/A )3J Ji .JjaWH T IJ 8 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL, BY W. B. KILLPACK ; ILLUSTRATED BY VIEWS OF THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR, PLANS, SECTIONS, ETC., OF THE EDIFICE, WITH A DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT BY T. H. CLARKE, AUTHOR OF THE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH AND JAMES THE FIRST, ILLUSTRATED ; — AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF EASTBURY, ETC. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO.; JAMES WHITTINGHAM, SOUTHWELL. MDCCCXXXIX. PEEF ACE. The Artist having visited the Church of Southwell in the autumn of 1837^. and found its various styles of Architecture both ancient and superior, was induced to make a series of sketches illustrative of the whole Build- ing-. He was much indebted to the Venerable Archdeacon Wilkins, and to the Reverend J. J. Cleaver, for their permission to survey the Church, and for many facilities afforded during the progress of the work. It is presumed that the engravings from them, now presented to the public, with their respective descriptions, will convey at once a correct, explicit, and interesting view of this venerable Edifice. The historical part is written by Mr, W. B. Killpack, who for several years was a resident at Southwell, and had favourable opportunities of making compilations from the most authentic sources. SUBSCRIBERS. THE CHAPTER OF SOUTHWELL, TWELVE COPIES. THE VENERABLE ARCHDEACON WILKINS, TWO COPIES. MAJOR GENERAL SIR R. D. JACKSON, K. C. B., HOLME PIERREPONT. CHARLES MANNING, ESQ. HOLME PIERREPONT. CAPTAIN BROOK TAYLOR, A. D. C, HOLME PIERREPONT. REV. JAMES JARVIS CLEAVER, HOLME PIERREPONT. THOMAS WRIGHT, ESQ, UPTON HALL. LADY SUTTON, NORWOOD PARK. REV. CHARLES FLETCHER, SOUTHWELL. MR. CARACTICUS DAUBIGNEY SHILTON, SNEINTON. WILLIAM SWYMMER LEACROFT, ESQ., SOUTHWELL. JOHN SUTTON, ESQ., NORWOOD PARK. MRS. J. GREAVES, MATLOCK. REV. A. O. FITZ GERALD, FLEDBOROUGH RECTORY. MRS. SHERBROOKE, OXTON HALL. MR. JAMES NICHOLSON, SOUTHWELL. MRS. CALEY, SOUTHWELL. WILLIAM HODGSON BARROW, ESQ., SOUTHWELL. MR. FREDERIC GUNTON, SOUTHWELL. MISS M. C. BECHER, SOUTHWELL. REV. JOHN THOMAS BECHER, SOUTHWELL. REAR ADMIRAL CLAY, SOUTHWELL. MISS FOWLER, SOUTHWELL. JOHN HOLMES, ESQ., RETFORD. REV. THOMAS MASSEY, SOUTHWELL. MR. HENRY CAWDRON STENTON, SOUTHWELL. SUBSCRIBERS. MR. HENRY FALKNER, SOUTHWELL. REV. MORGAN W ATKINS, SOUTHWELL. REV. ROBERT HODGSON FOWLER, SOUTHWELL. R. H. LAMBERT, ESQ., BRISTOL. MR. RICHARD NOBLE, SOUTHWELL. MR. RICHARD THOMPSON, SOUTHWELL. F. GUNNING, ESQ., SERJEANT'S INN. MR. JOHN BOURNE, SOUTHWELL. REV. JOHN DRAKE BECHER, CARLTON-UPON-TRENT. HENRY GALLY KNIGHT, ESQ., M. P. MRS. J. B. WANKLYN, SALFORD, MANCHESTER. MR. DUKE, SOUTHWELL. REV. B. PEIL, HATFIELD, Herts. MR. EDWARD BROOKES. CONTENTS. Ad Pontem ....... Page 3 Aldred, Archbishop 16, 33 Arches 47 Alterations of the Church 52 Bells 20, 32, 33 Booth, Archbishop William .... 16, 37 Booth, Archbishop Lawrence .... 16, 37 Benefactors and Patrons of the Church . 32 Choir 13, 50 Candlestick at the side of the Altar, {cut) 14 Chapter House ....... 16, 51 Corbridge, Archbishop 17, 36 Conflagration of the Church .... 20 Chapels . . . . . . . 21 Constitution of the Church .... 27 Chapter - . . 27, 42 Descriptive Account of the Church . 45 Dimensions of the Church .... 47 Doorway, west 48 Eagle, the brazen 14 Font 52 Gerard, Archbishop 34 Grey, Archbishop 35 Gateways ........ 46 Holgate, Archbishop 41 Heath, Archbishop 42 Harsnet, Archbishop 43 Hutton, Archbishop 44 Kinsine, Archbishop 33 Kemp, Archbishop 37 viii. CONTENTS. Page Monuments, Tombs, &c. 16 Neville, Archbishop 36 Nave and Transepts 12 Nave, Architecture of 47 Organ 20 Oscitel, Archbishop 32 Palace 22, 37 Prebends ........... 29 Prebendaries 25. 29 Privileges 29, 35 Peculiar of Southwell 31 Parks 31 Puttoc, Archbishop 32 Plantagenet, Archbishop • • 35 Pier 46 Porch . . -12 Rectories, Vicarages, &c, within the Jurisdiction of Southwell . 28 Revenues 31 Roger, Archbishop ......... 34 Romaine, Archbishop 36 Southwell, Ancient Name of . . . . . 4 Saxon Architecture 5 Scot, Archbishop 37 Sandys, Archbishop 17, 42, 52 Sharp, Archbishop 43 Stalls 5] Sculpture, singular piece of 19 Skeleton, discovery of ........ 23 Town, early History of 3 Transepts 10 Towers 10, 48 Thomas, Archbishop 34 Thurstan, Archbishop 34 Vicars General 24, 27, 31 Vicars Choral 24, 27 Windows 10, 14, 48 Wolsey, Cardinal 38 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE TOWN. In tracing the history of a town far back into the recesses of antiquity, we generally arrive at a point so involved in darkness and uncertainty as to preclude any farther progress. Here we are lost ; and its origin, which was perhaps the ultimate object of our enquiries, appears at last completely concealed from our view. Every thing is so involved in gloom and perplexity, and so replete with traditionary legends, that there is but little left for the sober eye of truth to dwell upon; while the active imagination too often endeavours to dispel the darkness, and fill up the numerous chasms that appear, by its own creations. It is for this reason that so much uncertainty in general attends the labours of antiquaries, the facts being frequently few and scanty, and the nature of them so slight as to vanish as it were from the touch. Let us not, however, depreciate their services, which are many and great. They are as it were the pioneers of History, opening and examining the path which the historian pursues, and producing the materials which he frequently moulds into so goodly a structure. This uncertainty respecting the early history of towns is particularly applicable to Southwell. What was its primitive foundation, and whether it was in existence in the time of the ancient Britons, we are now unable to ascertain. Mr. Dickinson, in his " History of Southwell," has endeavoured to prove from various arguments, that it was the Roman station, Ad Pontem ; but an attentive exami- nation of the " Itinerary of Antoninus " will clearly shew that this opinion is erroneous. That it has been the locality of a Roman encampment seems almost placed beyond doubt for several reasons. Its ancient Saxon name, Tiovulfingacester, evidently implies this from its termination cester, (i. e. castrum, a camp), and that, like all other names of places with a similar ending, was at some period used for that purpose by the Romans. The same author also expressly states that the outlines of a camp may be clearly discerned on the Burridge Hill, and these facts have received considerable 4 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF confirmation from many Roman remains having been found there at different periods, as a large tesselated pavement, fragments of urns, coins, bricks, &c. That the ancient Saxon name of Southwell was Tiovulfingacester, we have the evidence of Camden and Dugdale ; the former of whom asserts, that in his time a private history of the place was in existence, which put the question beyond doubt. ( a ) This document is now unfortunately lost. Its present name also is one of considerable antiquity, for we meet with it in the history of the Kings of Mercia, and in the time of Edward the Confessor. We find it however at these early periods written in various ways, as Sudwell, Suwell, Suthwell, and Southwell. In the Doomsday Book it is generally Sudwell ; in the Register of the Church, or White Book, Suthwell. It appears in these times to have been a town of considerable importance ; it having been one of the chief residences of the Archbishops of York, and often mentioned as the scene of intrigues, negociations, and wars. Here, William, Bishop of Ely, Chancellor of England, to whom Richard I., on entering upon his famous Crusade to the Holy Land, had entrusted the government of the Kingdom, decoyed into his power his unfortunate rival, Hugh, Bishop of Durham, and retained him in prison until he had complied with the most unreasonable demands. The account of its lands, property, and villains, as contained' in the Doomsday Book, being of a nature little calculated to interest the reader, we will omit noticing. Leaving also the few and unimportant notices of the town, scattered through the early pages of history, we will turn to the consideration of its ancient and venerable Church — its chief glory and ornament. Founded, as it was, in an age of barbarism, before the glorious beams of Christianity had begun to irradiate the savage minds, and soften the fierce manners of our Saxon forefathers, and rivalling by its extreme antiquity the most ancient ecclesiastical edifices now in existence ; possessed of architectural features rarely to be met with in such profusion, beauty, and preservation, and connected with historical associations of no slight interest, — it is an object which cannot fail to excite feelings of mingled wonder, reverence, and delight, in the mind of the contemplative beholder, who loves to wander over scenes which the fingers of Time and History have marked, and to dwell on the noble and sacred relics of former ages. 0) Bede informs us that a very large number of persons were baptized in the river Trent, near Tiovulfingacester, or Southwell, the king himself being present. Camden observes upon this:— "That this (i.e. Southwell) is the city which Bede calls Tio-vul-lingacester, I the rather believe, because those things which he relates of Paulinus baptizing in the Trent, near to Tio-vul-fingacestcr, are positively said to have been done here, by the private history of the Church." / THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 5 THE CHURCH. The Church of Southwell, if we may trust the testimony of the early ecclesiastical historians, had the honor of being originally founded, together with York and Lincoln, by Paulinus, the first Bishop of the North, who was sent from Rome, in the year 596, by Pope Gregory the Great, when he put into effect his design of diffusing the light of Christianity among our pagan Saxon ancestors. We have no direct means of ascertaining any particulars respecting the original structure which Paulinus erected at Southwell. Its magnitude, form, and the materials of which it was composed, are alike unrecorded. In the absence, however, of all authentic evidence, we shall, perhaps, be not far from the truth, in considering it to have been built in a similar style to those founded by him, at the same period, at York and Lincoln : it cannot, indeed, be supposed to have been in any degree superior. The first church erected by Paulinus at York was of wood ; but it appears to have been only hastily constructed, for the purpose of accommodating the baptism of King Edwin and his nobility, and was soon replaced by a larger one of stone. But even the latter was a very frail and humble fabric, for we learn that in less than a century afterwards, Wilfrid found its stony offices half destroyed, and its roof permeable to moisture ; it had windows of fine linen cloth, or latticed wood-work, but no glazed casements ; and therefore the birds flew in and out, and made nests in it. So Bede says of his Church at Lincoln, that though the walls were standing, the roof had fallen down. It cannot, consistently, with safe conjecture, be supposed that the original Church at South- well, was of a higher degree of architecture than these, nor can it be imagined, that the ravages of war, "Time's effacing fingers," and the neglect it would naturally experience, during the troubled times that followed the death of the king and the flight of the bishops, would fail to reduce it to the same melancholy state. The fragile edifice would rapidly sink under these combined elements of destruction, and it would soon be found necessary to rebuild it in a more durable and substantial manner, as was the case with its contemporary Churches of York and Lincoln. Much has been said and written respecting the ancient architecture of the Saxons, and like almost all other subjects of enquiry, opposite opinions have been formed ; some denying that they possessed any stone buildings at all, and others affirming, that they erected some of considerable magnitude and splendour. Each of these extreme opinions is perhaps equally distant from the truth ; we will therefore endeavour to take as impartial and correct a view of this interesting subject, as the paucity of facts and the limited room for description will permit. 6 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF It is universally allowed, that the first Saxon churches of our Island were all composed of wood. This is clearly shewn hy the verh they use when speaking of building, which is getymbrian, to make of wood, which was also absurdly applied when they afterwards built them of stone. It has before been remarked that the original Church of St. Peter's at York, was of wood ; of a similar construction was the one in Holy Island. The Church of Durham was built of split oaks, and covered with reeds, like those of the Scots. So also the nave, or most ancient part of Greensted Church in Essex, which is considered by some the most ancient in the kingdom. ( a ) We even find, soon after the Conquest, that nearly all the Churches of Cambridge were built of wood, at which period most of the town was destroyed by a conflagration. Indeed, the general nature of ecclesiastical edifices may be deduced (making some allowance for exaggeration) from the remark- able saying of the author of the Polychronicon : — "Then had ye wooden churches, and wooden chalices, and golden priests ; but since, golden chalices and wooden priests." In the days of Alfred the churches were in general so mean and destitute of all t.uament and convenience, that it is related, when the candles placed before the relics were lighted, they were often- times blown out by the wind which got in at the holes and chinks of the building ; wherefore the king is said to have invented the lanthorn composed of thin horns and wood, to remedy this inconvenience. ( 6 ) And Edgar, in the year 974, in a charter to the Abbey of Malmsbury, states, " that not only all the religious edifices of his realm were ruinous and rotten, being built of wood and boards, but what was worse, they were almost empty and devoid of divine service." This passage must not, however, be taken in too comprehensive a sense, as it is clearly determined that they possessed at that period some stone buildings of considerable magnitude. But this mean and unsubstantial mode of building would naturally be of short continuance. The arts and learning, which the Christian Missionaries brought with them from Italy, and the intellectual impulse given to the minds of their Saxon Converts, would alike combine to make them despise their own rude perform- ances, and imitate the noble and stupendous models, which the remains of Roman skill and grandeur presented to their eyes. We therefore find that edifices of stone soon began to rise in various places ; but they appear very few in proportion to the number of the preceding class, anterior to the Norman Conquest. The terms, in which they are generally described, clearly show that they were of rare occurrence, and the state of architecture among them very much degraded, since they were commonly obliged to have recourse to Norman Architects in all their capital buildings. Benedict, Abbot of Wirral, master to the Venerable Bede, is said, about the year 680, to have first brought artificers of stone buildings and glass windows into our Island. Stubbs, however, attributes the («) The houses of their princes were chiefly built of the same material, and at this time Castles were extremely rare. {>>) Vid. Staverly's History of Churches, Page 102. