in the Parochial Chapelry of Alnwick. 83 



The House consisted of two ends, each containing a kitchen 

 below and a sleeping room above for each Chaplain to dwell in ; 

 and at the west end there seems to have been two separate 

 rooms, one above the other ; the one probably used as a school- 

 room for instructing poor boys in the Art of Grammar gratis, 

 as is mentioned in the endowment, and the other for a Singing 

 School. 



The fire-places are large, as in the case of old houses where 

 wood was used for firing (Plate No. VII.). 



The architecture has been of a collegiate and ornamental cha- 

 racter, and the roof and joists of oak; some of the beams carved 

 and beaded still remain. 



The outside stairs, which existed in 1826 (Plate No. VI.) and 

 for some years afterwards, have been removed ; they were old, 

 but were not considered originally to have formed part of the 

 building. 



From this House there was a footway leading direct to St. Mi- 

 chael's Chapel through the churchyard, which was legally closed 

 a few years ago as unnecessary. 



His Grace Algernon the present Duke of Northumberland, not 

 willing that the building should be entirely swept away, means 

 to preserve it, as far as is practicable, and to convert it to some 

 useful purpose. 



Thus I have traced this religious Institution from its foundation, 

 through its palmy days, unto its present ruinous condition ; and 

 taking into consideration former events, — the founding and disso- 

 lution of these and similar religious establishments — how our 

 kings took possession of them from time to time, and retained 

 the revenues in their own hands — how all alien priories were seized" 

 by the Crown in the time of King Edward the First — how they 

 were again suppressed in the time of King Henry the Fifth — 

 how the endowments of the Knights of St. John were seized in 

 very early times — how the monasteries were taken possession of 

 by King Henry the Eighth, and all Chantries, Colleges, free 

 Chapels, Fraternities and Guilds founded for superstitious pur- 

 poses were suppressed ; — it is impossible not to come to the con- 

 clusion, that if ever England should witness the establishment of 

 such societies again and the amassing of property for such pur- 

 poses, it will only afford another opportunity of doing that for 

 which so many precedents already exist. 



It may be noted here, in conclusion, that the old church of 

 Alnwick is sometimes said to be dedicated to " St. Mary and 

 St. Michael/' and of late it has been called "St. Mary's Church." 

 But this is erroneous : nothing proves the name of the Patron 

 Saint more clearly than the time of celebrating the annual feast, 

 which is held yearly on the first Sunday after the feast of St. 



