night and his lady wear the collar of SS, the
origin of which is still wrapped in obscurity. Traces of gilding are
visible in several places on the wings of the angels that support the
heads of both figures, as well as in other parts of the carving where the
detail is not obliterated. The date of these monuments is believed to have
been either the end of the fourteenth or the very beginning of the
fifteenth centuries. In the south-east corner of the north transept,
almost hidden by deep shadows, there lies a truncated effigy of a man in
armour of about the same period as that of Sir William Bruce, but there is
nothing to identify these mutilated remains. The sedilia in the chancel
seem to be coeval with that part of the church. They are ornamented with
some curious carving and some heads, one of them, very much restored,
representing apparently a bishop, priest, and deacon; the fourth head is a
doubtful quantity.

[Illustration: The Effigy of Sir Willeam Bruce in Pickering Church.

The arms on the shield are drawn separately on the right.]

[Illustration: The richly carved Effigies in the Bruce Chapel of Pickering
Church.

The man bears the arms of Rockcliffe on his surcoat. Both figures wear the
collar of SS.]

[Illustration: The holy-water stoup in Pickering Church.]

Close to the sedilia is a piscina decorated in a similar manner.

Near the porch, in the usual position, is a holy-water stoup that has the
front part of the basin broken off. This may possibly have happened at the
same time as the smashing of the font in Puritan days mentioned in a later
chapter. The curious little recess in the west wall of the Bruce Chapel
might have been utilised for more than one purpose, but it is difficult to
say whether it was for holding a lamp, whether it may at one time have
been a low side window, or whether it was at any time used as an opening
for a bell rope to be pulled from within.

[Illustration: The Sanctus Bell, formerly used by the Town Crier of
Pickering. It bears the name "Vilyame Stokeslai," and probably dates from
the fourteenth century.]

A hospital of St Nicholas at Pickering is often mentioned among the
records of this time, but I am unable to discover the site, unless it was
near to where there was a burying-ground in Westgate. The castle chapel
was also dedicated to St Nicholas, and some confusion may thus have
arisen.

Up to about the year 1880 the town-crier of Pickering was using a small
media