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. *f honour of introducing them to Wilfrid, Archbishop of York, who lived at a somewhat later period, and was at this time one of the chief patrons of architecture. He travelled for some time in Italy, and appears to have brought from thence higher notions of the art than usually prevailed, and to have been extremely zealous in improving the rude efforts of his countrymen. Nor could his laudable exertions have proved altogether unsuccessful, if we consider the general character of the Saxon nation. For, as Sir Walter Scott, in his "Border Antiquities, " has observed : — "They laid the foundation of many splendid ecclesiastical establishments, and once the most fierce, on their conversion they appear the most devout nation of Europe." Of Wilfrid it is related, that he completely repaired the Church of Paulinus at York, covered the roof with lead, washed the walls from their dirt, and by means of glass windows, "kept out the birds and rain, and yet admitted light." ( a ) At Ripon he ereeted a church with polished stones, and adorned it with various columns and porticoes. At Hexham also, a similar building was raised under his direction, respecting which Eddius, i.. s history of Bede, exclaims, — " Neque ullam domum aliam extra Alpes monies talem oedificatam audivimus." "We know not of any other building on this side of the Alps of a like construction." Other instances might be adduced, where this rude and antiquated mode of building gave place, during the period of Saxon independency, to the novel and improved style of constructing them of stone. The progress of this improvement appears, however, to have been generally very slow. The deep shades of ignorance that overspread the land, enlightened only at wide intervals by a few bright luminaries of learning and genius, who appeared like extraordinary meteors gleaming amidst the dense cloud of intellectual darkness, the fettered state of the human mind, the low and degraded condition of the arts in general, together with the wars and political changes which continually agitated the whole fabric of society, would offer but little aid and encouragement to the advancement of architecture. Many foundations, however, were laid of future greatness and magnificence, and endowments plentifully bestowed by the piety of individuals ; while some few patrons, who were far in advance of the general body of their countrymen, now and then erected buildings distinguished both for their variety and superior excellence. To use the words of Pope : — a Then sculpture and her sister arts revive, " Stones leaped to form, and rocks began to live." But for these, as before has been observed, the Saxons were generally indebted, not to their own unassisted genius and labours, but to Norman Architects, who were far superior to themselves. These appear to have instructed them in the art, and to have superintended the erection of their larger edifices ; in many cases supplying them even with stone, from Caen, in Normandy, for which they had (°) Malmsbury, Lib. 3rd. B 8 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF a great partiality. This clearly accounts for the striking similarity existing between the Saxon and Norman styles of architecture, and consequently the difficulty of discriminating between them. An attentive investigation of the history and character of the Anglo Saxon nation cannot but lead to the opinion that they did not themselves originate the style which assumes their name ; but, that although they may have been the founders, yet the style of these buildings must agree with Norman, since it is not reasonable to suppose that the Architects would deviate greatly from their own peculiar style and ornaments, wherever they were employed. And thus it follows, that the grand outlines and principal features of the Saxon and Norman styles of architecture must be identical, since they were both derived from the Roman : and consequently the bolder and richer character, which has been considered the distinguishing mark of the Norman from the Saxon, may have been but the result of a gradual improvement and a higher perfection in the art, as their experience increased, and higher notions of beauty, symmetry, and refinement, were infused into their minds. ( a ) From this ' digression into the history and state of Saxon architecture we will now turn to a general survey of the principal features of the Church. There is but little in its exterior to excite admiration, except the air of antiquity impressed upon it. It is but sparingly ornamented, and generally in a rude and unfinished manner. It is also deficient in elevation proportionate to its extent; but these were peculiarities of the style. Ornament and beauty of proportion were but secondary objects with the founders: — they built for Time, and endeavoured to atone for every other defect by the strength and stability of their fabric. Hence, its chief characteristics are bold and heavy, which, though destitute of Gothic elegance, possess much venerable simplicity and massive grandeur. The western portion, consisting of the Nave and Transepts, belong to this ancient style. Were it not for the tasteless insertion of windows of the most incon- gruous orders — which is almost universally the case in ancient buildings — it would perhaps be the best and most perfect specimen of this style in the kingdom. Notwithstanding these ridiculous interpolations and marks of modern vitiated taste, it is probably surpassed by none in antiquity, purity, and good preservation ; and indeed, when the eminent Bishop Warburton was engaged in composing notes to Pope's Epistles, and had occasion to treat on ancient architecture, he came to Southwell expressly for the purpose of viewing this portion of the Church, it having been represented to him as the purest specimen of Saxon in existence. The stone, of which it is constructed, is found only at Bolsover in Derbyshire ; but the more modem parts are composed of stone brought from the vicinity of Mansfield. Many portions, (a) Vid. Rickman's Architecture, Page 38. The conjectures of Mr. Dickinson upon this subject, and the distinction he has endeavoured to shew, appear to me erroneous. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 9 particularly the upper, are deeply stained and darkened by the influence of time ; but it has admirably survived the dangers to which it has been exposed, and little material injury has been received by "Those aisles thro' which a thousand years " Mutely as clouds, and reverently have swept." Indeed, we may with some propriety apply to it the elegant lines of Sir Walter Scott, when describing a building very similar, and nearly contemporaneous in origin: — " Not but that portions of the pile, — " Rebuilded in a later style, "Shewed where the spoiler's hand had been; — " Not but the wasting breezes keen " Had worn the pillars' carving quaint, "And mouldered in his niche the saint, " And rounded with consuming power "The pointed angles of each tower j — " Yet still entire the Abbey stood, " Like Veteran worn — but unsubdued." The exact period at which this portion of the Church was erected cannot now be ascertained, as the private records, which might perhaps have thrown ssome light on the subject, were destroyed during the Civil Wars. The prevailing opinion is, and it has been sanctioned by eminent judges, — that it was erected in reign of the Harold, about the year 1039. This receives considerable confirmation from its presenting many points of resemblance to the remains of other edifices, which are generally acknowledged to have been built about that period. ( a ) An attentive investigation of the subject will, I think, lead to the conclusion that its principal outlines, and the peculiarity and execution of its ornaments, belong to an era prior to the changes which the Norman Conquest is supposed to have introduced into architecture, as respects both a greater elevation and enlargement in the proportions of ecclesiastical edifices, and a higher degree of elegance in the details. Besides this, there may be discerned traces of greater skill than can justly be attributed to an earlier period, particularly as the agitated state of society in the preceding century afforded but little encouragement for the erection of sacred buildings of any importance. It must not, however, be supposed that the whole is of equal antiquity, for there are some points which display more taste and skill than others, and which, therefore, ought to be regarded as subsequent improvements ; — hence, accurate observers have remarked, that there are evident proofs of its having been erected at different periods. The zig-zag or •(«) The eminent Mr. Pennant, who once paid it a visit, was of opinion that it was certainly built prior to the reign of William Rufus. 10 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OT lancette moulding, one of the distinguished characteristics of the Norman-Saxon style, is pro- fusely employed. ( a ) The windows are nearly all of the perpendicular order, which was not introduced into this country until the close of the reign of Edwrad III., about the year 1377, and continued, though somewhat degenerated, to about the year 1630. The circular tier of windows above, appears to have been the primitive style of the Saxons, and the term they apply to them signifies an eye-hole. Dr. Clarke says of the poorer sort of Russian towns: — "a window in such places is a mark of distinction, and seldom seen. The houses, in " general, have only small holes, through which, as you drive by, you see a head stuck, as in a " pillory." The origin of the round arch must be sought for amidst the relies of Roman architecture, and the wide spread ruins of their mighty empire, for it is clear that their earliest notions of art were derived from them. Man is the creature of imitation rather than invention, — and makes his advances in scientific knowledge under the influence of the former principle. The vague and simple idea he picks up, in the infancy of his civilization, is thus cherished, enlarged, and improved, until it reaches the limit of human skill and perfection. The upper facing of the Transepts is composed of a peculiar kind of stone work, presenting the appearance of tiling, ornamented with circular and zig-zag indentations. A similar spe- cimen of ancient art, may be seen in the ruins of Kelso Abbey, Roxburghshire, which was founded by King David, in the year 1128. ( A ) The low and massive tower in the eentre, presents another fine specimen of the peculiarities of the Saxon, in good preservation. This has been thought by some to invalidate the ex- treme antiquity of the edifice, assigned above, they having considered that Saxon buildings were altogether destitute of towers, and presented only a flat unvaried surface. This opinion, however, rests on little or no foundation ; for, although it may have been the case with their earliest ecclesiastical structures, there is every reason to suppose this improvement was very soon introduced by foreign Architects, particularly as they were in common use at Rome. ( c ) But the fact appears indisputable, from what the Venerable Bede says, when he speaks of the introduction of Bells into our Island, about the year 670, That they were known long before that period may be concluded from several instances being mentioned in " Spelman's Collection ( a ) Sharon Turner, in his " History of the Anglo-Saxons," gives the following ingenious account of the origin of this ornament : — " The Saxon word used to denote the adorning of a building, is gefrcetwian, or fraetwian, and an " ornament is fratew ; but frwtan signifies to gnaw or eat. This diagonal Saxon ornament appears an exact imitation of " teeth, and the word fraetetu and freetwing, whieh they used to signify ornament, might be construed fretwork or " teeth- work. They appear to represent Marine teeth ; if so, they perhaps arose from the stringing of the teeth of large " sea animals." It appears, however, from " Gunn's Architectural Plates," that this singular moulding was not unknown to the Roman Architects, and Rickman states that it appears in the palace of Dioclesian, at Spalatro, and the Church of St. Paul, without the walls of Rome. (*) Vid. Sir Walter Scott's Border Antiquities, Vol. 2, Page 94. (<0 Vid. Staverly, Page 226. