“e 
merely oppofing opinion to opinion, with- 
pies bringing any proof that if was cuf. 
fomary to ict up fo many crofles, and 
ahare of f much coff, in the vicinity of 
all churches, for that purpofe; while the 
fame sieten might equally be made re. 
fpeiing the four crofles at Hexham, in 
N- wthumbe land, fet up at the diftance of 
a mile in every direStion from the church, 
by any ore *vho fhould happen to be unin- 
formed, that they actually did there mark 
the boundaries of a privileged place of 
refuge. 
But as the extent of fan&tuary was 
doubtlefs diferent in different places, as 
circumfances varied ; in fome, as at Hex- 
ham and at St. Edmon{bury, reaching a 
mile ; yet in the far greater number, pro- 
bably the boundaries « of the church-yard, 
or coemetrey, were iis utmof limits. Ft 
may be proper, therefore, to affign a rea- 
fon why the privileged {pace, conjectured 
to have apperiained to the church of 
Hemfby, fhould be fo much more extenfive 
than might be luppol fed to have been al- 
lotted to a daa about which are to be 
feen no remains of ancient magnificence, 
nor any other veltiges, which may lead to 
an opinion, that it was formerly of more 
confideration than it is at prefent. 
Algar, fon of Leofric, earl of Mereia, 
fucceeded his father in the year 10573 
through the intereft of Hareld with the 
Confeffor: the next poffeflor after Algar, 
noticed in the Domelday Survey, is Alwi, 
who appears to have held lands beth of 
the Confeflor and Conqueror, in the neigh- 
bouring villages, From Alwi, Archbifhop 
Stigand took the demeine of Hemfby, 
and Be it to Almar, the bifhop of Eim- 
ham, | 1is own brother, from whom it pafled 
into the bifhopric. Almar was fucceeded 
by Arfaft, who was in high favour with 
the Conqueror, having been his chaplain, 
and afterwards became his chancellor. 
William Galfagus next followed, among 
whole revenues the demeine of ‘Hamisy 
ftands in the Domefday Survey. Gal- 
fagus was alfo in great efleem with Wil. 
liam, who beftowed upon him above thiriy 
manors, among which was Hemiby : this, 
with moit of the others, he left at his 
death to his fucceff r in the fee which had 
been transterred to Thetford from Elm- 
ham in the time of Arfaft. 
The lords of large demefnes were the 
Original founders of churches on them 
for the ufe of their refpective vafials ; en- 
dowing them with lands and’ tithes, of 
which, at ane the bifhops receiving the 
profits, provided them with priefts, ogee 
went about trom one to ancther, to per- 
| ; " “ 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
form the feveral duties. 
fAuguft i, 
At length the 
bifhops, beginning to affe€t the temporal 
dignity of the barons, they imitated them 
alfo in this particular, and ereéted and * 
endowed churches on their cwn eftates 5 
confenting, belides, to leave to a prieft, 
{tiled in each of them, the enjoyment of 
fuch revenues, cr the greater part of them, 
as had been affigned to each church by 
its refpective founder; and granting te 
them the power of adminiftering the fa- 
crament, with other privileges which werg_ 
added to them by the munificence of fuc~ 
ceffive kings, efpecially the privilege of 
aiylum. 
While, therefore, the capital demefne 
of Hemiby was in poffefion of perfons fo 
high in rank and royal favour, as were 
moft of thofe above named, it is not im- 
probable that many privileges and advan- 
tages fhould be obtained for the church 
there founded, beyond thofe enjoyed by 
other churches on the eftates of perfons of 
inferior dignity and weight. 
In the reign of Wi liam Refus, Her- 
bert Lofinga having obtained the bifhopri¢ 
of Thetford, he removed the fee to Nor- 
wich, and ‘built and endowed feveral 
churches and religious houfes, for which 
he obtained great immunities and privi- 
leges. This prelate therefore did not want 
the power to obtain a privilege for a 
church on his own demefise ; which he 
now fettled on the priory lately erefted 
and endewed by him for the reception 
of fixty monks af the order of St. Bene- 
dict, on the fouth fide of the magnificent 
cathedral he had built at Norwich. At 
the difolution of the monafteries, the re~ 
venues of this priory were feized cn for 
the crown; but, being converted intoa 
deanery, they were again reftored, and the 
laf prior was appointed the firft dean, 
' Tf the limits attempted to be pointed 
out as baving been thofe of the fan&tuary 
belonging to the church of Hemfby, really 
were fuch, a large and unequal portion of 
it_muft have lain towards the fouth ’ and 
eaft; which. being admitted, it mult be 
remarked that. the mot confiderable pare 
of the village having always probably oc- 
cupied the quarter abutting upon the weft. 
em portion of the church-yard, this 
might be the reafon why the fanéuary 
was not extended farther that way, as it 
would have been to place the chief part of 
the inhabitants of the parifh, in a man- 
ner, in perpetual afylum. Undoubtedly 
the inhabitants of Hexham, St. Edmon{s 
bury, &c. were placedin fuch a fituation ; 
but it is hazarding little to affert that the 
cafe mult b have been rare ; indulgencies fo 
very 
{ 
