The Natural History of Wiltshire Part 21

Sir William Dugdale told me, many years since, that about Henry the Third's time the Pope gave a bull or patents to a company of Italian Freemasons to travell up and down over all Europe to build churches.

From those are derived the fraternity of adopted Masons. They are known to one another by certain signes and watch-words: it continues to this day. They have severall lodges in severall counties for their reception, and when any of them fall into decay the brotherhood is to relieve him, &c. The manner of their adoption is very formall, and with an oath of secresy.

Memorandum. This day, May the 18th, being Munday, 1691, after Rogation Sunday, is a great convention at St. Paul's Church of the fraternity of the adopted Masons, where Sir Christopher Wren is to be adopted a brother, and Sir Henry Goodric, of the Tower, and divers others. There have been kings of this sodality.

At Pottern, a great mannour belonging to the Bishop of Sarum, is a very faire strong built church, with a great tower in the middest of the crosse aisle. It is exactly of the same architecture of the cathedrall church at Sarum, and the windowes are painted by the same hand, in that kind of Gothick grotesco. Likewise the church at Kington St. Michael's, and that at Sopworth, are of the same fas.h.i.+on, and built about the same time, sc. with slender marble pillars to the windowes; and just so the church of Glas...o...b..ry Abbey, and Westminster Abbey. Likewise the architecture of the church at Bishop's Cannings is the same, and such pillars to the windowes.

At Calne was a fine high steeple which stood upon four pillars in the middle of the church. One of the pillars was faulty, and the churchwardens were dilatory, as is usual in such cases. - Chivers, Esq. of that parish, foreseeing the fall of it, if not prevented, and the great charge they must be at by it, brought down Mr. Inigo Jones to survey it. This was about 1639 or 1640: he gave him 30 li. out of his own purse for his paines. Mr. Jones would have underbuilt it for an hundred pounds. About 1645 it fell down, on a Sat.u.r.day, and also broke down the chancell; the parish have since been at 1,000 li. Charge to make a new heavy tower. Such will be the fate of our steeple at Kington St. Michael; one cannot perswade the paris.h.i.+oners to goe out of their own way. [In another of Aubrey's MSS. (his "Description of North Wilts.h.i.+re"), is a sketch of the tower and spire of the church of Kington St. Michael, shewing several large and serious cracks in the walls. The spire was blown down in 1703, its neglected state no doubt contributing to its fall. The following ma.n.u.script note by James Gilpin, Esq. Recorder of Oxford (who was born at Kington in 1709), may be added, from my own collections for the history of this, my native parish. "In ye great storm in ye year 1703, ye spire of this church was blown down, and two of ye old bells I remember standing in ye belfry till ye tower was pulled down in 1724, in order to be rebuilt It was rebuilt accordingly, and the bells were then new cast, with ye a.s.sistance of Mr. Harington ye Vicar, who gave a new bell, on which his name is inscribed, so as to make a peal of six bells. On these bells are the following inscriptions:- 1. Prosperity to this parish, 1726. 2. Peace and good neighbourhood, 1726. 3. Prosperity to ye Church of England, 1726. 4. William Harington, Vicar. A. R. 1726 (A. R. means Abraham Rudhall, ye bell founder). 5. Has no inscription, but 1726 in gilt figures. 6. Jonathan Power and Robert Hewett, Churchwardens, 1726." - J. B.]

Sir William Dugdale told me he finds that painting in gla.s.se came first into England in King John's time. Before the Reformation I believe there was no county or great town in England but had gla.s.se painters. Old ...... Harding, of Blandford in Dorsets.h.i.+re, where I went to schoole, was the only countrey gla.s.se-painter that ever I knew.

Upon play dayes I was wont to visit his shop and furnaces. He dyed about 1643, aged about 83, or more.

In St. Edmund's church at Salisbury were curious painted gla.s.se windowes, especially in the chancell, where there was one window, I think the east window, of such exquisite worke that Gundamour, the Spanish Amba.s.sadour, did offer some hundreds of pounds for it, if it might have been bought. In one of the windowes was the picture of G.o.d the Father, like an old man, which gave offence to H. Shervill, Esq.

then Recorder of this city (this was about 1631), who, out of zeale, came and brake some of these windowes, and clambering upon one of the pews to be able to reach high enough, fell down and brake his leg. For this action he was brought into the Starr-Chamber, and had a great fine layd upon him [500. J. B.] which, I think, did undoe him. [See a minute and interesting account of Sherfield's offence, and the proceedings at the trial, in Hatcher's History of Salisbury, p. 371-374. - J. B.]

