By the Rev. J. J. Reynolds. 



263 



of the town and Abbey of Shaftesbury : to the town he granted two 

 mints, and probably gave or confirmed its borough privileges : 1 on 

 the Abbey he bestowed many manors and estates, as did several of 

 his successors. 



The next event of importance connected with Shaftesbury, was 

 the translation to the Abbey, of the bones of King Edward the 

 Martyr. This amiable, but unfortunate youth, was treacherously 

 murdered by his stepmother Elfrida at Oorfe Castle, A.D. 978, to 

 clear the way for her son Ethelred to the throne. His body having 

 been cast into a well was discovered, and privately buried at 

 Wareham. Three years afterwards Elfere, Earl of Mercia, 2 who 

 had been Edward's opponent, 3 and was supposed to have been 

 accessory to the murder, moved with remorse, resolved to translate 

 the body to the royal Abbey of Shaftesbury, and inter it with 

 kingly honours. Dunstan the archbishop 4 was present with Alfwold 

 Bishop of Sherborne, Wulfrida Abbess of Wilton with her Nuns, 

 and a large company of nobility and persons of all ranks. The 

 body was brought in grand procession, and buried with great pomp, 

 on the north side of the high altar of the Abbey Church. 5 Miracu- 

 lous circumstances are said, by later writers, to have attended the 

 finding and removal of the body, and cures of diseases to have been 

 wrought at his tomb, " which brought'' (says Roger of Wendover, 

 writing about A.D. 1230, and therefore 250 years after the event) 

 " multitudes 6 from all parts of the kingdom to the Martyr's tomb, 



1 The municipal privileges of the ancient Saxon boroughs probably had their 

 origin in Roman times ; the early possession of such privileges is an argument 

 that Shaftesbury was a town of some importance, as already intimated, under 

 the Romans. 



2 Henry of Huntingdon. 3 Will, of Malmesbury. 



4 Saxon Chronicle. 5 John of Brompton. 



6 A curious confirmation of the number of pilgrims frequenting the Abbey 

 Church, is afforded by the fact of the pavement of the chancel and nave, being 

 actually laid with a slope towards the West, undoubtedly to enable the water 

 to run off, when the Church was cleaned after the visits of the pilgrims. The 

 same kind of sloping pavement, and with a similar object, occurs in Chartres 

 Cathedral and other places. See Gent. Mag., May, 1862, p. 556. The stone 

 steps and door- sills leading from the chancel to the North aisle (S. Edward's 

 Chapel ?) are also greatly worn, and the patterns on the tiles, except those 

 close to the walls, are worn away, evidently by the tread of many feet. 



2 b 2 



