Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Christ Church.

The chiefe Foundresse of this religious house is said to be Queene Mar∣garet,* 1.1 the second wife of Edward the first, sister of Philip the fourth, sur∣named the Faire, King of France, and eldest daughter of King Philip the hardy, sonne of S. Lewes. who died An. 1317. and was buried here before the high Altar.

Iohn de Dreux, (second sonne of Iohn Duke of Britaine, by Beatrice his wife, daughter of King Henry the third) Earle of Britaine and Richmond, gaue 300 l. to the building of some part of the Church; glased all the win∣dowes on the south side, and also gaue many rich Iewels and ornaments to be vsed in the same, so that he is accounted as a second Founder.

Diuers other Noble men and worthy Citizens, gaue both lands and great summes of money towards the building and endowing of this religi∣ous Structure; which was finished within 21 yeeres, dedicated to the ho∣nour of God, and our alone Sauiour Iesu Christ, and replenished with grey Fryers Minorites; valued at the generall suppression but at 32 l. 19 s. 10 d.

This Abbey Church hath beene honoured with the sepulture of foure Queenes, foure Dutchesses, foure Countesses, one Duke, two Earles, eight Barons, and some thirty fiue Knights; whose names are set downe by Stow in his Suruay of this honourable Citie;* 1.2 and in all, from the first foundation vnto the dissolution, sixe hundred sixtie and hree persons of Qualitie were here interred. In the Quire were nine Tombes of Alabaster and Marble, in∣uironed with barres or strikes of iron: one Tombe in the body of the Church coped also with iron, and seauenscore graue-stones of Marble in di∣uers places; all which were pulled downe, taken away, and sold for fiftie pounds or thereabouts, by Sir Martin Bowes Maior of London, An. 1545. The rest of the Monuments are now wholly defaced, not any one remaining at this day, saue such which are of later times.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The foundati∣on of Christ-Church or the Friers Mino∣rites.

  Margaret the •• wife of King Ed. 1.
• * 1.2

  ••••gist Frat. Mi••. Mss. in bib C••t.