ARCHDEACONS. | |
Ven. Isaac Wood, Middlewich. | Ven. John Jones, Liverpool. |
CANONS. | |
Rev. James Slade, M.A. | Rev. Thomas Eaton, M.A. |
Rev. George B. Blomfield, M.A. | Rev. Temple Hillyard, M.A. |
HONORARY CANONS. | |
Rev. C. A. Thurlow, M.A. | Rev. Hugh Stowell, M.A. |
Rev. Hugh McNeile, D.D. | Rev. William Cooke, M.A. |
MINOR CANONS. | |
Rev. W. Harrison, M.A. | Rev. R. M. Smith, M.A. |
Rev. E. F. Thurland, Precentor. | Rev. H. Venables, M.A. |
Through an oaken door at the extremity of the north aisle, we pass into the north wing of the Transept,—like the Nave, not appropriated to any of the ordinary services of the church. The lower portion of its walls is indisputably Norman work, as is evidenced by the seven-arched triforium, which traverses midway its eastern side. A small doorway in the corner of this wall leads up, by a spiral staircase, to the triforium and great tower, as also to the clerestory gallery, which “threads its devious course” almost wholly round the sacred edifice. The archway under the great north window of the Transept conducts to the Chapter House and Cathedral Library. Two monuments in this wing deserve our notice,—one to the memory of Sir John Grey Egerton, Bart., sometime M.P. for Chester,—and the other to Colonel Roger Barnston, of Chester, erected by the subscriptions of his admiring friends and fellow-citizens. Immediately over the monument of Sir John Egerton is placed a piece of magnificent tapestry, copied from one of Raphael’s masterpieces, representing “Elymas the sorcerer struck with blindness before Sergius Paulus.” This is stated to have been brought over from a nunnery in France, and, until the recent alterations, usurped the place of the reredos at the back of the High Altar.
Thence returning to the Nave, we pass under the massive stone screen into the Choir, and are at once filled with admiration of its noble proportions, and of the taste and elegance which everywhere pervade it. The great features of the structure we have hitherto examined have been chiefly architectural, but here we are introduced to a scene in which all the resources of human art have been brought to bear by the creature man in honour of his Creator God. Look at this gorgeous canopy of ancient oak, adorning and supporting the fine organ overhead—at that magnificent range of Stalls, also of old oak, four-and-twenty on either side, crowned with canopies of the richest tracery, no one stall a copy of the other—at those pews of fairest form and choicest elaboration—at yon Shrine of St. Werburgh, now the Episcopal Throne—at the handsome stone pulpit—at the bold oak lectern, the eagle bearing upon his wings the glad tidings of salvation—at the graceful Altar-screen and Holy Table—and at the stained-glass enrichments of the two great east windows, through which gleams the morning sun,
Dyed
In the soft chequerings of a sleepy light.—
As all these meet our wondering eyes, then do we awake to the consciousness that this is the Lord’s House, and, as it richly deserves to be, the Mother Church of the city and diocese. The seats of the Stalls, or misericordiæ, are worthy of our inspection, every one bearing some device different from its companions. The Throne is composed, in great part, of the pedestal on which rested, in Romish days, the sacred relics of St. Werburgh,—those relics which, according to Father Bradshaw, performed such great and astounding miracles. The images surrounding it are supposed to be those of Mercian kings and saints, to which royal line St. Werburgh belonged. The Throne has been improved and raised some feet within the last fifteen years. The stone Pulpit replaced an older one of monarch oak, which has since been transformed into a long open seat for the Lady Chapel. The Communion Table and its appointments are all in good taste; and the elegant stone Reredos, which divides the Altar from the Lady Chapel, is of exceedingly chaste and appropriate character. The subjects in the east clerestory window represent “Our blessed Lord between the four Evangelists,” over whom are depicted five incidents in Christ’s career on earth,—the Agony in the Garden—Jesus bearing His Cross—the Crucifixion—the Resurrection—and the Ascension. The entire length of the Choir is 125 feet, breadth 74½ feet, and height 78 feet.
