By the Rev. W. H % Jones. 



155 



arid vivid description in Mr. Duke's " Halle of John Halle. " He 

 gives us there a sketch of a worthy of this class, who lived, at a 

 time when they were in the greatest authority, in the reign of 

 Edw. IV. The son of a respected member of the corporate body 

 of Salisbury, — inheriting probably a fair portion of this world's 

 wealth, — engaging as a capitalist in the wool-trade, — elected in due 

 time to the common council, — there rising to the dignity of Alder- 

 man, — in due time appointed to the office of Mayor and chosen as 

 representative in Parliament for the city of Salisbury ; — such is a 

 brief sketch of the career of Mr. Duke's hero "John Halle," — 

 such probably would be the history of many of his brother-mer- 

 chants. It became a proverb " Riches follow the staple," and the 

 " bayliffe's of the realme " (as the merchants were often called) 

 found such to be the case, to the satisfaction doubtless of many of 

 their descendants even at the present day. As an almost natural 

 result followed high, sometimesnoble, connexions, — families founded; 

 — in more than a few instances, coronets obtained. Many a token 

 have they left behind them of their readiness to dispense with a 

 ready hand a portion of the wealth thus accumulated. Everywhere 

 in our own county have we churches built or enlarged, — chantries 

 endowed, — alms-houses established, — all testifying to the generosit}' 

 of the merchants of the staple. And Aubrey in his MS. gives us 

 a list of men in other counties, of more than one of whom he says 

 that he " gave a great masse of money " to some act of piety or 

 charity, or for the promotion of some work of public benefit. 

 Terumber the founder of a chantry and also of alms-houses at 

 Trowbridge, both now things of the past ; — Horton whose name is 

 identified with the churches of both Bradford on Avon and West- 

 wood ; — Long the builder of the North, Lucas the builder of the 

 South aisle of the beautiful church at Steeple Ashton ; — Swayne 

 whose name is inseparably connected with the church of St. Thomas 

 at Salisbury ; — and then somewhat later the " Yerberrys," whose 

 descendants still live in Brad lord on Avon, many of whom were 

 generous benefactors of the poor, — all these (and many others 

 might be mentioned) were connected in olden times with the wool- 

 trade. And frequently have the descendants of such merchants 



