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STYLE OF BUILDING.

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Lysons supposed the late structure to have been erected towards the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII.; deducing his opinion from the architecture of the windows before the alterations of 1799, and the form of the arches which separated the nave from the aisles. " I think, however, that this does not make it old enough; and he is certainly in error with regard to the north aisle, when he states his conviction that it was built in 1520, having had that date in the east window; as it is obviously alluded to in 1492. Perhaps half a century might be added to the date assumed by Lysons; though I am not disposed to go farther back.

b

The older parts of the late fabric were constructed principally of chalk and freestone, with large nodules of flint occasionally interspersed. The chalk was rudely squared and placed checquer-wise, the interstices being filled with stone-rubble. Paving tiles, usually about an inch in thickness, though in some instances scarcely half as much, were wedged in to fill up the gaps, and sometimes placed vertically to form a surface for the plaster: the inner parts of the wall were, as usual, less carefully constructed, being filled up with broken chalk and flint, thrown in without much apparent order; and the whole was strongly cemented by lime mortar.

a

The main building was sacred to St. Giles, " and was, in former times, decorated with all the paraphernalia of devotion, associated with the religion of our forefathers.

The south aisle was dedicated to Our blessed Lady the Virgin; and until the comparatively recent alterations and enlargements, retained all the features of a distinct chapel. The festival of her nativity is observed on the octave of St.

a Vol. i. 56.

b Vide Account of St. Nicholas' Chapel. a Who he was may be seen at page 42..

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GALLERIES ERECTED.

Giles; but whether any other association obtains between these saints I am not informed.

The north aisle was sacred to Saint Nicholas -a name not uncommonly connected with that of the Virgin Mary. One of Edward the Fourth's foundations at Cambridge was called "hys colledge royall of our Lady and St. Nicholas;"a and the venerable church of St. John the Baptist, at Croydon, is flanked by two chauntries, severally dedicated to St. Nicholas and St. Mary.

The earliest recorded alteration in this fabric dates in 1688. In the minute-book of the governors of the Free Grammar School, there is a memorandum to this effect :

MEMORANDUM, 1688.

"The North Gallery in the Church where the Schole boys now sit, was built by Mr. Walker, Tenant to the Schole, on purpose for the use of the Schole, (as his Widdow testifieth,) yet the Boys kept their sitting about the Communion Table many years, which not being so convenient, this year by consent of the Parish, I took possession of the Gallery, and at my own Charge fitted it up as it now is, leaving the back seats for Strangers, while the Scholeboys are not so numerous as to want them. NEHEMIAH LAMBERT."C This minute is supposed to refer to the upper gallery at the west-end of the north aisle.

In 1708, the church was new pewed, paved, and glazed; three new gallerfes were erected, and a vault was sunk at the expence of the parish.

In 1786, the south wall was partly pulled down, and the

a Stow, Chron. Eng. 4to. 1580, p. 731.

Steinman's Croydon, p. 128.

An imperfect copy of this memorandum is given in " Regulations of the parish of St. Giles," by W. G. Poole, 1838, p. 71.

d Aubrey, i. 182.

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gallery enlarged to make room for the parishioners, the church under the ministry of the Rev. Roger Bentley being then greatly crowded.

In 1792, a vestry was called to take into consideration the expediency of building a new church, but it was not then judged necessary.

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Its appearance as regarded the northern side of the building was still extremely picturesque, but at a vestry held on the 4th April, 1799, it was sentenced to be "beautified," without even a recommendation to mercy. In pursuance of this resolution, the venerable structure was soon despoiled of its ancient glory: the upper part of the tower was pulled down and rebuilt with brick, and the " cupola with one bell and a weathercock," substituted by the late elegant turret.

"The glazier's work before, substantial was
"I must confess thrice as much lead as glasse,
"Which in the sun's meridian, cast a light,
"As it had been within an hour of night."a

a Cotton's Wonders of the Peake, 1699, p. 82.

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But even this was not proof againt the ravages of churchwardens; and with all its "twilight saints," and "dim emblazonings," it was doomed to be removed, and the windows" new done." An organ was also set up, and the whole building spoiled at the expense of the parish.

In 1804, the long covered way to the porch was erected by Mr. Monk, one of the churchwardens, without the sanction of vestry, but he was subsequently indemnified, and the cost defrayed out of the savings of the church-rate in 1803.

In 1807, the north gallery was removed and refixed on the south side of the church, and a new one erected in its place. Permission was likewise given to one of the parishioners to erect an iron staircase on the outside of the south wall, with an iron gate and spikes to secure it; and a casement door uniform with the window, for an entrance to the gallery, which was now continued to the east end of the adjoining chancel.'

In 1816, a new portico was built over the western entrance." In the same year the church having been robbed, a committee was formed to ascertain the things stolen, and the cost of replacing them; and to take measures for the better security of the property in future. Accordingly, on the 11th of September, they gave in their report, recommmending that a stone frame with an iron door be erected in the robing-room, and that iron bars be fixed to the most insecure of the windows, which was complied with.

" Shewn in Mr. Prosser's large print, and in the smaller copy of it recently published.

C

Ind. Vest. Min. 31 Dec. 1806; 15 June, 26 Aug. 12 Oct. and 27 Nov. 1807. Regulations, &c. p. 72.

d Ind. Vest. Min. 2 and 11 Sept. 1816.

This latter precaution, however, proved inefficient, as the church was again sacrilegiously entered on the 23d June, 1824, and a carpet from the chancel, a blue cloth from the vestry, the sconces from the pulpit, the crown and mitre from the beadles' staves, and several bibles and prayer books stolen.

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