Recent Wiltshire Books, Pamphlets, and Articles. 235 



cases of toothache ; a diseased jaw bone, which was cured as the sufferer 

 rubbed his jaw upon the tomb ; many cases of madness cured by the 

 mad people being brought to the tomb, and in one case kept there 

 five nights. A man who sat irreverently on the tomb was 

 seized with a frightful headache in consequence, only relieved by his 

 returning to pray devoutly at the same spot. A girl accidentally 

 being run through with a spit recovers on prayer being made to God, 

 the Blessed Virgin, and Bishop Osmund, and becomes a nun in the 

 convent at Amesbury. A girl at Laverstock struck on the head and 

 apparently killed by a quoit, recovers and solemnly offers the quoit at 

 the Bishop's tomb. One John Combe playing at ball with great clubs 

 at Quidhampton (the editor suggests that this may have been early 

 cricket), was beaten over the head and shoulders in a quarrel so that he 

 could neither hear nor see, until instructed by a vision to make a model 

 in wax of his head and shoulders and to offer it at the Bishop's tomb, 

 which he did, and recovered. Another Laverstock man — William 

 Hendyng — lost his sight by a thorn running into his eye, and recovered 

 it by prayer to Bishop Osmund. In two cases the head or hands of the 

 patient were placed in the " foramina " of the tomb, and it is suggested 

 that these " foramina " were the openings still existing in the sides of 

 the tomb wrongly kown as that of Lord Stourton in the Cathedral. 

 This evidence shows that Bishop Osmund was locally regarded as a saint 

 many years before he was actually canonized. The letters are chiefly 

 from Nicholas Upton, Precentor, and Simon Houchens, who were sent 

 to Borne in 1452 as agents of the Dean and Chapter to press forward the 

 business, and who find living at Kome very expensive ; and the answers 

 of the Dean and Chapter. The Bull of Canonization i3 given in the 

 Appendix, as also is the form of service for the admission of any person 

 not a member of the Cathedral body as a "Brother or sister of the 

 Church." Many distinguished persons were so admitted, and the 

 brotherhood was looked upon as a real bond. Altogether the book seems 

 excellently edited and annotated, and is a notable addition to Wiltshire 

 literature. 



The Prebend and Prebendaries of Warminster 

 alias Luxvile in the Cathedral Church of Wells, 



by Prebendary Coleman, Treasurer of Wells Cathedral. Paper in 

 Somersetshire Archaeolog. and Nat. Hist. Soc. Proceedings for 1901., 

 vol. xlvii., pp. 189—216. 



Of the fifty canonries or prebends in Wells Cathedral, Warminster is 

 one of the three which derived their title and emoluments from estates 

 beyond the borders of the diocese. The Church of Warminster was 

 granted to Wells "in prebendam " by Ralph Fitzwilliam circa 1115, 

 whilst the Warminster Prebend in Sarum Cathedral was endowed by 

 Hen. I. with two hides of land only. 



It is called now the Luxfield Prebend — the name "Luxvile" being 

 found from 1353 downwards. Prebendary Coleman suggests as the 

 VOL. XXXII. —NO. XCVII. R 



