A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



inscription, now almost defaced, painted upon the panels of the north side of 

 the screen could be read in Blomefield's time as ' Pray for the sow/is of 

 miliam Atereth and Alice his Wyff the weche did these 1 1 1 1 Fenys Peyrite 

 be the Executoris lyff . . .' The date which followed is unfortunately lost, 

 though the names of donors are preserved. A second gift to this screen is 

 recorded, and the date by good fortune remains. In 1504 Richard Browne 

 of Cawston * gave four marks to paint a pane of the rood-loft.' ^ This state- 

 ment is borne out by the appearance of the paintings, which are evidently of 

 two dates, those of the north side of the screen being probably the gift of 

 Atereth and his wife, and of an earlier period than others on the south side. 



The screen with its paintings at Poringland has been assigned to the year 

 1473, and is supposed to have been given to the church by the rector of the 

 parish, Robert Peresson, about that date.' 



The curious panels from the wreck of the chancel screen preserved in the 

 church at Sparham can scarcely be earUer than 1490, judging from the costume 

 of one group of figures upon them. 



Yet another dated screen of the fifteenth century may be named, viz. that 

 of Ludham, which bears upon it the inscription : Pray for the sowle oj 

 John Salman and Sysyly hys wyfe, that gave forte pound, and for all other 

 benefactors, made in the yeer of ower Lord God MCCCCXCIII. 



The screen paintings at Barton Turf, Edingthorpe, Harpley, Potter 

 Heigham, Houghton-le-Dale, Lessingham, Ranworth, and Walpole-St.-Peter, 

 have all been assigned to the fifteenth century, but for most of these a more 

 critical examination than they have yet received would have to be attempted 

 before anv decided opinion as to their correct date could be ventured upon.^ 



With the opening of the sixteenth century dated examples become more 

 frequent, and the inscription, instead of being painted at the base of the panels, 

 is sometimes given in raised letters on a scroll twined round a roll moulding 

 and filling a large hollow of the rail above them. A fine specimen of this 

 arrangement may be seen on the screen at Trunch, the inscription beginning 

 with the words Orate pro animabus omnium benefactorum istius operis, quod 

 factum fuit anno domini millesimo quingentesimo secundo, etc. etc. In this case 

 the donors' names are omitted, but the date of the work, viz. 1502, is 

 clear enough.* 



In the screen at Aylsham, which is of somewhat later date (1507), the 

 inscription is only painted at the foot of the panels and is very fragmentary. 

 What remains of it runs thus : Orate pro animabus "Thome Wymer, fohanne et 

 Margarete uxorum eius qui hanc partem . . . fohamiis fanny s et . . . hujus operis 

 deaurarifeceruntquiobiit Anno Domini Millesimo CCCCCFII. Several donors have 

 here contributed to the work, and mention is specially made of the gilding. 



The poorly painted but large and elaborate chancel screen in the church 

 at Worstead has an inscription commemorating the donors and the date 

 of the work. It is carved like that at Trunch on a scroll in the top rail 

 above the panelling, and is as follows : Orate pro animabus Johannis Alblastyr 

 et Benedicte uxoris eius qui hoc opus fieri fecerunt quorum animabus propicietur Deus^ 



1 Blomefield, Hist. ofNorf., vi. 264, 266. » Ibid. 



5 List of Buildings having Mural Decorations (Science and Art Department, South Kensington Museum)^ 

 edited by C. E. Keyser, M.A., F.S.A. 

 ♦ tloif. Arth. (185s), iv. 298. 



542 



