POPISH RECUSANTS. NO. 4. (VOL. II, P. 182.)

The following letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Bishop of London, is transcribed from a Register of miscellaneous documents, known as the "1st faculty Book" of the diocese of Norwich.

Right Reverend Ld and Brother.

His Matie haveing yesternight in Councell (to the great satisfaction and joy of vs all) declar'd his Royal will & pleasure, That all Papists & Popish Recusants throughout the Realme be forthwith rigouriouslie p'secuted, & the Lawes of the Land made against them effectuallie putt in execution, to the end that some wholesome seueritie (so reasonable & necessary att this time) they may, by God's blessing vpon his Maties pious intentions, & the endeavours of his good subjects in p'suance of the same, be either reduced into the Bosome of the Church, or driven out of the Kingdome, I could not but im'ediatelie reflect how highly it concernes, & how well it may beseeme mee and my Brethren, & and all that are entrusted with the manage of anie jurisdiction vnder vs, to contribute all wee can, & p'ticularly what the Lawes of the land & the Canons of the require of vs for the p'moteing & accompleshing (if it may be) soe good a Designe, which tends soe manifestly to the glory of God & the honor of his Maties Government, the p'spitie & florishing estate of that excellent Religion, by the peculiar blessing of heaven established amongst vs, & the quiet & tranquillitie of the whole Realme. I have, therefore, thought fitt at p'sent (till other & further methods may be debated & resolved on) to require all the Bishops of this Province, & euery of them; And I doe hereby require them that those three Cannons against Popish Recusants, agreed upon in the Synod begun att London, Ao D'ni, 1603, namely, the 65th, 66th, & the 114th, be by them & all that hold or exercise anie jurisdiction vndr them, forthwith exactly obserued, & effectually putt in vse, considering how acceptable a service it wil be to Almighty God to assist his Maties pious purpose heerein, & on the other side, how seveere a punishment the last Cannon of the three appoint to those who shall neglect their duety herein, which will, I doubt not, without p'tialletie or connivance be inflicted on them. My Lord, my request to yr Lordship is, that you will not onely take notice of all this yor selfe, but also cause a Copie hereof by you attested, to be transmitted to eu'y Bishop of this Provincc, in the name of Yor Ldps affectionate Brother.

Lambhith House, Aprill 9th, 1681.

HALES, NORFOLK.

Wm CANT.

Please to preserve in your pages the following inscription from a loose broken stone, now lying in the churchyard, at the east end of the church. G. W. M.

"Here lyeth ye body of Ann, the wife of Edward Mecklebury, who dyed July ye 8th, 1695; and also ye body of Edward his son, dyed June 29th, 1695."

MONUMENTAL HERALDRY OF YARMOUTH, &c.—NO. 3 (VOL. II, P. 283.)

3. A marble tablet to William Steward, Esq., a magistrate of the county, and a benefactor to Yarmouth, died 19th May, 1841. Quarterly 1 and 4, Or a fesse chequy Argent and Azure. 2 and 3, Argent a lion rampant Gules, debruised by a bend raguly Or, over all on a fesse Azure, three fleurs-de-lis Or. Crest, out of a naval crown Or a demi-lion rampant Gules. Motto, Finem Respice.

4. On a pew under this monument are these arms :-Two chevrons between three fleurs-de-lis; impaling party per chevron wavy, three lions' heads erased.

5. A very handsome modern brass in an arched recess, to the memory of Alfred Impey, M.D., who died September 26th, 1852. Quarterly 1 and 4, Gules, on a chevron Or, three crescents of the first. 2 and 3, Argent, a chevron Azure between four (2 and 2) cinquefoils Gules, a serpent Vert in pale; impaling Argent, a fesse Gules between three estoiles of the second. Crest, between two wings Or, a leopard's face Sable.

6. A marble tablet to members of the Tolver family. Argent, a cross Gules, in each quarter a leaf slipped Vert. Crest, a fleur-de-lis Gules.

7. A monument to Matthew Cufaude, who died July 24th, 1796. Quarterly 1 and 4, barry of ten Argent and Gules a canton of the last. 2 and 3 party per pale Or and Sable, a cross counterchanged. In the north aisle are the following:

1. A tablet to the memory of Mary, the wife of Isaac Preston, died 21st March, 1860. Ermine, on a chief Sable, three crescents Or, impaling Gules a saltire (cottised?) Argent, between four fleur-de-lis Or, Farr. Crest, a crescent (?)

