A Comprehensive History of Norwich

by A. D. Bayne

St. Mary Coslany.

From St. Augustine’s we pass down Pitt Street to the parish of St. Mary, inhabited chiefly by poor people. The church is a cruciform structure with a tall round tower of flint, containing six bells. There are no aisles. The south porch has a good groined vault and a richly moulded doorway, with a parvise or chamber above. The chancel has a panelled ceiling with rich perforated work. The pulpit is ancient and has tracery in the upper part of the panels, with the linen pattern below, and a perforated iron projection for the book rest. The font is octagonal, and has painted shields of arms in its upper panels. The rood-stair turret is at the intersection of the north transept and chancel. At the west end of the nave there is an old parish chest, and in the south transept there is a square-headed foliated piscina. Several ancient stalls are remaining, and in the north wall of the chancel there is a tombstone of the Elizabethan era, dated 1578, and having incised figures of Martin Vankermbeck, M.D., and his wife. The perpetual curacy was augmented, from 1733 to 1824, with £2200 of royal bounty, and is valued at £124. The Marquis of Townshend is patron. Rev. C. Morse, LL.B., is incumbent.

St. George Colegate.

We pass on eastward to the parish of St. George’s Colegate, wherein are some of the best built streets on this side of the city. The church is a large structure rebuilt at different periods, viz., the tower and nave about 1459; the chancel in 1498; the north aisle with the chapel of St. Mary in 1504; and the south aisle with the chapel of St. Peter in 1513. The tower is lofty and has a clock and three bells. The rood-stair turret still remains on the south side. The east window is of three lights, and is filled with painted glass by Mr. Swan, with figures representing Faith, Hope, and Charity. The living is a perpetual curacy, valued at £98, and augmented from 1737 to 1792 with £1000 of Queen Anne’s bounty. The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The Rev. A. W. Durdin, incumbent. The memorial to John Crome, familiarly known to Norwich citizens, and to artists and connoisseurs in paintings as “Old Crome,” one of the most esteemed of our Norwich “worthies,” has just been placed in the church of St. George Colegate, in which parish he passed the latter years of his life, and in which he died soon after being chosen churchwarden, in the year 1821. The idea of erecting a monument to the memory of Crome originated in 1841, amongst some of his fellow-citizens who were lovers of the fine arts, but the subscriptions received up to 1844 appear only to have amounted to about twenty-six pounds. At the death of Mr. Lound, who had been receiving the subscriptions, in 1861, Mr. J. B. Morgan, determining to carry out the object of the subscribers, recommended the work of canvassing for subscriptions, which ultimately reached the sum of about £100. Funds having been raised, a committee of amateur artists was formed, who consulted Mr. Bell, an eminent sculptor, of London, and a native of this city, by whom a handsome mural tablet has been placed at the east end of the south aisle of St. George’s Church to the memory of Crome. This tablet, which is of white marble, is divided into three panels, the centre panel containing a bas-relief profile bust of John Crome. Judging from the portrait of Crome recently hung in the Council Chamber, this is an admirable likeness of the Norwich landscape painter. Beneath are the name “John Crome” in gold letters, and a palette and pencils; and above an elegantly carved laurel wreath. On one panel is the following: “Near this spot lie the remains of one of England’s greatest landscape painters, born in this city, December 21st, 1769, and died in this parish April 22nd, 1821;” and on the right-hand panel, “This memorial is erected forty-seven years after his death by admirers of his art, principally connected with Norfolk, his native county.”

St. Clement’s parish includes St. Clement Within and St. Clement Without. The population increased from 853 inhabitants in 1801 to nearly 4000 in 1861. This large increase occurred chiefly in the northern suburb of the city, called New Catton, which, in 1842, was constituted an ecclesiastical district, and assigned to Christ Church, a new edifice built there. Some centuries ago, several old churches, called St. Anne’s Chapel, All Saints, St. Botolph, and St. Margaret, existed in this parish, but no vestiges now remain.

St. Clement’s Church, in Colegate Street, is one of the oldest in the city, and belonged to the manor of Tokethorpe. It has a square tower with three bells, a nave without aisles, and a chancel, all in the perpendicular styles. The chancel contains four dedication crosses, and is separated from the nave by a fine arch. The tower arch is blocked by the organ and gallery. The communion plate weighs 88 ozs., including a silver gilt cup given by S. Sofyld in 1569. Three parish houses are let for £26 10s. yearly, which is applied with the church rates, except a reserved yearly rent of 3s. 4d. payable to the Great Hospital, pursuant to a lease granted in 1569 for 500 years. The rectory valued in K.B. at £7 9s. 2d., and now at £96, was augmented in 1738 with £200 of Queen Anne’s bounty, and £200 bequeathed by the Rev. Edward Brooke. It is in the patronage of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and incumbency of the Rev. R. Rigg.

Christ Church.

Christ Church in New Catton was consecrated by Bishop Stanley amid a disturbance caused by the chartists. It is a chapel of ease in the improving parish of St. Clement. It is a neat structure of flint and brick in the early English style, comprising nave, chancel, transepts, and a bell turret at the west end. It was finished in 1841 at a cost of about £2500, and has sittings for 600 people. It was built by subscription, and by the same means £800 have been invested for its endowment, and £200 for its reparation. The rector of St. Clement’s is patron of the perpetual curacy, valued at £150, and it is now in the incumbency of the Rev. Robert Wade, B.A.

St. Saviour.

St. Saviour’s Church, in Magdalen Street, is a small structure, and has a square tower with two bells. It has some modern monuments. The south porch is now used as a baptistry. The font has an octagonal panelled basin, and is supported by four shafts resting on lions’ heads, and carried through ogee canopies with pinnacles between. The perpetual curacy was certified at £3, and is now valued at £103. It was augmented from 1729 to 1813 with £1800 of royal bounty. The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The Rev. W. Harris Cooke, M.A., incumbent.