• the Virgin, ' Bishops Cannings. 7 



profanation. In January, 1884, I submitted this opinion to the late" 

 Mr. J. H. Parker, of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, together 

 with a measured drawing and a full description of the features. 

 In his reply (dated 29th January, two days before his death) he 

 says : — " The Church of Bishops Cannings I well remember as a 

 fine Early English .example, but it is many years since I have seen 

 it. There seems no doubt that the interesting low-side window 

 that you have opened, and the window over it, are of the twelfth 

 century, though not very early. Frequently the low window had 

 reference to the altar of a chantry chapel, as in this case, and not to 

 i the high altar. The aumbry, or locker, above the window may 

 have been used as you suggest from the fact that it is away from 

 the altar, but I should be inclined to think it was used for other 

 purposes. All this part evidently belongs to a chantry chapel of 

 an earlier Church. " This, at any rate, contains no contradiction of 

 my view ; probably but for Mr. Parker's delicate state of health at 

 the time he would have suggested, as I had hoped, some better 

 explanation of this unusual combination of features. 



It has been suggested to me that there was probably a floor across 

 this end of the aisle, to form a priest's or watcher's room over, the 

 upper window being for light to, and the locker for the use of, the 

 occupant. There are marks in the pier and respond of the arcade 

 which at first sight seem to support this view. But surely, if such 

 an upper room had been contemplated in building this part, there 

 would have been some structural provision for carrying the floor, 

 land it would not have been left to be fitted up by running the 

 (bearers into the columns ! Then the holes, which are filled up, 

 jwould only receive timbers of about 4|in. x 3in., a size entirely 

 ; Dut of keeping with my idea of what the beams used in a Church 

 pf the twelfth century would be. And further, the twelfth century 

 [foof, the pitch of which is plainly discernible on the outside, and is 

 ■shewn by a dotted line on the inside, in my drawing, would come 

 [to within 3ft. of the level of this upper floor, as indicated by the 

 (marks in the columns. After carefully weighing all the suggestions 

 which have been made to me, and giving the matter very full 

 ,ionsideration, I feel compelled to fall back upon my original idea; 



