378 



Old Church Plate in Wilts. 



Edith Naish gave this for the use of this parish. 1734. St. Edmunds 

 Sarum." 



The present plate } consisting* of two chalices with patens, and two 

 flagons, was "re-modelled"" in 1867, as appears by an inscription 

 on the new vessels. The dates of the earlier pieces are very sensibly 

 given by way of memento, and are duly inscribed on the modern 

 substitutes. The dates on the early chalices were 1687, on the 

 patens, The gift of Mrs. Abigail Mercer, 1685, and on the flagons, 

 1703. We are thus enabled to guess pretty accurately what was 

 the fashion of the old plate. 



Salisbury, St. Martin's. The plate belonging to this parish, 

 though not of very early date, is of considerable interest. The 

 earliest is a set consisting of a Chalice and cover with a Paten, 

 bearing no hall-marks, but of a somewhat later type than the usual 

 Elizabethan examples. The chalice measures 7in., and has a band 

 of engraved foliage round the bowl. On the cover is engraved " The 

 plate of St. Martin. " The paten is quite plain and measures 5 Jin. 

 in diam., and is inscribed " St. Martin's." Round the base of the 

 chalice is the following "Ex dono Gvlielmi Wickham. Episcopi 

 Vintonia. ,} William Wickham, the second Bishop of that name, 

 was translated from Lincoln and filled the seat of Winchester for 

 only ten weeks. He died in June, 1595, at his house in Southwark. 1 

 This date corresponds very well with the form of the plate. It will 

 be noticed that the cover in this instance was not intended to serve 

 also the purpose of a paten, as is usually said to be the case with 

 Elizabethan chalices, but a separate paten was deemed necessary. 



Another Paten, 6in. in diameter, quite plain, without hall-marks. 

 At the back is engraved a small monogram, the letters T.R. com- 

 bined. In front is inscribed " Christopher Horte, Thomas Chiffinch, 

 Church Wardens of St. Martin, Anno Domini 1620." This Thomas 

 Chiffinch was probably an ancestor of a well-known character — 



1 Wickham married Antonine, daughter of William Barlow, Bishop of Chiches- 

 ter. Her four sisters were all remarkable in having married bishops. Perhaps 

 such another instance is not on record. 



