[3] Read before the Society on Monday, February 1, 1858.[5] Hanshall, in his History of Cheshire, 4to, 1817, page 221, states that the Shrine of St. Werburgh, and the pedestal on which it rested, “formerly stood in the Chapel of the Virgin at the east end of the Choir; and that the pedestal was removed to its present position soon after the Reformation, and converted into the Episcopal Throne.” History is silent as to the fate of the Shrine itself; but being of great intrinsic value, it no doubt vanished at the Dissolution, along with other precious relics belonging to the Abbey.[9] Several examples of this Trinitarian device occur to us; but it will suffice to instance the beautiful contemporary seal of the Holy Trinity Priory at York, the general design of which very much resembles that upon the Lady Chapel boss, except in the position of the dove, which in the York seal appears to be in the act of descending from the Father upon the head of the crucified Saviour. Another and a later example, of the 16th century, is given in the Journal of the British ArchÆological Institute, Vol. VIII., p. 317, from a silver medallion, the work of Heinrich Reitz, of Leipsic, who flourished from A.D. 1553–1586. It ought perhaps to be mentioned, that this curious boss was for more than two centuries hidden from view by an immense block of plaster moulded into the form of a Tudor rose; and that its real character was only discovered by mere accident, while preparing the groined ceiling for chromatic treatment, at the hands of Mr. Octavius Hudson.

No. 1. Boss from Lady Chapel, Chester Cathedral

No. 1. Corresponding subject from seal of Holy Trinity Priory, York[11a] William de Cornhill, Bishop of Chester, Lichfield, and Coventry, from 1216 to 1223.[11b] Memorials of Canterbury, p. 110.[12] This southern aisle of the Lady Chapel is said to have been anciently called the Chapel of St. Erasmus. Close to the spot above indicated, if not indeed in the same grave, were deposited, according to Webb (Vale Royal, Vol. II. p. 26,) the remains of the good Bishop Bridgman, about the year 1656. Other accounts give Kinnersley Church, Shropshire, as the place of his burial.[13a] A full account of the trial and execution of George Marsh will be found in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Vol. I. p. 1481.[13b] Vale Royal of England, Vol. II. p. 33.[16] While these pages are passing through the press (November, 1859,) the alterations and improvements suggested in the above concluding paragraph are being actually carried out, under the auspices of the Dean and Chapter. The late east window of stained glass has, with the tracery, been carefully removed, and will be placed in one of the north windows of the Lady Chapel, while a new east window of five lights has been erected in its stead, and will in due time be adorned with another subject in stained glass.