The Music Hall, formerly The Theatre Royal.
The citizens of Chester appear to have been early distinguished for a love of theatricals. From a MS. entitled, “Certayne collections of aunchiante times concerninge the aunchiante and famous Citty of Chester,” by Archdeacon Rogers, we learn that in the beginning of the fourteenth century, Randal Higden, a monk of Chester, “translated the Bible into several partes and plays, so as the common people might learne the same by theyre playinge.” These spectacles, then called the Whitsun Plays, were first performed in 1328, during the mayoralty of Sir John Arneway, at the expense of the city companies; and being “profitable for them, for all both far and near came to see them,” they were repeated annually on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in Whitsun week, for nearly 250 years, until 1574, when they were suppressed by authority. The theatre for these performances was of the original Thespian cast, a four-wheeled scaffold or waggon, whereof the body served for a tyring room, and the roof for the stage, whereon the members of the different city companies did “each man play his part.” The first place of performance was at the Abbey Gate, that “the monks and churche might have the first sighte, and then the stage was drawne to the High Crosse before the Mayor and Aldermen, and soe from streete to streete; and when one pageant was ended another came in the place thereof, till all that were appoynted for the daye were ended.” Each company had its own peculiar parts allotted to its members to perform in the Whitsun Plays, of which a list is given in the above quoted MS.
In addition to the Whitsun Plays, the citizens were anciently entertained with processional pageants by the different companies, which latter appear to have survived the suppression of the former for many years. They were suppressed for some time by the party in power during the Commonwealth, but revived with great splendour at the Restoration.
The pageants were abolished by order of the Corporation in 1678.
“No circumstance,” says the old History from which we have already quoted, “can evince the strange mutations to which things are liable, more than this place, which was originally a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas, and devoted to religion; afterwards a common hall devoted to justice; next a warehouse devoted to trade; and now a playhouse devoted to amusement.”
The present writer has to note another change: the “Playhouse” has become a Music Hall, handsome and commodious. A few years since a company was formed for the purpose of erecting a spacious Hall, available for musical and literary recreations, public meetings, and social celebrations. The Hall was built by Mr. J. D. Williams, from designs by Mr. James Harrison; and a remarkably fine organ, by Jackson, of Liverpool, has also been erected. Seats are fitted up for an audience of 1,400 persons, and the orchestra is capable of accommodating 300 performers. The cost of the building, with the organ and fittings, was £5,000. The Hall was opened, on November 26th, 1855, with a grand Miscellaneous Concert, at which Madame Clara Novello was the principal vocalist, and was crowded by a brilliant gathering of the beauty and fashion of the city and neighbourhood. Since that time it has frequently been used for the performance of oratorios and concerts, for lectures, public meetings, and other purposes, except theatrical entertainments, which are prohibited by the terms of the lease under which the site is held from the ecclesiastical commissioners, in whom the fee simple of the property is vested.
Returning to the Cross, whence we set out, we now direct our attention to
Bridge Street,
which is an open and spacious street, in length from the Cross to the Bridge about 554 yards. This street is characterized by many striking features of deep interest to the antiquarian, and indeed to all who love to visit the localities which are associated with any remarkable events of our national and ecclesiastical history. Although the buildings now present a much more modern aspect than they did some years ago, there are still remaining many conspicuous proofs of the antiquity of the city, and many curious remains which give it peculiar attractions.
A little way down the street, on the left hand, is a house now occupied by Mr. W. Brittain, woollen draper, which is rendered remarkable from a peculiar, and, as it resulted, fortunate incident, which occurred there in 1558. In that year Dr. Cole, Dean of St. Paul’s, came to Chester on his way to Ireland, entrusted with a commission from Queen Mary, for prosecuting the Protestants in that part of the kingdom. The commissioner stopped one night in this house on his way, then a noted inn, called the Blue Posts, where he was visited by the Mayor, to whom, in the course of conversation, he communicated his errand, taking out a leather box out of his cloak bag, and saying, in a tone of exultation, “Here is what will lash the heretics of Ireland!” This announcement was overheard by the landlady of the house, who had a brother in Dublin; and whilst the commissioner was complimenting his worship down stairs, the good woman, prompted by a tender regard for the safety of her brother, opened the box, and taking out the commission, placed in its stead a pack of cards, with the knave of clubs uppermost. The unsuspecting Doctor packed up the box again, and with its far different contents proceeded on his journey. On his arrival at the Castle of Dublin, the precious box was presented to the Lord Deputy and Privy Council, who, on opening it, found, in the place of the commission, the pack of cards, prefaced with the significant knave of clubs. The surprise of the assembly was of course very great, and the Doctor’s perhaps the greatest of all; he was not lack in his protestations that the commission he had received, and was entirely ignorant how it had disappeared. “Let us have another commission,” said the Deputy; and forthwith the amazed and chagrined commissioner returned to Court for the purpose; but before he could return to Ireland, Queen Mary died. Elizabeth, her successor, rewarded the woman, whose name was Elizabeth Edwards, with a pension of £40 a year during her life.
