The church was afterwards finished nearly as it remains at this time; and mansion houses and other necessary buildings were erected for the use of the foundation, as well as the alms houses mentioned in the licence. Among the inscriptions in the MS. of Lincolnshire Church Notes, taken by Mr. Gervase Holles, are the names of several persons who belonged to this establishment.
This college received several benefactions, and its possessions progressively increased to a considerable magnitude. In the thirty-sixth year of Henry the eighth, the whole was granted to Charles, Duke of Suffolk, who at that time was possessor of the castle and manor.
The church stands about eighty yards east of the castle, near the outer fosse, and is a beautiful and spacious stone structure in the form of a cross, consisting of a square tower, a nave with five arches on a side, and eight clerestory windows placed in pairs, a transept, and a choir. On the north side is a porch, on which are sculptured the arms of William of Wainflete, Bishop of Winchester: formerly there were two porches on the south side also bearing the arms of the same bishop; but these have been some time since removed. Over the great eastern window is a richly ornamented niche, in which a statue once stood: the wall above the western door is likewise ornamented with thirteen blank shields. The cloisters, which were on the south side of the chancel, are entirely demolished.
In the south wall of the chancel are three stone stalls and a piscina, with a cornice charged with various animals; on each side of the transept is also a piscina. There is a handsome rood-loft between the nave and choir, now used as a singing gallery.
The windows of the choir were once enriched with beautiful stained glass, which was removed in the year 1754, by the Earl of Exeter, on condition that it should be replaced with plain glass: but this being neglected to be done, the choir remained about fifty years with unglazed windows; and being thus exposed to the weather, the elegantly carved oak stalls, the rich screens, and other ornamental work, fell entirely to decay. [90] The choir has, within these few years, been repaired by the present Earl Fortescue, and fitted up in a plain but neat manner.
The windows of the nave and transept were also enriched with stained glass containing the legendary histories of St. Guthlake, St. Catherine, and other saints, a few fine fragments of which are preserved in two of the transept windows.
On the floor before the communion table is a stone which once contained a rich brass figure of the Lord Treasurer Cromwell, habited in full plated armour and a flowing mantle and cordon, the gauntlets reaching to the middle joint of the fingers, a long sword across him from the middle of the belt, and at his feet two wild men with clubs his supporters; by his side the figure of Margaret his wife; and over them a canopy charged with saints, and under them the following inscription:
“Hic jacet nobilis Baro Radulphus Cromwell Miles D’ns de Cromwell quo’dm Thesaurarius Anglie et fundator hujus Collegii cum inclita consorte sua Margareta una herede d’ni Dayncourt qui quid’m Radulphus obiit quarto die mens. Januarij Anno d’ni Mill’o cccclv. Et p’dicta Margareta obiit xv die Septe’br Anno d’ni mill’io ccccliij Quor’ Aiab’ pp’ietur Deus Amen.”
The whole of these figures, the canopy, and the arms are gone and only half the inscription is now remaining.
On the north side of the Lord Treasurer, is the figure in brass of Joan Lady Cromwell, [91a] under a canopy adorned with saints, and under her this inscription: