High Wycombe, OME public papers having noticed sham, about seven miles from hence; I have been led to make inquiry respecting the truth of the statement; and find from concurrent and indisputable testimony, that there is a spot of ground deemed sacred from being the place where a martyr was burnt it is about 24 yards in circumference; and when the field is fallow, or when in corn, that particular spot cannot be discovered; but when the rest of the field begins to flourish and become green, the blades of grass or corn, on this mysterious spot, begin to look unhealthy and dwindle; as the harvest approaches, it looks more and more unfruitful; and though particular pains have been taken by extra-manuring, removing the earth, &c. it has remained barren in spite of man's efforts to fertilize it. This year the field is sown with wheat, and discovers the place of martyrdom. On referring to Churton's Lives of Bishop Smyth and Sir Richard Sutton, founders of Brasen-Nose College, Oxford, pages 136, 137; I find that the former frequently resided at the episcopal palace at Woburn, in this neighbourhood, where he had a prison, called Little Ease, in which Thomas Chase, of Amersham, was strangled and pressed to death in 1506; and in the same year, in Stanley Close at Amersham, William Tylsworth was burnt for heresy, when his, daughter Joan Clerk was compelled to set fire to her father, and her husband John Clerk was one among many who, at the same time, bore a faggot and did ANTIQUARIUS. penauce. notice when the Manor-house was Gardiner, esq. to Daniel Giles, esq. Mr. URBAN, P. Aug. 6. YOUR Correspondent, J. Mot, in his remarks on the present state of Canterbury Cathedral, justly observes, that it is far more grateful to a liberal mind to commend than censure. Having, I trust, such a mind, I feel not a little gratified that my pointing out some time ago, in your Magazine, a deformity at the West end of that venerable pile, has not only occasioned its removal, but has been followed by ornamental protections at such other parts of the building as required them. I noticed with pleasure the account of the great improvement already made in the very spacious crypt; and should the bar rier rier be removed, which divides the fine vaults allotted to the first Prebendary, described by Mr. Gostling as finer than any parish church in the City, it would be the admiration of all who should visit it; and the good Dean would have an extension of this his favourite perambulatory. Let me add one observation more. The present spirit of exact restoration of decayed parts we may lament the want of, on examining the upper part of the old Norman (I might almost say Saxon) South East transept, which was supplied some years ago by mere wooden work, coloured, with three homely openings for windows. If this pattern were restored, which might easily be done by referring to Dart's or Gostling's plates, I may venture to assert that there would be an end to all censure, and we should then view with complacency, not to be described, the whole South aspect of this most pleasing structure-but this is a second "Verbum sapienti ;" and, now congratulating the City of Canterbury on the present liberality and spirit of the very Reverend Dean and Chapter, I remain, &c. G. W. L. P. S. Let me observe, that the small clerestorial windows of the nave appear to have been restored without any regard to their original form. Mr. URBAN, A of Woolstanton, dec. Part pp. 119, 323.) I have sent you the following particulars respecting KEEL, an adjoining parish. The Purish is small, containing not quite 3000 acres; there are some mines of iron, stone, and coal, in the North and East part, both of which are gotten at a place called Silverdale ; where is also a smelting furnace. The coal is now sold at 8s. 4d. per ton. The Manor is co-extensive with the parish. Though Keel is now an independent manor, it seems to have been formerly an appendage to Newcastle-under-Line; as appears from the following extract from the old -record, called Testa de Nevill, which also shows that it then belonged to the Knights Templars. Fr'as militie Templi tenent Kel, membrum Novi Castri, de dono d'ni Reg. H. &, Richil reddunt." The Parish-church is in the village of Keel, and situate between two and three miles distant to the West from Newcastle-under-Line, on the public road from thence to Namptwich in Cheshire. It was rebuilt in 1790, and is a neat stone building, of an oblong square figure; containing in the inside an area of about 55 feet by 34; a tower is at the West end; in which are four bells, thus inscribed, in old English capitals: "All glory be to God. 1638. P. H." "God save the King. 1647. R. S."