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•t. &lban'0 Catjjebral

AND

•ocf/aT; -

LIBRARY *

ST. ALBAN'S CATHEDRAL

AND

ABBEY CHURCH

&lban'0 Catjjetiral

AND

A GUIDE

WILLIAM PAGE, F.S.A.

TOGETHER WITH

SOME EXTRACTS FROM THE HISTORY
OF THE ABBEY

THE LATE REV. H. J. B. NICHOLSON, D.D., F.S.A.

HONORARY CANON OF ROCHESTER

ARMS OF THE ABBEY

LONDON
GEORGE BELL AND SONS

BAMFORTH

t RICHARDSON

1898

CHISWICK PRESS :— CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO.
TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION BY THE VEN. ARCHDEACON LAWRANCE . . . vii

PREFACE ix

EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH i

INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH 4

Aisle, North, 4.

South, 9.

Altar Stone, 32.
Ante Chapel, 37.

Brasses, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 37.
Bridal Garland, the, 35.

Chantries, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, 31, 32.

Abbat Ramryge, 15, 36.

— — Abbat Wheathampstede, az.
Chapter House, 2.

Choir, n.

— Aisles of, 10, 13.
Clock Tower, 3.
Cloister, 2.

Doors, 7, n, 36.
Dormitories, 2.

Font, 6.

Frater or Refectory, a.

Gateway, the, 3.

Glass, ancient window, 6.

Grammar School, 38.

High Altar Screen, 1 8.

Iron Grate, 32.
Ironwork, ancient, 2.

Lady Chapel, 30, 38.
Livery Cupboards, 29.

vi Contents,

INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH — continued.
Nave, 4, 7.

Paintings on ceiling, 12, 14, 15, 30, 31.

mural, 5, 8, 9, 12, 14, 28, 30, 32, 35, 36.

oil, of Last Supper, 36.

Poor box, ancient, 31.
Presbytery, 15.

North aisle of, 36.

South aisle of, 30.

Retro-choir, 37.
Rood beam, 14.
— — screen, 6.

St. Andrew's Chapel, z.
Saints' Chapel, 32.

North aisle of, 36.

— — South aisle of, 31.
Saxon Balluster shafts, 30.

Seal, ancient bone, found, 34, 35.
Shrine of St. Alban, 33.

of St. Amphibalus, 37.

Slype, 29.

Stone Coffins, 11, 30.

Tombs, 10, 28.
Tower, 2, 14.
Transept, North, 28.
— South, 29.

Wallingford screen, 18.
Watching Loft, 35.
Waxhouse Gate, 2.

TABLE OF COMPARATIVE CHRONOLOGY 40

OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN THE VIEW FROM THE TOWER . . 4*
EXTRACTS FROM THE HISTORY OF THE ABBEY BY THE LATE

REV. DR. NICHOLSON . ,. . « 45

LIST OF ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS 90

INTRODUCTION.

|T is several years since a New Edition of the Guide
to the Abbey Church compiled by the late Dr.
Nicholson has been issued. In the meantime very
extensive alterations have taken place in the build-
ing, and much of the Guide has consequently be-
come obsolete. Under these circumstances it has been thought
desirable to re-write those portions of the work which comprised
the guide to the architectural features of the Abbey, and this task
I have entrusted to Mr. William Page, F.S.A. Mr. Page has now
with great care accomplished this ; the historical extracts compiled
by Dr. Nicholson being, with few unimportant corrections, just
as Dr. Nicholson left them.

It must not be forgotten that there still remains in the Abbey
Church ?.n immense store of historical, archaeological and architec-
tural information, which is of the utmost value to the student,
and of great interest to the intelligent visitor, whom this Guide is
specially designed to assist. The thorough structural repair which
the building has undergone (chiefly, as is well known, at the cost
of Lord Grimthorpe), will, it is to be hoped, preserve the Abbey
Church, now the ecclesiastical centre of the Diocese of St. Albans,

for centuries to come.

WALTER J. LAWRANCE,

Rector of St. Albat/s Cathedral and Abbey Church
and Archdeacon of St. Albans.

Sett, 1898.

PREFACE.

j]N re-writing the portion of Dr. Nicholson's work
which formed the Guide to the Abbey Church, I
have attempted to include all the information to be
found in that valuable compilation which is applic-
able to the church as it now is, at the same time I
have added such additional material as I have been able to collect
from personal observation and other sources. Had it not been
necessary on account of the many alterations which have been
made in the church, I should have felt considerable hesitation in
re-writing a work emanating from such capable hands as those of
the late Dr. Nicholson, and which had received revision from so
eminent an authority as Sir John Evans, but as the former Guide
had become largely out of date, at the suggestion of the Venerable
Archdeacon Lawrance, I undertook the present compilation as a
recreation and labour of love, and hope that it may prove useful to
visitors and students of the Abbey Church.

To the many who have assisted me, I must tender my sincere
thanks, especially to Archdeacon Lawrance, for his kindly criticisms
of the proof sheets ; to Lord Aldenham for his permission to make
use of the valuable information published in his Guide to the High
Altar Screen j to Lord Grimthorpe for his leave to reproduce the
ground plan from his Guide to the Cathedral, which he desires
me to state was made for him before the restoration of the Presby-
tery and Lady Chapel was completed j to Mr. Everard Green,
V.P.S.A., Rouge Dragon, for information regarding the heraldry;
to Mr. W. H. St. John Hope, M.A., for many suggestions and much

x Preface.

assistance; to Mr. James Neale, F.S.A., of whose monumental
work on the architecture of the Abbey I have made great use j to
Mr. Mill Stephenson, B.A., F.S.A., for information about the
monumental brasses ; to Miss Monica Gray for the sketches which
she has kindly made ; to the proprietors of the " Middlesex and
Hertfordshire Notes and Queries" for the use of the plate of one
of the mural paintings in the nave drawn by Mr. T. G. Waller,
F.S.A. ; and to Mr. Waller himself for various notes regarding
the mural paintings and the painted ceiling in the choir j to Mr.
E. M. Beloe, junior, for permission to reproduce a lithograph of
the De la Mare brass ; to the officials of the Abbey, especially to
Miss Davis, whose knowledge of the details of the church is un-
surpassed, and also to Mr. Newell, the verger, both of whom have
been most obliging in affording me all the assistance and informa-
tion in their power.

W. P.

THE WHITE HOUSE,
ST. ALBANS.

Sept. 1898.

THE CATHEDRAL AND ABBEY
CHURCH OF SAINT ALBAN.

EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH.

iHE best view of the whole of the exterior of the
Cathedral can be obtained from the hill rising from
the south side of the river Ver. Here its extreme
length (550 ft.) is very conspicuous, St. Alban's
being, with the exception of Winchester (which is
externally 6 ft. longer), the longest church in
England, the length of the Nave alone being 284 ft. 6 in. The
very considerable restoration which the church has undergone, has
necessarily taken away much of its venerable aspect, and from the
distant view has left us, with the exception of the massive Norman
Tower, little of its former picturesqueness.

There are many ways of approaching the church, but it will
perhaps be most convenient to commence our description of the
exterior by starting at the N.W. corner, and walking eastward.
At the W. End of the N. wall will be seen the foundations of the
Early English N.W. tower which was commenced by Abbat John
de Cella in 1197, but abandoned by his successor. These founda-
tions were afterwards utilized as a sort of porch in the parish
church of St. Andrew, in which the parishioners of the Abbey, or
St. Andrew's parish, as it was called prior to 1553, held their
services, the laity, before the Dissolution, having no rights in the
Abbey Church. The chapel or church of St. Andrew was twice
rebuilt, on the latter occasion in about 1454. It was of consider-
able size, consisting of a Nave, opening by an arcade of four bays
into the N. Aisle of the Abbey Church, a N. Aisle, a Chancel, and
a Chapel at the N.E. corner. A small portion of the N. Aisle
wall may be seen at the side of the footpath, and is 61 ft. 6 in.
from the wall of the Abbey. The church extended from the line

of the W. Front to the sixth buttress from the W. End, where the
remains of the E.wall of the chancel may be seen. The Norman
door, now built up, which led into the chancel of the chapel from
the Abbey Church, will be noticed between the fourth and fifth
buttresses. The wall here, from the fourth buttress to the W.
End, was built by Lord Grimthorpe, and replaced a blank wall,
without windows, which was erected about 1553, when the chapel
and the arcade between it and the Abbey church were destroyed.

A little further E., between the seventh and eighth buttresses,
will be seen another Norman doorway, now built up, which
formerly led out to the churchyard. The existing door into the
present vestry, two bays E., is entirely new. The upper part of
the N. front of the N. Transept was rebuilt by Lord Grimthorpe,
largely of imitation Roman bricks, and the turrets at the corners
replaced circular Norman turrets of brick. Notice should be
taken of the beautiful Norman hinge on the Norman door in the
N. front of this Transept. It was by this door that the pilgrims
and others, visiting the church, entered, approaching the Abbey
by a gateway, called Waxhouse Gate, at the top of the little road,
now erroneously called the Cloisters, at which gate candles, to be
burnt at the shrines and images in the church, were sold. On
the N. side of the N. Transept will be seen the remains of the
walls of the Sacristy, between which and the church was a slype, as
at the S. side of the S. Transept. Preparations for flying buttresses
to withstand the thrust of an intended stone vaulted ceiling may
be seen in the E. part of the church. Passing round the church it
will be found that the three middle modern lancet windows in the
S. front of the S. Transept are higher outside than they are within.
In the angle of the W. wall of this Transept and the Nave can be
seen, over the door there, a doorway, now built up, which led to
a chamber inside the church, supposed to have been used as a
watching chamber. Along the wall of the Nave will be seen the
remains of the Cloister (said by Dr. Nicholson to be 150 ft. square),
the Decorated carvings of which must have been very beautiful
when complete. The Cloister was glazed, and Abbat Wheathamp-
stede re-glazed it with painted glass illustrating the history of the Old
and New Testaments. Here the monks read and studied, and in
one of the eastern bays are the remains of some supports, possibly
for a shelf, upon which the books used by the monks were placed.
Abbat Wheathampstede, we are told, provided additional books for
the use of the monks in the Cloister. The conventual buildings
lay to the S., clustering round the Cloister, the Chapter-house
and Dormitories on the E., the Frater or Refectory on the S.,
and the Kitchens and Cellarers' quarters on the W. A good view
of the massive Norman Tower, built of Roman bricks by Abbat
Paul de Caen (1077-93), can ^ere be obtained; it is one of the

grandest towers of its kind in this country, and forms the most
attractive feature in the exterior of the church. Some very beautiful
effects of colouring can be obtained upon it at sunset, especially in
the late summer and autumn evenings. There was added to it in
the thirteenth century a lantern, possibly like the central lantern
at Ely, and down to about the middle of the fourteenth century
the curfew was rung from it, but when the Clock-tower in the
High Street of the town was built early in the fifteenth century,
the curfew was rung there, where it continued to be rung till the
early part of the nineteenth century. There is now a ring of
eight bells in the Abbey Tower, four of which were cast by Philip
Wightman of London in 1699, anc^ tne remainder are of a later
date.

The roof of the nave was built of its present high pitch by the
Restoration Committee, and took the place of a flat roof erected
by Abbat Wheathampstede in the fifteenth century. The altera-
tion of the pitch of the roof evoked a heated controversy at the
time. The W. Front, which was entirely rebuilt by Lord Grim-
thorpe in 1879, replaced one composed of work of many dates,
from the twelfth to the fifteenth century, the porches and lower
parts were of Early English work, while above the central porch
was a large Perpendicular west window by Abbat Wheathampstede.
If the original design for the Early English W. front l by Abbat
John de Cella, with its two flanking towers forty feet square,
had been carried out, it would probably have been surpassed in
grandeur by no other church, but like many another genius, as this
Abbat must have been, he was devoid of business capacity and
compelled to leave his work to be curtailed and completed by his
successor, Abbat William de Trumpington. To the W. is the
Great Gateway of the monastery, built by Abbat De la Mare
(1349-96). It was formerly used for the prison of the liberty of
St. Alban's, but since the Grammar School was moved from the
Lady Chapel it has been, with the buildings adjoining, converted
into the school house.

1 The position of the Norman W. front is not definitely known. The compiler
is inclined to place it three bays further E. than the existing front. The arches
crossing the aisles were probably erected to stiffen the nave arcades when the
late twelfth century alterations at the W. end were being carried out. As the
Early English arcade was carried a bay further E. on the S. side, the arch
crossing the S. aisle is in like manner a bay further E. than that in the N. aisle.
See a paper by the compiler in "Archaeologia," vol. Ivi.

INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH.

[HE principal entrance to the Abbey Church is at
the W. End, and the visitor is recommended to ex-
amine the various parts of the building in the order
here indicated. Upon entering by the middle porch,
it may be noticed that in the spandrels are four
stone medallions containing the symbols of the four
evangelists, that on the N. side representing St. Matthew is a like-
ness of Lord Grimthorpe, who has spent large sums upon the repair
of the church. The length of the nave gives an imposing effect,
especially in the summer when the curtain over the Rood Screen
is drawn aside, and the variations in the styles of architecture make
the church particularly valuable for the architectural student.
Previous to the dissolution of the monastery the nave was used
principally for processions, and at the installation of the abbats, we
learn, they were met by the prior and convent at the W. door and
conducted in procession to the Choir. The laity were admitted
to this part of the church and at one time the services of a guild
were held here. Turning to the N. it will be seen that very
nearly the whole of the interior of the W. front is new, except the
responds of the nave arches and a few of the old bases, capitals, etc.,
in the wall arcading. At the N. end is a holy water stoup,
almost entirely renewed, which came from the N. side of the N.
porch.

NORTH AISLE OF NAVE. — At the W. end of the N. wall are
slight remains of the bases of the jambs of the Early English
western tower arch. The four Early English arches on the S.
side of this aisle formed a part of the scheme of Abbat John de
Cella (1195-1214), for beautifying and possibly extending the
western part of the church (p. 3, n.). His scheme, however, was
not fully carried out, and the work is almost wholly that of his
successor, Abbat Wm. de Trumpington (1214-35). The base of
the easternmost Early English pier shows the more elaborate
mouldings of Abbat de Cella's work, and the two shafts on the
N. W. side of the arch crossing the aisle, indicate his intention to
have vaulted the aisle up to the Norman bays, which commence
at the fourth pier. The Norman arcading is the work of Abbat
Paul de Caen (1077-93), and is built of Roman bricks, plastered
over. In the N. wall here will be seen a Norman doorway (now
bricked up and used as a cupboard) which formerly led into the
chancel of St. Andrew's chapel (p. i). The window over this

door was given by Mr. H. J. Toulmin, J.P. of Pre, near St.
Albans, in memory of his father. The first four windows in this
aisle are entirely new (p. 2), the remainder have new tracery,
but the internal work of Abbat Trumpington, who altered them
from Norman to Early English, has been left.

It would be well to examine from this aisle the ancient dis-
temper paintings of the Crucifixion on the W. faces of the
Norman nave piers, which were brought to light by Dr. Nichol-
son in 1862. They are, with some other mural decoration in
this church, the only examples extant of the once famous school
of painting at St. Alban's Monastery. The painting 1 on the W.
face of the fourth pier from the W. is the oldest, and probably
dates back to the early part of the thirteenth or late twelfth
century. Christ is represented crowned, and upon a cross raguly
or tree cross, with the Blessed Virgin on one side and St. John
on the other, holding a book. Beneath are the Virgin and Child,
the former crowned and seated upon a throne, with a sceptre
in her right hand, while above, on each side, issuing from clouds,
is an angel censing. In the middle of the painting of the Virgin
and Child is a bracket, upon which stood the image of St. Richard,
Bishop of Chichester (1245-53). On the fifth pier from W. is
a similar painting of the Crucifixion, probably belonging to the
early part of the thirteenth century. The cross raguly is re-
peated and the Blessed Virgin with clasped hands is on the S.
side, while St. John is on the N. The background is a simple
form of diaper. Below are the Virgin and Child beneath a
cinque-foliated arch or canopy. On the W. face of the sixth pier
is a painting of the fourteenth century, executed in simple outlines.
An ordinary form of cross is adopted in the place of the cross
raguly, the Virgin is on the S. side with her hands clasped and
St. John on the N. resting his head upon his hand. Beneath,
within a pointed arch which is divided into two compartments, is
a representation of the Annunciation, the angel being on the N.
side, and the Virgin on the S. On the seventh pier is another
painting of the Crucifixion, which is of very rude execution of the
thirteenth or fourteenth century, with, as Mr. C. E. Keyser
thinks, traces of repainting. The only figure is that of Christ,
the arms of the Cross being curiously cut off at an acute angle.
Below we have the Annunciation, each figure standing beneath
a pointed arch. On the eighth pier is a good example of a
painting of the fourteenth century, the background of which is
red. In the middle is the figure of Christ, much draped, and on

1 These descriptions are principally taken from the account given by Mr.
J. G. Waller, F.S.A. in the former editions of Dr. Nicholson's Guide, and
Mr. C. E. Keyser's paper read before the St. Albans Architectural Society.

Cfje a&fcep of

either side of the Cross are figures of the Virgin and St, John.1
Underneath is a representation of the coronation of the Virgin, in
which Christ is portrayed with a nimbus, seated upon a throne,
and two fingers of His right hand extended in benediction, while
in His left is the Book of the Gospels, which rests upon His knee.
The Blessed Virgin wears a ducal crown and appears to be kneel-
ing upon one knee. Above, on each side, are angels censing, the
thuribles hanging down have been mistaken for gloves. On the
ninth pier are the very slight remains of a large figure of Christ in
His Glory, such as is seen in a chapel in Winchester Cathedral.
It is too much effaced to be described, but there are indications
of a scroll in which doubtless was written, Salus populi Ego sum.

The eighth, ninth, and tenth windows contain the remains of
some fifteenth century painted glass, for which the church was at
one time renowned. In the upper part of the eighth window is
an angel holding a shield, bearing the arms of St. Alban, with, on
either side, the Agnus Dei and the Eagle, emblems of the two St.
Johns, which were adopted by Abbat John de Wheathampstede.
In the ninth window we again have an angel holding a shield, or,
two bars gules (possibly the arms of Abbat de la Moote or Abbat
Heyworth) and also the eagle of St. John. In the tenth window
there is again the Agnus Del^ and below are four shields bearing the
arms of Edward III. and his three sons, Edward the Black Prince,
Lionel, Duke of Clarence, and John of Gaunt. In this window
there will also be noticed a number of fifteenth century quarries.

The font, which is now at the east end of the north aisle, re-
placed one of marble in 1853, which latter has been given to the
chapel of St. Andrew at the Workhouse. There was formerly a
brass font in the church, supposed to have been brought with the
lectern at St. Stephen's as spoil from Dunkeld, by Sir Richard Lee,
but it was taken away during the Civil Wars.

THE ROOD SCREEN, commonly but erroneously called ST.
CUTHBERT'S SCREEN, was built by Abbat De la Mare about
1350, and is said to have replaced a Norman Screen. This
beautiful piece of work, which is of clunch, has been much
mutilated and considerably restored j the canopies, with the excep-
tion of the northernmost and that over the principal piscina, have
been left as they were, but the two piscinae and the foliage over
the altar are entirely new, as is also the extension of the screen
northwards where it crosses the N. aisle,8 now forming the W.

1 This is probably the painting executed for Thomas Houghton, sacrist of
the Abbey, circa 1400 (Harl. MSS. 3775).

8 Dr. Nicholson and Mr. Ridgway Lloyd were of opinion that the screen at
one time extended right across the church j but Lord Grimthorpe asserts that
no indication of this could be found when his alterations were being carried
out.

wall of the vestry. The fine old oak doors, through which the
processions passed, are good examples of Decorated work.

There were three altars against this Screen, that on the N. being
dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury, and St. Oswyn, King of
Northumbria ; that in the middle to all Apostles, Confessors, and
St. Benedict, and that on the S. to the Blessed Virgin Mary.1
These altars were moved from before the W. faces of the three
E. piers of the S. aisle of the Nave. Above, a little to the east,
was the Rood Beam, some remains of which are in the triforium
arch over the screen. The carved oak Jacobean chairs and settle,
within the altar rails, are worthy of notice ; the former were given
by Dr. Nicholson, and the latter by Mr. Chappie, the able and
careful clerk of the works during the earlier part of the time during
which the church was being restored, who brought it from Derby-
shire. The whole bay eastward of this screen is, up to the roof,
almost in its original condition. In the triforium on the north
side there has been pierced a cross pommee enlarged on the outside,
the purpose of which is unknown.

THE NAVE. — Turning westward a good view of the architecture
will be obtained. The five Decorated bays on the S. side,
commenced by Abbat Hugh de Eversden in 1323, when the
Norman arcading, previously there, fell down, and completed by
Abbat Mentmore (1335-49), are considered some of the best
proportioned and most beautiful of their kind existing. Four
heads will be here observed, upon which the hood mouldings of the
five ground story arches rest. The easternmost is the head of a
bishop or abbat (probably Abbat Hugh de Eversden), next is that
of a queen (Isabella of France), thirdly, a king (Edward II.), and
the last is possibly Master Geoffrey, master mason and surveyor of
the works of Abbat Hugh. In the spandrels are six shields, the
easternmost for England, the next for Edward the Confessor, the
third for England, the fourth for Mercia, the fifth for France
ancient, and the sixth for England. Over this the triforium
arches and details are in wonderful accord with the beautiful Early
English work to the W. It will be noticed that all the hood
mouldings in these bays rest upon well-executed carvings of heads,
some of which, in the triforium and clerestory, are grotesque.
The clerestory windows have been rebuilt by Lord Grimthorpe
without regard to the work they replaced. The six bays on the
N. side, which are severely plain, are, together with the other work

1 Mr. Lloyd in his work on the altars, etc., in St. Alban's Abbey, places a
fourth altar here, dedicated to the Holy Cross, but I do not think the passage
upon which he bases his authority warrants this, and elsewhere it is said there
were three altars under the Holy Rood and sets them out as above. There
may have been an altar dedicated to the Holy Rood on top of the screen as at
York.

8 €be af)&ep of

of Abbat Paul de Caen (1077-93) ln *his church, most valuable
examples of early pure Norman work. Two of the piers it will be
seen have been cut, possibly, as Mr. Neale suggests, to resemble
the Decorated piers on the opposite side, although some of the
painting upon them would appear to be of an earlier date than the
Decorated piers. A small opening here is a window to a staircase
from the clerestory to the triforium. The ornamental paintings
of the soffits of the Norman arches here and elsewhere will repay
examination, as they form one of the most interesting series of
Norman mural decoration in this country. To the Norman
triforium, Perpendicular windows were added by Abbat Wheat-
hampstede in the fifteenth century, when the aisle roof was flat,
and in consequence of this roof being again heightened, the windows
have become enclosed.

The paintings on the S. faces of the Norman piers on the N.
side should now be examined. First, some slight remains of paint-
ing will be noticed on the S.W. side of the second pier from the
screen, which are, however, too imperfect to allow of the subject
being made out. The picture on the third pier from the screen
shows on the W. side a man, possibly a pilgrim, dressed in a
reddish gown with a satchel hanging at his right side, and a staff
in his left hand ; indistinct outlines of two other figures may also
be seen. Mr. C. E. Keyser suggested that the subject of this
painting is the legend of St. Edward the Confessor relieving a
pilgrim in disguise, who turns out to be St. John, but Mr. R.
Lloyd considered it to be St. John giving the ring to the pilgrim.
Below the picture is the Norman-French inscription, jP[r*Vz]
$u\r lalmes de~\ Willelme [jadis?~\ bal e Johanne $a femme e \pur\
lalme Will. . . . "Pray for the souls of William, [formerly?]
bailiff, and Joan his wife, and for the soul of William. . . ." This
inscription appears to have no relation to the picture above it.
On the fourth pier is a female figure in a bluish grey dress, short
waisted, with sleeves rather loose at the elbows and tight at the
wrists. Both arms are extended and the left hand holds a rosary.
The letters S. CA. can be deciphered on either side of the head,
and the figure is supposed to be St. Citha or Osyth, whose altar
was in the N. Transept, and who is generally represented with a
key and almost always with a rosary. These paintings are, it is
suggested 'by Mr. J. G. Waller, probably of about the first half of
the fourteenth century.

On the S. side of the fifth pier from the screen, is a fourteenth
century picture of St. Thomas a Becker.,1 Archbishop of Canter-
bury, who was collated to his first living, Brantfield in Hertford-

1 This was possibly painted by Robert de Trunch, a monk of the Abbey,
who was keeper of the shrine in 1380. Cott. MSS., Nero, D. 7.

;

MURAL PAINTING— ST. ALBAN'S ABBEY.

shire, by the Abbat of St. Albans, and was the intimate friend of
Abbat Simon of this Abbey. St. Thomas is represented wearing
an alb, dalmatic, chasuble, maniple, gloves, and shoes ; in his left
hand is a crosier, while his right is in the attitude of blessing.
The words S.M. [Thojmas for, Sanctus Martyr Thomas^ have
been deciphered on either side of the head. On the S. side of
the sixth pier is another painting of the fourteenth century, being
the figure of St. Christopher walking through the water and carrying
our Lord, represented as an infant, on his shoulder. There was a
legend that whosoever beheld the image of St. Christopher would
meet with no harm for the rest of the day.

Walking westward, it will be noticed that the Early English work
extends one bay farther east on the S. side than it does on the N.
(p. 3, n.). On the W. face of the pier, on the S. side, which forms the
junction of the Decorated and Early English work, will be seen the
remains of a fifteenth century painting, representing the Adoration
of the Magi, of which the figures of the Virgin and Child can only
now be made out. Below the painting was the altar of St. Mary
at the Pillar, the space between this pier and the next westward
being enclosed by an iron railing and gate so as to form a chapel
for the use of the brothers and sisters of the fraternity or guild of
St. Alban. The members of this guild, which was founded in the
reign of Edward III., were to follow the shrine of St. Alban when
it went out of the monastery. The guild was dissolved at the
time of the insurrection of Wat Tyler. On the last pier but one
on the N. side is an epitaph to the celebrated traveller, Sir John
Mandeville, a native of the town, who died in 1372. The beautiful
and delicate ornamentation of the Early English triforium should
be examined, and the intention to vault the nave may here be seen
by the insertion of some of the marble vaulting shafts and the
abacus of the triforium level being cut away to allow the shafts to
pass. The present ceiling, which is composed of plain oak panels,
replaced a painted one of the fifteenth century, only the wall pieces
of which, with the shields on the figure heads, now remain.

The inscription along the gallery at the WEST END, copied
from an older one, records the fact that the courts of law were
held in the church during the reigns of Henry VIII. and Eliza-
beth, on account of the plague in London. This occurred in
1543-4, 1589, and 1593. Turning southwards there will be
noticed at the W. end of the SOUTH AISLE the beautiful Early
English arch which was intended to lead into the S.W. tower de-
signed and commenced by Abbat John de Cella (1195-1214), but
never completed by him, and abandoned by his successor. The
height of Abbat de Cella's work can be seen by the position of the
places to receive the detached Purbeck marble columns in this
arch. If completed, this arch would have been a very fine work,

io C&e a&bep of

and would have evinced the artistic superiority of his design
over that of his successor the more practical Abbat Trumpington.
We here see the intended level of the Early English portion of
the church. The three large windows next to the Tower arch,
were inserted by Lord Grimthorpe, the wall at these three bays
having been formerly blank on account of the forensic parlour (or
place where the monks could see their lay friends) with the Abbat's
Chapel over it, having adjoined the church on the S. side of this
wall. The fourth window was the N. window of the Abbat's
Chapel which was approached from the church by a passage and a
flight of stairs in the thickness of the wall, starting from a door,
leading into the Cloister, between the third and fourth piers from
the Rood Screen. This passage has been converted into a muni-
ment closet, and now has an iron door at its entrance. There was
formerly a door in the S. wall at the second bay from the W. end
through which the processions probably passed. Nearer to the
screen. the windows, it will be noticed, do not come down to the
lower sill, which is on account of the Cloister being on the outside
of this wall. Two of these windows have modern stained glass,
one erected in memory of the father of Archdeacon Lawrance,
and the other in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Alchorne. The whole
of the tracery of the windows in this aisle has been renewed, and
the stone vaulting of the western part was rebuilt during the
restoration of 1878, but the plastered vaulting eastward is of the
same date as the Decorated bays.

On arriving at the E. end of the S. aisle the visitor has to pass
through the glass door in the oak screen to go to the E. part of the
church. A charge of 6d. is made for each visitor, not an inhabitant
of the town, the money derived from which charge, after the pay-
ment of attendants, goes towards the General Restoration Fund.
The middle portion of the part of the church on which we enter
is usually called the Choir or Ante Choir but was for a short time
known as the Baptistery on account of the font having been there.

