• 10 PARISH CHURCH OF WEAVERHAM

substantially the church as it was rebuilt in the fifteenth century, with the exception of the north-east corner, to which I shall refer later, because if the church was rebuilt in Elizabeth's reign it would not have been in need of extensive repairs in 1634.. There are two other items relating to repairs in :—

1G79. Meeting of several parisliioners to view decay of steeple.

1G96. Steeple repaired, plumtner £14 16s. 1 id.

Entering the church by the south porch, attention is directed to the mutilated arch of the doorway caused by the widening mentioned by Isaac Johnson, whose testimony I have just quoted. Standing near the font one is immediately struck with the open spaciousness of the building and its lightness causcd by the number of large windows. Noticcable features arc the pervading air of orderliness and dignity, the beautiful oak seats and the extreme care and thought for those who worship here. A great contrast with the condition of things prevailing before the last restoration. The body of the church was then filled with 140 dark oak, closcd-up Jacobean pews with a turned knob 011 cach corner post. In this knob was a hole in which to fix a candle for lighting purposes. This was the only means of lighting the church until oil lamps were introduced in the middle of last century and the beautiful seventeenth century brass chandelier was purchased.

A gallery, the erection of which was begun 011 St. Peter's day, 17G5, lay across the west end. This was removed in 1877. In the gallery the band of minstrels on wind and stringed instruments led the singers in the choral part of the service, for in 1776 I find the following entry : " Received of James Shallcross, one pound eleven shillings and sixpence for a Bassoone, by me Thos. Thomson," and in 1824. ^mY ^ovvn grandfather was appointed leader and choirmaster and afterwards organist. This band of minstrels was followed by a barrel organ,