362 



Old Church Plate in Wilts. 



change that had already taken place; the form of the bowl is 

 slightly bell-shaped, the central boss of the stem of the earlier 

 examples is replaced by a small collar, and the general appearance 

 is much more like the heavy seventeenth century forms than the 

 later and well-known regulation shape of Queen Elizabeth's time. 

 The size, too, is large and adapted to the use of the congregation, 

 as, after 1547 the communion in both kinds was administered 

 according to the practice of the early Church. 



There is abundant evidence to show that the value of old parish 

 Church plate was very great in the reign of Edward VI., not- 

 withstanding the wholesale spoliation by his father. It was not 

 until the last year of Edward's reign that the confiscation of parish 

 Church plate was decided upon. In 1553 a commission was issued 

 for the seizure of all goods not absolutely needed for parish Churches, 

 allowing in every Church one, and in larger Churches two chalices 

 to be left for the administration of the holy communion. Returns 

 were made under this commission of all Church goods, plate, jewels, 

 bells, and ornaments yet remaining. These inventories relating to 

 the Churches of Wiltshire unfortunately no longer exist, but a list 

 of the parishes in which a niggardly single " cup " and the bells 

 were left is to be found in the twelfth volume of the Wiltshire 

 Archaeological Magazine. The Commissioners were Sir Anthony 

 Hungerford (of Black Burton, Oxon, Kt.), William Sherrington, 

 Kt., and William Wroughton, Kt. 



Such chalices as were left in the Churches were, necessarily, of 

 the old form, for it is not probable that any further change would 

 take place during the time of Queen Mary. In the reign of 

 Elizabeth, however, another sweeping change occurred. The evil 

 estimation in which the reformers of Elizabeth's time held the pre- 

 Beformation communion plate caused them to entertain scruples and 

 prejudices against its eucharistic use. Accordingly we find that 

 Parker and Grindall, with possibly some other Anglican prelates, 

 about 1567, issuing certain articles and injunctions requiring the 

 disuse of " massing chalices/'' and the substitution of " decent 

 communion cups." The churchwardens' accounts of this period 

 contain frequent entries of the sale of the one class of chalice, and 