SOUTH AISLE OF CHOIR. — It will be noticed that we here return
to the Norman work of Abbat Paul de Caen (1077-93), except the
vaulting, which is the work of Lord Grimthorpe. On the S. wall is a
mural tablet to John Thrale, late of London, who died on 1 5th May,
1704, and was of the same family as the husband of Dr. Johnson's
friend, Mrs. Thrale. Beyond this is the Early English recessed
tomb of the hermits Roger and Sigar, the former of whom lived at
a hermitage near Dunstable, in the vicinity of which he subsequently
constructed a cell for a lady of good family from Huntingdonshire,
named Christina, who joined with him in his devotional exercises.
Roger afterwards became a monk of St. Albans and Christina was
made the first prioress (1145) of the Benedictine cell of the Holy
Trinity of Markyate, between St. Albans and Dunstable. Sigar

§aint aiban. 1 1

was an austere hermit, who dwelt in the wood of Northaw, where
he was so distracted by the songs of nightingales that by means of
his prayers, we are told, these feathered songsters were never after
heard in that neighbourhood. This tomb appears to have obtained
a considerable reputation on account of the sanctity of the hermits
buried within it and was visited by kings and nobles, many valuable
offerings being made at it. Mr. Neale suggests that it was con-
structed by Abbat Trumpington (1214-35) and intended for his own
place of burial. Over the tomb is written, Vir Domini verusjacet hie
heremita Rogerus^ et sub eo ciarus meritus heremita Sigarus. In the
recess is preserved a stone coffin. Eastward of this tomb is a
beautiful doorway of the Decorated period, which formerly led into
the Cloister, it was built by Abbat de la Mare, about 1360, and is
called the Abbat's Door. The oak door, which has some elaborate
carving, is of a little later date. In the spandrels will be seen on
one side the arms of England and France ancient, quarterly, and on
the other the arms of the Abbey.

It was probably under the second arch on the N. side that
Abbat Simon (1167-83) built the painted aumbry in which were
preserved the beautiful MSS. volumes of which this monastery had
so rich and famous a store.

CHOIR. — This, with the space under the Tower and the Presbytery
or Sanctuary eastward, up to the High Altar screen, formed the
working church of the monks in which their principal services were
performed. It was from here that the Sunday and other processions
of the monks, which formed so important a consideration in the
design of all monastic churches, started. The Sunday processions
generally first visited the altars in the N. Transept, then went up
the N. Aisle of the Presbytery into the Saints' Chapel to visit the
shrine and altars there, thence back to the N. Aisle into the Ante
Chapel, visiting the shrine of St. Amphibalus and all the altars
in the E. part of the church, then down the S. aisle of the Saints'
Chapel and Presbytery into the S. Transept, visiting the altars
there ; then through the Abbat's Door, round the S. side of the
Cloister, then probably through the forensic parlour and back into
the church by a door, now built up, in the second bay on the S.
side, then up the Nave, making the station there and forming into
two lines to pass through the two doors in the Rood Screen, and
so back into the Choir.

The ancient stalls for the monks were arranged on the N. and
S. sides up to the eastern tower arch, the Abbat's seat being at
the E. end of the S. side. The stalls must have been of consider-
able height, as may be seen from the places cut in the wall to receive
them. The present western return stalls were designed by Mr.
J. O. Scott, those on the S. side were erected as a memorial of
Archdeacon Mildmay ; the archway was given by Bishop Claughton,

12 c&e atjfcep of

in memory of his son-in-law, Captain the Hon. Ronald G. E.
Campbell, son of the second Earl of Cavvdor, who was killed in
action in South Africa in 1879 5 anc^ tne sta^s on tne N. side in
memory of Archdeacon Ady and others. From the loft above,
called the pulpitum^ were read the Epistle and Gospel on festivals,
the reader facing east. Around the walls are painted passages from
the Bible, and on the W. face of the second pier from the E. on
the N. side are the remains of a painting of the Trinity. God
the Father is seated holding up His right hand in the act of bene-
diction, and supporting Christ, who is on a T cross, on His lap j
the Holy Ghost is represented by a dove in the breast of the
Father.1 There was formerly a curious verse inscribed in this part
of the church about the year 1403 : — Christe, Dei splendor^ tibi
supplies, destrue Glendor ! " O Christ, the Splendour of God, I
beseech Thee destroy [Owen] Glendower ! " The monastery had
a particular desire to see the end of the Welsh rebellion on account
of holding Pembroke Priory as a cell.

The windows in the triforium are darkened for the same reason
as are those in the Nave. Between the clerestory windows are
painted large figures, in dull red colour, of an unknown date but
probably early. They were discovered by Mr. Chappie in 1875,
three on the N. side and one on the S. Originally there must have
been four on each side, and Mr. C. E. Keyser conjectures that those
on the S. represented the four Evangelists, and those on the N.,
SS. Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory, and Jerome, the four doctors of
the Church.

The fifteenth century painted ceiling here should be especially
noticed. It was discovered during the restoration by Sir Gilbert
Scott under some rough paintings of the seventeenth century, which
latter, upon being carefully peeled off" at the instigation of Arch-
deacon Lawrance and at the expense of the General Restoration
Fund before alluded to, exposed to view the present beautiful series
of heraldic shields.2 The ceiling consists of sixty-six panels in eleven
rows, and, excepting the two middle panels, which represent the
Coronation of the Virgin, they alternately contain the Greek
monogram I ^ C with wreaths of vine leaves, and an angel holding
a shield of arms, having over his head a scroll bearing a passage from
the Te Deum or an Antiphon. The whole series represent princi-
pally the family connections of Edward III. The arms upon the
shields are as follows, beginning at the N.E. corner : — ist Row : St.

1 This was probably painted for Abbat Thomas Ramryge (1492-1521), as
he is represented in the Book of Benefactors of the Abbey with a picture of
the Trinity apparently exactly similar in treatment to this. The inscription
on his monumental slab also refers to the Trinity.

* A full account of this ceiling by Mr. J. G. Waller, F.S. A., will be found
in ** Archaeologia," vol. li., part 2, p. 427, from which this description is taken.

Edmund, King of the East Angles; St. Alban; and St. Oswyn, King
of Northumbria, represented probably on account of his connection
withTynemouth Priory, a'cell of St. Alban's. 2nd Row: St. George;
St. Edward the Confessor ; and St. Louis of France, by reason of
the English claim to the French throne; the passage over this shield,
Safoa noSj O beata Trinitas ! is evidently adopted on account of the
fleur-de-lis being typical of the Trinity. 3rd Row : the Emperor
of the Romans, possibly representing Charles IV., Emperor of
Germany, father of Anne of Bohemia, Queen of Richard II. ;
the King of Judaea, that is to say, Christ ; and the Emperor of
Constantinople, a title claimed by the Courtenay family. 4th Row :
the King of Spain, representing the alliances of John of Gaunt
with Constance, daughter of Peter the Cruel ; the King of England,
being the arms of Edward III. ; and the King of Portugal, repre-
senting the marriage of Philippa, daughter of John of Gaunt, with
John I. of Portugal. 5th Row : the King of Sweden, representing
the marriage between Philippa, daughter of Henry IV. and Eric,
King of Sweden, Norway and Denmark; the King of Cyprus ; and
King of Man. The sixth row is supposed to be of a later date than
the remaining panels and inserted to commemorate the coronation
of Margaret of Anjou, in 1444. It contains the shield of Faith;
the two panels of the coronation of the Virgin, and the shield of
Salvation, with the instruments of the Passion, yth Row: the King
of Arragon, representing Blanche, daughter of Henry IV., who
became Queen of Arragon ; the King of Jerusalem, a title claimed
by the House of Anjou ; and the King of Denmark, the same con-
nection as the King of Sweden in the fifth row. 8th Row : the Duke
of Brittany, representing Mary, fourth daughter of Edward III.,
and wife of John de Montfort, Duke of Brittany ; the King of
Bohemia, a title claimed by the House of Anjou ; and Thomas^
Duke of Gloucester, son of Edward III. Qth Row: the King of
Sicily and the King of Hungary, both these titles were claimed by
the House of Anjou ; the King of France, being the arms of
France ancient. loth Row : John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster ;
Edward the Black Prince ; Edmund of Langley, Duke of York ;
three sons of Edward III. nth Row: the King of Norway,
representing the same connection as the King of Sweden in the
fifth row ; the King of Navarre, representing Joan, Queen of
Henry IV., daughter of Charles II., King of Navarre ; and the
King of Scotland, representing Joan, sister of Edward III., who
married David, King of Scotland.

THE NORTH AISLE OF THE CHOIR is now converted into the
vestry, and here is the nucleus of a cathedral library, at present
consisting of a few archaeological works on the church and several
valuable theological books bequeathed by Bishop Claughton. The
wooden screen and door at the E. end of the vestry, are made of

C&e

a portion of the old panelling formerly around the Presbytery
walls.

THE TOWER. — In 1870 the two massive E. piers of the tower,
the work of Paul de Caen (107 7-93), were found to be giving way,
especially the pier on the N. side, causing a settlement in that
direction. An examination of the foundations of the S.E. pier
disclosed a hole extending for a considerable distance under it,
possibly with the deliberate intention of undermining it, and cer-
tainly with the result of seriously weakening the stability of the
superstructure. After a period of great anxiety, by the skill and
enthusiasm of Mr. John Chappie, clerk of the works, the down-

ROOD BEAM.

ward progress was arrested, and the whole structure made good and
secure. About half-way up the N. face of the S. E. pier projects
a small piece of the end of the rood beam which formerly crossed
the E. arch. Another portion of the beam, showing the carving
and colouring, is now preserved in the Saints' Chapel. Like the
transepts, the balluster shafts in the triforium possibly came from the
earlier Saxon church. A little below the ceiling will be seen the
arms of Edward I., Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, his brother, Eleanor
of Castile, his wife, and Richard, Earl of Cornwall, his uncle. The
painting of the ceiling is probably of the sixteenth century, and
shows the arms of England, St. George, St. Alban, and Edward the
Confessor, with the roses of York and Lancaster used conspicuously
in the decoration. The pulpit near the N.E. pier was designed by

Mr. J. O. Scott, and was presented to the church by the freemasons
of England, who claim St. Alban as their patron. The Bishop's
throne, of somewhat poor design, came from Rochester.

THE PRESBYTERY was commenced in the latter part of the
abbacy of John de Hertford (circa 1257) but was not completed till
some time after his death. The gradual transition from the Early
English to the Decorated style may be distinctly seen as the work
proceeds upwards ; the clerestory windows, however, are by Lord
Grimthorpe, who has not followed the lines of the old work. There
was evidently an intention to vault this part of the church with
stone, but probably for the sake of economy wood was adopted, which
was painted. The present painting is of the time of Abbat
Wheathampstede (fifteenth century) and consists of the Holy
Lamb, the emblem of St. John the Baptist, and the Eagle of
St. John the Evangelist, the cognizances of the same abbat. The
shields of arms arranged at the springing of the wooden vaulting
are those of the contributors to the repairs of the roof in 1681-3.
Over the crown of the tower arch on the E. side will be seen three
shields displaying the arms of the three saints whose shrines this
abbey possessed, viz., the arms of St. Alban in the middle, supported
by the Agnus Del and eagle, the cognizances of Abbat Wheathamp-
stede, the arms of St. Oswyn, gules three crowns or, whose shrine
was at Tynemouth Priory, a cell of St. Alban's, on the S. side, and
the arms of St. Amphibalus,1^/^ and or, four lions rampant, counter-
changed, on the N. side. Under these is an inscription referring
to Abbat John de Wheathampstede's use of the Agnus Dei and the
eagle as his insignia. Th? plaster of the walls is painted to represent
masonry and on the S. side there is a portion of a coloured frieze
with a curious dog tooth ornament. All the arches were originally
filled up like those at the W., but the two E. arches have been
opened to receive the chantry chapels placed in them. The beauti-
ful late thirteenth century tabernacle work over the doorway on
the S. side was found in fragments and put together under Sir
Gilbert Scott's supervision. Corresponding work was erected on
the N. side, portions of the original of which have since been
found differing slightly from what has been erected.

ABBAT RAMRYGE'S CHANTRY CHAPEL at the N.E. corner of
the Presbytery, was erected about 1522, and is a fine example of
late Perpendicular work. In the latter part of the seventeenth
century some members of the family of Farrington, of Lancashire,
who were resident in St. Albans, appropriated the chapel for their

1 Hitherto these arms have puzzled all writers on the heraldry of the abbey.
I am indebted to my friend Mr. Evcrard Green, V.P.S. A., Rouge Dragon, for
calling my attention to an early sixteenth century MS. at the Heralds' College
(L. 10 fol. 65), where these arms are stated to be those of St. Amphibalus.

ANCIENT DOORWAY AND STRUCTURE ON S. SIDE
OF PRESBYTERY.

family vault, and the shields painted inside the chapel bear the arms
of Farrington and Garrard. In the panels at the base on the S.
side of the chapel is a series of shields, having as supporters two rams
each with a collar inscribed with the letters RYGE, forming a rebus
upon the Abbat's name. Beginning on the W. side the arms are:
(i) those of St. Alban, azure, a saltire or, over which is a cap of
maintenance.1 Above this cap of maintenance are the arms of
Abbat Ramryge, gules on a bend or, between a lion rampant and a

•__ \

PANEL IN ABBAT RAMRYGE*S CHANTRY,
SHOWING THE ARMS OF ST. ALBAN.

ram argent, three double-beaded eagles vert, armed and legged gules?
(2) The arms of Abbat Ramryge again, over which is a mitre.

1 Mr. Everard Green holds the opinion that the Lords Spiritual claimed in
Tudor times the right to use supporters j and the red cap of maintenance
turned up ermine, encircled with a golden coronet, is as much as the Lords
Temporal then used. He witnesses the use of supporters by Cardinals Wolsey
and Pole, and by Ramryge, Abbat of St. Albans. On this abbat's tomb, and
on the E. side of the E. tower arch, the cap of maintenance turned up ermine
encircled with a golden coronet may yet be seen to ensign the shield with its
supporters.

* The blazoning of these arms is taken from Heralds' College MSS. (Vincent,
*S3> P- 23°)- The abbats of St. Alban's were fond of canting arms, Abbat
Wheathampstede's were gules a chevron between nine ears of wheat, three, three,
and three, and Abbat Catton's were gules a cat statant proper betnueen three
annulets or, upon a chief of the last, on a pale azure between tiuo cinquefoils in a
mitre or (Ibid.).

i8 C6e abfce of

(3) Three crowns for St. Oswyn. (4) A saltire for St. Alban. At
the E. end are the arms of Wymondham Priory (an eagle display ed\
a cell of St. Alban's Abbey, and at the opposite end are the arms
of Abbat Ramryge impaling those of St. Alban. At the top of
the second line of panelling will be noticed some finely carved
flowers, emblems, etc., which will well repay examination, those at
the W. end of the S. side are the emblems of the Passion j and
elsewhere will be seen a Tau cross, rams, apes, the bleeding heart,
and conventional leaves and flowers. In the spandrels of the door-
way are, on the W. side, the martyrdom of St. Alban, the Saint's
head being shown severed from his body, and the executioner's eyes,
according to the tradition, falling out, while on the E. spandrel is
represented the scourging of St. Alban. The door itself is of a later
date than the chapel and of inferior design, on it is painted Anno
Dom. MDCLXICOIII Ego dixi in dimidio dierum meorum vadam
ad portas inferi. This date probably refers to the first use of the
chapel by the Farringtons. On the cornice above is another series
of shields representing apparently the cells belonging to St. Alban's
Abbey. Beginning at the W. end we have (i) the arms of St.
Alban ; (2) a lion passant gardant In an orle of martlets for the family
of Valoynes ,x founders of Bynham Priory, Norfolk, a cell of St.
Alban's ; (3) three crowns for St. Oswyn or Tynemouth Priory, a
cell of St. Alban's ; (4) the arms of Henry VII. with the dragon and
greyhound as supporters ; (5) the arms of St. Amphibalus, as before
described j (6) an eagle displayed^ the arms of the family of Daubegny,
founders of the cell of Wymondham in Norfolk; (7) three eagles
displayed^ the arms of the family of Lymesi, founders of the cell of
Hertford. At the top of the panelling above this cornice is an
inscription in quaint letters forming part of the Sequence in the
Salisbury Missal and the Antiphon of the Psalms for Whitsuntide.
It begins at the S. E. corner of the chapel : — Sancti Spiritus assit
nobis gracla veni Sancte Spiritus reple Tuorum corda fidelium et Tui
amoris In els Ignem accende. Amen. (See also p. 36.)

The interior of the chapel is very ornate, the fan vaulting being
light and pleasing, and of the same style as Henry VII.'s Chapel,
Westminster. At the E. end are the arms of the three saints, St.
Alban, St. Oswyn, and St. Amphibalus ; while at the W. are those
of St. Alban and Abbat Ramryge, above which, at both ends, are
niches for figures. On the ground is an incised slab representing
Abbot Ramryge wearing a mitre, with the following inscription
round the margin : Benedlcta sit Sancta Trinitas atque indivisa
unitas \confitebimur ei~\ qula fecit nobiscum miserlcordlam suam. Amen.

THE HIGH ALTAR SCREEN OR WALLINGFORD'S SCREEN at

1 These arms are taken from Harl. MSS. No. 1392, fol. 161, the remainder
are from Burke's " Armory."

aifmn, 19

the E. end of the Presbytery is considered one of the finest of its
period in this country. It is built of clunch, and was completed in
1484. The whole of the statues, which were richly coloured, were,
with the exception of small portions of those of SS. Stephen and
Erasmus, totally destroyed in the sixteenth century. The restora-
tion (in the true sense of the word) of this beautiful screen has
been undertaken by Lord Aldenham, who has renewed its former
grandeur, and in doing so has entered into the spirit of the mediaeval
builder by displaying a motive in selecting the figures to fill the
niches, the motive being the history of the Christian Church in so
far as it relates to England, or as Lord Aldenham expresses it, " the
Passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and of the testimony
of the faith in that Passion given in the lives and deeds of men."
The accompanying key plan of the figures in the Screen will best
guide the visitor in the identification of the saints represented, with
their emblems, to most of whom altars existed in the church.
Of the larger figures we have : (I.) St. Edmund, King of the East
Saxons, who was slain by the Danes in 870, and buried at Bury
St. Edmunds. He holds a sceptre in his right hand, and the
arrow with which he was martyred in his left. (II.) Offa the
Second, King of Mercia, founder of the Abbey in 793, is trampling
under foot his earthly crown and carrying a model of the church.
(III.) St. Edward the Confessor holds a sceptre in his right hand,
and the ring which he gave the Abbat of Westminster in his left.
The next four figures are angels : (VIII.) St. Hugh, Bishop of
Lincoln, who died in 1200, carries a crosier and three lilies, and
his tame swan, typical of solitude, is at his feet. (IX.) Pope
Adrian IV. or Nicholas Breakspear, the only English pope (1154-
59), was born at Abbot's Langley, and his father was a monk at
St. Alban's Abbey. He wears the single crowned papal tiara, and
holds the keys of St. Peter. (X.) Venerable Bede, a monk of the
monastery of Jarrow (673-735), carries in his hand his famous
" Ecclesiastical History." (XI.) St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindis-
farne or Holy Island (685-87), has a crosier in his left hand, and
his otter is at his feet. (XII.) St. Helen, mother of the Emperor
Constantine the Great, said to have been a British princess, who,
by tradition, found the Holy Cross when on a pilgrimage to
Jerusalem in 325, holds the Cross in her arms, and in her left
hand the title I.N.R.I. This is perhaps one of the most striking
figures on the screen. (XIII.) St. Benedict, who founded in the
sixth century the monastic order to which this Abbey belonged, is
represented with the broken chalice, referring to a legend in which

1 An account of the High Altar Screen in the Cathedral Church of St.
Albans (p. 12). The following description of the figures is mostly taken, by
Lord Aldenham's kind consent, from his account of the screen.

20 Cfce a&fcep of §>aint aifmn.

a cup of poison intended for him was upset and broken, and the
raven carrying off the poisoned roll, which refers to another legend
concerning him. XIV. and XV. are the figures of the Blessed
Virgin and St. John, standing one on each side of the cross. In
the middle of the screen is the crucifix with the scroll bearing the
title I.N.R.I. (XVI.) St. Patrick of Ireland, who was born in
Scotland about 372, holds in his left hand a crosier, and in his
right a bunch of shamrocks. Snakes and toads, of which he is
said to have rid Ireland, are about his feet. (XVII.) St. Ethel-
dreda or St. Audrey, a daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia,
who forsook her husband to fulfil her vow of sanctity, founded a
monastery at Ely on the site of the Cathedral in 672. She has a
crosier as an abbess, and her crown is laid by her side. (XVIII.)
St. Germain, Bishop of Auxerre, is said to have attended a
council at Verulam in 429 to refute the Pelagian heresy, a por-
tion of the Roman wall still marks the traditional site of the saint's
house. He holds a crosier, and at his feet is a wolf, in allusion
to his having been a mighty hunter. (XIX.) St. Augustine of
Canterbury, who arrived in England to preach the Gospel in
596, is represented with a crosier and a book. (XX.) St. Alban
holds a sword in his left hand, typical of his martyrdom, and a
crucifix in his right. (XXI.) St. Amphibalus, the cleric who
converted St. Alban. (XXII.) St. Erkenwald, brother of St.
Etheldreda, and founder of Chertsey Abbey, was consecrated
Bishop of London in 675. He holds a crosier in one hand, while
in the other is an imaginary representation of his cathedral.

The smaller figures represent : (i) St. Oswyn, King of Deira
or Yorkshire, who holds a spear in allusion to his death. (2) St.
Giles, the Abbat, with his tame hind, on whose milk he is said to
have lived. (3) St. Ethelbert, King of the East Angles, killed by
Quendrida, wife of Offa (793), has his battle-axe by his side and a
dagger in his breast. (4) St. Leonard, whose great charge was
the care of prisoners, holds fetters in his hands. (5) St. Edward,
King of the West Saxons, is represented with the cup from which
he was drinking when murdered in 979 by his stepmother,
Elfrida, and the dagger with which the deed was committed.

(6) St. Lawrence has the gridiron upon which he was burnt.

(7) St. George, since 1222 the patron saint of England, is shown
overcoming evil or the devil in the form of a dragon. (8) St.
Benedict Biscop, the instructor of the Venerable Bede and founder
of the monasteries of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow in the seventh
century, carries a book in his right hand and his crosier in his left.
(9) St. Cecilia, patroness of church music, has an organ. (10) St.
Boniface, Apostle of Germany, holds his crosier and a branch of
the oak at Fritzlar, sacred to the God Thor, and which he de-
stroyed. (u) St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, with a lamb. (12)

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KEY PLAN OF WALLINGFORD'S, OR THE HIGH ALTAR SCREEN.

Cbe

of §>aint aitmn,

St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia and Confessor, noted for
his charity and holiness, holds his crosier and the three golden,
balls which he gave to a poor family. (17) St. Lucy, Virgin and
Martyr, with a lamp and the palm branch of a martyr. (18) St.
Wulfetan, Bishop of Worcester in 1062, carries his crosier in one
hand and the model of his church in the other. (19) St. Ethel-
burga, sister of St. Etheldreda, has the three nails usually given as
her emblem. (20) St. Richard, Bishop of Chichester, holds his
crosier and a chalice. (21) St. Katherine of Alexandria holds the
palm of victory, the wheel upon which she was to have received
martyrdom, and the sword by which she died. (22) St. David,
Archbishop of Menevia or St. David's in Wales, who died in 544,
holds a crosier, and has the dove which appeared upon his shoulder
when he preached. (23) St. Frideswide, who founded in the
eighth century the monastery at Oxford which bore her name,
but now called Christ Church, is represented as an abbess with a
crosier and a book. (24) St. Chad, Bishop of York, and later of
Lichfield, in the seventh century, has a crosier and a book. (25)
St. Osyth, a Mercian princess, who founded the monastery of
Chich St. Osyth in Essex, in the seventh century, holds a book
and two keys. There is a painting of her in the N. side of the
nave. (26) St. Alphege, Bishop of Winchester and Canterbury,
in the tenth century, holds his crosier and the stones which were
the instruments of his martyrdom. (27) St. Margaret, Queen of
Scotland in the eleventh century, niece of Edward the Confessor,
and ancestress of our royal family, and (28) ./Elfric, Abbat of St.
Albans, and in 995 Archbishop of Canterbury, an intimate friend
of St. Dunstan and reformer of the monastery here, is represented
with a crosier and his book " Thaera Halgena Throwunga," or the
Sufferings of the Saints. In the centre of the screen a crucifix is
now about to be inserted, and immediately over the altar table a
representation of the Resurrection, by Mr.
Alfred Gilbert, R. A. This screen very strongly
resembles the high altar screen at Winchester
Cathedral, and it is generally considered that
they were the work of the same architect.
The figures are in Mansfield Woodhouse
stone, and were sculptured by Mr. Harry
Hems, of Exeter ; the crosiers, sceptres, and
swords are of hammered copper.

ABBAT WHEATHAMPSTEDE'S CHANTRY
CHAPEL, on the S. side of the High Altar
ARMS OF ABBAT Screen, was probably erected about the time of

WHEATHAMPSTEDE. ^ j^ Qf ^ Abbat m ^ The ^

dominant ornament is the Abbat's badge of three wheat ears, and over
the spandrels of the arch are the words F'alles habundabunty " The

BRASS OF ABBAT THOMAS DE LA MARE, circa 1375.

Size, in by 52 inches.

C&e abbep of §>aint ai&an. 25

valleys shall be fruitful," which refer to the village of Wheathamp-
stead, a few miles from St. Albans, the birthplace of the Abbat, and a
spot noted for its seed corn. There are several shields of arms ; over
the crown of the arch is that of the Abbey, and at the corners on
either side are the arms of Abbat Wheathampstede. In the quatre-
foils above will be seen, amongst other designs, an abbat's mitre with
wheat ears springing from it, the arms of St. George, and a rose in
a sun, the badge of Edward IV. Dugdale states that the Abbat's
figure in pontificals lay upon a blue slab in the Chapel, in its place
is now deposited, for the sake of protection, the brass of Abbat de la
Mare (1349-1396) one of the finest ecclesiastical brasses in England.
It is of Flemish workmanship, and is said to have been made under
the direction of the Abbat himself some thirty years before his death.
The Abbat wears the usual vestments of his office, with a mitre
upon his head, his crossed hands have on them jewelled gloves, and
on his feet are embroidered shoes. He is vested in alb, stole, tunic,
dalmatic, chasuble, and maniple ; within his left arm is a pastoral
staff" with the Agnus Del in the crook, the latter being turned out-
wards. The background is filled with elaborate diaper work.
Above the figure of the Abbat is a most beautiful canopy, having
the First Person of the Holy Trinity in the centre, with saints
swinging censers and others playing instruments on each side, be-
yond these are St. Peter, on the left, and St. Paul, on the right.
The canopy-shafts contain fourteen figures, seven on each side;
those on the left, St. Alban with processional cross and sword, St.
John the Evangelist with chalice and serpent, St. Andrew with
saltire, St. Thomas the Apostle with spear, and the prophets Daniel,
David, and Hosea ; the figures on the right are St. Oswyn, king
and martyr, with crown and spear, St. James the Great with
scallop-shell, St. Bartholomew with flaying knife, St. Philip with
loaf, and the prophets Isaiah, Haggai, and Joel. At the four angles
of the brass are the symbols of the four Evangelists, and at each side
is a shield having on a bend three eagle* displayed^ the arms of the
Abbat. Round the border of the design are these words: — Hie
jacet dominus Thomas quondam abbas bujus monasterii^ with a space
which was never filled up, being left for the date of his death (Lloyd,
" Altars," p. 29). On an oak board at the E. end of the Chantry
are arranged the loose brasses which have become detached, or been
found at different times, as follows: — i. A civilian, circa 1465.

2. Thomas Rutland, sub-prior (ob. 1521), with foot inscription, the
slab with a portion of the marginal inscription is in the S. Transept.

3. The lower portion of the figure of Abbat John de la Moote (ob.
1400). It is a palimpsest brass, on the reverse being the lower part
of a female figure, with a dog at her feet wearing a collar of bells,
the slab and other portions of the brass are in the Presbytery. 4.
A civilian, circa 1470. 5. A monk, possibly Reginald Bernewelt,

26 Cjje 3&foep of

1443. 6. Inscription to Maud Harryes, 1537, slab in N. Tran-
sept. 7. Half effigy of a monk, circa 1470, slab in Choir. 8.
Lower part of effigy of Bartholomew Halsey in armour, and 9, full
figure of his wife Florens, 1465, slab with matrices for children anil
inscription in Presbytery. 10. Inscription to Agnes Skelton, 1604.

