By Harold Brakspear, F.S.A, 489 



middle tiles had in all cases been replaced by tiles made purposely 

 for the abbey bearing a griffin segreant on a shield, some with the 

 letters W.C. and others with W.W. in the angles (fig. 7). 



At the east end of the north alley was a patch of tiles much 

 smaller than the last and of unusual design (fig. 8). They consist 

 of sets of nine tiles with plain bands between. The middle tile of 

 the set is again of different make from the others ; it also bears a 

 griffin segreant, but with the letters T.B. This set is alternated 

 with groups of nine tiles, all composed of the griffin. The border 

 next the garth is a fine pattern of vine leaves. Loose tiles bearing 

 the arms of Mortimer, Beauchamp of Warwick, Berkeley, and 

 Despenser were found in this alley (fig. 7). 



Along the west alley was a considerable quantity of the pavement, 

 but made up of various tiles, one group being of large tiles having 

 four shields meeting in the centre bearing a bend raguly. Part of 

 this alley was evidently found at the end of the eighteenth century, 

 for Moffat records that — 



In digging for stone in a garden adjoining the north-west end of the 

 church, several years ago, the workmen came down upon a pavement 

 of square stained tiles. Very lately the spot has been re-examined and 

 a quantity of these curious tiles discovered. They are glazed, orna- 

 mented with roses, flowers-de-luce, and heads. 1 

 Some of these tiles are now preserved in the church and have 

 borders formed of narrow tiles bearing squirrels and monkeys (fig. 9). 

 With respect to the griffin segreant and the initials on the tiles, 

 Aubrey relates that he could find no coat of Malmesbury Abbey, 

 but mentions that ascribed to the abbey in King's frontispiece to 

 Tanner {on a chief argent a mitre and two crosiers proper over the 

 leopards of England), and adds "by what authority I know not," 2 

 It is suggested this is a purely fictitious coat of the sixteenth 

 century, and that the griffin segreant was the real coat of arms of 

 the abbey. This griffin occurs under the figure of our Lady on the 

 thirteenth-century seal of the abbey; there was a street in 

 Malmesbury of the same date known as Griffin's Lane ; in later 

 times there was a house called the G-riffin ; and in one of the 



1 The History of Malmesbury, J. M. Moffat (Tetbury, 1805), p. 65. 

 2 Wiltshire Collections, p. 265. 



