HERTFORD HUNDRED 



jambs being original. The north and south arcades 

 are modern, the former being blocked. In the south 

 wall is a 15th-century piscina with cinquefoiled arch 

 under a square head, and traceried spandrels ; part of 

 the bowl has been cut away. The triple sedilia now 

 detached, in the first bay of the arcade, are 15th- 

 century work restored. The chancel arch is of two 

 moulded orders. The jambshave engaged shafts with 

 moulded capitals and bases ; it is of 1 5th-century date. 

 The north and south arcades of the nave are of 

 five bays, with arches of two moulded orders ; the 

 piers consist of four engaged shafts of Purbeck marble 

 and have moulded capitals and bases. The wide 

 eastern respond of the north arcade is pierced with 

 a small opening with three traceried lights of I 5th- 

 century date ; in the south arcade is a modern copy, 

 and above it is the doorway to the former rood-loft. 

 The clearstory windows, of two cinquefoiled lights 

 under a square head, retain much of their original 



In the north aisle wall are five windows of three 

 cinquefoiled lights with traceried heads ; these have 

 all been repaired with cement. The window in the 

 west wall is now blocked by an 18th-century monu- 

 ment. The windows in the wall of the south aisle 

 are similar to those in the north ; two of these are 

 of 1 5th-century date, the other two are modern 

 copies. At the east end of the south wall is a plain 

 piscina of rude workmanship, which may belong to 

 an earlier period. The roofs are almost entirely 

 of modern work, but the carved corbels under the 

 trusses are of 15th-century date. 



The west tower u of three stages, the lower stage 

 only being buttressed. At the south-east angle is an 

 octagonal turret rising above the embattled parapet 

 of the tower ; the turret is entered by a doorway 

 from the nave. The lofty moulded tower arch rests 

 upon eng.tged shafts with moulded capitals and bases ; 

 in each of the north and south walls of the first stage 

 is a window of two cinquefoiled lights with traceried 

 head. The west doorway has a pointed arch under 

 a square head with traceried spandrels ; the west 

 window above is of three cinquefoiled lights with a 

 traceried head. The first stage is vaulted with stone ; 

 the vaulting is modern, but the shafts from which it 

 springs are 1 5th-century work. The second stage 

 has a window of two cinquefoiled lights under a square 

 head in the north, south and west walls ; the belfry 

 stage has a similar window on each face. The stone- 

 work of all the windows of the tower is much 

 decayed. 



The font has a late 12th-century octagonal bowl ; 

 on each face are trefoiled panels of a later date or 

 modern j the stem and eight small flanking shafts 

 are modern. In the tower is an iron-bound chest 

 with three locks of late 16th or early 17th-century 

 date. There are some fragments of 15th-century 

 glass with white and gold roses in one of the windows 

 in the north aisle. 



On the north side of the chancel is a large tomb 

 to Robert Dacres, 1543 ; it also bears the names of 

 his son George Dacres, 1580, his grandson Sir 

 Thomas Dacres, i6i5,and of their wives. The tomb 

 was repaired by Sir Thomas Dacres in 164.1. It 

 has a canopy upon Ionic columns, surmounted by a 

 coat of arms. In the south chapel is a small altar 



* Cott. Chart, xi, 4;. •» Cott. Chart. «I, 



" G.E.C. Compltu Peerage, vi, 34.5. " Neweourt, Refer 



CHESHUNT 



tomb with canopy to Henry Atkins, physician in 

 ordinary to James I and Charles I ; he died in 1635. 

 Under the communion table is a brass to Nicholas 

 Dixon, rector, who died in 1448; the remains 

 consist of a portion of a crocketed canopy, two 

 shields charged with fleurs de lis and a Latin 

 inscription which records the rebuilding of the church. 

 At the north-east of the nave is a brass to William 

 Pyke, 1449, and his wife Ellen; the head of the 

 male figure is missing. In the north aisle is a small 

 brass with the kneeling figure of Elizabeth Garnett, 

 wife of Edward Collcn, 1609 ; another brass of the 

 late 15th century, with figure of a woman and 

 indents of a man, children and inscription ; another, 

 also of a woman without inscription, of the 15th 

 century ; there is also a slab with indents of a knight 

 and shields, probably of the late 15th century. On 

 the wall above these brasses is a brass inscription to 

 Constance wife of John Parr, 1502 ; there is also 

 an inscription to Agnes Luthyngton, 1468. In the 

 south-east of the churchyard is an ancient stone cofiin. 



The six old bells were recast and two new ones 

 added by Gillett & Johnston of Croydon in 1911. 



The communion plate includes cup and flagon, 

 1638, and a paten, 1672. 



The registers before 1 8 1 z are as follows : (i) all 

 entries 1559 to 1610 ; (ii) 16 1 1 to 165 1; (iii) 1 65 I 

 to 1678 ; (iv) 1678 to 168S ; (v) 1688 to 1736 ; 

 (vi) 1747 to 1792 ; (vii) baptisms and burials 1792 

 to 1812 : (viii), (ix) and (x) marriages 1754 to 1776, 

 1776 to 1793 and 1793 to 1812. 



The church of ST. JJMES, Goff's Oak, is a cruci- 

 form building of brick and stone in 13th-century 

 style, consisting of chancel, nave, transept, north 

 porch, vestry and north tower. 



HOLT TRINITY, Walthara Cross, is of brick in 

 15th-century style, consisting of chancel, nave with 

 two crocketed turrets at the west end, and small bell 



The church of Chcshunt appears 

 JDFOffSON to have been appendant to the manor 

 of Cheshunt and to have formed 

 part of the earldom of Richmond, as Conan Duke 

 of Britanny granted it to the canons of Fulgeres ,s 

 between II46 and 1171." This grant later gave 

 rise to a controversy with the church of St. Paul, 

 who apparently claimed some right, Constance of 

 Britanny and her second husband, Ralph Earl of 

 Chester, each petitioning Richard Bishop of London 

 that the canons of Fulgeres should be allowed to 

 remain in undisturbed possession of the gift of 

 Conan. 60 The matter was finally settled by a com- 

 promise ; it was arranged that the canons of Fulgeres 

 should have perpetual right in the church of Cheshunt 

 on the following conditions : they were to pay to the 

 church of St. Paul a pension of 8 marks a year, pay- 

 able at Michaelmas and Easter, and they were to 

 endow a vicarage, of which they were to be the 

 patrons." The church of Cheshunt was again a 

 subject of dispute in 1 2 1 9, the rival claimants 

 being the abbey of Fulgeres and Alice daughter of 

 Constance." Probably as a result of this dispute the 

 advowson of Cheshunt again became part of the 

 earldom of Richmond, for in 1305 it was in the 

 king's gift by reason of the lands of John, late Earl 

 of Richmond, being in his hands." The church 



