escutcheons of the Oldinport
family, which showed me inexhaustible possibilities of meaning in their
blood-red hands, their death's-heads and cross-bones, their leopards'
paws and Maltese crosses. There were inscriptions on the panels of the
singing-gallery, telling of benefactions to the poor of Shepperton,
with an involuted elegance of capitals and final flourishes which my
alphabetic erudition traced with ever-new delight. No benches in those
days; but huge roomy pews, round which devout churchgoers sat during
"lessons," trying to look everywhere else than into each others' eyes.
No low partitions allowing you, with a dreary absence of contrast and
mystery, to see everything at all moments; but tall dark panels, under
whose shadow I sank with a sense of retirement through the Litany, only
to feel with more intensity my burst into the conspicuousness of public
life when I was made to stand up on the seat during the psalms or the
singing.

Not only is this description of Shepperton Church accurate in every
particular, but a subject of neighborhood gossip is made the basis of the
story of "Amos Barton." When George Eliot was about a dozen years old a
strange lady appeared at the Cotou parsonage, and became a subject of much
discussion on the part of the parishioners. Much pity was felt for the wife
of the curate, an intimate friend of Marian Evans's mother, whose poverty,
seven children and poor health made her burdens far from easy. She died not
long after, and her grave may be seen at Chilvers Coton. The Knebley Church
of "Mr. Gilfil's Love Story" is located only a short distance from Chilvers
Coton, and is the chancel of the collegiate church founded by Sir Thomas de
Astley in the time of Edward III. Its spire was very high, and served as a
landmark to travellers through the forest of Arden, and was called "The
lanthorn of Arden." The spire fell in the year 1600, but was rebuilt later.
The present church was repaired by the patron of George Eliot's father, Sir
Roger Newdigate. She describes it in the first chapter of "Mr. Gilfil's
Love Story" as--

a wonderful little church, with a checkered pavement which had once
rung to the iron tread of military monks, with coats of arms in
clusters on the lofty roof, marble warriors and their wives without
noses occupying a large proportion of the area, and the twelve apostles
with their heads very much