SOME CHESHIRE CROSSES
By the Archdeacon of Chester
IT would be impossible, in the course of a short chapter, to give an adequate account of all the crosses in the county of which remains still exist. On such a subject, as in the case of most counties, a volume might be written. Nor will it be attempted even to refer to all of them or to give a complete list, and it may well be that some interesting specimens will be omitted, or not mentioned here, not because they are not worthy of mention, but because there is not space to do justice to them.
It cannot but be a matter of regret that Puritan fanaticism was responsible for the destruction of many, if not most, of these crosses throughout the country. It has been computed that at least 5000 had been at various times erected, and they afforded not only types of architectural design and ornament, but also historical evidence of former times and customs.
The crosses varied much in form and character, as also in position and origin. Many of them, no doubt, were in the first instance Preaching Crosses. The monks or other early heralds of Christianity would rear up some simple or wooden cross to mark the place from which they would address the people who came to hear them, and this would in process of time give place to a more permanent structure of stone, sometimes of an elaborate nature. Generally it would be elevated or raised upon a platform of steps, sometimes few, but sometimes as many as eight or more. The cross itself might be enriched with the Figure or with some inscription or pattern of some emblematic kind. After a time, in some places, a church would be erected, and the cross or its successor would become the Churchyard Cross. Where this did not happen, the cross would remain as a reminder to the people of the message that had been delivered there, and to teach them that all their actions were to have a religious purpose. In some instances the cross became a Market Cross, of which, in different parts of the country, we have various elaborate specimens. Here again the name, whether the form of the cross was prominent or not, was evidently meant to suggest that the transactions there carried on were to be true and just, as became Christian men. Sometimes the cross became “the High Cross,” where justice was administered and civic matters discussed; and in this case also the title is most suggestive. In addition to these there were Boundary Crosses, by which would be implied the sin of removing a neighbour’s landmark; and Weeping Crosses, visited by penitents. Of all these, except, so far as I know, the latter, there are, of course, many examples in the county, and of some of them this article will treat.
The High Cross, Chester.
First and foremost, it is a matter of great regret that the High Cross has disappeared from its position in the city of Chester. It has indeed left its name behind it, the junction of the four principal streets in the centre of the city being still known as The Cross, and being so named not from the fact of the cross-roads being there, but from the structure which once stood on the spot. This was a tall shaft with canopied head, on which were carved two rows of figures in niches, and on the top an orb surmounted by a cross. The civic buildings were close at hand, being built on to St. Peter’s Church, and being styled The Pentice, probably from pent-house, as indicating the way in which it was built on to the church. Though the offices of the municipality have long since been moved to the Town Hall, the old name is still preserved, one of the courts over which the Recorder presides being called in documents “The Pentice Court.” The High Cross was taken down in 1646, when the Parliamentarians entered the city, the other crosses having been destroyed in 1577 or earlier. It was removed to Netherleigh House in the outskirts of the city, then the home of the Cotgreaves. What is said to be the head of it is now in the Grosvenor Museum at Chester, but the carvings have been cut away, as it is quite plain; and the shaft is said to be in the grounds of Plas Newydd at Llangollen. The suggestion has been made that the cross might be restored, and though it could not be placed again on its old site, owing to the confined space and the exigencies of traffic, it might find a position of importance in some other part of the city. The High Cross was the scene of all great civic functions. Here, again and again, royalty was received and conducted into the adjacent Pentice and entertained. Here proclamations were read out with due formality, and here the Mystery Plays were represented, the first performance having taken place at the Abbey Gate before the Abbot and his brethren. The cross would thus be associated in the minds of the citizens with much of their civic life, and many noteworthy events in their history, and for this reason, if for no other, its removal is much to be regretted.
