July 27, 1627. Administration of the goods of Thomas Pulleyn, late vicar of Pontefract, deceased, was granted to Francis Pulleyn,

his son.

April 18, 1628. John Grymesditch, of New-Hall, esq. made his will, proved giving his soul, ut supra, and his body to be buried in the parish church of Pontefract, near his father.

December 12, 1672, John Ayscough, of Pontefract, gentleman, made his will, proved Oct. 8, 1679, giving his soul to God Almighty, his creator and Redeemer, and his body to be buried in the parish church of Pontefract.

In the eastern part of the church, is a tomb erected to the memory of Richard Ayre: with the following inscription on a brass plate:

'Here lies the body of Richard Ayre, of Pontefract Castle, gentleman, who dy'd the 2d. Day of July, 1682, and in the 68th year of his age.'

Here also lieth the body of Elizabeth, his Daughter, who dy'd before him, viz. in May, 1680.

As thou art, so were we;

And as we are, so must thou be!

'Here lyeth the body of William Clifton, Gent. who departed this life ye 18th of November, 1720, Aged 61 years. Jamq. dies (ni fallor) adest, quem semper accerbum quem honoratum (sic Divoluistis) habebo Virg.' 'Here also was interred the body of Sussana, his wife, who departed this life the 27th of January, 1731, aged 68 years.' Also on another stone the following inscription appears ;

*

Thomæ Fish, de Pontefract,
Pharmacopolæ
Quam Provinciam

et egregiis Doctrinæ subsidiis instruetus
et indessa Industria usus

et humanissima Suavitatem imbutus
Felicissime administravit

Cujus in Societate Amenitas Fidesq. tutissima
Omnes Munificentia Hospitalitas

ita suis dilectum redidit

Vicinis

ut Nomen ejus bene audiat
Pie in Xto obdomorvit.
Vicesimo die Martii
1729.

Maria Fish Vidua mestissima
Optimo M** rito Memoriæ
Ergo hoc Epitaphium
posuit

Dies Mortis Æternæ
Vitæ Natialis est

Hic jacet Maria Fish Vidua
prædicti Thomæ Fish qu**
Obiit Septimo die Junii. A D.
MDCCXLIV. Ætat.

56.

On another little mutilated stone:

'Here lyeth the body of Jane, Davgter of Samvel Drake, vicar of Pontfract, who was buried July, the 22.

Mr. Thomas Gent placed a tomb in the churchyard to the memory . of his friend Mr. William Tatham, in gratitude for the kindness he had extended towards him during his lifetime.

'Here lieth interred the body of William Tatham, Gentleman, of Tanshelfe, in the parish of Pontefract, Coroner; who departed this life, the sixteenth Day of March, Anno Domini, 1737, in the 67th year of his age.'

Another ancient tombstone, has lately been discovered in the interior of the church. The form of a sword with ornamented hand is engraven in the centre of the upper part, having on each side of it, on the top, a circle, divided perpendicularly by a dagger, and the following inscription around it :

+ in god c. s' all.

and on the lower part near the blade of the sword, on each side, is a shield bearing an animal resembling a rabbit. The lower part of the stone is greatly mutilated and the following is all that can be made out of the inscription:

On a pillar entering the eastern aisle is rudely carved the head of a man and the following inscription:

STA COLUMPHA PIA:
RTTILDAPARTAMARIE

A traveller on beholding the crumbling walls of this venerable structure of All Saints, thus writes:

'The church near the castle, rendered useless by the loss of the roof, comes in proof of the inability of the parishioners to repair it for divine service. They give a strange excuse for this by informing visitors, that the building was thus reduced during the siege in Charles I. reign. This seems improbable, as all the exterior work is rather perfect. The design gives a body, side aisles, transept, chancel, centre tower, &c. the whole an admirable performance. There is something peculiarly striking in these remains, and it may not inaptly be called a beauty in distress; and yet no admirer of our English architecture comes to pity, and to save; that is to repair and restore.*

Adieu! ye domes, by many an age array'd

In many a tint, though crumbling and decay'd!

Ye wrecks, adieu !—that murmuring from on high,

To pensive pride, a dumb memento sigh!

Still may your aisles in hoary pomp sublime,
To new-born eras, mark the lapse of time.'

Gent. Mag. No, 95. 222.

THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY.

The church of St. Mary de Foro, (now called St. Giles,) is mentioned in the charter of Hugh de la Val, as early as the time of Henry I.; and from circumstances noted in the charter, it must have been built some time anterior to this period. In the will of William Hagwyk, in the commencement of the fifteenth century, it is also mentioned under the title of St. Mary, as well as in many other testamentary burials in All Hallows church; and as there was a chantry in All Hallows, dedicated to the blessed Virgin, it is very probable that its ancient name was St. Mary; and that St. Giles was given to it on account of the annual fairs of the town being held on St. Giles' day.

Leland calls it St. Leonard's in the Frith, and thus writes :'Whereas now the fairest parte of Pontfract, stondeth on the toppe of the hille, was after the conquest a chappelle with a few sparkelid houses; the chapelle was called St Leonard's in the frith, and as I lerne this part of the towne was caullid Kyrkby.' As no other writer hath, however, given to it this name, it is most probable that Leland's account is erroneous; for we have undoubted proofs of its first being in the centre of a wood, and therefore it must have been erected long ere he flourished, as he expressly states, that the fairest part of the town surrounded it.

The north west part of this church belonged to the canons of St. Oswald, and was dedicated to that saint, whose name was a favourite in Yorkshire, for sinners as well as saints.' He was king of Bernicia and Northumberland, and restored the Christian religion into his dominions, in the seventh century, after the relapse of his brother and predecessor into Paganism. He acquired the good will of the monks, afterwards his historians, and by them was so highly celebrated for his piety, that after his decease, his reliques were reported to have performed miracles, and amongst many others, to have cured a sick horse, grazing near his tomb.

This church, through the instigation of Archbishop Thurston, was granted by Hugh de la Val with all its appurtenances to the priory of St. John the Evangelist.*

It was formerly of very small dimensions, and after the south aisle and chancel was added to it, it was then styled St. Oswald's, with St. Giles' chapel annexed. The old steeple was about seven yards square, and thirty-six yards in height to the summit of the spire, and was possessed of no bells. Being in a very ruinous state, it was taken down in the months of April and May, in the year 1707, and sir John Bland, of * Dugdale's Monasticon Anglicanum, 649.