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 11 of English Councils ; " and shortly after, we read of Kinsius, Archbishop of York, building a lofty tower of stone to the Church of St. John, at Beverly, wherein he placed two great bells, as well as several others. Churches of stone were also built by him beyond the Humber and at Southwellham. ( a ) But to return. The style, ornaments, and antique appearance of these towers, present an obvious proof of their having formed a part of the original design, and render it most improbable that they could have been a subsequent addition. The eastern towers are encir- cled with round blank arches, intersecting one another, and thereby forming others of the pointed style. The origin of the pointed arch, the distinguishing feature of Gothic archi- tecture, is a subject that has often exercised and baffled the ingenuity of the learned, as well as awakened the curiosity and investigation of travellers. Various and conflicting theories have been proposed, and the East and West have been explored without producing any satis- factory result. Some have fixed the place of its birth amid the dark groves and branching avenues of Scandinavian superstition ; others have endeavoured to trace its existence amidst the noble ruins of Moorish grandeur ; while a third have wandered in search of it amidst the scattered fragments of Egyptian and Persian art ; but, after all, the practical and obvious opinion of Rickman, who imagines' the idea was taken from the intersection of the circular arches in the manner just mentioned, appears to rest on the safest grounds of conjecture. This will seem still more probable when we take into consideration, that some appear perfectly accidental, and not formed by intersection, that there is also a small tier of light pointed arches on the Northern Transept, in curious imitation of them, and that the lancet arch of the style immediately succeeding, bears exactly the same form and proportion to those formed by intersection. Besides, edifices still exist, which clearly partake of both styles, as Canterbury Cathedral, and were, therefore, probably built at the period this great change took place in architecture. («) Stubbs' Act. Pont. Eboraci, Vol. A.D. 1700. C 12 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF INTERIOR ARCH OF NORTH PORCH. The Northern Porch is generally supposed to be of a later date than the Nave. Its bold and massy appearance certainly bears a strong resemblance to the other adjoining portions, but from the richness of its ornaments and the elaborate taste and delicacy displayed in the execution, there is but little room to doubt of its having been erected subsequent to the Norman conquest. The interior of the Nave and Transepts presents evidences of the same simplicity of design and unrefined taste which characterize the exterior. The humble condition of the arts, at the period it was raised, may. be pretty well conceived by the rude attempts here made to imitate the vastness and magnitude of the Roman. There is, however, a sombre and majestic air of solemnity pervading the whole, which cannot fail to make a pleasing impression on a contemplative mind, while its deficiency in elegance and scientific propor- tion is lost amid the feelings with which it naturally regards so perfect a structure, and so ancient a specimen of the genius of a people just emerging from intellectual obscurity. Here are seen lofty piers, with capitals most curiously decorated with bass-relief figures, THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 13 arches with plain prominent mouldings, supported by low heavy columns, ( a ) in exact corres- pondence with the rest of the building, — " Where strength is pillar'd in each massy aisle." The rude ornaments upon these ponderous columns are very lightly traced, and exhibit a singular diversity, scarcely two of them being alike — therein differing from those in the more perfect Norman buildings which succeeded. Perhaps a better idea cannot be given of the general appearance of the Anti-Choir, than by quoting the beautiful lines of Sir Walter Scott, in his description of the ruins of Lindisfarne : — " In Saxon strength that Abbey frown'd " With massive arches broad and round, " That rose alternate, row and row, " On ponderous columns short and low, " Built ere the art was known, " By pointed aisle and shafted stalk, "The arcades of an alley'd walk, " To emulate in stone. Mr. Dickenson, in his " History of Southwell," has expressed the opinion, that the side aisles are entirely Norman, and less ancient than the centre portion, fixing the time they were built about the age of William Rufus, or somewhat later. The reason he assigns for this, — that stone roofs were entirely unknown to the Saxons, and, that this was the "Novum genus " of architecture, said to have been introduced by the Normans, appears to be un- founded, since the ruins of Hexham Abbey contain specimens of vaulting which are generally believed to belong to the original edifice of Wilfrid. THE CHOIR. The Choir, or East end, is principally built in the style of the Early English, which the lancet arched windows clearly indicate. Other parts, however, particularly some of the ornaments, seem to belong to the succeeding style, or Decorated English. From this it may be concluded, that it was a considerable time in the course of erection, having been most probably commenced in one style, and completed in the following. The ancient White Book, in the possession of the Chapter, contains a royal license, dated the eleventh («) The reason why the Roman artists, who are supposed to have planned many of our early churches, did not introduce columns of the same lofty and elegant dimensions, which they used in their own, appears to be, because in those on the continent they were constructed of solid blocks, and very frequently of ancient stone and marbles ; while, on the contrary, the Saxon pillars were composed of small square stones, serving as cases, the interior being filled up with loose materials imbedded in mortar. Thus they were of necessity compelled to make them shorter and more bulky to support the superincumbent weight. — Vid. Gunn's Architecture, Page 90. 14 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF year of the reign of Edward III., for taking stone from the Forest of Sherwood for the service of the Church ; and in the neighbourhood of Mansfield a sort of stone is found exactly of the same kind. Another evident proof that a part was raised during the reign of Edward III. is, that the head of that Monarch carved in stone, together with those of his Wife and the Black Prince, the latter crowned with ostrich feathers, are visible between the east windows. As a minute description is given in another part of this work, it is un- necessary here to point out the many beauties of this elegant piece of architecture ; we shall therefore confine ourselves to the historical points connected with it. The ancient stained glass in the East Window was brought from the Temple at Paris, by Henry Gaily Knight, Esq., and presented by him to the Chapter. In the Choir is a Brazen Eagle, formed for a reading desk, on which is engraved a latin inscription of which the following is a translation : — " Pray for the soul of Ralph Savage, and for the souls of all the faithful deceased. " As its history is somewhat re- markable, we will take the liberty of transcribing at length the account which Washington Irving has given of it in his interesting work on Abbotsford, and Newstead. " The " most important stories about the lake at Newstead relate to the treasures that are sup- " posed to lie buried in its bosom. These may have taken their origin in a fact which THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OP SOUTHWELL. 15 " actually occurred. There was one time fished up from the deep part of the lake, a great " Eagle of molten brass, with expanded wings, standing on a pedestal, or perch of the same « metal. It had doubtless served as a stand, or reading desk in the Abbey Chapel, to hold " a folio Bible, or missal. The sacred relick was sent to a Brazier to be cleaned : as he " was at work upon it, he discovered that the pedestal was hollow, and composed of several " pieces. Unscrewing these, he drew forth a number of parchment deeds and grants apper- " taining to the Abbey, and bearing the seals of Edward III. and Henry VIII., which had "thus been concealed and ultimately sunk in the lake by the friars, to substantiate their " right and title to these domains at some future day. One of these parchment scrolls " thus discovered, throws rather an awkward light upon the kind of life led by the friars " of Newstead. It is an indulgence granted to them for a certain number of months, in " which plenary pardon is assured in advance for all kinds of crimes ; among which, several " of the most gross and sensual are specifically mentioned. After inspecting these testi- " monials of Monkish life in the regions of Sherwood Forest, we cease to wonder at the " virtuous indignation of Robin Hood and his Outlaw crew at the sleek sensualists of the " cloister : — " ' I never hurt the husbandmen " That use to till the ground, " Nor spill their blood that range the wood " To follow hawk or hound. " My chiefest spite to clergy is, '* Who in these days have sway, " With Friars and Monks, and their fine sprunks, " I make my chiefest prey. ' («) " The brazen Eagle has been transferred to the Parochial and Collegiate Church of " Southwell, where it may still be seen in the centre of the Chancel, (rather Choir), sup- " porting as of yore, ( 6 ) a ponderous Bible. As to the documents it contained, they are " carefully treasured up by Colonel Wildman, among his other deeds and papers in an iron " chest, secured by a patent lock of nine bolts, almost equal to a magic spell. " Before the present Choir was erected, a religious edifice much more ancient appears to have occupied its site. Mr. Dickenson, in his " History of Southwell," says, " In the pro- " gress of some late improvements, it has been thought necessary to remove the pavement " for the purpose of depressing the elevated floor ; and in so doing, not only the founda- " tion on which the present Gothic columns are erected are found to be a continuation («) Old ballad of Robin Hood. ( b ) Few of our readers conversant with the character of Popery and Monkery, will, I think, coincide in this conjecture. r> 16 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF « of the Saxon part of the Church, hut are discovered to have been constructed with the " same stone as that more ancient part of the building, very different from that which com- " poses the Gothic Choir of Edward's age. The eastern terminations of this anterior erection " has also been ascertained by its entire foundation, to have extended only about one-third, " or fifty-two feet of the length of the present Choir. All the additional extension of the " building is discovered to have been erected on a new base, of a third description of " material, viz., a soft stone found in the immediate vicinity of the place ; while detached " fragments of columns, capitals, arches, and cornices of the earliest Saxon work (parts of " the prior dilapidated building) are seen confusedly scattered about among the rubbish. " THE CHAPTER HOUSE. The style of this building is that of the reign of Edward III. ; but it was most probably erected somewhat later ; — perhaps during the reign of Richard II. ; since the head of a bishop, generally believed to be that of Archbishop Neville, who then filled the See of York, together with another of a king resembling Richard himself may be observed opposite to each other ; and a few years ago, in a window over the arch was the portrait of John of Gaunt painted in glass. The entrance Arch is a most exquisite piece of art ; the beauty of its proportions, and the rich foliage adorning its capitals, fresh as nature itself, and displaying the most elegant taste and consummate skill, cannot be surpassed. It is evidently more modern than the building to which it is attached ; Tradition ascribes the honour of erecting it to Cardinal Wolsey, who was a munificent patron to the church, when the once spacious Palace ad- joining was his secluded abode. MONUMENTS, TOMBS, ETC. There are three Tombs in the Anti-Choir, one of which stands under a circular arch in the wall of the north aisle, and is apparently of very great antiquity. It is in the shape of a modern coffin, and has been supposed to contain the remains of Aldred, Archbishop of York, who died in the year 1169, and was a great benefactor to the Church. Immedi- ately opposite to this is a plain blue stone making part of the pavement; the only legible inscription is Wilhelmus Booth, ob. 1464. This stone was removed from the Chapel of St. John, built by this prelate. Near this is a fine altar tomb, fixed in the wall, erected to the memory of Lawrence Booth, half-brother of the latter, who died in the year 1480. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 17 Several iron rings are visible upon the pillars and walls, to which the horses or Oliver Cromwell and of his army are said to have been fastened, when he rested at Southwell, on his march to Preston. The Choir contains several tombs worthy of notice. Thomas de Corbidge, Archbishop of York, who died in the year 1303 lies near the pulpit. There was originally upon his tomb a full length effigy of a Bishop in brass; but it has long since been taken off. In the north-east part of the Choir, is a white marble effigy, much mutilated, lying upon a plain block of stone, in a circular arched recess ; this figure, which is supposed to be that of Godfrey de Ludham, formerly occupied a canopied tomb, between a pair of columns on the north side of the Choir; which when the galleries were erected was removed, and for some time remained exposed in the court by the side of the Chapter House. Previously to its being placed in its present situation, the recess was occupied by a plain slab, whereon is sculptured a crucifix, which stone is now laid on the floor at the north-west angle of the church. When fixing the present effigy, a skeleton was discovered in a stone coffin, placed level with the floor, which is supposed to be the remains of Archbishop Aldred. There is also a fine alabaster tomb erected to the memory of the eminent Archbishop Sandys. His effigy, in pontifical robes is reclining upon it, and in front are represented his widow and nine children kneeling. At one end are the arms of Sandys, and at the other a latin inscription indicating his character, life, and sufferings ; it is dated July 10th, 1588 ; the following is a translation : — " Edwin Sandys, D. D., after he had presided over " the See of Worcester eleven years, and as many, save three, over that of London, "died on the 10th of July, in the year of our Lord 1588, in the fifteenth year of his " Archbishoprick of York, and the sixty-ninth of his age ; whose body lieth here interred. " He was of noble birth, and lived high both in dignity and rank, but higher by his virtuous " example. Having discharged the duties of two Bishopricks, he at length shone forth " with Archiepiscopal dignity, which honors were the reward of great labour, merits, and " virtues. A man, of all men the most free from malice and revenge, magnanimous, of " open and free manners, and unknowing how to flatter ; charitable and compassionate in " the highest degree, and most hospitable ; truly excellent, easy of access, and disdainful " towards vices only ; in a word, he lived and was better than has been stated. In the " labours of preaching the gospel he was wonderfully assiduous even unto his last end, and " no one could ever depart from his discourses unedified ; he wished, and was allowed to " be eloquent : conscious of his own diligence he strongly opposed the slothful ; he encou- J$ THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF " raged useful studies for the efficacy they possessed in producing virtue, and usefulness to " man ; he honoured the patrimony of the church as a thing sacred to God ; inviolate, he " defended it. The favour whereby it flourished in the time of Elizabeth, the most " illustrious of mortals, accomplished that thou, O venerable Prelate, mayst not behold this " church in which thou liest, fallen into neglect. Thou wast a memorable example of " the opposite conditions of fortune, who while thou didst hold such important offices, always " enduredst things by so much the greater on account of thy high dignity, with a fearless " mind ; prisons, exiles, fines of the greatest amount, and, what is most difficult, with an " irreproachable conscience, to bear with patience all cruel and unjust calumnies ; and in " this thing only failing of thy wishes, that thou couldst not bear testimony to Christ with "thy blood also. But thou having enjoyed such great prosperity and suffered the severe " trials of adversity, hast at length arrived at the haven of everlasting rest, both weary of " the world, and thirsting after God. Rejoice for ever ! thy tears are instead of blood. " Reader, depart ; mayst thou not only know the virtues thou hast read, but imitate " them. The word of the Lord endureth for ever." Under the most eastern arch, on the south side, is another large altar tomb, supposed to have been raised to the memory of Robert Holgate, the first Archbishop appointed to the See of York after the Reformation. He appears to have died during the reign of Mary, after having endured every species of persecution which her bigotry and cruelty could devise. There were anciently two Chauntries connected with the north side of the Church, one founded by Robert Lexington, the other by William de Gunthorpe, in the year 1395. These, together with several others which once belonged to the Church, have long perished, like the superstitious object for which they were erected. In a small enclosure on the right hand leading to the Chapter House, and near to the Holy-well, stood the ancient Baptistory. After the Restoration it was laid aside, and the present font placed where it now stands, at the west end of the south aisle in the Nave, by a Mr. Ballard, who lived, and had considerable property in Easthorpe. