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western screen with its doorway: these are of terra cotta or plainly-moulded red brick, of most rich and beautiful design of the Italian Renaissance. The executors were in advance of the times, and we have in one building and of the same period perfect Gothic and Renaissance so happily and beautifully combined to raise the chapel and tomb to her memory.2

After Sir Edmund the builder, comes Sir Thomas, his eldest son, who has no issue. Then his second son is in Holy Orders, so he did not take; but Sir Edmund, the third son, did. Now comes his son, called Sir Henry Bedingfield, and it is from this Sir Henry, the grandson of the builder, that the great interest of the family arises. He was "Jaylor" to the Lady Elizabeth in the short period of Catholic Supremacy of Queen Mary. Fox, the bitter Protestant, charged him with severity. History would be nothing without a controversy. and it is a pity these controversies should ever be settled. This never has been. But it is difficult to believe as an historical fact that Sir Henry Bedingfield, a man of sufficient strength of character to retain his old religion, a Norfolk gentleman of somewhat more than middle age, should be unkind to the young Royal Lady given to his charge, and who must ultimately, in the course of nature, be his Queen. Sir Henry lives still

1 The introduction of Italians to England at this time is often remarked on-probably under the influence of Wolsey. We have a work in Wymondham Church in terra cotta simpler than our screen, and probably by English workmen, illustrated in the Norwich Volume of the Archæological Institute, 1847, p. 124; at Great Snoring Rectory and East Barsham earlier; of tombs there is the example, John Youngs' tomb in the Rolls Chapel, 1516, and the famous tomb at Layer Marney. See A History of Renaissance, 1500-1800, by R. Blomfield, 1897, vol. ii.

2 As to this combination of Gothic and Renaissance in the same work, see the Countess of Salisbury's tomb, Christchurch, Hants.-A History of Renaissance, by Reginald Blomfield, 1897, vol. i., p. 18.

in history as the principal actor in this very interesting page of it. He lies-the great Sir Henry Bedingfield as he is commonly called-under the splendid monument in the lovely chapel erected by his grandmother Margaret. Then comes his son Edmund, and the list of his great possessions will be found recorded by Mr. Parkin. Afterwards his son, Sir Henry, whose greatgrandson was the Sir Henry Bedingfield of the time of Mr. Parkin, and from that one to the present highlyrespected and courteous Baronet is an unbroken male succession, and in direct line of descent from the Weylands who held Oxborough in the year of our Lord 1275.

I should like a small space to allude to a building of the highest interest in the village economy of the times. For what a village Oxborough was! It had passed from the early period when it was the centre of the defence of a tribe; it had gone through the times when the court of the manor was the governing body, when it possessed its market, its fairs, its privileges, its right of assize of bread and flour; when it had its criminal jurisdiction which ended in the gallows, the pillory, and the tumbril; and it was a port. When at the height of its influence, an inhabitant, Richard Sparrow-his will is dated in 1482, the same year as the licence to build the hall-founded a chantry for the priest to officiate and pray for his soul and that of his parents and children; afterwards he built a beautiful home for his priest, the first priest was to be William Elys. It had

1 The Rev. W. H. Brown, the Rector, kindly had the Parish Registers open at the entry of the burial of Sir Henry; this confirms a point raised in the case of the Howard Chapel at Arundel, that a Catholic does not object to be buried with the burial service and by a clergyman of the Church of England.

a fine "hall" and grand roof with screens, kitchens, and butteries, all existing not long before Parkin wrote. "Being a great building," he says, "surrounded with walls and embattlements, and entered by a lofty arch." The ruins of this remain in the wall of cottages. But how it added to the picturesqueness and beauty of this wasted village, for it was just before Parkin's time that he relates that thirty cottages were taken down along the road, and the whole place now exists in the remains left of the past, of its beautiful church and grand brick castle.

I should have said at the meeting a few words of the church. Its architecture describes it. There is no record. Its windows and monuments are all in Blomefield, and, like all other details of the history of this remarkable village, can be read therein. I leave them.

APPENDIX.

Extracts from the Proceedings of the Committee and at General Meetings.

June 19th, 1895.

Committee Meeting. Mention was made of the Loan Collection at the Ecclesiastical Art Exhibition to be held in connection with the Church Congress at Norwich in October, and a resolution was passed "That this Committee considers that it is desirable to make the Loan Collection of Church Goods at the Church Congress, as far as possible, representative of the Diocese, and therefore shall solicit the owners of such goods to lend them under proper precautions to the Ecclesiastical Art Exhibition."

February 11th, 1896. Committee Meeting. A Pamphlet, containing some quaint verses on the death of Mr. Tom Martin, formerly belonging to Mr. Ives of Yarmouth, was exhibited by MR. F. DANBY PALMER. A copy of Husenbeth's Emblems of the Saints was laid before the Committee. It had been the property of the late Mr. Whitaker of London, who had inserted numerous additions, corrections, &c. At Mr. Whitaker's death it had been purchased by Messrs. Sotheran, who had sent it down for inspection in case the Society should wish to issue a revised edition. Mr. Hudson was directed to enquire at what price Messrs. Sotheran would allow the Society to purchase it.

March 18th, 1896. Committee Meeting. MR. HUDSON reported that Messrs. Sotheran were willing to sell Mr. Whitaker's copy of Husenbeth's Emblems of the Saints for £5. 58. Od., at which price the Society purchased it.

March 18th, 1896. Annual Meeting. In consequence of the removal of Mr. Hudson from the county, it was arranged, after some discussion, that Mr. L. G. Bolingbroke be elected Hon. Secretary, and Mr. Hudson Hon. Editorial Secretary.

Sept. 11th, 1896. Committee Meeting. The SECRETARY reported the gift of the following books:-How the City of Norwich Grew into Shape, from the Author, the Rev. W. Hudson, and Bibliotheca Norfolciensis, from Mr. J. J. Colman and he was directed to convey the thanks of the Society for the same to the donors.

May 28th, 1897. Committee Meeting. In the place of the late Rev. W. F. Creeny, Mr. Charles Candler was elected a member of the Committee, and Mr. L. G. Bolingbroke a delegate to the Congress of the Associated Archæological Societies.

October 1st, 1897. Committee Committee Meeting. DR. BENSLY announced the gift to the library of the Society of fifty volumes under the Will of the Rev. W. F. Creeny; of four Parts of General Pitt-Rivers' work on EarthWorks, by the Author; and the gift of a copy of the Register of Wood Dalling, from the Rev. Hawkes Mason.

CANON MANNING exhibited a Flint Knife found in one of the Roydon Gravel Pits (similar to that illustrated on p. 318 of Evans' Ancient Stone Implements, 1st edition).

November 11th, 1897. Committee Meeting. CANON MANNING exhibited two specimens of Samian Pottery found at Caister, on one of which appeared the Potter's Stamp with the name PRISCIN."

DR. BENSLY exhibited four Fragments of Brasses found among the late Mr. Creeny's effects; 1, a palimpsest,

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