Sepult fuit Arnaldus Stalerde fillius Johanis Stallerde xii die Septembris.

Sepulta Anna Measser fillia Robarti Measser xxii die Septembris. Sepultus fuit Willielmus Milton senioris xvii die nouembris.

Anno Domini 1594.

Sepultus fuit Willielmus Litle quinto die Septembris.

Sepultus fuit Willielmus Backer fillius Johanis Backer xvii die Octobris.

Sepultus fuit Willielmus Itheridge Junioris xxviii die nouembris.
Sepulta fuit Margareta Roundle vid xii die Januarij.

Sepulta fuit Anna Rastle vxoris Richardi Rastle xv die Marcij.
Anno Domini 1595.

Sepultus fuit Willielmus Rogers Junio xxiiii die Junij.

Sepulta fuit Anna Wyman vxor Johanis Wyman xvii die Septembris.

Sepultus fuit Willielmus saunders fillius Thome saunders xxiii die nouembris.

Sepulta fuit Marye Saunders fillia Thome Saunders xxiii die nouembris.

Sepultus fuit Johanes voughan fillis Sussan voughan x die ffebruarij. Sepultus Johanes Pace Senioris xiiii die ffebruarij.

Anno Domini 1596.

Sepulta fuit Joana Milton vid. secunda die Julij.

Sepulti fuerunt two children reputted to bee the children of
Richarde dogood the Twentie daye of Septembere.
Sepultus fuit Robart Stallerde fillius Johanis stallerde v die
nouembris.

Sepulta fuit Joana Rogers vidua. xxiii die mensis Januarij.
Sepultus fuit Johanes Coxe fillius Rogeri Coxe v die Marcij.

Anno Domini 1597.

Sepultus fuit Johanes Roundle fillius margarete Roundle xxv die Aprilis.

Sepultus fuit Willielmus Wyman xxv die mensis Maij.

Sepulta fuit Elizabetha Rogers vidua xxvi die Januarij.

And in like maner there was a poore man buryed the seaven and Twentie daye of Januarye but wherhence hee came wee cannot tell.

Sepultus fuit Peter Hayewarde perochie Maysmore xxix die Januarij.

Anno Domini 1598.

Sepulta fuit Elizabeth Allen vxor Edmundi Allen civitatis Glocestriæ xvii die Aprilis.

Sepultus fuit Johanes Jelfe xxii die Septembris-1598.

Sepultus fuit Johanes Milton fillius Willielmi Milton Octo die decembris.

Sepulta fuit Margareta Rogers vxor Thomæ Rogers vigessimo die decembris.

Agneta Pearse vid Sepulta fuit vndessimo die mensis ffebruarij.

Anno Domini 1599.

Gualterus Itheridge Sepultus fuit sexto die Augustiæ anno domini (1599).

Elner Weaver alias Steavens fillia Roundeli Weaver alias Steavens Sepulta fuit vigessimo die Augustiæ anno domini 1599.

Johanes Saunders fillius Thomæ Saunders Sepultus fuit vigessimo septimo die Augustiæ anno domini 1599.

Elizabeth Weell vxor Johanis Weel Sepulta fuit Tertio die Septembris anno domini-1599.

Johanes Weell fillius Johanes Weell Sepultus fuit quinto die Januarij 1599.