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 19 Near the entrance of the northern Transept is a most singular piece of sculpture, inserted in the wall, about three feet in length, and half as much in breadth. It is executed in the rudest manner, and is most probably of equal, if not greater antiquity than the building itself. Bishop Warburton spent much time in endeavouring to explain the device, but without success. At one end a lamb is placed above the head of a lion, into whose mouth a man has thrust both his hands; at the other an angel is contending with a kind of dragon. Mr. Dickenson with much probability considered these mystical figures to refer to the scripture accounts of Daniel and the Archangel Michael. There are two very curious and ancient manuscript books in the possession of the Chapter of Southwell; one, the Registrum Album, or White Book, which has before been alluded to; and the other, the Registrum Prioratus de Thurgarton. The former is of great authority and value, containing a curious collection of charters and grants, from Popes, Kings, and other persons, to the Archbishops of York, who formerly occupied the adjoining Palace, now in ruins, and to the Church of Southwell. The account extends from a period little later than the Conquest to the end of the reign of Henry VIII., when it suffered the fate of most other religious establishments. The Thurgarton manuscript is somewhat similar to the former, and belonged to the old Priory of Thurgarton. The ancient Vicarage, or College of the Vicars, who were once sixteen in number, and possessed considerable estates distinct from those of the Chapter,^ was taken down in 1780, to make way for the present spacious range of buildings occupied by the resident Prebendary, and Vicars. E 20 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF In the year 1711, happened a dreadful conflagration. The account which I receive of it from those who remember it is as follows : — " On the evening of the 5th of November, " in the year above mentioned, a very violent storm, attended with thunder and lightning, " passed over the town. Between eleven and twelve o'clock, a small flame, not larger than " a candle would emit, was perceived, by those who lived near the church, to rise from the " very summit of the south spire. There was a very high west wind the whole night, " which blew the timber and wood-work of the spire, as it burned, on the roof of the " church, so that before midnight, the spire and the roof of the whole west end of the " building were in flames. Before morning the fire was communicated to the roof of the " middle tower, and had melted the belis, and destroyed the organ. The damage was " estimated at four thousand pounds." The names of those who contributed to the repair of this fabrick, being collected under the authority of a brief, do not appear, except indeed that of the Dutchess of Newcastle, who gave the chapter five hundred pounds on this occasion. The present peal of bells were cast by one Ruddall of Gloucester, in the year 1721, as the motto on one of them testifies. Each of them has its proper inscription, and they are in the following order. 1st Bell, Abraham Ruddall of Gloucester cast us all, 1721. 2nd Peace and Good Neighbourhood. 3rd Prosperity to this Town. 4th Prosperity to our Benefactors. 5th From Lightning and Tempest good Lord deliver us. 6th Prosperity to the Chapter. 7th Prosperity to the Church of England. I to the Church the Living call, And to the Grave do summon all. 8th The Organ was rebuilt by a German of the name of Smith, a man very eminent in his profession at that time of day. (") ( n ) Dickenson's " History of Southwell.' THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 21 The Parish of Southwell once contained five Chapels ; but they have long been destroyed, or their ruins converted to secular purposes. One of these stood in Easthorpe, in a place which acquired the name of Palmer's Yard, early in the seventeenth century, from the circumstance of Sir Matthew Palmer, Knight, building a mansion-house there. A second stood about half a mile from the former, in a large enclosure, near to the road leading from Southwell to Easthorpe Pasture. A third Chapel, the door-way of which we give an illustration was in the Hamlet of Normanton, contiguous to a farm yard, to which it now serves as a barn. The walls of this continued in a state of tolerable repair long after the others were totally decayed; the roof fell in early in the last century, and the building continued in that state several years. A fourth Chapel was situated at the extremity of Westhorpe, which was dedicated to St. Catharine, and, being near a Spring much celebrated for its water, gave its name to the well. The fifth Chapel stood at the upper end of Farthing Street, between the road to Burgage Hill and that which leads down to Burgage Green. Mention is also made of an Hospital dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, in the year 1313, but not a vestige of it now remains; and the Chauntry, or College for Chauntry Priests, which once stood in the north-west corner of the church-yard, has at length been subjected to the same fate. A Nunnery also is said to have been here formerly, but no authentic account of it has been discovered. 22 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF RUINS OF THE PALACE, EAST VIEW. We cannot avoid briefly noticing here the ruins of the ancient Palace of the Archbishops of York, which stand on the south side of the Church, and which cannot fail to excite admiration by their picturesque appearance, as well as the numerous and interesting historical associations with which they are connected, as well as the variety of tenants who have occupied it. It was the favourite residence of the great Cardinal Wolsey, who frequently retired hither for a time to forget the cares of government amidst its secluded and religious retreats. He passed here the greater part of the last year of his life, (1530), when his proud grandeur was fast fading away; and at the close of which year he was hurled from his lofty pinnacle of glory, to lay down his weary head in obscurity on the cold pillow of death. Archbishop Sandys spent nearly the whole of his time here, after his translation to the See of York ; he was the last Archbishop that resided here. During the civil wars, the Commissioners of Scotland resided here, and held their consultations ; after which, it afforded a brief asylum to the unfortunate monarch Charles I. and his queen. It was occupied by the Parliamentary generals, and afterwards by Cromwell himself ; and General Monk, when he was returning from Scotland to restore the exiled king, slept under its roof. It was during these wars that it fell to ruin, all the contending parties of that THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 23 period contributed to complete its destruction. The rooms of state were on the east, the lodging apartments to the south, the offices on the west, and the north was occupied by the great hall and chapel, the former of which is now alone remaining. The large Gothic window on the south-east corner is said to have lighted an immense library. On the wall at the east end is an angel bearing the arms of Cardinal Kempe, Archbishop of York, in the reign of Henry VI. These are said to have been three corn sheaves in allusion to his origin, which was that of a husbandman's son, in Sussex. The following Monkish distich records his munificence to the Palace : — In Suthwell maneriimi fecit pretiosum * Multis artificibus valde sumptuosum. But a faint idea can now be formed of its once great extent and magnificence, from the scanty remains which the ravages of the civil war have left standing. The Archbishops, who are supposed to have been the chief contributors to this building, were Corbridge, Kempe, the two Booths, Rotheram, Wolsey, and Sandys. About the year 1740, a discovery was made in one of the vaults of the palace, which has been thought by some, to confirm in an extraordinary degree, one of those many pieces of traditional history, to which the residence of King Charles I., with a part of his army, at Southwell gave occasion. A story was current in this place and its neighbourhood, that the last time but one the King was here, a few weeks before that when he came to deliver himself up to the Scotch, the several armies of the parliament pressing forward to surround him, news being brought by a deserter, that a party of the enemy were on their march from Nottingham, some of the King's guard, not crediting the information, but believing that the pretended deserter was a spy, forced him into one of the vaults or wells of the Palace. So strongly was this report propagated, that, after the restoration, when a small part of this building was again converted into a dwelling-house, one of the wells within its walls was covered over, from a supposition that it had been the scene of this cruel transaction, and, with a very natural prejudice, that its water would be unfit for use. About the year before mentioned, however, a person who rented a garden contiguous to the south wall of this building, got permission to break a door-way into one of the small turrets, with which this side abounded, to make a garden-house, or place of reception for his tools. This being done, it was found to have been the vault to one of those many temples of Cloacina, which this part of the palace possessed. On clearing it of a considerable quan- tity of earth and stones, which lay at the bottom, there was discovered the entire skeleton of a man standing upright, with boots and spurs on, and some parts of the arms, usually 24 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF worn in those days, lying at his feet. Near to this skeleton was a skull, with the iron part of an axe, with which the person had been killed, still remaining in the cleft of it. The spurs were very lately in the* possession of one of the gentlemen of the church. Of the facts no one in the place doubts ; and, indeed, nothing of the kind can be better at- tested ; some of the persons who were present at the discovery having been till very lately, alive ; and relating the circumstances with that degree of exactness and precision that carries conviction. VICARS GENERAL OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL, FROM THE EARLIEST CHAPTER RECORDS TO THE PRESENT TIME. When Names of Vicars General. Elected Names of Vicars General. Elected F. Leeke 1661 Edward Wilson 1749 Thomas Cockshutt 1770 William Rastall 1774 William Becher 1795 William Barrow 1821 VICARS CHORAL OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL, FROM THE EARLIEST CHAPTER RECORDS TO THE PRESENT TIME. Names of Vicars Choral. Ejected Names of Vicars Choral. Ejected Chappel Fowler 1728 Thomas Fellows 1742 Edmund Crofts 1745 Charles Fowler 1753 John Holmes ........ 1760 William Leybourn 1760 Davis Pennell 1762 Whalley Bugg 1773 William Bristoe 1779 Charles Fowler 1780 William Pinching 1785 Sherard Becher 1802 Thomas Still Basnett 1820 Robert H. Fowler 1824 Morgan Watkins 1831 Thomas Massey ,1837 THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 26 HH W co 43 4*S a a 43 4* k?H ^ a 3 3 ^^^^ S 3 S ' m S s 3 o to to -2 s ^ H (11 X o e8 co co 3 a o "S o ci a, 73 S3 3 S 3 3 3 Ph -3 ei Ph c3 £ a c3 -a w ej co 43 43 > S fl c 3 a o s ft 43 I> i> •<# a o oi (N n « o) to n n co i> t> i> i> r> t> a 73 co 43 •St? 2 73 « 8 CO I"" 43 73 Ph 2 a J CO CD rl Sh CO a 42 CD o K p? a CO o P 43 ra C3 p-43 00 .a 05 CO "te P S o o co be co _ > co rp co 73 ci 73 73 73 >< h ^ CO C3 CO .Si X! 73 -i-i A h K H 73 p 3 ♦5 PP. 43 43 Ph Ph o o =1 p IP .a a co S b a W ffi ^ § a a v, -a N _ a -H co ,a pl, a '3 cj tj CO A ^ Q rS .3 a o s ^ Eh be o a Mo CO « * § 2 *S1 £ a O 73 a > .2 a ^a co c3 73 rO a co ,a ts a P5 Pn^a .2 a a I 'a ^ Ph. 92 a r a C3 -a be a a be « 3 a x co o O a 5^^ C3 Ph Ph es CO o o p Q a § 3 ~ t2 co &c co > a CP >H J a _§ iz; ^ 00 o c QO OS ffi CO © CO (M CO « O O « f) Ol ffl O) O) o o o CO co CO CO i> J> j> CO *C •> a 3 u CO PP a o . S b ^ » o St Ph §0 j! 3 a s bJD.2 oj a 73 O p s :s es ffi Ph « «h o ra ra co ^ O S £ Ph CJ co a 4q "S. P 3 co o ^ • M °5 ^aj .bfl^ 73 ^ ^ '53 nT ^ "OJ ci to .a o — < s-i 2 H oi § S r/0 co a •£ ^3 ^5 .rn ° h .3 * X! 2 J a .2 2 p 43 CO EH pq a o £ .a be 73 'C S3 I I «« co o be be S 3 CO § ^ o co a _ co co 73 * p< a co a +J C3 GO CO co Ph C3 j/i co 73 >> <1 « s ^ rl M 42 c 26 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF I a® Pn d a a 3 S I 81 p3 cc £ ci Jh o I 3 B £ s O d o to 00 X o w a ci oi a o o l> !> l> J> 00 00 B o a £ d O PS £ 1 . d -B rO B B 03 a a d d CO CO 3 B CO ^— I d rB 03 .J ^ g g-1 a d B d 3 a d rB co 3 3 S a _ d -3 -b £ B O 3 13 a | cl> d O pq PS £ d B< SJ ^ be £ ,2 U p— 3 O d OOoOOOOOOOOOQOOOQOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOGOaOOO & <° - >» 53 « S -a ^ S be o b a c a CD 3 o . T3 O O * £ d . P .a hi .S E? d rjS J3 HJ p3 cj &o P rB < a -B B .13 3 Pin a ro & £ P4 H CO t-l 3 EC cd be .2 t> O £ >>pq no H ^ rH co ^ 3 .3 B to o B P rC d r-S CD w d rB co L> B ^ Is o § •o 5 o T3 pQ O ^3 Bh ^3 CO O d B ° CD CO S > 3 TI O CD ^ d 33 O a d d B< CD CD t I O O -a, O d d Bh d -c B B v O .22 Ph. 23 B BU .co O Sh fl S O " o a u^^L^b* d d d <5 C3 d a > 3 O a bc^i d cd CO H d Oh 'B ^ b a e d r-J d 2 »— I a Bl B3 ^ B3 b a s ^ « O O 3 J O & a § s s d 3 a -e -e J3 bJ3> • B 1 O o o d Bh d a a B1 ^B cd d ^ § a o ^ d d 3 .a Pm Ph o3 - — ~»— ■>- " who are entitled on an average to 251. per annum each out of the Chapter revenues. The " Prebendaries divide the surplus net revenue equally among themselves. Five of the Vicars " reside in houses assigned to them, and the sixth in a house which he occupies as "Vicar of Southwell. The gross yearly income is £2211. Present average yearly pay- "ments £1119, and net income, subject to temporary changes, £954. "There is a good residence house for the family of the Prebendary whose turn it is " to keep his quarterly residence ; and there are four houses adjoining it, called the Vicars' " Court, which are occupied by four of the Vicars Choral, and which were built at the "expense of the Chapter in 1784 ; and in 1821 the Chapter rebuilt the house occupied by "the master of the free-school, who is one of the Vicars Choral." Prebends. Beckingham Dunham Eaton Halloughton Leverton North Muskham North... Muskham South ... Normanton Norwell Tertia Norwell Secunda... Norwell Overhall... Oxton, first part.... Oxton, second part Rampton Sacrista Woodborouarh Incumbent. T. H. Shepherd, M.A. T. C. Percival, M.A... Vacant Robert Lowe, M.A H. Smith, M.A C. Boothby, M.A J. T. Becher, M.A G. Wilkins, D.D Vacant Vacant Vacant J. J. Cleaver, M.A. ... F. Anson, M.A F. Wintour, M.A Vacant E. G. Marsh, M.A \$$0 162: » 1834 1807 1818 1818 1823 1820 1827 1829 1821 Gross Income. £. 