DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61904#0233
FURNESS ABBEY.
221
were delivered weekly; and every dozen loaves was worth 6T
Another deponent had known divers children of the tenants
and their fervants to have come from the plough, or other
work, into the faid abbey, where they had dinner or fupper;
and the children of the faid tenants came divers times to the faid
abbey, and were fuffered to come to fchool and learning within
the faid monaftery. This was confirmed by a third, who faid
there was both a grammar fchool and a fong fchool in the
monaftery, to which the children of the tenants that paid
penfions were free to come and refort; and that he was at the
faid fchool. And Richard Banks depofed that the tenants and
their families and children did weekly receive charity and
devotion, over and above the relief and commodities before
rehearfed, to the value of 405-. fterling. The abbot and monks
did not fubmit to the deprivation of their fplendid eftate and
patronage without a ftruggle. They took a diftinguifhed lead
in exciting thofe they had fo long maintained to the celebrated
Pilgrimage of Grace.
The remains of the abbey bear the character of their early
origin. They combine the maffivenefs of the Saxon with the
fuperior grace of the Norman architecture. The roof, being
ftripped of its lead, foon fell in, and the work of ruin went
rapidly on. That of the chapter-houfe being fpared, the roof
did not fall till the middle of the eighteenth century. It was
vaulted, and formed of twelve ridged arches, fupported by fix
pillars in two rows, at fourteen feet diftance from each other.
The entrance, or front, to this graceful building is by one of the
fineft circular arches, deeply receding and richly ornamented,
with a portico on each fide ; the whole fupported by maffive
fculptured pillars. A very good defcription of Furnefs in
its prefent ftate is given by Edward Baines in his “ Com-
panion to the Lakes.” He fays, “ I turned from the high
221
were delivered weekly; and every dozen loaves was worth 6T
Another deponent had known divers children of the tenants
and their fervants to have come from the plough, or other
work, into the faid abbey, where they had dinner or fupper;
and the children of the faid tenants came divers times to the faid
abbey, and were fuffered to come to fchool and learning within
the faid monaftery. This was confirmed by a third, who faid
there was both a grammar fchool and a fong fchool in the
monaftery, to which the children of the tenants that paid
penfions were free to come and refort; and that he was at the
faid fchool. And Richard Banks depofed that the tenants and
their families and children did weekly receive charity and
devotion, over and above the relief and commodities before
rehearfed, to the value of 405-. fterling. The abbot and monks
did not fubmit to the deprivation of their fplendid eftate and
patronage without a ftruggle. They took a diftinguifhed lead
in exciting thofe they had fo long maintained to the celebrated
Pilgrimage of Grace.
The remains of the abbey bear the character of their early
origin. They combine the maffivenefs of the Saxon with the
fuperior grace of the Norman architecture. The roof, being
ftripped of its lead, foon fell in, and the work of ruin went
rapidly on. That of the chapter-houfe being fpared, the roof
did not fall till the middle of the eighteenth century. It was
vaulted, and formed of twelve ridged arches, fupported by fix
pillars in two rows, at fourteen feet diftance from each other.
The entrance, or front, to this graceful building is by one of the
fineft circular arches, deeply receding and richly ornamented,
with a portico on each fide ; the whole fupported by maffive
fculptured pillars. A very good defcription of Furnefs in
its prefent ftate is given by Edward Baines in his “ Com-
panion to the Lakes.” He fays, “ I turned from the high