I HEREWITH send you a view, painted on the spot in 1835, of one of a class of buildings now becoming rare, viz. the Church-House at Bray, in Berkshire, which, although it has recently lost much of its antique appearance, is still interesting on account of its picturesque projecting gable, and the Lich-gate under it.

Church-houses, standing, as this does, within churchyards, if originally built for the residence of chantry priests, or of the parochial clergy, were, no doubt, consecrated ad opus ecclesiæ," and repaired by the lords of manors, or the churchwardens, as par. sonages still are, or ought to be. A few, however, were originally used as manor-court houses, or as our modern vestry-rooms, or as bede-houses, or hospitals for persons who performed their religious services in some particular chantry; but most of them have, since the Reformation, been appropriated to parochial poor, generally.

Lich-gates are so denominated from the Anglo-Saxon word Lic-dead body, because "through them," says Todd, "the dead are carried to the grave." Those in towns are often substantial arches of masonry, as was that recently pulled down at Great Marlow, and the beautifully-sculptured entrance to St. Giles's churchyard, Westminster, if indeed, so modern an edifice may be deemed a lich-gate. In villages, how. ever, they are commonly mere wooden porches, open at their sides, with thatched or tiled roofs, covering a gate which almost invariably turns upon a central pivot. Hone, in his Table Book, considers them merely "as resting places for funerals, and for the shelter of the corpse until the minister arrives to commence the service for the dead;" but since they are usually too small for such purposes, I am inclined to consider a lich-gate rather in the nature of the ancient ante-porticus to the atria or courts of ancient basilical churches, and, symbolically, perhaps as "An arch of triumph for Death's victories."

Bray Church-house, I am credibly informed, was erected for the abode of the chaplain of St. Mary's chantry, which John Norys, esq. added to the east end of the north aisle of Bray church, A.D. 1446. But all traces of the altar and its appurtenances in this

chantry, or of any screens that may have formerly separated it from the parochial chancel or the north aisle, and its painted glass, have disappeared, and the only remaining designations of its origin (although nearly effaced by whitewash) are certain scutiferous angels carved in relief, some with the ancient bearings of Norys of Ocholta chevron inter three raven's heads erased-and others with this same coat impaling a bearing like, probably, an otter, otters having been subsequently granted by Edward IV. as supporters to the Norris family, one of those few families privileged, though not ennobled, to have supporters, and of which honour two boldly sculptured and interesting specimens (the otters supporting the shield by holding its base in their mouths) still exist within shallow niches high up in the east wall, but also bedaubed with whitewash, so that they have become almost unintelligible.

Previously, however, to the "beautification" which Bray Church suffered about three years ago, there was likewise against the east wall of this chantry a tablet of grey shelly marble, on which, flatly raised above its surface, are two figures kneeling at a fold-stool-one, a man in armour, invested with a mantle having on the left shoulder the cross encircled with the mottoed garter of the order of St. George of England-the other, his wife, in a full-sleeved gown and ruff; behind the man six boys, and behind the woman six girls, all in attitude of prayer. At the upper part of this tablet are engraved on scrolls these sentences; viz.

"Vivit post funera Virtvs."

"Penitendum est, nam moriendum est." At the dexter upper corner, on a shield, (No 1.) surrounded by a wreath of bay, is this coat of arms, viz-a bend engrailed, cotised (for Fortescue); quartering Fretty, in chief three roses

a crescent for difference.

At the sinister upper corner, on a shield (No. 2.) is a coat of eight quarterings, viz.: 1st and 8th, a plain field, quartering a fret, over all a fesse charged with a crescent for difference; Norreys of Lancashire.

2nd. A raven rising.
3rd. A cross moline.
4th. A fret.

5th. A cross botonée.
6th. A lion double-queued rampant.
7th. Three bars.

