By C. Haskins. 5 



William Swayne, merchant. The chapel is said to have been 

 beautifully decorated and ornamented ; the east window, which 

 was larger than it is at present, was filled with stained glass, the 

 topmost tracery lights exhibited a representation of the Assumption 

 of the Virgin, and the lower lights various saints, beneath canopies 

 of enriched tabernacle work, with shields bearing the merchant 

 marks of William Swayne, John Webb, and other patrons or 

 masters of the guild. The ornaments and the greater part of the 

 stained glass and decorations of this chapel were destroyed at the 

 time of the visitation of the Commissioners, in 1548, but the 

 mutilated remains of this window have recently been carefully 

 arranged and re-leaded. The walls still show considerable remains 

 of the original mural paintings, including the three well-preserved 

 frescoes on the spandrils of the arches, " The Annunciation," " The 

 Salutation," and " The Adoration." It has been suggested that 

 there were originally six of these paintings, three on either side of 

 the chapel, and that they represented the three joyful and the 

 three sorrowful mysteries of the Eosary ; there are also a number 

 of representations of the conventional pot of lilies which accom- 

 panies the subject of the Annunciation, and also of the badge of 

 the Garter, the latter being used, presumably, in honour of Bishop 

 Beauchamp, who was chaplain, and who in 1475 became chancellor 

 of this noble order. 



The beautiful Perpendicular roof of this chapel was built above 

 the old corbel table, which originally was seen on the exterior wall 

 of the choir, above the roof of St. Stephen's Chapel. The trans- 

 verse beams of the roof are ornamented on each side with shields, 

 bearing, respectively, the sacred emblems of "The Passion," the 

 symbol of "The Trinity," the arms of Swayne," and Swayne's 

 merchant's mark. The beams also bear inscriptions in Latin, 

 " Pray for the soul of James the father of William Swayne," and 

 " Pray for the souls of William Swayne and Chrystian his wife." 

 The two painted alabaster monuments to members of the Eyre 

 family were removed from the choir, where the old family vault 

 stood, and the beautiful ironwork and carved woodwork were 

 placed here to enclose a new vault for the same family in 1724. 

 The resolution of the vestry reads : — 



