F.W. Weaver, Bridgwater in the Olden Time, 1896

Reverend Frederic William Weaver (1852-1933) was an important antiquary in Somerset. His obituary in the Shepton Mallet Journal of 5 May 1933 noted that he had been Master of King’s School at Bruton and vicar of Milton Clevedon. For many years he was editor of Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries, and it was during this time that he penned this article on the Borough Archives in Bridgwater. His obituary can be read here.

Although this paper has a title that seems to relate to Bridgwater as a whole, it is actually an exploration of the churches in Bridgwater, seen through the records of the Borough Archives. These would be later further analysed by Thomas Bruce Dilks.

Weaver speculates whether the supposed Church of St Brigid, may have been identical with the chapel at Horsey. This might be unlikely given the appellation of ‘church’ – read more here on this mystery.

The mention of an alabaster table in the Grey Friars Church is probably meant to mean a wooden frame containing alabaster sculptures, in this case with nine scenes. An example can be seen below with five:

Five panel Nottingham Alebaster Table, Galleria G. Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro – MIBAC. See Wikimedia Commons.