Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Hereford: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See — John Shaqi
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Hereford: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal SeeFisher, A. Hugh (Alfred Hugh)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Hereford: A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See
Fisher, A. Hugh (Alfred Hugh)
Hereford Cathedral
It was as a memorial to Dean Merewether, to whom the cathedral owes so
much, that the stained glass designed by Cottingham was placed in the east
windows in the narrow lancets that he loved so dearly. It represents
scenes in the early life of the Virgin and the life of Christ; the last
being the supper in the house of Mary and Martha. In the side windows the
visitor should especially notice the rich clustered shafts and arches, the
Early English capitals, and the ornamentation of the arches. Above these
windows, corresponding to the openings above the east window, a quatrefoil
opening enclosed by a circle pierces the wall. The quadripartite vaulting
springs from slender shafts, which descend upon a slightly raised base.
The double piscina and aumbry south of the altar are restorations
necessitated by the dilapidated state of the originals.
*Monuments in the Lady Chapel.*—Of great beauty and interest is the
Perpendicular recess in the central bay on the north side of the Lady
Chapel, in which is the recumbent effigy which tradition has assigned
without evidence to Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, who died in the
46th year of the reign of Edward III., 1372. He was, however, buried in
the north side of the Presbytery in Walden Abbey, Essex.
The Rev. Francis Havergal considers this to be the monument of Peter,
Baron de Grandisson, who died 1358. In any case, the knight was probably
one of the Bohun family, and husband of the lady whose effigy lies under
an arch in the wall adjoining. The costume is of the earlier part of the
fourteenth century; full armour, and covered (a rare example) by a
cyclass, a close linen shirt worn over the armour in Edward III.’s reign.
This shirt is cut short in front and about 6 inches longer behind. The
visitor should also notice the fringed poleyns at the knees.
The upper story of the recess itself has open tabernacle-work, now
containing a series of figures representing the crowning of the Virgin; on
one side are figures of King Ethelbert and St. John the Baptist, and on
the other St. Thomas à Becket (with double crozier) and Bishop Thomas de
Cantilupe. Of these, however, only the two central carvings are in their
original positions, the others having been discovered by Mr. Cottingham
when the oak choir-screen was removed.
In the easternmost bay on this side is the tomb of Joanna de Bohun,
Countess of Hereford, 1327. To quote from Dean Merewether: "The effigy of
the lady, there can be scarcely a doubt, represents ’Johanna de Bohun,
Domina de Kilpec.’ She was the sister and heiress of Alan Plonknett or
Plugenet of Kilpec, in the county of Hereford, a name distinguished in the
annals of his times; and of his possessions, his sister doing her homage,
had livery 19 Edward II.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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