A S H O RT ACCO UN T OF ROMSEY AB B EY .

A D ESCRI PTI ON OF T H E FAB RI C ‘ AN D

NOT E S ON T H E H I STO RY OF T H E

V MARY CON ENT OF S S . ET H E LF LED A

-“V [A r

BY THE RE V. T . PE RKINS

R OF N R SE R E CTO TU R WO TH , DOR T “ ” ” “ A EN S E N B N E AUTHOR OF M I , ROU , WIM OR ” A N D S E T C. CHRI TCHURCH ,

W I TH $ $$I I ILLUS TRATIONS

LONDON GEORGE BE L L AND S ONS 1 9 07 O CH ’S WI CK PRESS : CHARLES WHITTI N GHAM AN D CO v Q . ‘ s l O KS R N N N D N . O COU T , CHA CERY LA E , LO O P R E F ACE

I

T H E architecturaland descriptive part of this book is the result

of a of careful personal examination the f bric, made when the author has visited the abbey at various times during the last twenty years . The illustrations are reproduced from photo

of graphs taken by him on the occasions these visits . The historical information has been derived from many “ sources . Among these may especially be mentioned An Essay ” C . descriptive of the Abbey Church of Romsey, by Spence, the first edition of which was published in 1 85 1 ; the small ofiicial guide sold in the church , and Records of Romsey m Abbey, compiled from anuscript and printed records, by

. . . L ivein . A . the Rev Henry G D g, M , Vicar of Hyde, Win

1 06 - chester, 9 . This last named work contains all that is at

is of present known , or that likely to be known , the history of the abbey from its foundation early in the ninth cen tury up to the year 1 5 5 8 . To this book the reader who desires fuller information and minuter details than could be given in the

e e following pages is ref rr d . The thanks of the writer are d u e to the late and present

a for Vic rs kind permission to examine the building, and to take photographs of it from any point of view he desired .

T N R EC UR WORTH TORY ,

B L AN D F O R I ) D SE . , OR T

r Ala m, 1 9 07 .

CON T E N T S

PA G E

H R I C A PTE I . H ISTOR Y OF THE BUI L D NG

T H E $ R R I I . E TE IO

T H E R R III . I NTE IO

V T H E R M E v I . ABBESSES OF o S VICAR S OF ROM SEY I N D E $ D I M ENSIO N S OF THE ABBEY CHU R CH

L I S T OF I L L US T R AT I ON S

PA GE R O M SEY ABBEY F R O M THE EAST ABBESS’S SEAL A I D A A S T R AN PS L CH PEL, OUTH SEPT T H E A K I N N VE , LOO G WEST J UNCTION OF NO R M AN AN D E A R LY E NGLISH WO R K

VI EW F R OM THE NOR TH - WEST T H E AE E E ss ’s D OOR T H E W EST E N D AN D SOUTH T R ANSEPT T H E SOUTH T R ANSEPT F R OM THE WEST T H E SA$ ON R OO D T H E R SI D CHOI , SOUTH E T H E A N R D N VE, O TH SI E CYLI N D R ICAL P I ER NO R TH N AVE AR CA D E T H E CLER ESTOR Y OF NAVE E AR LY E NGLISH B AYS OF THE N AVE T HE SOUTH SI D E OF T H E CHOI R T R I FO R IU M A R C H I N THE NO R TH T R ANS E PT T H E I N TE R IO R F R OM THE WEST B ASE OF A P I E R I N THE N AVE AR CAD ING I N THE T OWER I N THE R I N GER S ’ CHA M BE R T H E W EST W ALL OF NO R TH T R ANSEPT T H E NO R TH CHOI R AISLE T H E AM BULATO R Y T H E SOUTH C HOI R AIS L E 1 2 ROMSEY ABB EY

SA$ A R IN S E ON C V G, OUTH AISL

T H E NO R TH - E AST ANGLE OF T H E C R OSSI NG T O M E AN D E FFIGY I N THE SOUTH T R ANSEPT T H E NOR TH AISLE OF THE NAVE T H E SOUTH T R ANSEPT P I ER I N THE NO R TH N AVE AR CAD E P LAN

S D A I . E S N SE A P I CHAP L , OUTH TRA PT R O M S E Y A B B E Y

C H APTER I

HISTOR Y OF T H E BUILD I NG

T H E etymology of the name Romsey has been much disputed . There can be no doubt about the meaning of the termination ” — — ey island which we meet with under different spellings

- e e e E l in many place nam s , such as Ath ln y, y, Lundy, Mersea a and others, for Romsey st nds upon an island, or rather group th e e Te t of islands , formed by the division of riv r s into a number m w th e of strea s, hich again flow together to the south of town , and at last, after a course of about seven miles , empty themselves into Southampton Water . But several . derivations have been

suggested for the first syllable of the name . Some writers derive om it from R e, and regard Romsey as a hybrid word taking the ” s th e fi place of Romana in ula, rst word having been shortened a O h axon and the second tr nslated into ld Englis , or S as some prefer to call it . Now it is true that there were several important Roman stations in the neighbourh ood : S orbiod un u m $Old u E V B el aru m Sar m), rige $Broughton), enta g $Winchester), Clau sen tu m and $near Southampton), and in passing to and fro between these the Roman legions must frequently have marched either through or near to the site of Romsey . Roman coins found in the immediate neighbourhood clearly S how that th e m place was inhabited during the Ro an occupation . Anoth er ” derivation is the Celtic word R u im n e $marshy); this w ould m be ake the name mean Marshy island , and there can no doubt that this would be an apt description of the place in olden tim es against this may be alleged that again the word would be hybrid . Y et another derivation which avoids this o b ” ecti n Old R fim we j o is the English , from whence get room , m m and if we adopt this derivation Ro sey, or Ru sey as it is 1 6 ROMSEY ABBEY

still sometimes written and more often pronounced , would ” mean the roomy or Spacious Island . The reader can form his own opinion as to which is the most probable of thes e three suggestions . The writer is inclined to favour the third . But th e i visitor who, arriv ng at the railway station either by the e or h branch lin via Redbridge by that which runs from Eastleig , 01 e th e e or from Salisbury, Andov r, proceeds to Abb y, would not realize when he arrived at his destination that he was in an d island , for the minor streams are not spanned by bri ges , but have been completely covered in and run through small tunnels h beneath some of t e streets . We have no records of Romsey before the original foundation

for w . T h e fi of the Abbey, nor indeed many years after ards rst authentic mention of the abbey is foun d in the chronicl e of e e e 1 1 1 8 Florenc of Worc ster, who di d in , and whose work , at e a e l ast that p rt of it which d als with English history, is a Latin translation of the Old English Chronicle . He writes I n anno

6 . An loru m ac ificu s E d aru s R u mesi e 9 7 Rex g p g in monasterio g , An loru m E ad ward u s c o nstruxerat quod avus suus Rex g senior , san ctimo n iales collo cavit san ctam u e M arew n n a m , q y super eas ” Abbatis mam c on stitu it .

T h E adward u e th e U e e was is , also s rnam d nconqu r d , the son a n e O fE lfred d successor of the great st of the ld English Kings , , 2 ri h e and reigned from 9 0 1 to 9 5 . Sometime d u ng h is reign ’ founded the Romsey n unnery . There is no documentary fix th e d evidence to exact ate, but it is generally assumed to u e have been 9 0 7 . It is said that abo t two centuries earlier ther e e th e T t had been a monast ry at Nursling near r the mouth of es , and on the tideway of the river . It was h ere that the grea t fa h a missionary to th e Germans Winfrid or St . Boni ce d been trained , but it was within reach of the ships of the Danish 1 6 t pirates, and in 7 hey had ravaged it and reduced it to such utter ruin that scarcely one ston e re main ed on another to mark th Th E ad ward e site . is monastery was never rebuilt, and , pro e bably having its fate in mind , now chos a safer position for the e e w new foundation , for the riv r at Roms y was too shallo to allow e a of th e seagoing vessels of the marauding Dan s to re ch it . ’ E ad ward s eldest daughter fE lfl aad and her sister [E th elh ild

ar 6 B a ar th e P eacea e in of th e E n lish aced I n th e ye 9 7, dg bl , K g g , pl r w ran fat h er E ad w ard th e er K n of n un s in th e mon aste y hich his g d , Eld , i g

E n lish h ad t and a n te S t. M eriwen na a e er t e . th e g , buil , ppoi d bb ss ov h m H ISTORY OF TH E BU I L D ING 1 7

both adopted the religious life, and lived for a time at the m [E th lhil [E lfl aed . e d onastery at Wilton Here was buried , while

- r . E ad bu rh was buried at Romsey . Thei half sister St became ’ abbess of St . Mary s Abbey at Winchester ; and it is highly probable that fE lflaed ruled as abbess over the sister establish ment at Romsey . Probably this was only a small religious community . Whether it was continued or not when she died no a f record remains to tell , but, as we h ve seen , it was re ounded by E ad ar 6 of g the Peaceable in 9 7, and on Christmas day the year

. M eriwen n a 9 74 St was put in charge of the completed Abbey, which was constituted according to the Benedictine Rule . S ome traces of this church still remain , though only discovered m 1 0 0 . U th e in 9 nder pavement of the present church , im ediately n below the tower, the fou dations of an apsidal east ending of a church were found ; now as it is well known that this is a Norman a form for the e st end , it must not be supposed that this apse th e B was built in time of adgar, but it very probably occupied th e same p osition as the choir of his church . Other foundations were then looked for and found . And as a result of this investi ’ ation of E ad ar s g , it appears that the nave g church extended as far to the west as the fourth bay of the present nave, that its cross o f ing lay immediately to the west the present transept, and that e the apsidal choir was as wide as the pr sent nave, and extended eastward as far as the screen now dividing the choir from th e l h h transept . Thu s the tota interior length of t e c urch was about

0 . 2 2 0 ft . 9 ft instead of about , the length of the present build i n . th e was a B a a g Although church comparatively sm ll , dg r made provision in the domestic buildings for on e hundred nuns, a number rarely exceeded in after days . Peter de ‘ f u Langtoft, a canon of Bridlington who died early in the o r teen th of B : century, writing adgar says

M ikille h e w irschi ed God an d er e ou r L a p , s v d dy T h e Abbey of R om ege h e fe tfed rich ely W t ren te f de an d kirk es of r i h s ull go p is , in o H e did ther f N un nes a hun d re th ladies .

’ E ad ar s e e . g church , how v r, was not destined to last long Early th e e 1 0 0 on e e e in y ar 3 , according to of the few leg nds connect d

b . Aillfl aed e u with the ab ey, the form of St app ared d ring mass e h er to the Abbess Elwina , and warn d that the Danes were at e hand, and would plunder and destroy the abb y ; whereupon 1 8 R OMSEY ABBEY

th e e n she, not disobedient to h ave ly vision , gathered her nuns e l together, and , collecting all the treasur s that cou d be carried an d away , sought safety at Winchester, there they abode until the dange r was past ; on their return they found the abbey

. th e e S we en in ruins The inroad of Dan s in this year, led by g , was undertaken as a retribution on th e English for th e cowardly ’

m e . e 1 and barbarous assacr on St Bric s Day, November 3th of ’ th e e c S w e en s e in e of th e pr vious year, in whi h g sist r, spit fact s h e e a n t h ad m e that had mbr ced Christia i y , been conde n d to ‘ fE th lr death by e ed . There is no record of the rebuildi n g of the abbey after th is de ru ve e e e st ction , but it could not ha b en long d layed, since we h ar f that in 1 0 1 2 [E th elred s wife [E lfgyfu $who afterwards married e a th e Knut , and is known und r the name Emma) gave l nds to b an d e th e we ab ey, shortly aft r Knut came to throne , learn m e h c wh o are a e fro a still xisting list t at, in luding two m rk d as 2 f - n n e e e fi t . abbesses , th r wer y four u s at Romsey T h e church restored after th e raid mentioned above probably e e n e th e n e e th e r mained untouch d u til aft r Co qu st, wh n possibly e n d e u I 1 2 0 apsidal east was built . It would s em that abo t the

e e n th e e . t pres nt church was b gu , as usual from ast As his

“ h e n t h e e o n e c urch is so much larg r tha earli r , it is quite possible that its outer walls were built w ithout in an y way dis tu rbin e c n u W n e the g the leventh e t ry church ithi th m , so that e c b n c e s rvices ould e co du ted without interruption . The gen ral n d e character of the work is late Norma . At this time a oubl t n a e e 2 1 e eas er ch p l m asuring about ft . from east to w st and 2 n as 5 ft . from orth to south , we know from excavations made

a th e . w by the l te vicar, Rev Ed ard Lyon Berthon , was built to h t e th e . Th was w east of choir is entered by two arches, hich

cc r n to e acc nt th e ra in w c th e a e w as e tr e A o di g som ou s, id hi h bb y d s oy d t ace in b u t th e ate r ate re r a e nce it a t at ook pl 9 9 4 , l d is mo p ob bl si is s id h ’ S w e e n s son Kn t w h o was rn in t art in it . g , u , bo 9 9 4, ook p 2 T h w w h n a i h is list sho s us what ere t e mes most n favour at t e t ime. E t n n re th e n a e o f fE lf fu s ix o f z lflaed f r o f E ad th igh u s bo m gy , E , ou gy t f r of E ad fu t ree o f W u lflaed e e t e e t ere w ere tw o $Edi h), ou gy , h ; b sid s h s h , eac ear n th e na e of ZE th el fu fE lf th Ai lfh ild B rhflaed W f h b i g m s gy , gy , , y , ul th r th W ulfrun . I t w rt of n te t at n n e o f t e e an d n one f y , is o hy o h o h s , o ly o the re a n n e en teen n n na e God fu h ad a cr tura o r C r t an m i i g s v u s, m ly , gy , s ip l h is i n a e. T h e d na e c n a n t e r eat en an ce t r t r e m ol m s ommo mo g h i h h s o s s ill su viv d , n o e th an ten e n c m n e o f th e w r Ai lf th e e rn E lf o r l ss b i g o pou d d o d , mod , moun tain spirit . H E N VE K N E S T A , LOO I G W T 2 0 ROMSEY ABBEY

f f may still be seen leading out o the ambulatory . Traces o the position of two altars were found ; the floor was lower than f that o the rest of the church . n The three wester bays were added in the thirteenth century, th e e and at the end of same, or the b ginning of the fourteenth ,

two windows with plate tracery were inserted in the east wall , and two chapels measuring forty feet from east to west took of e the place the double Norman chapels mention d above. of It will be seen , then , that the church shows specimens

Norman , Early English , and Decorated work , all of the best e periods of the style, and therefor it is a splendid example for

of . f the student architecture We may be thank ul that, with the exception of a few windows on the north side there is no Per

p en dicular work . When we remember that the wealth which flowed into the coffers of many cathedral and abbey churches during the Middle Ages chiefly in the form of offerings from d - pilgrims at won er working shrines , was often used in almost

entirely rebuilding, or, at any rate remodelling, the churches in fi fin d e the fteenth century, we may be surprised to so littl work o f s a this period at Romsey . Po sibly it is due to the f ct that it

an d n ot . did not possess any such shrine , so did attract pilgrims

It is not improbable that Henry of Blois, the builder of the

. C e Church at St ross, near Winchest r, may have had something

to do with designing the Norman part of the church at Romsey . W e know that Mary, the daughter of his brother, King Stephen , was f 1 1 th e abbess rom about 5 5 until she broke her vows, left e m o f Abb y, and arried Matthew of Alsace , son of the Count 1 1 6 was o of m Flanders, about 1 . Henry Bish p Winchester fro

1 1 2 1 1 1 . e h 9 until 7 What mor likely, then, than that Mary s ould

consult her uncle, known to be a great builder, about the erection of the large church at Romsey $ l In the time of Ju iana, who probably succeeded Mary, and was certainly abbess for about thirty years before her death in 1 1 of th e 9 9 , the transitional work in the clerestory nave was

carried out . In the next century the church was extended westward by the e rection of three bays and t h e west front wit h its three tall lancets and the small cinque foil window above the central

o n e n . Th , all inclosed within a pointed comprisi g arch is work was done durin g t h e tim e when H enry III was king ; there are records of several gifts to the abbey of timber by him

2 2 ROMSEY ABBEY

e u u se in Abbey , when they were pull d down , being of no f rther the church of th e abbey which was purchased by the people

of Romsey and converted into a parish church . It has bee n said that little Perpendicular work is to be seen

m on e . in Romsey Abbey, but so e did exist at time At h e Romsey, as at S erborne, there were disput s between the

abbey and the town , though fortunately at Romsey an amic th e able arrangem ent was arrived at . The north aisle of abbey church had been for many years set apart for the use e m as of the p ople of Ro sey a parish church , and was known a m e 1 th e by the n e of St . Laur nce ; in the year 3 3 3 e abb ss n V e dowed a icarage . As the town increased in size the north e m fo r e e aisl beca e too strait the parishion rs , and at tim s of ’ festivals n great they used to encroach o the nuns church . Th led an d e f e a is to disputes, the matt r was re err d to Willi m of e t m Wykeham , the celebrated Bishop of Winch s er, re odeller of u c e e c l a n d his cathedral church , and fo nder of Win h st r S hoo , N e w O e the e th e College, xford . He p rsuaded nuns to giv up north arm of th e crossing to make a choir for a new parish c th e chur h to be built adjoining abbey church , in such a way that th e north aisle should be cut o ff by a wall an d include d n n e in the e w church . The orth aisle of the abb y church thus e e th e n ew b cam the south aisle of the parish church , building th e t h e t n e th e e its nave, and north end of ra s pt of abb y church t h e th e parish chancel , Norman apsidal chantry attached to

th e transept made a fitting eastern termination to t h e chancel . i th e c o f th e . e A hantry Confraternity of St G orge , bu lt on

th e . north side of the new church , took place of a north aisle T h e th e a is was s parated from nave by a carved oak screen , p rt which has been utilized in the construction of the screen [ of between th e nave and choir of the existi ng church . The building of this new parish church unfortunately involved the ’ W a . destruction of the north porch of the bbey church hen , th e e th e e th e after the dissolution of nunn ry, peopl bought th e abbey church of the King, the nave and north aisle of new e parish church were no longer needed , and were ther fore de olish ed e h ad m , the windows were inserted in the arch s that t h e e th e been cut in the wall of north aisl of abbey church , T wo v when these openings were again walled up . of these ha e, i however, been removed , and modern Norman w ndows con

structed on the old mouldings have taken their place . A door H ISTORY OF T H E BUI L D ING 2 3 way which h ad been cut in the north wall of the transept when the new parish chu rch was bu ilt was no longer us ed after the e a n d lo w church was pull d down , a side window near it has been blocked up and converted into a cupboard . The two e h e e w east rn c apels w re also demolish d , and their east indows were i n serted in th e masonry used to block up the e ntrances t h e a u h into ch pels from th e ambulatory . D ring the time t at succeed ed th e Re formation many ch anges we re made in the

VI EW FROM TH E N OR 'I‘ H

fi e th e ftran se t ttings of the}church, galleries w re erected in z p w e n d e e th e d and at the est of the nave wh r organ was place . w e The alls wer covered with whitewash , and probably with a th e e view to make it easier to warm church , walls wer built

behind th e triforium arcading all round the church . These walls are s hown in some of th e illustrations made a few y ears ago ; e a e T h e e th y h ve now been ntirely removed . internal appearanc of the church about th e middle of th e nin eteenth cent ury was e a e t se ffe e th e G e xtremely dist st ful to ho a ct d by othic r vival, 2 4 ROMSEY ABBEY

R and drastic changes were made . estoration was begun at

fi of . P rst under the direction Mr errey , who also restored Christ church Priory . The inner roof of the three western bays of th e n w n ot ave aisles hich had been , like those of the other bays, 1 8 0 vaulted in stone, were restored in wood and plaster about 5 , f r when the H on . Gerard Noel was vicar ; the nave roo was e

a . U . h built little later nder the direction of Mr C ristian , archi et C f te to the Ecclesiastical ommissioners , the chancel roo was restored , and the roof of the north arm of the transept was w taken in hand by Mr . Berthon . Other ork has been done m n ore recently, and the present vicar has the i tention of e th e t building a porch with a room ov r it on nor h side, to take the place of the porch which was destroyed when the nave of the church of St . Laurence was built in the time of William of

Wykeham , as already described . r The cu ious wooden erection on the top of the tower, some m a e what rese bling hen coop or gigantic lobst r pot , was added in comparatively recent times to contain the bells ; drawings e th e u S mad at the beginning of nineteenth cent ry do not how it,

. is but , those made about the middle of the century do It ugly, and adds nothing to th e dignity of the ch urch ; probably the tower was originally crowned by a pyramidal roof which gave it the appearance of height so much required . The east ends of the two choir aisles have in quite recent years been provided with altars and fitte d up as chapels for

- week day services . T h e two apsidal chapels attached to th e o n e transept are used as vestries, the on the south for clergy and that on t h e north for the choir .

