Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Exeter: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal SeeAddleshaw, Percy
Religion
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Exeter: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
Addleshaw, Percy
Exeter Cathedral
#St. Radegunde's Chapel.#--On the south side of the main entrance and
within the thickness of the western wall is the chapel of St. Radegunde,
one of the most interesting in the cathedral. As early as 1220 a deed
belonging to the Chapter makes mention of this chapel "within St.
Peter's cemetery," and is dated in the mayoralty of one Turbest and
attested by the then bishop, Simon de Apulia. Grandisson, in accordance
with the custom of his day, while completing the work of transforming
the cathedral, looked out for a suitable place of burial for himself. He
chose this chapel, and in 1350 the Fabric Rolls contain a reference to
the glazing of the windows and the better securing of them with nine
bars of iron. In accordance with a clause in his will, "Corpus vero meum
volo quod sepeliatur extra ostium occidentale Ecclesiae Exon. ita
celeriter sicut fieri poterit," his remains were placed under the low
arch in the east of the chapel. Here they lay for many years, but in the
later years of Elizabeth, apparently without creating any public
indignation, his tomb was rifled and his ashes scattered to the "four
winds." There seems to be no good reason why religious fanaticism should
have caused the tomb of so great and good a man to be despoiled. Two
interesting details are the carved figure of Christ on the roof and the
holes in the stones from which the lamps were formerly hung.
#St. Edmund's Chapel#, in the north-west corner of the nave, was part of
the Norman church, and was incorporated in his new work by Bishop
Grandisson. In it is a large font of modern Gothic style, presented in
the nineteenth century by Archdeacon Bartholomew.
#The Font.#--At the south-west side of the nave stands the
chalice-shaped font of white marble, purposely made in 1644 for the
baptism of Henrietta Anne, youngest child of Charles I, afterwards
Duchess of Orleans, who was born in Exeter during the Parliamentary
wars. The font is said to have been made in a fortnight, which may
account for the inferior character of the sculpture. But if not of
artistic merit, it is certainly of historic interest, and after being
set aside for some years, was replaced in its present position in 1891,
and is now always used for baptisms.
#The Patteson Pulpit# was placed in the nave in 1877. It is of Mansfield
stone, and is a beautiful example of modern sculpture. The panels
represent the Martyrdom of St. Alban, the embarkation of St. Boniface
and his companions for Germany, and the natives of Nukapu, Melanesia,
placing the body of Bishop Patteson in a canoe. The Martyred Bishop is
shown wrapped in a native mat, a relic still preserved in his family.
MONUMENTS IN THE NAVE
The great west window was filled with stained glass in 1904 in
commemoration of Dr. Temple, Bishop of Exeter 1869, of London 1885, and
in 1896 Archbishop of Canterbury. Figures in the lower lights represent
the most notable Bishops of Exeter from Leofric to Frederick Temple.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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