Holbech (the Salt-Beech) church is very large, and well built, a strong tower and lofty steeple, dedicate to all saints: formerly there were organs and fine painted glass, with many coats of arms, but none left except the Holbeches: Vert, six escallops argent, three, two, one.TAB. XXI. There is a fine monument of the Littleburys, an ancient and flourishing family in these parts:TAB. I. 2d Vol. upon his shield is his coat, Argent, two lions passant gardant gules: there is a brass inscription of a lady of the Welby family, wife to Sir Richard Leake, knight. Orate pro anima Johanne Welby quondam filiae Richardi Leake militis nuper uxoris Littlebury que obiit xviii die mensis decembris anno domini mccclxxxviii. cujus anime propitietur deus Amen. Here was born Henry Rands, alias de Holbech, bishop of Lincoln, who was one of the compilers of the Liturgy: here formerly flourished the ancient families of Fleet, Dacres, Harrington, Barrington, Welby, Multon.
In the year 1696, in digging at Mr. Adlard Stukeley’s gardens, they found an old brass seal, which I gave to Sir Hans Sloan; a man in long robes, with two escutcheons, on one three cocks, on the other a portcullis; the legend, +SOVRABLA DEUS OLER. In the year 1698, an iron spur with a very long shank was found: in my possession. A remarkable rarity in nature I met withal, an admirable ossification in the omentum of a sheep, white and solid as ivory. Mr. Cheselden has printed a cut of it in the second edition of his Anatomy. I gave it to Dr. Mead.
From the ancient churchwardens’ accounts, before the time of the Reformation, from anno 1453, many curious remarks may be made, in relation to prices of things, wages, superstitious customs, old families, and the like: a specimen whereof I have here annexed.
ss. A Boake of the Stuffe in the Cheyrche of Holbeche sowld by Chyrchewardyns of the same according to the injunctyons of the Kynges Magyste.
| s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|
| An. dni. M. ccccc. xlviio. First to Antony Heydon the trynite with the tabernacle | ii. | iiii. |
| It. to Wm. Calow thelder the tabernacle of Nicholas and Jamys | vi. | viii. |
| It. to Wm. Davy on tabernacle of our lady of pytye | iiii. | |
| It. to Wm. Calow the younger on other tabernacle of our lady | iii. | vi. |
| It. to Antony Heydon the ymage of the Antony | xx. | |
| It. to Humphry Hornesey on sygne | vi. | |
| It. to Antony Heydon on other synge and a lytyl tabernacle | xx. | |
| It. to Wm. Calow the younger the tabernacle of Thomas Bekete | iiii. | viii. |
| It. to Wm. Davy the sygne whereon the plowghe did stond | xvi. | |
| It. to John Thorpe a chyst in St. Jamys chapell | ii. | |
| It. to Lincone howld woode | iiii. | |
| It. to Nicholas Foster the banke that the George stoode on | iiii. | |
| It. to Antony Heydon ij alters | ii. | viii. |
| It. to Wm. Stowe ij lytyll tabernacles | viii. | |
| It. to Henry Elman on lytyll tabernacle | ii. | |
| It. to John Thorpe for Harod’s coate | xviii. | |
| It. to Wm. Calow the younger all thapostyls coats and other raggs | viii. | iiii. |
| It. to Henry Elman for vii baner clothes | ix. | iiii. |
| It. to Antony Heydon on blewe clothe | ix. | |
| It. to Smithes on pece of howlde saye | iii. | |
| It. to Richerd Richerson the crosse and other gydys | ii. | iii. |
| It. to Mr. Byllysby ij tablys | iiii. | iiii. |
| It. to Antony Heydon for the coats of the iij kyngs of Coloyne | v. | iiii. |
| It. to Humphry Hornesey the canypye that was born over the sacrament | xx. | |
| It. to Wm. Calow thelder and John Thorpe iiij owlde pantyd clothes | vi. | viii. |
| It. to Antony Heydon on wood candlestyke | iiii. | |
| It. to Wm. Calow the younger on lytyll bell | vi. | |
| It. to Antony Heydon on other lytyll bell | vi. | |
| It. to Wm. Davy for the tabernacles that stode at the end of the hy alter | viii. |
| l. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sm. | iiii. | ii. | iiii. |
A. D. m. ccccc xlvii.
| It. to Wm. Calow the younger on rod of iyron | iiii. | |
| It. to Robt. Gyffon for ij barrs of iyron | v. | |
| It. to Antony Heydon xx score and x hund. of latyn at ii s. and xi d. the score | lxix. | xi. ob. |
| It. to Richerd Richerson ij lytyll tabernacles | viii. | |
| It. of John Suger for the chyrche lond | ii. | viii. |
| It. of the burial of Mr. Byllysby | iii. | iiii. |
| It. of John Mays wyffe for the Dracon | iii. | |
| It. of Alys Boyds debt to xps corpys gilde | ii. | |
| It. for on belll. xviii. | ii. | |
| It. for seyten vestments and trashe in the chest in trinete quere sold to Davy | xxxiii. | iiii. |
| It. of Wm. Burnit for pilows | xvi. | |
| It. of Wm. Calow the younger for eyrne | xx. |
| l. | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sm. totalis | xxviii. | iiii. | iiii. ob. |