BRAUGHING HUNDRED 



then aged seven. 80 Francis died seised in 1 644., when 

 the manor passed to his brother Richard. 61 It was 

 sold soon afterwards to Sir Hoo Steward, who was 

 holding it in I668, 6 * and remained with the Stewards 

 until 1704, when Francis Steward conveyed it to 

 Samuel Mason." In 1733 John Mason conveyed it 

 to Margaret Long, widow, 61 but possibly for life 

 only, for in the settlement by Jacob Houblon of his 

 property in Braughing on his son Jacob in 1758 

 Hotofts is included and is said to have been purchased 

 of John Mason. 65 It then descended with Cockham- 

 sted. 



The church of ST. MAR Y consists of 

 CHURCH chancel 34 ft. by 16 ft. 6 in., small 

 north chapel now used as an organ 

 chamber and vestry, nave 63 ft. by 16 ft. 6 in., 

 north aisle 63ft. by 12ft. 6 in., south aisle 64 ft. by 

 1 5 ft., large south porch, west tower 1 4 ft. square, 

 all internal dimensions. The walls are of flint, with 

 stone dressings ; the porch and tower are covered with 

 cement, and the north chapel is built of red brick. 

 The walls of the nave and south porch are embattled. 

 The chancel belongs to the early part of the 13th 

 century, about 1220 ; the nave with its aisles and 

 porch and the west tower were rebuilt about 1416 s6 

 and the north chapel was added early in the 1 7th cen- 

 tury. In 1888 the church was thoroughly restored, 

 the stonework of most of the windows having been 

 renewed, and in 1901 the chancel was repaired. 



The window in the east wall of the chancel is 

 modern, but in the north wall are two 13th-century 

 lancet windows, repaired ; one is open, the other is 

 blocked, but can be seen in the vestry. The windows 

 and blocked doorway in the south wall are mostly of 

 modern stonework ; there is a low-side window near 

 the chancel arch. The chancel arch is of 1 5th-century 

 work, and has two splayed orders, the outer order being 

 continuous ; the inner has jambs with modern moulded 

 capitals and bases. The roof is chiefly modern, 

 but contains some old trussed rafters. 



The eastern and larger part of the north chapel 

 has its floor raised to cover a vault ; it is now used as 

 a vestry; the western portion contains the organ. 

 The windows are modern, but some old timbers 

 remain in the flat roof. A painted inscription on the 

 wall p'ate records the erection of the chapel by 

 Simeon Brograve, who died in 1639. 



The nave has arcades of four bays of the 15th 

 century. The arches are of two orders ; the piers 

 have four engaged shafts separated by hollow chamfers, 

 and have moulded capitals and bases. In the small 

 portion of wall at the east end of the north arcade is 

 a small trefoiled opening, about 5 ft. from the floor, 

 with splayed jambs next the nave. In the south-east 

 angle of the nave is the stair turret to the rood-loft 

 and to the roof above ; the doorway is in the south 

 aisle ; the doorway to the rood-loft is blocked, and 

 there is an upper one on to the roof, the turret 

 being carried some height above the nave wall and 

 embattled round the top ; a quatrefoil opening in 

 the aisle to light the stair is now blocked. The 

 three-light clearstory windows are of modern stone- 

 work, all but their inner jambs, which are original. 



BRAUGHING 



The 15th-century roof has moulded ribs with carved 

 bosses, and figures of angels at the feet of the inter- 

 mediate trusses ; the panels are plastered. The 

 eastern bay is more richly treated and with painted 

 decorations ; the painting, however, has been renewed. 



The eastern part of the north aisle is raised 6 in. 

 above the nave floor. In the east wall is a three- 

 light window, unglazed, opening into the north 

 chapel ; the jambs are original but the tracery is 

 modern. The three windows in the north wall and 

 one in the west wall are of three lights, with modern 

 tracery under four-centred arches ; the jambs are 

 original. The north doorway, now blocked, has an 

 arch of two moulded orders, and label with grotesque 

 heads, all much worn. 



The windows in the south aisle are similar to 

 those in the north aisle. The south doorway has 

 a moulded arch under a square head with traceried 

 spandrels, and a label with def.tced head stops. The 

 15th-century roofs over the aisles are of similar detail 



to the 



The SI 



s bearing shields. 



1 stone corbels carved with 



:h porch has a parvise over it, and is a lofty 

 structure, standing well above the aisle roof; at each 

 of its southern angles are two buttresses with cusped 

 gablets, and at each of its four angles is a crocketed 

 pinnacle ; the walls are embattled. The doorway 

 has a two-centred moulded arch under a square 

 head, with traceried spandrels ; the side windows in 

 the porch are of two lights with traceried heads. In 

 the south-east corner is a stoup with a round basin, 

 slightly broken. The inner door is not central with 

 the porch ; the greater wall space is on the east side, 

 which was po^ibly tin; portion of the ladder to the 

 room above, there being no trace of a stone stair. 

 The room over, the floor of which has been removed, 

 was lighted by a large two-light traceried window 

 with a square head, flanked on either side by a niche 

 with cusped arch under a square head. 



The west tower is of four stages with embattled 

 parapet, and a slight timber spire, covered with lead. 

 The tower arch is of three moulded orders, the two 





the i 



jambs with moulded capitals and bases. It is of 

 early 15th-century date. The west doorway has 

 a two-centred arch under a square head ; the arch 

 mouldings are continuous and die 011 the tower base- 

 course ; the spandrels are traceried. The doorway is 

 flanked on either side by a niche for an image having 

 a cusped and ribbed canopy with a carved finial. 

 These are somewhat unusual features beside west 

 doorways of Hertfordshire churches. 61 The corbels 

 which supported the figures show remains of tracery. 

 The three-light window above has modern tracery. 

 The third stage has a quatrefoil opening in each of 

 its north, west and south walls. The belfry has on 

 each side a window of two cinquefoiled lights, with 

 a quatrefoil in its head. These have all been repaired. 

 The font is modern, but the old one stands at the 

 east end of the north aisle, and is of early 14th- 

 century date. The sides of the octagonal basin have 

 cusped panels, all much mutilated ; the flat oak cover 

 belongs to the early part of the 17th century. 1 



315 



