1026.—Tomb of the Boy Bishop, Salisburydetails

But there is one monument of quite a unique character—to a chorister, or boy-bishop. (Fig. 1026.) It was discovered in the prelacy of Bishop Duppa, under the seats near the pulpit, and is now placed in the nave. The Rev. J. Gregorie, a prebend of Salisbury at the time, wrote a dissertation on the subject of boy-bishops, from which it appears that it was the custom of the choristers to elect on the day of St. Nicholas one of their number to be bishop; and he was not only clothed in episcopal robes and put on a mitre, and carried a crozier, but performed all the functions of a bishop, from the day of his election, the 6th of December, till the 28th, being innocents’ day. [...] This is supposed to be a monument to one who died during the possession of his brief authority.” (p. 259)