atch, and the whole town
must have been extremely picturesque. The stocks, the shambles, and the
market cross stood in the centre of the town, and there were none of the
unpleasant features that modern ideas, unchecked by a sense of fitness and
proportion, bring in their wake.

The castle, we have seen, was in a far more perfect state than at the
present time, but the church must have appeared much as it does to-day.
The circular wooden pulpit is Georgian, and thus the one that preceded it
has disappeared. Two of the three bells that still hang in the tower bear
the date 1638. The treble bell is inscribed "Praise the Lord," and sounds
the note G sharp. The middle bell gives F sharp and the inscription is
"Soli deo gloria." Hanging in the bellcote of the schools adjoining the
church is the small bell dated 1632 that was removed from the Bruce Chapel
in 1857 when the schools were built. Before that date children were taught
in the Bruce Chapel.

In Archbishop Sharp's manuscripts (page 106) preserved at Bishopthorpe
there is a detailed account of the parish of Pickering. It is dated 1706,
and is given under the heading of "Dean of York's Peculiars." There are
numerous abbreviations, but the meaning is plain in most instances.

"_Pickering Vic. St Peter and St Paul_.

"1706. No Papist.

"A[nno] R[egni] Edw. I. 13. The Manor, Castle, Forest of Pickering were
given to Edmund E. of Lancaster and so became thenceforward part of that
Dutchy. The Church of Pickering was by Hen. I. given to the Deanery of
York, w^th the soke thereof and all the chappells and tithes belonging. It
is let at the rent of 100 li.

"The Vicarage consists of a house &c. And the tithe Hay of Garths w^ch may
yield 7 or 8 Load in a year to the vicar, and all the small tithes of the
Parish. Besides an augmentation of 20 li p an. made since the
Restauration.

"This is a large parish in which are 2 Chappells neither of them endowed
as the minister Mr Newton tells me, but he allows 5th to a neighboring
minister to serve the one and the other he goes to himself. This vicarage,
of the D^ns Collation is val in my B at 28 li. It is I hope worth 60 li
[not above 40 K.B. 8. 3. 9. T 16-40b.] _The Deans Tenant pays 20 li of
it._

"Within this Parish are the Towns of Newton upon Rocliff, Blansby Park,
Kinthorp. Here also is Dereholm Grange and Loft Maress Grange. 1707. 41
(indistinct) John Pickering Vr.; 1715 Robert Hargreaves, Vicar; 1740 Sam^l
Hill Vicar.