16 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



up his claim which he had upon the chapel of the Abbot, and the 

 garden which is before the chapel." These " gardini Sacristae " 

 were not only found within monastic precincts, but were attached 

 to many churches and chapels. The Hortulanus of Abingdon let 

 out a garden " next to St. Nicholas' Church," to the Rector, for 

 a term of years.'^ There is an interesting record of the chapel 

 garden in the Manor of Wooke}', in Somersetshire, which 

 belonged to the Bishops of Bath and Wells, in the account of 

 the Reeve of that place for the year I46i-2.t Three men were 

 employed for four and a half da3s at two pence a day, " digging 

 and cleaning the chapel garden." 



Henry VI. left such a garden to the church of Eton College. 

 The clause in his will runs thus : " The space between the w^all of 

 the church and the wall of the cloister shall conteyne 38 feet, 

 which is left for to sett in certaine trees and flowers, behovable 

 and convenient for the service of the same church," and it was 

 to be surrounded by " a good high wall with towers convenient 

 thereto." + Man\' other such examples of gardens connected 

 with churches could be enumerated. 



At all great functions, both during the processions or while 

 performing the services, the priests were crowned with flowers. 

 This was specially the custom at St. Paul's, § in London; and 

 when on June 30th, 1405, Bishop Roger de Walden was installed 

 there, he and the Canons of the Cathedral walked in solemn 

 procession, wearing garlands of red roses. || 



The use of these " coronas sacerdotales," or wreaths worn b}- 

 the priests on feast days, continued for many centuries, •! and 

 their prevalence up to the time of the Reformation is apparent 

 from various churchwardens' accounts. These entries, however, 

 are not frequent, as the gardens attached to the churches were 

 evidently, as a rule, able to supply sufficient flow'ers for ordinary 



* 1413. Accounts, by Kirk. 



t History of the Parish and Manor of Wookey, by T. S. Holmes. 



^ Nichols' Wills of the Kings and Queens of England. Ed. 17S0, p. 2g8. 



§ Polydore Vergil, De reriiin Inventoribns. Lib. II. 



jl Historia di Episcopis ct Decanis Londiniensihiis, b\- H. Wharton, 1695 



(p. 15".)- 



^ " Ceremonial use of Flowers," Nineteenth Century, 1880. 



