Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal See — John Shaqi
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal SeeEley, C. King
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Episcopal See
Eley, C. King
Carlisle Cathedral (Carlisle, England)
At the time of the Reformation these paintings were all whitewashed.
Dean Percy (1778) removed the whitewash from some of them, and they are
now all restored to their original condition as far as possible.
#Retro-choir.#--The extreme eastern bay of each aisle, and the passage
behind the altar, form the retro-choir, which is Late Decorated.
Its acutely-pointed windows are practically of identical pattern, the
mullions and side-mouldings having richly floriated capitals.
The last arch of the main arcade is supported by a bracket of foliage. A
fragment of rib still remaining was for the cross-groining of the aisle;
but as this would have interfered with the arch mouldings, the rib was
terminated higher up the wall upon a bracket in the form of a crouching
figure.
The wall-arcade has three divisions, the capitals of the columns are
foliated, and the point where the hood mouldings meet is ornamented with
the carving of a human head.
The low doorway forms the entrance to a staircase leading to the upper
part of the cathedral, and the belfry.
Beneath the great east window there is a plain tablet in memory of
Archdeacon Paley, and another in memory of his two wives and infant son.
Another tablet is in memory of Dean Cramer: "Apud Oxonienses Historiae
Profr. Regius," died 1848.
Opposite is a monument to Bishop Law, the work of T. Banks, R.A. A
figure of Religion leaning on a cross is above the tablet. This monument
was originally fixed on the pillar behind the pulpit ("Columnae hujus
sepultus est ad pedem"). It was removed to the north aisle because of
the weakening of the pillar through having been cut to receive the
memorial; and in 1894 was again removed and fixed here, about as far
away from the bishop's grave as it could possibly be placed.
Under the great window, a little to the south, is a tombstone, similar
to that of Bishop Bell in the choir, but the brass is missing.
On the south side the last arch of the main arcade is supported by a
bracket representing a human figure sustaining mouldings, resembling the
one at the end of the north aisle.
The small east window is in memory of John Heysham, M.D. (1753-1834). He
graduated at Edinburgh in 1777, and settled in Carlisle where he
practised till his death. He is famous for his statistical observations;
a record of the annual births, marriages, diseases, and deaths in
Carlisle (ten years to 1788); a census of the inhabitants in 1780 and
1788. The actuary of the Sun Life Assurance Office used these statistics
as the basis of the well-known "Carlisle Table of Mortality." Aided by
the dean and chapter he established the first dispensary for the poor at
Carlisle. He died in 1834, and was buried in St. Mary's Church.
One of the heads ornamenting the wall-arcade is said to represent Edward
I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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