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Mr. URBAN, Shrewsbury, Feb. 21. THE enclosed View of the Abbey

with the accompanying account, í hope, will be deemed worthy a niche in your Cabinet of Antiquities.

The great mitred Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul, founded A. D. 1083, by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, was built on the site of a timber Church, erected by Siward, who exchanged with the Earl for the village of Langafielda, which Siward at his death bequeathed to the new foundation. It was peopled with Benedictine mooks from Seez in Normandy. The Earl endowed the house largely, and encouraged all over whom he had any influence to contribute liberally. Roger himself, with the permission of his lady Adelisa, was shorn, and became a monk of his own Abbey, and enriched it with the coat of St. Hugh,of the monastery of Cluni, which precious relick the Earl himself sometimes wore. The founder died in 1094, and was buried here; as was Hugh his son, slain in the Isle of Anglesey. The first Abbot of this house was Fulcheredus, said to have been a mau of great eloquence. Robert Pennant, the fourth Abbot, obtained, with great difficuity, the reliques of St. Wenefrede, and enshrined them, which added much to the emolument of the Abbey (for an account of St. Wenefrede, see vol. LXXIV. p. 717.) Thomas Butler was the last Abbot: he appears to have been rather a tool to the Dissolution party, by whom he was rewarded with an annuity of 80%. At the general Dissolution, Dr. Lee, and Masters Kendle, Harley, &c. the King's Commissioners, were sent down. They convened the Abbot and Monks to the Chapter-house, caused some deeds to be signed the common seal of the house, then ordered an officer to break it, and declared the convent to be dissolved. The Revenues were valued by Dugdale at 5821. 48. 10d. and by Speed at 6561. 4s. 3d. The site of the Abbey, with its buildings, was purchased by E. Watson, esq. and W. Herdson, a tanner, dealers in Monastic plunder, and soon after sold to W. Langley, of Salop, tailor; and it continued in that family till 1702, since which it has Leen in possession of the Baldwins

GENT. MAG. April, 1813.

and Powis's. Of this once famous Abbey, the present remains are small:

Refectory, not a single vestige re mains. The Church of the Abbey appears to have been spacious and magnificent, but great devastations were made at the Dissolution. The nave, Western tower, and Northern porch remain, under considerable mutilation; but of the choir, tran sept, and chapels, scarce a fragment remains. The great Western aile, or nave, from its earliest date, was ap propriated as the parish church, for the use of the neighbouring inhabi tants; and this probably prevented the entire destruction of the building. In Queen Elizabeth's time the church was made parochial, and called the Church of the Holy Cross, which name it still retains. The Western part, represented in the annexed View, is the most entire. The Tower, though plain, is finely proportioned; the entrance a round Norman arch recessed, and a Pointed arch inserted within it, undoubtedly of later date. In a niche on each side the great West window were formerly statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. Between the bell-windows, within a niche, is a statue, which has been generally supposed to be the founder, Roger de Montgomery; but others, with more probability, conjecture it to be King Edward the Third, not merely from the costume of the figure, but from the tower having been erected about that period. In this tower formerly hung the great bell of St. Wenefrede, thus inscribed: Sancta Wenefreda, Deo hoc commens Dare memento,

t pictate sua, nos servet ab hoste

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This bell remained till the year 1673, when it was sold towards fraying the expence of a new peal of 8 bells. The interior of the Church, though in so mutilated a state, retains a solemn grandeur. On each side the middle aile (the ancient nave) are five arches, which separate it from the side ailes. The two which join to the tower are pointed, as are the windows over them. The other arches are semicircular, with immense round pillars, short and plain. Above was a gallery of smaller arches in the same style. Within the second arch from

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the West end are vestiges of what is supposed to have been an ancient chantry Chapel: there are several niches, but much mutilated, and the statues gone. The Church has of late been very judiciously improved and decorated, by the addition of a handsome new organ, placed on an appropriate Gothic screen and likewise with an East window of stained glass. In the centre compartments are large figures of St, Peter and St. Paul; above are the arms of England, the see of Lichfield, the founder of the Abbey, and of Lord Berwick, the patron of the living; on each side are the arms of the Vicars, from the year 1500. In the East window of the South aile are three ancient shields,-England and France quarterly-Roger de Montgomery-the sword and keys-symbols of the patron saints.-In the corresponding window on the North side are the arms of Mortimer, Beauchamp, Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury, and Fitz Alan quartering Maltravers. The font near the West entrance is very ancient, and has the appearance of the capital of a large Norman pillar, supported by a part of the shaft. Near the North door is another very elegant font, lately removed from the Abbey garden.

