Chapter I: Preface

The following chapters, though superficially presenting the appearance of disconnected essays, really possess a strong bond of continuity. Running through the whole, implied, where not actually expressed, will be found an insistence on the principle which, in a former work, I ventured to call folk-memory. This folk-memory--unconsciously, for the most part, but sometimes with open ceremony--keeps alive those popular beliefs and practices which are individually called survivals. With some of these legacies from the past the present volume deals.

To a large extent the studies are connected with the church and churchyard. The sections which treat of pagan sites, orientation, and burial customs, embody the results of observations relating to some hundreds of buildings in all parts of England and Wales. The chapters on “The Folk-Lore of the Cardinal Points” and “The Labour’d Ox” partially, at least, break virgin soil. In “The Churchyard Yew” are set down inferences drawn from many years of investigation, the literary side of which has been rendered difficult by the existence, in various modern works, of unfounded statements and hypothetical references. The remainder of the book treats of somewhat more familiar themes, though it is hoped that fresh outlooks are suggested.

Since some of the matters here brought forward have been, and indeed still are, provocative of keen, and even heated controversy, to anticipate agreement with all the conclusions would be sheer folly. Nevertheless, it may be claimed that the facts collected have been carefully sifted, the references conscientiously verified, and the opposing theories honestly presented.

To the multitude of friends who have rendered true service either by supplying information or in preparing the illustrations, most grateful thanks are expressed. Acknowledgements of all such help are recorded in due place, but special recognition must be made of the expert assistance of Mr Sydney Harrowing, who has borne the chief burden in illustrating the volume. To Miss Nora Mansell thanks are tendered for the drawing of Gumfreston church (Fig. 26). Fig. 93 is copied from a sketch prepared by Mr C. G. Carter, of Louth. Messrs Frank Cowley and F. J. Bennett, F.G.S., have kindly permitted the reproduction of an original painting (Fig. 87). Mr Worthington G. Smith, F.L.S., has courteously allowed Figs. 59 and 60 to be taken from _Man, the Primeval Savage_; Fig. 80 is copied by the consent of Professor R. S. Lull; and Figs. 4, 22 and 88 appear by the kindness of Mr David Sydenham, the Rev. Percival Saben, M.A., and the British Archaeological Association respectively. Dr W. Heneage Legge and Messrs G. Allen and Sons have granted the use of the block for Fig. 92, while Figs. 84 and 85 were photographed from a horseshoe lent by the Rev. Hastings M. Neville, B.A., of Ford, Northumberland.

Many of the photographs were taken by Mr Edward Yates, who allowed free choice to be made from his large collection, but the following ladies and gentlemen have also assisted: Mr O. F. Bailey, Mr Alexander Barbour, Mr J. G. V. Dawson, Mr E. W. Filkins, Miss Truda Hutchinson, Mrs W. Johnson, Mr A. L. Leach, F.G.S., Mr Douglas Leighton, Mr P. McIntyre, F.G.S., Mr Llewellyn Treacher, F.G.S., Mr W. C. Walker, Mr E. C. Youens, Mr G. W. Young, F.G.S., F.Z.S., and Mr W. Plomer Young. Permission to use photographs has also been granted by Mr James Cheetham of Lewes, Messrs Thos. B. Latchmore and Son, Hitchin, Mr W. Wiseman, Corfe Castle, the _Grimsby Telegraph_ Company, and the Watford Engraving Company.

