UNRECORDED DEANS OF WIMBOBNE MINSTER. 31 



south side of the nave, close to the base of the easternmost 

 column, at about eighteen inches below the present pave- 

 ment." 



The history of the Christian Church in Wimborne may be 

 divided into four periods : 



(1) The days of the Benedictine nunnery which was founded 

 by St. Cuthburga. The nunnery was in existence at least 

 as early as A.D. 705, for a deed was drawn up in that year, 

 setting forth the consent of Aldhelm, Bishop of Sher borne, 

 to retain the abbacy of his monasteries at Malmesbury, &c., 

 &c., . . . and to grant freedom of election to the same. 

 It was signed in " the monastery which is situated close to 

 the river which is called Winburne, over which Cuthburg, 

 sister of our venerated king, presides." 6 



It was to the Church which she had founded that the body 

 of King Ethelred was brought for burial A.D. 871, 7 and where 

 his younger brother and successor, King Alfred (the Great), 

 was present at his obsequies. 8 The stone which was placed 

 over his remains is still to be seen in the Minster, though it is 

 inlaid with a brass of probably five and a half centuries 

 later date. Alas, at the " restoration " of six decades ago, 

 the stone was ruthlessly diminished in size, in spite of protest. 9 

 It is almost needless to add that the architect who was 

 responsible for this act of destruction was one of the Wyatts. 



The nunnery was in existence in 901, for in that year it is 

 chronicled that Ethelwald the Etheling seized one of the nuns 

 from the monastery at Wimborne and married her. 10 



6. Thorpe, Diplomatarium Anglicum sEvi Saxonici, London, Mac- 

 millan, 1865, pp. 14-15. Birch, Cartularium Saxonicum, Vol. I., p. 167. 

 Wm. of Malmesbury, Gesta Pont : Angl : (Rolls Series); pp. 379, &c. 



7. Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Anno 871, &c., &c. 



8. Monumenta Historica Britannica, Petrie and Sharpe, p. 514. 

 Cf. Ramsay, Foundations of England, Vol. I., p. 244. 



9. MS. Note in a Volume of Examples and Illustrations, collected by 

 Canon Onslow, now in the custody of the Vicar and Churchwardens 

 of Wimborne. 



10. A.S. Chron, A.D. 901. 