’ T H E A B B E s s s DOOR C HAPTER II

T H E E$ TER IOR

T H E m n site of Ro sey abbey church is not a comma ding one . m E l There are so e cathedral churches , such as y, built on marsh formed islands which rise considerably above the surrounding m n flats , and so for conspicuous objects i the landscape seen from far or near ; b ut this is not the case with the abbey church l e with which we have to dea . The lev l of its floor does not rise w much above the level of the river valley in hich it stands, the

building is not large or lofty, the parapets of its central tower, 2 about 9 ft . above the ground , rise little above the ridges of the f roo s of nave and choir and the north arm of the transept . But it has on e great advantage : there is no part of the exterior of in the build g that cannot be fully examined . Perhaps we might be glad if the space from which it may be seen were here and fin d l there a little wider, yet nowhere do we a garden wal or a building barring our passage as we make the circuit of the e n ext rior of the church . O the north side lies the churchyard n n s stretchi g a co siderable di tance to the north , from which an e an d h e admirable general view is obtain d ; again , t er is open e nd n ground to the w st, so that the unique and sple id wester f th e acade can be well seen . The space to south side of the building is more limited ; it is entered through an iron gateway running in a line with the west front ; should this gate be e locked, the space to the ast of it may be entered by passing ’ from the inside of the church through either the nuns or the ’ abbess s doorway ; when access to this little strip of churchyard has once been gained , it is easy to pass right along the south side of the nave round the south end of the crossing and then of to the eastern wall the ambulatory . As we follow the winding lanes and streets that lead from fi the station to the church , we get our rst view of it from the n road tha t skirts its northern wall . O the left hand there is a 2 8 ROMSEY ABBEY

n f m - a wall ru ning ro the north e st corner of the choir, which s few th e of th e en d conceal indeed a details of lower part east , but does not hide the two beautiful geometrical windows in t h e o f W east wall the choir, inserted ithin the semicircular headed W W mouldings of the original Norman indows . e may also see the square- faced termination of the north choir aisle projecting th e f eastward of the wall that forms east end o the choir . The next noteworthy object is an apsidal chape l or chan try ru n ning m out fro the east wall of the transept, its walls pierced by wide i round headed windows . This is also a good point from wh ch ee to study the clerestory as s n in choir and crossing . The same n m ge eral arrange ent prevails throughout the building, though e fi c her and there certain modi cations will be noticed . Ea h clerestory bay on the north side has a window consisting o f t three arches, the central and wider one is glazed, the two o hers are blocked with stone . Three tiers $two in each) of rou n d th e headed windows light ends of the transepts . On the north side the windows of th e nave aisle are very irre th e f gular ; this is due to act, mentioned in Chapter I , that con sid erable alterations we re made in this part of the church at the begi n ning of the fourteenth cen tury in order to provide a n of parish church for the inhabita ts the town . The north wall of the aisle was largely cut away in order to throw this aisle n n ew n ope to the buildi g erected parallel to the Abbey church , n which was to be used as the ave of the parish church . Joining this on the north side was a chantry of the confraternity of f f St . George which orm ed a kind o north aisle for the parish u i church . Windows would of co rse be required to l ght this new building and wo uld of n ecessity be design ed in accordance with — — th e e . e e style the Perp ndicular then prevailing Wh n , aft r the l un n e t he disso ution of the n ry, Abbey church became the Ch e e n e urch of the parish , the r c tly erected Perp ndicular church would be no longer of any use , and the keeping of it in repair e e e a continual source of xpens ; hence it was pull d down , the openings in what had bee n the original north wall of the nave C w e u th e aisle of the Abbey hurch re walled p, and mouldings an d glass of the Pe rpendicular windows on the north side of h e e n t t e parish church w r i serted in hese new walls . Hence we get windows of different heights and levels betwe en the great n orth door and the transept : recent alterations have still fu rther

e se a . T h e a n ot incr a d the irregul rity p rish church did , appar

3 ° ROMSEY ABBEY

f m courses , starting ro the aisle buttresses, run below the aisle an d e of th e windows round the buttress s nave, but are not con a tin n ed cross the nave beneath the lancet windows . The but tresses do not quite rise to th e full height of the side walls of the

met . nave, and not a pinnacle is to be with anywhere The sill fi f m of the west window is about fteen feet ro the ground , and from it three tall lancets about four feet wide rise to a height of f nearly thirty eet . They are placed under a comprising pointed arch , just beneath the point of which , and over the central

f . fi lancet, is a cinque oil opening The wall nishes in a gable and the whole west wall is a true termination of the nave which th e lies behind . We notice that the glass is set well towards of a a outside the openings , and lso that no western doorw y

exists or ever existed here . The probable reason of this is that it ’ was a nuns church , and that the nuns found their way into the church from the domestic buildin gs through the doors on the e south side . There is still a doorway $there was form rly a porch) o e on the north side, by which , n sp cial occasions , outsiders r m we e ad itted to the north aisle , but as the parishioners had of no right entry into the nave it was unnecessary to make any, m provision for them in the for of a west doorway . From this position at the west of the buildi n g we n o tice that the roof of u ff at th e e n the so th end of the transept di ers from that north d .

. O We can see no tiles above the parapet riginally , no doubt , all n n the roofs had a high pitch , their ce tral ridge risi g almost to in m the parapet of the tower, but here , as any another church , e m e was f e wh n the ti bers of the roof d cayed, it ound mor eco n o mical th e e to decrease slop of the roof, and in some cases a ea m of w sim ply to lay horizont l b s across the tops the wall , hich of cours e did not give ris e to the outward thrust of sloping

be . Th e e tim rs is a ppears to hav happ ned at Romsey ; but , in t h e he th e e all t he s ce time w n r storation was begun , roofs sa ve that of the south end of the transe pt have been raised to

t n . Th n o d ue heir origi al pitch is roof, doubt, will in course be t al ered in a similar way . A fin e and noteworthy feature in this church is the corbel table ll which runs nearly a round it . Here and here only do we fin d

any carving on the exterior walls , but these corbels are carved into many fantastic devices : among them we fin d the very common forms of e vil spirits and lost souls driven away from e en the sacred building . A l g d is connected with a corbel stone T H E E$ TERIOR 3 :

n ear the west en d of the north aisle . It is fashioned into the likeness of a grindstone an d it is handed down by tradition that once upon a time towards the end of the twelfth century or the beginning of th e thirteen th a nobleman ran away with a

S N SE T H E $VES OUTH TRA PT , FROM T

’ ft w e e s in blacksmith s wife, but a er ards rep nt d of his an d had imposed on him as penance t h e completion of the west e n d of ’ th e e h . e e m a Abb y churc The grindston , blem of the bl cksmith s was e e e e calling, , it is said , plac d on the n wly er ct d western bay t o commemorate the incident . The S ou t h S id e of the Church differs from t h e north in 3 2 R OMSEY ABBE Y

some respects there is not the sam e rich arcading alon g the e e th e n e ea w d w a a n ot cl restory lev l of av , only the r l in o s ppe r, n the blind arcading . The windows of the south aisle have ot

r - a n been altered and e altered as h ve been those of the orth aisle . Their sills are set sufficiently high to allow the cloister arcades e e a to be plac d below them , but the cloist r alleys h ve all dis appeared There is a fin e late thirteenth - century door in the ba e e second y from the w stern end of the south aisl , and another very beautiful one known as the Abbess ’s door at the extreme east end of the wall of the south nave aisle, in Norman style

$see p . The mouldings round the head are richly orna m en ted , and two twisted columns stand on each side of the n fortu n t l door . U a e y a slanting groove has been cut through the upper mouldings of it . It is said that at one time a stone ’ e mason s shed stood her , probably the mason employed after

the purchase of the church by the town , to keep the building of r in repair . We may regret the mutilation the doo way, yet at the same time n ot condemn th e existence of this shed as an v unmixed evil , for it co ered and protected a most interesting relic on the west wall of the transept from destruction by wind — e R o m s e R o o d and sun and rain the c lebrated y , which , as far e l as England is concern d , is absolutely unique . The i lustration reproduced from a negative taken about twenty years ago will give a better idea of the character and position of the rood

t e . han verbal d scription Since the photograph was taken , a projecting pent house has been very wisely erected over the fi a m m cruci x to protect it from the we ther, but at the sa e ti e the addition does not exhibit it to advantage ; hence the photo e u u graph which shows its pr vio s condition has become val able . fi Various Opinions as to the date of this cruci x have been held . T h e first hasty Opinion likely to be formed is that it is not older an th the wall in which it appears, and therefore must be of w Norman date, but careful examination of the stone work ill e its show that it is old r than the wall, and has been inserted in m w e present position , probably at the ti e h n the existing Norman

n . . . tra sept was built Mr Edward S Prior , in his History of ” s it w Gothic Art in England , ays that is the best ork of its date, an e l in high relief of y siz to be found in Eng and , and adds that

it is by some considered to be of Saxon date . This seems very

a t . T h e e probable . It is Byz ntine in charac er limbs are cloth d in a short tunic ; the figure does not hang drooping from the T HE $ T . E ERIOR 3 3 n h th e ails , the arms are stretc ed out horizontally, head is erect ,

e e . an d the yes op n It represents not a dead Christ , but Christ ’ reigning on the Tree ; above the h ead the Fath er s hand is

THE SA$ ON ROOD

h shown surrounded at the wrist by clouds . T is may be taken th e in m to represent the pointing out of beloved Son, who the

Father is well pleased, or we may suppose that the hand has “ e w w been xtended downwards in ans er to the ords Father, into m ” Thy hands I co mend my spirit . Some clue to the date is 34 ROMSEY ABBEY

— give n by a d rawmg I n a manuscript in the British M useum the — homilies of Archbishop ZE Ifric $about 9 9 4) in which a crucifix n w h m a b th e almost ide tical ith t is y e seen . By the side of fi e e th e gur is a rectangular rec ss , with small holes at top to ' carry ofi smoke probably it was customary to keep a lamp or fi taper constantly burning within this recess . The cruci x, con siderin f g its age and position , is in a wonder ul state of preserva

tion . How it escaped m utilation in the seventeenth century is x for fi hard to e plain , a cruci x would be particularly obnoxious to m an d the Puritan ind, , standing as this one does almost on the d d m level of the groun , it woul see to have been especially

e of . e xposed to risk destruction Fortunat ly, however, it has e scaped with only the loss o f part of the right forearm and

shoulder . f e Passing round the south ace of the transept, we com to th e a s al c h a e l S ee p i d p attached to its eastern wall . $ illustra

