also occupied by the Trafford family, who were possessed of very considerable estates in the neighbourhood.

At the latter part of the last century, the Bishop of Ely procured an act of parliament for enabling him to sell the castle estate, and Mr. Joseph Medworth purchased it for £2,245.

Immediately after becoming the purchaser, Mr. Medworth proceeded to carry into effect his plans for the improvement of the town. The crescent was, without delay, erected, and an estate was purchased for the purpose of connecting this most ornamental portion of the town with the market place. Since this period the continual addition of uniform buildings has enlarged this crescent to a circus. In 1816, whilst the old mansion or castle of Secretary Thurloe was still standing, Mr. Medworth made a proposition to the Corporation, to sell the Castle with the vacant ground around it, now occupied as a garden, for the purpose of a grammar school, on the most advantageous terms to the Corporation. He also laid before the Capital Burgesses a plan for taking down the present school premises, by which the Corporation would have been most easily enabled to form a new and direct street from the market place to Lynn road, at a comparatively trifling expense.

to.

It has long been a matter of public regret that this proposition was not adopted by the Corporation at that time, and the terms proposed by Mr Medworth acceded We have never yet heard any satisfactory reasons for the scheme being rejected; but, of this fact we are certain, that the highly talented individual who was then the master of the grammar school, was decidedly favourable to the measure. It would appear that this

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public improvement was defeated by caprice. Mr. Medworth purchased the whole estate upon speculation, and as he came in some manner a stranger to the town, having previously resided at Bermondsey in Surrey, all his plans were looked upon as being wild and chimerical by the principal members of the Corporation, who were enjoying that otium cum dignitate' which their industry and good fortune had acquired for them, and which generally induces the mind to rest satisfied with things as they are, and renders parties unwilling 'to meddle with those that are given to change;' or they might possibly be actuated by the persuasion that there was something hallowed in the spot which had so long been considered as the Delphi of learning; and that the oracular goddess would no longer lend a favourable ear to the young tyros in classic literature, when her tripod of state was removed from its accustomed and antiquated position. Mr. Medworth had not the happy tact of reconciling the opposition of adverse parties, so characterestic of the manners of the present day; being defeated in his wishes, he proceeded to demolish the Castle, and with part of the materials erected a house, not far from the site, for his own private residence.

The subterranean passages of the old Castle are not yet filled up, and we are still enabled to discover traces of the moat and old boundary walls; but the only old relics of the ancient building which were found among the ruins after its demolition, were several Roman earthen pipes, of palish red earth, about twenty inches long; the bore being three 3 inch in circumference. They appear to have been used in the conveyance of water, and similar pipes have also been found at Walpole, with other old Roman remains.

CHAPTER VI.

The Corporation.

N the suppression of the Guilds all the property, as we have observed, fell into the hands of the king. The first act, therefore, after the final suspension of the functions of these bodies of men, was the taking of an inventory of all their possession. For this purpose Commissioners were appointed to survey all the lay Corporations, Guilds, Fraternities, and all the evidences, writings, &c.' and the same Commissioners had power to assign the property of the Guilds for such goodly intents and purposes as the said Commissioners or two of them should appoint;' the maintenance of a grammar school, or preaching is especially mentioned, where any Guild or Fraternity, or the Priest or incumbent of any Charity in esse, by the foundation or first institution thereof, should have kept a grammar school, or a preacher.*

*Act for Charities Collegiate.

Two of these Commissioners were appointed to the investigation into the affairs of the Wisbech Guild of the Holy Trinity. They met at Ely in 1548, and the following information was conveyed to them by the aldermen and churchwardens.

'The Fraternity was founded by certain devout persons in the second year of King Richard II., and was confirmed by many of the king's successors. It possessed [we take this to be the meaning, though the abstruse manner in which the original is brought out almost defies penetration] a free school to educate and bring up youth to preach the word of God in, to celebrate other divine service, to relieve certain poor people, &c.'

We find a singular and rather complex account of the institution of a Chapel, at Murrow, among these articles, which is worthy of our notice.

There is,' says the item, 'one Chapel at a place called Murrow, in the fen-end of the same town, under the high Fendyke, which is named the Chapel of Corpus Christi, having one stipendiary priest, whose name is Sir [or the Reverend] Robert Yorke,' and the article goes on stating that the Chapel was founded for the convenience of the inhabitants of that part of Wisbech parish, it being more than four miles distant from the parish church, and was besides, as the quaint document expresses it, a very payneful, noisome way, and commonly insound.' It goes on to mention another reason for the foundation, which, though it may seem a strange plea to us, might, in those precarious days, have been a highly necessary one. The fearful height of the waters in the Fendyke, contiguous to which the Chapel

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was situated, is recorded as an inducement for the foundation, for the bank is yearly in great danger and hazard of breach, unless as well the inhabitants now inhabiting under the high Fendyke, as all other inhabitants dwelling within any of the fourteen towns [or rather villages surrounding Wisbech] were not at all times ready at hand, as well by night as by day, at the rising of every flood and sudden storm, (it is yearly in experience) that if there were lacking but four men, all the rest shall not be able of their power to save and preserve the bank without breach, and if any breach should chance for lack of man's help, (as God defend it from) the whole inhabitants of the town of Wisbech, and also of the other fourteen towns adjoining, should be utterly and clearly undone and destroyed for ever.' It then proceeds to state that the Chapel had been from time to time licensed by the bishop of Ely, and that for the maintenance of a priest,' certain of the inhabitants being deceased, had given to the said chapel certain lands, to remain from time to time in the hands of the chapelwardens, towards the finding of the said priest.'

We now come to the property of the Guild. The document of this curious investigation shows the several quantities of land and messuages in its possessions, and in whose tenure they were at the time of the dissolution; but the general facts and quantities will be sufficient for our purpose.

The Guild had 616 acres of land, 6 messuages, and 4 gardens, in Wisbech, Leverington, Elm, Emneth, Newton, Walpole, and other adjoining parishes, whose annual rental amounted to £46. 16s. 94d. The miscellaneous expenses on this property amounted annually