1804. ] 
very extraordinary being only granted by 
fome of our princes, in peculiar honour 
of certain perfons of fuper-eminent fanc- 
tity and virtue, or of certain events either 
fingularly fortunate, or fuppofed to have 
fallen miraculoufly. 
The fame reaton, in a much lefs degree, 
might operate to reftrict the extenfiun of 
the fanétuary towards the north; to which 
may be added the following conjectures. 
The portions of church-yards lying to- 
wards the fouth, ealt, and weit, are held 
in fuperior veneration, being emphatically 
ftyled the ‘‘fanétuary.’? So great is the 
prejudice ia this refpeét, in the parif con- 
tiguous to Winterton, that no perfon is 
willing to have a deceafed relative buried 
on the north fide of the church, as not 
being in the fanétuary. Hence it hap- 
pens, that there are {carcely any graves 
vifiole in that portion of moit of our 
church yards, except in towns or in fome 
very populous villages, where neceffity 
may have overcome choice; or the fanc- 
tuary, for obvious reafons, has been ori- 
ginally extended quite around the church; 
or where, from peculiarity of fituation, 
the principal approach to and entrance 
into it, have always been on that fide. 
It has been long the pratice to bury on 
the north fide of the church of Hemiby, 
as well as on the others, though not 
through neceffity ; but this deviation from 
an eftablifhed cuftom may have arifen from 
the extent of the fanétuary towards that 
fide having been afcertained, and pointed 
out by the crofs, or pillar, above noticed. 
At the firft ereétion of churches, no 
places, either in or about them, were al- 
lotted for the interment of the dead, but 
were appointed for that purpofe apart. 
In the teventh century, however, it began 
to be a cuftom to bury in the body of 
churches; and this cuftom increafed to 
fuch a degree, that it was at length found 
nsceflary to reftrain it by an expre{s canon, 
“<de non fepeliendo in ecclefis;” but it was 
not till the year 1070 that the practice of 
making vaults in chancels, and beneath 
the altar itfelf, commenced. 
From the altar, and cathedra pacis, or 
Sridftool, ftanding near it, the privilege of 
afylum extenied gradually through the 
chancel to the naye, and thence to the 
principal entrance into the church, and 
the neareft part of the church-yard, in 
preference to others. If, therefore, fanc- 
tuaries may be fuppofed to have lain ge- 
nerally on and contiguous to that fide of 
the church by which it was principally 
approached and entered, the principal ap- 
proach to the church at Hemfby being on 
’ Monrurty Mac, No, 118. 
Proceedings of learucd Societies. 
49 
the fouthern fide, 2 more than common 
enlargement of the fanétuary, in favour 
of that church, would be more likely to 
be made towards the fouth and the conti- 
guous quarters, than towards the north. 
But the weftern quarter being occupied 
by the main habitations of the parifh, the 
fouthern and eaftern only remained open 
to fuch an enlargement; and it was made 
‘accordingly towards thofe points. 
~The Jate THoMas Aste, Eso. a 
fhort time before his deceafe, Jaid vefore 
the Antiquarian Society fome ‘ Obferva- 
tions on the anachronifms and inaccura- 
cies of our writers, refpecting the times 
of the affembling of Parliaments, &c.” 
He obferves, that to avoid thefe miftakes, 
it is abfolutely necefiary for hiftorians and 
others to be very attentive to the times of 
the commencement of each year of our 
Lord, and of the reign of ourkings. In 
England, the legal year commeuced on 
the 25th of March, till 1752, when, by 
the fiatute of the 24th of his late Ma- 
jefty, it was enaéted, that, from and after 
the laft day of December, 1751, it fhould 
in future commence on the firft of January 
in each year. 
The hiftoric year always commenced on 
the firft of January ; for Stowe obferves, 
that William the Conqueror having been 
crowned on the firft of January, that day 
therefore became the firtt of the year for 
hiftorians, though in all civil affairs they 
retained the ancient manner ot reckoning 
the commencement of the year, which 
began on the 25th o: March; that part 
of the year between the firft of January 
and March the 25th, being ufuaily ex- 
preffled both ways as 1748. The errors 
which have been made refpecting the years 
of the reigns of our kings, may be thus 
pointed out: 
Our monarchs have genera! ly dated their 
aéts and inftrumen's from their acceffion ; 
and, fince the conqueft, their patents, 
charters, proclamations, &c. have been 
ufually dated by the year of the king’s 
reign, without the infertion of the year 
of our Lord. Inearly times, the bifhops 
ufually dated from the year of their con- 
fecration ; in ecclefialiical inftruments of 
a private nature, the year of our Lord was 
frequently ufed as early as the beginning 
of the twelfth century. 
The conftitution of England admits of 
no interregnum; therefore in the eye of 
the law the king never dies, and confe- 
quently the fucceffor immediately exerciles 
the regal authority; and every. act of the. 
new king is dated in the firft year of his 
reign. For example: his late Majelty’s 
P| demile 
