Mr. URBAN, Aug. 17, 1812. YOU receive with this a copy You will receive Swaffham-two Churches in Cambridgeshire, which I made at the request of Mr. Brayley, for the "Beauties of England," in 1801. The peculiarity of two Churches being in the same enclosure has given this Parish the name it bears*: one of these Churches is called the Prior's, and was, I believe, dedicated to St. Margaret, and the other to St. Cyriac. The former was an elegant structure; but, from that neglect which buildings of this kind too often experience, it had fallen into decay. The Plate represents a crack on the upper part of the tower, at the base of the spire, which alarmed some of the parishioners lest it should fall on them during Divine service; and, after several consultations, in which some of the most respectable among them were anxious to préserve the spire, its demolition was decreed; and in September 1802, after several fruitless attempts, the bricklayers succeeded in battering it down, but in so clumsy a manner, that the falling stones destroyed an handsome porch of what is commonly (though improperly) called Gothic Architecture. The difficulty theworkmen experienced in disjointing the stones that composed the spire, sufficiently proves its strength; and as the tower yet remains where the alarming fissure appeared, and which was discovered to be only the outside sheathing or case of stone giving way, it is clear that it was not necessary to pull down the spire: thus an heavy expence might have been saved to the Parish, and a beautiful object pre served to the surrounding country. However, when this destruction was completed, it was resolved, that the Church so mutilated, in which Divine service had hitherto been performed, should be abandoned, and the Church of St. Cyriac restored for that pur pose. The octagon tower, in which the bells were hung, was suffered to retain its former shape as well as use, but the body and chancel were rebuilt according to a fashion not un aptly termed Carpenter's Gothick, and at such an expence, that the parishioners have been obliged to apply for aid through the medium of a brief. These Churches being in a very elevated situation, were conspicuous objects for many miles round, both on the road from Cambridge to Newmarket, and over the flat land towards Ely. Sir C. Watson, bart. son of the celebrated Admiral whose monument is in Westminster Abbey, resides in the Vicarage, near which is the mansion belonging to the respectable family of Allix. The late John Allix, esq. † united with his friend and neighbour, Sir C. Watson, to preserve the spire; and, being a man of taste and science, he well knew that it might be done. These Gentlemen, in addition to other cogent arguments, offered a liberal subscription towards repairing and preserving the spire, but in vain. That such buildings should be left entirely in the power of ignorant or interested persons, is much to be lamented, especially where so many beautiful specimens of the antient English Architecture are to be found, as is the case in Cambridgeshire. The * In like manner, Leicestershire has a Wigston-two-Steeples. EDIT. + Of this good man, mention of his death only was made in your vol. LXXVII. page 494. Give me leave to add this slight tribute to his memory :-It seldom falls to the lot of man to see a large family grow up around him without occasional cause for dissatisfaction and complaint: Mr. Allix certainly possessed this enviable lot. Beloved by an excellent wife, revered by a numerous progeny, and, I verily believe, without an enemy in the world;-possessing the esteem of many valuable friends, in the meridian of life was he suddenly called away from all this enjoyment; but, having happily made Religion the rule of his conduct and the guide of his actions, when the awful hour of separation drew nigh, he was enabled to leave so many objects of his warmest affections with pious, and, I may add, perfect resignation to the will of God. His amiable widow, who resides with her eidest son, Peter Allix, esq. major of the Cambridge Local Militia, at the family mansion, has, within the short period of a few months, lost three sons: Thomas, her fourth, died of a decline; Wager, her youngest, was killed by a fall from an open carriage; and William gallantly lost his life while leading a party of the rifle corps to the storm of Badajos. Capt. Charles Allix, of the Guards, is now (18.12) an aide-de-camp to Gen. Campbell, and probably shared in the glory of that day on which the bero Wellington forced the French eagle to stoop to the Cross of the Christian Allies. C. W. GENT. MAG. April, 1815, Church Church of Burwell, about two miles from Swaffham, is perhaps one of the handsomest buildings of this kind; fortunately, the late Incumbent, the Rev. H. E. Turner, B. D. (having a taste for the thing, and discovering and regaining an estate which had been left for the repair of this Church, but had been otherwise applied;) by a judicious management of this fund, entirely restored the building to its pristine light and elegant appearance, and it is now an object of admiration to all who visit it. C. W. Topographical Notices of BABRAHAM in CAMBRIDGESHIRE; taken in January 1815. BA ABRAHAM, in Domesday called Badburgham or Badburham, a village in the Hundred of Chilford, and Deanery of Camps, lies about six miles South-East of Cambridge, and four North-West of Linton. ["It had formerly a market on Mondays, granted in or about the year 1335 to John, Duke of Britanny, and not long afterwards confirmed to John of