- . e e an d n e tion , p The round h ad d windows the origi al parap t

of e e n e w - e f are worthy notic . Quit recently a high pitch d roo n c o has bee placed over this hantry . The illustrati n shows it m e th e before this change was ad e . B yond this we come to e south aisle of the choir with its thre bays, each containing a

- e d I h e n e e e . round h a ed window . arra gement h r is rather p culiar T h e e w the th e e - ast all of choir, containing two fourt enth cen e e t h e e th e e tury windows side by sid , ris s just to ast of s cond bay ; the outer eastern wall of lower height at th e e xtremity of

- th e third bay is th e east wall of t h e ambulatory or re tro choir . T h e th e is was originally pierc d by two arches, leading into two

e e e e e . an d . parallel chapels , d dicat d r sp ctiv ly to St Mary St Ethel fl e d a e in th e e e , which wer built fourt enth c ntury, taking the e ch a els n h plac of two p , in Norma style , only about half t eir h e e e e le ngt measured from w st to e ast . Th se two chap ls wer e o w e a the pull d d n aft r the p rish bought the church , to save T h e a expense of keeping them in repair. e two arch s le ding o e th e e int th m were built up, but geom trical east windows of a e the ch p ls were inserted in them , and now give light to the

- e . r tro choir The ends of the choir aisles are apsidal within , but e a t flat without . This arrangem ent l ads to great thickness the

corn ers of the walls . At one time there was a detac h ed campanile for the bells of Th n 1 6 2 th e e Romse y . is was pulled dow in 5 and b lls placed in th e wooden cage erected for them on the roof of th e central T H E E$ TERIOR 35

e . e 1 1 tow r At this time there w re six bells only , but in 79 they an d were, according to one account, taken down and sold, a f e l r sh peal of eight bel s cast for the church . According to th e he another account six lls were m elted down , fresh metal

H E T H E C OIR , SOUTH SID

an e . added, d from this the larger p al of eight bells was cast It n t n l n is said to be in perfect co di io now, the tenor bel weighi g 2 6 cwt . e The ston e of which the Abb y Church is built, was quarried

W . n o w en at Binstead , in the Isle of ight These quarries are 3 6 ROMSEY ABB EY

t out e en for ti ely worked , so that no ston can be obtained th ce repairs . It is no t to be expected that the restoration has met with it universal approval , but may be truly said that the alterations n e t h e have been far less drastic than in ma y church s, and that e th e o m int rior of Abbey Church , as we see it t day, has uch the appearance which it bad after it had become th e parish church of R omsey about the middle o f the sixteenth ce nt ury .

T H E N V N S A E , ORTH IDE C HAPTER II I

T H E INTE R I OR

I M M ED I AT E LY after e nterin g the Abbey Church by the north e e t e z door, it will be w ll , in order to g a g neral idea of its si e and ’ n e to beauty , to take o e s stand clos the west wall under the e w larg lancet indow . There is nothing to break the view from t h e e m t w st to the east walls of choir and a bulatory, a to al dis ta nc e of about 2 5 0 feet ; fo r the woode n screen which separates th e choir from the crossing is too light and open to break th e a vist . It willbe noticed that with th e exception of th e weste rn

ve th e - t bays of the na , and three light geome rical windows in t h e e a e o f th e a m st rn wall choir, and the two windows of the b ulato r y, everything is Norman or transitional in character . T h e aisles have stone quadripartite vaulting except in the added

a t e e W e e l e . i b ys to h w st, h r the vau ting is merely plast r The h gh o k e r of, li e many in Norman churches , is a wood n one, for Norman builders rarely dared to thro w a ston e vault over the n e et th e av or choir, for as y principle that allows such a piece of e n be e ou t f ngi eering to carri d with sa ety, namely , the balancing

u - mea ex of thr st and counter thrust , by ns of vaulting ribs and

t e n a e e u e . r l flying buttr ss s, had not been f lly realiz d in England In some fe w cases it is true t ha t late Norman vaults may be e e u e in found , but mor oft n where stone va lts xist Norman churches they were added in after times . In Romsey Abbey one of the most n oteworthy features is that very little alteration was made in th e church when once it was built . True there was e u m a westward xtension in the thirteenth cent ry, and so e e d ee n ins rtion of win ows in the fourt th century, but nothing of i e e a the orig nal church se ms to hav been swept way, as was so

f e t he to e e e . o t n case, make room for xt nsions and alt rations N av e th e The has seven bays , to the east of which is transept, and beyond it the choir, which has three bays . Further 4 0 ROMSEY ABBEY

‘ to e fin d d ue c e ee th e the ast, as we shall in ours , may be s n low

- n e vaulted retro choir or am bulatory of o bay . e e en e a t It is we ll k n own th at Norma n choirs w r g r lly shor , and that whe n we fin d a con sid erable length of build ing east

ward of the crossing, this eastward exte nsion was made in th e thirteenth or fourtee n th c entury ; the n e w building bei n g often begun to t h e east th e N h of orman c oir, and th e c hoir left u n tou c he d until th e eastern was fi n ed part ish , when very frequently the old Norman choir and pre s b t er we d e e y y re molish d , and th e n e w work joined on to th e transept by masonry in the later

style . The inconven ience of a short architectural choir was very often avoided by bringing the ritual choir westward

into the nave, an ar rangement which exists up to the prese nt day at the Abbey Church at

Westminster . This seems to have been done at

Romsey, the choir ex tending across the tran C N C A E : N N VE C E YLI DRI L PI R ORTH A AR AD s ept as far as the third

pillar of the nave, count ing from the east . But although the eastern bays of the nave of are n o and all those of the choir Norman, yet they are by n e means of an ordi ary type . Ther is much about this church t a e a e e are h t is uniqu , and cert in arrang m nts found only here ’ . F ried eswide s n o w O u and at St , Christ Church , xford , D nstable

T H E INTERIOR 43

e f Priory, and J dburgh Abbey . There is no strict uni ormity one bay frequently differs from another in its details . It may be well at the outset to point ou t th at of the th ree

EARLY EN GLISH BAYS OF THE N AVE

horizo ntal divisions of the nave th e main arcading occupies

- h approximately three sevenths of the total height of the wall, w ile

- th e t riforiu m e b . _ and cl restory each occupy a out two sevenths

The three western bays are early English in date and style, but they differ considerably from the typical early English of 44 ROMSEY ABBEY

Salisbury ; we do not fin d the detached shafts of Purbeck e marbl , nor the central cylindrical shaft ; the bases , too, are

THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CHOIR

e h m - o rectangular, nor are there any nric ed ouldings with dog t oth

t. triforium in h ornamen In the ; some cases there are t ree, in w other cases two subordinate arches, each ith cusped heads , and the wall space above these smaller arches and the com

46 ROMSEY ABBEY

of height of the church may be o btained . The clerestory the transept and also that of the choir bear a general likeness to a a that of the nave, but are of e rlier date, the arc ding having w semicircular and n ot pointed arches . The illustrations will sho how shafts run on the face of the arcading right up from floor N ma of f t o roof. In the or n part the building the tri orium is

T H E INTE R IOR F R OM T H E WE S T

t e very peculiar ; generally speaking, there are two subordina e e th e e round head d arches, und r gen ral round headed com e prising arch , but the tympanum or spac above the former is ft i t e le open , and from the po n wh re the two smaller arches meet t a shaf runs up to the centre of the main outer arch . I do not of n know any similar arra gement in any other church , and , as e o n e it is a very p culiar , hard to explain clearly in words, the reader should carefully study t h e illustrations in which the tri T H E INTERIOR 4 7

arm foriu m appears . On the east side of the north of the tran sept a more elabo rate arrangement of one of the arches m ay be of seen . Here there are three, instead two, subsidiary arches, i f a which are nterlaced, but here, also, the sha t above them p

. s f pears , though necessarily much reduced in height These ha ts to of do not add the beauty the triforium , and they hardly seem to necessary give support to the outer arch $see illustrations,

Pp - 44 , 4 sl T h e m arch at the east end of the triforiu on the south side,

O . which pens out to the transept, is worthy of special notice Under the outer round- headed arch is a solid tympanum , beneath which are two very

n - a narrow rou d he ded arches , separated by a huge cylin d ri cal shaft which has as its base a large plain rectangular block t e of s on . T h e two eastern bays of the nave on both sides are e peculiar . B tween them runs i up a solid cylindrical p er, which has its capital at the level of the spring of the m ain arches of the triforium . T h e arches of the main arcade s pring from corbels on the e Of S O B S E op A E I N T H E N VE sid s these great pillars , , A PI R A that it seems as if the tri foriu m gallery were hanging beneath the arches which spring e below the clerestory . A somewhat similar arrang m ent may be seen at th e cathedral church of Christ Ch urch at Oxford ; some authorities have from this similarity asserted that the e e u buildings must have be n contemporan o s , but this does not

a . seemto have been the c se Mr . Prior considers the Romsey e th O work forty y ars earlier than at at xford , dating it about I 1 2 0 O e against the xford work , to which he assigns the dat of 1 1 ma t about 6 0 . It y be noticed hat the Romsey builder did not continue this arrangement throughout the nave and choir , at r whereas this was done Oxfo d . N m Generally speaking, the or an piers at Romsey are com 48 ROMSEY ABBEY

f m a . pound ones, ormed of any minor sh fts The plain cylindrical form seen at Gloucester and W altham is not met w ith at Rom

sey except in the pillar described above . The Norman aisles v w ha e stone vaults , except in the three estern bays, and it is noteworthy that th e arches leading into th e transept are of

’

horseshoe type . These are very elaborately moulded , the outer

s ides being ornamented with chevron decoration . The capitals t in th e choir aisles are elaborately and gro esquely carved , though

ARCADI N G I N THE TO$VE R ABOVE TH E M AI N ARCHES

it is not easy to interpret the subjects of this carving ; on one capital in the north aisle is repres ented a fight between t wo n d fi e a ki gs , staye by two winged gur s ; in the south isle a fi e crowned gure stands, holding a pyramid , possibly intend d as h fi an a symbol of the churc , while near by a seated gure and angel between the m hold a V- shaped scroll on which may be “ h read the words , Robert me Anot er somewhat similar “ a c o n su le d . chevron be rs the words , Robert tute x . but s e who Robert was it is impo sibl to say . Henry I had a son ” wh o is as C Robert , Earl of Gloucester, spoken of onsul ; he T H E INT ERIOR 49

f - it was who ought for his half sister Maud against Stephen . He was but would have been alive at the time the church built, in a sa whether he had any part the erection of it we c nnot y, d for though he seems to have been intereste in building, the

