow of the 

 last William Bruning, he became possessed of Melbury Osmund. 

 He obtained a grant (35 Henry VIII.) for ^"1,096 IDS. of the 

 site of the monastery at Abbotsbury, the manor and lands there, 

 the fishery of the Fleet, etc. He also owned at his death 

 the manor and advowson of Mappowder, the manors of Burton 

 and Charlton, in Charminster. He died in 1547, and was 

 buried at Melbury, being the first of the family there buried. 



A portion of the inscription to his memory appears on the 

 mutilated strip brass, which partly surrounds his alabaster effigy 

 on the altar tomb (see Plate 6), beneath the south transept 

 arch at Melbury. It reads as follows, having the missing portion 

 (within brackets) supplied from Hutchins, and was, no doubt, 

 there in his time : 



" HMc jacent JEgiMus Stran0wa$s, miles, ffltus et 

 beres Ibennci Stranowa$s armioeri, et Borotbie 

 uoris sue, filie 5ob'ms Htrunfcell militis, necnon 

 Sobana user, [predict' T&$iV et fUfa Sobannis 

 flfcorfcant militis, Bgifcius obiit Me jt Becemfcris 

 mdglvfi cujus aTe p'picietur 3D* Hmen*]" 



This monument is so similar to that of William Brounyng, 

 before described and figured, that it is not necessary to 

 describe it separately. For that reason, doubt has been raised 

 as to the inscription being where it should be, but it may be 

 pointed out that lingering fashions in armour and the hereditary 



1 Prerog. Off. Keg., Holgrave. 



