He
threatened to pull it down or to turn the old house into a tannery.
Our Berks Archaeological Society endeavoured to raise money for its
purchase in order to preserve it. This action helped the owner to
realise that the house was of some commercial value. Its destruction
was stayed, and then, happily, it was purchased by the present owners,
who have done so much to restore its original beauties.
[Illustration: "Hand-and-a-half" Sword. Mr. Seymour Lucas, R.A.]
[Illustration: Seventeenth-century Boot, in the possession of Ernest
Crofts, Esq., R.A.]
[Illustration: Chapel de Fer at Ockwells, Berks]
Ockwells was built by Sir John Norreys about the year 1466. The chapel
was not completed at his death in 1467, and he left money in his will
"to the full bilding and making uppe of the Chapell with the Chambres
ajoyng with'n my manoir of Okholt in the p'rish of Bray aforsaid not
yet finisshed XL li." This chapel was burnt down in 1778. One of the
most important features of the hall is the heraldic glass,
commemorating eighteen worthies, which is of the same date as the
house. The credit of identifying these worthies is due to Mr. Everard
Green, Rouge Dragon, who in 1899 communicated the result of his
researches to Viscount Dillon, President of the Society of
Antiquaries.
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