292 A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



man is said to have been a distinguished knight in the reign of 

 Henry the Eighth. He died in 1567. 



"Against one of the pillars in the chancel, stands a very hand- 

 some antique monument, which appears from the inscription to 

 have been erected to the memory of Lady Barbara Crompton. Be- 

 sides these there are a variety of other monuments in this church ; 

 but neither they, nor the numerous grave-stones which form the 

 pavement of the chancel, merit particular description. 



" The church of St. Mary, in the times of Popery, was collegiate. 

 King Stephen bestowed it on the Bishop and Chapter of Lichfield 

 and Coventry some time previous to the year 1136, but the precise 

 year is not known. In 1445 the patronage of this church, having 

 somehow or other reverted to the Crown, was granted by Henry 

 VI. to Humphrey Duke of Buckingham. At the time of the Dis- 

 solution, in the reign of Henry VIII. it consisted of a Dean and 

 thirteen Prebendaries, as is stated in Dr. Tanner's Notitia. The 

 living is now a rectory in the gift of the King.*" 



The low octagonal tower of St. Mary's Church contains eight 

 musical bells. St. Mary's is a rectory. The Rev. Edward Dicken- 

 son is the present rector, and the Rev. Maude, is curate. 



Westward from the church, at a very short distance, there for- 

 merly stood a very ancient building, which Mr. Pennant supposes to 

 have been the Dean's house ; and most likely his opinion is cor- 

 rect. 



Besides the parish church of St. Mary's, Stafford contains ano- 

 ther smaller Church, dedicated to St. Chadd. It is a very old 

 neglected structure. The ancient mouldering tower of stone con- 

 tains only one bell, and the body of the church was cased with 

 brick in the year 1740, which quite destroyed its venerable ap- 

 pearance. The Rev. Henry Rathbone is minister of St. Chadd's. 



There is a chapel for the Calvinists in Smokey-lane, of which 



the Rev. Chalmers is the present minister. A large new 



chapel has been erected by the Methodists at the Broad Eye : the 

 Rev. William Henry Loxdale Haden, who was formerly a Lieute- 

 nant in the 1st regiment of dragoons, is the present minister. 



Among the public buildings of Stafford, the County Hall is a 

 very conspicuous ornament. It is situated on the east side of the 

 market-square. The principal front is very neat, and built of stone. 

 Above the basement four Doric semi-columns support a pediment, 



* Beauties of England and Wales, Vol. XIII. p. 896. 



