Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Gloucester [2nd ed.]: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal SeeMassé, H. J. L. J. (Henri Jean Louis Joseph)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Gloucester [2nd ed.]: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See
Massé, H. J. L. J. (Henri Jean Louis Joseph)
Gloucester Cathedral
After showing how the counterpart of these arrangements existed at
Durham (_vide Arch. Journ._ liv. pp. 77-119), and describing the Durham
nave altar and rood, Mr Hope points out that at Gloucester, as at
Durham, "the eastern of the two doorways between the nave and the
cloister was shut off by the screen and reredos of a chapel adjoining it
on the west. The monks could therefore freely pass through the cloister
door without being interrupted by strangers. This eastern door was not
only the ordinary entrance from the cloister, but through it passed the
Sunday and other processions that included the circuit of the cloister
and buildings opening out of it. The procession always returned into the
church by the western cloister door, and, after making a station before
the great rood, passed through the rood doors in single files, and
entered the quire through the pulpitum or quire door."
In the chapel, on the north side (which was perhaps dedicated to St.
Thomas the Martyr), was formerly, as shown in the plan by Brown Willis,
the Blackleech monument, now in the south transept.
When the Benson screen was put up three Abbots were found interred in
their robes, and another coffin with two skulls in it. This fact gave a
possible clue to the identity of one of the Abbots. One probably was
Abbot Gamage, and the two skulls probably belonged to his brother, Sir
Nicholas Gamage, and his wife, who were buried near the Abbot.
The present #Organ# was built originally during 1663-1665 by Thomas
Harris, the father of the celebrated Renatus or Rene Harris, and the
cost was defrayed by public subscription, to which, however, the
inhabitants of Gloucester contributed but little. The contract was for
the sum of L400, exclusive of the sum for the building of the
organ-loft, and the decoration of the pipes and the case. The gilding
and painting was entrusted to Mr Campion in November 1664, and the work
was finished in December 1666. This artist was celebrated as a painter
of heraldic subjects, and the work done by him, chiefly on the large
pipes of the Great, is particularly beautiful.
The shield, which has been removed from the west front of the case, was
undoubtedly that of Charles II., and two of the large pipes facing the
nave bear the letters C.R., with a crown over them. Other arms
represented are those of James, Duke of York (king in 1685), and his
first wife, Anne Hyde.
The organ was repaired by Bernhard Schmidt before 1683. It was formerly
in the gallery of the south transept, over the stalls, but was placed on
its present screen in 1820 by Dr Griffiths.
It was improved by Willis in 1847, and again in 1888-89, and further
additions are contemplated. The case is of oak, and is a fine piece of
Renaissance work. A good view of it can be obtained from the triforium,
looking across from south-east to north-west.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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