There was, at the Abbey of Malmesbury, a very high spire-steeple, as high almost, they at Malmesbury say, as that of St. Paul's, London; and they further report, that when the steeple fell down the ball of it fell as far as the Griffin Inne.

The top of the tower of Sutton Benger is very elegant, there is not such another in the county. It much resembles St Walborough's [St.

Werburg's] at Bristoll. [The tower of Sutton Benger church, here alluded to, has a large open-work'd pinnacle, rising from the centre of the roof; a beautiful and very singular ornament. See the wood-cut in the t.i.tle-page of the present volume.- J. B.]

The priory of Broadstock was very well built, and with good strong ribbs, as one may conclude by the remaines that are left of it yet standing, which are the cellar, which is strongly vaulted with freestone, and the hall above it. It is the stateliest cellar in Wilts.h.i.+re. The Hall is spatious, and within that the priour's parlour, wherein is good carving. In the middle of the south side of the hall is a large chimney, over which is a great window, so that the draught of the smoake runnes on each side of the chimney. Above the cellars the hall and parlours are one moietie; the church or, chapell stood on the south side of the hall, under which was a vault, as at St. Faithes under Paules. The very fundations of this fair church are now, 1666, digged up, where I saw severall freestone coffins, having two holes bored in the bottome, and severall capitalls and bases of handsome Gothique pillars. On the west end of the hall was the King's lodgeings, which they say were very n.o.ble, and standing about 1588.

[Aubrey records some further particulars of Bradenstoke Priory; a short account of which edifice will be found in the third volume of the Beauties of Wilts.h.i.+re. The Gentleman's Magazine, Nov. 1833, contains a wood-cut and account of this old religious house. See also Bowles's History of Lac.o.c.k Abbey.-J. B.]

The church of Broad Chalke was dedicated to All-Hallowes, as appeares by the ancient parish booke. The tradition is that it was built by a lawyer, whose picture is in severall of the gla.s.se-windowes yet remaining, kneeling, in a purple gowne or robe, and at the bottome of the windowes this subscription: "Orate pro felici statu Magistri Sieardi Lenot". This church hath no pillar, and the breadth is thirty and two feete and two inches. Hereabout are no trees now growing that would be long enough to make the crosse beames that doe reach from side to side. By the fas.h.i.+on of the windowes I doe guesse that it was built in the reigne of King Henry the Sixth. [The church of Broad Chalk is described in h.o.a.re's Modern Wilts.h.i.+re, Hundred of Chalk, p.

148.]

The market-crosses of Salisbury, Malmesbury, and Trowbridge, are very n.o.ble: standing on six pillars, and well vaulted over with freestone well carved. On every one of these crosses above sayd the crest of Hungerford, the sickles, doth flourish like parietaria or wall-flower, as likewise on most publique buildings in these parts, which witnesse not onely their opulency but munificency. I doe think there is such another crosse at Cricklade, with the coate and crests of Hungerford.

Quaere de hoc. [There is not any cross remaining in Trowbridge; and that at Cricklade, in the high street, is merely a single shaft, placed on a base of steps. The one at Salisbury is a plain unadorned building; but that of Malmesbury is a fine ornamented edifice. It is described and ill.u.s.trated in my "Dictionary of the Architecture and Archaeology of the Middle Ages". - J. B.]

The Lord Stourton's house at Stourton is very large and very old, but is little considerable as to the architecture. The pavement of the chapell there is of bricks, annealed or painted yellow, with their coat and rebus; sc. a tower and a tunne. These enamelled bricks have not been in use these last hundred yeares. The old paving of Our Lady Church at Salisbury was of such; and the choire of Gloucester church is paved with admirable bricks of this fas.h.i.+on. A little chapell at Merton, in the Earle of Shaftesbury's house, is paved with such tiles, whereon are annealed or enamelled the coate and quarterings of Horsey.

