$25. CHIMNEY.

Chimney consists of two farms only, the property of E. M. Atkins esq., of Kingston-Lyle in the county of Berks. It was once the seat of the Veseys, one of whom founded the grammarschool. There were formerly a fine manor-house and chapel at Chimney, but it is now some years since they have been pulled down and the materials removed. There is nothing remaining, of interest, in the place; which, indeed, in the winter-season can only be approached, owing to the inundation from the river, by means of a large farm-horse, kept by Mr. Pinnock, the occupier of one of the farms, for the accommodation of his friends and visitors.

§ 26. BRIGHTHAMPTON.

This is a small dependency of Bampton situated on the extreme verge of the parish, and forming a continuous street with the houses in the neighbouring parish of Stanlake. It contains no interesting object, of any kind.

§ 27. LEW.

The small village of Lew, destined hereafter to become a separate parish, is situated about 2 miles on the road to Witney, from which it is distant about 3 miles and a half. Its pretty church was built by subscription in the year 1842. There is, also, a small chapel belonging to the religious society of Baptists resident at Witney. This building

was designed by the pious members of that persuasion, before Lew church was thought of, to provide for the spiritual wants of the poor inhabitants, who could not attend at the parishchurch of Bampton, but, for want of funds or from other causes, was not erected until Lew church was finished.

The principal landed proprietors of Lew, are Thomas Denton, esq., lord of two-thirds of the manor of Bampton, and I. Close, esq., of Clapham.

§ 28. OF THE PUBLIC CHARITIES OF BAMPTON.

Few towns of equal size possess so many charitable bequests and foundations as l'ampton; and, as is generally the case with charities, they appear to have been greatly abused, or at all events neglected, and not to have been fully applied to the purposes, for which they were intended. But in the present age a better spirit is afloat, and it is hoped that all the testamentary bequests of pious and charitable individuals, long since deceased, may speedily be placed on such a footing as to be productive of the most good to the parish for whose use they were intended.

A large number of deeds concerning these charities are preserved in the great iron-chest which is kept in the vestry under four locks, but, without other means of information, these papers are too imperfect to explain satisfactorily the subjects to which they refer.

It appears that there was formerly a large board suspended in the church, on which all or most of the Bampton charities were insribed.

This board has long since disappeared; but fortunately a copy of it is found in the Rawlinson manuscript, already so often quoted. The account of it given in that book is as follows.

"On the north wall of the Church is a large wooden tablet, and on it are these following benefactors mentioned. for ever.

George Tompson, gent., gave six pounds a year
Leonard Willmot, of Clanfield, gen., deceased, gave to the
Bampton forty shillings a year for ever.

poor of

Doctor William Osborn gave one hundred pounds for the use of

the poor.

Mr. Robert Vaisey gave two hundred pounds to the use of the School.

Mr. John Palmer gave two hundred pounds, one hundred to the use of the School, the other to the poor.

Mr. Henry Coxeter gave ten pounds to the use of the School.
Mr. Bartholomew Coxeter gave thirty pounds to the use of the poor.
Mr. Robert Vaisey gave thirty pounds to the use of the poore.
John Tull, baker, gave ten pounds to the use of the poor.
Thomas Williar, draper, gave ten pounds to the use of the poor.
John Butt gave ten pounds to the use of the poor.

Doctor Edward Cotten gave the use of fifty pounds to the use of the parish of Bampton, to be disposed of to those that frequent the Church and receive the Sacrament.

Mr. Richard Coxeter gave the use of ten pounds towards the placing out of poor children of Bampton and Weald.

Toby Sadler, draper, gave fifty pounds to be given in bread to the poor of Bampton and Weald.

Richard Blagrove gave the use of ten pounds to be given in bread to the poor of Bampton and Weald.

Henry Clanfield gave the use of ten pounds to the poor of Bampton and Weald.

Mr. Richard Dew gave to the use of the School fifty pounds.
Mr. John Palmer gave the use of fifty pounds to the

and Coat.

poor of Aston Mr. Robert Dale gave the use of five pounds to the poor of Aston and Coat.

Mr. John Moulden of Coat gave the use of five pounds to the poor of

Aston and Coat.

Mr. Thomas Cox of Stanford gave the use of five nobles to the poor of Coate.

Madam Dorothy Loder, formerly wife of Mr. John Hancks of this parish, gave £300 to the use of the poor of Bampton and Weald. Julian Walter, of Appleton in the county of Berks, gave £18 per annum to be disposed of in bread to the poor of Bampton. Thomas Hall and Anne his wife, gave the sum of £5 each to be disposed of in bread to widowers and widows of Bampton and Weald.

All good benefactors.

It appears, from the same Rawlinson MS., that there was a similar tablet in Shifford Church: the extract is as follows:

"On a velom in a frame fixed to the north of the Church.

Mr. William Farr gave to the poore of Shifford five pounds and the use of it to be paid them every year upon St. Thomas's day for ever. He departed this life the 36th of November 1691. His text was in Revelations the 14th and the 13th verse: "And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying unto me: Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them."

These lists are, however, of little other use in the present day, than as a record of the pious benefactors to whom the pa