374 



Old Church Plate in Wilts, 



heavy shapes found in the seventeenth century, roughly made and 

 repaired. It is perfectly plain, with a broadish flat base. It 

 measures 6in. in height, and has no inscription beyond the hall- 

 marks, which consist of the black-letter capitals either <£. or 23., 

 1660 or 1662, the maker's mark being H.N., under which is a bird 

 with a branch in its beak, all within a shield. It is not easy to 

 account for so many of these heavy seventeenth century chalices, the 

 Elizabethan ones of a hundred years or less earlier could hardly have 

 been worn out, for those still existing are generally in good condition, 

 and as a rule the sizes do not vary very much. 



Maddington. A complete and massive service, consisting of a 

 Flagon and cover, measuring llin. ; a Chalice and cover, 9in. without 

 the cover ; and a large Paten with foot. There are no regular hall- 

 marks, but the maker's mark is stamped on each piece ; this consists 

 of the plain letter S. surmounted by a crown and enclosed within a 

 shield. The bowl of the chalice has straight sides, the foot is 

 hexagonal with pointed angles, the knop quite plain. The general 

 effect is rather un-English. On each piece is graven an elaborate 

 coat of arms of the Fox family, and the crest on foot of chalice, 

 Ermine } on a chevron, azure, three foxs' head, erased or, and on a canton 

 of the second, a jleur-de-lys of the third. Crest, On a chapeau azure , 

 turned up ermine, a fox sitting or. There can be little doubt that 

 this service was given to the parish by Sir Stephen Fox, who held 

 the manor of Maddington, and charged this estate with a certain 

 annual payment towards the maintenance of his alms-houses at 

 Farley. Fox was born in 1627, and died in 1716. The above 

 (additional) arms were granted to Stephen Fox in 1658, so that it 

 can safely be assumed that the date of the plate is some time in the 

 second half of the seventeenth century. This custom of covering 

 sacramental plate with the arms of the donor has now, happily, died 

 out. 



Netherhampton. The chalice and paten are modern, but there 

 is still kept in the parish a large tall pewter Flagon, with cover 

 inscribed ; " Elizabeth Vdall widdowe Deceased the 20 daye of July 

 1634 and Gaue this fiaggon to the Church at Netherhampton" 



