During the reign of Puritanism these pastimes caused great disgust to the professors of those principles, and strenuous efforts were used to suppress “the Shermen’s Tree.” Disturbances consequently ensued, in which the Bailiffs of the town appear to have espoused the cause of the Puritans, and even directed their Public Preacher to deliver sermons against the merriment of our honest forefathers. Adjoining the south side of the Shearmen’s Hall is a large and curious old timber house, called THE OLD POST-OFFICE, which forms with it a court, entered from the street by a gateway. These premises were erected in 1568 by George Proude, draper, bailiff in 1569, and member of a family formerly of considerable note in our town. We now approach the only remaining portion of OLD ST. CHAD’S CHURCH, consisting of the Lady Chapel on the south side of the choir. The two semicircular arches, still visible in the masonry of the outer walls, communicated with the choir and south transept. The north-west angle is flanked by the great south-eastern pier of the central tower, and at the opposite corner are the remains of a staircase buttress. The southern and eastern sides are each lighted by two pointed windows, three of which are divided by elegant trefoil tracery. The south-western window is plainer, and of an earlier date than the rest. On the outside of the north wall are three stone stalls, with groined roofs, originally on the southern side of the altar, and used by the officiating clergy during the celebration of the mass. The roof is of a plain oak panelling. [Picture: Old St. Chad’s Church] This chauntry chapel was first erected in 1496, but having subsequently fallen into decay was nearly re-edified in 1571, at the expense of Humphrey Onslow, Esq. of Onslow, in this parish, for the reception of the altar tomb, (now in the Abbey Church,) of his nephew the Speaker Onslow, who died at Onslow during a visit to his uncle. After the Reformation it acquired the name of the Bishop’s Chancel, from being used as a consistory court at the visitations. Its present use is as a receptacle for the monumental memorials rescued from the wreck of the old church. This church, when perfect, was a plain heavy, solid pile, totally devoid of ornamental sculpture on the outer walls, and from its situation on a commanding eminence, presented from a distance, a fine, solemn, cathedral-like appearance. It was cruciform, and comprised a nave, side aisles, transept, choir, a broad low central tower, and chauntry chapels north and south of the choir. The architecture was chiefly of the Anglo-Norman and lancet styles of the 13th century, with some subsequent additions of the 15th and 16th centuries. {109}