The ancient monuments and brasses are all gone, excepting a figure in mail, at the East end of the South aile, placed there by his Majesty's Heralds at arms, at their Visitation of the county in 1622, with the following inscription:

The Figure underneath, which was at first placed within the MONASTERY of St. PETER and St. PAUL, and was afterwards found in the ruins, was removed hither by directions of his Majesty's Heralds at Arms, in their Visitation of this County, 1622, to remain (as it was originally intended) in perpetual memory of ROGER DE MONTGOMERY, EARL of SHREWSBURY, who was kinsman to the Conqueror, and one of his chief Commanders in the victorious battle of Hastings. He erected many useful buildings here, both publick and private; and not only fortified this town with walls, but built the Castle on the Isthmus. As also the Castles of LUDLOW and BRIDGWORTH, with the monastery of Wenlock. He founded and endowed in an ample manner this large Benedictine Abbey ; and, when advanced in years, by the con

sent of his Countess ADELAISA, he en tered into Holy Orders, and was shorn a Monk of this his own foundation, where he lies interred. He died July 27th 1094."

Of the modern monumental memorials, the following seem most worthy of notice:

On a handsome monument against the East wall of the chancel: " M. S.

Richardi Prynce, equitis aurati, necnon suæ conjugis Mariæ, filiæ Gwat. Wrottesly de Wrottesly in agro Stafford. armigeri. Ille optimus maritus, hæc uxor consummatissima: pietatis in Deum, in Regem fidei, in Vicinos benevolentiæ, diu in hac parochia inclaruerunt exempla. Iniquissimis temporibus, grassante sanguineâ belli civilis rabie, rem familiarem illi a majoribus demissam, sed per infortunia Fratris minùs providi penè elapsam, inter aliorum fraudes et rapinas, honestis artibus et laudandâ solertia ita redintegravit, et auxit, ut numerosam prolem, natos scilicet duos natasque octo, ipsi superstites, ingenuè et piè educavit, dote sat ampla ditavit. Hisce peractis, bonorum operum custos, justitiæ vindex, legum assertor, semper memor, inopum fautor, pacis animam tandem Deo, corpus terræ reddidit, anno Dom. 1665, ætat. 76, Hæredem reliquit Philippum filium, cum Elizabethâ, filia Johannis Banks, equitis aurati, Communium Placitorum Justiciarii Capitalis, et serenissimæ Maj. Car. I. à secretioribus Consilijs, in matrimonio conjunctum; qui cum per plura in Patris vestigiis pr....

.....

et progeniem omnem sublatam deplorâsset, a charissima consorte, dissolvi et esse cum Christo indies exoptante, aliquandiu sejunctus, obijt an. Dom. 1690. æt. 60."

Arms: Gules, a saltire Or, surmounted of a cross engrailed Ermine.-Crest, out of a ducal coronet Or, a cubit-arm habited Gules, cuffed Ermine, holding in the hand proper 3 pine-apples of the first, stalked and leaved Vert.

On a neat marble monument, against the East wall.

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Arms: Or, 3 chess-rooks, and a chief embattled Sable; impaling, Argent, a lion rampant Sable, a canton of the second.-Crest: On a rock proper a martlet, Or.

On a neat monument against the North wall:

"Sacred to the memory
of Thomas Jenkins, esq.
and of Gertrude his wife.
This Monument,

erected in obedience to her last will, and designed by her as a tribute of respect to his virtues, remains at the same time an instance and memorial of her own."

On a vase at the top of the monument: "T. J. died 29 Dec. 1730, aged 53.

G. J. died 28 Oct. 1767, aged 84." Arms: Or, a lion rampant regar dant Sable; impaling, Argent, on a bend Gules, cotised Sable, 3 pair of wings conjoined and inverted of the first.

Inscriptions on plain stones in the chancel floor.

"This stone is placed in memory of
William Prince, esq.

whose body lies buried here.
He died 20th October 1703, aged 40.
Here also lies the body of his relict
M. Frances Prince,

whose singular virtues and extensive cha rity, justly gained her universal esteem, She departed this life

3d Nov. 1721, aged 47; whereby the Poor are deprived of a most tender friend and liberal benefactrix.

Also Frances, their only daughter,relict of Andrew Corbett, of Morton Corbett, esq. who died Nov. 21, 1760, aged 59." "Here lie

the remains of

Judith Prince,

of the ancient family of the Princes, who died, the last of that name, August the 17th, 1733." "Here lyes

Fr. Gibbons, D.D. chaplain to K. Charles, and minister of this parish,

who died 7th Jan. 1639; also his youngest son James Gibbons, esq. who faithfully served Three Kings in a Civil employment, and died 21st Nov. 1712." "Depositæ sunt in hoc tumulo exuviæ Annæ Pearson, quæ fide Christi religiosè vixit; et spe beatæ resurrectionis animam piè et lætè efflavit die nono Junij 1721.

M. S.

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