On the fold-stool is the coat, No. 2, impaling coat No. 1. Between the figures of the man and woman is the Norris motto, Faithfully sarve;" and under them, cut in small capitals, this inscription:

"WILLIAM NORREYS, of Fifield in Bray, Esq. who was Vsher of the P'liament House of the Noble Order of the Garter, a Gētlema Pencioner, Comptroler of the works of Windesor Castle

and Parks ther, & Keeper of Follijhon Parke, wch offices he had by ye gifte of Qween Marie, enjoyed theime duringe life, most faithfully servinge his noble Soveraine Qweene Elizabeth, a Justice of

peace of Barkshere, euer of honest behavior and good reputation: favoringe the vertvvs, plesuringe mannie, hurtinge none, died at his howse of Fifild, 16 Aprilis, 1591, at the Aage of 68 years, after he had be maried 43 years, & had issue 6 sons & 6 doughters, & is interred by his Awncestors, under the stone graven wth his armes hearbefore liinge.

Innocuus vixi, si me post funera lædas,
Coelesti Domino, facta (sceleste) lues.

Maria ex Fortescuorü familia adhuc superstes vidua relicta supradicti Willielmi Norreys, hoc monumentum suis expensis optimo suo marito defuncto curavit fieri 9 Augusti 1592."

But, with the usual ignorance of churchwardens, though not without a very respectful private remonstrance from my pen to the Vicar, during the progress of this beautification, on the impropriety of displacing any memorials of the dead (and especially of the relatives of the pious founder of this chantry), from their pristine situation, the aforesaid tablet has been removed to a pier of the south aisle, and the "stone graven" alluded to in the above inscription, and others that covered the remains of the "awncestors" of the Norys family, have been placed in an opposite corner, under the theatrical inclined-plane pewing with which the parishioners of Bray are now accommodated. And, not to notice sundry other desecrations, the figured tiles formerly about the altar have been variously dispersed, and supplanted by a wooden block pavement; and the brass of Justiciary LAKEN, of 1475, removed from the east end of the south aisle the chantry which was, proba

bly, of his wife Syferwast's family, has been so placed under the pulpit (with his head dishonourably northward) that the tips of his shoes are the only parts now visible. Future antiquaries must therefore contemplate the official costume displayed by this interesting brass, either in Gough's great work on Sepulchral Monuments, or among the accurate representations of brasses now in course of publication by the Messrs. Waller, to whom, some time since, I presented a rubbing from it. Fortunately, however, the plain brass labels, with the following memorials of the first chantry priest, and of a contemporary vicar, yet remain, although their portraitures have long ago disappeared.

Hie jacet MagistTM Will'm's Oper, vicari' eccli'e de Braye, qui obiit ulti’o die Januar' A° O'ni mo cccc° xlo cuj’ a'i's p’p'c't'r deus.

Orate p' ai'a On'i Chome Attelude Capellani, cus' ai'e p'p'cier D's. Amen.

St. Mary's chantry is mentioned in the will of its founder, and was chiefly maintained by certain lands attached to Fyfield House estate, enumerated in an Extent of the Royal Manor of Braye now in my possession, taken in the third year of Elizabeth's reign, at which time a John Norris, successor to an Edward Norris, held that mansion. Yours, &c. PLANTAGENET.

MR. URBAN,

MY friend PLANTAGENET having intimated to me his intention of transmitting to you a view of the old building at the south-east entrance of Bray church-yard, I beg to accompany his communication with a copy from the Tower Rolls of the Foundation Charter of St. Mary's chantry in Bray church; from which, and from the figures 1448 cut into an oak beam on the west side of the porch constituting the lower portion of this building, I conclude that it was erected by John Norys, esq. as a residence for the chaplain of the aforesaid chantry, founded by him A.D. 1446.

This edifice was repaired, but with considerable modification, four or five years ago, by the present incumbent of Bray; and PLANTAGENET's representation is the more valuable as accurately shewing its original form.

Yours, &c. G. C. G.

FOUNDATION CHARTER OF THE NORRIS CHANTRY, IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF BRAY, BERKSHIRE.