Gaunt. Babraham was one of the manors of Algar, Earl of Mercia: when the survey of Domesday was taken (1066), Alan, Earl of Britanny and Richmond, had the principal estate; his successors in the title either as Earls or Dukes, long continued to possess the paramount manor: there were several subordinate manors. The family of Hamelyn had a manor which was held by two co-heiresses in the reign of King Edward III. and seems to have been the same, which, in the succeeding Reign, was given by Sir John Knevett and others to the minoresses of Brusyard, in Suffolk. The Cifrewasts held a manor under this Abbey, which appears to have been the same that by the name of Mompillers, was in the family of Denton, about the year 1515. Before the year 1593, Sir Horatio Palavicini became possessed of the whole manerial property of the Parish, consisting of the manors of Baburham, Brusyards, the manor of the rectory which had been given to the Monks of Waltham by Geffery de Scales; the manors of Mompillers, Blunts, Willinghams, Beveridges, Tuckleys or Taples. The three latter had been in the reign of Edward VI. in the family of Lokton; and Brusyards and Mompillers had, in the succeeding reign, been in the possession of the family of Chapman. The family of Taylor possessed the Babraham estate in the early part of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Palavicini, who was a Genoese, is said to have been employed in this kingdom by the Pope, in the reign of Queen Mary, as collector of his dues; and the tradition is, that, on the accession of Elizabeth, taking advantage of the protection which the great change of affairs ensuing thereupon afforded him, he converted the money to his' own use, and settled himself in this Country. This was alluded to in a satirical epitaph printed in Lord Orford's Anecdotes of Painting: 'Here lies Horatio Palavazene, Who robb'd the Pope to lend the Queene: He was a thiefe; A thiefe? thou lyest, For whie? he robb'd but Anti-Christ.-Him Death with besome swept from BaInto the bosom of old Abram; [bram; But then came Hercules with his club, And struck him down to Belzebub.' "Palavicini was in great favour with Queen Elizabeth, and naturalized by patent in 1586; he commanded one of the English men of war in the great battle with the Spanish Armada in 1588, and was employed by the Queen in her negociations with the German Princes. The precise time of his settling at Babraham is not known; his eldest son, Toby, was born there in 1593. Sir Horatio died at Babraham on the 6th of July 1600; and on the 7th of July in the following year, his widow was married to Sir Oliver Cromwell: some time afterwards, two of Sir Horatio's sons married, on the same day, two daughters of Sir Oliver Cromwell. Sir Toby Palavicini, the eldest son, having squandered away his inheritance, sold Babraham, which either immediately, or soon afterwards, passed to the Bennets. Thomas Bennet of Babraham (son of Thomas B. alderman of London, who is supposed to have purchased this estate of Sir Toby Palavicini,) was created a baronet in 1660. After the death of Sir Levinus Bennet, the third baronet, Babraham devolved to Edward Alexander, who married Levina, one of his co-heiresses. Mr. Alexander took the name of Bennet by Act of Parlia ment in 1742, and died in 1745. His grandson Richard Henry Alexander Bennet, esq. sold this estate in 1765; after after an intermediate purchase, it became the property of Robert Jones, esq. whose daughter and only child married Colonel (afterwards General) Adeane, father of Robert Jones Adeane, esq. the present proprietor. "Babraham House, which was a large building, is said by Mr. Cole to have resembled Crewe Hall in Cheshire. It was erected in 1576 by the Taylor family, and improved by Sir Horatio Palavicini, whose arms were over the chimney-piece in one of the principal rooms. "Levinus Bush, esq. by his will bearing date 1722, devised an estate at Babraham, consisting of a portion of the manor, to his aunt, Mrs. Judith Bennet, on condition that she should give 1000l. at her death to charitable uses. Mrs. J. Bennet, by her will bearing date 1723, after noticing this legacy, and a legacy of the same amount bequeathed to her by the will of her brother, James Bush, then living, for the purpose of building and endowing a free-school and almshouse, gives a further sum of 10007, to charitable uses, and directs that 5001. shall be expended in building a school and an alms-house for six poor widows and old maids; that 251. per annum be charged on her estates for the purpose of apprenticing children, and 1001. per annum for the support of the school and alms-house, viz. 201. per ann. for the master; 301. per ann. for the alms-women, besides 121. per unn. for clothes, and 101. per ann. for firing; the remaining 281. per ann. to form a further fund for appreuticing and clothing children. In consequence of Mr. Bush having died before Mrs. Bennet, his legacy of 10007. became void, and the income of the school and alms-houses was reduced to 50%. by a decree of the Lord Chancellor in 1733. The affairs of the Charity having been negligently managed, and considerable arrears incurred, proceedings were from time to time instituted in the Court of Chancery. Trustees were appointed, the arrears ordered to be laid out in stock, and the application of the dividends regulated by decrees and or 1 ders bearing date 1757, 1762, and 1793. The whole of the funds of the Charity having amounted to 13521. 