A Short Account of King's College Chapel — John Shaqi
A Short Account of King's College ChapelLittlechild, Walter Poole
Religion
A Short Account of King's College Chapel
Littlechild, Walter Poole
King's College (University of Cambridge). Chapel
BESIDES the founder, whose misfortunes hindered the completion of his
work, four successive kings aided in its erection. When Henry was taken
prisoner at St. Albans in 1455, the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick
promised to supply funds for the college buildings. For a time they kept
their word, and some part of the £1,000 a year promised by Henry from
the Duchy of Lancaster continued to be paid; but the defeat of the King
at the battle of Towton in 1461 and the subsequent overthrow of the
Lancaster dynasty checked progress. "After a long time spent in hiding
in secret places, wherein for safety's sake he was forced to keep close,
he was found and taken, brought as a traitor and criminal to London, and
imprisoned in the Tower, and eventually suffered a violent death. He was
buried at Chertsey Abbey, but his body was afterwards removed to Windsor
Castle."[3] Still, the idea was there, and it remained for a later
generation only to imitate and complete. In 1483, just before Edward
IV's death, we find that nearly £1,300 had been spent on the chapel,
about £1,100 given by the King, and £100 by Thomas Rotherham, Archbishop
of York, Lord Chancellor of England, formerly a Fellow of the College,
but it is not stated how the deficit was met. Richard III, on his
accession, resumed the work with great vigour. Between May and December,
1484, about £750 was spent, nearly all of which was provided by the
king.
It is stated that in the year 1506 sufficient progress had been made in
the building to admit of the performance of divine service, at which
Henry VII and his mother, Margaret Countess of Richmond, Foundress of
St. John's and Christ's Colleges, who were on a visit to Cambridge, were
present; and it is said that John Fisher, President of Queens' College,
Bishop of Rochester, took part as chief celebrant. Professor Willis, in
_The Architectural History of the University of Cambridge_, takes
exception to this statement. He is of opinion that, as the Screen and
Stall work was not finished until 1536, and as the old Chapel[4] did not
fall down until 1537 (in fact it was used on the eve of the day on
which it fell), it is unlikely that the new chapel was used for service
until that time. He further quotes Dr. Caius to strengthen this view.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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