250 



The Churches of Devizes. St. Mar^s. 



The interior of the church has, within the last few months, 

 undergone considerable alteration. The galleries have been re- 

 moved, open benches substituted for pues, (by which means the 

 architecture is seen to much greater advantage) an organ erected 

 in the space under the tower, and a vestry added on the north side 

 of the chancel. 



Chantries in St. Mary's Church. 



In the report of a commission, 1 dated 4th Feb., 37 Henry VIII. 

 (1546) three chantries are mentioned. 



The first was founded by John Coventre. Its endowment con- 

 sisted of eleven tenements and gardens, situated chiefly in the 

 New Port, an orchard, and three-and-a-half acres of arable land, 

 "lying in Wekefeld," producing together, at that date, an annual 

 rental of £6 17s. 2d. from which deducting a rent of 7s. paid 

 annually to the Queen as lady of the manor of Devizes, leaves 

 £6 10s. 2d. as the clear value of the chantry. 



The second, founded also by the said John Coventre, was endowed 

 with no less than thirty-two houses and tenements, and thirty- 

 one-and-a-half acres of land, besides several other parcels, the 

 measurements of which are not given. Many of the houses are 

 described as being in the Old and New Port, and the land in the 

 West Field, Wekefeld, Little Surbathe, and the Parke lands. This 

 property produced an annual rental of £16 12s. 6d. from which 

 deducting a rent to the Queen, as above, of £1 3s. 8d., also a like 

 rent of 5s. 11^. paid at the Castle Ward for the Park lands, and a 

 third of lis. to the Bishop of Sarum, amounting in the whole to 

 £2 0s. 7d., leaves £14 lis. lid. as the clear annual value of the 

 chantry. 2 



The third and last chantry was founded by William Coventre. 

 Its endowment consisted of sixteen houses and cottages with gardens, 

 besides barns, &c. This property like the above was situated both in 



1 Before referred to at page 235. 



2 From the amount it would appear that this chantry was an endowment for 

 two priests. 



