(8) Some old timbered houses in Little Lane and Highcross Street.
(1) This house was formerly supposed to have been a Chantry House of the Guild of St. George, The original front was taken down in 1796, and the ancient stained glass, which then filled the long range of windows that look on to the courtyard of the house, was taken away. This glass has been carefully preserved, having been for many years in the possession of the Leicestershire Archaeological Society, and it is now displayed in the City Museum. It has been reproduced in colour in the Transactions of the Society, which at the same time published an elaborate description of the various panels, written by Thomas North. The Hall of the Guild of St. George stood on the eastern side of St. Martin's Church, beyond the Maiden Head Inn, and it is very doubtful if the house in the old High Street was ever owned by that Guild. It is thought now that it was the dwelling-place of some wealthy burgess. The original building and the stained glass seem both to belong to the reign of Henry VII, and it is conjectured (mainly on account of the initials R. W. inscribed on two of the pieces of glass), that the house may have been built and occupied by Roger Wigston, who was Mayor of Leicester in 1465, 1472 and 1487, and M.P. for Leicester in 1473 and 1488. He died in 1507, and was buried in the Lady Chapel of St. Martin's Church.
(2) This old house was always called the "Parliament House," on account of a tradition which maintained that Parliament had once met there. It was pulled down, unfortunately, in the last century, but there is a very good illustration of it, showing the heraldic devices displayed upon its front, in Mrs. Fielding Johnson's "Glimpses of Ancient Leicester." It is on record that Parliament met on February 18th, 1425-6, in the great Hall of Leicester Castle. Both Lords and Commons there listened to a speech of Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England, after which the Commons were directed by the Chancellor to assemble "in quadam bassa camera," to elect a Speaker. The accommodation provided by the "Parliament House" would answer to this description,
208
