Brief account of the Churches and Chapels.
In an account of the churches of Lynn, the first place, no doubt, is due to that of St. Margaret, which was founded about the close of the 11th, or commencement of the 12th century, by Herbert de Lozinga bishop of Norwich; memorable for his simoniacal offences, and subsequent architectural expiations. Among the latter were the cathedral and episcopal palace at Norwich, the great church of St. Nicholas at Yarmouth, and this of St. Margaret at Lynn. The latter according to a certain ancient deed or register was built by him at the request of the men of the town of Lynn. But if that was the case, it seems their contributions proved by no means adequate to the magnitude or exigences of the undertaking; for the work it seems went but slowly and heavily on, till he had recourse to that notable and wonderful expedient of offering forty days pardon, or an indulgence for that time in all manner of licentious or vicious courses, to all who would contribute towards the completion of the sacred edifice. The work then went on prosperously, was soon finished in a magnificent style, and the indulgence effected what an appeal to the most pious considerations would probably have failed to accomplish.
Herbert dedicated this edifice to St. Margaret the virgin, [1088] or, as some say, to saint Mary Magdalen, St. Margaret and all the virgin saints; which probably made Mr. Britton in the Beauties of England call it St. Mary’s church, a name which does not appear to have been given to it by any body else. This church has been so often re-edified and repaired since its first erection, that but a small part of it, as it now stands, is supposed to be as old as the days of Lozinga. If there be any, it seems to be towards the west, or south-west end, where the style of architecture appears to bespeak much higher antiquity than any other part, according to the opinion of the best judges.
The church in its original state is supposed to have been of greater dimensions, as well as more magnificent, than it is at present; and it was certainly the case in later ages, and until the last century, when the spire fell on the body of the church and demolished a great part of it. This happened in 1741. Soon after the eastern tower lanthorn was taken down, from a fear (groundless it seems) that it might also fall, as the spire had done, and occasion irreparable damage. It was therefore done to preserve the eastern part of the church. The West end being demolished by the fall of the spire, an act of Parliament was procured for re-building the body of the church. The king, it is said, contributed a thousand pounds, and lord Orford 500l. towards the work; and it was completed in 1747. [1089] It is much smaller than the former, but is still one of the largest and handsomest parish churches in the kingdom:—it also abounds with the tombs of our principal townsmen of other times; (and so do the other churches of St. Nicholas and All-saints,) with endless monumental inscriptions, which those who are fond of such compositions may find at large in Mackerell’s volume, which contains little else. But they would take up too much room in this work. This church had formerly at least three chapels attached to it, or comprehended in it: one dedicated to the Trinity, one to St. John, and one if we are not mistaken, to St. Stephen; only one or two of which now remain. That of the Trinity was taken down very lately, in the progress of our paving-act improvements: and long before that the whole north side of the church-yard was laid open and made a part of the street, or market place. A new burying-ground, however, of a much larger extent, has been since laid out adjoining to St. James’s Church-yard, on which a neat small chapel has been erected, merely for the purpose of reading the burial service. Had the friends of the establishment contrived to build it on a larger scale, in order to have divine service there on Sunday evenings, it might have answered a very good purpose; and such a place would have been much filter for delivering evening lectures than either of the two great churches, both of which were originally constructed for very different purposes, it is to this omission of having evening lectures in the churches, that the methodists and other dissenters owe their crowded audiences, and not to the greater purity of their creeds, or the superior abilities and respectability of their ministers.
2. St. Nicholas’s Chapel. Both Mackerell and Parkin have employed their pens in describing this respectable fabrick. But a much better account of it, and the best, no doubt, that has ever yet been given, came from the pen of the revd. Edward Edwards, one of the present ministers of the town, and has appeared in the 7th. number of the 3rd. volume of Britton’s Architectural Antiquities. From that and other accounts we learn, that this chapel, was built in the latter part of the 14th century on the site of another erected about two centuries before, and of much smaller dimensions. Mackerell seemed much puzzled to determine to what Nicholas this sacred building had been dedicated, whether the proselyte of Antioch, mentioned in the book of Acts, or the bishop of Myra of the same name, who so stoutly opposed the Arians at the Council of Nice. After all, it seems not very likely that it was either of them, but a namesake of theirs, of a much more modern date. [1093] This, however, is a question in which few of the readers of this work will feel themselves much interested.
This elegant edifice is supposed to be the largest parochial chapel in the kingdom.
“It measures (says Mr. Edwards) 194 feet in length from East to West, within the walls, and about 74 feet in breadth; having no transept or distinct choir. The interior consists of a lofty nave, with two lateral ailes. The latter are divided from the former by eleven arches on the north side, and ten on the south:—the space of one arch at the S.W. angle being occupied by the base of the tower. The place of another arch, at the east end, is taken up by a vestry on the south side, and a similar apartment, over the vault of Sir Benjamin Keene, towards the north, leaving a kind of recess between, of the whole width of the nave, for the communion table. The distinguishing characters of this structure, as seen within, are lightness, simplicity, and perfect uniformity of style; the tower alone being of an earlier date than the rest of the fabric. The pillars are slender, having the horizontal section of the shaft nearly in the form of a truncated lozenge, relieved by shallow flutings, and raised about four feet from the ground upon corresponding bases. They have no capitals, but small brackets which support the inner ribs of the Arches. Opposite the arches, in the side ailes, are an equal number of windows: between the windows are niches and canopies. The east and west windows are very large, with a pleasing mixture of curved and rectilinear tracery, and embattled ornaments upon the transoms. The former is divided into nine days, or lights, by eight vertical mullions, and the latter has eleven-days, or vertical compartments of glass. More ornament has been bestowed upon the doors than on any other part of the building. The western door-way in particular, is divided by a mullion which supports an elegant niche, and is adorned with other sculpture in stone. The small south door-way is in the same style, as is also the larger door-way towards the north. The front of the South Porch is still more elaborate, being covered with a variety of minute decorations. The roof of it is handsomely groined with stone. At the intersection of the ribs are some heads and figures in bold relief, but much obscured with whitening: in the centre is a figure of the Almighty Father with a globe in one hand, and the other lifted up as in the act of blessing those who approach his temple. [1095] In the circle surrounding this compartment appear to be angels in the act of adoration; and at a little distance towards the windows, are two crowned heads of a male and female, which might be intended for Edward III and his queen Philippa. The inner roof of the chapel is of oak, in a plain and simple style, yet with a sufficiency of ornament to harmonize with the rest of the building. The beams and cornices and relieved with carvings of the strawberry leaf, which was so great a favourite with our ancestors; and overall the upper windows there were originally figures of angels with outspread wings, represented as playing on various musical instruments.”