Reference has already been made to the destruction of crosses in 1577 in and about Chester. In that year Sheriff Mutton seems to have distinguished himself in this work, as we read that he pulled down certain crosses by a commission from the Archbishop’s visitors. Some probably had disappeared at an earlier date, for in 1543 the city mason was paid two days’ wages “for shiftyinge the cross” at St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill. No doubt at this period many of the churchyard crosses in the county, as well as in the city, were demolished. This was often done by shortening the shaft, thus taking away the cross itself, and using the portion that was left as the basis for a sun-dial. This was sometimes a flat one, as at St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill, Chester, and sometimes a four-sided one, as at Acton, where a very elaborate one of the latter description may be seen. In this latter case the base, out of which the octagonal shaft rises, rests upon a pedestal of three steps, and the square stone, with its dial-face on each side, is surmounted by a round knob. On the top of the cube there was this inscription: on the north, “Tempus fugit: mors venit”; and on the south, “Ut hora: sic vita.” Originally this cross must have been very fine in its proportions, and a conspicuous object, whether it occupied its present position (at the west of the church) or not. In the churchyard of St. John the Baptist, Chester, is a sun-dial, which probably stands where the Churchyard Cross stood, as marked in an old plan of the end of the fifteenth century preserved in the British Museum. In the old chapter-house of this church are preserved some fragments of crosses of a remarkable character. They are of beautiful design, and are fully described by the Bishop of Bristol in vol. xlix. of the British Archæological Journal. He assigns them to the pre-Norman period, and designates them as British, and prior to 903, when the Bréts were driven out of this part of England. In his opinion the fragments of two beautiful sculptured shafts are as fine in their work as any of the pre-Norman monuments left in England. Fragments of crosses of a similar character, and probably of a similar date, are to be found at Neston, Bromborough, and West Kirby, and a portion of one from Hilbre Island is now in the Grosvenor Museum at Chester. Most of these have circular wheel heads with three projections, a type of cross which (according to Mr. Romilly Allen) is common to North Wales and Cornwall, but does not appear to be known elsewhere. Some of the crosses here mentioned, besides others elsewhere, as at Disley (now at Lyme Hall) and at Cheadle, have no doubt been sepulchral, either as headstones or flat ones. Some, however, have been Churchyard or Preaching Crosses, and a notable instance of this is to be found in the fragments now preserved at Bromborough. The late Mr. E. W. Cox gave a very accurate and careful description of these, and a design for the reconstruction of the cross, which would have stood about 10 feet high. A similar one once existed at Wallasey, and is described in a MS. history of that parish early in the seventeenth century. It is said to have been broken in three pieces by the soldiers of William III., and afterwards used for steps to the churchyard stile. In many of our churchyards, as at Bebington and at Shocklach (and no doubt there are many other instances), the pedestals or bases of crosses are to be seen. In the latter place the stones of the three steps have been carefully refixed, and the stem been lengthened a foot at its lower end so that it might fit into the socket on the top base. On the top of the stem (from which, of course, the cross had been removed) are four semi-circular holes systematically placed opposite to each other, 2 to 2½ inches in diameter, and 1½ inches deep. These are not dowel or cramp holes for the affixing of a sun-dial, or for the cross itself; and it has been conjectured that marketing and other transactions would take place here, and that when the plague was raging these holes would be filled with vinegar, in which the coins would be placed, so as to render them free from infection. Many of our readers will think of other examples which are left, some, it may be, in their own churchyards, and will be able to associate with them scenes of former days. They may picture to themselves the congregations gathered round them listening to the monk or friar or other early preacher as he unfolded the story of which the cross was the centre and the emblem, and pressed upon his hearers the lessons it was to teach, and the impression it was to make upon their daily lives. Then, in some cases, these fragments which are left have preserved to us wonderful specimens of decorative treatment, interesting not merely to the archæological student, but also to the ordinary individual, as indications of the art and skill and thoroughness of past generations, and thus as treasured memorials of olden days. Sometimes the Churchyard Cross has been restored in recent years, as at Over Peover and St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill, Chester. In each case the shortened shaft had been made the receptacle of a sun-dial. At Peover the restored cross is a memorial to the late Sir Philip Mainwaring. On an octagonal shaft of Portland stone a moulded capped head has been placed, on which is carved the figure of our Lord upon the cross with St. Mary and St. John under a gabled canopy. The cross at St. Mary’s, Chester, is a floriated one of Yorkshire stone: at the bottom of the new work is a border with four angels, and above this architectural canopies or niches, in one of which is the patron saint of the church, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cross occupies a most commanding position overlooking the river and the city walls. Other examples will no doubt occur to many of our readers.