2. A monument to George England, Esq., Recorder of Yarmouth, and several times its representative in Parliament, died 30th June, 1702. Gules, three lions passant guardant, Argent. Adjoining this monument are two others bearing the same arms to members of this family.

3. A slab to James Symonds, gent., died 16th of May, 1688. A dolphin naiant embowed. Crest, a dolphin as in the arms.

4. A tablet to Phillis Preston, wife of Edm. Preston, gent., died 14th February, 1805; also, James Symonds Preston. Preston, on an escutcheon of pretence, Symonds.

5. A tablet to John Brown, gent., died 24th May, 1800. On a wreath Or and Azure (?), a candle extinguisher Argent. Motto, Death extinguishes all.

On the roof of the aisles are these arms, many of which are repeated: 1. Quarterly, France and England, a label of three points. 2. Sable, three crescents Ermine, a bordure Or. 3. Gules, a fess Or, between six martlets, a label of three points. 4. Gules, a lion rampant, Argent. 5. Sable, a fess between two chevrons Or. 6. Gules, three eagles displayed Or. 7. Party per pale Azure and Gules, a lion rampant Or. 8 Ermine, a bend cottised Gules. 9. Ermine, a catherine wheel Argent. 10. Sable, three.... a canton Argent. 11. Quarterly, Or and Azure, on a bend Gules, three crosses patee (?).—JUSTIN SIMPSON.

TERRIERS

Having had an opportunity of seeing the Terriers relating to my village (by the kindness of the Bishop's Registrar, and by paying the usual fee), I send you the dates when they were required. I was under the impression that terriers were demanded by the Bishop only in his visitation, and not by the Archdeacon; "the Archbishop and all Bishops within their several dioceses shall procure .... that a true note and terrier.... be taken," 87 Canon. If I am right, the following dates will show several exceptions to the Bishop's Septenuial Visitation. So long an interval as the last, twenty years, between one terrier and another (it will also be seen) is unprecedented.

1. No date, in Latin, prob. Elizabethan.

Dates when Terriers were required.

FONT INSCRIPTIONS (VOL. II, P. 282.)

The font in Eastham church, co. Essex, consists of a white marble basin, set on a pedestal extremely ugly and disproportioned. The arms and quarterings of Sir Richard Higham are rudely incised on the basin.

Quarterly, 1. Heigham. Sable, a fesse checky Or and Azure, between three nags' heads erased Argent. 2. Francis of Suffolk. Gules, a chevron engrailod Ermine between three falcons rising Argent, beaked and legged Or. 3. Stoneley. Azure, a fesse between three scythe blades Or. 4. Stoneley. Azure, on a fesse between three stags' heads caboshed Or, a fleur-de-lys of the field, between two demi-roses Gules.

On the rim of the basin is the following inscription:

"The gift of Sr Richard Heigham, Knight, to this parish of Eastham." Ao Dni 1639."-W. C.

QUERIES.

Selling a Wife.-Has this barbarous custom ever been adopted in Norfolk.-X. Y. Z.

Thomas Cotton, of Bergholt-Can any of your readers give me information about Thomas Cotton, of Bergholt (W.) whose sister Susan married the well known John Bastwick. He was living at Bergholt in 1634.—W.

The Curfew Bell.-Can any of your correspondents inform me whether the Curfew bell is still rang in any of the towns of Norfolk or Essex, or where in those counties the custom has been recently abandoned-G.

Pulpit Hour Glasses.-Your valuable pages may be the means of informing me in what parish in East Anglia, the hour glass for the pulpit, or the stand for the hour glass, still exists.-ALPHA.

Burial of Murderers in Cross Roads.-Are there any instances known of this practice having been adopted in the county of Norfolk? If not for murderers, has it been adopted for those who committed suicide ?-B. C.

THE EAST ANGLIAN.

MARCH, 1866.

NOTES.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY OF EAST ANGLIA.

[Under this head we propose to meet the repeatedly expressed wishes of many of our readers, and give brief notices of such new books as may be issued, bearing on the Topography, Science, or Literature of the East Anglian district; and not only of separate and independent works, but of such Essays, and references to the locality as may be introduced into other publications, of too great length to justify reproduction in our pages. We invite the aid of our Correspondents in this matter, information rather than criticism being the object desired.-EDIT.]