16s. 4d. Old South-Sea Annuities, the Master now receives a salary of 201. per annum, which is as much, and the alms-people 3s. a week each, which is rather more than Mrs. Bennet had provided for by her own legacy. The sum of 251. for apprenticing children remains unaltered. The present Trustees are Benjamin Keene, esq. R. G. Townley, esq. and the Rev. E. Fisher*."] The School-house is a neat brick building; over the door is this inscription: 66 THIS SCHOOL AND HOSPITAL WERE ERECTED. AND ENDOWED BY THE MUNIFICENCE OF MRS. JUDITH BENNET, DAUGHTER OF S. LEVINUS BENNET, BAR. AND AUGMENTED BY THE LIBERALITY OF JAMES BUSH, ESQ. AND LEVINUS BUSH, ESQ. HIS SON. ANNO DOMINI 1730. Parliament, in 1801, there were in this According to the Returns made to village, 38 houses, 50 families, and families, and 223 persons. 196 persons in 1811, 41 houses, 51 Babraham Church, which is dedicated to St. Peter +, is built of flint, stone, and brick, and consists of a nave, side ailes, chancel, North and South porch, all slated. At the West end of the nave stands a square embattled tower containing 5 bells, thus inscribed : 1. Ora pro nobis.............. ...... 2. THO VGH OF THY SELFE I .... 3, 4, and 5, have the date 1615, but are so crusted over with rust, and covered with the dung of pigeons, who make their abode in the steeple, as to be unintelligible. Only one bell out of the five is made use of. At the West end of the nave is a gallery for singers. Nearly all the seats are open. The nave is separated from the ailes by four pointed arches upon clustered columns. Over the arches, on each side, are four clerestory windows, divided into two lights by one mullion. Below the clerestory windows are the fullowing Scripture sentences: * The whole of the article in brackets is taken from Lysons's Magna Britannia, Cambridgeshire, pp. 81-84, with a few alterations. + "Baburham, St. Peter: Clear yearly value, 317. 15s. 6d.; King's books, 61. 5s. 10d."-Bacon's Liber Regis. "The great tithes of this Parish were formerly appropriated to Waltham Abbey ; they are now the property of Mr. Adeane, who is patron of the vicarage."-Lysons's Mag. Brit. Camb, p. 84. South North side. 1. "Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke xviii. 14" 2. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Colossians iii. 18." 3" My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. Ps. xxii.14." The reading-desk and pulpit are fixed against a pillar on the South side, of the nave. The pulpit, which is carved and octangular, has a covering of red cloth, with silk and tinsel fringe, ornamented, and marked with the following letters*; The nave is separated from the chancel by a pointed arch; within the span of the arch, which is plastered "W. R." up, are the Royal arins, The NORTH AILE is lighted on the North by two windows, divided by two mullions of wood into three lights. The East and West windows are divided into three lower lights by two stone mullions, which run into ramifications above. In both these windows there are remnants of painted glass; in the Western one, a head and cross keys, and two other figures partly broken. Against the South wall, near the East end of the aile, there is a low altartomb; the brass is lost. The SOUTH AILE has three win dows on the South, and one on the West, like the East and West windows in the North aile. There are many small fragments of painted glass. The font, which is octangular, stands against the first pillar between the nave and this aile. At the East end there is a vault, which is raised higher than the rest of the floor, and takes up half the aile. Against the East wall, and over the vanit, are two whole-length figures of white marble in antique robes, weeping boys on each side. Between the figures is a chaplet of white marble, within which, on black marble, is this inscription: "Hasce fratrum effigies Levinus utriusq. hæres pietatis ergo posuit.' On the base of the monument; Benet, two brothers, and both of them "Sir Richard died Apritl ye 12, 1658, aged 61. Sir Thomas died June ye 28, 1667, aged 71." The back ground of the monument is black marble: on the top these arms: Gules, a bezant between three demy lions rampant Or, Bennet: impaling, Argent, two bars Gules, in chief three cinquefoils of the second: Munck. This monument is inclosed with iron rails. Against the South wall is an oblong tablet supported by two Ionic columos, with their entablature surmounted by these arms: Gules, a bezant betw. three demy lions ramp. Or, Bennet: quartering Munck. Over each of the columns is a weeping boy. This monument, which is of veined marble, and richly adorned with flowers, &c. bears the following inscription: "Here lyeth the body of Judith Benet, sole heiress of Sr Richard Benet, bar.† by Dame Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Sr Charles Cæsar of Bennington, Hertfordshire, Knt, who was enriched with all those graces and virtues which adorn a Xtian or accomplish a lady: by a quick apprehension, strong memory, and sound judgment, she attained to several perfections at an age when others begin to learn. Her behaviour was courteous and affable, her temper calm and sedate, devout to her Maker, dutifull to her parents, and obliging to her friends. Thus prepared to live, she could not be unprepared to dye; afflicted with a lingering distemper, she soe composed her mind, that neither the tempta tions of a plentiful fortune, nor the en at his house * Lucinus and Judith Bennet, 1699. + Sir Richard Bennet, bart, of Baburgham in Cambridgeshire, died in Lincoln's Inn Fields, May 23, 1701. Le Neve's Mon, Ang, vol. V. p. 33. dearments |