Page images
PDF
EPUB

Thaxted" to Sir John Cutts, Knt. to hold during her life, under a rent of 571. 7s. and soon afterwards, the reversion, in fee-farm, was granted to the same Knight by the King. Sir John Cutts, Knt. his great grandson, was renowned for his hospitality* andmagnificent style of living, which seems to have embarrassed his circumstances, as he was obliged by licence, dated April, 1599, to vest the "manor and borough of Thaxted, and Spencer's-fee," in trust to Thomas Kemp, Esq. who had before purchased a reputed manor in this parish, called Coldham's-fee. Soon afterwards Thaxted became the property of Sir William Smyth, Knt. of Hill-Hall, in this county; and has since continued in the possession of his descendants.

Thaxted was incorporated by charter of Philip and Mary, and its government vested in a Mayor, Bailiffs, and Chief Burgesses. This charter was confirmed by Queen Elizabeth, but rendered valueless, either by the fears or poverty of the corporate Officers, who, on being served with a Quo Warranto in the time of James the Second, thought fit to retire from their offices in silence. From a visitation of heralds in 1637, it appears, that Thaxted had then a Mayor, Recorder, two Bailiffs, and about twenty principal Burgesses; of whom ten had passed the mayoralty, and that they had a common seal, but no arms. The market, which had for a long period been discontinued, has of late years been revived, but is not much frequented. It is probable that it was first granted to Bartholomew, Lord Badlesmere, by Edward the Second, at the time when the former obtained the privilege of a fair here, and liberty of free-warren. The number of houses in this town, as ascertained under the Population Act, in 1802, was 365; of inhabitants, 1894.

The Church, a very large and beautiful structure, appears, from the various arms and cognizances on its several parts, to have been built at different times in the fourteenth century. Its dedication seems unknown, as it is ascribed, by different authors, respectively to St. John Baptist, to the Virgin Mary, and to

St.

Beauties, Vol. II. p. 117.

[graphic][subsumed][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed]

St. Lawrence. The whole fabric is embattled, and supported by strong buttresses, terminated by canopied niches, and curiously purfled pinnacles: below the niches, on each buttress, is a singular or grotesque head, with a spout issuing from the mouth to carry off the water from the roof. The windows are mostly large, and pointed; many of them are also ornamented with tracery, and painted glass; but the latter is very much broken, and otherwise. defaced. The north porch is richly ornamented with sculpture; and the cornice, and upper part, charged with various figures: above the entrance are two escutcheons; one containing the arms of France and England; the other, the arms of the House of York: over these are two windows, in the arch of each of which is a crown supported by a hand; between the windows is a handsome niche. At the west end is an embattled tower, sustained by buttresses, and terminated by a neat octagonal spire, rising to the height of 181 feet. The circumference of the entire building, including the projection of the buttresses, is 345 yards. The inte rior consists of a nave, transept, chancel, and side aisles; and it may be remarked, that the nave is not so wide as either of the latter. The arches of the nave are pointed, and supported by eight clustered columns on each side: the chancel is neat, and displays various cognizances of Edward the Fourth. The length of the Church is 183 feet; its breadth, eighty-seven.

The expence of the erection of this building was principally defrayed by the noble families of Clare and Mortimer; with some assistance from an individual of the House of York, Edward the Fourth. The most ancient part is supposed to have been built at the charge of Elizabeth, Lady Clare, daughter of Gilbert, surnamed the Red, and his second wife, Joan of Acres, daughter of Edward the First. William de Burgh, Earl of Ulster, and son of Lady Clare, built the nave previous to the year 1340: his son-inJaw, Lionel, Duke of Clarence, erected the south porch, on which is carved the ducal coronet, between the years 1362 and 1368. The north aisle, and north part of the transept, were raised about the year 1380, by Edmund, Earl of March, who was much cele brated for his skill in architecture; and it is observed, that these portions

Cc 2

portions of the Church are most distinguished for superior elegance and taste, displayed in the ornaments and disposition of the parts. The chancel was began by the house of March, but completed by Edward the Fourth, as appears from the various armorial bearings of that Sovereign, who is also thought to have been at the charge of the north porch. Edmund, last Earl of March, is supposed, from the arms on some of the arches, to have built the tower, which was intended to have been erected at the intersection of the nave and transept, but probably this design was abandoned from a fear of injuring the other parts of the building by its weight. This nobleman died in the year 1424. A chantry, valued, on the Suppression, at 111. 19s. 10d. per annum, and twenty obits, besides various altars and chapels, existed here in the Catholic times. This Church underwent considerable repairs during the last century.

The charitable benefactions for the use of the poor inhabitants of this parish are considerable. The estate called Yendleys, deriving its name from Thomas Yendale, who resided on it in the reign of Henry the Sixth, was, on his death, vested in feoffees in trust for his four sons, and their issue; or, in default of such issue, to be sold for the benefit of the church and poor, and for the repairs of the adjacent highways. The sons all dying childless, the estate was sold, in the fifth of Henry the Seventh, and the produce established as a fund for the payment of the tenths and fifteenths that might be levied on the parish by the government; or, when not wanted for this purpose, the revenues were to be applied to general uses. The mode of taxation by tenths and fifteenths having been long discontinued, the produce of the fund is now applied to the support of a School, repairing the Church, improving the highways, &c. William, Lord Maynard, by Will, dated May the 30th, 1698, bequeathed 40001. for purchasing the rectory of Thaxted, or some other of equal value, to be vested in trustees for the purpose of increasing the salary of the minister, repairing and beauti fying the Church, marrying poor virgins, binding out apprentices, relieving poor people overburthened with children, and for other purposes. The rectory of Thaxted being entailed in such a man

ner,

« PreviousContinue »