W. J.

_January, 1912_

CONTENTS

PAGE

I. CHURCHES ON PAGAN SITES 1

II. CHURCHES ON PAGAN SITES (_continued_) 51

III. THE SECULAR USES OF THE CHURCH FABRIC 101

IV. THE SECULAR USES OF THE CHURCH FABRIC (_continued_) 145

V. THE ORIENTATION OF CHURCHES 205

VI. THE ORIENTATION OF GRAVES 243

VII. SURVIVALS IN BURIAL CUSTOMS 268

VIII. THE FOLK-LORE OF THE CARDINAL POINTS 324

IX. THE CHURCHYARD YEW 360

X. THE CULT OF THE HORSE 408

XI. “THE LABOUR’D OX” 452

XII. RETROSPECT 488

ADDENDA 495

INDEX 498

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. PAGE

1. Roman altar, St Swithin’s, Lincoln. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 6

2. Roman tesserae, St Saviour’s Cathedral, Southwark. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 8

3. Interior of Brixworth church, Northampton. (_Phot._ Mr O. F. Bailey) 10

4. Ruins of Knowlton church, Dorset. (From Warne’s _Ancient Dorset_, by permission) 14

5. Pharos, Dover Castle. (Bloxam’s _Gothic Eccles. Architecture_) 19

6. Ancient foundations at Lyminge church, Kent. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 21

7. Portion of wall, St Martin’s church, Canterbury. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 22

8. The Agglestone, Studland, Dorset. (_Phot._ Mr W. C. Walker) 35

9. Ruins of Maplescombe church, Kent. (_Phot._ Mr E. W. Filkins) 39

10. Sketch plan of Maplescombe ruins. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 39

11. Rudstone church and monolith. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 44

12. The Cove, Stanton Drew, Somerset. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 47

13. Corfe Castle, as it appeared in 1643. (_Phot._ from an old print, Mr W. Wiseman, Corfe Castle) 53

14. Ruins of Corfe Castle. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 53

15. The Mount, Great Canfield, Essex. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 54

16. Chapel, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 58

17. Pirton church and Toot Hill, Hertfordshire, from the South-East. (_Phot._ Messrs Thomas B. Latchmore and Son, Hitchin) 60

18. Pirton church and Toot Hill, Hertfordshire, from the South-West. (_Phot._ Messrs Thomas B. Latchmore and Son, Hitchin) 61

19. Toot Hill, Little Coates, Lincolnshire. (_Phot._ the _Grimsby Telegraph_ Company) 72

20. Mound, Berwick churchyard, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mrs W. Johnson) 75

21. Chislehurst church and mound, as it appeared c. A.D. 1800. (From D. Lyson’s _Environs of London_, 1795-1800) 77

22. Urns, found near Alphamstone church, Essex. (By the courtesy of the Rev. Percival Saben, M.A.) 85

23. Tower of Bishopstone church, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mrs W. Johnson) 102

24. Tower of Scartho church, Lincolnshire. (_Phot._ the _Grimsby Telegraph_ Company) 109

25. Oystermouth church, Glamorganshire. (From _Archaeologia Cambrensis_, N.S. I. 1850) 112

26. Gumfreston church, Pembrokeshire. (Miss Nora Mansell) 114

27. Corner tower, Nunney Castle, Somerset. (_Phot._ Mr W. C. Walker) 116

28. Round tower, Devenish, Fermanagh. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 119

29. Rushmere church, Suffolk. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 124

30. Tower of Piddinghoe church, Sussex. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 125

31. East Dean church, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mrs W. Johnson) 126

32. St Aldhelm’s chapel, St Alban’s Head, Dorset. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 128

33. Cheriton church, Kent. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 129

34. St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 130

35. Distant view of St Martha’s chapel, near Guildford. (_Phot._ Mr Douglas Leighton) 132

36. Squint, Leatherhead church, Surrey. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 152

37. Porch of Wotton church, Surrey. (_Phot._ Mr G. W. Young, F.G.S.) 153

38. Dial stone, Bishopstone church, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 163

39. Enlargement of Bishopstone dial. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 164

40. Parish stocks, Shalford, Surrey. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 166

41. Church chest and dog tongs, Llanelian, Denbigh. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 169

42. Church chest, Rainham, Essex. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 169

43. Fourteenth century barn, Bradford-on-Avon. (_Phot._ Mr W. C. Walker) 171

44. Interior of barn, Bradford-on-Avon. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 172

45. Mediaeval Clergy House, Alfriston, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 176

46. Mediaeval Parsonage House, West Dean, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 177

47. Church House, or Guild Hall, Lincoln. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 178

48. Morris dancers (Strutt’s _Book of Sports_). (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 184

49. Dovecot, Berwick Court, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 189

50. “Canute’s knee-bone,” Canewdon church, Essex. (Watford Engraving Company) 200

51. Tyndall’s grave in Haslemere churchyard, Surrey. (_Phot._ Miss Truda Hutchinson) 265

52. Round barrow, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. (_Phot._ Mr Llewellyn Treacher, F.G.S.) 266

53. Inscribed cross, Sancreed, Cornwall. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 269

54. Mediaeval stone coffins. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 272

55. Roman and Bronze Age coffins. (From T. Wright’s _The Celt, the Roman and the Saxon_.) (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 273