34 34 10 10 10 51 32 47 14 54 64 84 64 20 10 23 Net Income. £. 29 25 3 7 4 37 26 35 11 44 53 74 54 14 8 16 Total of Fines received. 500 135 4 Atofa&jRk j T77 V* 4 JLtfL 28 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF h! & c c c t— H U hH fi uC I— i P Hi a Eh Eh H H CO H Ph < o CO H O < P3 GO H hH o o T3 a O d d Ph o d H Ph gd 4 d d hi i> d d aj ^d d 03 03 — d i3 ^3 ,G O Ph O H 03 O 03 o &.« d 03 fO ,d O Eh -5 o d o? r— I 00 a o CD 03 Ph d -d U 03 rD rQ rQ « 4) J) (-1 S-C (-1 Ch Ph P- d -a d d P d d Ph d o •<-> d w Ph d d nd . 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Tl T3 e3 !-? r p r T3r^ >h t> o ad o Ph" d Q d B o £ CO cJ d nd T3 O ^ d g . t> ^ ^ ^ ^ 03 03 Th > t> > > d d > O d o 13 : Ph' (g d° ^ 2 03 O 73 ^> d 03 O ^d o THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 29 The number of the Prebendaries is now gradually diminishing, since the vacancies which occur are not filled up, according to the projected alteration of the Church Commissioners, it being intended to devote the incomes to other ecclesiastical purposes. Amid the spirit of innovation which now pervades society, and the aim at improvements which is often only visionary, it is to be hoped that the sacred barriers of property and right may not be violently or illegally transgressed, and that those venerable edifices, which the piety of other ages dedicated to God, may not be stript of their beautiful appendages, nor impaired in that solemn service, which can scarcely fail to kindle feelings of devotion in the coldest breast. The beautiful lines of Milton, who belonged to another age of innovation, and had himself drunk at the turbid streams of republicanism, ought never to be forgotten : — " But let my due feet never fail " To walk the studious cloisters' pale, " And love the high embowered roof "With antique pillars massy proof, w And storied window richly dight, " Casting a dim religious light. "There let the pealing organ blow " To the full-voiced choir below, . " In service hight and anthem clear, " As may with sweetness through my ear, " Dissolve me into ecstasies, " And bring all heaven before mine eyes." It is now impossible to ascertain at what period ten of the Prebends were founded; but there were at least this number about the close of the reign of William I. j viz. those of Woodborough, Normanton, North Muskham, South Muskham, the Sacrista, two of Oxton, and three of Norwell. The White Book contains the account of the endowment of the other six. From which it appears that Roger Thurstan, Archbishop of York, founded three Prebends; one of the church of Dunham, given for that purpose by King Henry I., another of the churches of North Leverton and Beckingham, and a third of lands in Halloughton. Pavia, daughter of Nigellus de Rampton not long after gave the church of Hampton to found another. In the year 1289, John, Archbishop of York, made another of the church of Eton ; and about two years after, the church of North Leverton, which was before a part of the Prebend of Beckingham, was separated and made into a distinct one by William Rutherfield, Prebendary of Beckingham. Pope Alexander III., in a Bull which was issued in the year 1171, confirmed to the Canons of Southwell all the great privileges, which had been granted them by Kings, and Archbishops of York, together with all their ancient liberties and customs, to wit, "the 30 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF "same which the church of York had of old, and was known to have then; and that the "Churches of the Prebends, and also those belonging to the Chapter, should be free from « episcopal jurisdiction, and that they might institute fit Vicars in them, without any con- tradiction, as the said Archbishops and Chapters of York ever suffered them and their "predecessors to do." The same Pope, also, ratified the ancient custom, which was observed here at the Feast of Pentecost, that the clergy and laity of the County of Nottingham should come yearly to the church in solemn procession, and the Deans bring the chrisma and sacred offerings. A warm dispute arose respecting this procession, between the churches of York and Southwell, which was at length settled by an appeal to Pope Innocent III. It cannot now be satisfactorily discovered what were all the privileges and immunities enjoyed by the Canons of the Church; but as they are always described as being similar to those of York, it may not be foreign from our purpose to mention one or two belonging to the latter. "All the land belonging to the Prebends of St. Peter was so quiet and free, "that neither the king's officer, nor any other, could have law, nor take distress there, till « the Canon of that Prebend was first required : and if he refused, the Dean should set a "day, and do right at the church door. And if any person whatsoever, shall take and de- "tain any man, though guilty, and convict him of any crime, or wickedness whatever, from "within the Porch, he shall always be adjudged to make amends by sixhundredths ; and if « from within the Church, by twelve ; if from within the Choir, by eighteen ; every hundredth "containing six pounds, and for every of the said faults, or any, shall be enjoined penance, "as for sacrilege. But if any one should be so mad, and instigated by the devil, as to "presume to take one from the stone-chair by the altar, which the English call Frithstol, "that is, the Chair of Peace, for so wicked a sacrilege no judgment or sum of money " can atone. " ( a ) King Stephen ordained that the Canons should have the woods of their Prebends in their own hands and custody, and thence take what they should need, as in King Henry's time, and that his foresters be forbidden to take or sell any thing there. Similar charters and confirmations of their privileges were given by Kings Henry II., Richard I., John, and Henry III. But it would occupy too much space to enumerate these respectively, as also the numerous pleas held at Westminster, which seem always to have been given in favour of the Church of Southwell ; — all of these are preserved in the White Book before alluded to. («) The above extract is borrowed from Mr. Dickinson's " History of Southwell," to which elaborate work I have been in this part of my subject greatly indebted. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 31 The revenues of the Church are said to have been divided at this time into five parts. The first was appropriated to the resident Canons, which portion was called the " Commons of the Church ; " and when each Canon became possessed of a sufficient Prebend, or provision, distinct from the common stock, he was termed a Prebendary. The second part was allotted to the respective Prebendaries; the third to the Vicars Choral; the fourth to the Chauntry Priests, who had, in addition to this common property, the endowments of the several altars which they served; and the fifth was given to the fabric, and called "The Lady's Land." This point has, however, been controverted by some who have con- sidered there was no division of property, and that it was all alike dedicated to the service of the Church. There are two Scholarships, and two Fellowships, founded in St. John's College, Cam- bridge, in the twenty-second year of the reign of Henry VIII., by Dr. Keton, Canon of Sarum, to which those only who have served as Choristers of the Chapter of Southwell are eligible. In the time of Henry VI., the number of persons who held office in the Church amounted to upwards of sixty; but at the reformation, a total change took place both in the establishment and revenues. This Church, and that of Ripon, are said to be the only ones existing, that are both Parochial and Collegiate, all the others having been dissolved by Henry VIII., or his successor. The Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, or Peculiar of Southwell, extends to twenty-eight towns, within which, the Chapter, in the person of their Vicar General, exercises all episcopal func- tions, except those of ordination and confirmation. The Archbishop of York is visitor and patron of the Church, and in him is vested the right of disposing of the Prebends. The Vicar General is elected from the Prebendaries by the Chapter, which also possesses the power of appointing the other inferior officers. When the Palace was the noble and hospitable residence of the Archbishops of York, there were four Parks in the neighbourhood, one called the Little Park, adjoining the Palace, which is supposed to have been made by Cardinal Wolsey ; the second, the Park of Hockerwood, about a mile to the north-east, containing one hundred and twenty acres; the third, Norwood Park, half a mile to the west; and Hexgrave Park, about four miles to the north-west. H 32 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF BENEFACTORS AND PATRONS OF THE CHURCH. Upon the authority of Bede, and other ancient writers, we learn that Paulinus, as before stated, was the original founder of the Church, and that it was built by him, together with those of York and Lincoln, in the interval between the baptism of King Edwin and the expulsion of that prelate from his diocese. This latter event took place about the year 633, when King Edwin fell beneath the sword of the fierce and sanguinary Penda, king of Mercia, the destroyer of five kings. His royal widow fled with Paulinus to the dominions of her kinsman the king of Kent, who received them honourably, and made Paulinus Bishop of Rochester, where he died in the year 644. The Church and Town then disappear for three centuries from the pages of history; nor is this greatly to be wondered at, when we bear in mind the barbarous condition of the times, the incessant wars and revolutions which continually agitated the unformed states of the Saxons, and the obscure situation of the Town itself. The first Royal name we meet with in connexion with Southwell, is that of Edwy, who ascended the throne in the year 955. He bestowed the whole royal domain of Southwell on Oscitel, Archbishop of York, because he had rendered him some important services in obtaining the crown; or more probably he was constrained to make this act by the tyrannical influence of Odo, Archbishop of Canterbury, and the celebrated Dunstan, who were then taking the lead in civil, as well as ecclesiastical affairs. By the artifices of these pre- lates the king died in the year following, either from assassination, or from grief and morti- fication. We, moreover, find the names of Odo and Edgar — who by the intrigues of the regular clergy was raised to the throne — contained in the deed by way of approval. Oscitel, according to the accounts of ancient writers, was distinguished for his virtues and learning. He died and was buried at Bedford, in the year 972. ALFRIC PUTTOC. Alfric Puttoc, the twenty-second Archbishop of York, who succeeded to the See in the year 1023, resided much at Southwell, and was a great benefactor to the Church in various ways ; he is said to have presented two large bells, at that time considered a magnificent and extraordinary gift; it is, therefore, generally thought that the large centre tower was erected by him for their reception. He also greatly enriched the College of THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 33 Beverley, as well as the Cathedral of York. He died at Southwell, in the year 1050, but was buried at Peterborough, where his tomb still remains, with the following inscription : " Hie sepulta sunt ossa Elfrici Archiep. Ebor.'' KINSINE. Kinsine, who is said to have been Chaplain to Edward the Confessor, succeeded Alfric. His character has been greatly extolled by the Monks, to whose order he belonged. Ac- cording to some he gave two other bells to the Church. He died in the year 1060, and was buried at Peterborough, near the tomb of his predecessor. ALDRED. Aldred, the twenty-fourth Archbishop, whose remains are supposed by some to have occupied the ancient coffin near the north wall of the Anti-choir, was very liberal in his benefactions to the Church, among which is recorded a spacious hall, which he erected for the use of the Canons. He was one of the most powerful persons in the kingdom, and took a prominent part in most of the violent changes of the times. His character was strongly marked with ambition and arrogance, while he shewed himself ever ready to sacri- fice truth and honour to his inordinate desire of power. William of Malmsbury, from whom the chief particulars of his life have descended, says he procured his elevation by simony, and then started to Rome to obtain his pall from the Pope ; and that when this had been refused by the holy father, he fulminated such violent threats, that the timid Pope consented to grant his suit, on condition that he should resign the bishopric of Worcester, which he wished to hold in commendam. He first procured the election of Harold to the throne ; then abandoning his cause, and breaking his oath to Edgar Atheling, the legitimate heir to the throne, he stood forth the advocate of William, for whom he per- formed the coronation ceremony. The following remarkable instance of his arrogance is recorded by historians. — The king having neglected to grant a certain request which he had made, he set forth at the head of a great retinue, and rushing suddenly into the royal presence, as the monarch was surrounded by a council of his nobles, saluted him with a heavy curse. The king, struck with superstitious fear, fell at the imperious prelate's feet; and upon some of the nobles remonstrating with him, and attempting to raise their sovereign from his kneeling posture, the Archbishop sternly exclaimed : — " Stand off, let him lie there; it is not at my feet, but at those of St. Peter he is prostrate." His turbulent spirit of ambition was not subdued even in his declining years, for when the Danes threatened an invasion, in the year 1069, he sought to join in a third revolution; but he 34 