’ I N T H E RI N GERS CHAM BER OF TH E TOWER c as tles at Bristol and Cardiff and th e tower of Tewkesbury

Abbey Church are attributed to him . i e The tower of Romsey was at one t me a lantern , op n to h f l t e roo , but when the bells were p aced in the wooden cage fl on the roof, a ringing oor was inserted below . The arcading u f T h r nning round the interior of the tower is very beauti ul . e 5 0 ROMSEY ABBEY

’ m ringers cha ber is a spacious room , a good idea of the plain architectural character of which is given in the accompanying th e illustration . In the west wall of north end of the transept a perpendicular window has been cut through a group of Norman windows, showing how little regard mediaeval bu ilders had for the preservation of earlier work . Opposite to this is one of the two h apsidal c antries, which in its time has served various purposes . Originally it was a chapel or chantry where mass was said for the repose of the soul of some private bene factor of th e Abbey ; then it became the eastern apse of the par

ish church of St . Law rence ; still later it was

used as a school , and n ow serves the purpose

of a choir vestry. There are within it two pis cinae and two aumbries ff in at di erent levels , dicatin g, no doubt, an alteration of level in the altar i tself during the period that this

chantry was in use . An elaborate monument now stands under th e

eastern wall . ’ In Mr . Spence s T H E WES T WALL OF N ORTH TRAN SEPT Essay on the Abbey Church of Romsey this tomb is described as standing in the south am bu lato r . m e on e e y It co memorat s Robert Brackl y, who died

A u . 1 1 6 2 8 . g 4,

A m an that gave to the poor Some mean s ou t o f his li ttle store L e t n n e t eref re t fa e en o h o his m d y him, B ut rather take e xa mple by him I n t of eat in a fter a e spigh d h d y s, T r a to e f lIk o pu ch se hims l e prayse . T H E INTERIOR 5 1

f m f of The tomb, which is o i itation porphyry, takes the orm u th e soffi t of a sarcophag s, beneath an arch which is adorned of with red and white roses . Corinthian pillars black marble support the structure .

T H E N O R TH CHOI R AISLE

th e N o rt h Ch o r A s le O ma ee In i i , on pposite sides , y be s n t wo interesting mediaeval relics . On th e north side is part of a f - ourteenth century reredos , probably that which stood behind t h e ta e high al r . It was found at the back of the pres nt altar, ’ c oncealed behind th e regulation panels on which the Lord s 5 2 ROMSEY ABBEY

rI Prayer and the Ten C ommandments were painted . t had evidently been itself partially repainted in a rougher style than

R esurrectI on . th e original . The painting represents the The portrait of an abbess is to be seen in the left- hand corner ; above — f fi ures h . O is a row o ten g saints , bis ops , and holy women n v 15 the opposite wall, carefully preser ed behind a sheet of glass,

- i a piece of fifteenth century n eedlework ; orig nally it was a cope, r en t and was in m ore , ec tim es used as an altar o h its cl t , shape having of course been altered to

‘ adapt it to its new use . The east end of the a north choir isle, intern all y apsidal t hough not fi e externally, is now tt d up with an altar as a Chapel for week - day or

early morning services . Passing to the south we

enter the ambulatory . It e e is vault d in ston , and t h e p l a i n h o r s e s h o e arches at the end without any ribs $see illustra of tion), are worthy no e e tice . In this space s v ral intere sting relics of the e old abb y , and some con j ect ural models of the T H E B K N N O n AM ULATORY , LOO I G RTH church in its former co

dition , may be seen .

e e fiftee n th - : H r , too, is a century walnut wood chest and here th e are two stone cressets, possibly used by builders , which e i when don w th were built by them into the walls, where they remained until discovered during th e nineteenth - century re s toratio n th of e church . Among the relics is a very curious one which was found in

1 839 . A grave was bein g dug in the south aisle near the ’ five th e k abbess s door, and about feet below floor the wor

w 1 8 . men came upon a singular leaden coffin . It as in wide at

5 4 ROMSEY ABBE Y

m a t a vellum easuring by inches , e ch page con aining as

w - m o rule t enty two lines . The approxi ate date is probably ab ut the middle of the fifteenth century . This is arrived at partly m e f th e f fro the charact r of the writing, and partly rom act that the Kalendar in it contains no mention of the Feast of the of 2 n d f e Visitation the Virgin on July, a east which was order d to be used by the convocation of the province of Canterbury i in 1 480 . Hence it would seem that th s Psalter with its Kalendar r must have been written before this date . The capital letters a e a t e or e an d s e t he are h p in ed eith r red blu , be id s hese t re eig t r e illuminated initial lette s, sev n of which occupy a space equi valent to eight manusc ript lines and the other a space equal to s are ra nine lines . Connected with these illuminated letter flo l e f - a a m bord rs on the le t h nd side of the p ge, and in ost cases at m fi a a f the top or botto also . The rst and l st p ges o the book are e its soil d , probably from the book for some long period of

e xistence having been left lying about without covers . The

present binding is of much more recent date . There are reasons for supposing that the book was the private e at on e con property of some abb ss or nun , or, any rate, of some

n ec ted e . with the nunnery, and not a public servic book It is also thought that the book was writte n by a Franciscan friar for the use of some on e in a Ben edictine hou se . For in the n th e k a invocatio of saints in the Litany which boo cont ins, the names of the monastic saints are arranged in the following e : ord r Benedict, Francis , Anthony, Dominic $Bernard being : e omitted), instead of the usual order Anthony, B nedict, Ber

i ci . nard , Dom nic, Fran s The fact that the death days added to the Kalendar in the ’ a sixteenth century are chiefly those of th e abbesses of St . M ry s e e e nunn ry, Winchest r, se ms to indicate that the book somehow be fore that date had passed from Romsey to the nunnery at

Winchester. Of its further history nothing is known save that

o n e me e . e is at ti it belong d to a certain T . H Lloyd, whos name uaritch written in it , until at last it was advertised for sale by Q f in his catalogue of old books in 1 9 0 0 . The Dean o Winchester e n happ ned to see this list , and called the atte tion of the Vicar the of of Romsey to fact that a book such interest might , pro vid ed u o s the money to purchase it co ld be found, once m re pas s back into the possession of the church , where it had been u ed in its ea rly days . There was little difficulty in collecting the T H E INTERIOR 5 5

be money, and the book may now seen preserved in a glass case in the ambulatory at Romsey . It is worth notice that in this book the PSalm sLare so divided

THE S OUTH CI I OI R AISLE that the first 1 0 9 would be recited at Mattins in th e course of h e e e t e e . a week , the others being us d at Vesp rs during sam tim e u se There are certain hymns appoint d for on Sundays, t om O N e w e e th e m can icles fr the ld and T stam nt, Te Deu , 56 ROMSEY ABBEY

d uicu n ue V . Bene icite, and Q q ult Also a Litany, and sundry e additional pray rs . The east end of the S o u t h Ch o ir A i s le corresponding to that o f the north choir aisle is now fitted up with an altar for week day serv ices . But this chapel has in it one of the oldest if not r h the very oldest piece of ca ved work connected wit the abbey . of fi Taking the place of a reredos, is a carving the Cruci xion

t k re - of unmis a able p Conquest character, its probable date is

SA $ O N CARVI N G AT THE E AST E N D OF THE SOUTH AISLE a 1 0 fi are e e e e bout 3 0 . The gures Byzantin in charact r, and b sid s f e e v the Virgin and St . John who are so o t n repres nted in car fi t he i n gs and paintings of the Cruci xion , there are two of e on e e i f a Roman soldi rs , holding the sp ar w th which a terw rds s th e e ffe the side of J e us was pierced , and oth r o ring the sponge

of vinegar on th e hyssop rod .

W hat th e original position of this carving was we do not know, it is described in 1 74 2 as be ing on the south wall near the communion table ; then it appears to have been built face in T l-I E N ORTH - EAST AN GLE OF TH E C R OSSI N G

T H E INTERIOR 59

its s s wards, into the wall, and was placed in pre ent po ition by

the late vicar, the Rev. E . L . Berthon . The apsidal chantry attached to the east wall of the southern u as arm of the crossing is now sed the clergy vestry, and con tains in a frame the deed of sale of the abbey church to the f parishioners of Romsey a ter the dissolution of the n unnery . It

2 0th u 1 . is dated Febr ary, 544 T h e S c re e n . The screen that divides the choir from the fi s crossing looks at rst ight distinctly modern , yet it contains in 1 2 some ancient carving dat g from 3 7 . It has occupied various

positions in the church . At one time it was used to separate u of from the Abbey Ch rch the chancel the parish church , f r f f i ormed as already desc ibed rom the north arm o the cross ng . e It was afterwards placed across the nav , near the west end, e under the organ which blocked up the gr at triple lancet window . u 1 8 2 8 In a g ide book in the abbey, published in , we read that e th re is a curious oaken screen of neat Gothic workmanship , which now separates the west en d from the part which is fitted

for W . f n up orship It ormerly stood in the orthern transept, and

separated it from the body of the church , but when the altera m remO tion in the pewing was ade, it was t to the place it m e : e now occupies, i mediately und r the organ it was then paint d . ’ 1 h e is w u n top of the screen cro ned with r nning foliage, u der t in n - f nea h which , twe ty three Gothic tre oils , are as many carved

f . x aces They are evidently portraits very tolerably e ecuted , and ‘ . One of on this account curious and interesting them is crowned , of m ei and all the have th r heads covered with flowing hair, or th e n wigs, or caps ; last on the right ha d is a head thrusting out ” v . W its tongue, perhaps a sportive essay of the car er hen the restoration was begun about the middle of the nineteenth cen m tury, this screen was re oved , treated as useless lumber, and m m stowed away in the triforiu , which at that ti e, as already t u b described , was separa ed from the ch rch y a wall . Here I n