The Norfolk and Norwich Archæological Society have just issued the first part of the seventh volume of their Original Papers; embracing the following contributions:-1. Wickhampton church, by the Rev. Č. R. Manning, M.A. 2. Notice of an ancient Lock in Norwich Cathedral, by Mr. John L'Estrange. 3. Roman Coins and Antiquities, found at Caistor next Yarmouth, by the late Rev. E. S. Taylor, communicated by Mr. A. W. Morant. 4. Norfolk Church Goods temp. Edward VI, by Walter Rye, Esq. 5. Church Goods of St. Andrew and St. Mary ('oslany, Norwich, temp. Edward VI, with many valuable notes, by Mr. J. L'Estrange. 6. Hassett's House, Pockthorpe, Norwich, by the Rev. James Bulwer, M.A. 7. Acoustic Pottery, by Rev. G. W. W. Minns, with representations of different jars, supposed to have been used for acoustic purposes. This is a subject of much choral interest; and we shall be glad to receive any facts or opinions bearing upon the subject. 8. On some Reaping Machines of the ancient Gauls, by Sir J. P. Boileau, Bart., the President of the society. The remainder of the part is occupied by a third portion of the Visitation of Norfolk, edited by Dr. Howard and the Rev. G. H. Dashwood.

The Suffolk Institute of Archæology, &c., has issued the second part of the fourth volume of their Proceedings, containing the following papers:1. The Ecclesiastical Remains of Bungay, by the Rev. J. J. Raven. 2. Mettingham Castle and College, by the Rev. C. R. Manning. 3. On the Etymology of Beccles, by Dr. Charnock, and the late Rev. W. T. Spurdens. 4. Rose Hall, Beccles, by Mr. Samuel Tymms.

Mr. John Glyde, junr., of Ipswich, author of Suffolk in the Nineteenth Century, has edited an octavo volume of Miscellanies, under the title of The New Suffolk Garland, and arranged under the following heads :1. Anecdotes and Biographical Reminiscences. 2. Superstitions, old Ballads, historical notices, Curious Customs, Scarce Documents, &c. 3. Selections from Suffolk Poets, Bards, and Rhymers. 4. Statistical Returns, with an appendix containing an account of the Reform struggle at Ipswich, in 1820.

Mr. R. Green has published a new Guide to the Town of Framlingham, Suffolk. It is a more correct book than the preceding edition, and much improved in other respects, and we shall be glad to find the author continuing his researches into the history of this important and attractive town.

The veteran "Sylvanus Urban, gent.," in the 136th year of his literary life, has found a new home in the famed precinct of Whitefriars, and called to the head of his councils, a man of admitted research and ability. It is gratifying to learn that the gentlemanly pursuits which so distinguished his earlier years, will not be neglected; but that, stepping his foot firmly on every coming round of the ladder, Mr. Urban will advance with the progress of science, and scatter with a liberal hand the choicest fruits of the tree of knowledge. The second number of the new series of the Gentleman's Magazine is before us, and promises well. It would be foreign to our object to notice its varied contents; but to aid in obtaining satisfactory replies to two local queries, we transcribe them from a communication under the signature of G. C.

In St. Michael's Church, Beccles, Suffolk (a large church of the transition period between Decorated and Perpendicular, with aisles and chancel aisles), over a low and very small flat-topped porch to the priest's door, is the stonework of a doorway, on what probably was the level of the rood-loft. It has neither chamfer, drip-stone, nor moulding. It is five feet six inches high by two feet nine inches broad, and the sill nine feet from the ground. It has a flat Tudor arch. What was the purpose of this doorway opening from the rood-loft to the leads of the south porch? The rood-stairs are in the north aisle. This little porch, by the way, is an anomaly. It is square and built of stone. The flat stone ceiling is carved with a very rich Decorated diaper work. The mouldings of the inner doorway are of very fine Decorated character, with deep hollows. The shafts are filleted, the capitals bell-shaped, and the fillets run through the astragals. The mouldings of the arch and the stone of which it is made correspond with those of the jambs, and yet the arch is of Tudor date. Can this be one more to be added to the very few early examples of four-centred arches ?

In Ashill Church, Norfolk, where is a low side-window in the usual place in the chancel, there is also a low side-window on the north side of the nave, two feet from the east wall and four feet from the ground. The stonework of the outside alone is visible. It is three feet six inches high, and twenty-one inches broad. Had this opening any connection with the rood-loft to which it was so close? or was it one of the exterior confessionals ordered to be blocked up at the Reformation ?

The Obituary contains memoirs of the late Sir Astley Paston Cooper, Bart., a native of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, who died on the 6th of January last; and of Vice-Admiral Herringham, a native of Ongar, Essex, who died December 27th, 1865.