ENGLISH MEDLEVAL ARCHITECTURE. 173 



remains of them at Croxden Abbey are complete enough. 



The fittings of an ancient parish church should not go 

 unnoticed. They consisted, in the chancel, of an altar 

 against the east wall ; sedilia, or seats for the clergy, in 

 the south wall ; piscina, where the altar vessels were 

 cleansed ; aumbrye or cupboard, where they were kept ; 

 and stalls for the clergy, and singing men and boys. 

 As there is so little antiquarian interest in these 

 Pottery towns, and as one has to mourn the loss of 

 the ancient parish church at Stoke, I may mention that 

 within the present churchyard there the outline of the 

 old church may be clearly traced, and that a relic of 

 great price as yet remains there. The stone altar slab 

 still lies there in situ. It is of Early English date, 

 and on its front edge are the mouldings of the upper 

 part of the capitals of the shafts which supported it. 

 At Lapley, the sedilia of Early English date remain, 

 and those of Decorated character at Cheddleton, Bush- 

 bury, Norbury, and other places. Choir stalls arranged 

 after the ancient fashion are to be seen at Blore. The 

 only fittings of the body of the church of which ex- 

 amples remain are the font and benches or seats. Of 

 the former, many specimens remain of very ancient date, 

 as at St. Mary's, Stafford, Maer, Rushton, Blore, and 

 elsewhere. Of seats there are remains at Blore, Mavesyn 

 Ridware, Madeley, and elsewhere. Bells of ancient date 

 still hang in many of our old towers, and they are features 

 of immense interest, most of them bearing beautiful in- 

 scriptions marking distinctly the date of their manufacture. 



Of monuments in memory of the faithful departed I 

 dare not speak, lest they should tempt me to an utter 



