Mr. URBAN, TH Sept. 19, 1810. HE Church of St. John the Baptist, Margate, in the Isle of Thanet, (of which a N. E. view is. inclosed, see Pl. II. fig. 1.) has been so well described by Mr. Hasted in the 10th volume of his excellent History and Survey of Kent, as almost to preclude the necessity of any farther observations: 1 trust, however, that the following description will not be deemed an intrusion on the time of your Readers. It seems evidently to have been raised at different times, as convenience suggested, with little regard to external appearance; it is principally built of field flints rough-casted over, the quoins of the windows and the door-cases being of Ashler stone. It consists of a nave, with an aile on each side, and three chancels. The North chancel is dedicated to St. James. On the North, side of the high chancel is a square building of flints and hewn stone, with battlements, and very strongly buttressed. The windows, likewise, are small, and secured with iron bars. It appears that from before the year 1615, to the end of the year 1700, this was made use of for a store-house, for the preservation of the ammunt tion belonging to the Fort. In the year 1701, however, it was by a few alterations converted into a vestry, and as such it still remains. The inside of the church is low, and not very convenient. It contains some monuments worthy of notice *, and a few brasses in tolerable preservation. The church-yard, which is large, is crowded with tomb-stones: these I have omitted in the view, as they would otherwise have perplexed the prospect of the building. The steeple contains a clock and six bells, all of which have inseriptions on them: concerning the tenor, the traditionary rhyme mentioned by Lewis is still current, which I should be happy *Copies of such monumental inscriptions as are worthy of notice, and the substance of the less interesting ones, may be seen in Mr. Cozens's "Tour through the Isle of Thanet, and some other Parts of East Kent;" where there is also an acCount of Margate as it was in the year 1792. EDIT. + Page 98 of his "History of the Isle of Thanet." GENT. MAG. January, 1811. Mr. URBAN, of Ferring in Sussex (see Pl. II. fig. 3.) situated about four miles East of Little Hampton, and within a quarter of a mile of the Sea. The village has many indications of rural beauty. As we have not yet been favoured with a History of thisCounty, the following monumental inscrip tions, literally transcribed, may not, perhaps, be unacceptable to your Readers. Should this be the case, I shall be happy to present you with what memoranda and inscriptions I have collected at different times during my rambles through this interesting part of our Island. Yours, &c.. FREDERICUS. Ferring Church is a low building, consisting of a nave, North aile, and chancel; it is built with flint. At the West end is a small wooden turret. Against the South wall of the nave is affixed a monument of white marble, with the following inscription: M. S. Of Mrs. Barbara Johnson, widow, and relict of Richard J. esq. late of the city of London, and daughter and coheiress of John Minshull, esg late of Portslade in this county, by Barbara his wife, who was one of the daughters and coheiresses of William Westbrook, esq. late of this Parish. She departed this life the 4th July, 1757, aged 57 years." Arms: In a lozenge Arg. on a pile Azure (issuing in chief) three wolves heads erased of the field; an inescucheon of pretence, Az. issuing out of a crescent a star of six rays Arg.: impaling, Quarterly, 1 and 4, Az. is suing 1 suing out of a crescent a star of six rays Arg. 3, Gu. a leopard's face with fleur de lis jessant Or. 4, Sab. three bars Arg. Adjoining is the following inscription on a monument of veined marble: "H. S. E. Richardus Westbrook; mercator, filius natu minimus Johannis W. arm. et Barbaræ uxoris ejus; qui apud Cyprum insulam Consulis munere (uon sine fructu et honore) functus est. Tandem in patriam reversus, animam cœlo, exuvias hoc loco deponendas curavit. Anno Domini 1700, Aug. 15; ætat. 49. -Hoc est domus ultima, lector, In quam decidimus, quicquid mortale creamur." Ou a monument similar to the former, as follows: "M. S. Gulielmi Westbrook de Fering, armig. et Elizabethæ uxoris. Obiit ille Feb. 29, anno Domini 1702, ætat. 62. Illa Oct. 16, anno Domini 1694, ætat. 54. In thalamo nos junxit Amor: Mors inque sepulchro, Unà fœlices tandem requiescimus urnâ. Hoc Filiæ lugentes posuere Monumentum." Arms: Gu. a leopard's face with fleur de lis jessant Or, for Westbrook; impaling Sab. 3 bars Arg. Adjoining, on a handsome monument of white marble, as follows: "M. S. of Mrs. Elizabeth Richardson, widow and relict of Joseph R. esq. late of the Middle Temple, London; and one of the daughters and coheiresses of John Minshull, esq. late of Portslade in this County, and Barbara his wife, who was one of the daughters and coheiresses of William Westbrook, esq. late of this Parish. She departed this life the 22nd March, 1752, aged 52 years." Arms: In a lozenge, dexter defaced, sinister in pale, same as her sister's, Mrs. B. Johnson. Facing these monuments in the nave, on the floor, a large blue stone as follows: "Memoriæ et Pietati sacrum. Sub hoc marmore depositæ sunt reliquiæ Barbaræ uxoris Johannis Westbrook, armigeri; quæ obiit 30mo die Maij, anno Domini 