Mention must be made, though an accurate description cannot be given, of Clulow Cross, near Wincle, of the Bow Stones on Lyme Moor, of two at Ludworth, and of three in the Public Park at Macclesfield. They are singular in their construction, the shafts being square at the top and round at the bottom. Mr. Romilly Allen has given a careful description of these, which have great antiquarian interest, but has not suggested what their origin may have been, though he classes them amongst early Christian monuments. Whilst they may have been memorial in the first instance, they may afterwards have served the purpose of reading a lesson and imparting instruction to the wayfarer as he passed by, or to the observer as he noted them from a distance.
Base of Old Village Cross, Eaton, near Tarporley.
Of Market Crosses the county has some noteworthy examples. Some of these are to be found in places where markets are no longer held, and thus stand out as witnesses of departed greatness. A notable instance of this is found at Bromborough, in the Wirral. Though a simple village, it formerly had a market on Monday, which was granted in 1277 to the Abbot and Monastery of St. Warburgh, in Chester, together with a three days’ fair at the festival of St. Barnabas, the patron saint of the church. The market, of course, has long since ceased to be held, but in the centre of the village the site of the Market Cross is marked by the ancient steps, eight in number, on which was erected a few years ago a handsome cross. In this case it can only recall what once has been. At Lymm (where again no market is now held) is another example of a different kind. Here the lower steps are carved out of the natural rock. On the top one stands, not a cross, but a stone building, supported on four columns, with a gabled roof, surmounted by a knob facing each way. On the gables are sundials, which have been renewed, and on the top a central pinnacle with weather-cock. On one of the lower steps are the stocks, very perfect examples of these old-time punishment seats. The grooved uprights still remain, and the woodwork, with a double pair of holes (so that two offenders might be in durance vile at the same time), though much chipped and broken, is still complete. In the little hamlet of Eaton, in the parish of Tarporley, at the junction of the roads may be seen a flight of steps, on which once evidently rested a cross, the place of which is now occupied by a growing tree. The position seems to bring it into the category of market crosses. Was it in humble imitation of larger places that village crosses were erected in the centre of the hamlet, and did they thus give their religious sanction to the business which might be transacted beneath them, even though no markets, in the proper sense of the word, were held there? At Macclesfield, the remains of the old Market Cross now stand in the Park, where the uncomfortable town stocks of iron may also be seen. In other places in the county no doubt similar relics have been preserved; but it is in the Market-place of Sandbach that the greatest treasures of this kind are to be seen. Of the Sandbach crosses Ormerod has said, “They may indisputably be ranked among the finest monuments of antiquity of this kind in the kingdom.” Similarly Mr. Romilly Allen has said, “Much of the finest series of figure subjects probably in all England is to be seen on the mutilated crosses at Sandbach.” The origin of the crosses is veiled in obscurity. It has been asserted that they were put up in the year 608, when Penda returned a Christian convert to Mercia, attended, according to Bede, by four priests deputed to preach the gospel throughout his dominions. But though this statement may be quite conjectural, there is no doubt that they may be placed at a very early date. Mr. Romilly Allen thinks that the earliest date which can be assigned to any Christian monument in Cheshire is in the second half of the seventh century; so that he (no mean authority) would not accept the above statement.
Sandbach Crosses.
