OUR LADY OF CHATHAM 133 



make way for a new, the workmen found some frag- 

 ments of sculpture which had a history. Amongst 

 these was a headless group of the Virgin and Child. 



This was, in all probability, the effigy of Our Lady of 

 Chatham, who, in pre-Reformation times, was famous 

 for her miracles ; and of whom Lambarde gives the 

 following amusing story in his Perambulations : 

 " It seems," says he, " that the corps of a man (lost 

 through shipwracke belike) was cast on land in the 

 parishe of Chatham, and being there taken up, was by 

 some charitable persones committed to honest burial 

 within their church-yard ; which thing was no sooner 

 done, but Our Lady of Chatham, finding herselfe 

 offended therewith, arose by night and went in person 

 to the house of the parishe clearke, whiche then was 

 in the streete, a good distance from the church, and 

 making a noj^se at his window, awaked him. The 

 man, at the first, as commonly it fareth with men 

 disturbed in their rest, demanded, somewhat roughly, 

 ' who was there ? ' But when he understoode, by her 

 OAvne answer, that it was the Lady of Chatham, he 

 changed his note, and moste mildeley asked ye cause of 

 her comming ; she tolde him, that there was lately 

 buryed (neere to the place where she was honoured) 

 a sinful person, which so offended her eye with his 

 gastly grinning, that, unless he were removed, she 

 could not but (to the great griefe of good people) 

 withdrawe herselfe from that place, and cease her 

 wonted miraculous working amongst them : and 

 therefore, she willed him to go with her, to the ende 

 that, by his helpe, she might take him up, and caste 

 him again into the river. The clearke obeyed, arose, 

 and waited on her towarde the churche ; but the goode 

 ladie (not wonted to walk) waxed wearie of the labour, 

 and therefore was enforced, for very want of breath, 

 to sit downe in a bushe by the way, and there to 

 rest her : and this place (forsooth) as also the whole 

 track of their journey, remaining ever after a greene 

 pathe, the towne dwellers were wont to shew. Now, 



