COXWOLD. 383 



on the right hand, at the extremity of the town, on 

 the Tliirsk road ; it is in a recess and has the marks 

 of great age. This singular man was a clergyman, 

 he held the living of Sutton, and afterwards obtain- 

 ed the living of Stillington, both in the county of 

 York. He was curate of this place ; and was a fre- 

 quent visitor at Newbrough, and it is said wrote 

 some of his pieces at the Golden Fleece, Thirsk. 

 He was interred in the church yard of St George's, 

 Hanover Square, London ; and it is observed was 

 taken up and devoted to the purposes of the surgical 

 profession. 



The church at Coxwold, is dedicated to St. Mi- 

 chael ; the original part of it is supposed to have 

 been built about the year 700 ; the tower is octag- 

 nal, and the chancel was rebuilt in the year 1777, 

 by Henry earl of Fauconberg. The living is a per- 

 petual curacy, in the patronage of the Belasyse 

 family. 



In the chancel of this church are several superb 

 monuments, raised to the memory of some branches 

 of the august and noble family of the Belasyses. The 

 most elegant of which is, that for the right honou- 

 rable Thomas Belasyse, earl of Fauconberg, (in 

 beautiful statuary) who died the 31 of December 

 1700, aged 72. The most ancient of these memo- 

 rials of the dead is one for Sir William Belasyse, 

 dated April 14, 1603. On this monument are two 

 horizontal figures representing Sir William and hia 

 lady laying on their backs, with their hands in a pray- 

 ing posture ; but the antique appearance of them is 

 destroyed by the pencil of the painter, who has fur- 



