254 



Ancient Chapels, fyc, in Co. Wilts. 



Abbots and Abbesses of the older da} r s were not only large land 

 owners, but great and good builders, and they gave to their farm 

 houses, their barns and mills, &c., a solidity and character of orna- 

 ment in keeping with the profession of the owners. So it often 

 comes to pass that what was only a substantial kitchen or hall in 

 a dwellinghouse, or a granary or stable in a court-yard, on outlying 

 estates that formerly belonged to a monastery, is often now supposed 

 to have been part of a chapel or other building appertinent to the 

 residence of the Monks themselves. 



At the same time there may be many fragments of real chapels 

 and the like, that might perhaps be identified, if there were any 

 ready means of knowing, in each county, the names of all the places 

 at which any ancient structure connected with religion is known to 

 have once existed, besides the ordinary Parish church. For the 

 county of Wilts, the following Alphabetical List may be of use. 

 It includes all such parish churches, conventual churches, chan- 

 tries, chantry chapels, &c, as underwent some change when 

 the religion of the country was changed in the reign of Henry 

 VIII., and his immediate successors. Some were altogether des- 

 troyed : others allowed to go to decay ; but the larger part of the 

 chapels having been deprived of their endowments, were in most 

 cases allowed to remain, either as burial places for particular 

 families, or for the general purposes of the parish church to which 

 they were attached. 



The number of Parish churches that have ever, at any time, been 

 bodily removed without being replaced, is, as might be expected, 

 not very large. The few that have disappeared were of a very 

 humble kind. 



Of the Conventual churches, three have survived : Malmesbury 

 (mutilated), Ambresbury, and Edingdon. These perhaps were 

 partly indebted for their safety to their size. All the rest have so 

 absolutely disappeared that, except by some casual excavation, not 

 a trace of them is to be found. Nor is there any description, still 

 less any illustration, (such as a general view or ground plan,) left to 

 give us the slightest idea of what they were like. But their names 

 and localities are upon the whole, well ascertained. 