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF died just as the agitated, scene was opening before his eyes, on the 10th of September in the same year. He conferred great benefits on the Churches of York and Beverley, and built the Cathedral of Gloucester. Hoveden also celebrates him for performing a pilgrim- age to Jerusalem. GERARD. Gerard, the twenty-sixth Archbishop, appointed in the year 1101, appears to have been a man of considerable learning, and a zealous corrector of the irregularities of the Monks, by whom, therefore, his memory has been loaded with bitter reproaches. Southwell was his favourite residence ; where he suddenly died, as he was walking in the garden, on the 21st of May, 1108. THOMAS II. Thomas II. succeeded in the year following; he obtained many privileges and immunities from King Henry I. in favour of the Church of Southwell, as well as for those of Ripon, Beverley, and York ; he bestowed grants of land on the Canons, and proved himself a generous benefactor, although he held the See of York not more than five years. He died in the year 1114, and was buried at York. THURSTAN. King Henry appointed Thurstan, his chaplain, to the vacant See; but five years elapsed before he was instituted, from his refusal to yield that submission to the Archbishops of Canterbury, which had been extorted from his predecessors, and had for some time been a point of dispute. The king in vain advised submission, and became, thereupon, his avowed enemy. Having contrived, however, to obtain consecration from the Pope, and roused the thunders of the Vatican in his behalf, the king thought it prudent to recall him, and establish him in his diocese. Eleven days before his death he resigned his Bishopric, on account of the infirmities of old age. He died in the year 1140, at the Monastery of St. John, at Pontfrete. He appears to have been a munificent benefactor to the Church of Southwell, as well as to many others. He founded and endowed two Prebends, gave many privileges and immunities to the Canons, and established several useful regulations for the support of the fabric. It is worthy of notice that the magnificent structure of Fountain's Abbey, Yorkshire, was founded by this prelate. ROGER. Roger, the thirty-first Archbishop, founded the Prebend of Halton, one of the few instances of his liberality we meet with on record. His character seems to have been infamous, and THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 35 he is even suspected to have taken a part in the murder of Thomas a, Becket. He died in the year 1181, possessed of immense riches, which he had acquired by extortion and the most corrupt means, all of which King Henry II. seized and appropriated to the public use. Besides this, the king unjustly kept possession of the temporalities during the remain- der of his reign. GEOFFREY PLANTAGENET. Geoffrey Plantagenet, the natural son of Henry, by Fair Rosamond, was elected Arch- bishop by the Chapter, in the year 1191. He received his ordination in the Church of Southwell, from John, the Suffragan Bishop of Candida Casa, and was consecrated by the Archbishop of Tours, in the year 1191. He had previously, without taking orders, occu- pied successively the dignities of Archdeacon, Bishop of Lincoln, and Chancellor of England. He gave to the Chapter the living of Wheatley, to find lights for the Church, and died in the year 1212, after having passed seven years in exile, on account of some disagreement with the king. WALTER GREY. Walter Grey, Bishop of Worcester, was elected the thirty-third Archbishop. He was the chief favourite and minister of King John, and, if we may trust the opinion of M. Paris, a virtuous and excellent prelate. He possessed great influence in public affairs, and twice held the office of regent with great honour and advantage. He was distinguished for his sumptuous munificence on several occasions, and numerous churches were enriched by his bounty. He annexed the Park of Hexgrave, which he had purchased at a great price, to the Palace of Southwell; and to the Chapter he presented the living of Rolleston, together with a collection of useful statutes, for the regulation of the affairs of the Church. He died in May, 1255. Henry III. appears to have been a great benefactor to the Church; he confirmed to the Canons the same privileges and immunities which were enjoyed by those of St Peter at York; such as exemption from tolls and duties, receiving amerciaments and fines for offences, to hold their Court of Justice with soc and sac. This Charter is subscribed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl of Cornwall, and other persons of rank. He also secured them against the encroachments of the Sheriffs, in Yorkshire, who had endeavoured to deprive them of their privileges, about the year 1206. The same monarch, in the year 1235, granted an indulgence of thirty days, " for the consummation of the fabric of St. Mary, of Suwell, long since begun to be restored." 36 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OE The munificence of this monarch excited the imitation of many private benefactors, par- ticularly Robert de Lexington, and Richard de Sutton, both Canons of the Church, who erected several Chauntries and endowed them with Lands. JOHN LE ROMAINE. * John Le Romaine, the thirty-eighth Archbishop, was a considerable benefactor to the Church, having bestowed the Church of Barnby, near Newark, on the Chapter, for the support of the Choristers; as also the Church of Eton, for the purpose of founding another Prebend. During his Pontificate, another Prebend also was founded under his authority. The sur- name of Le Romaine is said to have been assumed from the circumstance of his father having been a Roman by birth : his mother was a servant. His character has been variously represented, and he was twice convicted of transgression against the Statutes of the King- dom, and obliged to throw himself entirely on the King's mercy. His first offence was concealing the effects of an exiled Jew; the other for excommunicating Anthony Beck, Bishop of Durham : for the latter offence he obtained the King's pardon, at the price of four thousand marks, and then died of grief. This prelate built a considerable portion of the magnificent Cathedral at York, and on many other occasions was distinguished for his generosity. THOMAS DE CORBRIDGE. Thomas De Corbridge, the fortieth Archbishop, was elected on the 12th of November, 1292. According t<^ Godwin, he was a great and learned divine; but he appears to have incurred the royal anger, for having appointed a person to the office of Sacrist con- trary to the King's injunction, who wished to appoint his own Secretary to the office. He died at Laneham in Nottinghamshire, on the 2nd of September, 1303, and was buried, as we have before stated, in the Choir of the Church of Southwell. During the reign of Edward III., great improvements and additions were made to the fabric. A letter of request is still preserved, which was issued in the year 1252 by the Chapter of York, for collecting the alms and contributions of the people within that city, diocese, and province, for the same purpose. To this is annexed a list of pardons and in- dulgences granted by popes and bishops, for those who should thus be charitably disposed, in addition to the spiritual benefit of some thousands of masses and psalters. ALEXANDER NEVILLE. Alexander Neville, founder of the present Chapter House, was the forty-fifth Archbishop, and received consecration in Westminster Abbey, in the year 1374. He was born of a noble THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 37 family, and stood greatly in favour with the unfortunate Monarch, Richard II., whose mis- fortunes he shared with noble fidelity. On the fall of his Sovereign, and the accession of Bolinbroke to the throne, the Archbishop was sentenced to be imprisoned for life ; but escaping privately into France, he lived there in the greatest poverty, supporting his declining years by teaching a school at Louvaine, where he died, and was buried in the year 1392. JOHN KEMP. John Kemp, the fiftieth Archbishop, who erected that once splendid edifice, the Palace of Southwell, was consecrated in the year 1425. Although the son of a common hus- bandman, he rose to the greatest honours in the Church and State, being appointed to the office of Lord Chancellor of England, and twice preferred by the Pope to the dignity of Cardinal. He left behind him other distinguishing proofs of his liberality, besides what has been already mentioned ; viz., a College at Wye, a magnificent gateway and offices at the Palace of Cawood, and the founding of a public school at Oxford. WILLIAM BOOTH. William Booth, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, succeeded the same year ; — it is some- what singular, that of four brothers, three should live to be Bishops, one of whom afterwards sat in the same See. In his will, which is dated at Southwell, August 6th, 1464, he bequeathed his soul to Almighty God, and his body to be interred in the Chapel of Saint John, which he had erected there. Southwell appears to have been his favourite place of residence, and he is supposed to have completed the building of the Palace, which had been left unfinished by Cardinal Kemp. LAWRENCE BOOTH. Lawrence Booth, brother to the above, was the fifty-third Archbishop ; — no benefaction of his to the Church is recorded, with the exception of two Chauntry Priests, whom he appointed to an office in the Church to pray for his soul, and that of his brother. According to his own request, he was buried in the Chapel of Saint John, in Southwell Church, near to his brother, in the year 1480, where his Monument still remains. During the reign of Edward IV., Ravendale Priory in Lincolnshire was confirmed to the Chapter of Southwell, by a royal deed. THOMAS SCOT, His successor, Thomas Scot, alias, De Rotheram, distinguished himself for his benefac- tions in the promotion of learning. History has awarded him a favourable character ; but living during the turbulent usurpation of Richard III., and being greatly attached to the 38 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF interests of the late monarch's unfortunate family, he fell under the displeasure of that san- guinary usurper, and was kept for some time a close prisoner. He is said to have obtained his liberty, on condition that he should procure the Queen Dowager's consent to her daugh- ter being the wife of the King. He added many of the Offices on the south side of the Palace. He died of the plague, at Cawood, on the 29th of May, 1500, and was buried at York. CARDINAL WOLSEY. Cardinal Wolset was the fifty-seventh Archbishop ; the Palace of Southwell was a favourite abode of this great man, whenever he could release himself from the business of state, to breathe a short and tranquil retirement. It is singular no authentic records refer to any particular benefactions of this eminent patron of learning, to the Church of Southwell; although his well-known character for munificence and generosity would naturally lead us to suppose that this ancient church must have been honoured with some marks of his favour. Tradition, however, ascribes to him the founding of a Library in the Palace, the erection of the exquisite Arch at the entrance of the Chapter House, and the purchase of the Little Park adjoining the Palace. It may appear almost unneces- sary here to enter upon a biographical memoir of this extraordinary man, since every one is so familiar with his public character, as well as the chief points of his remarkable career; but however trite the subject may seem, rather than break upon our plan, which is to give a succinct historical notice of the principal benefactors of the church, we cannot pass over in entire silence the life and fortunes of a statesman so distinguished, and whose name is so closely associated with the historical remembrances of Southwell. Many and discordant opinions have been formed of the character of Wolsey, but most of those who have reviewed his life and character brought with them many preconceived prejudices; and hence some have fixed upon his vices alone, and drawn his picture unfavourably ; others, dazzled by the great splendour which surrounds his name, and the elevated pedestal to which capricious fortune so suddenly raised him, have taken too favourable a view of his character, and beheld only his virtues and greatness. It has consequently happened that few have had so little real justice done to their memory as Wolsey. He lived in a stirring time, when the opinions of mankind were dividing and fluctuating in the most opposite directions; and when a mighty change was agitating the frame of society ; hence, most of those who have written of these times have become either his eulogists or detractors, according to the opinions which they had formed respecting that period. He unfortunately served a master whose temper was marked with the most ungovernable caprice aad tyranny ; and, therefore, THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OE SOUTHWELL. 