It is pity that this fas.h.i.+on is not revived; they are handsome and far more wholesome than marble paving in our could climate, and much cheaper. They have been disused ever since King Edward the Sixth's time. [Aubrey would have rejoiced to witness the success which has attended the revived use of ornamental paving tiles within the last few years. Messrs. Copeland and Garrett, and Mr. Minton, of Stoke- upon-Trent, as well as the Messrs. Chamberlain of Worcester, are engaged in making large numbers of these tiles, which are now extensively employed by church architects. Those individuals have produced tiles equal in excellence and beauty to the ancient specimens.-J. B.]

Heretofore all gentlemen's houses had fish ponds, and their houses had motes drawn about them, both for strength and for convenience of fish on fasting days.

The architecture of an old English gentleman's house, especially in Wilts.h.i.+re and thereabout, was a good high strong wall, a gate house, a great hall and parlour, and within the little green court where you come in, stood on one side the barne: they then thought not the noise of the threshold ill musique. This is yet to be seen at severall old houses and seates, e. g. Bradfield, Alderton, Stanton St. Quintin, Yatton-Keynell, &c.

Fallersdowne, vulgo Falston, was built by a Baynton, about perhaps Henry the Fifth. Here was a n.o.ble old-fas.h.i.+oned house, with a mote about it and drawbridge, and strong high walles embatteled.

They did consist of a layer of freestone and a layer of flints, squared or headed; two towers faced the south, one the east, the other the west end. After the garrison was gonn the mote was filled up, about 1650, and the high wall pulled down and one of the towers.

Baynton was attainted about Henry the Sixth. Afterwards the Lord Chief Justice Cheyney had it About the beginning of Queen Elizabeth, .....

Vaughan of Glamorgans.h.i.+re bought it; and about 1649, Sir George Vaughan sold it to Philip Earle of Pembroke.

Longleate House is the most august building in the kingdome. It was built by [Edward] Seymor, Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector,* tempore Edward VI., who sent for the architects out of Italy. The length is 272 foot, the breadth 172 foot; measured by Mr. Moore, Clericus. It is as high as the Banqueting house at Whitehall, outwardly adorned with Dorick, lonick, and Corinthian pillars. Mr. Dankertz drew a landskip of it, which was engraved. Desire Mr. Rose to gett me a print of it.

*[This statement is erroneous. Maiden Bradley, which is not far from Longleat, has been a seat of the n.o.ble family of Seymour for many centuries, and they have an old mansion there; but the family never possessed Longleat. The latter estate, on the contrary, was granted by King Henry VIII. to Sir John Horsey, and Edward Earl of Hertford, from whom it was purchased by Sir John Thynne, ancestor of its present proprietor, the Marquess of Bath. In 1576, Sir John commenced the splendid mansion at Longleat, which some writers a.s.sert was designed by John of Padua. The works were regularly prosecuted during the next twelve years, and completed by the two succeeding owners of the property. See Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain, vol. ii.

- J. B.]

Longford House was built by the Lord Georges, after the fas.h.i.+on of one of the King of Swedland's palaces. The figure of it is triangular, and the roomes of state are in the round towers in the angles. These round roomes are adorned with black marble Corinthian pillars, with gilded capitalls and bases. 'Twas sold to the Lord Colraine about 1646. [It now belongs to the Earl of Radnor. Plans, views, and accounts of this mansion, as well as of Longleat and Charlton Houses, are published in the "Architectural Antiquities", vol. ii.-J. B.]

Charlton House was built by the Earl of Suffolk, Lord High Treasurer, about the beginning of King James the First, when architecture was at a low ebbe.

At Broad Chalke is one of the tunablest ring of bells in Wilts.h.i.+re, which hang advantageously; the river running near the churchyard, which meliorates the sound. Here were but four bells till anno 1616 was added a fifth; and in anno 1659 Sir George Penruddock and I made ourselves church-wardens, or else the fair church had fallen, from the n.i.g.g.ardlinesse of the churchwardens of mean condition, and then we added the sixth bell.

The great bell at Westminster, in the Clockiar at the New Palace Yard, 36,OOOlib. weight. See Stow's Survey of London, de hoc. It was given by Jo. Montacute, Earle of (Salisbury, I think). Part of the inscription is thus, sc. "...... annis ab acuto monte Johannis."

PART II.-CHAPTER VII.

AGRICULTURE.

[THE late Mr. Thos. Davis, of Longleat, Steward to the Marquess of Bath, drew up an admirable "View of the Agriculture of the County of Wilts", which was printed by the Board of Agriculture in 1794. 8vo.

-J. B.]