1 880 . . . n f the vicar, the Rev E L Bertho , ound , to use his own “ - words , the ancient oak carvings of heads in trefoils with a ” H e curious cresting above . resolved to utilize it in the con e struction of the chancel scr en . The lower part is modern , de

signed to match the old work . The seats in the choir were de th e signed by Mr . Berthon , and heads intended to represent

various kings, saints, and abbesses, were carved in the town . 1 8 1 fi The pulpit was erected in 9 , the gures being carved by 60 ROMSEY ABBEY

x has e Harry Hems of E eter, who don so much wood and stone u carving in restored reredoses and screens in vario s churches . The Org an stands under the westernmost arch of the choir on the north side . The mediaeval M o n u m e n t s rémain in g at Romsey are not nu m erous n ffi , bei g for the most part the graves and co ns of former

of m of fi . T h e O abbesses, many the incapable identi cation ld ‘ a E adward zE lfred English chronicle st tes that the Elder, his son ,

E a burh . Ai th elflaed his daughter d , St , Eadmund, brother of King Alth e re l d, were all buried here, but their graves are unknown , n m and not a stone remai s to com emorate them . There is one very beautiful effigy of Purbeck marble now placed under an - of th e a m ogee canopy at the south east corner tr nsept, but who

. a t . it represents we cannot say The slab is bou 7 ft lon g . A sm all piece at the left- hand upper corner is broken o ff : were

2 ft . this replaced the stone would be 3 in . wide at the head,

a a t 1 . . f tapering downw rds to bou ft 3 in at the oo t . The re

15 f 6 ft . in cumbent figure itsel about length . The lady I s dressed in i S e a t ght leeved loose rob , which falls in folds to the feet, but is girt about the waist wi th band and buckle ; the right o f e f hand holds a fold the rob ; the le t hand , lying on the bosom , is in the position seen in so many of th e figures on the west d W s front of the Cathe ral Church at ell , grasping the cord that holds up the ma n tle to th e shoulders ; the head rests on a cushion ; beneath the head - dress th e wimple may be seen passing be neath the chin . The pointed shoes rest on an

m de . Th ffi ani al , possibly inten d for a dog is e gy bears a strong o f f of W estmin resemblance to that Eleanor, wi e Edward I , at n ster, and is certainly late thirteenth ce tury work . There is no staff or other symbol to show that the lady was an abbess . By some it has been supposed that it was erected to the e d e Kil ec a m mory of Isabella p by her daughter, Alicia W lrand,

e m 1 2 68 1 2 8 . a fi s who was abb ss fro to 9 At any r te, the date t h n in well with the c aracter of the monument . Its origi al posi tion in the church is unknow n . It was found somewhere towards m the west end of the nave, by so e workmen who were engaged a an d fit in digging grave, as it chanced to the ogee canopy in th e e s transept , it was laid und r it , but it must not be suppo ed n that it originally had any connectio with it . Near by is a seven

t e n th . an d e century monument of John St Barbe , Grissel his w f ife, whose amily owned the estate of Broadlands , near Romsey,

6 2 ROMSEY ABBEY under whose supervision the restoration of the abbey was then a being c rried out, thus describes the discovery

Great care was exercised in raising the stone . Upon its e being moved, ther was discovered immediately under it a

ffi . 1 0 . 2 ft . w the a stone co n , 5 ft in long, by ide in bro dest part, 1 and ft . deep containing the skeleton of a priest in good pre

fi ft . servation, the gure measuring only 5 4 in . in length; the head elevated and resting in a shallow cavity worked out of

f a . the stone, so as to orm cushion He had been buried in the

ofli ce . alb . vestments peculiar to his , viz , the and tunic Across f i the le t arm was the man ple, and in his hand the chalice n o covered with the paten . Considering these remai s to be ab ut five s m hundred year old , it is re arkable that they should be ‘ an d in such preservation . The chalice paten are of pewter, the latter much corroded : a great portion of the linen alb remains ; the maniple is of brown velvet fringed at the ex tremit n d o f y, a lined with silk portions the stockings remain , o f and also all the parts of the boots , though from the decay

fa 2 . f the sewing, they have llen in pieces . About ft rom the of ffi th e end the co n is a square hole through bottom , with channels worked in the stone leading to it . This was probably

off . be a provision to carry the fluids , which would caused by ffi the decomposition of the body . On the sides of the co n could be traced the marks of the corpse when it was first de h had posited , from whic it would appear that the deceased

been stout as well as short of stature . It is to be regretted that f of the inscription being stripped rom the verge the slab , we have no means of knowing whose remains these are . The h s f Purbeck marble slab a never been disturbed , being ound strongly secured by mortar to the top of the stone coffin . It is s ffi curious that the covering hould be so gigantic, and the co n under it so small judging by the size of th e slab and the beauty of th e fioriated large cross , it might have been supposed to

m n fi . n t cover so e dig i ed ecclesiastic This is clearly o the cas e . of f im In the absence any known date, judging rom the o n ha of ffi press the marble, and the s pe the stone co n, I should assign both to the early part of the fourteenth century . of a There are sundry mural tablets modern date, and ne r the t m u m ffi s west end an al ar to b , with the rec bent e gy by We t

I t w as common to bury n o t th e real silver ves sels used by the dead

r e t b ut tat ns in er eta . p i s , imi io bas m l T H E INTERIOR 63 macott o f Sir f n William Petty, the ou der of the Lansdowne fa I 1 6 2 mily, who was born at Romsey n 3 , and was buried within an the abbey, d on the north side a tomb on which a child lies

its if e i C . on side as asl ep, w th its limbs arelessly stretched out

THE N ORTH AISLE OF THE N AVE

There is no painted glass of mediaeval date to be seen in fin m ee the church ; such as we d is mode . The thr lancets at

e . e the west are the work of M ssrs Clayton and B ll, and were m m I n 1 86 inserted as a me orial to Lord Pal erston , who died 5 . The glass I n th e windows in the east wall of the ambulatory 64 ROMSEY ABB EY

. . F oo tn er 1 8 8 e commemorating C B , who died in 9 , was paint d

s firm . T t wo . by the ame he east windows, painted by Messrs

- Powell, were inserted as a memorial to Lord Mount Temple, 1 8 88 rm who died in . To the same fi are due the windows in th e e H on . u transept, which comm morate the Ralph D tton ,

- u T . T lee Lady Mo nt emple, Mr y , Professor Ramsey, and the

. . n a Rev. E L Bertho , and the one in the north ch ncel aisle

erected to the memory of the wife of the Right H o n . Evelyn w h Ashley . The windo at the eas t end of t e north aisle is by

m . . . ootn er. Kempe, and com emorates Mr G B F F o n t in a th e e The is the north isle of nav , dates from about th e n e middle of the last ce tury, and stands on the sam spot as

the ancient font of the church of St . Laurence . The conventual

- of u e . e f church , course, wo ld not n ed a font But in post R orma tion times one stood on a raised platform at the west eb d of h e t church .

T H E S OUTH TRAN SEPT C HAPTER IV

T H E ABBESSES OF R OM SEY

A CO M PLETE list of the abbesses who ruled the religious house at Romsey is not in existence ; there are several gaps of many th h a years in e succession . T e ex ct dates of the election of some of tho s e whose n am es have been handed down to us are not

T h e . known . following list is as complete as possible The names printed in ordinary type are taken from a board sus

in e - e pended the r tro choir, those print d in italics are added ” from a list given in the Records of Romsey Abbey , by the

. . . . L ivein 1 0 6 th e Rev H G D g , 9 , which embodies the result of most recent research Wh enever th e date is uncertai n for “ ” C fi th e e e irca is pre xed ; date of d ath wh n known is added ,

o . marked with for obiit . The spelling of many of the names is uncertain ; in the list below th e spelling follows that given by the authorit ies quoted above

fi lfl o r 0 l aeda . c. . 9 7 ,

an: an:

M rw n n S . e e a. n Elwi a .

Ait helflae da.

1 0 H wis . c. 1 3 ad e

c. 1 1 0 0 . 1 1 . 5 Matilda , 5 5

a 1 1 6 1 o. 1 1 8 2 . M ry, married ,

uh ana o . 1 1 3 J , 9 9 W 1 1 9 9 Matilda alran e .

r s t na is e n t n e as a e s s in 1 1 0 in the t e n e in t Ch i i m io d bb 9 , lis susp d d he

h b u t it n ce rta n if s h e w as an a es s . ch urc , is u i bb 67 6 8 ROMSEY ABBEY

r o. 1 2 0 . Matilda $Pa ia), 3

M a tilda de B a r/ e o . 1 2 . W , 3 7 '

I sa bella de N evzll.

'

Cons ta m za .

’ Amicia ae S a l/zen .

W al ran d o. 1 2 8 . Alicia e , 9 ' ’ P /zilzpp a ae S tokes .

C o . 1 1 lementia de Guildford , 3 4 .

W n teresh u lle o. 1 1 Alicia de y , 3 5 .

o 1 . Sybil Carbonel , 3 3 3 Ioane Jack e $or I h n n er m o a a Gervas $or G y s ).

Isabella de Cam oys .

Lucy Everard .

Felicia Aas .

Matilda Lovell .

Ioan B ryggys .

a e o. 1 0 2 . Eliz b th Broke , 5

1 1 . Joyce Rowse, resigned 5 5 VV k 2 An n stbrO e 0. I e , 5 3

R rose 1 . Elizabeth yp , dispossessed 5 39

About t h e majority of th e abbesses little or nothing is known ; m m e e so e, indeed, were women of exe plary piety, oth rs wer e m t e remarkable for th ir ad inistrative abili i s , and did good work in their own way ; but of many all that can be said is that

I n d ue t e on e on e im , by , S t e t at ca e to n t n o e w t eed as w e nd n e ome wi h liv s h m o hi g , s m i h d s ll u o , 1 w r t n e er see t u n D eath ste pped tacitly and t ook them h e e hey v h e s .

