We pass on eastward to the parish of St. George’s Colegate, wherein are
some of the best built streets on this side of the city. The church is a
large structure rebuilt at different periods, viz., the tower and nave
about 1459; the chancel in 1498; the north aisle with the chapel of St.
Mary in 1504; and the south aisle with the chapel of St. Peter in 1513.
The tower is lofty and has a clock and three bells. The rood-stair
turret still remains on the south side. The east window is of three
lights, and is filled with painted glass by Mr. Swan, with figures
representing Faith, Hope, and Charity. The living is a perpetual curacy,
valued at £98, and augmented from 1737 to 1792 with £1000 of Queen Anne’s
bounty. The Dean and Chapter are patrons. The Rev. A. W. Durdin,
incumbent. The memorial to John Crome, familiarly known to Norwich
citizens, and to artists and connoisseurs in paintings as “Old Crome,”
one of the most esteemed of our Norwich “worthies,” has just been placed
in the church of St. George Colegate, in which parish he passed the
latter years of his life, and in which he died soon after being chosen
churchwarden, in the year 1821. The idea of erecting a monument to the
memory of Crome originated in 1841, amongst some of his fellow-citizens
who were lovers of the fine arts, but the subscriptions received up to
1844 appear only to have amounted to about twenty-six pounds. At the
death of Mr. Lound, who had been receiving the subscriptions, in 1861,
Mr. J. B. Morgan, determining to carry out the object of the subscribers,
recommended the work of canvassing for subscriptions, which ultimately
reached the sum of about £100. Funds having been raised, a committee of
amateur artists was formed, who consulted Mr. Bell, an eminent sculptor,
of London, and a native of this city, by whom a handsome mural tablet has
been placed at the east end of the south aisle of St. George’s Church to
the memory of Crome. This tablet, which is of white marble, is divided
into three panels, the centre panel containing a bas-relief profile bust
of John Crome. Judging from the portrait of Crome recently hung in the
Council Chamber, this is an admirable likeness of the Norwich landscape
painter. Beneath are the name “John Crome” in gold letters, and a
palette and pencils; and above an elegantly carved laurel wreath. On one
panel is the following: “Near this spot lie the remains of one of
England’s greatest landscape painters, born in this city, December 21st,
1769, and died in this parish April 22nd, 1821;” and on the right-hand
panel, “This memorial is erected forty-seven years after his death by
admirers of his art, principally connected with Norfolk, his native
county.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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