CONSIDERING the distance of place where I now write, London, and the distance of time that I lived in this county, I am not able to give a satisfactorie account of the husbandry thereof. I will only say of our husbandmen, as Sir Thom. Overbury does of the Oxford scholars, that they goe after the fas.h.i.+on; that is, when the fas.h.i.+on is almost out they take it up: so our countrey-men are very late and very unwilling to learne or be brought to new improvements.

[It was scarcely a reproach to the Wilts.h.i.+re husbandmen to be far behind those of more enlightened counties, when, in the seat of learning, where the mental faculties of the students ought to have been continually exercised and cultivated, and not merely occupied in learning useless Greek and Latin, the "Oxford scholars" followed, rather than led, the fas.h.i.+on. Agricultural societies were then unknown, farmers had little communication with distant districts, and consequently knew nothing of the practice of other places; rents were low, and the same families continued in the farms from generation to generation, pursuing the same routine of Agriculture which their fathers and grandfathers had pursued "time out of mind". In the days of my own boyhood, nearly seventy years ago, I spent some time at a solitary farmhouse in North Wilts.h.i.+re, with a grandfather and his family, and can remember the various occupations and practices of the persons employed in the dairy, and on the grazing and corn lands. I never saw either a book or newspaper in the house; nor were any accounts of the farming kept. - J. B.]

The Devons.h.i.+re men were the earliest improvers. I heard Oliver Cromwell, Protector, at dinner at Hampton Court, 1657 or 8, tell the Lord Arundell of Wardour and the Lord Fitzwilliams that he had been in all the counties of England, and that the Devons.h.i.+re husbandry was the best: and at length we have obtained a good deal of it, which is now well known and need not to be rehea.r.s.ed. But William Scott, of Hedington, a very understanding man in these things, told me that since 1630 the fas.h.i.+on of husbandry in this country had been altered three times over, still refining.

Mr. Bishop, of Merton, first brought into the south of Wilts.h.i.+re the improvement by burn-beking or Dens.h.i.+ring, about 1639. He learnt it in Flanders; it is very much used in this parish, and their neighbours doe imitate them: they say 'tis good for the father, but naught for the son, by reason it does so weare out the heart of the land.

[The reader will find many observations of this nature, and on a.n.a.logous subjects, in the ma.n.u.script, which it has not been thought desirable to print. Among the rest are several pages from John Norden's "Surveyor's Dialogue", containing advice and directions respecting agriculture, of which Aubrey says, "though they are not of Wilts.h.i.+re, they will do no hurt here; and, if my countrymen know it not, I wish they might learn". - J. B.]

The wheate and bread of this county, especially South Wilts, is but indifferent; that of the Vale of White Horse is excellent. King Charles II. when he lay at Salisbury, in his progresse, complained that he found there neither good bread nor good beer. But for the latter, 'twas the fault of the brewer not to boil it well; for the water and the mault there are as good as any in England.

The improvement by cinque-foile, which now spreads much in the stone- brash lands, was first used at North Wraxhall by Nicholas Hall, who came from Dundery in Somersets.h.i.+re, about the yeare 1650.

George Johnson, Esq. counsellour-at-law, did improve some of his estate at Bowdon-parke, by marling, from 6d. an acre to 25sh. He did lay three hundred loades of blew marle upon an acre.

Sir William Ba.s.set, of Claverdoun, hath made the best vinyard that I have heard of in England. He sayes that the Navarre grape is the best for our climate, and that the eastern sunn does most comfort the vine, by putting off the cold. Mr. Jo. Ash, of Teffont Ewyas, has a pretty vineyard of about six acres, made anno 1665. Sir Walter Erneley, Baronet, told me, a little before he died, that he was making one at Stert, I thinke, neer the Devizes.

The improvement of watering meadows began at Wyley, about 1635, about which time, I remember, we began to use them at Chalke. Watering of meadows about Marleburgh and so to Hungerford was, I remember, about 1646, and Mr. John Bayly, of Bishop's Down, near Salisbury, about the same time made his great improvements by watering there by St.

Thomas's Bridge. This is as old as the Romans; e.g. Virgil, "Claudite jam rivos, pueri, sat prata biberunt". Mr. Jo. Evelyn told me that out of Varro, Cato, and Columella are to be extracted all good rules of husbandry; and he wishes that a good collection or extraction were made out of them.