REGISTERS.-Some

1657.—THE PRESERVATION OF CHURCH correspondence has lately appeared in the Times in regard to the custody and preservation of church registers. One writer remarks:-"As it would be to many of us a lamentable blow to see our valuable ancient records carried off from the places where they are most interesting, may I urge upon all incumbents and churchwardens who may happen to have overlooked the matter, to examine their old church books, make an inventory of them, and page each; and, if the books are ancient and valuable, to copy them out? They might even, if they have time, make an index of names, which might save some after trouble. An inventory at least of the books, as well as of church plate and furniture, ought to be compulsory upon the incumbent and churchwardens of every parish, to be verified yearly, and produced for the inspection of the rural dean or the archdeacon from time to time. Any persons who undertook the study would soon learn to decipher the old writing, and would find an immense source of interest in the styles and changes of handwriting, the language used, the manner of entry, and the care taken about it (much greater in the 16th century than in the 17th); they would learn the ancient local history and the circumstances of the parish, the number of the inhabitants at different times, and the extent to which the people have migrated or remained stationary. If the records go back so far, they would see how the progress of the Reformation affected their district, and find the history of their country writ small in that of their parish." Other correspondents have suggested that accommodation should be found for the old church registers previous to the year 1812 in Somerset House, or the Record Office, where they would be catalogued and shelved. This, it is pointed out, might be effected by a short Act of Parliament requiring a transcript to be made in every parish of existing registers of earlier date than 1837, such transcript to remain with the parish, while the original books might be removed

to one of the above-mentioned central depositories. In those parishes which are presided over by a careful clergyman, especially one with a love for antiquarian research, the registers are invariably very jealously guarded, but in others they are neither kept in safe custody nor up to date. The correspondence referred to will answer a good purpose, if it only ensures a little more care of the registers as they have been handed down to the present time.

ANTIQUARIUS.

1658.—LANDS AT PRESTBURY AND SEVENHAMPTON, A.D. 1289.-These two documents (in Latin) are in the appendix (pp. 216-218) to the Roll of the Household Expenses of Richard de Swinfield, Bishop of Hereford, edited by the Rev. John Webb, F.S.A., and printed for the Camden Society, London, 1854:

i.

Surrender and Quit-claim of William de la Forde, of Prestbury, to Walter the Prior and the Convent of Lantony, nigh Gloucester.

Know, &c., that I, William de la Forde of Prestebury, have remitted and quit-claimed for myself and my heirs for ever to the lord Walter the prior and the convent of Lautony, near Gloucester, and their successors, all the right and title which I had, or was able to have, or believed that I had, in five acres of land which lie at the "Sterte juxta Laybrooke," near the ville of Prestbury, which five acres the said prior and convent hold of William de la Forde, my nephew, lately deceased, for half a marc of silver, which the said prior and convent have given me in advance, saving to myself and my heirs the annual rent of twopence for the aforesaid five acres, as is expressly contained in a charter "feofactionis," which the said prior and convent have of the said William, my nephew; so that neither I nor my heirs, nor any one in our name, shall for ever be able to claim or demand right in the said five acres of land. In testimony of which I have appended my seal to this present quit-claim. These being witnesses, Philip de Cyveteus, William Sim[one?], Gyrard then bailiff of the bishop, Thomas atte Mede, John Fremon de Prestebury, William Fremon de Chiltenham, Symone de Chiltenham, William Clericus de Prestebury, and others. Given at Prestebury on the day of St. Peter in Cathedra, A.D. one thousand two hundred and eightynine, and in the eighteenth year of the reign of the lord the King Edward, the son of King Henry.

ii.

Agreement between the Prior and Convent of Lantony, nigh Gloucester, and Bishop Swinfield, as to the said land, &c.

Know all to whom this writing comes, that in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and eighty-seven it was considered that matter for manifold questions and disputes might very probably exist between the venerable father the lord Richard, by

