should not fear standing on the top of the tower while the ringers rang a good peal.. In the year 1832 the Church underwent a restoration, of which Faulkner gives the following account in a letter to the "Gentleman's Magazine" (1832, p. 602): "The old church of St. Luke, Chelsea, has lately undergone a thorough interior reparation. The pavement has been relaid; the pews lowered and newly arranged; the pulpit removed and placed in the middle aisle near the lower chancel; and the monuments all very carefully cleaned and repaired. An unsightly gallery, placed across the chancel, has been taken down, and by this means the venerable monument of the illustrious Sir Thomas More, which was partly concealed by the staircase leading to that gallery, is now again laid open to the public view. It is intended to put this monument into a complete state of restitution by means of a public subscription, at the head of which our worthy Rector, the Rev. J. W. Lockwood, has placed his name." The "interior reparation" desirable, though it may have been for the proper purposes of the Church, must have robbed the building of much of its old-fashioned character. A portfolio has been acquired lately by the Chelsea Public Library, containing a series of drawings of the Church and its monuments, made about the year 1825. Amongst these drawings is a large view in water colour of the interior of the Church, taken from the north-west, which, though grotesquely drawn, gives a good idea of the state of the Church at the time when Faulkner wrote his account of it, a state which no doubt had altered but little since the enlargement in 1670. A water-colour drawing, which is in the possession of Mr. Davies, the Incumbent, and which is endorsed with a label "Chelsea Old Church, by George C. Handford, 1845," shows very clearly the thoroughness of the "reparation" of 1832. This drawing, which is reproduced on the opposite page, is remarkably exact in detail. At a first glance one would say that it represents the Church as it is to-day, the only alterations that have been made since that date being those carried out by Mr. Davies during the years 1857-60. CHAPTER II CHURCH GOODS AND FURNITURE NONE of the goods or furniture now remaining in the Church are of earlier date than the enlargement which took place in 1670. But there are numerous documents before that date which contribute a great deal of interest to the present chapter; and I will preface my separate descriptions of the bells, pews, and other furniture, with the first of these, namely the Inventory made in 1549, contained in Volume, 498 of "Miscellaneous Books" at the Public Record Office. THE PRYSSHE CHURCHE OF CHELSEY. We the Jury doo present and sertyfy the goods plate Ornaments Jewells and Bells belongynge and aperteynynge to the Churche of Chelsey win the countie of Midd as well within the Inventory takyn by the Kinges Maiests Commessioners as alsoe other goods Belongynge to the same Church and Parryssh not beynge in the Inventory wt Rerages and other Deptts belongynge to the same churche as aperethe hereafter more playnly Sertyfyed by us the same Jury the fyfte daye of Augoost in the yere of our Lorde God a thowsand fyve hundryth fyfty and two and in the sexte Yere of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lorde Kynge Edwarde the Sext by the Grace of God of Inglande Ffraunce and Ierlande Kynge Defendour of the faithe and of the Church of Ingland and Ierland the Suprem Hede Emedyatly under God. This Inventory made the tenth daye of Marche in the thurde Yeare of the Reigne of ow" most Dreade Sovereigne Lorde Kynge Edwarde the Sext of all such goods as is in the Church of Chelsay in the Countie of Midd by the consent of Robertt Richardson Clarke parson of the same Thomas Beane the younger, and Henry Chamber wardens of the same churche John Shelly and George Bryce of the seyde parrysshe wytness to the same. Jewells Itm two Chalics of sylver wt patens by syde one whych wase brent and consumed by fyer beynge in the costodie of Thomas Beane & Plate Itm A Crose of copper and gylte & a lyttell maser wt a Bonde of sylver Itm three aulter clothes to hange before the aulters Itm three Aulter clothes of Dyeper Itm iiij towells of Dyeper Itm two Curtens at the hyghe Aulter Itm fyve Candelstycks of Latten Itm Two basons of pewter Itm iiij Corporas cases and two clothes belongyng to them Itm Two Qwesshions of Tynsell Itm iiij Qwesshions of owlde sylke Itm iij vestments one of black vellett and two of Satten wt vellett Crosses and all thyngs belongyng to them Itm vii owlde vestments of Satten and caddas Itm one Cope of Tawny vellett & one other owlde cope Itm vi greate bowks besyds the Byble Itm Three masse bowks and vii smale bowks Itm A Sensor of latten Itm A Holy water Stocke THE LADY MORES CHAPELL Itm in the same Chapell two aulter clothes Itm an aulter clothe of Brydye satten wt a Border to the same |