Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral (18th century)The place is described in text Cox 1738
- Winchester parish: - Hampshire
beside the Cathedral, which is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This noble Building was gradually erected. Kenilwalch, King of the West-Saxons, after the College of Monks in the Roman Age was destroyed, built here a Church, as Malmesbury writes, very splendid for those Times, in the Track whereof was afterwards erected a Cathedral Church of the same Model, tho' more stately, which has since been beautified and enlarged by several of the Bishops of this See, at a great Charge, particularly Walkelin and Edendon; but above all, by William of Wickham, who with incredible Cost, built the West Part of the Church, from the Choir, in the middle of which, between two Pillars, stands his own Monument. It has been dedicated to several Patrons, as Amphibalus, St. Peter, Swithin, and lastly to the Holy Trinity, which Name it bears at this Day. It is 345 Foot long, and 87 broad.
To describe the curious Works and Ornaments of this Church would require a greater Length than can be allowed in this History, yet some Things very remarkable may not be passed over in silence, viz.
1. The Font of very ancient erection, as least as old as the Saxon Times: 'Tis of large square black Marble, supported by a plain stone Pedestal, and the Sides set off with Bass Reliefs, representing the Miracles of some Saint belonging to this Church.
2. The Bishop's Throne, of which the Pedement is adorned with a Mitre and the Arms of the See, and supported with fluted Columns of the Corinthian Order.
3. The Seats or Stalls of the Dean and Prebendaries, very neat, but ancient, adorned with Spire-work gilded, before which stands an Eagle with expanded Wings oon a Pedestal all of Brass, where the Lessons are read.
4. The Ascent to the Altar is by marble Steps, and the Pavement is very curious, being inlaid with different coloured Marble, in various Figures. The Altar-piece is a lofty Canopy of Wood-work, projecting over the Communion-Table, with vast Festons hanging down from it, and all over beautified with exquisite Foliage.
5. The Magnificent Tomb of William Wainfleet, Bishop of this See, who is represented in his Pontificals.
6. The great East Window, which is very remarkable for the Antiquities and Fineness of its painted Glass, which contains the Portraitures of several Saints and Bishops of this Church, and is still whole and entire, as is also the West Window, tho' much inferior to the former.
Among the Saxons it was of great Repute, because several of their Kings were buried in it, whose Bones were gathered together by Richard Fox, Bishop of this See, and put into little gilded Coffins, which he placed in the Wall at the upper Part of the Quire, with the Inscriptions of their several Names, viz. Egbert, King of the West-Saxons, and first Monarch of England, King Ethelwolfe his Son, King Alfred, who founded a College here, and Queen Alfruith, his wife, who built also a Nunnery for Virgins; King Edmund and his two Sons, King Edred and King Edwy, and King Canute the Dane, and Queen Emma his Wife.
The Tomb of William Rufus, who was slain in the New Forest, and was interred here near the High Altar, is to be seen at this Day, with many other sumptuous Monuments of Noblement and others.
This Church was called Ealden-mynster. i. e. the old Monastry or Minster, to distinguish it from the more Modern one, called Newan-mynster, i. e. the new Minster, built by King Alfred; and when the Monasteries were dissolved, it was made a Cathedral for a Dean and twelve Prebendaries, but many Lands were sold from it in the Civil Wars.
This City is governed by a Mayor, Aldermen, Burgesses, Recorder, and Common-Council. The Citizens had formerly the Privilege of overseeing the King or Queen's Kitchin and Laundry at the Coronation, as the Citizens of London had the Care of the Wine-Cellar, as Holinshed, and other Chronicles tell us. Here are weekly two plentiful Markets on Wednesday and Saturday, and a Fair on the first Monday in Lent. It sends two Citizens to Parliament, who are in this Session, George Rodney Bridges Esq; and Lord William Pawlet.
Period - 18th century, early
This church [Winchester Cathedral], and the schools, also are accurately describ'd by several writers, especially by the Monasticon, where their antiquity and original is fully set forth: The outside of the church is as plain and course, as if the founders had abhor'd ornaments, or that William of Wickham had been a Quaker, or at least a Quietist: There is neither statue, nor a nich for a statue, to be seen on all the outside; no carv'd work, no spires, towers, pinacles, balustrades, or any thing; but meer walls, buttresses, windows, and coins, necessary to the support and order of the building: It has no steeple, but a short tower cover'd flat, as if the top of it had fallen down, and it had been cover'd in haste to keep the rain out, till they had time to build it up again.
But the inside of the church has many very good things in it, and worth observation; it was for some ages the burying place of the English Saxon kings; whose reliques, at the repair of the church, were collected by Bishop Fox, and, being put together into large wooden chests, lin'd with lead, were again interr'd at the foot of the great wall in the choir, three on one side, and three on the other; with an account whose bones are in each chest, whether the division of the reliques might be depended upon, has been doubted, but is not thought material, so that we do but believe they are all there.
The choir of the church appears very magnificent; the roof is very high, and the Gothick work in the arch'd part is very fine, tho' very old; the painting in the windows is admirably good, and easy to be distinguish'd by those that understand those things: The steps ascending to the choir make a very fine show, having the statues of King James, and his son King Charles, in copper, finely cast; the first on the right hand, and the other on the left, as you go up to the choir.
