30 



Notes on Amesbury Church. 



the acreage of Amesbury was then cultivated we have at least 1870 

 acres of which you will see that only about one-sixth belonged to 

 the abbey, and the great majority of the parishioners were outside 

 its jurisdiction. The area of Amesbury is 5625 acres. 



And then consider this in the list of payments for taking down 

 the roofs of the Church (pp. 79, 80) :— " 21 Aug. 1542. The roof 

 of the great quire : the roof over the Hy Au[l]tar : the roof of our 

 Lady Chapel. All is made desolate. 1 " 



Now in this very year, 1542 Nico Chamber dies at Amesbury, 

 and makes his will. He dwells in the parish of S. Melore in 

 Amysbury. He cares for his Parish Church. Does he make 

 provision for its repair — now that it lies desolate and roofless ? 

 Nothing of the kind. He wills that his body be buried in the 

 Church of St. Melore, in the body of the Church before the rood. 

 To the high altar of St. Melore in Amysbury my parish aforesaid 

 I leave a groat. Also to the same Church I give a canope to have 

 over the holy and blessed sacrament on Corpus Christi day. Also 

 I give to the attiring of the sepulchre on Grood Friday a pall em- 

 broidered in gold and silk with the borders of silk and fringe. His 

 wife Agnes is to take charge of it — and repair it if need be. 



" And at all time as it shall be occupied she shall deliver unto the wardens 

 of the Church aforesaid and y re to remain." 



(Is it not clear that these were the churchwardens of the parish ; 

 and that the Parish Church was not then roofless ?) 



" Also to the maintenance of the service within the same Church, 3/4. 

 Also to All Sowlen light in y e same Church 4 tl . Also to S. Stephen's light 4 d . 

 Also to y e May dens' light 4 d ." 



1 (72) "Committed to Mr. Berwick's custody (i.q. for removal) Leads remain^ 

 upon y e Church, quire, aisles, steeple, chapells, revestry, cloister &c. 

 " Bells remain^ in the steeple y le 4 



"The lead is not only stripped off H. Altar, Quire, Steeple, aisles, body of 

 y e Church, Vestry, Lady Chapel, St. John's Chapel, Cloisters, but it is melted 

 down, and carted away — All 219 tons except a small quantity, perhaps 

 \ ton, given to the roof of the Chancel of the Parish Church. The Paving 

 tiles before the high Altar, with all the grave stones before the Altar and 

 Vestry are sold : the Koof of the Vestry of the S. Aisle, the great wall of the 

 Mid-quire, all is destroyed. The N. Aisle is tilled first with tiles and paving 

 and then with timber." 



