20 



%\t f)ara| €\\\xt\ of & |ftitjmel 3P*w. 1 



By C. E. Ponting, F.S.A. 



|^|||HE Church as it now stands consists of clerestoried nave 

 with north and south aisles of five bays, north and south 

 porches — each with a room over, clerestoried chancel with north 

 and south chapels, and western tower. There is, fortunately, much 

 documentary evidence of its history. 



The earliest known record of this Church is in the Eegister 

 of Bishop Osmund, dated 1091, and from it we learn that the 

 bishop, having received from William the Conqueror a grant of the 

 revenues of the Church at Mere, 2 applied half of the same to the 

 building of the Cathedral of Old Sarum, 3 of which he was the 

 founder. 



A further entry, dated 1190, refers to the Church as dedicated to 

 S. Michael, 4 and this is confirmed by a reference in the library of 

 Salisbury Cathedral, bearing date 1115, 5 and by the Dean Wanda's 

 inventory in 1220. 



After Bishop Osmund's gift of half the revenues this Church 

 became a peculiar of the Deans of Salisbury, who held the rectorial 

 tithes until they were transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, 

 and the Dean's visitation was made annually. William de Wanda 

 was the first Dean of Bishop Poore's new Cathedral at New Sarum, 

 and at his first visitation of Mere, made on the vigil of S. Michael, 



I 



1 1 desire to preface this paper by acknowledging my indebtedness to Mr. j 

 T. H. Baker, of Mere Down, for very valuable information which only his 

 intimate acquaintance with all that concerns Mere — and particularly his know- 

 ledge of the old churchwardens' book, could supply ; and to Mr. A. R. Maiden, of J 

 Salisbury, for verbatim extracts from original documents in the Dean's Registry. 

 2 Charters confirming this grant were given by Henry I. and Henry II. 



3 See Appendix A. 



4 See Appendix B. 



5 Ref, in library, Salisbury Cath., 358, 201, 