The north aisle of the Choir has one stained-glass obituary window, but no other object of interest, save a few old monuments, and a vestry for the Canons, the latter being a portion of the old Norman edifice. We pass hence to the Lady Chapel, at the east end of the Choir, supposed by some to be the oldest portion of the present re-edified Cathedral. It is 65 feet long, 74½ feet wide, including the side aisles, and 33 feet high. The Chapel consisted originally of one central aisle only, the two side aisles having been added at a later period. At the east end stood the Shrine of St. Werburgh, until the Reformation saw it removed to the Choir, and converted thenceforward into the Bishop’s Throne. The east window of the Lady Chapel is embellished with stained glass of the richest description—the subjects being severally, the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Wise Men’s Offering, the Presentation in the Temple, Christ disputing with the Doctors, the Baptism of John, the Water turned into Wine, Healing the Lame, Walking on the Sea, Feeding the Multitude, the Transfiguration, the Raising of Lazarus, the Entry into Jerusalem, Washing the Disciples’ Feet, and the Last Supper,—the whole crowned with symbolical figures of the Twelve Apostles. In this Chapel George Marsh was condemned to be burnt for heresy in the days of Queen Mary.
The south aisle of the Choir and Lady Chapel has all its windows adorned with stained glass, the one at the east end being an obituary memorial for the late Hugh Robert Hughes, Esq., of the Bache, erected by his son, inheritor from his uncle, Lord Dinorben, of Kinmel Park, Flintshire. Obituary windows to the Humberston and Anson families, and two others piously erected by the present worthy Dean, complete the adornment of this aisle. Dean Anson has done more to beautify his Cathedral than all his predecessors put together! Under an indented arch in the east wall recline the dust and ashes of one of the abbots of St. Werburgh, the slab adorned with a cross floree. In the centre of this aisle stands an altar-tomb, once built into the wall of the Sedilia. This tomb tradition assigns to Henry IV. of Germany; but it appears that monarch died and was buried in his own dominions: other and better authority surmises it to be the tomb of one of the later abbots.
From this aisle we pass into the south wing of the Transept, time out of mind appropriated to the parish Church of St. Oswald. So early as the ninth century, a Church existed here, independent of the Abbey; but on the enlargement of the latter in the thirteenth century, St. Oswald’s became incorporated with the Abbey, as its southern transept. This was the Church, the functions of which were transferred by the monks to St. Nicholas Chapel, now the Music Hall; but the parishioners could not forget their first love, and soon wormed their way back again to St. Oswald’s. The Church contains some handsome monuments, worthy the attention of the visitor.
Crossing the nave, we see opposite to us a door, introducing us to the Cloisters of this once powerful Abbey. The arch we are now passing under is a Norman specimen of exceeding purity; and disfigured as it has been by modern improvements, yet affords a high degree of interest to the intelligent antiquary. The Cloisters once formed a quadrangle of 110 feet square; but the south portion has almost entirely disappeared, the bases of some of the pillars alone remaining. The east walk has a doorway leading into the Chapter House, through a vaulted Vestibule of great architectural beauty. These two apartments were the favourite places of sepulture of the puissant Norman earls, as well as of the earlier abbots of the Monastery. In the Chapter House, which is a noble building of the twelfth century, are deposited the Cathedral Library, as well as some vestiges of antiquity found within the Abbey and its precincts. Of these, a part of the stone coffin of Abbot Simon Ripley, and a Roman red sandstone inscription found near the present Deanery, are the most prominent and interesting. Over the door hang two bullet-tattered flags, once belonging to the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment. A passage beyond the Chapter House leads, by the Maiden’s Walk, into the Abbey Court; and a doorway at the northwest corner to the Dormitory, now totally destroyed. A beautiful Norman chamber runs along the side of the western walk, and is variously designated the Promptuarium and Abbot’s Hall. This apartment, although an engraving of it appeared in Ormerod’s “History of Cheshire,” was but little known to Chester antiquaries until the year 1849, when this city was honoured with a visit from the British Archæological Association. A vast amount of rubbish, the accumulation of centuries, at that period blocked up the chamber; but the greater part of it was removed at the expense of the Association, and an able paper delivered on the subject, by Mr. Ashpitel, at their Chester Congress. That gentleman pronounced it to be the Promptuarium, or Buttery of the Abbey; but a room, originally 105 feet long, seems of undue proportions for such a purpose. Mr. W. F. Ayrton, Secretary of the Chester Archæological Society, with greater apparent probability conceives it to be the secunda aula of the Monastery, such as we find described in the charter of Henry VIII. Here it was that audience was given to strangers and dependants, and where friends of the abbot were temporarily entertained during their visits to the Monastery.
The wall of the obliterated south walk, notwithstanding the cloister itself is ‘no more,’ is yet not without interest to the real lover of antiquity. Two rude arcades of late Norman work stretch along this wall, the arches of which mark the place of sepulture of four early abbots of the foundation. Some of the bases of the pillars once supporting the roof of the south walk are still visible on the Preese, or Cloister Green.