39 to continue in his favour it was necessary to conform to those foibles and vices which he could not prevent ; so that the minister in a great measure shares the odious character of his master. Most authors allow him to have been possessed of great abilities, as well as the qualifications for a statesman ; but ambition, self-interest, and a violent love of glory, seem to have been the ruling passions of his mind, and he possessed but little integrity and firmness of principle to counteract their effects ; therefore, he but little regarded the means, however dishonest they might be, to attain the object of his desire. The worst point of view in which he appears, is certainly that of his character as a clergyman ; with which his levity and irregularities were altogether incompatible. He pursued the life of a courtier rather than that of a priest, hence, Bishop Burnet says, " as a Minister, Wolsey was a very extraordinary person ; as a Churchman, he was a disgrace to his profession. " Wood observes, " his parts were prodigious ; and it must be owned he wanted not a sense of his own sufficiency ; therefore his demeanor and manage- ment of himself were such as were more fitted to the greatness of his mind, and his fortune, than to the meanness of his birth. " He was born at Ipswich, in the year 1471 ; his father was supposed to have been a butcher, bnt this point has been somewhat controverted ; it appears from his father's wiD, which is still preserved, and the excellent education he was able to give his son, that he was a man not in mean circumstances. The difference of opinion respecting his origin, made one of our Poets wittily remark: — '* Great Priest, whoever was thy sire, thy kind, " Wolsey of Ipswich ne'er hegot thy mind. " At Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was sent at a very early age, he greatly distin- guished himself, so that Cavendish, his gentleman usher, informs us, " that Wolsey told him with his own mouth he was. made a Bachelor of Arts when he was but fifteen years of age, and was most commonly called ' the Boy Bachelor. ' " He was afterwards made Fellow of the same College, and Master of tlie School belonging to it, where he educated the sons of the Marquis of Dorset. For his zeal and diligence displayed in their educa- tion, he was presented with the living of Lymington, in Somersetshire, in the year 1500. But this sphere was too limited for Wolsey 's ambitious mind, and he sought therefore another field for his exertions. He was fortunate enough to obtain the favour and confi- dence of Sir John Nafant, Treasurer of Calais, who soon afterwards procured for him the office of one of the King's Chaplains. Having now established himself at Court, he employed all his talents and exertions to procure the interest of powerful friends, and suc- ceeded in ingratiating himself into the favour of Fox, Bishop of Winchester, and Lord K 40 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF Privy Seal ; and Sir Thomas Lovell, an eminent counsellor, and constable of the Tower. These recommended him to King Henry VII., who was so struck with his address, elo- quence, and enterprizing spirit, that he employed him immediately, upon a mission of great importance, to the Emperor Maximilian, then in Flanders. He accomplished this affair with extraordinary ability and dispatch, and so much to the king's satisfaction, that he thereby gained the royal favour ; and was presented soon after with the Deanery of Lincoln. On the accession of Henry VIII. a bright prospect opened for Wolsey. He now found room for the exercise of all his talents and dazzling qualities. He soon attained the principal place in his master's favour, and was elevated by him to the station of first minister ; which office he filled for many years, with almost absolute power, during which period he took a prominent part in most of the great events of Europe ; and, it must be confessed, that during Wolsey 's sway, the affairs of England prospered far more than they did after his fall. In the year 1515 a rupture broke out with France, and Wolsey's advice for war, although it was opposed by almost all the other counsellors, ultimately pre- vailed, and his exertions were crowned with perfect success. It is impossible for us here to take a full survey of the great events during this period, and the share which Wolsey took in them; he appears, however, on every occasion, to have conducted his part with the greatest address, and generally to have sought the interests of his own country, except when they unfortunately happened to be in opposition to his own. He secured the favour of the rival powers of Europe, and laboured with much success to balance the great and growing strength of Charles V., Emperor of Germany, and Francis, King of France; thereby becoming the umpire in almost every political convulsion among the states in Europe. He was a generous patron of learning and the arts, and at his expense the Palace of Hampton Court was built. Oxford was particularly honoured with instances of his bounty, for many public buildings were there founded by his munificence, and seven Lectureships endowed. He also founded a school in his native town, Ipswich. But we must now turn to the melancholy reverse in the fortunes of Wolsey. In consequence of the king's passion for Anna Boleyn, Wolsey found himself in an inextricable dilemma, and endeavoured to throw every possible impediment in the way of his marriage, at the same time treating her with little respect. Hence the new queen lent her exertions to effect his overthrow, which was accomplished in the most extraordinary manner. — On the first day of term, October 9th, 1529, while he was opening the Court of Chancery, at Westminster, the Attorney General indicted him in the Court of King's Bench, of procuring a Bull THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 41 from Rome, appointing him Legate, contrary to law, by which he incurred a premunire, and forfeited all his goods to the king. The great seal was then taken from him, and given to Sir Thomas More, and he was ordered to leave York Palace, which he had adorned in the most costly manner. In obedience to the king's mandate, in the follow- ing spring he retired to his favourite retreat at Southwell, and about the end of September removed to Cawood, where his generosity and hospitable manners contributed to acquire him much popularity. His residence here was however about to terminate, for the king ordered him to be arrested for high treason. The Cardinal's mind could no longer support the weight of calamity that now overwhelmed him ; he sunk into a state of deep despondency, and disease began to make inroads upon his languishing frame. He reached Leicester in the beginning of November, on his road to London, when he found his end fast approaching. Surrounded by the Abbot and the other inmates of his Convent, he there breathed his last, attesting the vanity of all earthly things, and acknowledging his offences to his Maker, adding these remarkable words : — " Had I but " served my God as I have served my king, he would not now have forsaken me in my " grey hairs. " . He died in the year 1530, at the age of 59 years. During the reign of Henry VIII., the Church suffered the fate of most other religious establishments ; being deprived of its Charters, and order of Priests, and falling amidst the general wreck of collegiate foundations. The Archbishop of York, during the greater part of his reign, seemed to have been equally willing to alienate its property. About the thirty-fourth year of his reign, however, the king, influenced probably by the interest which Archbishop Cranmer, who was a native of Nottinghamshire, took in its behalf, — refounded, and re-endowed the Church. After the monastic societies were dissolved, it was Henry's intention to found several new bishoprics, of which, Southwell was one ; and the eminent Dr. Cox, afterwards Bishop of Ely, was appointed to the newly-erected See, in the year 1543. The projected establishment was however abandoned in the following year, probably from the revenues being found inadequate to satisfy the king's rapacity, and afford main- tenance to a bishop. ROBERT HOLGATE. Robert Holgate was a friend to the reformation, but appears to have been guilty of alienating his archbishopric estates. In the beginning of the reign of Queen Mary he was thrown into prison on the charge of adultery, and remained there a year and a half ; when he was released at the intercession of King Philip. He died soon after, and is supposed to have been buried at Southwell. THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF NICHOLAS HEATH. Nicholas Heath was appointed to the See, in the year 1555, by Queen Mary. Being of the popish religion, he appears to have been not very popular; but he conducted himself with much integrity and forbearance. He had sufficient influence with the queen to pro- cure a restoration of most of the estates, which had been lost by his predecessors ; among which, were Southwell, and five other Manors in the county of Nottingham : he also pro- cured the re-establishment of a Chapter which had been dissolved in the beginning of the reign of Edward VI. On the accession of Elizabeth, he was deprived of his See, but was treated by the queen with every mark of respect; for she is said to have honored him with her friendship, and made him frequent visits till the end of his life, in the year 1556. In the twenty-seventh year of her reign, Queen Elizabeth presented the Chapter with an entirely new code of laws, and ordained many regulations for the use of the establishment, and which principally constitute the body of laws and regulations now in use. EDWIN SANDYS. Edwin Sandys, the sixty-third Archbishop, was translated from London to York, in the year 1576. He made Southwell the place of his constant residence, after he obtained the archbishopric; and here he was interred. He was Master of Catherine Hall, and Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. On the death of King Edward, having preached a sermon in favour of Lady Jane Grey, he was thrown into prison by Queen Mary, but at the end of ten months was liberated, on account of his moderation, upon con- dition of leaving the kingdom. He returned on the accession of Elizabeth, and was one of the eight divines appointed to hold disputations with an equal number of Romanists, before the two houses of parliament. He was consecrated Bishop of Worcester, in the year 1570, after which, he was removed to London, and lastly to York, in the year 1576. After a violent disagreement with Matthew Hutton, Dean of York, and who afterwards occupied the same See, he retired to live in tranquil seclusion at the Palace of Southwell, happy in the affections of his wife, the obedience of his children, and the respect of all who knew him. Old Fuller says, " he was an excellent and painful preacher, of a pious " and godly life, which increased in his old age, so that by a great and good stride, while " he had one foot in the grave, he had the other in heaven. It is hard to say whether " he was more eminent in his own virtues, or more happy in his flourishing posterity." He died on the 10th of July, 1588, and was buried in the Church of Southwell, where a handsome alabaster monument still exists to claim respect for his memory. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 43 SAMUEL HARSNET. Samuel Harsnet, Bishop of Norwich, was next elected to the See, and installed by proxy. He was born at Colchester, and is said to have gone through a greater succession of pre- ferments than any other man ever did in an equal space of time ; his chief patron being Bancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom he had been chaplain ; but his preferments were chiefly the reward of his zealous defence of episcopacy, and the rights of the church, against the attacks of the Presbyterians of that day. In the year 1624, the commons accused him, at a conference with the lords, of great misdemeanors, but he answered the charges so satisfactorily, that upon the application of the Earl of Arundel, he was appointed to the See of York, and afterwards made a privy counsellor. He died, as he was on his way from Bath to his Palace at Southwell, at Morton, in Gloucestershire. He left, among other legacies, fifty pounds, to purchase a set of communion plate. JOHN SHARP. John Sharp, the seventy-fifth Archbishop, conferred considerable benefit upon the Church ; not by any actual donations, but by one excellent body of rules and regulations, which he established in order to rectify the great irregularities and confusions which had crept into the establishment, and caused the Church to be deserted, and its members involved in dis- tractions and disagreements. He was born at Bradford, in Yorkshire, in the year 1644, where his father was an opulent merchant. After passing through several inferior dignities, he was, in the year 1691, appointed to the See of York. He was one of the best men, as well as one of the most eminent divines of that, or any other age ; and although dis- tinguished for a steady attachment to the Church of England, and the principles of the Reformation, yet his conduct, upon all occasions, was so amiable and conciliatory, that he reckoned among his most intimate acquaintance, many of the Popish adherents of the excluded Monarch, as well as some of the most zealous Dissenters. It is singular, that he offended both Kings j James, for his powerful sermons against the superstitions of Rome, whilst he was labouring to introduce Popery again into the kingdom ; and William, because he prayed for the exiled king, when he was appointed to preach before himself. Through the kind interest, however, of his friend Tillotson, Archbishop of Canterbury, he regained both the favour and friendship of the king. Bishop Burnet says, in his history, " by the " appointment of Sharp, to the Archbishoprick of York, the two Metropolitical Sees were " filled by the two best preachers of our time." He died at Bath, on the 2nd of 44 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. February, 1713, and was buried in his Cathedral at York. King William presented four hundred pounds to the Chapter, to provide an afternoon lecture on Sundays. MATTHEW HUTTON. Matthew Hutton, the seventy-ninth Archbishop, erected an Archiepiscopal Throne, on the south side of the Choir, but it has since been removed, to make room for some alterations in that part of the Church. He was a man of learning, and business, — but far inferior to his friend and predecessor, the eminent and learned Archbishop Herring, in every thing that constitutes true greatness. As the remaining Archbishops do not appear to have bestowed any benefactions worthy of record, it is foreign to our plan to give them here any historical notice. DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. SOUTH-EAST VIEW. It is presumed that the accompanying plates will fully display to the Architect and Antiquary, the character of the structure which they are intended to illustrate, both in general and in detail ; but to the general reader, whose knowledge of architecture may not be so extensive, it may be necessary to offer a few observations for the purpose of enabling him the more fully to recognize the different portions of the building, which are therein delineated. The Church stands on the south side of the town, and is environed by swelling hills, from the brow of which a fine view of it is obtained. (See Plate XIV.) It is mostly in good preservation, and has been much improved in appearance since the commencement of the present century, by the removal of the cumbrous spires, which were formerly placed on the western towers, and by the destruction of many buildings at the west end of the 46 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF Church yard, whereby a sufficient space has been obtained to enable every side of the building to be seen with full effect. It is approached by two Gateways on the north, and one on the west, and Dickinson, in his " History of Southwell, " states, that the small remains of a fourth were to be seen on the west side of the church yard. The following Wood Cut exhibits the West Gateway, which is the principal entrance. The Pier on each side of the Gateway was erected when extensive improvements were made to this building, in or about the year 1800, and correspond in style with the Arch itself, and also with the more ancient part of the building. They were designed by the late Mr. Richard Ingleman, the clerk of the fabric, by whom the composition Stalls, on each side of the Choir were also constructed. With the exception of the insertion of the perpendicular windows in the aisles of the Nave, and of the great window of similar style in the west front, this Church may be said to present perfect specimens of the respective styles of which the Nave and Transepts, Choir and