2 The Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury, Salisbury. 



aisles, no clerestory, and no tower. Later authorities, including 

 Mr. Doran Webb, who for many years has closely studied every- 

 thing connected with the fabric of this Church, are of opinion that 

 it was originally cruciform, and with a south porch, and that the 

 south end of this porch was incorporated in the north side of the 

 tower, when the latter was built. The earliest addition to the 

 Church appears to have been St. Stephen's Chapel, which stood 

 parallel with the Church, in the two bays of the then east end of 

 the south wall. There is amongst the ancient wills in the City 

 Muniment Room the testament of George Meriot, Esq., dated 

 Aug 28th, i.e., Thursday in the feast of St. Augustine, the Doctor, 

 1410. He desired to be buried in the Church of the Friars 

 Preachers of Fisherton. His benefactions included one set of 

 scarlet ecclesiastical vestments to the altar of St. Stephen's in St. 

 Thomas' Church, and he directed his executors to sell certain 

 properties, and to pay " To the fabric of the Chapel of St. Stephen 

 on the south side of St. Thomas' Church £10 provided it shall be 

 faithfully begun, and fully constructed anew within 3 years of 

 my death." This appears to show that St. Stephen's Chapel had 

 stood long enough to require very extensive repairs, or rebuilding, 

 in 1410. The next addition to the Church was Godmanstone's 

 Chapel, which was built during the latter part of the fourteenth 

 century ; this chapel stood on the north side of the choir. In the 

 visitation of Bishop John Waltham, in 1395, Robert Elyon and 

 John Styll are named as holding chantries in St. Thomas' Church, 

 and in 1404 William Burgeys was appointed to the chantry of 

 St. Bartholomew in the same Church. The Bishop's Registry of 

 Institutions records that in 1415 Johannes Smyth was presented 

 to the chantry of Robert Godmanstone. 



The bell tower appears to have been commenced in 1400. The 

 will of Thomas de Boyton, which is in the City Corporation Muni- 

 ment Room, shows that he bequeathed in 1400 " XX Merkes " to 

 the new fabric on the south side of St. Thomas'. 



In 1403 the Rectory of St. Thomas was ceded by the Bishop to 

 the Dean and Chapter, this arrangement received the sanction of 

 the King, and was formally confirmed by Pope Boniface the Ninth 