11. Inscription to William Stroder and Margaret, his wife, 1517.

12. A shield of the de Grey arms belonging to the de Grey brass in
the Presbytery.

In the Presbytery were many graves, amongst them that of
Robert Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland, founder of Tyne-
mouth Priory, who, after his attainder, is said to have died a
monk of this Abbey in 1106. The position of his tomb is not
known. At the foot of the altar steps, but within the altar rails,
are the gravestones orfour successive abbats, the one nearest to
Wheathampstede's chantry is that of Abbat Thomas de la Mare
(1349-96), the brass belonging to which is placed in Wheathamp-
stede's chantry for protection j the second is that of Abbat Hugh
Eversden (1308-26); the third is that of Abbat Richard de
Wallingford (i 326-35) ; and the fourth is that of Abbat Michael
Mentmore (1335-49). The brasses of all the last three tombs
have been lost, but their matrices have in most cases been left.
At the W. end of Wheathampstede's chantry is a brass to the
Rev. H. J. B. Nicholson, D.D., F.S.A., who died in 1866, for
over thirty years rector of the Abbey parish, a most careful and
learned student of the history of the church and a most loving
custodian of its ancient fabric. Immediately below the step on the
W. side of the altar rails is a line of monumental slabs, the one on
the S. side shows the matrices of a curious T cross, with figures
on either side, and a foot inscription ; on the second are the
matrices of a figure with a scroll and a foot inscription with a rose
below it ; the third is that of Sir Anthony de Grey, son and heir
of Edmund, Earl of Kent, who died in 1480. The effigy of Sir
Anthony appears in armour with a collar of suns and roses, the
inscription and three of the shields are lost, one of the shields,
which is now in Wheathampstede's chantry, was discovered in an
old iron shop in the suburbs of London ; the fourth slab has on it
the brass of Robert Beauner (ob. 1470), a monk of St. Alban's
Abbey, who has in his hand a bleeding heart, and a scroll inscribed
with the text, Cor mundum in me crea Deus (Ps. li. 10), "Make in
me a clean heart, O God ! " The foot inscription states that he
held various offices in the monastery for more than forty years j
the fifth (circa 1450) shows the matrices of a cross, on the arms
of which are the figures of the Blessed Virgin and St. John, and,
below, the kneeling figure of a monk, a scroll issuing from the
suppliant's mouth only remains, and bears the mutilated inscription,
a verse from a hymn in the Salisbury Breviary : — Safoa Redemptor

plasma tuum nobile, Signatum sancto vultus tul lumlne^ Nee lacerari
sinasfraude deemonum^ Propter quos mortis exsolvisti pretium. " Save,
O Redeemer, Thine ennobled workmanship, marked with the
sacred light of Thy countenance, Suffer not those for whom Thou
hast paid the penalty of death to be destroyed through the deceit
of devils." The sixth slab shows the remains of what must have
been a very beautiful brass of Abbat John Stoke (ob. 1451), all
that now exists of which are fragments of a triple canopy, the
marginal inscription, and two scrolls ; the effigy of the abbat, and
the figures of the Virgin and Child, St. Alban, and St. Amphibalus
being lost. Beginning at the S. end of the next line of tombs, we
have first the matrices only of a monk with scroll and foot inscrip-
tion; secondly, the brassless slab of Abbat John de Marynes
(1302-8) ; thirdly, the almost brassless remains of what is supposed
to be Abbat John de la Moote's tomb (ob. 1400), the matrix exhibits
the figure of an abbat wearing a mitre and holding a pastoral staff
with the vexillum attached, the lower part of this figure is the
palimpsest brass, now No. 3 on the board in Wheathampstede's
chantry ; some portion still remains of the border inscription,
taken from Job, xix. 25, and having between each word a strange
device ; the evangelistic emblem of St. Luke still remains at one
of the angles, as does also the following foot inscription : Hie
quidam terra tegitur peccati solvens debitum^ Cut nomen non imponitur,
in libra vitts sit conscriptum. " Here is one covered with earth, pay-
ing the debt of sin, to whom a name is not given, may it be written
in the Book of Life." The fourth is the slab with matrices of
Bartholomew Halsey, his wife, children, foot inscription, and
shield, the remaining brasses of which are Nos. 8 and 9 on the
board in Wheathampstede's chantry. The fifth in this row is the
defaced slab of Abbat John Berkhampstead (1291-1302), with a
marginal inscription : Le Abbe yohan gist id, Deu de sa a/me eit
merci^ vous ke par ici passes Pater e Ave pur lalme pries, e tous ke
pur lalme priunt Deu, karaunte ans e karaunte jours de pardun
averunt. " The Abbat John lieth here, May God have mercy on
his soul ! ye who may pass by here say a Pater and an Ave for his
soul, and all who pray God for his soul shall have forty years and
forty days of pardon." The sixth is the slab of Richard Stondon,
a priest, the inscription of which only remains. With the ex-
ception of a small portion of a scroll over the head of a priest on a
slab W. of that of Bartholomew Halsey, the remaining slabs are
without their brasses, and whose bodies they cover is unknown.

It was here, before the High Altar, that the body of Eleanor,
Queen of Edward I., rested in 1291 when on its way to West-
minster. The Eleanor Cross, which was erected in the High
Street where a drinking fountain now stands, was taken down
about 1700.

28 C&e a&bep of

THE NORTH TRANSEPT is of the period of Abbat Paul de Caen
(1077-93). The public had access to this part of the church in
the monastic times, and the services of the Guild of the Holy
Trinity were held at the altar of the same dedication on the E.
side. Pilgrims to the shrines of St. Alban and St. Amphibalus are
said to have entered at the Norman doorway in the N. wall.1 The
N. front has been rebuilt by Lord Grimthorpe from the level of
the gallery, and the very conspicuous rose window inserted.
Below are two Norman windows, the splays of which are orna-
mented with a vine pattern. The stained glass in them, representing
the four Latin doctors, was erected in memory of Archdeacon
Grant (ob. 1883) by his friends.

Towards the N. end of this transept will be seen the monumental
tomb of Thomas Legh Claughton, the first Bishop of St. Albans,
who died in 1892. This monument was designed by Mr. J.
Oldrid Scott, and Mr. Forsyth, of Hampstead, was the sculptor.
The figure is in white marble, and the pedestal, which is of
alabaster, is ornamented with marble inlays and armorial bearings.

The two recesses in the E. wall originally led into two Norman
apsidal chapels, which corresponded with those in the S. Transept.
When these were destroyed, altars were placed in the recesses,
that on the N. being dedicated to the Holy Trinity and that on
the S. to St. Citha or St. Osyth. Within the recesses are some
interesting ancient encaustic and embossed tiles, those in the N.
recess, excepting the first row, are now, however, covered by the
monumental tomb of Alfred Blomfield, Bishop of Colchester,
suffragan of St. Albans, who died in 1 894. At the S. end of this
wall will be noticed a painting, assigned to the fifteenth century,
called the Incredulity of St. Thomas, which formed one of two
paintings described as the History of the Resurrection. It repre-
sents Christ standing and holding a cross staff with the vexillum or
banner of the Resurrection in his left hand, and St. Thomas kneel-
ing and thrusting his right hand into Christ's side. On a scroll
issuing from the mouth of St. Thomas are the words Dominus meus
et Dem meus ! " My Lord and my God ! " while on that issuing
from our Lord's mouth are Beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt.
" Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed." Beneath
this picture was the altar of the Leaning Cross or the Holy Cross
of Pity and St. Lawrence, at which were kept numerous relics.

1 About the middle of the W. wall will be seen a small cross cut in a stone
a little above the floor level; as it has been erroneously stated that this marks the
traditional site of the martyrdom of St. Alban, it may be well to say that this
cross was inserted in 1863 by Dr. Nicholson, rector of the Abbey, to mark the
S. limit to which an organ, then being erected under the superintendence of his
son, the Rev. H. D. Nicholson, might extend. This information is kindly
supplied by the Rev. H. D. Nicholson to the compiler.

The balluster shafts in the triforium are similar to those in the S.
Transept, and like them are probably remnants of the Saxon church.
There was formerly a flat painted ceiling here, probably of the
sixteenth century, which was removed by Lord Grimthorpe ; the
centre piece, representing the martyrdom of St. Alban, is now in the
south aisle of Presbytery.

The matrix of what must have been a fine canopied brass, with
marginal inscription, will be noticed in a stone opposite the S. recess
on the E. side which probably marks the tomb of William Stubbarde,
a lay brother, who was celebrated as a stone carver in the time of
Abbat de la Mare (1349-96). To the S. of this stone is another
with the matrix of a half effigy of an ecclesiastic, with a foot inscrip-
tion, probably that of Thomas Houghton who was sacrist at the
close of the fourteenth century.

THE SOUTH TRANSEPT is also the work of Abbat Paul de Caen
(1077-93). On the W. side, close to the S. aisle of the choir, is
a small grated window to a chamber, which it has been suggested
was used for the purpose of watching. The chamber has now
been filled up to strengthen the wall. The recess in the west wall,
formerly an entrance from the Cloister, contains three ancient
carved oak livery cupboards, which are filled with loaves of bread
every Sunday for distribution to the poor, according to a charity
founded by Robert Skelton in 1628. The cupboard on the S. side
is the oldest, that on the N. is Elizabethan and that in the middle
is of about the time of Charles I.1 There was formerly at the S.
end of the W. wall an ancient Norman doorway and door and on
the latter was a very fine example of a Norman hinge which was
rescued from destruction by Archdeacon Lawrance during the late
restoration, and is now preserved at the South Kensington Museum.
The whole of the S. front has been rebuilt from its foundations by
Lord Grimthorpe, the Early English lancet windows are copied
from the Five Sisters at York Minster (p. 2) and replaced a Per-
pendicular window erected in 1832, which, in its turn, succeeded
several of earlier dates. The shields of arms in the glass were
originally inserted in 1832. Under the window is some Norman
wall arcading, considerably restored, which came from the Slype,
a passage from the Cloister to the Monks' Cemetery and Sumpter
Yard, the entrance to which is by a late Norman doorway in the
S. wall. This doorway is partially constructed with the stones of
a very beautiful doorway formerly leading out of the W. end of the
Slype into the Cloister, an inner ring has been added to it by Lord
Grimthorpe to make the opening smaller. The Slype itself has been
entirely rebuilt. In it will be found some more of the Norman wall
arcading justreferred toandalargequantity of architectural fragments,

1 See «« Half-Timbered Houses, etc.," by W. B. Sanders, p. 40.

30 Cbe atJbep of

promiscuously built into the wall, those in the S.E. corner
come from the Chapter House, which was on the S. of the Slype,
other fragments apparently formed a part of a reredos, a large
portion of which is in the chapel of St. John the Evangelist.
The two recesses in the E. wall formerly led into two Norman
apsidal chapels, which were demolished in the early part of the
fourteenth century to make room for a treasury or vestry. The
chapel on the S. was dedicated to St. Stephen, and it was here that
Abbat Gorham laid the shrine of St. Alban before King Stephen,
pleading in the name of the holy martyr that the king would utterly
destroy the remains of Kingsbury Castle, which was near to the
entrance of the monastery and was a lurking-place for his enemies.
The N. Chapel in the same wall was, before the destruction of the
apsidal chapels, the Lady Chapel, but when the present Lady Chapel
was built, the altar here was dedicated to St. John the Evangelist.
Within the chapel is a collection of architectural fragments which
from time to time have come to light.

At the N. end of the E. wall of this transept will be seen the
remains of a mural painting of about the thirteenth century, or
possibly earlier, representing a seraph descending from heaven with
outstretched arms and wings, painted in red. The balluster shafts in
the triforium with rings round them are probably Saxon, and being of
different sizes were evidently taken from some other building, it is
therefore supposed that they formed a part of the Saxon Abbey
Church. It will be noticed that the wall plaster has been removed
at various places in this transept to show the construction of the
Norman arches and brickwork.

Several stones with matrices for brasses will be found. Almost
opposite the recess in the W. wall is the matrix of Prior Norton's
brass (fourteenth century), while the matrix of the brass of Thomas
Rutland (now on the board in Wheathampstede's chantry) and
another of a priest are in a line with the aisle of the choir. At
the entrance to the Chapel of St. Stephen is the matrix of the upper
portion of an ecclesiastic with a scroll, which marks the tomb of
John Gyldeford, prior of Belver (fifteenth century).

SOUTH AISLE OF PRESBYTERY. — At the entrance from the
transept on the S. side is a Decorated holy water stoup, opposite
to which is an aumbry in which the monks probably placed
their books when coming from the Cloister to the services of the
church. The Norman arch in the S. wall formerly led into the
now demolished apsidal Lady Chapel, and above is a Norman
window. In the next bay are the remains of two Norman windows,
now built up, the plaster around which has been removed to show
their construction. On the N. side of the aisle are two stone coffins,
over these is a rude painting of the martyrdom of St. Alban,
which formed the central panel in the ceiling of the N. Transept.
On the same side is an ancient seventeenth century poor box, and

above is a small figure of an old man of the same period, holding
his hat in his hand, begging alms. The box and figure were for-
merly against the wall at the E. end of the aisle, now pulled down.
Over this figure is an epitaph to John Thomas, the first master
of the grammar school. The first two bays of this aisle are
Norman, the plaster vault being painted to represent masonry. The
third bay, with the door on the S. side, is almost entirely new, as
are also all the windows and the wall arcading. On the N. of
the third bay will be seen the S. side of Abbat Wheathampstede's
chantry, which is slightly different from that on the N. (p. 22).
Most of the shields of arms are repeated, and the words Palles
habundabunt again occur. Above is the inscription, Johannes, de
loco frumentarJOj £>uis jacet hie ? Pater ille "Johannes nomina magna
Cut Wbethampstedio parvula villa dedit^ Triticeee in tumulo signant
quodque nomen arista^Vitam res clara nan monumenta notant. "John
of the corn-growing place. Who lies here ? That father John to
whom the little village of Wheathampstead gave a great name.
And which name the ears of wheat on his tomb signify. Noble
deeds not monuments mark a life."

THE SOUTH AISLE OF SAINTS' CHAPEL is of the Decorated
period of the early part of the fourteenth century. On the N.
side is the tomb of some unknown person, above which, on the wall,
will be seen various monuments to the Maynard family, which was
for a long time resident at St. Albans. Over the doorway into the
Saints' Chapel are the arms of Abbat Wheathampstede, the oak door
being of fourteenth century work ; on the floor opposite to it is a
brass effigy of Ralph Rowlatt (ob. 1543), merchant of the Staple
of Calais and ancestor of the celebrated Sarah Jennings, who be-
came Duchess of Marlborough. Further E. may be seen the S. side
of the tomb of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, son of Henry IV.
and protector of the kingdom during the minority of Henry VI.
It is difficult to conjecture who the figures in the canopied niches
are intended to represent; they bear a very strong resemblance
to the royal benefactors to the Abbey as painted in the fourteenth
century MS. Book of Benefactors (Cott. MSS. Nero, D. 7), which
lay on the High Altar, but it seems evident that the figures, which
are not fixed, have at some time been taken out of their niches
and not replaced in their right positions.1 It seems probable that
they are intended for the royal benefactors to the Abbey, most
of whom would naturally be the duke's ancestors.3 They are

1 The lower figures have been examined by means of a ladder, and it appears
that some of them do not fit the niches in which they are inserted. It is said they
were taken down some years ago and casts made of a few of them, possibly they
were not then returned to their right places.

a Mr. Gough and others suggest that the figures are the kings of Mercia,
but there are seventeen figures, and there were not seventeen kings of Mercia.

32 C&e abbep of

undoubtedly all kings, unfortunately their sceptres and swords have
all been broken off. The third figure in the highest row may be
Egfrith son of Offa, holding in his left hand his charter of con-
firmation to the abbey, the fifth figure in the same row is probably
Offa II. the founder of the abbey, holding the church in his hands ;
the first in the second row resembles the painting of Edward II.
in the Book of Benefactors, and the next, that of Edward I. (for
a further description see under Saints' Chapel, below). In front
of this tomb is an ancient grate, or iron screen, which is said to be
the only trellis grille in England and earlier than any of its kind
in France or Germany. It is of about the time of Edward I.
(1272-1307) and of course considerably earlier than Duke
Humphrey's tomb, and may have been used as a grate through
which pilgrims and others viewed the shrine in the Saints' Chapel.
Below the grate is an altar tomb, on the top of which is a Frosterley
marble slab with five crosses (typical of the five wounds) cut in it,
denoting that at one time the slab was used as an altar. In the S.
wall, opposite to the door leading into the Saints' Chapel, are the
remains of a perpendicular stone screen, which is said to have
formed a part of Abbat Wallingford's Chantry Chapel.

THE SAINTS' CHAPEL is of the same date and design as the
Presbytery. The E. face of the High Altar Screen forms the W.
side of this chapel, upon which will be seen the figures of the Virgin
and Child in the middle, and St. Peter and St. John the Baptist on
one side and St. Michael and St. Stephen on the other. Some old
painted glass will be noticed in the E. window here.

THE CHANTRY OF HUMPHREY, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, on the
S. side, was probably erected during the lifetime of the Duke. He
was the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV., a gentle and learned
man, founder of the library at Oxford, now called the Bodleian
Library, Protector of the kingdom during the minority of his
nephew, Henry VI., and an intimate friend of Abbat Wheathamp-
stede. He died in 1447, and the tomb of John Beauchamp (brother
of Thomas, Earl of Warwick) in old St. Paul's, was for a long
time supposed to contain his body. Necessitous people are said
to have loitered about this tomb at dinner time, and herbs used
to be strewn there, which gave rise to the expression of " dining
with Duke Humphrey." The vault (access to which is obtained
by the trap-door to the N. of the tomb) was discovered in Queen
Anne's reign while making a grave here for Mr. John Gape. The
duke's body was found in a leaden coffin full of pickle, in a good
state of preservation. On the E. wall of the vault is a painting
of the Crucifixion, now almost obliterated, a copy of which is in
the Saints' Chapel. The monument is a good specimen of Per-
pendicular work, the N. face of which has been very much more
damaged than the S. The arms, the royal arms bordered argent,

and their supporters, antelopes gorged and chained, on the cornice,
have been very much mutilated, and the figures have been taken
from all the niches above, on this side. The shields are sur-
mounted by a helmet with elaborate mantling, and above the
helmet either a cap of maintenance or a coronet. It will be noticed
that the principal decoration is a small standing cup filled with
what are probably intended for daisy flowers, a similar cup filled
with what are apparently daisy leaves is given as a badge of
Humphrey Duke of Gloucester in a MS. at
the Heralds' College (L. 8, fol. 6d). This
curious badge is round the coronets and on
every part of the tomb.

THE SHRINE OF ST. ALBAN, or, as it should
more properly be called, the pedestal for the
shrine, in the middle of the chapel, is of the
Decorated period and of the early part of the
fourteenth century. It is almost entirely of
Purbeck marble, and consists of a basement
2 ft. 6 in. in height and 8 ft. 7 in. in length
by 3 ft. 2 in. in width, having on the sides
and ends large quatrefoils, each foil being

, /- •! i TM TIT /• *i i n

sub-treroiled. Ine W. quatreroil on the a.
side has a lozenge-shaped opening passing through to the opposite
side, while the E. quatrefoil on the same side has a similar open-
ing, but going only half way through. These apertures, it is
suggested, were intended for the insertion of diseased limbs or of
cloths to be applied to such limbs, that the healing qualities of the
Saint's relics might be tried upon them. Above the basement are
four niches, on each side, and one at either end, three of which on
the N. side have lost their canopies. The recesses are some of
them painted blue and others red and ornamented with three lions
for England, fleurs-de-lys for France, and with stars and dots in
gilding. These niches are supposed to have held relics and offer-
ings. The canopies over the niches and the work above them are
very delicately carved. In each of the spandrels are figures, those
at the corners being angels censing, while at the W. end is a
representation of the martyrdom of St. Alban. On the S. side the
W. figure is lost, the middle is that of King Offa, founder of the
Abbey, holding a model of the church, and that on the E. is a
king, probably St. Oswyn, king and martyr, on the E. side is a
representation, probably of the Scourging of St. Alban, below
which is probably another figure of King Offa, while on the N.
side the only figure remaining is that of a bishop or abbat, and is
probably intended for St. Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester. In the
pediments are triangular carvings of foliage, and at the top is
a richly carved cornice of leaves. Around the base are places for

C&e

fourteen detached shafts, outside of these on each side were three
other shafts, a portion of one of which, of twisted pattern, is on the
S. side ; these latter shafts were probably intended for carrying
tapers to burn at the shrine. What now remains of the shrine or
pedestal was found in over 2,000 pieces built up into the walls,
which filled up the three Eastern arches of this chapel, and in a
built-up doorway in the south aisle of the Presbytery. These
fragments were carefully put together with shellac in 1872. Upon
this pedestal lay the por table feretrum^ or shrine proper, probably of
metal or wood covered with plates of gold or silver, and enriched
with jewels and enamels. From a description,1 of the early part of
the fifteenth century, it appears, as was usual, to have been in the
shape of a church without transepts, or, perhaps, rather of a coped
chest. It had a silver-gilt tower or turret, given by Abbat Thomas
de la Mare (1349-96), on the lower part of which was a repre-
sentation in silver-gilt of the Resurrection, with two angels and
four knights guarding the sepulchre. Upon the shrine stood a
silver-gilt eagle of wonderful workmanship, the gift of the same
abbat. There were also two suns, presented by John Savage, a
monk, the centres of which were of gold and having rays of silver-
gilt, terminating with precious stones. With it were preserved
numerous relics, such as a piece of the true cross, a fragment of

the Holy Sepulchre, a por-
tion of the column to which
our Lord was bound when
being scourged, a piece of
the garment of the Virgin,
a finger of St. Peter, and
numerous other memorials
of saints. This shrine was
carried in procession by four
of the monks (p. 9). There
was probably a wooden
canopy to cover the shrine
which was raised and
lowered by means of a rope
running through a pulley.
A mark in the ceiling to
the W. of the boss over the
shrine is said to indicate the
position of the hook for the

pulley. At the W. end of the pedestal for the shrine was the altar
of St. Alban.

Cottonian MSS., Claudius, E. 4, at the British Museum.

In 1849, w^ile relaying the pavement here, a bone seal of the
early part of the twelfth century was found. It exhibits a very
curious example of military equipment, and bears the legend
Sigillum Ricardi de Vierle. The name Verli was not uncommon in
the counties of Essex and Hertford, being derived probably from
the parish of Virley in the former county.

THE WATCHING LOFT, on the N. side, is of carved oak, and with
the exception of a similar loft at Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford,
it is the only one now existing. In it a monk, designated custos
feretri^ or keeper of the shrine, was posted, who kept constant
watch upon the saint's relics. It is of the early Perpendicular
period, and Mr. Neale gives the date of its erection as about 1420,
but as it bears the white hart, the badge of Richard II., it is possibly
a few years earlier. In the ground story are cupboards or lockers
in which relics and sacred vestments were deposited, but which are
now filled with Roman pottery, architectural fragments, and a
portion of the black woollen garment and a hazel-wood staff of a
monk, found in a stone coffin in the N. porch, and the framework
of a bridal garland which formerly hung in the S. aisle of nave in
memory of a bride who died either on her wedding day, or within
a week thereof. In the W. door of the E. locker is a slit through
which to drop money, and on the inside are the remains of a leather
pouch to receive the money dropped through. At the E. end of the
lockers is a staircase to the room in which the monks watched, the
stairs of which are solid blocks of oak. On the central cornice is a
series of carvings, now much mutilated, representing on the S. side
angels playing various musical instruments, a hart, the badge of
Richard II., the martyrdom of St. Alban, Time as a reaper, and the
seasons. On the N. side the carvings are mostly supposed to represent
the months :* — January, a man and woman seated at a bench feasting;
February, a man and woman warming themselves before a fire and
a third figure blowing a pair of bellows j March, a shepherd seated
blowing a double pipe and four sheep attending j April, a sheep
with a lamb sucking ; May, a woman milking ; the rest of the
months, except September, which is a huntsman with a horn and
dogs, and November, a sow with a litter of pigs, it is difficult to
make out. Besides the months, we also get on this side the
martyrdom of St. Alban, men wrestling, etc. Upon the upper
cornice were a number of shields only two of which now remain.
There was a cresting along the top of the structure which is now
entirely destroyed.

At the N. end of the stone screen which fills up the three arches
on the E. side to a height of eight feet is a painting of St. William
of York with his arms (Lozengy argent and gules'] below. In the

1 " Archaeologia," xliv. 165.

36 C&e a&bep of

N. bay stood the altar of St. Hugh and the Relics, in which are
said to have been placed the relics of the Twelve Apostles, given
to the church by St. Germain, and of many other saints. In the
S. bay was the altar of St. Wulfstan or of the Salutation. Lord
Grimthorpe has built into the middle of each of these bays some
architectural fragments, several of them of his own design and placed
there as an attempt to deceive the unwary antiquary. The piscina
in the middle bay comes from another part of the church.

NORTH AISLE OF PRESBYTERY AND SAINTS' CHAPEL. — Turn-
ing W. on passing out of the N. door of the Saints' Chapel, there will
be seen the N. face of Abbat Ramryge's Chantry. The design is
the same as that on the S. face (p. 15) and at some places in better
preservation. The arms in the panels at the base are those of this
Abbey with the same supporters as previously described. The arms
in the shields in the cornice above, beginning at the E. end are
(i) St. Albans, a saltire ; (2) is probably Pembroke Priory, a cell of
St. Alban's, the lion rampant is likely to be Welsh and the orle of
daisies (his badge) referring to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, the
donor of the priory to St. Alban's; (3) the arms of Abbat de la Mare,
three eagles displayed upon a bend; (4) the arms and supporters of
Henry VII. ; (5 and 6) have not been identified, but they probably
refer to Wallingford, Belver, or Hatfield Peverell Priories, cells of
St. Alban's; (7) Redbourn Priory, a cell of St. Alban's, a bend
between six mart lets.1

Over the door from the Presbytery is an oil painting of the
Last Supper 2 said to be by Sir James Thornhill, which was pre-
sented to the church by Captain Polehampton at the beginning of
the eighteenth century, and hung for many years over the High
Altar. Above the second arch from the N. transept will be seen
a curious painting of King Offa which is probably of the fifteenth
century. The large doors leaning against the N. wall came from
the central porch of the old W. front, and are fine specimens of late
fourteenth century work. Excepting the westernmost bay, which
is Norman, this aisle was built in the time of Abbat John de Hertford
(1235-60). The Early English wall arcading on the N. side is
considered to be of beautiful proportions. The first window from
the W. which has been renewed by Lord Grimthorpe, now takes

1 Cott. MSS. Nero, D. 7, fol. 90.

2 This has been said to be the famous picture that Dr. Welton commissioned
W. Fellowes to paint for an altar-piece in his church at Whitechapel, in which
Judas, who formed the most prominent figure, was a portrait of White Kennett,
Dean and afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, a violent opposer of Sacheverel.
A print of this picture exists at the Society of Antiquaries which has been
carefully compared with the picture here, and although there are points of
similarity, the whole arrangement of the figures, the background and foreground
is different.

the place of the entrance to the apsidal chapels formerly on the E.
side of the N. transept. The flat arch in the wall arcading is
supposed to be the site of Abbat John de Hertford's monumental
tomb. On the ground opposite the entrance to the Saints' Chapel
will be seen the brass of Thomas Fayreman (ob. 1411), and
his wife.

At the N. E. of this aisle are the remains of the pedestal of
the SHRINE OF ST. AMPHIBALUS, which, like the more elaborate
shrine of St. Alban, was found in pieces built up in the walls
which filled up the arches at the E. end of the Saints' Chapel. It
stood in the middle of the Ante-Chapel. It is composed of clunch
stone; the basement measures 6 ft. by 3 ft. 10 in. The N. and
the E. faces of it are missing. Above the basement is a series
of arched niches over which is a cornice. On the N. and S. faces
are the letters R. W. for Ralph Witechurch, Sacrist of the Abbey
in the latter half of the fourteenth century, at whose cost the
pedestal was built.

