Dorset and Somerset, 1882, p. 422, but no authority being quoted in support of the statement, it can only be taken as a tradition.*

Bishop Clifford said the tower was on the site of an ancient beacon or "Dawn tree," (Sax. dagian to dawn, or spread light) which had given its name to the village. Collinson, Vol. II. p. 104, derives the name "from two Erse words, Dun and Draegh, signifying "a hill of oaks," and states that several oak trees still remained on the hill near the village. A third suggested origin of the name, the well-known "Done-dree" of the local legend, needs only mention here. The curious square "Dole stone" in the churchyard was inspected, and the fine octagonal churchyard cross, figured and described in Crosses of Somerset, by Pooley, p. 60, who, however, was mistaken in supposing that the ornamental crocketed finial is modern, the spire and cross only having been added by the restorers. Half-an-hour's drive down hill from Dundry brought the party to the quaint old town of

CHEW MAGNA,

where they were not sorry to find luncheon awaiting them at the Pelican Inn, after partaking of which a visit was made to "the Church Manor House," a curious old building near the church in which the court leet used to be held, and which is now occupied as the parish school. The arms of the 15th century builders, Saint Loe impaling Fitz Paine, still remain over the western doorway, and of the same date is the carving in stone of Saint George and the dragon, over the window. A view of the north side of the house by Mr. Paul is here given. Mr. George Adlam, F.S.A., whose absence from home prevented his attending the excursion, had forwarded to the Secretary some "Notes on the Antiquities of Chew Magna and the neighbourhood," in which he stated that this and similar church houses in various villages in this portion of Somersetshire had been built for the use of the parishioners, and were, in mediæval times, used by them on festivals and other similar occasions. On entering the churchyard, Mr. Hudd drew attention to a large stone lying on the left side of the path, near the gate, which on examination proved to be the socket, turned upside down, of a Cross which probably once stood in the village. It was plainer, and probably older than the fine 15th century Churchyard Cross, figured by Pooley, which is still standing on seven octagonal panelled steps near by. At·

THE CHURCH

the vicar, the Rev. J. Galbraith, accompanied by the Messrs. Colthurst and other gentlemen, met the members. Before entering the building some interesting features of the exterior were inspected. It was stated that the church was dedicated to Saint Andrew, and that the chancel had at one time extended considerably further eastward.

* In Godwin and Hine's Antiquities of Bristol, is a fine engraving of Dundry tower from a drawing by W. C. Burder, with the following description "The Tower, which was erected by the Merchant Adventurers of Bristol, A.D. 1482, as a landmark for seamen, is remarkable for the beauty of its design," &c. There appear to be no records remaining of the doings of the Society at the period named, and a "Past Master" of the Society, to whom I applied for information on the subject, writes “I fear there is nothing but rumour, or rather tradition for the statement." It seems a most unlikely site for a "landmark for seamen."

А. Е. Н.

In both the north and south porches traces appeared of what looked like the remains of the "Porch-galleries once frequent in the district, but of which that at Weston-in-Gordano is the only one left in anything like a perfect state. The "faire church" mentioned by Leland is said to have been built, or rather rebuilt, by Bishop Beckington, about the middle of the 15th century, with the exception of the north aisle, which was founded principally by Sir John St. Loe, c. 1420, and contains his tomb. His effigy has suffered much from the "restorers,” having been scraped all over and otherwise injured. Collinson, Rutter, and other old writers, described this effigy as " cross-legged" which is a mistake; though on the occasion of this visit, some of the members thought the alteration had been made at the time the effigy was "restored," subsequent examination has shown that this was not the case. The well-known wooden effigy attributed to Sir John Hautville, the Baber and other monuments, the carved oak chancel screen, the ancient font, the old oak lectern with its chained book, and other objects of interest having been examined, the vicar pointed out the Lock tomb-stone which he had recently caused to be re-erected near the west end of the church. Respecting this Mr. George Adlam, F.S.A., thus writes in the Antiquary, vol. 11. p. 183,-"In your interesting account of John Locke and his birth-place, you mention that the grandfather of the philosopher was John Locke, who purchased an estate at Pilston, East Brent. But it appears in the "Life of John Locke" that Nicholas Locke was his grandfather. This Nicholas is described as a clothier, living at Sutton Wick, in the parish of Chew Magna, in the churchyard of which parish he was buried, under a goodly tomb, opposite the belfry door. This tomb no longer exists, but in 1855 a small carved head-stone was exhumed, and has been re-erected by the present vicar. It bears the following inscription:

1674.