The crosses have had a chequered history. They were broken down and defaced in the civil wars in the reign of Charles I. The pieces were then dispersed, and were taken possession of by different people. One of the largest was removed to Utkinton Hall, thence later to Tarporley Rectory, and finally to Oulton Park, where it stood for some time near the park wall, not far from the lodge. Other pieces had a similar experience. Dr. Ormerod was chiefly instrumental in gathering the fragments together, one having been built into a wall near the town well, and another used as a step of a cottage. Fortunately the stone, though local, is of a much harder grit than the ordinary Cheshire sandstone, and in consequence the carving has not suffered to anything like the extent it otherwise would have done by these removals and by weather. Considering the unique character of the crosses, this is a matter of sincere congratulation. Mr. Allen suggests that they were erected “to encourage devotion in a public place by the religious subjects sculptured on them”; and to this we might add, to urge upon all who transacted business there that their dealings should be marked by truth and justice. The two crosses stand on a substructure of two steps, with two sockets in which the crosses are fixed. At the angle of each stage of the platform are stone posts, on which figures have been rudely carved. The crosses are now of unequal height, if ever they were of the same dimensions. The taller one is 16 feet 8 inches high; the shorter one 11 feet 11 inches. On the shorter cross one piece, and on the taller one two pieces, have evidently suffered somewhat when they were taken away, as the carving on them is less distinct than on the rest. The following description will give some idea of the elaborate nature of the carvings, and will show that the opinion of Dr. Ormerod and other experts is amply justified, and that the county, and specially the town, of Sandbach may be proud of possessing such treasures. In the larger cross the framework, in which the figures on each side are included, divides near the base and becomes forked, and in the angles on the east side are figures of cherubs looking upwards. Immediately above this is a large circle containing three figures, representing the Virgin enthroned, holding the Holy Child, with a saint on either side and the Holy Dove above. In the next compartment are three figures, and it has been suggested that they may represent the Baptism of our Lord, though it would seem to be unusual to have three figures in such representation. The Holy Dove is again observed here on the right. The longer panel above this has in the lower division the Nativity, the ox and the ass being seen on either side of the manger-cradle. Then there is the Crucifixion, with the sun and moon above and the Virgin and St. John below; and surrounding this are the symbols of the four Evangelists. On this latter point Mr. Romilly Allen remarks: “The association of the symbols of the four Evangelists with the Crucifixion is somewhat unusual, as well as in the form of the symbols, which resembles those on one of the crosses at Ilkley, in Yorkshire, and on a small fragment of a cross shaft at Halton, in Lancashire.” Perhaps the association of the four Evangelists with the Crucifixion may be intended to emphasise the fact that that event is recorded with much minuteness by each of them, and is thus the central fact of the gospel story. The west side of this cross is divided into eight double compartments. The first part is filled by dragons and other zoomorphic designs, and in other parts representations of winged figures. The scriptural scenes are pronounced to be the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Zacharias; Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross; our Saviour led bound before Pilate; Christ in glory; and St. Peter with his keys. On the south side we find a variety of foliage, knots, and elaborate ornaments; and on the north side a number of figures, the most conspicuous being a large fish, with tongue triply cloven. The smaller cross bears a variety of human figures placed within niches and lozenges, with one group apparently intended to represent the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. There are at least three different patterns in what may be called the knot ornamentation, which may be thus described: knots derived from a three-cord plait, figure-of-eight knots, and a pattern derived from a four-cord plait. This last is one of extreme rarity in this country, there being, in Mr. Romilly Allen’s opinion, no other instance of its occurrence elsewhere. It is, however, to be found on a splendid sword of the Viking period found at Ultuna, in Sweden. Mr. Romilly Allen, commenting on the crosses, remarked that, “The way in which the designs are arranged in several different kinds of panels is worthy of notice. Some of the panels have square tops, others round tops, others are diamond-shaped, and others triangular. They are also in some cases placed in double rows, and are not always opposite each other. On one of the shafts the panels are shaped like a thimble, and aggregated in twos and threes in an extraordinary way.”
It will be understood from this that these monuments, whatever be their origin, are of priceless value, and offer for the student much food for reflection, and for the ordinary individual objects for admiration.
It is satisfactory to know that the local authorities at Sandbach fully appreciate these treasures. Quite recently they consulted the Council of the Chester and North Wales Archæological and Historic Society as to their condition, and as to whether any further steps should be taken for their preservation. Accordingly two members of the Council with expert knowledge visited the place, and came to the conclusion that beyond the careful pointing of some joints nothing was necessary. They thought that a fence or barricade of any kind would interfere with the harmony of the design, and that if a careful watch was exercised to see that no damage was done by children or mischievous persons, the crosses would last in their present condition for generations, the nature of the stone being hard and durable. Still more recently Sandbach has been visited by the Cambrian Archæological Society, and as a consequence of that visit it is probable that casts or squeezes will be taken of the designs on the crosses, and that thus a more close and careful examination of them will be rendered possible. This may lead to the elucidation of some of the doubtful points in connection with their interpretation, and so to the clearing up of a good deal which is at present uncertain. At any rate, we may hope that for many generations Sandbach will be known as the happy possessor and the jealous guardian of these early monuments, and that for many a long year amongst the “Memorials of Old Cheshire” will be reckoned these wonderful and unique crosses.