By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 



39 



in 1540, but he does not notice it. It was seen, where it now is, by 

 the Tourist in 1634, above mentioned. Antony Wood, the Oxford 

 Antiquary, visited the church in 1678. He says that " Athelstan's 

 monument had the head knocked off in the wars in Charles the 

 First's time, and that the inhabitants had put on a new one with a 

 bushy beard, but whether like the former I cannot tell." He sup- 

 poses the monument to have formerly stood in the choir, and to 

 have been removed to its present place at the Dissolution. Mr. 

 Britton was rather of opinion that it did not refer to Athelstan at 

 all ; but the tradition of 200 years is against him. 



It had been well for Malmesbury if the knocking off King Athel- 

 stan's head had been all the mischief done by the wars in Charles 

 the First's time. About this a few words must be said, or the 

 promised outline of your public history will be imperfect. 



It was mentioned a little while ago that the castle built by Roger, 

 Bishop of Sarum, had been razed to the ground in King John's 

 reign. But either some portion of it must have been left, or some 

 other built near it, because there certainly was some stronghold fit 

 to receive a garrison of soldiers in Charles the First's wars. 

 Malmesbury then became a place of some consequence, because it 

 stood upon the main line of communication between Bristol and 

 Oxford. I will not weary you with details, but simply state that 

 it was taken and retaken seven times between the summer of 1642 

 and May 1644. 



During one of those contests the old church of Westport was 

 destroyed. Of this, John Aubrey, who was living at the time, 

 gives us the account. " Westport," he says, " is the parish outside 

 the west gate ; which west gate, now demolished, stood on the 

 neck of land that joins Malmesbury and Westport. Before the 

 late wars here was a very pretty church, consisting of a nave and 

 aisles, dedicated to St. Mary, and a fair spire-steeple, with five tune- 

 able bells. Sir Wm. Waller, for the Parliament, pulled the church, 

 down, that it might not be a shelter for the enemy, and melted the 

 bells down into cannon. The steeple was higher than that of St. 

 Paul's, Malmesbury. The windows were well painted, and in 

 them were inscriptions that declared much antiquity. Now," says 



