278 



Ancient Chapels, fyc., in Co. Wilts. 



Reformation. [See Wilts Collections, note, p. 381.] The 

 present church was built subsequently. A note in "Wilts 

 Institutions, p. 25, says that Easton Hospital was founded by 

 Robert, Bishop of Sarum : and in the same volume, p. 199, 

 John Seymour is called the second founder. 



Edingdon Monastery, (East of Westbury, and in Whorwellsdown 

 Hundred.) Rumsey Abbey in Hampshire was originally the 

 chief proprietor of lands and tithes in the manor of Edingdon : 

 and these profits were applied to maintain a Prebendary, con- 

 nected with Rumsey. About A.D. 1347 (21 Edw. III.), 

 William of Edingdon, Bishop of Winchester, being a native 

 of this parish, arranged to purchase from Rumsey Abbey its 

 Prebendal estate in Edingdon : which he then applied to the 

 establishment here, of a College, consisting of a Dean and 

 twelve ministers who were to be in residence. For them and 

 for this purpose he built a house, and a large church (the one 

 still existing). To please the Black Prince, who upon his 

 return from France wished to introduce into this country a 

 certain reformed order of religious men to whom he had taken 

 a great liking, the Bishop converted his College into a house 

 of Friars, of the Order of St. Augustine, called "Bonhommes," 

 the Principal of the establishment taking the title of "Rector 

 of Edingdon Priory." At the Dissolution, the Priory church 

 became the parish church. Of any endowed chantry chapels 

 within it we have no account. Between the columns on the 

 south side of the nave is a mortuary shrine or chapel of very 

 small dimensions, erected (as the coats of arms in stone upon 

 it testify) by the family of Cheney of Brooke House, Westbury. 

 [See Wilts Collections, p. 349, 352.] 



Leland (Itin., iii., 98) says that in his time there was a 

 chapel and a hermitage on a hill hard by, where Bishop 

 Ayscough was " beheddid in a rage of the communes for asking 

 a Tax of money." Of this hermitage there is no trace now. 



Elcombe. In the parish of Wroughton, (Elstub and Everley Hun- 

 dreds. Chantry chapel of St. Mary, Patrons the Lords Lovel, 

 and Lovel and Holand. There are presentations from A.D. 