A little lower down, on the same side, are the remains of a Roman Bath and Hypocaust, which we have described under the head of “Roman Antiquities.” This curious relic, we take for granted, the visitor will “go and see.”
A little further is the neat little church of St. Michael, recently erected on the site of the old church, which had become so much dilapidated, that apprehensions were excited for its safety.
Passing Pepper-street, adjoining St. Michael’s, we next meet with The Albion Hotel, a capacious building, connected with which is an Assembly-room, and behind the premises extensive pleasure-grounds and a bowling-green.
Passing on to the lower end of the street, we come to St. Olave’s Church, an edifice of very mean pretensions, but of very ancient foundation. In the copy of an old Court Roll, the advowson of St. Olave’s is mentioned among other advowsons, belonging to the Abbey of St. Werburgh. A clerk was instituted and inducted upon the presentation of the Abbey, in the time of King John. Divine service is discontinued at St. Olave’s, and the parishioners attend St. Michael’s. Continuing down the street we arrive at a handsome arch called the Bridgegate, beyond which is the old bridge, which will lead the tourist (should his curiosity incline him) to Edgar’s Cave, already described under the head of antiquities.
Returning on the west side of the street, we come to a steep lane, called St. Mary’s-hill, which leads to the Castle and to St. Mary’s Church, a most interesting edifice, worthy of the tourist’s examination.
Opposite St. Olave’s Church, before mentioned, is an old house, formerly occupied by the Gamul family, which possesses great interest from the fact of its having given protection to Charles I. during the siege of Chester by the Parliamentary forces. There is some very curious painted panel work and beautiful carving in the interior, which render it well worthy of inspection. A little higher up is an antiquated building called “The Falcon Inn,” a fine specimen of the old timber houses of Chester. Adjoining this house formerly stood the Old Lamb Row, which was one of the most remarkable objects of curiosity in the city. The materials of which the buildings were composed were the same as that of the Falcon, which is probably an older building than the Old Lamb-row was. It was constructed of massy beams of oak, heavy roofs, and the interstices of the timber in the fronts filled up with sticks and clay. The age of the row is pretty clearly determined by the inscription on a stone, discovered after the fall of the building:—
16—H—55
R. H.
The initials of Randle Holme, the builder. This was the mansion of the family of Holme, the famous Cheshire antiquaries. In the year 1670, the third Randle made some important and obnoxious alterations, which brought upon him the censure of the Corporation, who ordered that “the nuisance erected by Randle Holme in his new building in Bridge-street, near to the two churches, be taken down, as it annoys his neighbours, and hinders their prospect from their houses.” He proceeded with his work, however, sans cérémonie; and in the following year Mr. Holme, painter, “was fined £3 6s. 8d. for contempt to the Mayor, in proceeding in his building in Bridge-street.” It continued the residence of that heraldic family so late as 1707. It appears that the Holme family subsequently sank into extreme indigence, and at no very distant period, we believe, a descendant was an occasional boots and waiter at a tavern in Liverpool. Such are the reverses of fortune! How this property became alienated from the Holmeses has not been ascertained. It was occupied about the middle of the last century as a public-house, called “The Lamb,” whence it derived the name of the Lamb-row. In 1821, in the middle of the day, it suddenly gave way and tumbled into the street: happily without any injury to the inhabitants. An old woman was sitting in the upper room at the moment the overhanging roof bore down the trembling building beneath; the wall of the apartment separated within six inches of a chair on which she was seated, but she fortunately escaped.
After passing Grosvenor-street, we come to White Friars, which derives its name from a monastery of Carmelites or White Friars being once located there. The next turning is Common Hall-street, so called from its being the place where the Common Hall of the city formerly stood, as its name imports. Some think that it occupied the site of a building now used as a Dissenting chapel; but Ormerod is of opinion that it stood on the south side of the street, near to several old almshouses which still remain.
Prior to the era of the Reformation, Chester abounded in religious institutions and edifices. We have already indicated this fact, in pointing out the localities where some of these religious buildings were situated. There are many convincing evidences, in the lower part of several houses in the principal streets, that they have been erected on the ruins of these ecclesiastical foundations. A remarkable instance in support of this supposition has recently been brought to light, upon clearing out an underground cellar behind the shop of Messrs. Powell and Edwards, cutlers, a little farther up in the street, when the remains of