In this chapter will be narrated any incidents connected with the lives of the abbesses and the nuns over whom they ruled that seem to the writer likely to be of interest to the general reader . It is noteworthy that the story of the nunnery is for re - e e few , the most part , p minently cr dible ; with a ex ceptio n s we h ear nothing about visions or miracles ; here and w e e w h th e fe there have touches of romanc , which sho t at li of “ ” disciplin e within narrowing n u nn ery walls is not always able

I 1 1 ” T ccata Of Ga S R . B r w n n . A o luppi , o i g

ROMSEY ABBEY

mm n chief reco endation , for though it has nothi g to do with

’ R o mse it ma in as n sh e y, y be mentioned p si g that it was by ’ h e E ad ar s fi w E ad ward th e w os order g eldest son by his rst ife ,

r was d d COrfe ate th e w - a Ma tyr, mur ere at g , where ell known c stle f a a terw rds rose and where its ru ins remain until this day . Now fE th e lwo ld had r v i B rich fu n s p e ously had to wife one gy , a ki E ad ar woman of g , and had had by her many sons and daughters, the last born of them was n am ed Aith elflzed according to other ’ [E th elflaed was accounts , born after her father s death , and there ’ e [E lfth r th s B e sh e for must have been y child . this as it may, was th e u m in any case akin to king or q een , and was by the

e e th e a e M rw n n . A e ntrust d to c r of St . e y of Romsey true moth r in th e d an d n a God abbess prove , and a dutiful lovi g d ughter

fE th elflaed . d ue e was In tim she took the veil , and the sanctity o f h er e was in s an d a lif shown various way , was ttested by

. her e miracles She made no display of aust rities , pretended to eat an d drink with th e other nu n s but hid the food in order to e it giv to the poor, and used to leave her dormitory at night , e e in n te e e n e an d v n wi r tim , to plunge nak d i to one of the str ams l there remain unti she had chanted the Psalm s of the day . Once h er u d th e es e in yo nger ays , when abb s was cutting some switch s from t h e river banks wherewith to chastise the girls under her e th e e walls th e e charg , ston of nunn ry became clear as trans a n as to th e e flith elfl aed sh e th e p re t gl s ey s of , and saw what e s an d h en sh e abb s was doing, w she came in besought her with

n e e t . s ma y t ars not to b a her or her companions The abbe s, h er n w a was much astonished , asked how she k e th t she going to beat th e m ; to which A fith elflaed replied that she had seen h er c n e e e e n ow e n utti g the switch s , and that th y w re ven hidd n u der ’ h er . e e cloak Another miracle is r cord d which , for the saint s e at n o n e e e th e r put io , would hop was a pur invention of e r e e e chronicl , sinc if it w r true it might lay her open to the charge of performing an easy trick with phosphorus in order n e fo r is a to gai cr dit miraculous powe r . It said th t one night whe n it was her turn to read th e lesson th e lamp which she h eld in h n w fi m her a d ent out , but that her ngers beca e luminous and sh ed sufficient light upon the book to enable her to read the

e th e . O e u l sson to end ther miracles are r lated of her, and tho gh ec e e th e M erw n n she was not el t d abb ss on death of St . y she obtained th at honour three years afterwards on th e death o f n A bbess ZE lwy n . T H E A BB ESSES OF ROMSEY 7 1

The next sainted woman who calls for mention is Christine, B th e ZE th el daughter of Eadmund Ironside, and sister of adgar e ing, and of St . Margaret, Queen of Scotland , who b came a nun an d e at Romsey, is supposed by some to have be n Abbess , n though this is very doubtful . The Scotch king Malcolm Ca e n two e E ad th mor and Margaret his queen , se t their daught rs gy s and Mary to be educated by their aunt Christin e . Aun t Chri “ o n e e tine acted the principle of the prov rb, Spar the rod , ” E ad th e a th e spoil the child, and gy spok in fter days of whip ’ pings s h e had rece ived because s h e refused to wear a nun s h o w veil . Professor Freeman tells us on one occasion the Red e se t o E ad th be m King cam to Rom y woo gy , for it must reme bered that s h e was n o w the eldest fe male representative of th e a a w to old Wessex kings , and a m rri ge with her ould do much

n . a h c w as weld together Norma s and English But, lthough a n e e E ad th dmitted to the nun ry , Christine persuad d gy to put ’ — on a nun s garb as a disguise s h e was at the time about twe lve — years old and told her to go into t h e choir ; to allow ti me for t h e change of raiment she invited the king to com e and see th e

we th e e . h e t h e h flo rs in cloist r garden As went thi her, caug t E ad th I h er e h e a e sight of gy n v il , and imagined that was too l t , e b e bad h e n o t e e h is for ven , as was , would car to pr ss suit , e as e e a specially it was prompt d by policy , not by lov , and marriage with a n u n w ould be counted illegal an d so would fail

to have th e result h e de s ired . e e This took place in 1 09 3 . Lat r in the sam year it is said that a e i h e r f e s ee r noth r k ng , ather Malcolm of Scotland , cam to h e and was vexed to s ee her wearing a veil an d tore it from h er e h e h er be w e 13 h ad , saying did not wish to a nun but a if . i s u in d ue e e e e i e Another itor cours cam to woo her, a mor l gibl o n e R a e . s than ufus , n mely his broth r Henry I In this ca e t he n e B u r union was dictated not o ly by policy but by lov . t the e ffi e was n o were certain di culti es . Th re doubt that E adgyth h ad h e s s e f worn a veil , but w eth r imply as a di guis or a pro es s ed n u n was Open to argum ent ; so a sole mn assembly w a s c alle d e T h by Anselm to h ear evid nce on the subj e c t . e deci s io n it ' h n d u s e e a s e a . e e a n cam to was th t was not a nun , , to Mr Fr m s e h er e n an d s h e e h w words , Anselm gav his bl ssi g w nt fort as e ” - may say Lady Elec t of th e E n glish . O a e s h e s h er n e E ad th n her marri g laid a ide English am gy ,

’ e and ass u m ed that of Ma tilda or Maud . Rob rt of Glouc es ter 7 2 ROMSEY ABBEY

“ u n e e an f calls her Mold e the god e q e e . And P t r de L gto t s ays of h er

M ald t t at a en an o f h er a e high h m yd , m y sp k ,

F a r ch w as t e a en an d e W t ten lak . i s o , h i s id , god i hou t t 1

n r w e a e M e t at n w as and s ir H e y dded d m old , h ki g a t n m men o ro un d and h r S yn A sel e told e c e him i e. T h e co roun n of H en r an d o f M ald e t at ma y g y h y, ’ At L n n w as s olem l o n S t . M art n $la o do p y y s y .

e H nry and Matilda were benefactors to many abbeys , and naturally the queen was not forgetful of Romsey when the days r ad e s of h e girlhood h b en pas ed . She was the mother of the e s e prince who p ri h d in the White Ship , and of Matilda who i married the Count of Anjou , and carried on warfare aga nst h r Steph en on behalf of e son Henry . Matilda of Romsey died n in 1 I 1 8 a d was buried at Winchester . T h e next abbess worthy of notice was Mary, daughter of

King Stephen , of whom a true and romantic story is told , and

‘ h e r r a who , by breaking vows and mar ying caused a gre t scandal

m . th e e th e at the ti e She was young st daughter of king, and a ’ e granddaughter on her mother s side of Mary, whom Christin

had brought up with her sister E adgyth . She was educated at e e w e Bourges , th n was transferr d ith other Fr nch nuns to the e le as i abb y at Stratford Bowe , but the original Engl sh nuns a n d th e e e e imported French on s did not agre , the latter w nt to a e had e n e Ben dictine house near Rochester, which b en fou d d e I 1 by St phen , and later on , about 5 5 , Mary became Abbess of

e . H er n n e Roms y brother William , Cou t of Boulog , died about

1 1 an d . 5 9 , his estates passed to his sister Matthew of Alsace c ast covetous eyes on her broad lands and encouraged , it is id e e e sa , by Henry II , who thought th r by to gain a pow rful th e an d th e e friend on continent , at same tim , annoy Thomas ’ e e B ck t, sought the abbess s hand in marriage . He persuaded h e r to leave Romsey and becom e his wife : it is thought that Henry I I may have brought some pressure to bear upon h e r to

h er w sh e I 1 6 1 . induce to take this step . Anyho , was married in e e e h er e Her new p opl gladly receiv d , and her kindn ss of heart ea w won and held their affection . For ten y rs Matthe and Mary e e e ee it lived happily tog th r , or would hav b n happy if had not h e h e n e been for t ban of t e church . Th ither on account of e a ct a co n conscientious scruples about th ir p st condu , or on c u t I’I E R I N THE N O R TH N AVE ARCAD E

, T H E ABBESSES OF ROMSEY 75

of the e disabilities imposed on them by the church , th y separ reli iou s life ated, and Mary once more took on her the g , but

not at Romsey . No doubt she thought it better to go to a con w vent entirely new to her, that at Montreuil, where she ould H not be constantly reminded of her former misconduct . ere

- 1 1 8 2 f five. h she died in , aged orty It is notewort y that her two w daughters ere legitimatized , their names were Ida and Maud . fi s Gueld res Ida, the elder, married r t Gerard of , and then Regi n ald D amartin u of , and the yo nger, Maud, married the Duke of m Brabant, so that it would see that the pope did not take a very w ’ serious vie of the Abbess Mary s broken vows . The thirteenth century abbesses followed one another in quick

th e . succession , no good thing for the discipline of abbey When 1 2 1 Matilda died in 9 , the old gallows on which the abbess had th e n ff had right of hangi g o enders condemned by her court, f ell into disuse, but the right was restored by the King to

Amici . T a owards the end of the century, episcopal visita

tions began , and the Bishop of Winchester looked into various

disorders that had grown up among the abbesses and sisters . The various methods of procedure and the things forbidden

give us some idea of the abuses that prevailed . The abbess was required in the injunction issued about 1 2 83 not to exercise an u n on e a tocratic power but o ly a constitutional , being guided by

the advice of her chapter . It was forbidden to any men except n s the co fe sor, and the doctor in case of illness of a nun to enter the convent ; allconversation with o utsiders was to take place in

the presence of witnesses and in an appointed place . The nuns e were forbidden to visit the laity in Romsey, and other lik

ordinances were enjoined . d e C Gu ild eford fi Philippa Stokes and lementia de were in rm , ’ W n tersesh ull and Clementia s successor, Alicia de y , was poisoned election ' bu t soon after her , no evidence could be produced to convict the murderer . e th e e Many episcopal visitations took plac during fourte nth ,

fif e . teenth, and sixt enth centuries The injunctions issued at many of them are in existence : these deal only with what is

. S blameworthy, not with that which calls for no reproof ome of e on e the things object d to seem to us very tri vial . On occasion n e e e t n th e the uns w re forbidden to ke p p a imals , as abbess was charged with giving h e r dogs an d monkeys the food intended e for the sisters . Sometim es the abbess was forbidden to tak 76 ROMSEY ABB EY

th e into convent more than a certain number of nun s . In 1 3 3 3 - e n e there were ninety one, but after a tim the umbers d creased ,

e e - and at the dissolution th re w re only twen ty six . The injune 1 1 1 m tions of 3 were very strict, so e of them deal with the lock ing of doors , forbid the presence of children , whether boy or girl , in the dormitory or in the choir . ff Romsey, like many other religious houses, su ered severely at the time of the Black Death . The number and names of the ninety - one nuns voting in 1 3 3 3 at the election of Johanna I ch te has come down to us . The pestilence reached Weymouth from 1 8 the east in August, 34 , and of it died the abbess Johanna, u two vicars , one prebendary, and no do bt many of the sisters , as in 1 4 78 the number of nuns had dropped from nin ety - one to e - ighteen , and after this there were never more than twenty six nuns at Romsey . The reduction in the nuns not only decreased the importance of the abbey but led to a terrible relaxation of n discipli e .

