Continuing our way up the market-place we pass the Town Hall or Court House on the right, an Italian structure dating from 1826, and the broad St. Peter’s Street opens before us, leading to the old church dedicated to that saint. The church is one of three built by Abbot Ulsinus in Saxon times; the date of their foundation is very uncertain, but we may bear in mind that the first abbot, Willegod, ruled at the close of the eighth century, that Ulsinus was the sixth abbot, and that six others ruled during Pre-Norman times. St. Peter’s Church, largely restored by Lord Grimthorpe, is therefore of great antiquity as a foundation; the present structure is chiefly late Perp. with a lofty E. tower carrying four pinnacles, the latter an addition by the restorer. The position of the tower (elsewhere almost invariably W.) is explained by the fact that the old church was cruciform, and that when, at the beginning of last century, the extreme E. of the chancel and the transepts were found much dilapidated they were pulled down, the old tower thereby losing its central position. Note the E. Perp. arches separating nave and aisles; the pulpit a good example of Belgian carving, and the old stained glass in windows of N. aisle; the stained glass in other windows is modern. Concerning the brass to Roger Pemberton, Sheriff of Herts (d. 13th November, 1627), a story is told. If the visitor passes out of the churchyard by the N.W. gate he will be vis-à-vis to the almshouses founded in 1627 on the W. side of what was then “St. Peter’s Street, Bowgate”. Pemberton is said to have been shooting in the woods, to have shot a widow by accident, and to have founded these almshouses for widows, and endowed them with £30 per annum for ever as a salve to his conscience. There is an iron arrow over the old brick gateway before the houses, which seems to countenance the story. There were formerly many other brasses in the church, but the inscriptions on some of them must now be sought in the county histories. A few, however, remain, e.g., one with shield of arms to Mrs. Elizabeth Wyndham (d. 1735). In the N. aisle is the tomb of Edward Strong (d. 1723), “Master Mason” of St. Paul’s Cathedral; in the churchyard lies Dr. Nathaniel Cotton, the friend of Cowper (see page [180]) (d. 1788). Among those who fell in the battles of St. Albans (of which more will be said presently) and were buried in this church or graveyard were (1) Sir Bertin Entwysel, Kt., Baron of Brybeke in Normandy; (2) Ralph Babthorpe and Ralph his son, of an old Yorkshire family. As a matter of fact a great number of the slain were buried here; Chauncy says “this Church and Churchyard was filled with the Bodies of those that were slain in the two battles fought in this town”.
The two other churches founded by Abbot Ulsinus are those of St. Stephen and St. Michael.
St. Stephen’s Church stands ¾ mile S.W. from the Clock Tower, at the junction of the roads from Edgware and Watford. It was restored by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1861-62; but still retains some ancient features; e.g., the late Norman arch in N. wall, formerly in part separating the nave from the N. aisle (now absent), and two Norman windows, widely splayed, in W. wall. Note (1) brass eagle-lectern, believed to have been formerly in the Abbey at Holyrood; (2) double piscina in S. aisle; (3) fifteenth century font. The oldest brass, much worn, is in the S. chapel; it is to the memory of William Robins, Clerk of the Signet to Edward IV., (d. 1482) and Katherine his wife.
LORD BACON’S MONUMENT
St. Michael’s Church, about ¾ mile W. from the Clock Tower, stands on gently rising ground close to the carriage road to Gorhambury. It is believed to occupy, approximately, the centre of what was the ancient city of Verulam ([q.v.]) and to mark the site of a Roman temple. It has been restored, and the tower rebuilt, by Lord Grimthorpe; the work was only completed two or three years ago. Flint and tiles taken from the surrounding ruins by the builders still exist in the walls; but repeated restorations have almost obliterated the evidences of its antiquity. There are brasses (1) to Thomas Wolvey, an Esquire to Richard II. (d. 1430); (2) to “John Pecok et Maud sa femme” (circa 1340-50); but the monument of paramount interest is that in the recess N. of the chancel, to Francis Bacon, Baron Verulam and Viscount St. Albans (d. 9th April, 1626). The great philosopher and Lord Chancellor is represented as sitting in a tall chair, leaning his head upon his left hand; a Jacobean ruff is round his neck and a wide hat upon his head; the sculptor (unknown) has succeeded admirably in imparting an air of abstraction to the countenance. Of Bacon’s house at Gorhambury, 1½ mile farther W., little remains except some fragments of wall and tower, with [projecting entrance] porch. In the yet remaining spandrels of the arches are medallions of Roman Emperors; over the porch are the arms of Elizabeth. The present mansion, a little E. from the ruins, was commenced in 1778 by James third Viscount Grimston; it has been considerably altered, but retains the grand N. portico; the pediment, supported by ten Corinthian columns, reaches to the roof. The hall is very large, and contains portraits of Francis Bacon, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, and other worthies. There are numerous pictures in other apartments, including portraits of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Stafford, Queen Elizabeth, Robert Devereux, Catherine of Braganza and William Pitt.
RUINS OF LORD BACON’S HOUSE