By Harold Brakspear, F.8.A. 



199 



Mr. Talbot also owns a most interesting document and the only 

 one known that directly refers to any of the building works. It 

 is in the form of an agreement for the erection of a Lady chapel 

 in the 14th century, and will be quoted in its place. 



Unfortunately no Dissolution inventory, or survey is known to 

 exist, but the report of the Royal Commissioners, 28 Henry VIII., 

 is as follows : — 



" Abbey of LacocJc. 



" (A) A hedde house of nunnes of S. Augusteynes rule, of great and large 

 buyldings set in a towne. To the same and all other adjoynynge by common 

 reaporte a great releef . (Former valuation) £168 9s. 2d. ; (present valuation) 

 £194 9*. 2d. with £16 3s. £d. for the demaynes of the same. 



" (B) (Religious) seventeen — viz. professed fourteen and novesses three, 

 by report and in apparaunce of vertuous lyvyng all desyring to continue 

 religios. 



" (C) (Servants) forty-two — viz. chapleyns four ; wayting servants three ; 

 officers of household nine ; clerk and sexton two ; women servants nine ; and 

 hyndes fifteen. 



" (D) Church, mansion and all oder houses in very good astate. The lead 

 and bells there estemed to be solde to £100 10s. 



"(E.) (Goods)£360 19s.— viz.,jewells and plate £64 19s.; ornaments £17 12s. ; 

 stuff £21 18s. 2d. ; and stokkes and stoores £257 0s. lOd. 



" (F.) Owing by the house nil, and owing to the house nil. 



" (G) Great woods nil; copys woods 110 Acres. Estemed to be solde to 

 £75 Is. 4d." 1 



In addition is a list of the pensionaries without signatures and 

 date of surrender, which was on the 21st of January, 1539. 2 



On June 16th, 1540, the Abbey and its possessions were granted 

 to Sir William Sharington on payment of £100, apparently a 

 deposit of the £783 paid in all. 3 He appears immediately to have 

 commenced the conversion of the claustral buildings into a manor- 

 house. What he allowed to remain is in a wonderful state of 

 preservation, never having been exposed to the ravages of the 

 plunderer and the weather ; but what he destroyed was done so 

 completely that in places even the very foundations are entirely 

 obliterated. 



1 P.E.O, Chantry Certificates No. 100, m. 2, vide Wilts Arch. Mag., vol. 

 xxviii., p. 310. 



2 Ibid, p. 315. 

 * Ibid, vol. xxvii., p. 160. 

 VOL. XXXI. NO. XCIV. P 