The worst scandal arose when Elizabeth Broke was abbess .

e . m The evidence giv n before Dr Hede, Com issary of the Prior

is a . of Canterbury, still ext nt There were various charges against s h e a her, that allowed some of the sisters to wear long h ir, did not prevent the nu n s going into the town and drinking at t h e e e t e e th e tav rns , tr ated some wi h great sev rity , did not ke p o e n ff c nv t accounts accurately, su ered sundry roofs to get out of e sh e h ord r, and that was much under the influence of the c aplain , e e a s he e Mast r Bryce . Som ye rs before this had been charg d e e i with adult ry ; this she seems to hav denied w th oaths , and fi z f nally, when she could bra en it out no urther, she confessed e e ffi to adultery and p rjury and r signed her o ce, the only thing s h e could do ; but th e most remarkable part of the story is still to come : th e sisters being required to fill the vacant post by th e e e c t e re- za l ion of an abb ss , almost unanimously elected Eli beth

e . za e e o n e Brok Two only , Eli b th h rself and other, did not vote h r u for e . The bishop there pon restored her to her position as s s e e h e abbe , but to mark his displ asur with her forbade her to u s e t ff m the abba ial sta for se ve n years . The re aining years of n a h er rule were not satisfactory . The sisters took adva t ge of the scandal sh e had caused to act in an insubordinate way to e sh e e wards her . The next abbess was Joyce Rows , but was utt rly — unable to reinstate the old discipline w e hear of h er revelling ’ with some of the siste rs in th e abbe ss s quar ters . Bishop Fox in

7s ROMSEY ABBEY

What became of the majority of these expelled monks and nuns ’ we do not know, possibly any of those who were in priest s I n e e th e orders found work parish church s , but the cas of nuns f was harder . We hear nothing of the a ter life of any of the u Romsey n ns save Jane Wadham , who married one John

of a . S h e Forster, who had been the collector the bbey rents declared that she had been forced to take the veil against her f will , and he said he had been similarly orced to enter the priesthood . After the suppression the domestic build ings of the abbey — disappeared but the church was sold to the people of Romsey V 1 00 ee e by Henry III for the small sum of . The d d of sal C m may still be seen in the lergy vestry at Ro sey . Queen Mary ,

e . at the beginning of her reign , restored some of the church plat

And so the history of the religious house at Romsey ends . In o n e respect it was more fortunate than the neighbouring i nunner es at Shaftesbury, Wilton , and Amesbury . The abbey a an d church rem ins until this day, enables us to form an idea of the arrangements in force in the churches of Benedictine

. n be sisterhoods Many monastic churches remain , some havi g c e r ome cath drals , as Gloucester, some pa ish churches , as Sher few e borne, but of the churches belonging to nunneri s survived on e d now the suppression of the religious houses ; at Cambri ge, use th e and d as chapel of Jesus College, the church at Romsey, are o few u , h wever, among the exceptions . We co ld wish that w e u of but knew more abo t the history this religious house, ‘ su flicie n t is known to show us that it was once a very famous a abbey, and a place of instruction for many roy l and noble in e e ladies, its early days the disciplin of the Benedictine rul to v ee e e f seems ha e b n w ll maintain ed , though in lat r years aith d and e grew col worldliness pr vailed within its walls, as indeed man a it did in y another mon stery and nunnery, so that when er n t e the old ord cha ged giving place to new, the people of h c a country , espe i lly in what was once the original kingdom of the saw a e of West Saxons , them suppressed without any gre t f elings

e e . e t n r gr t The archit ctural s udent and the archaeologist, i deed , regret that so many of the abbey churches have become little e u mor than picturesq e ruins such as Glastonbury , or mere grass uc an d e covered foundations s h as Bindon and Shaftesbury, wh n so man y have perished we cannot be too than kful that the sple ndid abbey church at Romsey still stands in all its pristine

beauty and interest . VICARS OF ROMSEY 79

VICARS OF ROMSEY

As g iven in a list s uspend ed in tile R etro-M air

1 2 8 2 ffa P r 1 0 0 Solomon de Ro , e 5 John Hopwood .

of . L 1 1 m L L . B . bendary St aurence 5 9 John New an , 1 6 Major . 54 Roger Richardson .

1 2 2 h R omese 1 86 . 9 Jo n de , Pre 5 Samuel Adams 1 6 2 0 bendary of Edington . Anthony White, M .A . 1 0 1 6 8 in 3 4 John de London , Pre 4 John Warren $an

f . tru d er bendary o Edington ).

1 1 2 1 66 2 . 3 Gilbert de Middleton , Thomas Doughty

$ W Prebendary of E ding 1 666 Jacobus ood .

1 66 e W l . ton . 9 Samu l a ensius 1 2 2 1 680 h 3 Henry de Chilmark . T omas, Donne .

1 2 C 1 6 0 . 3 5 Richard de haddesley, 9 William Mayo

D . L . 1 2 . C 7 7 John King . u tl 1 6 1 34 2 Nicholas de G es ton . 74 John Peverell .

1 N B alleston . 1 8 1 W oo ro n 344 icholas de e 7 John db .

1 M in ed e . 1 808 W 3 49 John de st Daniel illiams . c 1 60 E esworth . 1 8 x . . 3 Thomas gg 3 3 William Vau , Canon

1 1 folliott . 1 8 1 3 7 John F 4 Gerard Noel, Canon . 8 W l 1 80 . 1 C u an 3 Roger Purge 49 illiam ar s , C on . 1 0 W in fre or mfra 1 8 4 0 John y U y 5 5 Charles Avery M oore .

1 2 0 n . A . 1 86 0 4 Joh Bayley, M Edward Lyon Berthon .

1 6 e n . A . 1 8 2 C e ar 4 4 John Gr e , M 9 James ook Y

1 8 2 . . . 4 Edward Coleman , M A borough

W n w n at Cam r e w ere th e Car Greek Te tam ent Pr ze ell k o b idg , h us s i s perpetuate his memory .

I N D E $

- e e t r ca t of 6 8 . L aw ren ce S t . Par C rc 2 2 Abb ss s , his o i l lis , 7 7 , , ish hu h , ,

Aelf fu a enefactre 1 8. 28 0. gy $Emm ), b ss , , 5 A fla 1 el ed , 6 , 1 7 . A e 2 8 n rt r 2 2 28 , ; c ; M ar es 2 . isl s, 4 4 o h hoi , , y , Abb s , 7

o t 6 . - M n en t 60 6 . s u h , 5 o um s , 3

at r 2 . Ambul o y, 5

A e f n at n of 1 . ps , ou d io s , 7 N ave n ter r . , i io , 39 A da c a e 2 0 . psi l h p ls , 4 , 34 , 5 , 59

Or an 60 B ells g , . , 34 .

Be rt n R ev . . L . 1 8 2 . ho , E , , 4, 59 B rac e t 0. P e t ir W . of 6 . kl y omb , 5 t y, S , tomb , 3

B r e z. e s 6 . ok , Eli , Abb s , 7

Re c a r 2 nd r . li s, h i , 5 ; su y , 53 Ca ta car ed 8. pi ls , v , 4 - Rer d f rteent en t r 1 . e os , ou h c u y , 5 C an tr of t . Ge r e tr ed h y S o ge d s oy , Re t rat n 2 6 . s o io , 4, 3 22 , 28. R ert ar of e ter 8. ob , E l Glouc s , 4 C r re t 0 hoi buil , 4 . R e P a ter . oms y s l , 53 C r t C rc Oxf rd h is hu h , o , 47 . 2 . Rood , 3 C rc rc as e h e hu h pu h d by t e p ople, E a . R rose , . , t A es 77 2 yp l s bb s, 2 , 78 .

C ere t r . l s o y , 45

C r e ta 0 S t . B ar e n n en t of 60. o b l ble, 3 . b Joh , mo um ,

ax rv n 6 . S on ca i g, 5

S creen c r . D ane e t r ct n 1 8. , s, d s u io by , hoi , 59

S re n o f th e n nn er . D m en n 82 . i sio s, upp ssio u y , 77

D bors 2 . , 3

T of r e t 62 of n n wn omb p i s , ; u k o E ad th een M a d 1 gy $Qu u ), 7 . ad 60 . l y , T w r o 2 n ter r e t . o , p, 4 ; i io , 49

F n t 6 . o , 4 T f r r 6 . i o ium , 44 , 4 F at n 1 6 ound io , .

V t a 8 . - ul s , 39 , 4 H r e e arc 2 . o s sho hes , 5

I cth e an e 1 . We t fr n t 2 . , Jo , Abb ss , 6 s o , 9 We rn ar n a d t n ste $E ly E glish) d i io , Kil ec I a e a d e d effi $0 p , s b ll , suppose gy , 43

of 60. Wi n w ea t 2 1 28 6 w e t 6 . , do s, s , , , 4 ; s , 3 D I M E N S I ON S

T t a en t Of c rch nc d n u re se o l l g h hu , i lu i g b tt s s from outer faces of w alls Total w idth of n ave and choir from ou ter faces o f w alls Tot al length of tran se pt : ex te rior i n te rio r L en t of na e n ter r g h v , i io choir

W dt of retr - c r n ter r ea t and w e t i h o hoi , i io , s s

n ave n ter r etw een cent re of er , i io , b pi s a e n ter r fr centre of er to w a isl s, i io , om pi s lls H eight of n ave w alls t o w all pl at e H eight of tow er L en t and rea t of t w er n ter r g h b d h o , i io

Total area square feet . ax n S o R ood .

ax n r S o Re edos . ffi of L E gy ady . ’ S ir W . Pet ty s M n o umen t . r r Choi Sc een .

Organ . F on t . ’ H Abbess s D oo r. ’ N n D r J u s oo . K N r D o th oor. L er V Cl gy estry. M r V Choi estry .

$T h e three w estern bays are of thi r t e e n t h - c e n t u r y w ork).

GROU N D PLAN OF ROMSEY ABBEY CHURCH S K ESS : C ES W H I 'I ‘T I N GH AM AN CHI WIC PR HARL D co . KS C N CE N E TOO COURT , HA RY LA , LON DON .