Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal SeeClifton, A. B.
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See
Clifton, A. B.
Lichfield Cathedral
The organ here referred to, however "deep and sweet," was not considered
good enough, for in 1636, according to a deed still preserved in the
cathedral, the dean and chapter purchased an organ from Robert Dallam
of Covent Garden, which, no doubt, "was the pair of organs valued at
£200" destroyed by the Puritans. The organ that Hacket set up was
obtained by the subscriptions of ladies; the bishop writes: "An Organ
is bespoke at £600 price, to be call'd the Ladies Organ, because
none but the honourable and most pious of that sex shall contribute
to that sum." The names of the chief subscribers were written on
the organ: "Illustrissima heroina Francisca ducissima Somersetensis.
Honoratissima domina, comitissa Devon: Clarissima domina, Jana, domina
de Gerard Bromley," and many others, as set out by Ashmole, who also
tells us that there were "coats of arms under the organ at the entrance
into the choir," showing that the organ loft was situated between the
two eastern piers of the tower. Harwood, in his "History of Lichfield,"
tells us of another organ "which was removed in A.D. 1740 to the vicar's
hall, and became at length an ornament to Mr Greene's museum," whence it
afterwards found its way to the church at Hamstall Ridware. While in
the vicar's hall it was damaged by soldiers quartered there in the
'45. It is now in the bishop's palace. In 1740 it was replaced in the
cathedral by an organ by Schwarbrook, which in turn, in Wyatt's time,
was superseded by one by Samuel Green--this was much larger, and took
up the whole of the western bay of the choir. The present organ is much
the largest the cathedral has possessed, and, compared to the old one
in the palace, is so large that, according to Mr Hewitt, the whole of
the latter would go inside the pedal pipes of the former.
The south transept has its full share of monuments, two of which are of
great interest. These are the memorials to Dr Johnson and to his friend,
David Garrick, the actor. The busts are both by Sir Richard Westmacott,
R.A. The inscription to the first says:
_The Friends of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. (a native of Lichfield),
erected this Monument as a tribute of respect to the Memory
of a man of extensive learning, a distinguished Moral Writer,
and a Sincere Christian. He died the 13th of December 1784;
Aged 75 years._
The other reads:
_EVA MARIA, Relict of DAVID GARRICK, Esq., caused this Monument
to be erected to the Memory of her beloved Husband, who died
the 20th January 1779: Aged 63 years._
Garrick had not only the amiable qualities of private life, but such
astonishing dramatic talents as to well verify the observations of his
friend, which have already been quoted (p. 66), in reference to the
memorial of Gilbert Walmesley.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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