S. ANDREW'S CHURCH, SONNING.

V.

When the substantial repairs of the fabric were completed, the next thing to be done was to clear out the area of the Church, and re-arrange the monuments and brasses. The floor throughout was very uneven, and the whole had to be levelled afresh. The boards under most of the old pews had been put down upon the earth without any joists, and few parts of the Church were on the same level. We began by removing cart-loads of earth, and in doing this we came upon a vast number of bones, within a foot of the floor. The burials in the Church must have been much more frequent formerly than we have any experience of in modern times, for in all parts of the building, besides the vaults, we found remains of coffins and bones. These were all most carefully sifted from the masses of earth, and buried in pits in the Church-yard.

We next proceeded to examine the vaults, which extend under great part of the Church. Some years before, in 1844, the large vault belonging to the Barker family, under the east end of the Chancel, had been opened. I had observed a sinking of the pavement going on, just at the step before the gate of the Communion rails, and thought it advisable to examine into the cause. It was well we did so, for directly the bricks were taken up, down went the earth into the mouth of the vault. The steps had been covered over with slabs of wood, which had rotted, and the pavement wholly unsupported might have given way any day, and dropped the passer by into the vault below. We now opened this vault again. It was quite full of coffins, one or two of great size. Most improperly some of these were without inner lead coffins., and we could now easily account for the disagreeable smell which had often been perceived in the old Church. The Barker family being extinct, and there being no chance of anyone wishing hereafter to open this vault, we filled up all the vacant parts, and the steps, with earth, and finally bricked it up. We next opened the vault under the vestry, belonging to the Blagrave family, who lived formerly at Bulmershe Old Manor House. This also was full of coffins ; but here we made a most curious discovery. Against the wall at the east end of the vault was placed the stone monument representing several figures kneeling, which is now in the Chapel with the Rich monuments, in the South Chancel Aisle. We could not account for its being placed in the vault. Though curious and interesting, it is not of sufficient value to have been put there for security. There were other fragments of monuments in the vault, and I can only suppose therefore that they were all thrown in there out of the way, in some of the lamentable alterations and demolitions that must have taken place at different periods during the last two hundred years. Of the monument itself I shall have more to say hereafter.

One other vault we thought it necessary to open, namely, that under the east end of the South Chancel Aisle. belonging to the family of Sir Thomas Rich. There were more coffins in this than in either of the other two, for several of the oldest (with the names of Halstead and Chamberlain on them, families who had the estate before the

Rich family settled in Sonning,) had been displaced, and the outer wood coffins having perished, the lead coffins, in some cases made in the shape of the body, were ranged upright against the wall. The effect was most singular, as they looked like Egyptian mummies. Though no interment can again take place either in this or the Blagrave vault, we did not fill them up with earth, but only closed them securely. There are no less than five other vaults in the Church; one of these we came upon unexpectedly in the middle of the South Chancel Aisle, and strange to say, we could never make out to whom it had belonged. There was no whole coffin in it, but only a few bones, and coffin handles. The other vaults are those of Lord Stowell, Mr. Golding, Mr. Knyvett, and Mr. Hubbard, a former vicar. There are in addition to these, several brick graves, most of which had to be opened, and better secured. One grave that we came upon was of some interest; it contained a coffin with this inscription, "George Jefferies, Esq., Lieutenant in General Wade's Regiment of Horse, died 1743." This takes us back to the Great Scottish Rebellion, which ended in the battle of Culloden in 1745, after which General Wade was left in Scotland, to overawe the Highlanders; and he is chiefly remembered for the military roads. which he constructed for the first time across the Highlands, though perhaps more for the ridiculous lines which some one wrote in praise of them,

"Had you but seen these roads, before they were made,

You'd have held up your hands, and blest General Wade."

There is a monument to General Wade in Westminster Abbey.

