Engraved by IStore for the Antiquarian and Topographical Winet.from à Drawing by arley, Esq

S. Mary's Church, Leicester.

Bubhahed, for the Proprietors, by W Parke, New Bond Street, and J. Carpenter, d Bond St February

among other acts of merey, or the breife of his, and rebuilt the Church of our Lawn, p ing therein secular canons, and being a win va rious donations His son Rot

of an abbey at Leicester, than fast as ther's endowments from tl:st

continued till the general da

still to be seen a chest, cald in arch,

with wis

The

a convenience for hanging thor several vertavents hooks are seven in number, somewont resembling a kitchen crane.

One of the canons was ear of the parish, and in

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, LEICESTER,

LEICESTERSHIRE.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH exhibits the architecture of a great variety of periods, occasioned by the damage it has sustained in common with the castle, near which it stands. The chancel is Saxon, and probably the finest remains of that kind in the county. Robert de Bellomont, after he had obtained the earldom of Leicester from Henry I. among other acts of mercy, for the health of his soul, rebuilt the Church of our Lady within the castle, placing therein secular canons, and enriching them with various donations. His son Robert, who was the founder of an abbey at Leicester, transferred many of his father's endowments from this Church to that religious sanctuary; but not willing to destroy the effect of all his father's good intentions towards the Church, he placed therein eight canons, one of whom was a dean. These continued till the general dissolution. In the vestry is still to be seen a chest, called an arch, in which there is a convenience for hanging their several vestments. The hooks are seven in number, somewhat resembling a kitchen crane.

One of the canons was vicar of the parish, and in

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, LEICESTER.

ordained, with the consent of the bishop, that hereafter whoever was made dean, should be vicar. The charges attendant upon this Church were paid partly by the parishioners and partly by the dean.

It appears, that in Leland's time, in the college within the parish Church of St. Mary, there were only seven resident priests, and that the vicar had a pension of £8 per annum, and no other profits, save his mansion-house, and a little garden, upon the west side of the college. The revenues of this college being granted to Edward Holt, esq. by queen Elizabeth, and at length to the corporation of Leicester, in fee-farm, occasioned the vicars to be in some measure dependant upon that body, which, being entitled to all the profits of the dean and canons, had consequently the churchyard, small tythes, and offerings, in other places belonging to the vicar at different times, however, considerable additions have been made to the living.

St. Mary's Church has suffered from the warring elements, as well as from military operations. In 1757, the day on which admiral Byng was shot, one of the windows of the spire was blown out; and in June, 1763, the steeple was damaged by lightning: again, on the 10th of July, 1783, the lightning struck one of the steeple windows, and split the stone-work down to the battlements in consequence, the steeple was wholly taken down. It was soon after rebuilt in the original form, and of the same dimensions.

: