By 0. Raskins. 7 



This picture was coated with whitewash in 1573; the church- 

 wardens' accounts for this year show that Gussett was paid 22s. 

 for washing the Church with lime, and that Adam Marbell was 

 paid £2 13s. U. 



" for peyntinge and Gilting of ye Queries armes, and makinge ye com- 

 maundementes at ye uper ende of ye quire." 



A few years later the accounts include a payment for the royal 

 arms which are still in the Church, viz. : — 



" Roger Lovell makinge of the Quenes Armes .£8 1*. &d . and to 

 Eeynold Beckham for ye frame for the Quenes Armes, and mendinge ye 

 pulpet £4 6s. Oat." 



These arms were placed above the chancel arch and remained 

 there until 1880, when they were removed to their present position, 

 and the whitewash was carefully taken off the Doom Painting, 

 when it was restored and a preparation put on the surface to 

 preserve it. There seems little doubt but that the Church at one 

 time presented a wealth of colour. When the south porch was 

 cleaned in 1905, underneath several coats of whitewash paintings 

 too dilapidated to be preserved were found. 



There was a porch on the north side of the nave, but in 1835, to 

 save the expense of repairs, this was destroyed. There was a room 

 above this porch. The staircase which led to this room remains, 

 and is used at present as a means of getting on the roof of the 

 north aisle. This room contained a fireplace, and by its side was 

 discovered, on taking down the wall, a small niche which had been 

 plastered over, in which were found pieces of pottery, including a 

 crucible, supposed to have belonged to an alchymist. Mr. Doran 

 Webb tells us that there was an anchorite who used to live in a 

 chamber in St. Thomas' Cemetery, and he might have inhabited 

 this room. 



The rood and the rood loft were taken down in 1559, and from 

 the accounts it appears that the organ of those days stood on the 

 great rood loft. In 1568 the churchwardens, Lyonel Tychborne 

 and Giles Thorneburye received towards 



" Makynge of ye newe orgaynes and as appearth by a byll £7 . 13s. 5c/." 