[Pat. 25 Hen. VI. p. 1, m. 26.] De Cantaria fundanda.-Rex omnibus ad quos, &c. salutem. Sciatis, quod de gratia nostra speciali, concessimus et licentiam dedimus pro nobis et hæredibus nostris, quantum in nobis est, WILLIELмо episcopo SARUM, JOHANNI NORYS armigero, et THOME LUDE vicario parochialis ecclesiæ de Bray, quod ipsi, aut duo seu unus eorum diutius supervivens, ad laudem et gloriam Dei, quandam Cantariam perpetuam in honore beatissimæ et gloriosissimæ ac intemeratæ Virginis Mariæ infra dictam ecclesiam de Bray, de uno Capellano perpetuo divina in honore beatissimæ et gloriosissimæ ac intemeratæ Virginis Mariæ ad altare dictæ Virginis infra dictam ecclesiam de Bray, Sarum diocesi, pro bono statu nostro dum vixerimus et ipsorum Episcopi Johannis et Thomæ ac omnium aliorum qui terras et tenementa seu possessiones aliqua ad sustentationem Cantariæ seu Capellani ejusdem dederint seu contulerint, vel alias ad sustentationem Cantariæ et Capellani hujusmodi manus porrexerint adjutrices, et pro anima et animabus suis postquam ab hac luce migraverimus et migraverint, animabusque omnium fidelium, singulis diebus, nisi rationabilis excusationis causa interveniat,

celebraturo, aliaque pietatis et caritatis opera juxta ordinationem ipsorum episcopi Johannis et Thomæ aut duorum seu unius eorum diutius viventis in hac parte faciendam imperpetuum impleturo, facere, fundare, et stabilire possint et possit; et quod Cantaria illa cum sic facta fundata et stabilita fuerit Cantaria beatæ Mariæ de Bray, ac quilibet Capellanus Cantariæ illius pro tempore existens capellanus perpetuus ejusdem Cantariæ imperpetuum nuncupentur. Et quod Capellanus Cantariæ illius cum Cantaria illa sic facta fundata et stabilita fuerit, et quilibet successor suus Capellanus Cantariæ illius per nomen Capellani Cantariæ Beatæ Mariæ de Bray sit persona abilis [sic] in lege ad prosequendum et defendendum omnimodas actiones reales personales et mixtas sectas querelas et demandas in quibuscumque curiis, et coram quibuscumque justitiariis et judicibus spiritualibus et temporalibus, et quod possit in eisdem respondere et responderi, et sit similiter persona abilis [sic] in lege ad perquiren dum terras tenementa redditus et servitia, et alias possessiones quæcumque. cessimus etiam quod cum Cantaria illa, cum sic facta fundata et stabilita fuerit, Capellanus Cantariæ illius pro tempore existens terras tenementa et redditus ad

Con

valorem decem librarum per annum, quæ de nobis immediate teneantur in capite, seu alias per servitium militare de quacumque persona, seu quibuscumque personis, ea ei dare concedere sive assignare volentibus, se volentibus perquirere possit habenda et tenenda sibi et successoribus suis Capellanis Cantariæ prædictæ in suam sustentationem et supportationem onerum eidem Cantariæ necessarie incumbentium juxta ordinationem in hac parte ut præmittitur faciendam imperpetuum. Statuto de terris, &c. &c. &c.

Teste Rege apud Westmonasterium ix die Septembris.

MR. URBAN,

WITH regard to the picturesque form for building Gothic churches lately discussed in your pages, I have long thought that by placing their

towers or belfries at or near the centre instead of the west end, we should then have more graceful edifices than we commonly now meet with. But since the propriety of such situation for towers as well as of your correspondent G. C.'s equalization of the height of naves and chancels is a grave question, requiring more ecclesiological lore than I deem it prudent to hold myself, individually, responsible forit must be referred to the judgment of the architectural societies of Oxford and Cambridge, or to that of an Association recently established in London, which, endeavouring to preserve with our other ancient National monuments those of a sacred character, proposes to offer suggestions to any persons interested either in the erection, restoration, or repair of churches as to the proper mode in which it should be effected.

And here I must say a few words, by-the-bye, on aisles; which, although they may improve the picturesque appearance of a church, and, when considered either economically, or architecturally as a kind of flying buttresses, may possibly be usefulsurely, Sir, we Protestants should look with some suspicion at their employment in English churches, if they be chiefly intended (as Mr. Pugin implies) for those pompous Roman Catholic processions in which the consecrated wafer is carried about lifted up to be worshipped; unless, indeed, we would be aiding him in