Mr. URBAN, April 30. THE small villages of North and South Hinksey are situated on the Northern boundary of Berkshire, within one mile and a half of the city of Oxford, and about the same distance from each other. The former is often called Ferry Hinksey, from the usual means of approaching it on the Oxford side. It occupies the base of a portion of the high ground which stretches round Oxford from Southeast to West, and is washed by a branch of the Isis. Its antient appellation was 66 Hengestesigge (a pathway on the side of a hill;") and presuming this definition to be correct, the word is accurately descriptive of its local situation. The Church of North Hinksey is small, and of considerable antiquity; it is noticed in the " Beauties of England and Wales" as follows: "The Church is a low structure, apparently of very remote origin: it consists of a tower, a nave, and chancel: the South (and only) doorway is of Saxon workmanship. The weathering, or outer moulding, is supported on one side by the bust of a warrior, and on the other is terminated by the rude head of some animal; within this are four series of zig-zag, with an inner moulding of pellet sculpture, resting on two moderate-sized pillars, with hatched capitals. The nave is divided from the chancel by a circular arch, over which the Creed and Lord's Prayer are inscribed, with the King's arms painted in the centre. This Church, and the neighbouring one of South Hinksey, were formerly chapels of ease to Cumner, whence they were separated at the commencement of the last century by Montague, second Earl of Abingdon." The doorway above mentioned is under the porch seen in the annexed view (see Plate 1.) The singularly Pointed window near the porch has terminal heads to its weather moulding. The font is of the age of Charles II. and has no pretensions to notice. In the church-yard is a plain but antient cross, which has sustained no other injury than its exposed situa. tion subjects it to, excepting the removal of its surmounting emblem. * Lysons's Britannia, I. 293. "The manor formerly belonged to the abbey of Abingdon, and was granted to Owen and Bridges, and by them conveyed, in 1547, to Sir John Williams and Sir John Gresham, knts. At a later period it was for many years in the Perrot family. It is now the property of Earl Harcourt *." In the chancel is a large graveWillis, gent. who lost his life in destone to the memory of Thomas fence of the Royal cause at Oxford, Aug. 4, 1641. He was an ancestor Willis, who renewed the inscription, of the celebrated antiquary Browne and recorded on the same stone the death of his own son Francis. (See the epitaph in Nichols's "Literary Anecdotes," vol. VIII. p. 221.) South Hinksey Church is of a more recent date; it is small and uninteconstruction. resting. The chancel is of modern X. Topographical Account of the Parish of GRISTON in NORFOLK. (Concluded from p. 317.) THE CHURCH. Y Domesday Book we learn that lage in the Conqueror's time; but of that building nothing now remains. By whom it was first founded I can by no means learn; but hope that my involuntary ignorance will be excused, since the names of the founders of most parochial churches are now unknown. The old Church was dedicated to St. Margaret, and con. tained four Guilds, viz. St. John's, St. Margaret's, St. Mary's, and St. Pechurch-yard called St. Mary's light. ter's; there was also a light in the William Bateman, Bp. of Norwich, of Buckenham, in 1349, on condition appropriated this Church to the Priory that the Bishop should always nominate to the Prior, who should present the Vicar at his nomination, and also pay the Bishop a yearly pension of 168. Sd. In 1477 a great part of the Church was rebuilt as it now stands, and was then dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, who had a guild also to their honour. The present Church is built of flint and stone, and consists of a chancel, nave, and North porch, +In 1550 Bp. Thirlby released to the King the pension due out of this rectory. In 1492 William Ferror was a benefactor to the guild of St. Peter and St. Paul, and also to the light of St. Mary in the church-yard.-The Vicarage is valued in the GENT. MAC. May, 1817. King's run into ramifications above. These windows were formerly much enriched with painted glass. "In a North church window," says Mr. Blomefield, "was the effigies of Sir Simon Palmer, with this: BIRE SIMON PALMVR DE GRESTEEN. Az. a lion ramp. Gu. in chief three cinquefoils Or. all tiled. At the West end of the nave stands a noble tower, adorned on the outside with the emblems of St. Peter and St. Paul. Over the West entrance, which is Pointed, there is a large Pointed window, divided into three lights by two mullions, which branch off into various compartments. Shameful to relate, half of this handsome window is blocked up, doubtless at the suggestion of some greedy churchwarden. But, as this is not the only window which is thus disfigured, I cannot forbear quoting a remark of a celebrated liv ing Author, who says, "It is to be lamented that the wardenship of churches is generally committed to pulpit, preaching to a large congre the hands of men who, with respect to science, are complete barbarians; consequently, whenever repairs are necessary, nothing but absurdity and discordancy prevail under their di rection." I trust that, when the Archdeacon of Norfolk next visits this village, he will order all the half-blocked-up windows to be re-opened. From the present appearance of the Church a stranger might suppose that there is either a tax upon church windows, or that glass is a very scarce article in this neighbourhood. There is a winding stair-case on the South-east corner. Mr. Blomefield tells us that new bells were purchased in 1446.-At present there are four bells thus inscribed: 1. JOHN. DRAPER. MADE. ME. 1626. T. ANSTEY. H. PALMER. CHVRCHWARDENS. 2. JOHN. DRAPER, MADE. ME. 1610. 