THE ANTE-CHAPEL, OR RETRO CHOIR, is of the Transitional
period from Early English to Decorated, and was built during the
abbacies of Roger de Norton (126 0-90) and Johnde Berkhampstede
(1291-1301). At the W. end was formerly a thoroughfare, passing
through the church, which was closed in 1878, and this part of the
church is now intended for use as a chapter house. This and the
Lady Chapel were in a very dilapidated condition, and their restora-
tion was at first taken in hand under the guidance of Sir Gilbert Scott
and later by Lord Grimthorpe. The wall arcading has been nearly
wholly renewed, that on the N. being mostly completed before Lord
Grimthorpe's restorations were commenced, but the remainder, in-
cluding the sedilia on the W. side are his work. The naturalistic
carving was executed by Mr. John Baker, of Kennington Park
Road, who has represented in his work the plants and trees of the
neighbourhood, such as the passion flower, maple, ivy, primrose,
vine, oak, blackberry, filbert, gooseberry, wild rose, thorn, fig, currant,
sycamore, etc. The oak vaulting in the N. aisle was erected by
Sir Gilbert Scott, that on the S. and the ceiling between are by
Lord Grimthorpe. The shrine of St. Amphibalus occupied the
centre of the Ante-Chapel, to the W. of which was an altar
dedicated to the same Saint. Under the window in the E. wall,
on the S. side, was the altar of St. Mary of the Four Tapers, to
which probably belonged the aumbry in the same wall and the
beautiful triple-arched piscina, a little to the W. Against the
corresponding wall on the N. side was the altar of St. Michael,
while on the W. side of the N. pillar was the altar of St. Edmund^
King and Martyr, and on the same side of the S. pillar the altar
of St. Peter. Here was buried William Heyworth, Abbat of St.
Albans (1401-20), and afterwards Bishop of Lichfield (1420-47).

38 €&e a&feep of

In the middle of the S. aisle, in a line with the pillar, there was
found in 1872 in a hole the lid of a small wooden box of oriental
workmanship which probably contained the heart of Abbat Roger
de Norton (1260-90).

THE LADY CHAPEL was mainly built during the abbacy of
Hugh de Eversden (1308-26), the best period of the Decorated
style. Mass was daily said here, and orders were conferred in
1430. After the dissolution of the monastery this chapel was
converted, under a charter of Edward VI., into a grammar school,
and consequently some of its delicate carvings were almost obliter-
ated by the ready penknives of three centuries of scholars, although
the greater part of the damage was committed when the school-
room was panelled. Very extensive restorations had, therefore, to
be taken in hand when the school was moved to the Abbey Gate-
way and adjoining buildings. Like that in the Ante-chapel, the
wall arcading has been renewed, the carvings being also by Mr.
Baker, who has followed a similar scheme to that carried out in
the Ante-chapel by representing more especially the flora of the
district. Besides those already given, are the following flowers and
foliage : the convolvulus, marsh mallow, polypodium fern, pear,
orange, primula, buttercup, pansy, tomato, poppy, azalea, orchid,
winter cherry, arum lily, etc. The windows have been cut through
the middle, the inside being the old work and the outside new.
On the jambs and monials are small canopied niches containing
figures of saints, kings, bishops, and abbats, and at the edge of each
splay is a border of ball flower ornament. The stained glass in all
the windows is modern. The S.E. window was inserted at the
cost of the twelve great Livery Companies of the City of London,
and contains their arms. The glass in the middle window on the S.
side was given in 1881, by Mrs. Eleanor Lucy Leigh, afterwards
Madame de Falbe, of Luton Hoo, and that in the next window
on the W. side was presented by the nephews and nieces of Lord
Grimthorpe to commemorate his golden wedding day in 1895.
The stone vaulting which was erected by Lord Grimthorpe, re-
placed a wooden vault ; and the marble pavement was also laid
down by him.

Up the middle of the Lady Chapel were the tombs of Lord
Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, grandson of John of Gaunt,
Lord Henry Percy, second Earl of Northumberland, son of the
renowned Hotspur, and Thomas, Lord Clifford, who were all
killed fighting on the Lancastrian side at the first battle of St.
Albans in 1455. Their bodies, we are told, were found lying in
the streets of St. Albans, and were here buried by Abbat Wheat-
ham pstede. Below the altar steps on the north side stood the
tombs of Alphonse de Vere, son of Robert, fifth Earl of Oxford,
whose son in 1331 became seventh Earl of Oxford, and next to

him his wife Jane, daughter of Sir Richard Foliot. What is now
the vestry was the Chapel of the Transfiguration, consecrated in
1430.

Chalice, with date-mark 1 527, taken from the Abbey
Church by Sir Thomas Pope, one of the Visitors ap-
pointed by the Crown, and by him given to Trinity
College, Oxford, which he founded, and where it is
still preserved. This drawing is taken, by kind permis-
sion, from "The Decorative Arts of the Middle Ages,"
by Henry Shaw, F.S.A.

TABLE OF COMPARATIVE CHRONOLOGY.*

Kings of

Began

Began Ecclesiastical

England.

to reign

Abbats of St. Albans.

to rule Architecture.

A. D.

A.D.

Willegod

•

Eadric

Vulsig

Vulnoth

^Edfrid

Ulsinus

^Elfric

• Saxon.

Ealdred

Eadmer

10.

Leofric

Mtfric 2nd.

12.

Leofstan

13.

Frederic

Norman Line.

William the

Conq.

1066

14.

Paul de Caen

1077

Will. Rufus

1087

15-

Richard d'Aubeny or
de Albini

1097

• Norman.

Henry I.

IIOO

16.

Geoffrey de Gorham

III9

Stephen

1135

17-

Ralph de Gobion

1146 •

1 8.

Robert de Gorham

1151 *

Saxon Line

Restored.

Henry II.
Richard I.

"54
1189

19.

20.

Symon
Warren de Cambridge

Il67
II83

Transition
or mixed
Norman
and Pointed.

21.

John de Cella, or of

Studham

"95 J

John

"99

Henry III.

1216

22.
23.

William de Trumpington
John de Hertford

12IO Early Lan-
"35 J ^

1 The year in which the Abbats before the Conquest began their respective
Rules is omitted, because of the uncertainty of the dates up to that time. The
same cause prevented the introduction of the names of the Kings.

Kings of

Began

Began Ecclesiastical

England.

to reign

Abbats of St. Albans.

to rule Architecture.

A.D.

Edward I.

1272

24.

25-
26.

Roger de Norton

John de Berkhampsted
John de Marinis

1260 ] Early or
}• Geomet.

Decorated.
1302 J

Edward II.

1307

27.

Hugh de Eversden

1308 I

28.

Richard de Wallingford

1326 Later

Edward III.

I327

29.

Michael de Mentmore

i j-jdicr

1335 1 Decorated-

Thomas de la Mare

'349 J

Richard II.

1377

3'-

John Moote

1396"

Line of

Lancaster.

Henry IV.

1399

32.

William Heyworth

1401

Henry V.

1413

33-

John Wheathampsted

1420

Perpendi-

Henry VI.

1422

cular.

34-

John Stokes

1440

John Wheathampsted re-

elected

1451

Line of Tor k.

Edward IV.

1401

35-

William Alban

1464

36.

William Wallingford

1476 J

Edward V.

1483

Richard III.

The Families

United.

Henry VII.

1485

37-

Thomas Ramryge

1492.

Henry VIII.

1509

38-

Thomas Wolfey

1521

39-

Robert Catton

>. Tudor or

40.

Richard Boreman de Ste-

Florid.

yenache,

1538

and furrendered the
next vear.

42 Cfje abbep of

OBJECTS OF INTEREST IN THE VIEW
FROM THE TOWER.

I HE present town of St. Albans may be considered as
owing its early origin to Ulsinus, or Ulsic, the 6th
Abbat, circ. 948, who built the three churches of
St. Peter, St. Michael, and St. Stephen, on the three
principal roads leading from his Monastery.

The new Church Yard of the Abbey parish,
west of the Church, of a triangular shape, was until lately a plot of
waste ground, called Rome Land, upon which George Tanker-
ville, after being tried and condemned by Bishop Bonner, was
burned alive, pursuant to his sentence, on the 26th August, 1556.
(Fox's Book of Martyrs, p. 230.)

Almost at the foot of the Abbey on the north is a tower called
the Clock House. Matthew Paris records that in his day a tower
was standing near the Monastery, bearing the name of King Ca-
nute ; the only remains of the Royal Palace at Kingsbury, dis-
mantled by Abbat ^Elfric II. (p. 10). But the present structure,
even if it be on the same site, is of much more modern date ; and
Clutterbuck states that there are Deeds preserved in the Archives
of the Corporation, showing that it was built for a clock house
between the years 1402 and 1427.

In the area at its base, where a fountain is seen, stood the
Cross erected by Edward I. in memory of his Queen Eleanor.
(P. 66.)

The parish church of St. Peter is seen at the entrance of the
town on the north. A great number of the bodies of such as were
slain in the two battles between the rival Houses of York and
Lancaster, were buried in this church and churchyard. (Gough's
Sep. Mon.) Chauncy, in his mention of the monumental records
in this Church, notices the tomb of Sir Berlin Entwysel, slain in
the first battle of St. Albans fighting for the King. " Here lyeth
" Sir Berlin Entwysel, Kt. . . . died 28 May, 1455 ;" also the
Epitaphs of Ralph Babthorpe and Ralph his son ; the father Squire,
the son Dapifer to Henry VI. died 22 May, 1455 — and the follow-
ing:— Hie jacet Edmundus Westby Arm. Justiciarius Pacis Com.
Hertford et Hundredarius ac Balivus de Franchesia Sancti Albani et
Margaretta uxor ejus qui Ed : obiit 18 Sept. 1475. Weever, who
records this last monument as extant in his day, adds, on the

authority of Stowe^ in his Annah, that Henry VI. was in this Ed-
mund's House during the time of the first battle in the Town. The
House, with its grounds adjoining the Churchyard of St. Peter's, is
said to have been at that time the property of the above Edmund
Westby.

In the List of those admitted into the Fraternity of the Monas-
tery (Cotton MS. Nero, D vii.) is inserted " Willielmus Westby,
" Hundreder of this Monastery and Justice of the Peace. The
" benefit of our Fraternity is granted to him and his wife Agnes on
" his petition, Anno Domini 1487."

These monuments disappeared when this Church was deprived
of its Chancel and Transepts in the beginning of this century.

Close by, on the left, is Bernard's Heath, where the second
battle was fought.

Hatfield House, the noble residence of the Marquis of Salisbury,
lies in the distance on the right, and may be seen distinctly with
the aid of the telescope. An Oak is still shown in the Park, under
which the Princess Elizabeth was sitting when intelligence was
brought to her of the death of Queen Mary. The House in times
past belonged to the Bishops of Ely, whereupon it was named
Bishops Hatfield. (Camden's Brit.)

On the east side of the town, verging towards the south, and
just at the back of the houses, extended Key Field, the Arena of
the first conflict between the Houses of York and Lancaster.

On the distant hill is seen Porter's Lodge, the modern residence
of the Lords of Weld Randolfes.

The ancient Manor House stood at a short distance north of it,
and is described by Chauncy as compassed with a moat, having a
park adjoining to it. It was occupied for a time by Humphrey
Duke of Gloucester (Graf ton' $ Chronicle and Newcome, p. 509
et setf.)

Further to the right, on the other side of the river, are seen the
ruins of Sopwell Nunnery (p. 13). Camden (Britannia, published
1586) and Stukeley (Itmerarium Curiosum^ in 1720) record the
tradition that Henry VIII. was married to Anna Boleyn in this
Nunnery. In the distribution of the property of the Monastery
and its dependents this Religious House fell to the lot of Sir
Richard Lee (pp. 6 and 86). Newcome states that he repaired
and enlarged the structure with the materials of the dissolved Mo-
nastery, and built the wall which enclosed the lands from the
London Road. The house of Sopwell fell into decay in the reign
of Charles II. Among the parts taken down were ten large cir-
cular medallions of stone, representing some of the Roman Em-
perors. These were purchased by the Lord of Salisbury Manor,
in the parish of Shenley, and by him placed in the wall of his Hall,
then building anew, and are now still remaining there.

44 &6e a&bep of ®aint aiban.

In a field near the town, and nearly in the line of sight joining
these ruins and the Abbey, is the Ancient Well, from which the
Nunnery obtained its name, indicated by a protecting arch of brick-
work, and a tree planted near to it.

The site of the Hospital of St. Julian (p. 57), assigned to Tho-
mas Lee, the brother of Sir Richard, is marked by a farm house
(which preserves the name) and a double line of fir trees to the left
of St. Stephen's Church.

The ancient Watling Street seems to have passed by St. Ste-
phen's directly through the Roman city, a little southward of St.
Mary's Chapel1 and St. Michael's Church. Nevertheless, there is
a road round about, without the south side of the walls, for those
that had no occasion to go through the city (Stukeley's Itin. Cur.
and Pennant's Chester to London). The line of road carries the eye
on to the right, past the chief remains of the walls and foss of
Verulam, in a fir plantation, to Gorhambury (see p. 59), the resi-
dence of the Earl of Verulam, where a vestige is still to be seen of
the mansion built in the time of Robert de Gorham, and the ruins
of that in which Lord Bacon resided. He was buried in the
church of St. Michael.

The river bears the name of the Ver. It rises about nine miles
off towards the west, flowing by Merkyate Cell and falling into
the Colne four miles to the south-east

Nearly at the completion of the circuit is a white house on a
hill, called Oyster Hill. The name is possibly a corruption of
Ostorius' Hill, indicating the place of encampment of the Pro-
praetor in the time of the Emperor Claudius (Camden).

1 St. Mary de Pratis.

EXTRACTS FROM THE HISTORY
OF THE ABBEY.

>ME mention of the Town of Verulam, out of
whose gates the Martyr Alban passed to his death
on the rising ground where the Abbey Church now
stands, will properly accompany an account of the
monastery founded in his honour.

It is generally agreed that the name of the town
was of British origin, and originated in that of the river Ver or Ver-
lam1 which flowed beneath its walls. It rises in the parish of Flam-
stead — which is probably a contraction of Verlamstead (Camden)
— and at one time formed a great pool at what is now the lower
part of St. Albans ; which still preserves the memory of its origin
in the name of Fishpool Street.

The name of the town is given
as Oi/foXawov by Ptolemy — Vero-
lamium in the Itinerary of Anto-
ninus— while it appears in the form
of Verlamio on its coins.

Bythe term town (Oppidum) as
applied by the ancient inhabitants
of our island, we are to understand
a collection of rude huts and sta-
bling or sheds protected by palli-
sadoes and a ditch, and further
assisted by the natural advantages

c { , COINS OF ANCIENT VERULAM.

of entangled woods and morasses

to which the occupants retired to defend themselves against an

invading enemy (Caesar and Strabo).

1 Ver or Verlam, now called the Mure. Camden (Britannia, edit i*,
1586.) Verlumus or Murus, now called Moore. Lambarde (Diet. Ang. :
Top. and Hist. ; London, 1730). Ver; hence the name of the place Gwerllan.
or the Temple on the Ver. Humphrey Llwyd (Commentariolum. London,
1731.) Ver or Meure. Brayley (Beauties of England and Wales, 1808).

€be afefcep of

After the Romans had brought the people under subjection they
conferred upon this place the term of dignity — Municipium.

It is said to have been the residence or capital of Cassivellaunus,
the Prince of the Cassii, from whom he derived his name.1 The
territory of these people subsequently became part of the early
possessions of the monastery of St. Albans, under the name of
Albaneston ;8 the Normans changed it into Caisho, which has re-
mained to the present time.

On the second invasion of Britain by Caesar, B.C. 54, the forces
of Cassivellaunus were defeated, and the Britons, it is supposed,
retreated into Verulam.

It is probable — from the circumstance that the name of Verulam
appears on coins which were struck within a short period of
Caesar's landing — that it was at that time a place of importance.
Certainly it was the capital of Tasciovanus, the Father of Cunobe-
line, some of whose coins, besides those bearing merely the name
of the town upon them, have been found here.8

When Aulus Plautius first commanded in Britain (A. D. 42),
Verulam had the pre-eminence of a Municipium conferred upon it;
the native inhabitants enjoying the rights and privileges of office

1 Ita dictus est quasi Cassiorum princeps. Id ni esset, cur hinc Cassivel-
launum Dio vocat Suellan pro Vellan ? Camden.

a In Domesday Book, land belonging to the monastery is said to be in
Albaneston Hundred.

* An account of Coins found upon and near the site of Ancient Verulam j

by John Evans, F.R.S., F.S.A., Num. Chron. xx. 101. The author of the

paper here cited closes his catalogue with the following remarks, exemplifying

very forcibly the valuable service which such collections render to the historian

of any age or country. " These coins convey to the mind more forcibly than

"any historical evidence the reality of such a city having existed, of which so

" few visible traces now remain, and give some idea of the extent of its popula-

' tion. We may picture it, as we glance over the list of coins, first as the

' capital of one of the chief tribes of the Britons, becoming a military colony

' under Claudius, and burned to the ground by Boadicea soon after it had

' attained the rank of a Municipium under Nero. We may see signs of its

' restoration under Vespasian and Domitian, when Agricola had carried the

' scene of the war with the Britons far away into the north, and of its peaceful

'occupation during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus j while the

"scarcity of the coins of Aurelius and Commodus points to the disturbed state

" of Britain, which led to the arrival of Severus, whose presence is abundantly

*' testified by his coins. We may then imagine a period of comparative inaction

" till the days when Postumus, Victorinus and Tetricus successively held

" dominion in Britain, and find evidence that Verulam was a town of impor-

" tance under the British Emperors Carausius and Allectus. We may trace

" the prosperity it enjoyed under the able rule of Constantine ; a prosperity!

'* which lasted during the reign of his sons ; while the increasing barbarism

" and approaching dissolution of the Roman power in Britain becomes evident

" on the coins of their successors, and the series terminates with what can

" hardly be termed a coinage, the evident result of sheer anarchy and bar-

" barism."

§>aint aiimtu 47

and government of law and property equally with the Romans
themselves.

The fidelity of the inhabitants of Verulam to the service and
interests of the Romans brought upon them the anger of Boadicea,1
Queen of the Iceni, who, A.D. 61, avenged the bitter wrongs of
herself and her people by the slaughter of many thousands —
Romans and Britons — indiscriminately (Tacitus' Annals, 14, 33).
Dion Cassius writes that 70,000 were hanged, crucified or cut in
pieces without mercy.

Suetonius Paulinus was at this time occupied in the conquest
of Mona (the Isle of Anglesey). He came quickly upon the
victors and retook the city, with great slaughter of the Britons.

" In the meantime the true sun — not that in the firmament, but
" the Sun in the Highest Heavens — first shed its bright beams upon
" this island frozen by winter cold and long distance from the visible
" sun, i.e., Christ sent his messengers to preach the Gospel." (Gildas.)
The context shows that by the mean time the writer intended the
interval between Plautius' government and the revolt of Boadicea.

After Agricola had entirely subdued the island, A.D. 79, he
prudently taught the people the arts of civilization ; and the
Britons lived in much ease and quiet It is also matter of
accepted history that the Christian faith continued to gain ground
until the time when its maintainers throughout the empire suffered
dreadful persecution under the edict of Diocletian, at Nicomedia,
A. D. 303 ; which was carried out in Britain by Maximianus
Herculius (whom he had associated with himself in the Empire)
and Asclepiodotus2 (Leland's Collectanea). "In the days of
" Asclepiodotus was gret persecution of Cristen pepell by the tyrant
" Diocletian. In this same time Saint Alban was martered." (The
Saint Albans Chronicle, a MS. in the Archiepiscopal Library in
Lambeth Palace.)

Alban stands recorded in history as the proto-martyr of Britain.
He had given shelter and hospitality to Amphibalus,3 a Christian
and Deacon of the Church ; receiving through intercourse with
him an abundant return in his own conversion to the Faith.

1 According to some MSS. Boadicia or Bonduca.

9 Asclepiodotus commanded in Britain, under Constantius Chlorus, in the
year 296, and recovered Britain to the Roman Emperors after ten years of
revolt under Carausius and Allectus. He is mentioned by Eutropius, Bede, and
Geoffrey of Monmouth. " It is probable that he is the Asclepiodotus
" who wrote the life of Diocletian cited twice by Vopiscus in the life of
" Aurelian." (Collier's Hist. Diet.) St. Alban the Briton suffered in the time
of Asclepiodotus. (Acta Sanct.)

3 The name is of Greek formation, and signifies a cloak or mantle. Fuller
(Ch. Hist.) suggests that it may be a Greek translation of the name in his
own language, he observes that " Samuel was marked by such a mantle. So
" Robert Curthose had his surname from going in such a garment."

48 C&e atfcep of

When search was made for Amphibalus, Alban enabled him to
escape, and thus brought upon himself the death from which he
had for a time rescued his friend. Amphibalus was subsequently
captured in Wales. The intention of his persecutors seems to
have been that he also should suffer at Verulam ; but he was put
to death about four miles short of the city, where the village of Red-
bourn now stands, the church of which is dedicated to his memory.1

In an old Agonal or History of the passion of St. Alban, we are
told that the citizens of Verulam caused an account of his suffer-
ings to be recorded on a marble tablet, which they placed in their
town wall, as a public opprobrium to him, and a terror to all
Christians. But afterwards, when the blood of martyrs had over-
come the cruelty of tyrants, the Christians built a church in his
memory (Camden).

Gildas, who wrote De Excidio Britanniae in 564 — Bede the
Historian in 731 — the writer of an ancient MS. of the Monastery
of Rochester, to which the date 794 is assigned (see Leland's Col-
lectanea) and Matthew of Westminster under A. D. 313 concur in
the fact that a Church was founded in honour of Alban on the
spot where he suffered, within a very few years after the martyrdom.

Alford cites Giraldus Cambrensis, who lived about A. D. 1300,
as testifying that sacred edifices were erected in honour of St.
Alban and other martyrs of whom he was writing, in the time of
the Britons and before the Saxon invasion.

Among them was the Church of St. Alban, Wood Street,
London, founded by Offa, contiguous to his palace ; and the feel-
ing has especially revived in our own times of dedicating churches
to the memory of our martyr.

" Verulam carried with it so great an opinion of religion, that
" therein was holden a Synode or Council in the year of the
" World's Redemption, 429 j when as the pelagian Heresie by
" means of Agricola, sonne to the Bishop Severianus had budded
" forth afresh into this Island, and polluted the British Churches
** so as that, to averre and maintain the truth, they sent for Ger-
'* manus, Bishop of Auxerre, and Lupus, Bishop of Troies, out of
" France ; who by refuting this heresie gained unto themselves a
" reverend account among the Britons." — (Camden's Britannia.)

It is worthy of remark that Matthew of Westminster and other
ancient English writers represent this mission as having arisen out
of a request on the part of the British Church acceded to by a
council of the ancient Gallicans, without any mention of papal
intervention.

Germanus, when about to return home on the successful termi-

1 Several churches formerly bore his name — chief of them was the first
foundation of the noble cathedral of Winchester.

nation of his mission, caused the tomb and coffin of Alban to be
opened, and deposited therein certain relics of apostles and martyrs,
(see pp. 50 and 56) receiving some similar memorial of our
martyr which was taken out of the coffin, and presented to him in
gratitude for the benefit he had conferred on Britain.

Not long after the visit of Germanus, Verulam fell into the
hands of the Saxons. But Uther Pendragon, after a very tedious
siege, recovered it (Brompton). Upon his death it fell again into
their hands, for Gildas plainly intimates that the Saxons, in his day
(circ. A. D. 564) were in possession of the city. They are sup-
posed to have destroyed the population and reduced the buildings
to a mass of ruin. It is said that through the two succeeding
centuries its name does not occur in history. But there are
various events of later date which render the opinion probable
that it was not wholly deserted until after the rise of the modern
St. Albans.

The Saxons, on gaining ascendency over the Britons, changed
the name from Verulam to Werlamceaster, or Watlingceaster, or
Waetlingaceaster,1 according to the readings of different MSS. ;
the name of the city being taken from that of the Roman road,
Watling Street, which passed through it ; and is described by
Florentius (circ. A.D. 1117), cited by Ingram in his edition of the
Saxon Chronicle as Strata quamfilii Watli Regis ab orientali mare
usque ad occidentals per Angliam straverunt.

Sumner assigns another etymology and calls it mendicorum via —
the road of mendicants, from Weatla egenus. Dr. Guest2
observes that the Waetlings were the wild men who lived in the
weald as contradistinguished from the husbandmen who cultivated
the plain, and that the woodlands through which the Watling
Street ran for some 30 or 40 miles after leaving London, were
notorious during the middle ages for the banditti which infested
them. Matthew Paris tells us that Leofstan, abbat of St. Albans
in the nth century, cut down all the trees within a certain dis-
tance of the highway to enable travellers the better to provide
against the robbers that lay in wait for them.

Stukeley (Itiner. Cur. Iter 5, in a paper dated 10 October,
1722) writes, "Three years ago good part of the wall of Verulam
" was standing . . . but ever since, out of wretched ignorance
"... they have been pulling it up all round to the very
" foundation to mend the ways . . . there are round holes quite
*' through the wall, at about eight yards distance, in that corner
" still left by St. German's Chapel."

The place of martyrdom — the hill on which the church now
stands — received from the Saxons the name of Holmehurst ; after-

1 Cod. Diplom. No. 696. 2 Arch. Journ. xiv. 114.

I 1DDADV *

5°

wards it was called Derswold1 (Stow's Annals, London, 1631,) who
puts the name of John Capgrave in the margin as his authority.

Bede states in his History, that the original Church was existent
in his day. " Ecclesia est mirandi operis, atque ejus martyrio
" condigna, extructa." — i. 7.

About the year 793, Offa II.2 King of the Mercians, having
murdered Ethelbert King of the East Angles, and being desirous
of re-establishing his character in the world and appeasing his
troubled conscience, determined on founding a monastery in
honour of Alban at the place of his martyrdom. William of
Malmesbury says (lib. i. cap. 4) that the King was animated to
this work by Charlemagne, with whom he held a friendly corre-
spondence. He first made search for the Coffin, which had long
1 ain hidden under the green sod (sub cespite diu absconditum, Matt.
Par.) having been removed from the Church, that it might escape
the desecrating hands of the Saxons, who subsequently reduced the
sacred Structure almost to a ruin. — (Roger of Wendover. )

The denier of Charlemagne, of which an engraving is here
given, was lately found near the west entrance of the Abbey
Church. A similar coin is described in Longperier's Monnaies
Frangaises composant la Collection de M. y. Rousseau. The penny

of Offa was «iot found here,
but is given f jr the purpose of
illustration and comparison. It
is taken from Hawkins' Silver
Coins of England, No. 62.

When the Coffin was found,
it contained the remains of Al-
ban, and also the Relics which
had been added by Germanus.
The King placed on the head a
golden circlet, inscribed hoc est
caput S'' Albani ; and having
deposited the Remains in a Re-
liquary ,3 adorned with gold and
silver, and precious Stones, he
conveyed them back in solemn
procession to the little Church (Ecclesiola) which he had repaired

1 Ders*voold. Sir Walter at Le was commissioned by the King (Ric. II.) to
meet the townspeople of St. Albans in the Derfold wood. (Thos. Walsing-
ham, Hist. Ang. see p. 33.)

* Henry of Huntingdon, one of the earliest of our historians, Ralph de Diceto,
and Brompton, apud Twysden, have each recorded the genealogy of Offa, vary-
ing a little in the orthography of the names, and making him ifth in descent
from Wodin, the God of War of the Teutons, worshipped under the name of
Odin by the Scandinavians.

8 See a representation of this Reliquary, p. 58.

OFFA.

aiban, 51

as an Asylum, until a more worthy Edifice should be built. (See
Matthew Paris, Vit. Offae II. and the ancient Rochester MS. in
Leland's Collectanea.)

Offa journeyed to Rome to obtain consent of Pope Adrian to the
building and endowing the Monastery. This was granted ; toge-
ther with the Canonization of the Martyr, and especial privileges
to the contemplated Establishment.

Ina, King of the Weft Saxons, had originally appointed the levy
of Peter pence, A. D. 727, for the maintenance of a Saxon College
at Rome, and a penny was collected from each family holding lands
producing thirty pence in the annual rent. Subsequently Offa
obtained from the Pontiff that the pence collected throughout his
dominions should be appropriated to the Abbey of St. Alban.
(Hist. Aur. of John of Tynemouth in the Bodleian Lib. Ox-
ford, cited in Harleian MS. 258, fo. 36. See also Annotatio
de Romescot, sive de denario S. Petri solvendo. Saxonice.
Nero, A i, fo. 5).

This payment obtained the name of Peter Pence^ because it was
paid upon the first of Auguft, dedicated to St. Peter ad vinculay
being the day on which the King discovered the bones of the
martyr. The Romanist writers, Polydore Vergil and Cardinal
Baronius have misstated the fact ; and have represented it as a sort
of submission to the Pope, and that Offa thereby made his kingdom,
as it were, a fee of the Roman See.

In the year 1113 the payment of this tax was withheld (p. 56) ;
but in process of time it was claimed as a right, which clearly ap-
pears in the Bull of Adrian, A. D. 1154, authorizing Henry II. to
invade Ireland. (Rymer's Foedera, i. 15.)