Chapter House, are composed. By the ground plan ( Plate I. ) it will be seen that the building is in the form of a Greek Cross, having a Nave with Aisles, western or larger Transepts ; a Choir with Aisles, eastern or smaller Transepts ; and a Chapter House. There are two western Towers, and one in the centre. The Nave, with its Aisles and the larger Transepts, are the oldest parts of the Church, and are of a very bold Norman. The Choir, its Aisles, and eastern Transepts, which are of the early English character, and are stated by Mr. Rickman to THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 47 " form one of the best examples of that style in the kingdom, " are next in point of age ; the latest portions of the erection are the Chapter House, the Organ Sreen, and the Stalls, which are of the early and later decorated description. The principal dimensions of the building, on the plan, are as follow : — ( a ) The whole length of the interior, from east to west, is 308 feet ; the greatest transverse width of the interior, at the Transepts, is 122 feet 6 inches ; the width of the Nave and Aisles, between the walls, is 60 feet 6 inches ; that of the Choir and Aisles 63 feet 3 inches. The dotted lines on the plan indicate the ribs of the groining of the roof and the arches. Plate II., fig. a, shews a half section of the Nave and north Aisle, (which is seen in perspective in Plate XI.) an elevation of the west side of the north Transept, with a half elevation of the central Tower, which is in height 102 feet, a half section of the interior of the same, the interior of the south Transept, (seen in perspective in Plate XX.) and also an elevation of one of the fine, bold, and simple Norman Arches, which support the Tower. The Organ and its Screen are denoted by fig. b ; c, is a newly inserted doorway to the south gallery ; d, the tomb of Archbishop Sandys ; and e, a doorway now blocked up. It has been already stated, that the architecture of the Nave (Plate X.) is of a very bold Norman character, the details are well executed; the piers are short and massive, being 4 feet 11 inches in diameter. They support semicircular arches, {Plate III., fig. a) round which, and also round the large arches of the triforium b, the billet moulding is used. The clerestory windows, c, are circular, and are seen from the interior, through plain semi- circular arches with shafts. The Triforium arches (b) have singular projections (d) at the vertex of each, and from the capitals, but for what purpose has not been discovered ; Dickinson suggests that a perpendicular rod was inserted in the stones, to give greater strength to the arch, but the rod could not have been perpendicular, and there appears no good reason for the supposition; for certainly the builders of the age when this portion of the Church was erected, better understood the principle of constructing an arch than to suppose that it required any such fictitious support, as is fully evinced by the large arches on the lofty piers under the heavy walls of the central tower. The compartments of the exterior of the Nave (Plate III.) exhibits specimens of the most beautiful and simple kind, having zig-zag and circular string courses with corbelled parapets. («) The more minute measurements can be ascertained by the scale on the plate. M 48 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF A stone seat, 10 inches broad and 14 inches high is continued round the walls of the interior of the Nave and Transepts. Before proceeding to notice the other architectural sections, &c, it may be better to continue the reference to all those prints which refer to the earlier portions of the structure. The general view from the north-west (Plate XTV.) exhibits the west front and Towers, the north Porch and north Aisle of the Nave with the Clerestory, the central Tower, the north Transept, and a portion of the Chapter House. The Porch itself is shewn at large in Plate IX., and its internal arch is displayed in detail in a wood cut in another part of this work. The western Towers are square on the plan, and are supported internally by horse-shoe arches, as shewn at the further extremity of the Aisle in Plate XI. They rise to the height of 95 feet, being divided into seven stories, and surmounted by a pinnacle at each corner, similar in design to those on the central Tower. The Arches of the sixth story are intersected in the north-west Tower, whilst the similar tier in the south are pointed only, and not intersected, which would induce the supposition that the Towers were not erected coevally. Plate XVI. shews, in perspective elevation, the elaborate west Doorway, with the doors thrown open, exhibiting a view of the Nave. It has, on each side, four whole or detached columns, with capitals, from which spring arches, ornamented with the billet, zig-zag, and plain mouldings. Having referred to the plates relating to the oldest portion of the building, we will now proceed to enumerate the plates which illustrate the early pointed style, being the second in point of date. Plate IV. shews a transverse section through the Choir, its Aisles, and the eastern, or smaller Transepts. Round the building, in the Triforium, a passage is constructed in the walls, as is shewn in the section, and which is usual in buildings of this class. The glazing of the upper tier of Windows at the east end of the Choir is stained with the armorial bearings of the Prebendaries, but they are not executed in so good a style as those on the north and south sides, which represent, on the latter, the arms of Clinton, Sutton, Southeron, and Knight ; and on the former those of Manvers, Middleton, Saville, and Gaily. THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 49 • JEWI IT-Sc THE LOWER TIER OF THE EAST WINDOW. The painted Windows of the lower tier, at the east end, were presented to the Church by Henry Gaily Knight, Esq., M. P., and at the bottom of the first and last window is the inscription " Henricus Gaily Knight, Arm. Anno Domini mdcccxviii., D. D. " The following extract from a letter written by that gentleman to the Venerable Archdeacon Wilkins, in October, 1837, gives a succinct and interesting account of their history, and of the manner in which he became possessed of them. "With regard to the four ancient painted Windows, over the altar, in your Collegiate " Church of Southwell, I can afford but meagre information. They are four in number, " the subjects are the Baptism of Christ by John, the Resurrection of Lazarus, the Entrance " into Jerusalem, and the Mocking of our Saviour. " I met with them in 1815, in a pawnbroker's shop, at Paris, where they had long " remained in a neglected heap, in a corner. I was told, and I believe it was true, that " they came from the chapel of Le Temple, where Louis XVI. was confined. Le Temple "was originally the mansion of the Knights Templar, and built A. D. 1140. The painted " S lass mus t have been added much later, as a decoration either of the 14th or 15th 50 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF « centuries. It fortunately happened that though the east end of the Choir of Southwell « is not so old as the Chapel of the Knights Templar, yet was it erected before windows " were divided by mullions, and consequently, the windows which had been painted for the " latter were quite as well adapted to the former. " The Arches of these Windows, which are shewn in Plate XIII., are enriched with the peculiar tooth and nail head ornaments. The capitals and corbel heads of the label moul- dings are very elegant and free. The features of the interior and exterior of the Choir are shewn in Plate V. They are singularly beautiful, and the clustered columns and arches bear a strong resemblance to those of the Nave of Lincoln Cathedral. The Triforium range consists of very lofty double lancet pointed arches, with the tooth ornament running quite round them and down the shafts. The clerestory Windows are seen through, instead of above them, a very unusual, if not unique arrangement. The groining of the roof is supported by clustered columns, which rest on corbels placed between each arch; some of the corbels represent foliage, others heads, amongst which are those of King Edward III., his Queen, and the Black Prince, the latter, being adorned with his three feathers, is particularly conspicuous on the north side; and over the centre arch on the south side, which is very singularly lower than the others, are the feathers only. Hence it may be inferred, that at the time when this part of the Church was erected, the Prince was extremely popular, probably in consequence of his military achievements. About half way down the north Aisle of the Choir, an arch having a double entrance, something similar to the one at the entrance to the Chapter House, though not near so elaborate in its details, leads into the remains of the Cloisters. Of this arch the label moulding is supported by a sculptured head on each side, one of which is supposed to represent the portrait of Archbishop Neville, and the other that of King Richard II., in whose reign the Chapter House is said to have been erected. The exterior of the east end, with its bold projecting buttresses, resembling those of Salisbury Cathedral, is represented in Plate VII. The exterior of the Chapter House, and the Archbishops' Palace are also shewn in this plate. The title page (Plate VI.) shews, in elevation, the central part of the east front of the Organ Screen, with some of the or iginal Stalls, from which the side Stalls were copied. It has already been stated, that they are of the later decorated character, and are, as Mr. Rickman observes, " peculiarly beautiful. " Plate XII. shews the niches of the Cloisters, a window of the early pointed style, and THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OP SOUTHWELL. 51 the splendid entrance arch to the Chapter House, of the later decorated period. The situation of the arch is curious ; it is not in the center of a side of this octagonal room, but close to one of the angles, which gives its position so unnatural an appearance, as nothing but the opinion of its having been inserted since the contiguous walls were built, can reconcile. Add to this, that the sculpture is infinitely finer, and more delicate, than any near it ; and, though it bears a general resemblance to the other parts of the sur- rounding structure, there are many particulars which admit of considerable discrimination. The foliage of vines, &c, by which it is enriched, is of a peculiar flat style of carving, but exquisitely rich and free. The interior of the Chapter House, ( Plate XIX.) which is also of the later decorated character, is of octagonal shape, having on each face of the octagon a series of five niches, and over each series is a pointed window, divided into three compartments, which occupies the whole space. From the clustered columns in each angle springs the groining of the roof, which is of stone, and is decorated with bosses. The ribs are light, and elegant in curvature. The devices in the capitals of the columns of stalls are all varied, some repre- senting beasts, foliage, &c. It is to be lamented, that the painted glass which once adorned the windows is almost wholly destroyed, and the few mutilated fragments which now remain are insufficient to afford any information respecting the precise date of the building, or the names of its founders and benefactors. Externally, as shewn in Plates VII. and VIII., and the general view, Plate XIV., there is no profusion of ornament, but the proportions are good, and the perforated parapet, supported by corbels of varied heads and flowers, make an excellent finish to the walls, together with the pinnacles on bold projecting buttresses. The exterior of the eastern Transepts, of the south Aisle of the Choir, of the Clerestory, and of the circular Staircase in the angle of the Aisle and Transept, is illustrated by Plate XV., which also shews part of the Collegiate Buildings. In Plate XXI. are delineated the following details. A, profile of the base to the eastern portion of the building ; B, base, and C, profile of capital of the columns of the Choir ; D, upper and lower portions of the original windows of the Nave, with string course under- neath ; E, one of the pinnacles of the central Tower ; F, one of the niches of the Chapter House ; G, ornament, filling up the arches in the central Tower, and similar to the ornaments in the pediment of the western Transepts ; H and I, capitals of columns of the Nave ; K, corbelled parapet of the Nave. In Plate XXII. are the details of the following parts : — Fig. I., one of the corbels to clustered columns of the Choir ; II., south-east capital of the pier of the arch under the N 52 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OE central Tower ; III., parapet of the Chapter House ; IV., one of the bosses in the north Aisle of the Choir. Fig. II., Plate I., is a Font, raised on three steps. It is of octagonal shape, and on it is engraved the date, 1661, in a pannel above which is a flew de lis, and on each face a rose, all very badly executed. Fig. III., on the same Plate, is the tomb of Archbishop Sandys, which has been noticed before. Fig. IV., Plate I. is the situation of the Sedilia, represented in the following wood cut. SEDILIA, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CHOIR. The situation of the Sedilia was formerly occupied by an oak screen. The singing boys used to amuse themselves by climbing to the top of the screen until a fatal accident happened to one of their number by its falling down upon him, which occasioned its removal, and the building of the wall, in which the Sedilia is inserted, in its place ; its sculptured ornaments and figures were taken from various parts of the interior upon making alterations therein. The Church has undergone but few alterations of late years, of these the principal were effected by the removal of Archbishop Booth's chapel, which was situated on the south THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SOUTHWELL. 53 side of the Nave; by taking down, at the instigation of the Rev. J. J. Cleaver, the Library, which was a dilapidated and inconvenient building, abutting against the south Transept, and by converting the portion of the building now used as the Library to that purpose, vide Plate XVIII. The Galleries in the aisles of the Choir are commodious, but they sadly injure the architectural effect of the Choir, and of the eastern Transept. J. WHITTINOHAM, PRINTER, SOUTHWELL. o P c w o o h p o- o z 3 O DC O E s S3 i. ' % t ' S iw, c ^ " 'J * 1 @ 3 ^ ! 1 MUM TH. Clarke dehl Uth Rinltti UiCJiulLma.n'le.1 VESTIBULE AND DOORWAY TO CHAPTER HOUSE. 7b bh* Chapter of JouJfaviUdfasIhHfiuf most rvpettfkti/ zwaruvdfy X o CC D I Q O Z u u < w T < O w J 2 o 5 z _J u I h D O (0 < Ei Southwell Published by LWhitUngKum May .1858 SOUTHWELL COLLEGIATE CHURCH CHOI K Sot»tWell PuiltsLei by IWhiUi-agtata August JgHMMM||MMgM||J 23755 THE GETTY CENTti LIBRARY .