56. Roman coffin of lead. (T. Wright) 273

57. Grave celt, Puy-de-Dôme. (_Phot._ Mr J. G. V. Dawson) 298

58. Necklaces found in British barrows. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 300

59. Skeletons of woman and child, Dunstable Downs. (By the kind permission of Mr Worthington G. Smith, F.L.S.) 304

60. Fossil sponges (_Porosphaera_) artificially modified for the purpose of suspension. (By the kind permission of Mr Worthington G. Smith, F.L.S.) 306

61. The contents of a Roman sepulchral chest. (From T. Wright’s _The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon_) 314

62. Churchyard cross, Bakewell, Derbyshire. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 329

63. Capitals, Seaford church, Sussex. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 330

64. Low side window, Tatsfield church, Surrey. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 331

65. Devil’s Door, Worth church, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mr Edward Yates) 332

66. Gateway, St Stephen’s, Coleman Street, London. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 336

67. Norham churchyard, Northumberland. (_Phot._ Mr Alexander Barbour) 345

68. Woldingham church, Surrey, as it appeared in A.D. 1809. (Manning and Bray, _Hist. and Antiq. of Surrey_) 356

69. Transverse section of yew. (_Phot._ Mr J. G. V. Dawson) 366

70. Vertical tangential section of yew. (_Phot._ Mr J. G. V. Dawson) 367

71. Yew, Tandridge churchyard, Surrey. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 370

72. Yew, Crowhurst churchyard, Surrey. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 378

73. Yew, Chipstead churchyard, Surrey. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 379

74. Yew, Mells churchyard, Somerset. (_Phot._ Mr W. C. Walker) 380

75. Yew, Hambledon churchyard, Surrey. (_Phot._ Mr W. Plomer Young) 381

76. Shooting birds with the cross-bow. (Strutt’s _Book of Sports_) 386

77. Shooting at the butts with the cross-bow. (_Book of Sports_) 386

78. Saxon bow and arrow. (_Book of Sports_) 387

79. Saxon archers with long-bows. (_Book of Sports_) 388

80. The ancestry of the horse. (By the courtesy of Professor R. S. Lull) 410

81. Cave man’s drawings of the horse. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 412

82. Prejevalski’s horse, Zoological Gardens, London. (_Phot._ Mr J. G. V. Dawson) 413

83. Ancient horseshoes. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 425

84. Round horseshoe, Ford, Northumberland. Lower surface. (_Phot._ Mrs W. Johnson, from a specimen kindly lent by the Rev. Hastings M. Neville, B.A.) 427

85. Round horseshoe. Upper surface. (_Phot._ Mrs W. Johnson) 427

86. Hippo-sandal, Darenth, Kent. (_Phot._ Mr E. C. Youens, Dartford) 429

87. Capturing the White Horse. (_Phot._ from painting by Mr Frank Cowley) 435

88. Acoustic jars. (By the courtesy of the British Archaeological Association) 450

89. Ploughing in the eleventh century. (Anglo-Saxon Calendar, after Strutt) 459

90. Sussex oxen, turning the headland. (_Phot._ Mr James Cheetham, Lewes) 460

91. Ploughing on the Sussex Downs: a team of four. (_Phot._ Mr James Cheetham, Lewes) 461

92. Ox-yoke, Sussex. (By the kind permission of Dr W. Heneage Legge and Messrs George Allen and Sons) 462

93. Ox-yoke, Gayton-le-Wold, Lincolnshire. (Mr Sydney Harrowing, from a sketch kindly prepared by Mr C. G. Carter, Louth) 462

94. Old plough and horse-rake, Sussex. (_Phot._ Mr James Cheetham, Lewes) 463

95. Roman and Saxon ploughmen. After Wright and Strutt. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 464

96. Ox-shoes and nail. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 469

97. Skulls of British oxen. (Mr Sydney Harrowing) 476

98. Chartley bull, Zoological Gardens, London. (_Phot._ Mr J. G. V. Dawson) 478

99. Highland cattle. (_Phot._ Mr P. McIntyre, F.G.S.) 480

ERRATUM

Page 399, line 21. For _taxa_ read _taxo_.