thus been broken, the architect felt no scruple in laying the foundation of the main central structure higher than was originally intended, and the bottom of the plinth was therefore 15 in. higher than that of the west wing. The building thus elevated stood upon the plinth course of stone, 147 ft. in length by 80 ft. in breadth, inclusive of the projections in front and rear; and consisted of basement, principal and chamber stories, with garrets taken out of the altitude of some of the rooms of the latter. The mansion was constructed of solid wrought freestone of very large dimensions, in equal courses both within and without, so that the walls were equally strong on both sides, and were able to support the superincumbent work without being liable to "buckle" under the weight. The rooms in the basement story were 12 ft. in altitude, but a narrow passage running through the middle of the house from end to end was lower by 1 ft.; the chimneys in the several rooms were dressed with architraves, some of which were crowned with their proper friezes and cornices all in freestone, and with the same material the door-cases next the passage were made, architraves being worked upon the external faces as the proper dress for the apertures. This passage, by being divided into five equal parts, regularly finished with freestone ornaments, became the beauty of the inside of the basement story, the rooms of which receive their light from square windows in the north front, but those on the south from oblong windows. It should be added, that not only the walls of the entire house, outside and inside, built of Bath stone of the best quality, carefully wrought in the sheds-every stone for its place-but the floors of the basement rooms were laid with the hard calcined shelly ragstone, which is the first bed or stratum, or, as Wood further says, the roof of the subterraneous quarries, the next stratum being the "Picking bed," which is not so hard and durable.

On this basement story was a servants' hall, a housekeeper's room, a butler's pantry, and a room for the footmen, a small

beer cellar, a strong-beer cellar, wine-vault, laundry, bakehouse, kitchen, scullery, larder, and pantry; there were also a dairy, milk-room, with scullery, and there was an apartment set aside for w. c.'s, should “ any such conveniences be wanted within the body of the house.” The several rooms and passages were arched or vaulted over by stone, and the stairs were also made of stone, so that all the defects peculiar to plaster were effectually avoided in this almost uniquely constructed house. The hall extended from the front (in the south) to the rear of the house, and to the eastward of the hall there was a parlour, study, store-rooms, chapel, and back staircase; to the westward a dining-room, drawing-room, bed-chamber, dressing-room, and principal staircase; and to the northward a portico or grand pavilion. The altitude of this pavilion, as well as that of the chapel, was determined by the base of the room, but all the other rooms were covered over at 16 ft. in height, the whole of the architectural ornamentations being of Bath stone, though afterwards they were removed from the parlour and dining-room, which, to the disgust of Wood, were then lined with wood, the irate architect denouncing it as a 66 depredation. Some compensation, however, was vouchsafed to him by his being permitted to finish the whole of the upper stories, passages, and gallery (20 ft. high), as well as the chapel, with dressed stone. The chapel was of the Ionic order, sustaining the Corinthian. The parlour was finished in the Ionic order, and the hall, dining-room, principal staircase, and gallery were completed in Corinthian order. The portico, already mentioned, on the north front was a hexastyle, and it seems that, although divested of its beauty for the convenience of the garret windows, it was designed by Wood to excel in grandeur that which had just been executed by his old rival, Colin Campbell, at Wanstead. The portico consisted of Ionic columns supporting a Corinthian entablature. The columns were 3 ft. 1 in. in diameter, which exceed the Wanstead columns by 11⁄2 in., the

inter-columniation being what is called a systylos or systyle.1 The entablature was carried all round the house with the exception of the west end, and here it was sacrificed to the exigencies of the windows. Each front was crowned by a handsome balustrade. The grounds from the terrace in front of the mansion sloped down to a lake, which was spanned by an exquisite Palladian bridge.