On the return of Offa from Rome, he forthwith carried his
intention into effect, endowing the Monastery with the Royal Manor
of Winslow, where he was residing, when a miraculous light from
Heaven, while he was praying for information to enable him to com-
plete his vow of founding a monastery, seemed to betoken God's
favour and assistance.

He placed the Monastery under the Rule of Saint Benedict —
the Order which had been introduced by Augustin in 596. The
vow of the Order was, to live in the observance of the most rigid
chastity, to have no possessions of their own, and to pay obedience
to their superior or Abbat. They abstained from flesh except when
sick, and their dress was a long black Tunic, or close gown un-
girded, a white close waistcoat of woollen beneath, and a shirt of
hair. A cowl covered the head, or hung back on the shoulders.
The hair was shaven off the greater part of the crown, the feet and
legs were covered with boots.

It is the prevalent opinion among Antiquaries — as Dugdale and
Whitaker — that Ofra did not complete his original purpose of con-

52 €&e a&bep of

structing a larger and nobler Church. " The Chapel noticed by
" Bede, which had been built by the early Converts to Christianity,
" appears to have been appropriated by Offa as the Church of his
" new Monastery ; the officinal buildings in addition being com-
" pleted by him within four or five years." (Dugdale's Monasti-
con, vol. ii. p. 179.)

And this is not irreconcileable with the account of these transac-
tions as given by Mathew Paris. But there is some confusion in
this part of his History.

The King offered his Charter of Donation (a copy of which is
given in the Auct. Addit. of Matt. Par.) upon the High Altar or
the Church, A. D. 795 ; soon after which he retired to his palace
at Offley, and there died.

A confirmation of this Charter, given by ./Ethelred in 990 with
several other grants by kings and other benefactors in Saxon times,
will be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, published by John M.
Kemble, London, 1839.

Egfrid, his son and successor, rejected the solicitation of the first
Abbat that the King's remains should rest in the sanctuary of his
own foundation.

By this time about twenty great Monasteries had been founded ;
and about the same number of Episcopal Sees established.

A List of the Abbats will be found in A Table of Comparative
Chronology, p. 40. The following claim particular notice :

WILLIGOD was related to the King ; and had been appointed by
him the first Abbat. The refusal of Egfrid to permit his Father's
body to rest in his own Monastery is supposed to have caused the pre-
mature death of the Abbat, who survived the King only two months.

EADRIC, the 2nd Abbat, was of the blood royal, and chosen
from the body of the Monks, as charged by the Founder.

VULSIG, the 3rd Abbat, was descended from the royal family.

./EDFRID, was the 5th Abbat. In his time Ulpho the Prior
built a chapel in honour of Germanus, on the spot where the rude
dwelling which he had occupied (p. 48) lay in ruin. (Matt. Paris,
Vit. Abb.) " It is sixty one years since they," (the ruins of this
chapel of which Stukeley gave a view) " have been finally de-
stroyed." (Hist, of Ver. and S. Alb. by F. L. Williams, 1821,)

ULSINUS or ULSIC, the 6th Abbat, built the three adjacent
Churches, dedicated respectively to St. Peter, St. Michael, and St.
Stephen, and established a market. (Cott. Lib. Nero D 7.) The
illuminator of the MS. has represented him holding a model of a
Church in each hand. Before this time the town consisted only
of a few houses built near the Monastery. He also built a small
Chapel or Oratory to the honour of St. Mary Magdalen at a short
distance from Germanus Chapel.

was the 7th Abbat. He purchased of King Edgar the

large and deep fishpool already mentioned, and drained the waters,
and made it dry ground (Nero, D 7.) He translated into Saxon
some of the Historical Books of the Old Testament, together with
a fragment of Judith, printed at Oxford by Thwaites in 1698. New-
come observes of him, that it is remarkable that in his Epistles
and in one of his Sermons for Easter Day, his doctrine concern-
ing the Eucharist is wholly such as was restored by the Re-
formers. tc * Certainly,' he says, ' this Housel, [Host] which we
" * do now hallow at God's Altar, is a remembrance of Christ's
u ' Body, which He offered for us, and of His Blood, which He
" ' shed for us. Once suffered Christ by Himself; yet His suffer-
" 4 ing is daily renewed at the Mass, through mystery of the Holy
" « Housel.' ?1

" And in his Epistle to Wulfstan, Bishop of Sherburn, are these
" words, as may be seen in the original, still preserved in Exeter
u Cathedral. * And yet that Living Bread is not so bodily ; not the
" * self-same body that Christ suffered in ; nor is the holy Wine
" 4 the Saviour's Blood, which was shed for us, in Bodily Reality,
" ' but in Ghostly understanding.' "

A very curious and ancient MS. of a Latin and Saxon Glossary
by this Abbat, enlarged by JElfric Bata, his pupil, is preserved in
the inner Library of St. John's Coll. Oxford. The work was
printed at the end of Somner's Saxon Dictionary.

He became Archbishop of Canterbury, according to Dugdale,
in 995 ; and the same author, in the Appendix to the account of
Abingdon Monastery, of which JElfric had been a monk, gives a
copy of his Will in the original Saxon, which enumerates legacies
to the Abbey of St. Albans.

EALDRED the 8th Abbat and

EADMER his successor collected materials for rebuilding the
Church. The contemplation of a new Structure within the period
of two centuries from Offa's death is strongly corroborative of the
opinion, that a Church had not been built by him. Matthew Paris
relates that in the time of this Abbat a volume was found in the
ruins of Verulam, written in the language of the ancient Britons,
being a History of the Life and Martyrdom of Saint Alban. This
Treatise, translated into Latin, continued to be read in the Mo-
nastery in the time of Matthew Faris. (See Claudius, E 4, fo. 34.)

It has been suggested that the extensive removal of materials
also brought to light many of the valuable gems enumerated in the
inventories, (Nero D I and Claudius E 4.) One, at least, of these
gems was an ancient cameo ; a drawing of which was made by
Matt. Paris, and a description given of the virtues attributed to it.
Engraved gems appear among the ornaments in the Treasury of
St. Paul's Cathedral in London in the year 1295. (Dugd ale's
Monast.)

54 C&e a&fcep of

LEOFRIC, loth Abbat, son of the Earl of Kent, and surnamed
Plumstane according to Willis, strenuously defended the possessions
of the Church. He was in consequence raised to the Archbishop-
rick of Canterbury, and resigned the Abbacy. With reference to
this promotion, he is represented by the Illuminator of Cotton MS.
Nero, D 7, as having laid down the pastoral staff of an Abbat and
holding a crosier in his hand.

J&LFRIC, i ith Abbat, second of the name, was half-brother of
Leofric. He was at first Chancellor of King Ethelred, and when
holding that office bought the royal palace of Kingsbury, with its
ancient demesnes (regale municipium^ of which he obtained con-
firmation, upon his election to the Abbacy, for the use of the
monastery. He caused the palace to be levelled with the ground,
excepting a small tower (parvum propugnaculum] near the Monas-
tery, which the King (Canute) would not permit to be destroyed,
that some vestige might remain of the royal residence together with
the name, which still survives.

The manor of Westwick was granted to the Monastery by K.
Ethelred in the time of this Abbat, A. D. 990.

While Chanter of the Monastery he composed a History of Saint
Alban, and set it to music. It was in use in the Choir in the year
1380. (Cotton MS. Nero, D 7.)

LEOFSTAN, i2th Abbat, was Confessor to Ed ward the Confessor,1
who confirmed the grant of Abbots Langley to the Abbats of Saint
Albans by Egelwine the black and Winifred his wife ; whence it
has the adjunct of" Abbots " (see Codex Diplomat. No. 945). In
the same page is the admission of Oswald and ./E'Seli'Sa into the
fraternity by agreement with the Abbat and monks. He died in
1066.

FREDERIC, 1 3th Abbat, was elected in the short reign of Harold.
He was of the royal blood of the Saxons, and also next heir to
Canute. (Willis's Mit. Pad. Abbeys.)

He was a principal instrument in extorting an oath from William
the Conqueror, which was administered by himself, that he would
keep inviolate all the laws of the Realm, which his predecessors,
and particularly King Edward, had established. But the Conqueror
subsequently disregarded the engagement he had made, and the
Abbat was forced to retire to Ely, where he died in great vexation
of heart. (Cotton MS. Nero, D 7.) The Illuminator has repre-
sented him on horseback, wearing a cloak and hat, and turning in
his saddle to look upon a Church behind him, while he holds up
his hand in benediction.

Speed in his History of Great Britain records that Abbat

1 In the illuminated MS. Cott. Lib. Nero, D 7, he is represented as receiv-
ing the King's confessions.

3Umn. 55

Frederic conspired with two stout Earls, Edwin and Morcar, to
set up Edgar Atheling their general once again. He describes
somewhat at large the boldness of Frederic in presence of the
Conqueror.

PAUL of Caen, the 1/j.th Abbat, kinsman of Lanfranc, Archbishop
of Canterbury, was appointed in 1077 to preside over this Monas-
tery. He constructed the Church entirely anew of Stones and
Tiles from the ancient City of Verulam, and of the Timber which
he found collected and reserved by his predecessors. Eleven years
were occupied in building. The present Tower and Transepts,
and eastern part of the Nave, are the remains of this Structure.

Petrus de Valons (Valoignes) a Norman Baron gave the cell of
Bynham to the Monastery in the time of this Abbat. (Nero,
D vii.)

Robert Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland, founded the magni-
ficent Priory of Tynemouth and gave it to Abbat Paul and the
monks of St. Albans. He had been detained prisoner in Windsor
Castle by William Rufus and his successor, Henry 1., for many
years, and subsequently became a monk of this Abbey. He died
in 1 1 06, and over his grave Abbat Symeon afterward built a Chapel
of St. Symeon ; so that the Body was enclosed, and lay near the
Altar. Weever (Funeral Monuments) records the Epitaph en-
graven on his Tomb.

He obtained by exchange with the Abbat of Westminster what
had been the Chapel of Offa's Palace1 (now the Church of St.
Albans, Wood Street, Cheapside).

Returning from Tynemouth, he died on the way, and was mag-
nificently buried in the Abbey.

The Monastery remained in the hands of the King — William
Rufus — four years.

RICHARD DE ALBENEIO or d'Albeneio, Albini or D'Aubeney
succeeded. There is a remarkable difference in the MSS. regarding
his surname. Matthew Paris attaches no surname to the Abbats
in his Vit. Abbat. He is called in the Hist, of Roger de Wen-
dover, and in Harleian MS. 3775, Ricardus de Exaquio. In Cox's
edition of Roger de Wendover the editor calls him Richard ot
Lessay or Essay in Normandy.

The Coffin of St. Cuthbert was opened in 1104. A memoir
exists by an eye-witness, in all probability Simeon the Durham
historian. It took place on the occasion of the body being trans-
ferred from the old to the new Cathedral of Durham. Richard,
Abbat of St. Albans, Radulphus, Abbat of Seez, in Normandy, and
Alexander brother to the King of the Scots, had arrived to honour it

1 It had also been the Royal Palace of Athelstan j and hence was derived
the name of the adjacent Addle Street.

€&e abbep of

with their presence. (Hist, and Antiq. of the Anglo-Saxon Church,
by John Lingard, D.D., vol. ii. p. 79.)

The Church was dedicated in his Abbacy, at the time of Christ-
mas, on Innocents Day, A. D. 1115-16; King Henry the First and
his Queen Matilda, with the principal Nobles and Prelates of the
realm being present, from the 2yth of December to the 6th of
January. (The Saxon Chronicle in the Bodl. Lib. — Roger de
Wendover — Chronicle of John Wallingford and John deOxenead.)
It is remarkable that there is no mention of this important solem-
nity in the Codex, the St. Albans Chronicle, in the Lambeth
Library.

Ralph De Diceto (apud Twysden) records the names of the Pre-
lates present, viz. Geoffrey Archbishop of Rouen, Richard de Beau-
meis Bishop of London, Robert Blohet of Lincoln, Roger of Salis-
bury,1 and Randal of Durham. The Bishop of Lincoln (being the
Diocesan) took the chief part in the ceremonials.

But the Chronicon of John Wallingford (Cotton Lib. Julius,
D 7, of which Harl. MS. 688 is a copy) assigns this honour to the
Archbishop of Rouen. See also Harl. MS. 5775-14, De Dedica-
tione Eccles. Sci. Alb.

This Abbat constructed a Feretry, in which he deposited the
Relics of the twelve Apostles and Martyrs (Nero, D 7,) which St.
Germanus had placed in the sepulchre of Saint Alban. He also
built a Chapel to St. Cuthbert at St. Alban's Abbey, upon his
return from the Priory of Tynemouth, in thanksgiving for a mira-
culous cure obtained while assisting at the Translation of the Bones
of that Confessor.

A Council was held at St. Albans, A. D. 1113 ; and the Royal
prohibition received against paying Romescot for the present.

The priory of Wymondham was founded by William de Albeneio,
Count of Arundel, cupbearer to Henry I., and conferred on the
monastery of St. Alban during the Abbacy and by the procure-
ment of this Abbat.

The Cell of Beaulieu in Bedfordshire, and the Chapel of St.
Macutus were given to the Abbey by Robert de Albeneio. And
the Hist, of Benefactors to the monastery (Nero, D 7,) records
many gifts of Religious Houses and Manors by members of the
family of d' Albeneio.

GEOFFREY DE GORHAM, i6th Abbat, was so called from the
Castle of Gorram in Normandy, now called Gorron. The earliest
notice of it in the English Records occurs in 1202, when King
John issued a Writ for seizing the Castle of Gorham (Pat Rolls,
3 John, M 9.) We observe here the variation in the spelling the
name.

1 The tomb of Roger Bishop of Salisbury, is still to be seen in the Cathedral.

By a singular mistranslation of Ccenomania^ Newcome has
erroneously stated that this family came from Caen, instead of from
the Maine (Nichols's Collect. Top. et Geneal.)

Pedigree of de Gorham of Westwick (Gorhambury), and of Sandford Great
Hormede, Herts, taken from Nichols'' Collectanea.

WILLIAMS

GEOFFREY, Abbot
of St. Albans,
1120-1146, came
from the Maine.

HENRY, God-
father of
Ralph.

IVE DE G. of

Westwick.

ROBERT, Abbot
of St. Albans,
1151-1166.

RALPH, circ.=p
1140. Lord I
of Sarret, 1
1160.

HENRY, monk
of St. Albans,
ob. circ. 1216.

ROBERT, monk
of St. Albans,
circ. 1161.

GEOFFREY, monk
of St. Albans,
circ. 1161.

He built an Hospital for Lepers, and dedicated it to St. Julian.
Julian and Bardissa his wife lived in Egypt, and applied their pro-
perty and their time to the relief of the poor and sick, fitting up
their house suitably for their comfort. They suffered martyrdom
in 313. Hence Julian is accounted the patron of Travellers,
Wanderers and Lepers. The Statutes of the Hospital, appointed
by Michael, the 2gth Abbat, exist in the Cottonian Library, in the
British Museum (Nero, D i, fo. 24), and are printed in the Works
of Matthew Paris, by Wats.

Matthew Paris relates, that two women having entered on a re-
cluse life in a hut which they had constructed near the river, the
Abbat built a House for their better accommodation, placing
therein thirteen sisters under the" Rule of Saint Benedict. And
because the two first women used to dip their dry bread in the
water of a neighbouring spring, the place was called Sopwell

(P- 43)-

But Clutterbuck (Hist, and Antiq. of the County of Hertford)
shews that these women must have lived before the time of Abbat
Geoffrey, inasmuch as he was a witness to a gift of land to this cell
by Robert de Albeny, which Roger the Hermit had rebuilt in the
time of Henry de Albeny, the father of Robert.

The Customs and Rules of the Nuns of the Blessed Mary of Sopwell
exist in MS. in the Cotton Library (Nero, D i, fo. 26), and are
printed by Wats.

This Abbat also founded Merkyate Cell in the parish of Cad-
dington by the name of the Church of the Holy Trinity in the
wood. It was consecrated by Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln. See
page 10. (Matt. Paris, V. Abb.)

In his time a costly shrine or feretry was constructed of silver
gilt, and ornamented with gems, in which the Relics of the Martyr
were deposited with great solemnity, after they had been removed
from the ancient tomb, in the presence of the Bishop of London,
several Abbats and other Dignitaries.

An illuminated MS. of the Histories of Offa I. and II. by Matt.
Par., which was given to the Church by him, and is now in the
Brit. Mus. (Nero, D i), represents under the following form the

Reliquary, in which the Remains of St. Alban were conveyed from
their place of concealment to the little Church which the King had
repaired, that it might serve as a temporary asylum.

As regards the Reliquary prepared by Offa, this form is, of
course, altogether imaginary ; but as the bones of the Martyr were
preserved in the Reliquary made by Abbat Geoffrey when the
Illuminator of the manuscript executed his work, we may be
allowed to suppose that he may have here transmitted to us some
general resemblance of it.

It is remarkable that although this Abbat is mentioned in the
Cotton MS. Nero, D 7, as a benefactor to the Abbey, having
given many books and vestments and much ornamental furniture ;
no record is made therein of the Hospital of St. Julian or the
Shrine of St. Albans.

The grant of The Liberty of St. Albans was now first made to

the Abbat by Henry I. It conferred the great civil power of hold-
ing pleas, and taking cognizance of all lesser crimes, and offences,
which had been punishable in the leets, the hundred, and the
county courts.

The original charter is at the Public Record Office, London,
and bears date at Westminster the 3rd day of November, 2nd
of Edward IV., and is signed by the King himself. There is a
printed copy of it in Clutterbuck's History of Hertfordshire, vol. i.
Appendix No. i.

Of RALPH DE GOBION/ lyth Abbat, Matt. Par. records, as a cir-
cumstance discreditable to him, that he caused a rich chasuble to
be burned for the sake of the gold with which it was embroidered,
and the shrine to be stripped of all the plates of gold in order to
purchase the vill of Brentfield ;* he also sold the jewels, when he
might have raised the sum required by the sale of gold and silver
cups which were used at his table. The rent of the new purchase,
he however adds, was appropriated by the Abbat in perpetuity to
the restoration of the shrine and afterwards of the edifice ; and
Walsingham, who also records the spoliation (see extracts from the
life of the next Abbat), assigns a justifying and even a creditable
reason for it, though he does not clear the memory of the Abbat
from the imputation of having spared the plate used at his own
table. He died A. D. 1151 ; after resigning in favour of

ROBERT DE GORHAM, i8th Abbat, nephew of Geoffrey. He
granted lands in the neighbourhood to one of his family and name,
who settled there ; and the place obtained the appellation of Gor-
hamburyy i. e. the house and dwelling of Gorham. He built the
Chapter House and the Locutory, now called the Abbat's Cloister.
He repaired and adorned with gold and silver and precious stones
the Feretry of the Martyr, which had been despoiled during the
famine in the time of Abbat Ralph to supply the necessities of the
poor. (Nero, D 7.)

King Stephen was honourably entertained by this Abbat, who
profited by the occasion to obtain permission to demolish all that
remained of the royal palace of Kingsbury (p. 54), because certain
of the royal servants, who gave much annoyance to the Abbat, oc-
cupied a tower (propugnaculum vel municipiolum) towards the east,
almost in the centre of the street, as a residence and refuge.

He was engaged in a dispute with the Earl of Arundel concern-
ing the Cell of Wymondham in Norfolk, which his father, William
de Albini, had founded as subordinate to the Abbey. The contest
after a long discussion ended in the Earl's acknowledgment of the
rights of the Abbat. — (Matt. Par. see pp. 12 and 17.)

1 Gobion Higham in Bedfordshire.

* Newcome suggests that the vill received the name subsequently as signify -
ing that it was purchased with burnt or brent goods.

Cije afebep of

It was probably in his time that Nicholas, son to a servant in the
Abbey, Robert Breakespeare of Abbots Langley, a village near St.
Albans, applied for admission into the monastery.

In the Catalogue of Benefactors and of those admitted into the
fraternity of the monastery of St. Albans (Cotton MSS. Nero,
D 7), record is made of John Ferrers and Agatha his wife, coheiress
of Adrian Brekespere of Langley — and also Bernard Brekespere,
clerk, her uncle. There is a farm in this parish which still pre-
serves the name of Breakspear ; and local tradition has always ac-
counted it the place of the nativity of the only English Pope.

Nicholas was refused admission by the Abbat on the ground of
insufficiency of learning, upon which he went abroad to study in
foreign schools ; and by means of great natural abilities combined
with diligence, he acquired a high reputation for learning. Even-
tually he was raised to the chair of St. Peter in 1155, under the
name of Adrian IV. ; and is the only Englishman who has attained
that high dignity. He was " the first that taught the Norwegians
" the Christian faith ; and repressed the citizens of Rome aspiring
" to their ancient freedom — whose stirrup also, as he alighted from
" his horse, Frederick, Emperor of the Romanes, held — and whose
" breath was stopped in the end, with a flie that flew into his
" mouth." — (Camden's Britan.) When the news of his advance-
ment reached the monastery, the Abbat repaired to Rome, that he
might obtain confirmation of the ancient privileges of this church.
He was received kindly by the Pope, who granted all the favours
he sought, together with some privileges allowed to no other Abbey
in the kingdom.

About the year 1161 Geoffrey and Robert de Gorham, monks
of St. Albans, were sent by their Uncle the Abbat (see Genealogy,
p. 57), with a present to Pope Adrian of two Candelabra, exqui-
sitely wrought in silver and gold (Matt. Par.) ; and in the " Annales
Eccles." of Baronius, is given a congratulatory letter from King
Henry of England to the Pope on his accession. These annals
recount particulars of the holding the stirrup of the Pope by the
Emperor, and that the Pontiff then, for the first time, admitted this
Sovereign to the Kiss of Peace. The death of this Pope by a fly
is rejected by Baronius as false. Matthew Paris thinks that he
was poisoned.

From this time the Abbat and his successors assumed the mitre
(he is the first depicted with a mitre in the illuminated MS. Nero,
D 7) ; and twice in a year afterwards, he assembled his clergy ;
forming a synod, and prescribing rules and laws for the convent
and cells, habited in the mitre ; but leaving to the bishop, as before,
all ordinations to the priesthood, consecrations of oil, dedica-
tions of churches and altars, &c.

He died October 20, 1166. The contest for power between

the crosier and the sceptre was now in its zenith ; and Henry II.
was determined to exercise what he believed to be his right ; and
accordingly kept the Abbey vacant several months. During this
interval the functions of the head were intrusted to the Prior, the
Steward, and other brethren. At length the King appointed SYMON,
or SYMEON, igth Abbat ; who completed the costly shrine, which
had not attained the extent of Geoffrey's intentions for want of
funds. Matthew Paris gives a detailed account of its structure.
The Feretry of Abbat Geoffrey continued to be the depository of
the bones of the Martyr, and was covered by that of Abbat Symon,
which for that purpose was made of a great size. It was also
raised to such a height as to be in view of the celebrant at the high
altar.

The relics of Amphibalus (seep. 48) were discovered at Red-
bourn in his time, and brought to the Abbey. He procured the de-
dication by the Bishop of Durham of the chapel of St. Cuthbert,
built by Richard de Albini. He caused a History of the Martyrdom
of St. Alban and of Am-
phibalus, written in the
vernacular language about
the year 590, to be trans-
lated into Latin by William
the Monk. (See Claudius,
E 4, fo. 34.) This Abbat
was sent by Archbishop
Becket to Henry, the eldest
son of King Henry II. to
try to negotiate a reconci-
liation between them. Matt.
Par. has given an account of
the conference bet ween the
Archbishop and the Abbat.
A translation of this inter-
esting conversation will be
found in Historical Me-
morials of Canterbury, by
Arthur P. Stanley, M.A.,
Canon of Cant. 1 856. The
King had caused his son to
be crowned during his own
lifetime, and the Archbi-
shop accordingly gives him
the title of Rex Junior.

In the illustrated MS. Cott. Lib. Nero, D 7, Adam the Cellarer
is introduced between this Abbat and his successor, probably for
the same cause that it is there recorded of him, that he was buried

Cfee

in the Chapter House among the Abbats on account of his great
merits. No date is attached to his name. Another member of
the monastery has the same distinction given to his memory.

ADAM THE CELLARER.

D 7, Cotton MSS.1

Nero,

ALAN MIDDLETON.

Nero, D 7, Wright, 136.'

Alan Middleton, who was Collector of Rents of the obedientiaries
of the monastery, and especially of those of the bursar. This is also
without date.

WARREN DE CAMBRIDGE, 20th Abbat, elected by the fraternity,
founded the hospital of St. Mary de Pratis for the reception of
leprous women, as the hospital of St. Julian had been built by
Geoffrey de Gorham for men. This Hospital of St. Mary de
Pratis was dissolved by Cardinal Wolsey ; and was one of the forty
small endowments for which he procured a grant from the Pope in
1526 for appropriating their revenues towards the founding his new
College of Christ Church at Oxford. They all fell into the King's
hands when Wolsey was attainted. The Rules of the Hospital,
written in Norman French, exist in the Cotton Lib. MSS. Nero,
D i.

Among the institutes of this Abbat was a regulation relating to
the mode of burial of the monks ; it being directed that they should
no longer be interred in a mere grave, but placed in a coffin of
stone. He caused a feretry splendidly adorned with gold and silver
to be made, in which the relics of St. Amphibalus were deposited.

1 For these blocks, taken from Wright's " Domestic Manners," the
compiler is indebted to the kindness of Messrs. Chapman and Hall.

aifmn, 63

(Nero, D 7.) In his time Richard Coeur de Lion was taken pri-
soner by Leopold, Duke of Austria, on his return from the Holy
Land ; and this Abbat sent to the King two hundred marks of
silver, in contribution towards his ransom ; or, as is recorded in
Nero, D 7, King Richard had required the Chalices of England
for his ransom, and our Abbat redeemed the sacred vessels by the pay-
ment of 200 marks. The transaction is represented by the illuminator.

JOHN DE CELLA, 2ist Abbat, so called from the cell of Wal-
lingford over which he presided before he was chosen Abbat, is
also named DE STUDHAM from the place of his birth. This Abbat
began the transformation of the west front of the Church from the
Norman to its present style of architecture ; but meeting with
many impediments, he did not live to complete it. In his time
the kingdom was under interdict from Pope Innocent III. j and
there was a suspension of divine worship in this Monastery as else-
where.1

WILLIAM DE TRUMPINGTON, 22nd Abbat, was elected on the
day of St. Edmund K. and Martyr — and solemnly and pontifically
consecrated before the great altar in St. Alban's Church, by Eustace
Bishop of Ely, on the day of St. Andrew the Apostle. (Roger de
Wendover.)

He continued and completed the change at the west end, which
his predecessor had begun, and raised a lofty lantern on the tower.
He was present at the Council of Lateran,2 summoned by
Innocent III. A. D. 1215 ; and he held a great consistory at St.
Albans of Abbats, Priors, Archdeacons, and others. During his
rule, when the contest arose between King John and his Barons,
the King, setting forth to raise forces, came to this Abbey with a
numerous train of adherents and soldiers. The church of Red-
bourn was dedicated to the honour of the martyr Amphibalus and
his companions ; and the Feretry, with the Reliques of the Martyr
and his companions in the Abbey, were removed from the place
where they were first deposited, viz. behind the High Altar near

1 The following is a note by Browne Willis in his own copy of his Survey
of Cath. Churches ; in which he had entered several corrections, additions and
other notes in his own hand.

" I suspect the true and real name of Abbat John de Cella was John de
' Scelford ; for in a curious old original Court Roll on Vellum in my posses-
' sion, formerly belonging to the manor of Krokesley, in Rickmersworth — part
' of the possessions of this Abbey — at an Halimote, or Court Baron, held on
' All Souls Day, 53 of Henry III., it is thus entered 1268 : ' Juratores dicunt
' ' super Sacrm. suum, Terra quam Isabella Stut tenet, solebat reddere annuatim
"tempe Dni. J. de Scelford, &c.' Possibly this Dominus, J. de Scelford,
might be Cellarer to the Abbey." (Coles Add. MSS. 5828, p. 172 et

3 MS. Nero, D i, fo. 74, of the Cotton Lib. is a copy of a form appointed
by this Council for the Institution of an exempt Abbat in England. It was
used on the occasion of the succession of the next Abbat, John de Hertford.

64 &&e abfcep of

the Feretry of St Alban, and solemnly transferred to the place en-
closed in the middle of the church with an iron grating, and pro-
vided with an altar suitably ornamented. (Mat. Par. Lives of the
Abbats).

About this time also, Thomas, Bishop of Norwich, dedicated a
cemetery for the Church of St. Alban, in which many persons had
been buried during the interdict, which arose out of the same
disastrous contests.

In the time of this Abbat, in the year 1217, Matthew of Paris,
the celebrated historian, took upon him the religious habit in this
Abbey, as appears from a memorandum by himself in the MS.
Nero, D I, fo. 165, in the Cottonian Library.