— Reeve, Wardens. W. Sneyd, esq. T. Walthall, Vic. 1682." The Church is dedicated to St. Michael; though one would be induced to think, from one of the above inscriptions on the bells, that it was formerly dedicated to St. John the Baptist, unless that bell was purchased from some other parish. At the West end are two doors of entrance, one on each side, opposite to each other. That on the North side is seldom used. The font stands within a niche in the middle of the West wall, and is an elliptical bason of white marble, about half a yard long, and a foot in breadth; it rests on a square pillar of the same marble, about a yard high. Against the same wall is fixed a wooden skreen about seven yards long, and extending to the ceiling in fluted Corinthian pillars, one above the other; and each row supports an entablature: the upper row contains only four pillars, which are larger than those below, and form three. compartments; cach of which contains a coat of arms carved in wood, on shields of large size, with supporters; the middle coat is the Royal arms; and those on the sides are the arms of the Sneyd family; the supporters to which are two cherubs cross-legged. The pillars forming the lower division of the skreen are 3 feet 6 inches high, and 18 inches distant from each other: they are twelve in number, and form ten compariments; five of which are on cach side the niche wherein the font stands; each of these lower compartments has in the bottom part a board or half a pannel, whereupon is painted a coat of arins. The arms of Sneyd and Dryden occupy alternately the teu compartments. Below Below the whole, on each side the font niche, is a good oak seat with a panneled back. This seat contains four coffers, wherein different articles for the use of the church, &c. are preserved; and constitutes the bottom part of the skreen. The church contains 44 good new oak pews, made in an uniform man ner, and disposed in single rows on the sides, and in a double row in the middle. The cloths, cushions, &c. that adorn the pulpit and altar, are the needlework of the late Mrs. Barbara Sneyd; and remain an honourable testimony of that lady's piety. The ground of them is crimson worsted; they are fringed with yellow silk, and ornamented with representations of the Sun, with IHS in the centre of each They are also adorned with scrolls, and have appropriate sentences from Scripture wrought upou them, in capital letters; viz. on the pulpit cloth, "Glory to God on high, and on earth peace;" on the communion cloth, "This is my Body, which is given for you. This cup is the New Testament in my blood." The cushions have yellow silk tassels, and on those designed for kneeling upon wrought the arms of Sneyd impaling Bagot, with their motto, "Thank God for all." are The Communion plate is all of sil A ver; and consists of an old chalice embossed, having the donor's arms engraved upon it, and is inscribed, "D. D. Ecclesiæ Paro'li de Keel Gulielmus Sneyd, ar. ejusdem Ecclesiæ Patronus, Anno Dom. 1686." flagon, of a size to hold a bottle of wine, is inscribed, "The gift of Ralph Sneyd, esq. to the parish church of Keel, 1770." And a small salver, about six inches in diameter, has the same inscription as the flagon. Monuments. Under the window between the pulpit and altar, on marble stones fixed against the South wall, are the two following inscriptions in capital letters: "Here lie ye bodies of Edw. Brett esq. and Sisley his wife, one of the da. and heires of John Fitton esqr. by who' he had issve, Ron. mar'ied to Margret, da. to Tho. Chetwi'd of Ingestry esq.; and Ellen mar'ied to John Mitton esq.; the sd Edw. was son and heire to Ron. Brett, who mar'ied Anue da, and heire of Rob. Wood 2. Adjoining the above, "Here lieth the body of Lavrence Cranage gent. he married Dame Agnes late wife of Sr Richard Buckley of Beavmarris knight, davghter of Thomas Nedeha' of Shavingto'." 