HERE LIETH THE BODY

OF PETER LOCK OF

THIS PARISH WHO

DEPARTED THIS WO

...IN GOOD.

The register of burials, under the date 1674, contains the following entry:-"Peter, son of Peter Locke."

The pedigree would, I take it, stand thus :—

Nicholas Lock, of Sutton Wick, clothier,

buried at Chew M. 1648.

John Lock.

John Lock, the philosopher.

Peter Lock.

Peter Lock, buried at Chew, 1674.

On the invitation of Mr. John Colthurst a visit was then paid to the remains of Chew Magna Court House, with its ancient gate-house recently restored, and the few other fragments of the ancient palace of the Bishops of Bath and Wells, which had been pulled down about A.D. 1698, by Edward Baber, Esq. The sites of the ancient buildings were pointed out by Mr. Colthurst, who, with the vicar, was, on the

motion of Bishop Clifford, accorded a hearty vote of thanks for their courteous reception of the Club.

Remounting the carriages the party then proceeded to

STANTON DREW,

where they were received at the church by the vicar, the Rev. H. T. Perfect, M.A., who read a paper in which he endeavoured to show that the church had originally stood north and south, instead of east and west, and that it was terminated by a Norman apse. This theory of the vicar's, which was not accepted by the architectural members of the party, was chiefly founded on a lithographic view published in the Journal of the British Archæological Association for 1877, vol. xxxiji., p. 298, purporting to represent the Church at Stanton Drew." This was, as Mr. Perfect remarked, so unlike the present building that any attempt at reconciling the two seemed utterly absurd," unless the church had been altered as he suggested. Without re-producing the lithograph *(see note) it would be difficult to follow Mr. Perfect's argument in support of this theory, and we therefore pass on to his description of

66

THE CHURCH.

"The church of St. Mary, Stanton Drew is not very interesting, especially in its interior arrangements. In August, 1869, the church was visited by the Somersetshire Archæological & Natural History Society, when a distinguished antiquarian, Mr. E. A. Freeman, expressed himself grateful that a plan of the church hanging on the wall enabled them to see where they were. Instead of a nave and aisles the church consists of two almost equal bodies, so that it is difficult to tell which is the nave and which the aisle. -(see plan). The chief points of interest in the church are the small early Norman font, (of which we give a sketch); a decorated doorway on the south side of the tower; a curious niche, partly obscured by the organ gallery; and the strange bosses on the roof. The queer capitals are said to resemble some in Devonshire, and are very unlike the usual Somersetshire type; (see Freeman. Proc. Som. Arch. and N. H. Soc. xiv. 1. p. 22). The square tower in the centre of the north side of the church probably formed a porch in itself, before the construction of the present porch. A private chapel was also added to the east of the tower, which now belongs to Sir Edward Strachey, Bart., who allows it to be used as a vestry. On first entering the church it strikes one that the east end of the north, or central aisle, now the private chapel of Mr. S. B. Coates, has the appearance of having been the old chancel, and that the south aisle, including the present chancel, was a more recent addition." Whilst examining the wooden screen which separates this chapel from the western portion of the aisle, the vicar discovered a stone partition, about 4 feet high, by 1 foot 4 in. in depth. At first he was under the impression that this was the old chancel screen,

It may however be stated that the original water-colour drawing from which the lithograph was taken, painted by William Lloyd in 1784, now in the possession of Mr. J. T. Irvine, does not contain the words the Church," which were added by the lithographer without any authority. My own impression is that the view represents the old house still standing a little to the east of the church.

A. E. H.