34 CRANBORNE AND TEWKESBURY. 



When the chancel of Cranborne Church was rebuilt by the 

 Marquis of Salisbury, in 1875, the workmen discovered, in 

 demolishing the wall, several fragments of the effigy of a knight 

 sculptured in Purbeck marble, broken up and utilised in building 

 the wall along with flints and rubble. It is clearly shown that the 

 figure was habited in armour of ring-mail, and parts of it showed 

 traces of gilding and colouring. This mutilation of an ancient 

 and costly monument must be referred to a previous rebuilding of 

 the chancel, which is believed to have taken place in the early 

 part of the i5th century, under the auspices of Thomas Paiker, 

 i8th Abbot of Tewkesbury. His monogram, "T.P.," in Old 

 English letters, was formerly to be seen carved in stone on the 

 cornice above the exterior of the east window, and it may still be 

 seen on the frieze of the pulpit, which is a good specimen of oak 

 carving of the i5th century. But, as regards this monument, it is 

 not at all obvious to what date or personage it may be safely 

 assigned. None of the ancient Lords of the Manor, with the 

 exception of Aylward, so far as we know, was buried in this 

 church. The De Clares were buried at Tewkesbury. In specu- 

 lating on this question, at first sight it seems feasible that it might 

 be the effigy of Aylward, the founder of our abbey, but I am not 

 sure that thert exist any examples of knights in ring-armour, 

 sculptured on tombs, so early as of the first half of the nth 

 century. Of the i2th they may be found, of the i3th they are 

 not uncommon. I should be inclined to refer the monument in 

 question to this era, for the reason that it may have been placed 

 in this church by Robert, Consul or Earl of Glo'ster, the illegi- 

 timate son of King Henry L, whose marriage with Mabel, eldest 

 of the four daughters, co-heiresses of Robert FitzHamon, brought 

 him great wealth and the giant of the Honour of Gloucester. 



Perhaps I may be allowed to digress a little here to give the 

 account of this lady's espousals, which is very quaintly told by 

 Robert of Glo'ster, the rhyming monk. The narrative thus runs : 

 " When the King made the proposal that she should marry his 

 son she was against it, and long withstood it, and when the King 



