to make the said intended new chancel of the same breadth or width with the nave or body of the said chapel, and to sell and dispose of the new pews and seats in the said intended new chancel at reasonable rates to and among the inhabitants of the said chapelry, reserving a certain chief-rent or sum of money to be paid yearly for each of those said new seats and pews to the minister or curate of the said chapel for the time being to and for his own use and benefit, and to build a vestry on the south side of the communion table and a staircase and stairs on the north side thereof to lead to the said gallery or galleries, and also to remove and take away the said old pews, stalls and seats in the said chapel, and in the room thereof to build new, handsome and convenient pews or seats all of one decent, regular and uniform order, and that the same might be set to the inhabitants of the said chapelry at certain reasonable rents, to be paid also to the minister or curate of the said chapel yearly to and for his own use, better support, and maintenance, -We did emit a general citation upon Sunday the 23 day of July last for all persons professing to have a right or interest in the said chapel or chancel to appear before us or our lawful Surrogate upon Thursday the 27 day of July aforesaid; and whereas no person appearing to show cause to the contrary, therefore we the said Vicar General grant unto you the said Anne Bland and William Broome our commission and authority to take down and remove the old chancel and the pews, stalls and seats therein, and to build a larger and more convenient and handsomer chancel with a gallery or galleries, and to set and let such new pews or seats to the inhabitants of the said chapelry at certain reasonable rents or sums of money, to be paid and made payable to the minister or curate of the said chapel yearly to and for his own use and better support and maintenance, for the use of themselves and their families, all others excluded without their leave first had and obtained to use the same; willing and requiring you that so soon as you shall have fully executed the commission you return to us a full certificate thereof, together with a chart or

plan of the seats or pews built anew in the said chancel, chapel and gallery or galleries respectively, and the names of the respective inhabitants to whom you have allotted and disposed of the same, and the respective rents or sums payable for the same to the minister or curate of the said chapel for the time being, by virtue of your allotment or disposition thereof, in order for our future approbation and confirmation thereof, and together also with these presents. Dated at Chester the 10 day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy. H. SPEED,

Dep. Regr.

The next step was the erection of a north gallery from the front of the west gallery to the east window, and of a south gallery extending from Mr. Twyford's gallery to the east window of the chancel-both erected at the same time, during the incumbency of the Rev. John Newton, about twenty years after the rebuilding of the chancel, and both erected without Faculty.

1841, July 1st. Faculty granted to the Rev. William John Kidd, incumbent, John Thorniley and John Ogden, wardens, Joseph Birley, George Withington, Robert Gladstone, Hugh Birley junr., and Hartley Packer Gisborne, pew-owners and leypayers of the said chapelry; to pull down the north and south side walls from the tower to the chancel, which are now three feet and a half thick, and to rebuild them of a thickness of two feet only; and to allot to every person now in possession of a pew a pew of the same dimensions (if practicable), liable to the same rent and other payments as those given in exchange, the rent to be increased or diminished in proportion to the smaller or larger space given; also to appropriate the pews of the side aisle to the poor; a pew each to be provided (not subject to any annual rent or payment) for the minister, wardens, singers, and the font. It was estimated that the present accommodation was limited to five hundred sittings, none of which were free, and it was expected that

such alterations as now proposed would secure about two hundred and fifty additional sittings.

1855, July 31st. Faculty granted to the Rev. William John Kidd clerk, rector of Didsbury, Joseph Bull and John Moss churchwardens; to remove the north-east and south-east staircases to galleries; to close the north-east and south-east entrance doors, and to erect additional pews on the area now occupied by them; to make one large entrance to the church through the tower at the west end, carrying staircases to the galleries from the west end inside the tower; to remove a portion of three pews in the south gallery, and of two pews in the north gallery, so as to obtain a passage along each gallery, and to widen the open space over the communion table; to case the outside walls of the church with stone, the tower excepted; to raise the roof over the north and south galleries, and to improve the ventilation, which will include some alteration in the windows; to remove two monuments from the eastern wall, and to place them, one on the south pillar and the other on the north pillar of the chancel arch; to remove the font from under the tower to the south-west corner of the body of the church near the entrance porch. The alterations sanctioned by the above abstracted faculty were carried into effect (with the exception of the clause relating to the monuments, these were allowed to remain on the east wall) at a cost of £1,600.

The church contains several monuments, but with the exception of that to the memory of Sir Nicholas Mosley they do not call for any particular notice. The monument in question is attached to the east wall in that part of the chancel which was formerly known as the Mosley Chapel. It is a heavy columnar structure of two stages; the lower, of three compartments divided by Ionic columns ; the upper, of one compartment flanked by columns supporting a frieze or entablature, which is surmounted by an ornament in the heavy Tudor style, enclosing a heraldic shield blazoning the family arms. The centre compartment of the lower stage is square in form, framed in mouldings; but the two lateral compartments in this, and the upper stage are circular-headed arches with decorated

architraves in colours. On the cornice of the lower stage, over each lateral compartment, is placed a large oval, like a glass mirror,

the frame of reddish marble, the inside coloured blue, each charged with the arms of Sir Nicholas, the one shield impaling those of his first wife, arg. a lion rampant gu.; the other those of his

second,―gu. a chess-rook arg. on a chief arg. three roses gu. The upper arch is filled with a full-length figure of Sir Nicholas himself in his robes of office as Lord Mayor of London, a scarlet cloak edged with ermine; he wears a black skull-cap bordered with white; and looks a grave and reverend man with bushy beard. The two lateral arches of the lower stage also contain a figure each that to the spectator's left, of a lady in long blue cloak, white petticoat and Elizabethan ruff, kneeling on a crimson cushion, her hands joined and raised in prayer; that to the spectator's right of a lady in long blue cloak and ruff, kneeling and praying; these representing the two wives of Sir Nicholas. The centre compartment of this stage represents four male figures kneeling; the eldest, of mature years, bearded; the other three, youths of different ages. All the figures in the monument present the right profile. The monument is chiefly of marble and Derbyshire marble, spar and alabaster. The two outer columns of the lower stage are of blue dove marble, and on the cornice above them are placed two pyramidal obelisk-like ornaments, on feet. The whole monument appears to rest on four wall-brackets. The four central columns, above and below, are of Derbyshire spar. There are several inscriptions on the entablatures, and on the tablets beneath the three lower compartments; they are as follow:

"This is in memory of Sir Nicholas Mosley Knt. sometyme Lord Mayor of London, who dyed the 12 day of December, 1612, of ye age of 85, and lyeth here interred."

"Margaret Whitbroke, his 1st wife, by whom he had 6 sons and 2 daughters."

"

Elizabeth, his second wife, at whose cost this monument was erected, dyed without issue."

Other inscriptions of a later date follow:

1. "Rowland Mosley Esq. sonne and heyre of Sr. Nicholas, first married Anne Houghton, by whom he had issue a son