The choir is said to be the longest in England; and as the number of prebendaries, canons, &c. are many, it requir'd such a length. The ornaments of the choir are the effects of the bounty of several bishops; the fine altar (the noblest in England by much) was done by Bishop Morley; the roof, and the coat of arms of the Saxon and Norman kings, were done by Bishop Fox; and the fine throne, for the bishop in the choir, was given by Bishop Mew, in his life-time; and it was well it was; for if he had order'd it by will, there is reason to believe it had never been done. That reverend prelate, notwithstanding he enjoy'd so rich a bishoprick, scarce leaving money enough behind him, to pay for his coffin.
There are great many persons of rank bury'd in this church, besides the Saxon kings, mention'd above; and besides several of the most eminent bishops of the see: Just under the altar lyes a son of William the Conqueror, without any monument; and behind the altar, and a very fine and venerable monument, lyes the famous Lord Treasurer, Weston, late Earl of Portland, Lord High Treasurer of England under King Charles I. His effigy is in copper armour, at full length, with his head rais'd on three cushions of the same, and is a very magnificent work: There is also a very fine monument of Cardinal Beaufort, in his cardinal's robes and hat.
The monument of Sir John Cloberry is extraordinary, but more, because it puts strangers upon enquiring into his story, than for any thing wonderful in the figure, it being cut in a modern dress; the habit gentlemen wore in those times, which, being now so much out of fashion, appear mean enough: But this gentleman's story is particular, being the person solely entrusted with the secret of the restoration of King Charles II. as the messenger that pass'd between General Monk on one hand, and Mr. Montague, and others entrusted by King Charles II. on the other hand; which he manag'd so faithfully, as to effect that memorable event, to which England owes the felicity of all her happy days since that time; by which faithful service, Sir John Cloberry, then private musqueteer only, rais'd himself to the honour of a knight with the reward of a good estate from the bounty of the king.
Every body that goes into this church, and reads what is to be read there, will be told, that the body of the church was built by the famous William of Wickham; whose monument, intimating his fame, lyes in the middle of that part, which was built at his expence.
He was a courtier before a bishop; and tho' he had no great share of learning, he was a great promoter of it, and a lover of learned men: His natural genius was much beyond his acquir'd parts, and his skill in politicks beyond his ecclesiastick knowledge: He is said to have put his master, King Edward III. to whim he was Secretary of State, upon the two great projects which made his reign so glorious, viz. First, upon setting up his claim to the crown of France, and pushing that claim by force of arms, which brought on the war with France, in which that prince was three times victorious in battle. (2.) Upon setting up, or instituting the Order of the Garter; in which he (being before that made Bishop of Winchester) obtain'd the honour for the Bishops of Winchester, of being always prelates of the Order, as an appendix to the bishoprick; and he himself was the first prelate of the Order, and the ensigns of that honour are joyn'd with his episcopal ornaments, in the robing of his effigy on the monument above.
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The clergy here live at large, and very handsomely, in the close belonging to the cathedral; where, besides the bishop's palace, mention'd above, are very good houses, and very handsomely built, for the prebendaries, canons, and other dignitaries of this church: The deanary is a very pleasant dwelling, the gardens very large, and the river running thro' them; but the floods in winter sometimes incommode the gardens very much.
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Among the many private inscriptions in this church, we found one made by Dr. Over, once an eminent physician in this city, on a mother and child, who, being his patients, died together, and were bury'd in the same grave, and which intimate, that one died of a fever, and the other of a dropsy.
'Surrepuit natum febris matrem Abstulit Hydrops,
Igne Prior fatis, alter Cessit Aqua.'
Kinegilsus, the Son of Celric, King of the West Saxons, having been baptiz'd by St. Birinus, with his believing Saxons, design'd to build a Church in Winchester, and had gather'd the Materials for the same, and resolv'd to endow it with all the Lands seven Miles about that City from the centre therof; but prevented by Death, caus'd his Son Kinewale to swear, that he would perform the same.
Kinewale accordingly built a most beautiful Church, and confirm'd the Grant of all the Land given by his Father. Agilbert, who had succeeded Birinus, refusing to remove from Dorchester, where the Episcopal See had been plac'd, King Kinewale, appointed one Wine Bishop of Winchester, and so the Diocese was divided into two; and the said King of his own Gift, granted to the said Church the three Manors of Dunton, Alresford, and Wordiam.
there follow lists of grants of land
Bishop Wakelin began to rebuild the Church of Winchester from the Foundations; and it is reported, that the King granted him, towards that Work, as much Timber of his Forest of Hanepinges, as could be cut down in three Days and Nights; whereupon such a Number of Hewers was brought together, that in the Time appointed, they cut down the whole Wood, and convey'd it to Winchester.
... Bishop Walkin, or Wakelin, as above, and carry'd on by his Successors, but never finish'd 'till the Time of William of Wickham, who built most of the West End. It was first dedicated to St. Amphibalus, then to St. Peter, next to St. Swithin, and lastly to the Blessed Trinity. These Bishops are Chancellors to the See of Canterbury, and Prelates of the most noble Order of the Garter.
The Arms of the See of Winchester are thus Blazon'd: Gules, two Keys endors'd in Bend, the Uppermost Argent; the other Or, a Sword interpos'd between them in Bend Sinister; of the second, Pommel and Hilt of the third.
A Catalogue of the Bishops of Winchester follows