the grace of God bishop of Hereford, of the one part, and the lord Walter, prior of Lantony, near Gloucester, and the convent of the same place, of the other, inasmuch as the said bishop intended to recover with vigour the five acres or thereabouts of Fforloteland, which the said prior and convent were holding at the Sterte nigh Leybroke, near the ville of Prestebury. He was also intending to seek from the same the five marcs in which they were bound to him by their own letters; and on the other hand the said prior and convent were endeavouring to obtain from the said bishop one croft of pasture at Sevenhampton, which lies between the land of the bishop and the land of Gyrard, his bailiff. They endeavoured, moreover, to exact from the same, through the letters patent of the lords Hugo Folyot* and Ralph de Meydenestonet, formerly bishops of Hereford, that it might be lawful for them to pasture their eight oxen, with the oxen of the said bishop, in his park of Prestebury and elsewhere, wheresoever the said bishop might depasture his oxen in each year. At length, the counsel of wise men being taken, it was pleasing to each party that all matter of dispute should be settled for ever between them and their successors in form following, and that their churches might be hereafter united in a bond of more sincere love and peace: viz., that the aforesaid bishop, for himself and his successors, and the chapter of Hereford, quit-claimed for ever to the said prior and convent the aforesaid croft of pasture at Sevenhampton, and the said five acres or thereabouts of Fforloteland, near Prestebury: also he remitted to the same the said five marcs, and in addition, of his special favour, added to them forty shillings sterling, and restored their bonds (literas obligatorias) concerning the aforesaid five marks. they, the said prior and convent, quit-claimed for ever, for themselves and their successors, to the said Richard, bishop of Hereford, and his successors, all the right and claim which they had, or believed they had, to feed their eight oxen with the oxen of the bishop in his park at Prestebury and elsewhere, as it is before expressed, saving the right of the said prior and convent and their successors in the common of pasture pertaining to their lands and tenements at Prestebury, or as other free tenants have, who hold more freely, or had been accustomed to hold, at the time of the date of the present letters, of the said bishop. And, that the said quit-claim may be more faithfully preserved hereafter, they have restored to the bishop the letters patent of Hugh and Richard [Ralph], the bishops, through which they were asserting their claim to the said pastures. They have also granted through this present agreement, that if they possess any letters of the bishop of Hereford, or of the chapter, or it should happen that such be found in their hands, concerning the "collation" of the said

Died 1234. + Resigned 1239.

And

A law term, probably referring to "the putting together of the possessions of several in order to divide them equally."

pasture made by themselves, that the said letters, so far as concerns the said gift, be for ever rescinded, void, and of no value. But that these things, all and singular, may remain for ever sure and settled under the form subscribed in this writing, made "in modum cyrographi," Richard, the before-mentioned bishop, and his chapter, in sign of confirmation and assent, as well as Walter the prior and the convent of Lantony aforesaid, have in turn affixed their seals. Given at the chapter house in Hereford on the first day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and eightyJ. MELLAND HALL.

nine.

1659.-ST. NICHOLAS' CHURCH, BRISTOL: MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS.-In this church (not including the crypt, which shall be separately noticed) there are thirty-one inscriptions, of which accurate copies* were taken in September, 1888:

1.

(Brass on floor of chancel.)

To the glory of God, and in memory of William Edkins, of the Parish of St Nicholas, Bristol, Designer of the Whitson Monument in the porch of this church, and of other works of art. Died January 3rd, 1847, at his residence Long Ashton, aged 82. | Also of | Ann Edkins, his wife, | died February 12th, 1835, aged 51. And of her sister, Mary Ann Garratt, who died at Clifton | January 6th, 1837, | aged 65. | They lie buried in the crypt beneath.

2.

(North wall, from east end.)

Sacred to the memory of Fanny Hughes, | the beloved wife of Mr Frederick Terrell, Surgeon, Queen Square, and second daughter of Mr John Mills, of St Michael's Hill, in this City. | She departed this life 19th Augst, 1829, aged 21 years and 5 months, and lies buried in the crypt of this church.

3.

In the crypt of this church lies interred | the body of Ann, wife of Thomas Terrett, of this Parish. She died May 16th, 1745, aged 37 years. Also of the said Thomas Terrett, who died September 17th, 1771, aged 68 years. | This monument is erected by Mrs Sarah Henderson, their only surviving child, in dutiful and affectionate regard to the memory of the best of parents. I Also of Elizabeth, sister of the above Thomas Terrett: | she died July 17th, 1757, aged 45 years. | Also of Rachel, wife of Mr R. C. Winpenny, daughter of the above Thomas and Ann Terrett: | she died September 24th, 1771, aged 29 years. | Also of seven children of the above Thos and Ann Terrett, five sons and two daughters, who died in their infancy.

* Passages of Scripture have been omitted, as in similar transcripts.