JOHN DE HERTFORD, 23rd Abbat, had been Sacristan, and after-
ward Prior of the cell at Hertford.

At the coronation of Henry III. the mitred Abbats being placed
next to the Bishops, John of Saint Albans was the first of them.
For as St. Alban was the first martyr of England, so this Abbat
possessed the first place in rank and dignity (Lambeth Libr. Cod.
589, p. 30), until deprived of the same by the Abbat of West-
minster. (Harleian MS. No. 3775-12, p. 5.) And yet this
priority seems to have been subsequently recovered ; for in the list
of signatures attached to The Articles of Faith drawn up by Con-
vocation, 28 Henry VIII. in 1536, that of Robert Catton, Abbat
of Saint Albans (p. 40), stands first of the Abbats ; and next to
him, that of William Benson, or Boston, Abbat of Westminster.
The original MS. of these Articles exists in the Cotton MSS. Cleo-
patra, £ 5.

In 1239 the Legate Otho excommunicated the Emperor with
great solemnity in this Abbey.

In the year 1247 two Friars Minors, sent by the Pope with
authority to collect money in England, demanded of the Abbat of St.
Albans, 400 marks to be paid to them for the Pope's use. Being
refused, they demanded it the second time in the same year. (Hist,
of England, by Robert Brady.)

About the same time a pestilence raged in the town, and nine or
ten corpses were interred daily in the Churchyard of St. Peter's.

The King — Henry III. — made eight visits to the monastery
during the rule of this Abbat, and presented many costly vest-
ments. (Matt. Par.)

Matt. Paris records an earthquake in 1250 which greatly affected
St. Albans, and the neighbourhood which is called Ciltria.1

In the year 1256 Letters were sent from the Pope to the Abbat
of St. Alban and his Monastery, that within fifteen days of Easter

1 Ciltria Ager sive regiuncula non procul a Sancto Albano quae in antiqua
Saxonum notitia Anglice Criteria.

Saint aiban.

they should pay to the Collectors (Usurarii) of the Pope 500 marks
to which they were bound. If they should not pay, the Monastery
would be forthwith suspended from divine offices, and the Abbat
excommunicated by name (Chronica Joh. de Oxenedes).

In the same year (1256) Matt. Paris records (Hist. Major) that
the Church of St. Alban was placed under interdict, assigning as
the reason the vexatious exactions of the Papal Collectors (Proter-
vientibus Papalibus exactoribus).

At this time it was found necessary to repair or rebuild the east
end of the Church ; and in 1259 Matthew Paris died. Codex 643
in the Lambeth Lib. contains many papal Bulls ; at page 7 is a
Bull of Alex. IV. who held the papacy from 1244 to 1261, ex-
empting the Monastery of St. Albans and all its cells, enumerated
in order, from Episcopal authority.

The seal of this Abbat is attached to a charter in the British
Museum conveying a grant for the support of a Mass in the
Church of St. Mary, Hertford, A.D. 1258.

The Lives of the Abbats, by Matthew Paris, end with John of
Hertford. We are chiefly indebted to Thomas Walsingham for
those that follow, to Abbat De la Mare inclusive. (Cotton MSS.
Claudius, £ 4.)

66 C&e a&fcep of

ROGER DE NORTON (near Baldock in Hertfordshire) succeeded.
In Prinn's Col. torn. 3, p. 1302, apud Browne Willis, Mitred
Abbeys, Ralph Banburgh occurs Abbat of St. Albans, A.D. 1280.
This is not noticed in Dug. Mon. Ang.

There is a copy of the confirmation of Roger de Norton to the
Abbacyof St. Albans by Pope Urban, in Rymer'sFoedera, A.D. 1263.

It is stated by modern writers that in his time St. Albans was
put in a fortified state, and all its avenues strongly barricadoed to
prevent the ravages occasioned by the baronial wars.

In the year 1291 — the last of this Abbat's rule — Edward I.
King of tngland held his court at St. Albans, and soon after
hastened to Scotland.

JOHN OF BERKHAMSTED, 25th Abbat, was installed on
Saint Alban's day, 1291. In his time the body of Eleanor,
Queen of Edward I. rested at St. Albans, in progress from Herde-
by,1 near Lincoln, where she died, to Westminster } and shortly
after a commemorative cross was erected in the High Street. It
was destroyed a little before the year 1 702, as appears by the fol-
lowing entry in a book belonging to the Corporation cited by Clut-
terbuck : — *' 3 Feb. 1702. Ordered that a Market House2 be built
"and set up where the Old Cross lately stood." Waltham Cross,
erected on the same occasion, having fallen into decay, was restored
a few years ago.

In the Vetusta Monumenta, vol. iii. 1796, there is an interesting
description and plates of the Eleanor crosses then existent.

An attempt being made to force the clergy to pay an eleventh
part as well as a tenth in support of the war, a Royal letter was
issued to the collectors protecting the Clergy from the additional
tax. The document ends thus : " Teste meipso apud Sanctum
Albanum anno nost. reg. xxiiii. (Edw. I., A.D. 1295.) Another
Royal letter in support of the war was written at St. Albans, A. D.
1297.

This Abbat was chiefly engaged during his Abbacy in disputes
and compromises with the King respecting the claims and privi-
leges of the Church. Eventually he obtained from the Sovereign
a confirmation of all grants made by his predecessors.

This was in A.D. 1302, the year of the Abbat's death; who was
buried in front of the high altar, in presence of the Abbats of
Westminster and Woburn. (Thos. of Walsingham, Claud. E 4.)

1 There can be no doubt that this place is, as Mr. Gough states, a little
village called Hardby, on the Lincolnshire side of the Trent, but in the County
of Nottingham, five miles West of Lincoln, which by this event, and this event
only, has been brought into notice. (Archaeologia, vol. xxix. p. 167,)

* This was pfobably the octagonal covering supported by wooden pillars,
which was removed in the year 1810.

aitan. 67

JOHN DE MARINIS, 26th Abbat — Cellarer1 from the gth to the
I5th of Edw. I. (Coles Add. MSS. 5828,9. 172), had officiated as
Prior for the last fourteen years. In his time when King Edward II.
visited the Abbey this Abbat " caused the tomb and feretry of St.
44 Alban to be removed from the place where it stood, and the
*4 marble tomb, which we now see, to be constructed, at a cost of
" 820 marks." (Nero, D 7. A MS. compiled by Thomas Wal-
singham in 1380.) It may be considered as a temporary removal,
caused by the repairs which were then in progress in the eastern
part of the Church ; or it may have arisen out of the discovery of
the ancient tomb of St. Alban in 1257. See p. 61.

He was buried in the Abbey by Richard de Hertford, the Abbat
of Holy Cross, Waltham.

HUGH DE EVERSDEN, so called from a village in the county of
Cambridge, was the 27th Abbat. He had been Cellarer for five
years before his election (Coles Add. MSS. 5828). In his time
some pillars of the south aisle of the Church gave way, the roof
fell, and great part of the south wall over the cloister was thrown
down. The Abbat commenced the work of restoration, and ex-
pended a large sum of money upon it. (Nero, D 7.) The same
MS. also records the names of many who contributed to the
rebuilding of the Cloisters.

This Abbat also finished the Lady Chapel, and its antechapel,
where the shrine of Amphibalus was placed. They had been com-
menced long before, as appears from the arcade lately laid open by
Mr. Scott, which is of the same date with that in the aisles of the
Saints' Chapel and Retro-choir.

Here it may be well to insert an entry which is without date, in
the Catalogue of Benefactors, &c., to the Monastery of St. Albans
from the time of the Conquest, preserved in the Cottonian MSS.
Nero D 7. " Magister Reginaldus de Sancto Albano, afFectus penes
41 eundem Martirem specialiter et istud Monasterium, construxit
" Capellam gloriose Virginis in orientali parte ecclesize ; ubi co-
44 tidie Missa per notam, in honorem ejusdem Virginis, celebratur."

Walsingham gives a lengthened account of a second visit to the
Monastery by King Edward II. j and of his proceeding from St.
Albans to Ely, to settle a question regarding the relics of Saint
Alban.

During the rule of this Abbat — Nov. 16, 1320 — Reginald
d'Asserio was consecrated to the See of Winton by the Bishops of
London, Ely, and Rochester in St. Albans Abbey. (Hist. Winton.
Ang. Sac. vol. i. p. 316.)

1 A list of Cellarers of this Abbey is preserved in the Coles Add. MSS. 5818,
fo. 188 ; among them J. de Scelford (probably John de Cella), John de
Marynis, H. Eversden, Wm. Heyworth, Abbats, and Robert Blakeney, the
last who acted in that capacity, and was also Chaplain to Abbat Ramryge.

68 Cfce a&&ep of

The same circumstance is thus recorded by another Annalist.
In the year 1320, the See of Winchester being vacant, the Pope
reserved to himself the collation to that dignity. But the monks of
Winchester, notwithstanding the reservation, elected a member of
their own monastery by unanimous consent. The Pope hearing of
this election annulled it, and conferred the See on Rigaudo (vel
Rigando. Reginaldum autem appellant alii, Annals of Edward II.,
by John de Trokelowe. Claud. D 6, 8, published by Hearne,
Oxford, 1729 ; who considers Trokelowe to have been a monk of
St. Albans), who having obtained permission of the King, after
much opposition, was consecrated, with leave of the Abbat and
monastery, by the hands of the Bishops of London, Ely, and
Rochester at the High Altar, Saint Albans. (Annales Edward
II., by John de Trokelowe, a monk of St. Albans j Claud.
wi. 9.)

Godwin (De Praesulibus Angliae) records that William de
Greenfield, Archbishop of York, who died Dec. 13, 1315, left all
his books to the Library of St. Albans Abbey.

Hugh was twice besieged in his Abbey by the townsmen on
questions of rights and privileges. They desired to be answerable
to the King rather than to an inferior lord, and attempted to break
off their allegiance to the Abbat; alleging in their petition to
Edward II. that they held their town of him in capite ; and had
been accustomed in the times of Edward I. and his ancestors, to

five their attendance in Parliament by two burgesses ; but that the
heriff had refused to summon the said burgesses. This matter
resulted in an agreement, which was confirmed by King Edward III.
in the first year of his reign ; and the Abbat was obliged to submit
to the King's writ, commanding the Abbat to place all the liberties,
privileges, &c. on the same establishment as recorded in Domesday
Book. A copy of this agreement is given by Clutterbuck, vol. i.
Appendix No. iii.

RICHARD DE WALLINGFORD, 28th Abbat, obtained from the
townspeople the surrender of all the privileges wrested from
Hugh de Eversden, with all their charters and records of what-
ever kind. (Walsingham's Hist. Ang. — Claud. E 4.)

This is confirmed by the fact that an official memorandum, at
foot of the agreement above mentioned, dated a few years later,
records that a deputation of the townspeople on their own peti-
tion, surrendered this charter — renounced all the privileges set
forth — and prayed that it might be cancelled. It will be found in
the Report of the Committee of the House of Peers upon the dig-
nity of a Peer of the Realm, 1826. It is also given in Clutter-
buck's Appendix.

Sir Henry Chauncey (Hist, of Hertfordshire), also writes that
from the 5th of Edward III. he did not find that this borough sent

§>aint aifmn, 69

any more burgesses to Parliament ; and supposes that the Abbat
prevailed on the King to discharge them from this service.

This Abbat was son of a blacksmith and learned in geometry
and astronomy. He constructed an astronomical clock with great
skill, and at great cost. Leland (De Script. Brit.), librarian to
King Henry VIII. speaks of the clock as going in his time, and
noting the fixed stars, the course of the sun and moon, with the
ebb and flow of the tide. In the illuminated MS. Nero, D 7,
Cott. Lib. the effigy of the Abbat points to his clock. He invented
also an astronomical instrument, to which he gave the name
Albyon ; and copies of a treatise written by the Abbat, explanatory
of its use, are in the Harl. MS. No. 80; the Bodleian Lib. Laud.
F 55 ; and the Lib. of Corp. Christ. Coll. Oxon, MSS. 144. This
last collection contains also a treatise, bearing date 1326, on another
instrument invented by this Abbat.

On St. Andrew's Eve, 1334, the 8th year of his rule, a violent
storm of thunder and lightning set the cloister on fire above the
Abbat's chamber, between the chapter-house and the dormitory.
It was soon extinguished, but the Abbat never recovered from the
shock. He was buried on the Monday following by John, Abbat
of Waltham. (Harl. MS. apud Gough Sep. Mon.)

MICHAEL DE MENTMORE, S. T. B., 2gth Abbat, deriving his
name from a village in the vale of Aylesbury, carried on to com-
pletion the repairs of the south Aisle, begun by Hugh de Eversden;
and added three altars, with the vaulting of the same aisle. He
also repaired the Cloister from the Abbat's door to the door of the
Church, and caused an eagle of silver gilt to be placed on the crest
of the feretry of the martyr. (Nero, D 7.) The same MS. men-
tions the gift of two suns, to be similarly appropriated. New rules
and ordinances for the Monastery, the Hospital of St. Julian, and
the nuns of Sopwell, were framed by him.

The fifth son of Edward III., born at King's Langley, was after-
wards baptized in the royal palace by Abbat Mentmore, receiving
the name of Edmund, June 5th, 1341. (Hist. Ang. by Thos. Wal-
singham.) He was the ancestor of the House of York.

Philippa the Queen went over to St. Albans Abbey to be
churched, and her offering was a cloth of gold.

This Prince was buried in the Conventual Church at King's
Langley ; and when that building was destroyed, the monument was
removed to the village Church, where it is still to be seen.

The Abbat died a victim to the dreadful pestilence which was
then tracking its course with destruction over the greater part of the
globe. The Prior, sub-Prior and many inmates of the monastery
died at the same period of the same virulent disease. He was
buried at foot of the High Altar, and his epitaph is recorded by
Weever. (Fun. Mon.)

70 Cbe atifcep of

THOMAS DE LA MARE or MERE or MORE, 3oth Abbat, was
the son of Sir John de la Mare and Joanna, daughter of Sir John
de la Harpsfield. His brother John took the vow at this Abbey,
and his sister Dionysia became a sister and nun at the Hospital of
St Pre. He was probably a near relation of Sir Peter de la Mare,
said to be the first Speaker of the House of Commons. (South's
LifeofWickham.)

See Confirmation by Bull of Pope Clement VI. A. D. 1349, an.
23 Edward III. of the election of Abbat Thomas on the death of
Abbat Michael, dated at Avignon, viii. ides of July, the 8th year
of the Pontificate. (Rymer's Foedera, vol. v. p. 662.)

He had been Prior of the cell of Tynemouth, in Northumber-
land ; and in that situation entertained the Scottish Earl Douglas,
after the latter had been made prisoner at the battle of Neville's
Cross. A few days before, Douglas had sent a message bidding
him prepare a breakfast for him and his men for two days, intend-
ing thereby to frighten him.

He was in high favour with Edward III., who constituted him
President of the General Chapter of Benedictines throughout Eng-
land ; and when Edward the Black Prince won the battle of
Poictiers in 1356, and had taken the French King John prisoner,
the captive monarch was for a time resident in the Monastery of
St. Albans in custody of the Abbat. (Monast Ang. Dugdale.)
He was treated by De la Mare with great consideration and respect ;
and on an occasion which offered itself to the King, after he had
returned to his dominions upon payment of the appointed ransom,
he released three men of the town of St Albans, made prisoners
in France, directing them on their return home to thank the Abbat
for their freedom. (Newcome.)

In 1350, the ist year of the rule of this Abbat, the following
precept was issued at Westminster : —

"The King (Edward III.) to all and singular the Sheriffs,
" Mayors, Bailiffs, Officers and his other lieges, as well
" within liberties as without, to whom, &c., greeting.

" Know ye that we have appointed our beloved Hugh de St.
" Albans, master of the painters assigned for the works to be exe-
ct cuted in our Chapel at our Palace at Westminster, to take and
" choose as many painters and other workmen as may be required
" for performing those works, in any places where it may seem ex-
" pedient either within liberties or without, in the counties of
" Kent, Middlesex, Essex, Surrey and Sussex; and to cause those
u workmen to come to our Palace aforesaid, there to remain in
" our service at our wages as long as may be necessary. And
" therefore we command you to be counselling and assisting this
" Hugh in doing and completing what has been stated, as often

§>atnt aiftan.

" and in such manner as the said Hugh may require." (Rymer's
Foedera, vol. v. p. 670. London, 1708.)

The works of ornamental painting and glazing of St. Stephen's
Chapel were carried on for some years in succession after the date
of the above precept j and the rolls of account relating to them
contain several entries regarding the working of the said Hugh,
anc1 his designs for the painters working under his direction.

The Abbat having ruled the monastery for several years con-
ceived the intention of resigning the Abbacy, and made known his
secret wish to his guest the King of France, who applauded his
resolution and promised to write with his own hand to the King to
obtain permission. The Abbat's letter of supplication to the Pope
being afterwards communicated to the King at Calais, that Prince
forbade any further steps being taken ; declaring that such a man
as Thomas de la Mare could not be spared. (Mon. Ang.)

It is remarkable that the compiler has not been able to trace the
authorities from which Newcome and Dugdale have drawn the
residence of the King of France in this Abbey, and the circum-
stances arising out of it. It is certain that the King resided some
time at Hertford Castle.

King Edward III. issued a licence to the Abbat and Convent, dated
Wodestoke, 1 7th of June, in
theyear of hisreign3i,(A.D.
1357) empowering them to
fortify the monastery with a
stonewall crenellated.1

In theyear 1381, the 4th
of Richard II., the insurgents
under Wat Tyler and Jack
Straw, threatened destruc-
tion to the Abbey, and ex-
torted charters from the
Abbat, which are to be found
in Dugdale, taken from
Claud., £4, fo. 312.

This may be accounted a
suitable place for introducing
from the illuminations of
Cotton MSS. Nero, D 7, the
representation of Walter de
Hamuntesham (Amersham), attacked and seriously wounded by
the rabble of St. Albans while standing up for the Rights and
Liberties of the Church. Like most of the records of the Worthies
preserved in that MS. it is without date ; his name no where else

1 Stevens' Continuation, i. p. 161.

72 €&e a&fcep of

occurs in the history of the Abbey ; but the circumstance here
represented seems to point to this period of time.

After the insurrection the King came in person to St. Albans
with his Chief Justice : by whom fifteen or eighteen of the leading
rioters were condemned to death. The King resided in the Abbey
on this occasion during eight days, and obliged all the Commons
of the county to attend him in the great Court of the Abbey, and
there to make oath to do suit and service to the Abbat and Con-
vent in the customary manner. Many particulars of the insurrec-
tion and the visit of the King are recorded by Walsingham.

In the Cotton Lib. Nero, D 7, is a list of Monks living in the
monastery in the year 1380 when it was compiled. The following
names occur : — Dompnus THOS. DE LA MARE, Abbas ; Dompnus
MOOT, Prior ; ADAM DE REDBURN, who in his day laboured dili-
gently in the writing, noting and binding of books ; WILLIELMUS
DE WYLUM, who wrote this book ; ROBERTUS DE TRENCH, Guar-
dian of the Feretry ; THOMAS DE WALSINGHAM, Precentor, who
compiled this book ; JOHANNES DE HETHWITHE, Archdeacon ;
WILLIELMUS WENTERSHULL, eleemosynary ; JOHANNES DE
WATHAMPSTEDE ; JOHANNES DE HETHWOURTHE, Junior.

The great gate with its chambers, prisons and vaults (until
lately prison for the Liberty of St. Albans) was rebuilt under this
Abbat's rule. He also paved the west floor, and expended
£4000 on the fabric, and £1167 on the services of the Church.
(Cotton MS. Nero, D 7.)

In an ancient and fair copy of the Sanctilogium Britannize of
Johannes Tinmuthensis, a monk of St. Albans, and preserved in
the Cotton Library, is the following note of Thomas de la Mere :
" Hunc Librum dedit Dominus Thomas de la Mere, Abbas
" Monasterii Sancti Albani Anglorum Protomartyris, Deo et
" Ecclesiae beati Amphibali de Redburn ; ut fratres ibidem in cursu
" existentes per ejus lecturam poterint ccelestibus instrui, et per
" Sanctorum exempla virtutibus insigniri." (Bishop Nicolson's
Historical Library, London, 1714.)

This is the MS. Tiberius, E i, the remains of a folio volume
now preserved in a glass case ; having been burnt to a crust when
a fire made sad ravage in the Collection in the year 1731 j the
house in Little Dean's Yard, where it was then deposited, being
burned to the ground. It formerly consisted of three hundred and
forty-one leaves, and contained one hundred and fifty-seven articles,
enumerated in Smith's Catalogue, being all lives of British Saints ;
said to have been collected by John of Tynemouth in the year
1366.

Capgrave's Legenda Nova Angliae, printed by Wynkyn de
Worde in 1516, appears to be merely an abbreviated transcript of
Tynemouth's Sanctilogium, changing the order in which the

§>aint aitmn. 73

Lives there occur into an alphabetical series. (Introd. to Mon.
Hist. Brit.)

This Abbat died I5th September, 1396 (Lambeth MS. 585),
having governed the Abbey forty-seven years ; a duration much ex-
ceeding that of any other rule before or after him. He lies buried at
foot of the high altar, and a plate of his brass is given by Clutter-
buck.

JOHN DE LA MOOTE, 3 ist Abbat, was born at Syndlosham, in
Berkshire. He had been appointed to various offices in the Mon-
astery, and when holding that of Cellarer was put into the pillory
in Luton Market, by Philip de Limbury (an ancient demesne and
manor near the town), in hatred to the Abbat and utter contempt
of religion. (Thomas Walsingham, Hist. Ang.)

An English Chronicle, printed by the Camden Soc., London,
1855, under the year 1397 (2nd of Moote), at p. 156 of Notes,
cites the Chronique de la Traison et Mort de Richart Deux Roi
d'Engleterre, a MS. in the Imperial Library at Paris, as recording a
conspiracy to dethrone Richard,which began at the dinner table of
the Abbat of St. Albans, godfather to Gloucester,1 in the early part
of July, when Gloucester and the Prior of Westminster were din-
ing with the Abbat. This was shortly after followed by a larger
meeting at Arundel, when the Duke of Gloucester, the Earl of
Derby, the Earl Marshal, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Abbat
of St. Albans, and the Prior of Westminster were present ; and on
the following day the perpetual imprisonment of the King was
agreed upon.

The following is extracted from another Chronicle printed by
the same society in 1856: — " Richard II., A. D. 1397. On the
" morrow Ser Richard erl of Warwick was brought into the
" Parlem1 into the said hale, and hadde the same jugement as the
" erl of Arundel hadde ; and as his counsel bade him, he con-
" fessed & saide that all he hadde do he dede be the counsel and
" stirying of the duke of Gloucestre and of the erl of Arundelle;
" trustying also in the holynes and wisdoum of the Abbot of Saint
" Albonez and of the Recluse of Westminster."

In the 3rd year of this Abbat's Rule the body of John Duke of
Lancaster rested at this monastery on the way to London for in-
terment ; Henry Beaufort, the son of the deceased by Catherine
Swinford, then Bishop of Lincoln, being admitted under certain
restrictions, to perform the exequies in person (Newcome, p.
279) ; and in September of the same year King Richard and
Henry, now Duke of Lancaster, lodged at St. Albans on their way
to London. The day after arriving the King was had from West-
minster to the Tower.

1 Thomas of Woodstock, one of the younger sons of Edward III.

74 Cjje a&fcep of

The two Houses forthwith met in Westminster, and the resig-
nation of the King was read. Upon which the Bishop of Car-
lisle rose from his seat and stoutly defended the cause of the King ;
affirming that there was none among them worthy or meet to give
judgment upon so noble a prince. Then the Duke of Lancaster
commanded that they should lay hands on the Bishop and carry
him to prison to St. Albans. He was placed in confinement in
the Abbey, and brought before Parliament as a prisoner on the
28th of October. To gratify the pontift the new king signed his
pardon and eventually preferred him to the Rectory of Todenham.
(Holinshed and Lingard.)

Shortly after the body of the King was brought, unattended by
any of the nobility, to the Church of the Friars, at King's Langley,
for interment ; the Bishop of Chester with the Abbats of St.
Albans and of Waltham performed the funeral obsequies. Fourteen
years after, on the accession of Henry V., the body was transferred
to Westminster.

The contest sustained by this Abbat against the Abbat of West-
minster for priority of seat in Parliament is given in full byNewcome.

Harleian MS. 602, is a book of memoranda which seem to
have been brought together by his order.

He died on St. Martin's day (nth Nov.), 1401, and was
buried in the Abbey. But from an entry in the Patent Rolls
(pat. 3 Hen. IV., p. i) his death appears not to have been
announced to the king before Nov. 14, 1402.

On the 1 5th of December of the same year consent was given
by the king for the election of a successor (Fun. Monuments, 561).

WILLIAM HEYWORTH, 32nd Abbat, succeeded in 1400 or 1401.

In the year 1413 Henry V. came to the throne, and the King
in council determined to fetch the bones of King Richard II.
from Langley to London, and to bury them at Westminster Abbey
and " there was don a dirige ryally, and on the morwe the masse
" was solempny songon" (Chronicle of London, Harleian MS.
565, and Cott. MS. Julius B i.)

The Abbat resigned in 1420 on being promoted to the See of
Lichfield by Papal Bull, dated November 20, 1419. He was con-
secrated in the chapel of the Bishop of London at Fulham, on
Sunday, December i, in that year ; and died 1446 or 1447 and was
buried in St. Albans Abbey. (Antiq. of the Cath. of Lichfield, by
Thos. Abingdon, London, 1717.)

The Register Book of St. Albans Abbey— a MS. in the Li-
brary of C. C. C. Camb. — contains an interesting detail of the
election of William Heyworth, at which John of Wheathamp-
sted assisted ; as he had before done when John Moot was ap-
pointed. The names are given of each of the society who voted,
and of those in favour of whom the suffrages were given. John of

Sttmn. 75

Wheathampsted, Prior of Tynemouth, by appointment of the
Scrutators, declared the number of votes : those for William Hey-
worth being 40 in number, and for Wheathampsted himself, 4 ;
and then he pronounced Heyworth to be duly elected. Wheat-
hampsted had voted for him, and so also had John Stoke, Prior of
Bynham, the successor of Wheathampsted.

There is much diversity of dates assigned to the several occur-
rences above referred to (see Coles Add. MSS. 5828 — Fasti
Eccles. Ang. by John Le Neve, and Cough's Sep. Mon.)

A Bulla or Papal seal was found in 1852 below the surface of the
earth near the Chapel of the Virgin and close to several human
skeletons lying side by side. It bears the traces of having been
appended to a document by means of a slip of parchment. The
heads of St. Peter and St. Paul are, as usual, on the one side and the
name of John 23 on the other. This pope occupied the papal
chair during the rule of Abbat Heyworth ; but nothing occurs
during the existent history of his abbacy to which the issuing of a
papal ordinance would attach. It has been suggested that this may
have been the property of one of the persons who lay buried near j
and that it was attached to a certificate of his having made a pil-
grimage to Rome, or to some similar credential.

JOHN OF WHEATHAMPSTED, S.T.P., 33rd Abbat, was the son
of Hugo and Margaret Bostock, and surnamed from the place of
his birth. Mr. Boutell in his Monumental Brasses and Slabs, p.
1 08, records the memorial of his parents in the church at Wheat-
hampsted, and gives the Latin inscription at the foot of the two
figures. By comparing it with a known composition of this Abbat
in a MS. copy of Valerius Maximus, presented by him to the Univer-
sity of Oxford, he shows the great probability that the inscription
was composed by the Abbat. He goes on to remark that, as the
shield above the head of the lady is charged with the bearings of
Heyworth, — arg. 3 bats, with wings extended, sa. — as exhibited on an
adjacent brass, to the memory of John and Eliz. Heyworth, which
John died 20 December, 1520 ; and as the predecessor of Wheat-
hampsted in the abbacy was a William Heyworth, possibly this
Abbat may have been nephew (sister's son) to his predecessor.

A third inscription, beneath the effigies, of a man and woman
in marble with their two sons and one daughter, records the burial
of lohn Heyworth, of Mackeyre end Esqvier & loane his wife
.... The said lohn Heyworth Deceased the XXVth daye of
December ann° Dni 1558.

This evidence to the maiden name of the Abbat's mother
seems to be conclusive ; and it may also be inferred with some
probability, that the family were in hereditary possession of the
estate of Mackeyrend, or Makaryend. But The pedigree of John
Bostock, Abbot of St Albans (Harleian MSS. 139, fo. 97),

76 C&e a&fcep of

records that " his father was Hugh Bostok, or Bostock, of Wheat-
*'hampsted, in the county of Hertford, and his mother Margaret,
11 daughter of Thomas Makery, Lord of Makeyrend, in the same
county." So that this document, while it confirms the monumental
records, as to the Christian name of the Abbat's mother, and the place
of residence of her family, is at issue with them as to the surname.
The evidence existent in the church will probably be accounted the
more worthy of acceptation.

