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
It is customary to credit the Reformation or the Civil War with most
church desecration and destruction, but this window was ruthlessly
destroyed by an order of the Chapter in 1679, nearly thirty years after
the Civil War was ended, and nearly 140 years after the dissolution of
the monastery. The order ran as follows: "That a certain scandalous
picture of y'e Holy Trinity being in y'e west window of y'e Quire of y'e
said church, should be removed, and other glass put into y'e place." The
glass of the window was actually broken up by one of the prebendaries
(Fowler by name) with his own hands and feet. His action, considering
his views, was incomprehensible; but he was made Bishop of the diocese,
after Bishop Frampton was deprived of his see. Beneath the west window
is an inscription (restored) in the panelling of the stone work:
Hoc quod | digestum | specularis | opusque | politum | Tullii haec
Ex onere | Seabroke | abbate | jubente.
These two Latin verses record that "this work (viz. the tower) which you
see built and adorned, was done by the labour of Tully, at the command
of Abbot Seabroke."
Robert Tully was a monk of Gloucester, and was Bishop of St. David's,
where he died in 1482. There is a brassless slab to his memory there,
but the best monument is the tower that was built by him here in
Gloucester.
After passing through the iron gate into the last bay of the south
aisle, the tomb of Abbot Seabrook or Seabroke will be seen on the left,
inside a stone screen, through which formerly was a doorway giving
access to the organ loft. The alabaster effigy represents the Abbot in
his alb, stole, tunic, dalmatic, chasuble, amice, and mitre, with his
pastoral staff on his right side. The chapel has been partially
restored. Traces of colour are to be seen in the reredos and the roof
over it.
Abbot Seabroke's pastoral staff was discovered in 1741 in his coffin
while the tomb was being removed. After changing hands many times it was
acquired finally by the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
In the west end of the Seabroke Chapel, against the first pier of the
nave, is a mural monument, rather florid in style, to Francis Baber,
1669.
Close to the Seabroke Chapel, on one of the piers supporting the tower,
is a bracket with traces of very beautiful blue colour. The canopy
above--much mutilated--shows traces of red, blue, and gold.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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