When the Church had been entirely cleared, and the vaults and graves closed, the levels were properly taken, and then we had to rearrange the monumental slabs and brasses. All the stone slabs, which had any inscription, were preserved, and put down again in the pavement. The only ones removed were broken stones on which there had formerly been brasses. It is sad to think how many of these beautiful monuments have disappeared even of late years. In Ashmole's account of the Church in the 17th century, several brasses and monuments are mentioned, which are nowhere to be found now. We made one most interesting discovery. On removing the bricks within the Sacrarium, the workmen came upon part of a brass buried in the earth, and after a most careful search, we were actually fortunate enough to recover the whole figure of a man, with the inscription, in seven or eight broken fragments. These I sent, together with the other brasses, to Mr. Waller in London, and he put the fragments together so well, that no one could tell now that the brass had ever been broken. This monument must be described with those of the Barkers to whose family it belonged; meanwhile there is only room to mention now our best and most valuable monumental brass. In the centre of the Chancel liès the figure of a man in complete armour, his hands clasped in prayer, and his feet resting upon a lion. The brass was quite perfect, and only required cleaning. At the four corners of the stone are coats of arms. The stone, in which the brass was laid, was broken, and it was necessary to have a new slab for this, and for two other sets of brasses. Mr. Waller undertook to clean and repair all the brasses, and to provide new slabs, but unfortunately the slabs are

of a bad material, very unlike the old ones, and they are really the only failure in our restoration. The surface of the stone is constantly peeling off, and there are white patches, which sadly offend the eye. The inscription on this brass is in Latin, the English translation of it being as follows,-" Here lies Laurence Fyton, Esquire, formerly Bailiff of Sonnyng, who died March 29, A.D. 1434. Upon whose soul God have mercy. Amen."

Out of the mouth of the brass figure issues a scroll, with these words, "My soul shall live, it shall praise Thee, and Thy judgments shall help me." This brass is mentioned by Leland the Antiquarian in the account he gives of Sonning, in his "Itinerary," about the year 1540, as a monument to "one Fytton, Esq., in the Presbitery."

We know nothing more of Laurence Fyton, but I suppose he was steward of the Manor of the Bishops of Salisbury. The brass is an extremely fine and perfect one, and has been often copied by rubbing. It is not a little instructive to contrast with this beautiful monument of former times a modern brass, with its inscription, which we have in our Church. In the south aisle there is a monumental slab, with a large brass let into it, to the memory of Lord Stowell. On the brass are engraved merely the coronet and arms of Lord Stowell, between two lions as his supporters, and the following inscription :

"The Right Honorable Lord Stowell. Died 28th January, 1836, in his ninetyfirst year."

Compare with this the recumbent figure of Laurence Fyton, his hands clasped in prayer, and the verse in his mouth from the 119th Psaim, expressive of joyful hope, and I think few persons will doubt to which monument the preference must be given.

We must reserve the other brasses and monuments for our next number. H. P.

To be continued.

CHOIRS AT THE FESTIVAL.

The following Choirs took part in the Choral Festival :—

The Festival was a marked day both for our Parish Church Choir, and for All Saints' Choir; the former began to wear surplices, and the latter joined for the first time the Reading and Henley Choral Association.

The Collections for the expenses of the Choral Union amounted to £35 8s. 7d., the largest sum yet obtained at any of the Festivals.

SONNING CHURCH.

BAPTISMS.

May 30th, Lucy, daughter of Joseph and Harriet Ford, Sonning. June 13th, Annie Elizabeth, and Charles Edward Richard, children of John and Ellen Turner, Woodley.

June 13th, Frederick, son of Dennis and Mary Bridgeman, SonningEye.

ALL SAINTS'.

June 13th, Arthur Henry, son of William and Ann Blackall, Playhatch.

June 13th, Elizabeth, daughter of John and Emily Gibbs, Dunsden. June 13th, Keziah, daughter of George and Eliza Thorpe, Playhatch.

SONNING CHURCH.

BURIALS.

June 1st, Sarah Ilton, of Sonning, aged 61.

June 6th, Clara Grave, of Woodley, aged 76.

June 10th, William Wetherall, of Woodley, aged 44.

ALL SAINTS' CHURCH.

June 6th, Eliza Jane Evans, Dunsden, aged 7.

June 8th, Lucy Evans, Dunsden, aged 5.

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