In order to recruit the funds of the monastery, this Abbat
restored an old practice of admitting into the fraternity (Had. MS.
3775, fo. 8) many gentlemen and ladies of high rank. It is re-
corded in Cotton MS. Nero, D 7, that Humphrey, Duke of
Gloucester, and Jaqueline, Duchess of Holland and Haynault, his
wife, were admitted in 1423, and in a subsequent page is
enrolled the admission, in full chapter, of Eleanor, wife of Hum-
phrey, Duke of Gloucester, vu Kald. of July, 1431. This admis-
sion into the brotherhood imposed no monastic severities, nor gave
any new civil privileges ; but it was a token of esteem and honour
of religion : and those admitted were allowed to vote in chapter.

We read in the same MS. that he erected in the Church, over
against the shrine, a certain small Chapel — quandam Capellulam.

He directed that a copy be made of the postilla (comments)
of De Lyra on the whole Bible, to which the historian annexes the
prayer, God grant that this may have a happy result for our people.

In the 1 8th year of his government, he procured Royal grants
of land in various adjacent manors ; and in order to secure himself
from the accusation of any irregularity, he procured a pardon to be
granted him, which from the many heinous offences it includes,
seems rather to give a picture of the enormities habitually com-
mitted in those days than of the personal irregularities of the Abbat.
It will be found in Cott. MS. Claud. D I, fo. 147, and runs thus,
Henricus Dei gratia, &c. . . . perdonavimus eidem Abbati
u . . . pro omnimodis prodicionibus — murdris — raptibus mulie-
*' rum — rebellionibus — insurrectionibus — feloniis — conspirationibus
" . . per ipsum perpetratis."

Wheathampsted, induced probably by the decline of his friend
the Duke of Gloucester, and by foresight of evils coming upon the
nation, after ruling twenty years, resigned in the presence of a
certain clerk, Matthew Bepset, and other officers of the monastery,1

1 There is in the Bodl. Lib. a MS. on relrum, folio, in fine preservation,
entitled, Secunda pars Valerii Maximi per dominum De Burgo elucidata.
The first page is illuminated, and on the last is written, Hunc libru ad usum
scolarm studiencium Oxonie assignavit vener : pat dns Johes Whethrnstede olim
Abbas Monast. Sci. Alb. From this it would appear that the work was given
by him after his resignation of the Abbey, and before his re-election.

and was succeeded by John Stoke, 34th Abbar, in 1440. In this
same year the Duchess of Gloucester, Alianor Cobham, was
imprisoned in the Tower for witchcraft, and there is a detailed
account of her doing penance through the streets of London on
several successive days in a Chronicle of London, from 1080 to
1483. (Harl. MS. 565, and Cotton MS. Julius B i.)

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who died at Bury, Feb. 28,
1447, was buried in this Abbey (p. 32) ; and we learn from Nero
D 7 that this Abbat was the builder of his monument. A schedule
of the charges for making the tomb, and for perpetual masses, &c.,
is preserved in Claudius A 8.

Historians differ as to the time of this Abbat's death j some
assigning it to the year 1451, probably influenced by the resump-
tion of the rule by Wheathampsted in that year — others account-
ing him to have vacated at that time, and died in 1462.

John of Wheathampsted was re-elected 1451, and in the Hist, de
Rebus Gestisykc., is printed the process of the re-election, from
the MS. Chronicon of Wheathampsted, in the Herald's College.
The transactions of this Abbot under his second rule, are chiefly
taken from this MS.

About the time of his re-election he gave to this church a pair of
organs, on which and their erection he expended fifty pounds. No
organ in any monastery of England was comparable to this instru-
ment for size, and tone, and workmanship. (Chronicon above-
mentioned.)

At this time the contentions began between the Houses of York
and Lancaster ; and the first blow was struck at St. Albans, 23
May,1 1455. The battle was fought in Key Field, south-east of
the town. The Lancastrians were defeated, and the King,
Henry VI., having been discovered in the house of a tanner, was
made prisoner and conducted by the Duke of York to the
shrine of the Saint, and the next day to London. (Walsingham's
Hist. Ang.)

An account of this battle will be found in the Archaeologia,
vol. xx. 519, by John Bayley, Esq., F.S.A., of H.M. Record
Office. It is copied from a MS. in a coeval hand, found in the
Tower among a large quantity of private letters, and accounts of
Sir William Stone, Knight, who, from his correspondence, appears
at this time to have been much about the Court ; and was also a
steward of the Abbat of St. Alban. On comparing the writing
with some of the other papers, it seems to be in the hand of Sir
William himself.

Particular circumstances connected with this battle will also

1 Historians differ as to the day of the month, but The Grafton Chronicle and
the best authorities agree on the 33rd.

78 Cfie ab&ep of

be found in the Paston Correspondence, vol. i. pp. 80, 100, 104,
118, and vol iii. pp. 220, 250.

In 1459 King Henry VI. passed his Easter at the Abbey;
ordering his best robe to be delivered to the prior on his departure.
Dugdale gives a long extract from an interesting account of this
visit, recorded in theChronicon of Wheathampsted, in the Library
of the Herald's College, see p. 95.

On Shrove Tuesday, the ijth of February, 1461, the second
battle of St. Albans was fought, when Queen Margaret compelled
the Earl of Warwick to retreat with considerable loss ; and the
person of the King fell again into the hands of his own party. The
battle was fought on Bernard Heath, north of the town. No one
of distinction is recorded to have been slain but Sir John Grey of
Groby, the husband of Elizabeth Woodville, afterwards Queen of
Edward IV. He, in the company of other twelve, had been made
Knight, in the town of Colney, on the preceding day. (See Graf-
ton's Chronicle and Stow's Annals, also remarks on the monu-
mental brass of Sir Anthony de Grey.

The King and Queen and the Prince of Wales went to the
Abbey the day after the battle ; and the Abbat and Monks led them
to the Altar to return thanks. (Stow's Annals.)

Early in the following month the Earl of March was proclaimed
King by the title of Edward IV.

According to Hallam (Middle Ages, vol. ii. p. 488 note) the
Abbey of St. Alban was stripped by the Queen and her army
after the second battle fought at that place ; which changed
Wheathampsted the Abbatand Historiographer from a violent Lan-
castrian into a Yorkist.

Edward IV. (late the Duke of York), granted to this Abbat
power to hold Pleas of all Felonies, in as ample a manner as was
usually assigned by Commission to the Judges of Assize. There
was given a full power of life and death, and the cognizance of
all the most capital offences. Even treason was cognizable in this
court. These powers remained in force until 24 Henry VIII. and
then the authority sunk down to its former and ancient level, as
when the liberty was first granted to Geoffrey of Gorham, in the
time of Henry I. (See a Copy of this Charter in Clutterbuck's
History of Hertfordshire, vol. i. Appendix, No. I.)

He caused the old Chapel dedicated to St. Andrew, which stood
on the north side of the west door of the Church, to be demolished.
(Claud., D I, fo. 157, Acta Joh. de Wheathampsted, per Job.
Ammundesham Mon. St. Alb.)

In order that there might be a decorous and fitting place of
prayer to God, who dwells in the hearts of his faithful people, he
erected at his own cost the Chapel which we see near the north
side of the Church of St. Albans, about to be solemnly consc-

crated to the honour of St Andrew the Apostle. (Nero, D 7,
fo. 42.)

Putting these two records together, we may perhaps pronounce
that they both refer to the ruins of an extra-mural Chapel, laid
open by Mr. Gilbert Scott, at the western end of the north aisle
of the nave ; the inference being further strengthened by the differ-
ent dates of the fragments found.

In the year 1462 he presented a petition to the new sovereign
Edward IV. on the impoverished state of the Abbey. The King
granted a new Charter of Privileges, by which the civil power of
the Abbats was greatly augmented, and a kind of palatine jurisdic-
tion vested in them ; in many respects similar to those lately en-
joyed by the Sees of Durham and Ely.

If we admit with Hearne (Preface to Wheathampsted's Chron-
icle) that none could by the Canon be ordained priest before they
were twenty-five at soonest, and Wheathampsted was ordained in
1382, he must have lived to above a hundred. And this is corro-
borated by the circumstance, that when he accepted the government
of the Abbey a second time he speaks of himself as old and infirm.

Bale (Illust. Script Maj. Bryt. Basil 1557,) has given a list of
the works written by this Abbat ; and it has been copied by Thos.
Hearne in his Duo Rerum Script. Vet.

WILLIAM ALBAN, 35th Abbat, was elected and confirmed by
the King, probably in 1463 or 1464.

In the Bodleian Library there is a Register of the Acts of Wil-
liam Alban, Abbat of the Monastery of St. Alban. It is a miscel-
laneous collection, and not confined to the rule of this Abbat.

WILLIAM OF WALLINGFORD, 36th Abbat, had been Prior and
Archdeacon. He erected the screen over the High Altar, which
had been designed by Wheathampsted. In Nero, D 7, it is re-
corded that this Abbat constructed a Chantry Chapel for the place
of his own burial, at a cost of £100 sterling, situated in the south
part of the Church, near the High Altar ; but there is much
doubt in the present day as to the spot where it stood. The pre-
vailing opinion is, that it occupied the space in the aisle between
the Chantry of Wheathampsted and the door of the Saints' Chapel,
where there is now an altar-tomb without an inscription. But
some are inclined to consider, that the remains of it are seen in the
extra-mural structure by the south door mentioned in pp. 48
and 54.

The art of printing had been brought into England by Caxton,
and the earliest historical work printed in England issued from his
press in 1480. It is entitled " The Chronicles of England ;" and
ivas apparently derived from the Cotton MS. Galba 8. The edi-
cionof the Chronicle, which was printed at St. Albans in 1483, is
erroneously called the " Fructus Temporum." The last named

80 Cfje a&fcep of

work was compiled by a Schoolmaster of St. Albans from Caxton's
Chronicle, with the addition of brief excerpta from Holy Scripture.
(Mon. Hist. Br. General Introduction.)

There is a copy of the " Chronicles of England " with thefrute
of times in the Collection of the Earl Spencer and another in the
Royal Library Brit. Mus., having the arms of the Abbey at the
end ; and, on a fly leaf at the beginning, in writing, " Peter
" Thompson — Bought at Mrs. Bacon's sale. I. West. Given
" me by my worthy colleague in Parliament for the Borough of
" St. Alban, the above Sir Peter Thompson."

The prologue begins " Insomuch that it is necessary," &c.

Sir Henry Chauncy assigns the name of Insomuch to the Printer;
and apparently, as has been remarked, from some unaccountable
misapprehension of the first three words of the prologue.

The earliest book printed at St. Albans was " Rhetorica Nova
" Fratris Laurencii Gulielmi de Saona, 1480." There is a copy
of it preserved in the Library of the Earl Spencer, another in the
University Library at Cambridge, and a third in the Royal Lib.
Br. Mus. The last ends thus, " Compllatum autem fuit hoc opus

" in Alma Univershate Cantabrigie Impressum

"fuit hoc present opus Rhetorice facultatis apud villa Sancti Albaniy
" A. D. 1480."

The first treatise on hunting which ever issued from the press
was " The Boke of Saint Alban," written by Dame Juliana
Barnes (otherwise Berners) the Prioress of Sopwell, and printed
in the Monastery in 1486. There is a copy in the Collection of
the Earl Spencer and another in the University Lib. Cambridge.

It may be added that, in the Library of King Edward Vl.th's
Grammar School, in the Lady Chapel of the Abbey, there is a
copy of Geoffrey Chaucer's translation of Boethius de Consolatione,
printed by Caxton.

A very beautiful MS. in the Library of Lambeth Palace is thus
described in the printed Index :

" 6. Codices MSS. in folio, Sec. 15. The Sr, Albans Chronicle
" as it is called, enriched with miniature paintings of the most ex-
" quisite beauty, and finely preserved. It begins, c Here begynne
<c ' the cronicles of kynges of Englond sith the tyme that it was
" ' first inhabit ; and of their actes as by dyers auctores is declared
" * and testifyed.'

" See the account of this work as printed in 1497 by Wynkyn
" de Worde. (Ames* Typograph. Antiq. edit. Herbert, vol. i.

" ?• I33-)

" In the colophon to Wynkyn de Worde's publication, the

41 work is said to have been compiled and also emprynted by one
" sometime scole mayster of Saint Albans.

" Pits and Bayle speak of a schoolmaster or reader of history in

Saint Slftan. 81

** the Monastery of St. Alban, who had collected materials for a
" history of England, but died before he had completed the same."

This Abbat was very prudent in the management of the affairs
of the Abbey, and resolute in the defence of its rights. Some
claims against him by Archbishop Bourchier, upon appeal to the
Court of Rome, were decided in the Abbat's favour. (New-
come.)

His labours for the advantage of the Monastery in the several
offices of Prior, Archdeacon and Abbat, are enumerated in MS.
Nero, D 7.

All chroniclers seem to be agreed that he died in 1484, though
his successor was not appointed until 1492.

But during this interval two remarkable documents were issued
which seem to have dropped out of general history.

They are given in the Appendix to the Monast. Anglic, but the
matter they refer to is not embodied in the text j nor has the com-
piler met with it in any other history.

1. A Bull of Innocent VIII. for the reformation of exempt
monasteries and other religious houses, dated Rome, A. D. 1489,
in the 6th year of his Pontificate.

It opens with the declaration that it has come to the ear of the
Pontiff that some monasteries in England have greatly deviated from
rectitude. He therefore urges on the Archbishop that he visit
every superior monastery in his province within a certain range,
and effect a reformation both of Chapters and individual members
of those establishments, and bringing them back to conformity with
the rules and ordinances of the several Orders to which they be-
long ; and giving to the Archbishop full authority to displace, ex-
communicate and interdict — resorting also, if necessary, to the se-
cular arm — for carrying his judgments into effect.

2. A monition from the Archbishop reciting the Bull which had
been addressed to him as Legate. He states that instances had
come to his own knowledge of simony, usury, dilapidations, lavish
expenditure, and even great violation of good morals. He there-
fore admonishes the Abbat and brotherhood living within the walls,
and also the prioresses of Pre and Sopwell, and others in the
Priories and Cells subjected to the Abbat, that within sixty days
after the delivery of these presents, and affixing copies of them to
the doors of the Conventual Church, all things be reduced to order.
If reformation be not effected within the time allowed, then after
thirty days the Archbishop would visit in person or by commis-
sioners appointed by him.

Acta ha;c omnia Lamehith (Lambeth), Westminster, A. D. 1490,
mensis vero lulii die quinta.

THOMAS RAMRYGE was 37th Abbat ; whose name was origi-
nally Ramrugge, from a place so named near Kimpton. Though

82 €&e a&fcep of

his predecessor died in 1484, he was not appointed (as before men-
tioned) until 1492.

Newcome conjectures that this circumstance may be attributed
to the King's displeasure on finding that Catesby, the great senes-
chal of the Abbey, was among the traitors at Bosworth.

There is an interesting picture in the Collection of MSS. in the
British Museum (Cole, vol. xxx. fo. 14) headed, " The Parliament
" holden at Westminster the fourth of february the third yeare of
" our Soveraigne Lord Kinge Henry the 8th, A. D. 1512," during
the Rule of Abbat Ramryge, in which the figure and dress of each
ecclesiastic dignitary walking in the procession is depicted. Each
has his coat of arms over his head. It commences with Abbats
walking in pairs according to the rank of their abbeys — the lesser
houses preceding. The first pair are the Abbat of Tewkesbury
and the Prior of Coventry. This is the only Prior in the proces-
sion ; and the shield over him is blank, though with a line of im-
palement Many have not their family arms, the sinister being
left blank. The Abbats of St. Albans and Westminster are the
last pair. The arms of both are given ; but there is no figure under
those of Westminster ; from which we may infer that he was ab-
sent All the Abbats, with two exceptions, have exactly the same
dress, consisting of a plain cassock and cap, with an ample robe of
purple having folds behind as a hood ; none of the Abbats wear
mitres. The Bishops wear the same simple caps as the Abbats,
only the Archbishops who close the procession wear the mitre.
The arms of Ramryge are — gu. on a bend or, three eagles displayed
gu. in chief a lion rampant^ and in base a ram rampant gardant ar.

Not the least history of this Abbat's rule has been transmitted
to us. But we learn from Willis (Mitred Abbeys, vol« i. p. 25),
that he wrote a book, " De Gestis Abbm. Monm. et benefactm.
" St. Alb. Monast."1 And the Landsdown MS. 160, contains the
following minute of the Court of Star Chamber, 20 Henry VII.
1505, " of the Abbot of S. Albones 80 lib. for the discharge of a
" fine of 100 lib. for the escape of one Js. Banester cSvict of felony."

This entire want of information, Newcome remarks, can be ac-
counted for on no other supposition, than that the first plunderers
after the surrender of the Seal on the Dissolution of the Abbey,
seized all the Writings and Registers, as being evidences of, the
Estates and Properties belonging to the House.

This Abbat is portrayed in prayer to the Holy Trinity, in Cotton
MS. Nero, D 7 ; and there is an engraving of the portrait in the

1 The work is quoted by Weever (Funeral Monuments), who saw it in MS.
in the Library of the British Museum, Cotton Collection, Otho B 4.1, since
burnt. The precise title of the MS. as given in Smith's Catalogue is " Gesta
" paucula Ah. Joan. Whethampsted de tempore illo quo praefuit primo in
Officio Pastorali."

Royal and Ecclesiast. Antiq. of England, by Jos. Strutt, London,
1773. The time of his death is very uncertain.

THOMAS WOLSEY — Archbishop of York, and a Cardinal — suc-
ceeded as 38th Abbat. He was invested with the Temporalities
on the 7th of December, 1521, and held the Abbey in commen-
dam,1 granted at Rome the following year.

This latter process was such a violation of the Canon Law, and
such an invasion of the rule and government in which Abbeys had
been held, that it seemed to portend some fatal blow to the
monastic institutions (Newcome). The two instruments will be
found in Rymer's Foedera.8

There is an interesting letter from Richard Pace3 to Wolsey,
dated Windsor, the 1 3th day of November, detailing the interview
between Henry VIII. and a deputation of the Monks of St. Albans at
Windsor Castle upon the death of their Abbat, petitioning for licence
to choose a new Abbat. The original will be found, Cotton MSS.
Vitellius, B 4, fo. 197 — and it has been published in the Collec-
tion of Original Letters by Sir Henry Ellis, London, 1846.

Mr. Ames (Typographical Antiq.) remarks that there was no
printing at St. Alban's during the Abbacy of Cardinal Wolsey ;
and that probably he put a stop to printing here, having previously
shewn his disapprobation of it in a convocation held in St. Paul's
Chapter House ; telling the clergy that if they did not in time
suppress printing, it would be fatal to the Church.

There is no record remaining, that he even came down to take
possession ; nor of any act done by him with reference to this
Monastery during his commendamship, which lasted till his down-
fall, except the gift of plate to the Monastery (of which a note is
preserved in the Cotton Lib. Titus, B I, fo. 80), and the follow-
ing presentation in right of his abbacy. " I find William Wake-
" field inducted into the vicarage of St. Peter's in the town of
" Saint Albans, by virtue of the letters of Thomas, Lord Cardinal
" and Archbishop of York, and Abbat of Saint Albans.'' (Cole,
MS. Brit. Mus.)

1 Commendam is a benefice or ecclesiastical living, which, being void, is com-
mitted (commendatur) to the charge and care of some sufficient clerk, to be
supplied until it may be conveniently provided of a pastor (Godwin's Reperto-
rium, 230). The law respecting commendam has been abolished by 6 and 7
Gul. IV.c. 77.

1 Pro Cardinal! Eborum de Restitutione Temporalium S. Alb. teste Rege
apud Westmonasterium septimo die Decembris, A.D. 1521, and the other, pro
Cardinal! Eborum, Monast. S. Alb. commenda, per Adrianum papam sextum.
Dat. Romae A. Incarn. 1522 Sexto Id. Novembris.

3 Pace was a learned priest and considerable statesman. He was sent for to
the court of Henry VIII., who appointed him secretary of state, and employed
him in several important negotiations. On the death of Leo X., Cardinal
Wolsey sent him to Rome for the expiess purpose ot endeavouring to obtain
for him the Papal chair.

84 Cbe atifcep of

ROBERT CATTON, 3gth Abbat — i.e., Robert Bronde of Catton,
was elected to save appearances, but really appointed by the King,
being promoted from the Priorate of Norwich. (Whartons
Anglia Sacra^ vol. i. p. 420.) The Royal Agents and Ministers
lived as guests in the monastery, and held rule over all. However,
the letter from Petre, one of the Commissioners (Cleopatra, E 4,
fo. 43 — copied in the Mon. Ang. and Newcome, p. 439 — and
published by the Camden Society), shows the Abbat to have been
a difficult subject to manage.

His signature stands first of the Abbats, having seats in the
Upper House of Convocation, who signed the Articles agreed upon
in 28 Henry VIII., A.D. 1536, which were afterwards confirmed
by the king, and published in his name and by his authority.

The original exists in the Cottonian Lib. Cleop. E 5.

In his time the art of printing was again revived at St. Albans,
and was practised in the precincts of the Abbey by John Hertforde.
A work in English Verse was printed in 1534, entitled, "The
u glorious lyfe and passion of Seint Albon, prothomartyr of Eng-
" lande, and also the lyfe and passion of Saint Amphabel, which
" converted Saint Albon to the fayth of Christe."

The Colophon ends — " Whose lyves were translated out of
" french and latin into Englyshe by John Lydgate monk of Bury ;
" and now lately put in print at request of Robert Catton Abbat of
" the exempt monasterie of Saynt Albon, the xxvi yere of our
" souveraigne lorde Kyng Henry the eyght, and in the yere of our
" Lord God MDXXXIIII."

It appears from the Act of Restitution to his successor of the
temporals on approval of the election by the King, that this Abbat
was deprived and superseded in his lifetime. The clause runs thus :
" post privationem legitimam Roberti Catton ultimi Abbatis ejus-
" dem loci vacantis" (Rymer's Fcedera, torn. 14, p. 587, A.D.
1538, 29 H 8).

RICHARD BOREMAN, S.T.B., alias Stevynnache,1 the 4Oth and
last Abbat, was chosen by the Royal interest, and put in to execute
the instructions of the King and parliament with a better grace.

He surrendered the Abbey on the 5th of December, 1539, and
delivered the Conventual Seal to the Visitors appointed by the
Crown.8 The seal, which is of ivory, is now in the British

1 In Hertfordshire.

* The general form in which most of the surrenders were written was pre-
faced by the declaration that " the Abbot and Brethren upon full deliberation,
"certain knowledge — of their own proper motion — for certain just and
" reasonable causes especially moving them in their souls and conscience, did
" freely and of their own accord give and grant their House to the King."
(Rymer's Foedera, torn. 14, p. 604.)

The number of monasteries suppressed — first and last — in England, accord-

%aint aitmn.

Museum. Thomas Walsingham, in his Hist Angl., recording

the attaching the Seal of the Monastery to an agreement between

the Monastery and the

Town of St. Albans, in

the time of Richard II.,

speaks of the Seal as being

of very high antiquity.

It is remarkable that it

should bear the inscription,

Anglorum, P.M., as the

date of the martyrdom

was much more remote

than the arrival of the

Angles in Britain (see page

55>

The Archaeological Jour-
nal, 1854, p. 261, exhibits
a seal of Peter Bishop of
Beauvais, A.D. 1123, very
similar to this.

A Copy of the Surren-
der from the Original in
the Augmentation Office,
signed by the Abbat ("Ri-
cardus Stevynnache") the
Prior, and 37 Monks will
be found in Dugdale ; and also a list of all the Lands, Manors,
Rectories, &c.,of the Monastery, and the respective values of them
at the time of the Dissolution.

The King assigned to Boreman a yearly pension of £266 1 35. $d. ;
and various allowances to Monks of the Abbey. The Abbat and
twenty of these Monks were surviving on the accession of Queen
Mary, A. D. 1553. (Willis' Hist, of Mit. Parl. Abbeys.) Clutter-
buck, in the Appendix to vol. i. of his History, gives from the
Original Roll a List of Pensions and Annuities granted after the
Dissolution of Religious Houses in the county of Hertford, in the
reign of Queen Mary.

The possessions of the Monastery were very quickly dispersed
among the interested Courtiers, who had favoured the King's
views. Several volumes of MSS. in the Laudian, and one in the
Rawlinson Collection of the Bodleian Library, belonged to the
Monastery of Saint Alban. One in the library of Exeter Col-
lege, bears at foot a note that it is the gift of John Wheat-
hampsted, the Prior to the Monastery of St. Alban ; and he has

ing to Camden, was 643, together with 90 colleges, 1374 chantries and free
chapels, and no hospitals.

86 Cbe aftbep of

written at foot his usual anathema against those who shall purloin
or injure it.

Leland (Collect, edit. London, 1770, torn. iv. p. 163) gives a
list of works which he had seen in the Abbey Library : it is copied
in the Monast. Anglic, edit. London, 1819-30.

Stevens (additional volume to Dugdale's Monasticon Angli-
canum, London, 1722) writes, " The Great Abbey of Saint Al-
" bans, in Hertfordshire — if the old lands were united together — is
" worth at this day, in all rents, profits and revenues, about two
" hundred thousand pounds a year, according to the improved rents
"of this day."

The Monastic Buildings, with all the ground lying round the
Abbey Church excepting the Church of St. Andrew, which stood
on the north side, were granted to Sir Richard Lee in February,
1540 j and he had scarcely gained possession when he began demo-
lishing the whole.

In the ancient Kalendars and Inventories of the Treasury of his
Majesty's Exchequer, printed under the direction of the Commis-
sioners on the Public Records of the Kingdom is, under 3 and 4
Philip and Mary, an Indenture testifying the delivery made by the
Solicitor-General to the Lord Treasurer, of deeds relating to lands
conveyed to the Queen.

These documents are — ist, A deed bearing date 25th Nov.,
a° Ed. VI .5to, wherein Sir Richard Lee, Knight, bargained and sold
to the said Boureman, and to his heirs, the site of the late dissolved
Monastery of St. Albans, &c. 2nd, A release from the same deed.
3rd, A letter of Attorney made by the said Boureman to James
Oledale to take possession in the premises. 4th, A deed from Richard
Boureman to the Queen's Majesty, her heirs and successors bear-
ing date 2Qth Dec., 3rd and 4th years of the said King and Queen.

" Queen Mary, having an intention of restoring this Abbey,
" designed Abbat Boreman to preside over the new convent,
" which she had established here, if her death had not prevented it
" I judge this favor to him might have been in consideration of
" his having been instrumental in preserving his church by purchas-
" ing it after the dissolution ; and thereby putting a stop to the
" demolishing it ; which the sacrilegious proprietors might have
" soon yielded to, for lucre of the materials." (Willis' Mit. Par.
" Abbeys.)

The Abbey Church continued in the Crown until the I2th
May, 1553, when the Town obtained its Charter, (a transcript of
which from the Original in the Archives of the Borough will be
found in the Appendix to Clutterbuck's History) from Edward VI.
empowering the Mayor and Burgesses to erect a Grammar School
in the Church of St. Alban ; and thus the Lady Chapel, with the
Ante-chapel or Eastern Aisle, became detached from the great

body of the Church, which, by the same Deed, was granted to the
Mayor and Burgesses for 4OO/. to be the parish Church of the
Borough for the inhabitants of the late parish of St. Andrew ; and
all the Messuages, Lands, &c., within the late parish of St.
Andrew to be reputed part and parcel of the newly-constituted
parish of St. Alban, George Wetherall being appointed the Rector.1
The following is the succession of Rectors, with the Dates of
their respective Institutions : —

George Wetherall 12 May, 1553.

f William East

f James Dugdal, M.A 26 Feb. 1556.

Edward Edgworth, M.A 5 March, 1578.

Roger Williams, S.T.B 7 March, 1582.

Jjohn Brown

tEdward Carter 2O Feb. 1662.

fjohn Cole, M.A 16 Dec. 1687.

tjohn Cole 9 Sept. 1713.

Benjamin Preedy, B.A 13 Sept 1754.

Joseph Spooner 23 Jan. 1779.

John Payler Nicholson, M.A. ... 28 Nov. 1796.

Henry Small 4 July, 1817.

Henry J. B. Nicholson, M.A. ... 13 Feb. 1835.

Sir John Caesar Hawkins, Bart. M.A. 18 Oct. 1866.

t Walter John Lawrance, M.A. . . . 30 Oct. 1868.