1657...... Johannis, qui ex hâc vitâ decessit.... die Junij, anno 1666. Ambo sperantes resurrectionem quæ est in Jesu Christo." The remainder of the inscription is covered by a pew. There is also another flat stone on which the name of Westbrook is just discernible; a family long since extinct, but formerly of considerable note in this parish. Their estates, by marriage of a daughter, became the property of the Minshulls; and from them, by marriage, were carried into the family of the Richardsons, who are at present possessed of them. At the East end of the nave near the chancel is a lofty monument of various-coloured marble: on the upper part appears a youth whose countenance is expressive of the most poignant grief; on the lower compartment is the following inscription: "Underneath are deposited the remains of William Westbrook Richardson, esq. of the Middle Temple, London, barrister at law, high sheriff of this county in the year of our Lord 1770. He died July 23, 1771, aged 45 years. The regret of this gentleman's relations and friends is the best panegyric to his memory. "Here also lies interred the body of Mrs. Barbara R. relict of W. W. R. esq. together with Miss Barbara R. their only daughter, who died young. Mrs. B. R. died April 8, 1774, aged 55 years. the memory of his ever-revered parents, Wm. Richardson, esq. of Findon in this County, their eldest son, erected this monument." To The workmanship of this monument is most beautiful, being adorned with exquisitely rich carving and mouldings of various-coloured marble. Against the South wall of the nave is an elegant monument of white marble: at the back of which rises a pyramid of black marble, ornamented with an urn, &c., with the following inscription: "In a vault underneath the Vicar's seat are deposited the remains of Thomas Richardson, esq. of Warminghurst-Park; high-sheriff of this County, in the year of our Lord 1793. He died August 29, 1797, aged 64." On a flat stone near the pulpit, as follows: "M. S. Jana filia Johannis Layfield, LL. B. Rectoris de Chiddingfold, in comitatu Surriæ, et Judithæ uxoris ejus, hic jacet, felicem expectans resurrectionem quæ est in Domino nostro Jesu Christo. Nata 31 Martii, renata 14 Aprilis 1670. Denata... die Aprilis 1686." . On a flat stone in the nave: “ Underneath lye interred Mrs. Martha Mason, widow. She was a most tender mother to the present Vicar of this parish (by her first husband, Mr. William Albright, citizen and goldsmith, of London.) She died April 28, 1733, aged near 77. Also Mrs. Sarah Albright, his most excellent wife, who died in child-bed, August 30, 1733, aged near 34. Also William their son; and (under the stone East of this lies) Dorothy Sophia, their daughter; who both died under two months old. Also underneath lies interred the Rev. William Albright, late vicar of this parish, and of Prestou, who died the 8th August, 1766, aged 75 years." Mr. URBAN, Slawston, Jan. 8. last volume, p. 403, you corbel-like. Canopy work, by Car- J. TAILBY. LINCOLNSHIRE MONASTERIES, &c. Continued from vol. LXXIX. p. 1208. Dunston. The Hospital antiently founded here for leprous persons (spoken of by Tanner, in his Notitia, as in doubt whether the same as that of Meer) was situate on the Heath in Dunston liberties, by a valley a little South of the pillar, and East of the Lincoln Turnpike, on a hill side, facing the South; but even the foundation-marks scarcely remain. Every thing was cleared a few years ago, tom turn the site into arable. The site seems about three acres, extending I have given us a good plate of into two closes belonging West front of Lichfield Cathedral. I have compared it with that in Dugdale's Monasticon by Daniel King. (This view is somewhat more to the S. W.) They nearly agree, which shews there was an accuracy of delineation at tended to, as well in the time of King as of Mr. J. Carter. The differences may many of them arise from alterations made in the building since the time that in Dugdale was taken; especially, in the upper part of the great West window; that in Carter's being what, I suppose, is called the Marigold, or Catharine wheel, finish, that in Dugdale, the intersecting pointed arch, with quaterfoils in the compartments. The cross, too, above, on the finish of the gable, is not given by Carter, it is by King. The pedestals of the statues, in the first and second rows above the dado, are also dissimilar to those in Dugdale, being by Carter tall and slender, whereas by King they are low, squat, and of Berrys of Linwood Grange, and a Mr. Robinson. Meer Hospital, commonly called Meer-Hall, four miles South of Lincoln, East of Sleaford Turnpike. The foundation and broken ground, no less than 20 acres, were formerly a village. At the foot is a fine pond and spring of water. The site of the Hospital is not exactly known; modern stone-built farm-house is just by. a The estate is extra-parochial, belonging to I. Manby, esq. Revesby Abbey. A quarter of a mile South of the village of Revesby, near the edge of the great West Feu. It occupied a considerable space of ground. Foundations of walls, and a fragment two feet high of brick and stone, with loose stones here and there, are the only remains of the building. On the South within the area, are mounts of earth, like barrows. The site of the Abbey, &c. forms a good grazing close, belonging |