By the Rev. J. J. Reynolds. 



269 



of Humphrey Bishop, Gent., to the Parish Church of the Holy 

 Trinity Shaston," and a shield of arms, Or, on three lozenges Azure 

 an eagle displayed of the first, two and one : — these are all of 

 silver ; and a large pewter flagon, inscribed, " Shaston St. Peter's 

 1770." Humphrey Bishop, named above, we find by his epitaph in 

 St. Trinity Church, was a Barrister of an ancient loyal family. He 

 died 1709, June 8th. 



The Church registers go back to 1623. In the Church of St. 

 Peter is a stone seemingly removed from the Abbey, in which a 

 small Brass remains, with an inscription to Stephen Payne, Esq., 

 Seneschal of this monastery, who died December 4th, 1508. There 

 appear to have been two small shields of arms now gone. The South 

 aisle of this Church is evidently an addition, and in fact an encroach- 

 ment, built on columns over a court below ; the intervals between 

 the columns have since been walled in, and the space thus enclosed 

 is now used as a cellar. 



In 1611 Matthew Chubb founded an Almshouse for sixteen poor 

 women. 1 In 1642, Sir Henry Spiller founded another for ten "of 

 the most aged and impotent persons within the said borough of 

 Shaftesbury." The motto over the door is, " Donum Dei et 

 Deo." 



It has been already observed, that there are few wells in the 

 town, owing to the trouble and expense of sinking them to the 

 great depth required. Water was generally obtained from certain 

 wells about a quarter of a mile below the town, in the parish of 

 Motcombe, belonging to the Manor of Gillingham. By agreement 

 dated 1662, between the Lord of the Manor of Gillingham and the 

 Mayor and Burgesses of Shaftesbury, the Mayor was to carry a 

 Byzant, as it was called, a sort of besom, dressed like a May gar- 

 land, to the wells and there present it, together with a calf's head, 

 a gallon of ale, two penny loaves and a pair of gloves, to the Lord 

 of the Manor, or his deputy. The Byzant was then restored to the 

 Mayor and brought back to the town in procession with music, &c. 



1 The Marquis of Westminster has recently augmented the endowment of this 

 almshouse, by the very liberal gift of £5000. 