" Information of Abuses in the Suppression of Monasteries to
Queen Elizabeth," Harl. MSS. No. 6879, is to be found also in
the Harleian Miscellanies, London, 1813, vol. x. p. 279; and the
document is there headed by some remarks on the subject, chiefly
taken from Warton's Life of Sir Thomas Pope. The following

1 Under the operation of the Municipal Corporation Act in 1835 the Ad-
vowson was sold by the Corporation and purchased by Dr. Nicholson, who has
bequeathed it to the Bishop of the diocese.

f Marked thus were also Archdeacons of St. Albans. It seems impossible
to ascertain at what time the first appointment of an Archdeacon as an Officei
under the Abbat took place. We learn, however, from Mat. Par. that in
1119 there was an Archdeacon named Radulphus; and from Nero, D 7, fo. 31,
in 1380, Johannes de Hethwithe; and, in Collect. Top. and Geneal. vol. vii.
Art. 25, a list of the Archdeacons of St. Albans is given from 1415 to 1539,
copied from the Registers now in the archives in the Abbey Church. Thos.
Kyngesbury received a formal appointment of Archdeacon and Commissary
from Abbut Robert Catton; but in 1536 the words "authoritate regia"are
added to his Title.

J The Commissioners appointed by the Parliament to enquire into the state
of the Ecclesiastical Benefices in the year 1650 (the year after the murder of

the King), foundr by their Inquest that " this Rectory was

sequestered from one John Brown ; and that Mr. Job Tookey, an able and
godly minister, officiated the Cure." Lambeth Lib. MSS. 902-93*.

atJbep of

are extracts : — " Many of the abuses of civil society are attended
u with some advantages. In the beginnings of reformation the loss
" of these advantages is always felt very sensibly, while the benefit
44 resulting from the change is the slow effect of time, and not im-
41 mediately perceived or enjoyed. The accuracy of this observa-
44 tion is fully exemplified by an attentive examination of the cir-
" cumstances attending the dissolution of Monasteries ; than which,
" in the words of the same author (Warton), scarce any Institutions
" can be imagined less favourable for the interests of mankind.
44 And yet their suppression was immediately attended with many
" and very serious evils. This great event was the cause of a
" temporary but lamentable decline of literature, an extinction of
44 hospitality, an increase of domestic hardships by the oppression
" of poor tenants, and a variety of other grievances, which occa-

44 sioned loud complaints at the time But it must

" be recollected, that the greater part of these evils were not ne-
" cessary attendants of reformation, but produced by the corrupt
44 and injudicious manner in which reformations was effected.

" It may be truly said — however mortifying the

41 observation — that the actors in this great scene were in defiance
41 of the express prohibition of that BOOK which we possess through
44 their means — * doing evil that good may come.' "

A patent passed the great seal in the I5th year of James I.
(1617), which is to be found in Rymer, " Licentia specialis con-
44 cessa Mariae Middlemore ad inquirendum de treasure trove
44 infra di versa Monasteria. Witness ourself at Westminster,
44 2Qth day of April, 1617." The purport being to allow to Mary
Middlemore, one of the maydes of honour to our dearest consort
Queen Anne of Denmark and her deputies, power and authority
to enter into the Abbeys of St. Albans, Glastonbury, Saint Ed-
mondsbury and Ramsay ; and into all lands, houses and places
within a mile belonging to such Abbeys, there to dig and search
after treasure supposed to be hidden in such places.

Bede complains of the spoliation of Monasteries in his day by
Rulers, Kings, and Bishops. (Opera, vol. viii. p. 1071.)

GROUND-PLAN OF THE ABBEY-CHURCH OF ST. ALBAN.

la this Plan the Anglo-Norman portions of the Church are distinguished
by a darker shade from those of later date.

1846.

REFERENCES TO PLAN.

A. Nave.

B. Ante-choir, or baptistery.

C. Central tower.

D. Retro-choir.

E. South-floor.

F. South-aisle of the Saint's chapel.

G. An Altar stone.

H. The Saints' chapel.

I. Sepulchral chapel and vault of
Humphrey, duke of Glouces-
ter.

J. Site of the Saint's shrine.

K. Watch-gallery.

L. Balustrade, with votive inscrip-
tion.

M. Arches leading eastward, closed
subsequently to the dissolution

N. North door.

0. North aisle of the Saint's chapel.
P. North aisle of Retro-choir.

Q. Back of a bbat Ramryge'schantry .

it. Early pointed arcade.

S. North transept, supposed lite of

the martyrdom.
T. Tower-stairs; early arch, an«

masonry.
U. North aisle of ante-choir, or

baptistery.

V. North aisle of nave.
W. North-western porch, now

closed externally.
X. Central-western porch, shewing

original level of floor, and

basement mouldings.
• Y. Sooth-western porch, now closed

externally.

Z. Sou! h aisle of nave.
a. Recess in main wall, originally

open to the cloisters.
2 6. South aisle of ante-choir, or bap.

tistery.

o c. Sepulchral heptafoil arch, a pis-
cina within,
rf. St. Cuthbert'* screen, with posi

lion of two af*»rs.

e. Abbat's entrance.

f. Recess in main wall.

g. South transept.

A. Chapel of St. Mary.

t. Chapel of St. Simeon.

;'. Passage between the Church and

the Chapter House.
k. Stairs to triforia.

1. Arch to Chapel of abbat Delaware.
m. Entrance from the cloisters.

n. South Aisle of retro-choir.

0. Chantry, or sepulchral chapel of

abbat Wheathainpsted, now
containing brass of abbat De-
lamare.

p. Screen between retro-choir and
shrine of St. Alban.

9. Chantry, or sepulchral chapel of
abbat Ramryge.

r. Ancient doorway and structure.

1. Now a public thoroughfare, but

formerly forming, with
t. the ambulatory, an ante-chapel

to lady-chapel.
x. Turret with stairs.
j>. Lady-chapel, now a school-room.
w. Veitry,

jr. Modern partition-wall.
1. Excavation, shewing basement

and original floor.
2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Early pointed

compartments of nave.
0, 10, 11, 12, 13. 14. Decorated ..r

middle pointed compartment*

of nave.
IS, 10, 17, 18, 19,20,21. Anglo-Nor.

man compartment* of nave.

22. Remains of cloisters.

23. Window* between Church and

destroyed chapel. These win-
dows bad been built np in the
main wall, but have recently
beer iiscovered.

90 C&e 3bbep of

A LIST OF THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS

FROM WHICH THE HISTORY OF THIS ABBEY HAS BEEN
CHIEFLY DRAWN AND MIGHT RECEIVE FUR-
THER INTERESTING ADDITIONS.

Cottonian Library In the British Museum.

JULIUS, A X 2. Saxon Martyrology of about the nth cen-
tury. Wanley says that this Codex agrees entirely with that
of C. C. C., Cambridge, the various readings excepted.

Julius, D 3, fo. i. Register of Deeds relating to the lands

and pnedials of the Monastery of St. Alban, together with the Gifts
and Confirmation of them. It appears that several names of streets
and lanes in the Town were existent in that day, while others have
been changed. Dugdale considers this MS. to have been written in the
time of Richard II., A. D. 1377 to 99.

Claudius, A 8, fo. 195. A Schedule of the Charges of the Monastery of
St. Albans for making the Tomb of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester,
and for perpetual Masses, &c. (Printed in the History and Antiquities
of the County of Hertford, by Clutterbuck. London, 1815.)

Claudius, D I, fo. I. Letters of John Whethampsted, Abbat of the
Monastery of St. Albans.

Claudius, D I, fo. 33. Acts of the same John, through each year of his
Rule, by John of Agmundesham, a Monk of St. Albans, and contem-
porary with the Abbat. This MS. contains the Annals of the First
Rule of Wheathampsted, and the first page is illuminated in a manner
very similar to that of the MS. of the Chronicon in the Herald's Office,
which records the Transactions of the second Rule.

Claudius D I, fo. 169. Rentale domus sive hospitalis S. Juliani juxta S.
Albanum; renovatum anno 22 Henrici VI. — fo. 170. Rentale de
terris and tenementis de novo acquisitis per Th. Ramryge Abbatem
Monasterii S. Albani renovatum eodem anno.

Claudius, E 4, fo. 34. The Martyrdom of St. Alban, Protomartyr of
England ; and also of Amphibalus, and his companions. Also con-
cerning the Discovery of the Grave of Saint Alban by Offa. It is
said that this is a Translation into Latin, in 1 1 70, by William, a monk
of St. Albans, at the desire of Abbat Symon, of a history in the ancient
British language, by an unknown author, and written about the year
590, according to the conjectures of Leland and Bale, grounded on the
author describing himself a Catechumen, about to go to Rome to obtain
baptism, and prophesying the approaching conversion of England.
There is a Copy of this Treatise in Faustina, B 4, and in the Lib.
of Magdalen Coll. and Jesus Coll. Oxford. It is printed 5n extenso,

g)aint aiban, 91

in the Acta Sanctorum, under date of June 22, and an Epitome of this

MS. will be found in the work of Matt. Florilegus, under the year 303,

the Legenda Albani et Amphib. of Capgrave, and Hist. Eccles. of

Nicolaus Harpsfield, lib. i. capp. 8. and 10.
Claudius, E 4, fo. 47. The Lives and Martyrdoms of St. Alban and

Amphibalus, in Latin Verse by Ralph de Dunstable. (This is a ren-

dering in verse of the M.S. above mentioned, fo. 34), andis the same

as Julius, D 3, 125, Des: Cat.

Claudius, E 4, fo. 84. Hist, of Offa, 1st and 2nd, auctore M. Par.
Claudius, E 4, fo. 98. Acts of the Abbats of the Monastery of St. Alban,

from Willegod to Thomas de la Mare : by Matthew Paris and Thomas

of Walsingham. (Matt. Par. was a monk of St. Albans, who wrote in

the reign of Henry III. Thomas of Walsingham lived in the reigns of

Henry IV. and V. See Preface of Wats to the Lives of the two Offas ;

and of twenty-three Abbats of St. Albans, in his edition of the Works

of Matt. Par. London, 1640.)
Claudius, E 4, fo. 241. Constitutions of Abbat Thomas, set forth in a

General Chapter, held on the Feast of St. Michael, A. D. 1351, and sub-

sequently.
Claudius, E 4, fo. 307. Proceedings against the Rebellious Tenantry of

the Monastery, in the time of Richard II. by Matthew Paris and

Thomas Walsingham. (See p. 27.)
Claudius, E 4, fo. 334. A Treatise on the Nobility, Life, and Martyrdom

of SS. Alban and Amphibalus, extracted from a certain book written in

the French language, and translated into Latin.
Claudius, E 4, fo. 337. Goods and Chattels of the Abbat and Monastery

of St. Alban.
Ckudius, E 4, fo. 349. Of the Relics deposited in the Monastery, and the

Indulgences granted to the visiting them. The Monast. Anglic., edit.

London, 1819-30, gives the list in full of the Relics, some of which are

very marvellous.
Claudius, E 4, fo. 359. The manner of proceeding in the Election, Con-

firmation and Installation of an Abbat. See Monast. Anglic.
Claudius, E 8, fo. 10. De denario S. Petri qui Romescot dicitur et de

mancusa.
Claudius, E 4, fo. 213. Surrender of privileges by the Abbat and Monas-

tery to the rebellious Townspeople.
Nero, A I. Remarks on the payment of Romescot or Peter Pence (/*

Nero, C 6. The First part of the Granarium of John of Wheathampsted,
concerning Histories and the Writers of them. The other part is in
Tiberius, D 5, now almost destroyed by fire. It is a kind of Theolo-
gical Common-place Book. Dugdale.

Nero, D I, fol. I. (The Catalogue describes this Book as very valuable,
and to be treated with the greatest care.) History of Offa I. and II. by
Matthew Par. At the beginning is written in red letters, a Memorandum,
of which the following is a translation: — "Brother Matthew gave this
Book to God and the Church of St. Alban ; whoever shall take it away
or injure it, let him be Anathema." This can hardly be regarded as

92 C&e a&fcep of

written by himself, for a prayer is immediately subjoined, that the soul
of the said Matthew and the souls of the faithful departed may rest in
peace. Edited by Wats. London, 1640.

Nero, D I , fo. 27. Of the finding and translation of the body of Saint
Alban, and of King Offa, the founder of the Church of St. Alban.

Nero, D I, fo. 30. Lives of the first twenty-three Abbats, by the above
Matthew Par. An illuminated Portrait precedes the Life of each Abbat.
Edited by Wats.

Nero, D i, fo. 145. A List of Gifts of Rings — precious stones set in
gold. (A coloured Drawing is given of each, followed by a description
and the name of the donor.)

Nero, D I, fo. 148. Ancient and Primitive Records of the Church of
Saint Alban. (Wats Addit. p. 237.)

Nero, D I, fo. 165. An Obituary Table of the Monks of St. Alban,
from A. D. 1216 to 1252. (At the year 1217, is written in red letters,
in Latin, a Memorandum, of which the following is a translation : " In
this year I, Brother Matt. Paris, took upon me the Religious Habit, on
St. Agnes' day. I have written these accounts that the names of the
Brothers might live for ever.") We infer then that we have here the
Autograph of the Author.

Nero, D i, fo. 173. The Rule according to which the Nuns and Sisters
of our Lady des Pres, near St. Albans, ought to live. Printed in
Wats' Matt. Par. Vitae Abbatum, p. 97.

Nero, D i, fo. 187. Statutes of the Hospital of St. Julian, appointed by
Michael, Abbat of St. Alban. (Edited by Wats.)

Nero, D I, fo. 192. Charter of the Foundation of St. Julians.

Nero, D I, fo. 193. Customs and Rules of the Nuns of the Blessed
Mary, of Sopwell, used from the earliest times, and renewed by Michael,
Abbat of St. Alban. (Edited by Wats.)

Nero, D I, fo. 193 b. Articles to be observed by the professed Brethren
of the Hospital of Saint Julian.

Nero, D 7. Catalogue of Benefactors, and of all who have been admitted
into full Fraternity of the Monastery of St. Alban, to the year 1463,
with Compendious Histories of the same, and Portraits. The greater
part of this MS. was compiled by Thomas Walsingham, in 1380, fee
fols. 82, 83. The last entry in black letter is in 1475. The writer
of it was William de Wylum. But there are some subsequent entries
in a later and a running hand. It will be found copied in the Appen-
dix to Clutterbuck's Hertfordshire ; and he remarks that the Portraits
executed by Alan Strayler, Illuminator of the Abbey, appear to have
furnished Mr. Strutt (Regal, and Eccles. Antiquities, p. 39), with many
subjects of the Ecclesiastical Antiquities of this Kingdom. This M.S.
was presented to Sir Robert Cotton by the great Lord Bacon, in 1623.
It formerly belonged to Queen Mary. Thos. Hearne, in his work en-
titled, Duo Rerun Anglicarum Serif torts Veteres, Oxon. 1732, gives a
portio:. of Nero, D 7, beginning at folio 27, and headed De Gestis
Jobannis Wbetbampsted,

Vitellius, B 4, fo. 95. Richard Pace to Card. Wolsey about the death of
the Abbat of S. Albans, and a licence for the election of a successor.

Titus, B I, fo. 80. A note of Plate given by Cardinal Wolsey to the
Monastery of Saint Alban. There is another account of Plate given
by the Cardinal to the Abbey of S. Albans from a MS. in the hands of
Rev. Mr. Price, keeper of the Bodl. Lib., Oxford. Printed in Col-
lectanea Curiosa, Oxford, 1781.

Otho.-Gesta Paucula Ab. Joan. Wheathampsted relating to his first rule ;
burnt to a crust: existent in Weever's time, and quoted by him.

Cleopatra, E 4, fo. 43. Thomas Legh and William Petre to J. Crom-
well, giving an account of their Visitation of St. Albans, and their argu-
ments to bring the monks to surrender. St. Albans, Dec. 10, 1538.
(This letter is given in full by Newcome, p. 439, and in Mon. Ang.)

Faustina, B 4, fo. I. History of the Martyrdom of St. Alban, &c.
Same as Claudius, E 4, fo. 34.

Faustina, B 9, fo. 75 — 144. English Chronicle, by G. Ryshanger, a
monk of S. Albans, from A.D. 1259, deficient 54 years to 1360, and
then continuous to the deposition of Richard II. and the accession of
Henry IV.

Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum.

No. 28. An Indenture, quadripartite, made between King Henry VII.
(zoth Nov. in the 2Oth year of his reign) — the Abbat and Convent of
Westminster, the Abbat (Ramryge) and Convent of St. Albans and the
Mayor and Commonalty of London, concerning the holding a solemn
anniversary in the Church of St. Albans for ever, and praying for the
King, the Royal Family, and the Realm.

No. 139. The pedigree of John Bostock, Abbat of St. Albans.

No. 247. See No. 6217 below.

No. 602. A Book of Memoranda, compiled apparently by order of John
de la Moote, then Prior of the Monastery, afterwards Abbat (p. 29),
about the 4Oth year of Edw. III. The first leaf of the MS. is headed,
Liber Memorandorum Dom. Joh. Moot Prioris Coquinarii Refectorarii
Infirmarii et Eleemosynarii hujus Monast., and ends with Thomas, as
apparently the person who wrote the inscription. Just below this,
Thomas Prior Abbas Monasterii is written in small characters.
There is a copy in the Lib. of Jesus Coll. Oxford.

No. 604, fo. 67. Sir Richard Riche to Cromwell, announcing his inten-
tion of suppressing Binham Abbey.

No. 3775, fo. 8. Names of those who have joined the fraternity of St.
Alban.

No. 3775, fb. 10. A very infamous Petition (supplicatio pessima) of John
Sharpe to Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, Protector of the Kingdom,
tending to the subversion of the Church.

No. 3775» fo. 12. In what way the Abbat of Westminster first usurped
the precedency in Parliament over the Abbat of Saint Albans.1

1 Dugdale thinks that this paper was drawn up by Abbat Wheathampsted
himself.

94 C&e at&ep of

No. 3775> fo. 14. Of the Dedication of the Church of St. Alban.

No. 3775» fo. 16. Monuments of the Church of St. Alban, dated 1429.
Newcome gives long extracts from this MS. p. 3 1 2 et seqq. ; and Weever,
in his Ancient Fun. Mon. (London, 1631) has occupied twenty-six pages
with ancient Inscriptions in this Abbey.

No. 6217. An Historical Relation of certain Passages, about the end of
King Edw. III. and of his death. There is little doubt that it is a
translation from a Latin original, and the writer seems to speak some-
times as if he lived near the times of which he writes. He is considered
to have been a monk of St. Albans. One of the chapters records a
legacy bequeathed to the Monastery by the Countess of Pembroke, and
another describes the acts of a new Brotherhood which had established
themselves in the town. These incidents, as well as the burning of a
brewhouse belonging to the Abbey, and afterwards of some houses in the
town, are by the chronicler recorded amongst events of the highest pos-
sible interest. It commences abruptly with the words, "the nighte
followynge," &c., and the portion of history which should precede it
has been found in the same handwriting in No. 247 of the Harleian
MSS. The foregoing remarks are extracted from a Letter on this MS.
by Thos. Amyot, Esq., F.R.S., Treas. S. A., and printed in the Archaeo-
logia 1829, vol. 22, No. 1 6.

No. 6853, fo. 86. Extracts from the Register of the Monastery of Saint
Alban.

Lansdmune MSS. in the British Museum.

No. 260. Some Interesting Papers concerning the Abbey of St. Albans.

No. 375. Register Book of the Almoner of the Abbey of St. Albans, on
Vellum, in 410. containing 195 folios. It was compiled for the use ot
the Eleemosynary or Almoner of the Abbey of St. Albans, and contains
an account of everything belonging to the same Office, from the latter

part of the reign of Edward III. to i6th Richard II as

also of Lands, Tythes, &c., belonging to the Abbey of St. Albans. This
MS. formerly belonged to Bishop Kennett, and afterwards came into the
possession of James West, Esq., of St. Albans. Dugdale gives a sum-
mary of its contents.

Arundel MSS. in the British Museum.

No. 34. A Register of various Lands and Tenements by John Whethamp-
stede and Thomas Ramryge, Abbats of the exempt Monastery of St.
Alban. This was once the property of the Royal Society of London,
whose stamp it bears on the first page, which also states it to have been
the gift of the Duke of Norfolk. For a full account of the contents of
this Register, see Dugdale's Monast., vol. ii. p. 210.

Cole MSS. in the British Museum.

No. 5828, fo. 153. An Analysis of the Register of the Monastery of St.
Albans, in the Library of C.C.C., Camb.

No. 5828, fo. 1 88. List of the Cellarers of the Abbey of St. Alban.

No. 5843, fo. 153. Historia aurea, &c., in Benet. Coll. Lib. This
curious old MS. is in the MS. Lib. of C.C.C., Camb. The former
part seems to be an old Eng. Chronicle, the latter a leiger book of the
Abbey of St. Albans. At the top of the first page is written, in a differ-
ent hand from the Chronicle, this Title, Supplementum Historic auree
J. de Timouth ex Ccenobio S. Albani.

Manuscripts in the Library of Lambeth Palace.

No. 6. Codex membrs. folio. The St. Albans' Chronicle, see p. 42/7.
No. 585, p. 67. Extracts from a certain Register of the Monastery of St.

Alban, and Hist, of the Abbats, from 1396 to 1400.
No. 585, p. 387. Extracts from a Register of the Monast. of St. Albans,

compiled by Fr. Will. Wyntershulle, A° 1382.
No. 585, p. 437. Catalogue of the Abbats of the Monast. of S. A. to

1510. The Catalogue ends with Thos. Ramryge.
No. 589, p. 30. Historical Collections concerning the Parliamentary

Abbats of England, who had the Right of sitting in the Upper House of

Parliament, arranged each in their proper order and succession.
No. 590, p. 37. Extracts from the Register of Thos. Ramryge, Abbat of

St. Alban.
No. 643, p. 7. Bull of Pope Alex. IV. exempting the Monastery of

S. A. and all its Cells, which are enumerated in order, from Episc.

authority.

The Library of the Herald's Office.

Norfolk Press. No. 3. Chronicon of John of Wheathamstede, Abbat of
S. Alb., during his second Rule (see Claude D I, fo. 33). On the first
leaf is written Blakeney Robertas CapeHanus Domini Thome Ramryge
Abbatis. In the margin, in a later hand, William Howarde, 1589.
Thos. Hearne has printed the greater part of this Chronicon in the 2nd
vol. of "Duo Rerum Anglic. Script. Vet." An enumeration of its con-
tents will be found in the Monast. Anglic, and the parts indicated which
have been published by Hearne.

The Bodleian Library ^ Oxford.

Abbey, from 1458 to 1488. Rawlinson MSS.
Albanus S. Martyr. His History in prose and verse. 410.

96 Cjje a&bep of

Register of Willm. Albon, Abbat of the Monastery of St. Albon. It
contains Records of various kinds, and among them a List of all the
members of the Monastery. Also an abbreviation of the Hist. Aurea of
John of Tynemouth.

A Copy of all the Verses, by Abbat Wheathampsted, in the new windows
of the Cloister and the Library, and Verses On the First Battle of St.
Albans, in the time of Henry VI. Laudian MSS. 697. They are to
be found in Dugdale's Monasticon.

A Graduate, or Book of Chants with Rubrics, pointing out the days on
which they are to be used. On a leaf near the end is written, in
ancient hand, Lib. Mon. Sci. Alban. Anglor. Protomart. Laud. MSS.

358;

Historia Aurea Johannis Anglici (sive Tynemutensis) MS. V. 44, Jur. Lib.
20, cap. 72. Extracts from this MS. will be found in Harl. MSS.
No. 258, fo. 36.

The Library of Magdalen College^ Oxford.

A MS., considered to have been written about the 1 2th century, and the
same as Claudius, E 4, fo. 34.

Trinity College^ Oxford.

A MS. No. 38. Lives of SS. Alban and Amphibalus, translated out of
French and Latin by John Lydgate, Monk of Bury, at the request and
prayer of John Wheathampsted, in the year of our Lord 1439, and the
igth of his abbacy. Printed at St. Albans in 1534. There is a copy
of this work in the Brit. Mus. Gen. Cat. 1076, e. 2 ; and Newcombe
has given an extract from the Arundel MS. 34, recording the payment,
by Abbat Wheathampsted, as a present to a certain Monk of Bury, for
translating the Life of St. Alban into the vulgar tongue, 3/. 6s. 8d.

No. 57. A Book of Festivals in English Verse, containing Lives of many
Saints: that of St. Alban, at fo. 55-6. One of the poems in this volume
bears date 1375.

Jesus College, Oxford.

MS. 77, i. Containing the lives of St. Alban and Amphibalus. It is the
same as Cotton Lib. Claudius, E 4, fo. 34.

2. Extracts from the Register of St. Albans, in which are contained
many documents relative to the Abbey of St. Alban's, the Cell of Tyne-
mouth and others ; the Foundation of the Hospital of St. Julian for
poor Lepers, by Abbat Geoffrey, &c. At folio 68£ is a Memorandum
that John Episcopus Artfarthensis1 held an Ordination at the High Altar
in the season of Advent, at the desire of John of Hertford, the Abbat of
St. Albans.

1 Ardfert, a small decayed village in Ireland. Soon after the Restoration,
in 1663, it was annexed to the See of Limerick, and has so continued.

3. A Book of Memoranda of John Moote, Prior-almoner, &c. of this
Monastery. He became 3151 Abbat. Also Harl. MS. 602.

4. Book of the Acts of John of Wheathampsted during the years of
the second Rule of that Abbat. These are extracts from the Earl of
Arundel's library. See The Lib. of the Herald's Office.

The knowledge of the existence of these College MSS. was obtained
by consulting Catalogus Codicum MSS. qui in Col leg. Aulisq. Oxon.
hodie asservantur. Confecit Henricus, O. Coxe, A.M. Oxon, 1852.

The University Library^ Cambridge.

Dd. x. 22. Secunda pars Historic Aureae ad A.D. 1342.

Ee. iii. 44. Notes taken out of two Registers of the Abbey of St. Albans,
temp. Eliz.

Ee. iv. 20. A Cartulary of the Abbey of St. Albans made by William
Wyntershulle, the Abbat's Chaplain in the year 1382.

The original Register abounds in curious and important information
relating to the Monastery of St. Alban, and the places where its posses-
sions lay. There are also various little articles in the old French, such
as lists of colours and herbs, and a brief tract on heraldry.

The Library of Corpus Cbristi College^ Cambridge.

A compendium of the Benefactors of the Monastery of St. Alban ; together
with the Lives of the Abbats, Thomas de la More and John Moote, and
the election of William Hey worth. This Treatise is a supplement to the
Hist. Aurea. of John of Tynemouth, and Harl. MSS. No. 258, contains
Extracts from this work, which are stated to have been taken from a
complete MS. in the Bodleian Lib. Oxford. Large Extracts are to be
found from this Compendium, and copies of Illuminations, in vol. 42 of
Cole's MSS. Brit. Mus. where it is entitled, Registrum Monast. Sci.
Albani. It is very similar in its contents to Cott. MS. Nero, D 7.
Cole closes his Analysis of Contents thus : " In this book are an hundred
" things of great curiosity, relating to the private acts of a few of the
" Abbats." In Col. C. C. C. Jan. ao, 1770.

Caius College.

Foundation of the Monastery of S. Alban by the glorious King Offa, and a
Catalogue of Abbats. There is a general Analysis of this MS. by Ames
in his Typogr. Diet. vol. i. p. 117, et scqq. London, 1785.

The List of Manuscripts may be much extended by consulting the
Catalogues of the British Museum — Leland, De Reb. Hist. Collectanea,
6 vols. 8vo. London, 1774; and Tanner's Notitia Monastica, fol. Camb.
1787.

C6e a&foep of %>mnt aifran.

The printed Histories from which this Compilation has been chiefly
formed, are —

Acta Sanctorum, Johan. Bollandus, Antwerp, 1643.
Works of Matthew Paris, in the original Latin, edited by Wats. fol.

London, 1640 (composed entirely of MSS. mentioned in the preceding

List).
Monasticon Anglicanum (Dugdale), last edition, 8 vols. folio. London,

1817 to 1830.
History of the Ancient and Royal Foundation, called the Abbey of St.

Alban (Newcome). 410. London, 1795.
Some Account of the Abbey Church of St. Alban (Carter). London,

1813.
History and Antiquities of the County of Hertford (Clutterbuck). 3 vols.

folio. 1815.
History of the Architecture of the Abbey Church of St. Albans (J. C. and

C A. Buckler). 8vo. London, 1847 /•

CHISWICK PRESS :— CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO.
TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANB, LONDON.

BX 2596 .825 P36 1898

IMST

Page, William,

1861-1934.
St. Alban's cathedral

and abbey church, a
ASL-5721 (awsk)

QJR MEO'AEVAL STUDIfS

S* QUEEN'S PARK

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