Ralph Allen was about the middle height, with handsome mouth, firmly set, and this gave him a rather severe expression; but it evinced nothing more than the depth and earnestness of his character, for no man was more sympathetic and capable of tender feeling for others. His ordinary dress was a brown "cut-away" coat of the period, long waistcoat with large pockets, the flaps of which were simply braided, white cambric neckerchief, fine leather "tights," silk stockings, and shoes; for dress, substitute velvet for cloth, and black silk for leather. Prior Park at Allen's death ceased to be what it had been. The society could no longer be kept up. Bishop Warburton, whose wife, the second Mrs. Allen's niece, resided there but little; and after the Bishop's death his widow, who married the Bishop's chaplain, the Rev. Stafford Smith, lived chiefly in Queen Square. Prior Park, after Bishop Warburton's death in 1779, became, either by arrangement or by inheritance, the residence of the first Viscount Hawarden, who married Mary, daughter of Philip Allen, Ralph Allen's brother. Lord Hawarden died in 1803, and was succeeded by Thomas Ralph, second Viscount Hawarden, who died without issue in 1807. With the death of this nobleman all direct connection of Prior Park with the Allen family came to an end.

'The meaning of this term is that the space between the columns is equivalent to two diameters of the shaft at the bottom, whilst the distance between each of the plinths on which the column or shaft rests is equivalent to its own diameter.

The estate known as Prior Park Estate, which at the dissolution passed by purchase into the hands of Humphrey Colles, was then transferred to Matthew Colthurst, and ultimately to Fulke Morley, from whom it descended by kinship to the Duke of Kingston. From the Duke it devolved through the female line to the Meadows family, who assumed the name of Pierrepont, the head of which family was created Earl Manvers. Now here comes the historical difficulty. In the schedule of monastic property, at the dissolution, besides the property, "Lyncomb cu' Wydcumbe and Holway," are given, with the value, and it seems clear, that the whole of "Wydcumbe" was comprehended in this schedule, but the whole did not pass to Colthurst, the Commissioners having "concealed," as we think, a part of this manor, together with much property in the city, intending, no doubt, that it should, when all danger was passed, be appropriated to ecclesiastical purposes. But the intention of the Commissioners was frustrated by a corrupt bargain.

In 1557, the Vicar of Stalls died, and no successor was appointed until 1584, when the Mayor and Corporation appointed the Rev. Sir R. Meredith to the united Rectory. John Chapman was Mayor. His name and that of his colleagues ought to live in local history. These gentlemen, with a profound sense of utilitarianism, evidently thought that if the sacred edifice were not worthy to be used to promote the objects for which it was built, it might be made subservient to the great and laudable purpose of enriching the treasury of the city, or, perchance, their own pockets. They obtained leases from their worthy Rector of the precincts of the Abbey as well as other property (most of which has been alienated for ever from the Church). Around the Abbey they built houses, dens, shops, taverns, so closely that they hugged her as if it were in a tight, unholy embrace, which for two hundred and fifty years polluted and disgraced her very life (if the word may be used). The public road leading to and from

the east and west was blocked, and by degrees the north aisle of the Abbey itself became the recognised avenue for foot traffic, which defiled the sacred building for nearly a century, until Marshal Wade made at his own cost a passage through the buildings on the north from east to west, which was called after his name, "Wade's Passage."

This John Chapman was the ancestor of Scarborough Chapman, who died early in the last century, leaving an only daughter, to whom he bequeathed the identical property (with all its accretions), which was leased to his ancestor. And this brings us to the first Philip Bennet, connected with Bath, who married Scarborough Chapman's only surviving daughter and heiress.1 A brief genealogical statement respecting the Bennet family, all knowledge of whom and the origin of whose classic mansion has been so strangely forgotten, may restore a lost and interesting chapter in our local history.

Philip Bennet, the first of the name in Bath, lord of the manors of Maperton and South Brewham, Somerset, was the eldest son of Philip Bennet, of South Brewham, fifth in descent from John Bennet, or Bennet of Heytesbury, eldest son of John Bennet, or Norton Bavant, by Anne, daughter and coheiress of Thomas Strode, of Maperton. He had several brothers and sisters, most of whom are buried at Maperton, from none of whom proceeded issue except from Mary. By her marriage with William Burleton are descended the present family of Burleton-Bennet. Philip Bennet married at Widcombe, August 29, 1702, Jane (as above stated), only daughter of Scarborough Chapman, and thus became possessed of Widcombe manor and advowson, and of much property in and about Bath.

It is clear that the first Philip Bennet and Scarborough Chapman, and other Chapmans before him, lived at the Manor House. This house was built by Inigo Jones, in 1658, for the

I A son and an elder daughter died in youth and were buried in the Abbey.