3. Under the altar window on a similar stone, on the East wall, in capital letters: sonn and heire apparant of Raphe Sneide "Here lieth ye bodies of William Sueide, of Brodwall and Keele esq.; and Clare his wife, dargh' of St Anthony Colclough knt., who were married ye 29 of Avgvst 1585, and lived together 29 yeares; and he died ye 29 of Avgvst 1613, his age 50 yeares, ye said Raphe then living: and ye said Clare died the of Teq. fvisse mihi, meq. fvisse tibi. 6. Against the East wall, between the two windows, is affixed a fine marble monument. The tablet, which bears the inscription, has on the top a coat of arms (Sneyd impaling Dryden), and the crest of Sneyd on a wreath. It is fixed between two Corinthian fluted columns, which sup port a pediment: on the top of the pediment, in the middle, is an urn, and on each side a cherub resting his arm on a skeleton. Beneath the tas of Keele; weh Edw. changed this life ye blet on the lower part of the monu Rent is fruit and flowers in festoon, below, 27 of Jan. 1593." below which, at the bottom of the whole, are two angels: by the side of each column which supports the pediment, stands on the outside a che rub; each with its right hand uplifted towards the inscription, which is as follows: “M. S. Radulphi Sneyd, de Keel, arm. et Francisca Uxoris ejus, filiæ d'ni Johannis Dryden de Ashby-Canonum, in agro Northamptoniensi, barti. Quos diu in vitâ conjunctos, Mors demùm separavit; et sepultura pariter disjunxit. Ille situs est juxta hoc marmor, hæc in Ecclesiâ de Wolstanton, cum filiis quatuor charissimis. Ille non ex longo majorum sanguine, magis quàm summâ animi munificentiâ, et doctrinâ verè erat nobilis; tam morum et eloquii venustate insignis, quàm ingenii acum ne et literatorum honore, in quovis scribendi genere facilis, brevis, conspicuus; cum valetudo per aliquot menses defecerat, penitùs resipiscens obijt Martii IX Anuo D'ni MDCCIII. ætatis suæ LXIV. Hæc quò forma et genere illustrior, eò erat animo et gestu humilior; maritum honorabat, familiam, liberos præcipuè fovebat; pauperes sublevabat; peregrinos omnes decore, proximos quosq. et vicinos humaniter excipiebat; ut neminem reperires decedentem non prius deviuctum mirâ hujus et honestâ morum suavitate; inter negotia tamen ita non tota erat occupata, quin largam cujusq. diei partem religion dicaret; adcòq. beatè, quamtumvis repentè commutavit vitam Dec. xxxi Ao. MDCCXII; annos ubi compleverat septuaginta, si solum addideris septimanam. Johannes Sneyd filius natu minimus hoc monumentum extruendum testamento statuit, et Radulphus Sueyd de Bishton hæres ejus conscriptus posuit." 7. On the same wall near to the above, on a white marble tablet, above which are the arms of Sneyd impaling Bagot, is inscribed, "To the memory of Ralph Sneyd esq. Sand Barbara his wife (eldest daughter of . W. W. Bagot of Blithfield bart.) by whom he had fourteen children, viz. Walter, Frances, Ralph Charlotte, Edward, Barbara, William, Ann, shields of arms, sculptured on marble; which are the remains of some old tombs, that stood formerly in the church. Before I attempt to blazon them, I shall notice the arms on the above-mentioned skreen and monuments; which are, Sneyd's--Argent, a fleur de lis Sable, and a scythe in bend sinister of the same. The scythe is now more frequently represented in pale. Crest: porters, two cherubs cross-legged. a lion passant guardant Sable. Sup Dryden's-Azure, a globe between Argent, a sinister hand couped at the two estoiles Or in chief; on a canton wrist. Bagot's--Ermine, two chevrons Az. Some of the coats round the altar being imperfect, the following is the most accurate statement of them which I can send. quarterly, ist and 4th Sable, 2nd and I. Quarterly, 1st Sneyd: 2nd is 3rd Argent, each quarter is charged with a leopard's face counter-changed: 3. Argent, a cross of cross croslets Sable. 4. Or, three torteaux, each charged with a fleur de lis, of the first; on a chief Azure, a bugle between two arrow-heads Argent. And a label Or, over the 1st and 2nd quarters. II. The above, (No. I.) impaling quarterly, 1st and 4th, Argent, a cross of five eagles displayed Sable; 2nd and 3 d, Gules, a fess Argent between three marilets of the last. III. The same as No. I. IV. The same as the sinister side of the 2nd or that part described under No. II. V. The same as IV. VI. Six quarters, paly of three, roundies. parted per fess. 1. On a chevron 3 chevron between 3 candlesticks. 4. A 2. A cross moline. 3. A cross engrailed. 5. Three martlets. 6. On a chevron 3 roundles as the 1st. The whole impaling .............. a canton, a crescent on the sinister chief point. Over all (of the sinister side) on a bead three garbs. VII. Paly of three parted per fess. 1. On a chevron 3 roundles. 2. A cross moline. 3. A chevron between 3 candlesticks. 4. A cross engrailed. 5. Three martlets. 6. ..... a canton, a crescent on the sinister chief point; over all (of this 6th quarter) on a bend, 3 garbs. The whole impaling quarterly; 1. A chevron be tween |