3 and 4 uninscribed. The frames in which the bells hang are in very bad repair, and ought to be surveyed by the churchwardens. The steeple is leaded. On a cross beam in the roof I found this inscription: HS. P. M. BEEKS. 1568. THE NAVE, which is separated from the steeple by a lofty Pointed arch, has three windows on the South, and three on the North side. Each window is Pointed, and divided into three cinquefoil-headed lights by two stone mullions, which Ormesby. Gules, a bend compone In a North window is a priest in a gation, with this in labels: Nonne est hic qui expugnabat ? Some of his audience have the word Jesus from their mouths, some are kneeling, and others prostrate: this is perfect, and is a curious painting. In another place was the devil with cloven feet and asses ears, sitting in a throne as a King, with his crown and robes; and a vast press of people crowd to make their address to him. There are Kings with their crowns on pressing forward, the little devils, with long ears and tails, flying over them, and this broken label: .... Exaltet cum .... in Ecclesia." There are three whole-length, but imperfect figures, in the upper part of the first North window from the chancel: round the heads are these inscriptions remaining: et Terram. 2. Usaias. Ecce Virgo concipiet et pariet filium Esaie. 3....... There are some fragments remaining in the other windows. Upon examining these windows, and comparing them with the account which Mr. Blomefield gives of them, I cannot but quote the language which the learned Editor of Thoresby used on a similar occasion: "The glowing colours of the figures, combined with their present mutilated state, inspire a painful regret, that so much taste King's Books at 71. 8s. 94d.; and being sworn of the clear yearly value of 281. 9s. 6d. it is discharged of First Fruits and Tenths. It paid 2s, sinodals, and 6s. 8d. proCurations. and and art should have been lavished on so frail a material as glass *." The principal entrance is by a porch on the North side: there is a door likewise on the South side: both doorways are pointed. The font, which is an octangular bason, lined with lead, and perforated at the bottom, stands upon an octangular shaft under the arch between the nave and steeple. The North side of the font bears this inscription: "A'o D'ni 1568 was this Steple tope newe set up to the greate cost of landed me"," The roof is ceiled between the beams; the principals are supported by whole length figures bearing shields. The greater part of the seats are open there are four or five old carved pews at the end of the nave. The pulpit and reading-desk, both very much carved, stand against the South wall, between the first and second windows from the chancel. The pulpit is octangular; the reading desk has a covering of purple cloth curiously wrought in needle-work. There are many slabs robbed of their brasses. On the South side of the font lies a freestone slab uninscribed; and on the North side a grey slab, brass gone. Nearly opposite the third window from the chance!, lies another grey slab robbed of the brass, and below it one uninscribed. A large slab in the middle of the nave bears this inscription: "Orate pro a'i'a Will'i Palmart, qui obiit xv die Novembri' a'o D'ni Mo CCCC. lxxxiiii cuj' a'i'e p'piciet' De'. Ame'." An old brass in Blomefield's time was thus inscribed: "Orate pro anima Alicie Palmer, que obiit ixo die Decembris anno Domini M° CCCC0 lxxxviiio." The following inscription was for merly engraved upon a brass plate, and inlaid in a stone opposite the first window from the chance! : * Whitaker. "O Pater, O Trinitas, Filt cum Flamine Sacro, [Ruine, Virgineumque Decus Reparatrix atque Cuncta creans nichilo, Manning succurre Johanni, Fac tecum vivat Regno sine fine beato. Anno milleno quingenteno quoque terno, Mensis Septembris obiitque penultima luce." There are two grey slabs at the foot of the reading-desk, brass gone; one of which, Mr. Blomefield says, was thus inscribed: "Orate pro anima Edmundi Buckenham, generosi." On the North side of the nave lies a large stone, with a cross at each corner: it once belonged to the High Altar, but now covers the grave of the Rev. John Borret, formerly Vi car of this Church. The other stones, which came off the two low altars, are still extant; the one is placed as a step in the porch, and the other as a stile at the South-west corner of the church-yard, the crosses remaining on them. There is another slab laid near the window, which has been once ornamented with brass. In the North-east corner there is a pointed door, which formerly led to the roodloft. In the South wall, towards the East end of the nave, is a plain piscina, perforated with a cinquefoil. THE CHANCEL is separated from the nave by a Pointed arch upon octagonal piliars. The upper part is blocked up by the lower part is ornamented by a neat Royal arms, with the date 1785; the open screen. This part of the Church is lighted by two windows to the South, one to the East, and one to the North. The first window on the South side consists of two pointed lights. The second window is divided into three cinquefoil-headed lights below, and six trefoil-headed lights above. In this window was an effigies of one of the Caston family, in his surcoat of arms. The East window is divided into four trefoil-headed The family of the Palmers are of great antiquity in this town. In 1295 Peter le Paumer had a good estate here. In 1495 Henry Palmer of Griston gave five acres and half a rood in King's-grove Furlong, for a yereday, to be kept for him and Alice his wife on Whit Monday, as long as the world stands; and tied all his messuage called Gilberds for it. He also gave to the church and town of Griston 10 acres in Griston and Watton Field, 3 roods at King's-grove, 3 roods at Little Kirk, 2 roods at Kýkynham, 1 acre at Merton-gate, 4 acre and half at Shortwyn's Croft, by the land of the Vicar of Griston on the South. lights, |