Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Manchester: A Short History and Description of the Church and of the Collegiate Buildings now known as Chetham's HospitalPerkins, Thomas, Rev.
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Manchester: A Short History and Description of the Church and of the Collegiate Buildings now known as Chetham's Hospital
Perkins, Thomas, Rev.
Manchester Cathedral (England)
At the east end of the south aisle stands a marble life-size statue by
Bailey of Thomas Fleming, who died in 1848, and a memorial tablet to the
Rev. George Ogden, B.D., who died in 1706. The aisle is divided from the
choir by a wooden screen; in the third bay from the east are iron gates
leading into the choir. The retro-choir, about thirteen feet from east to
west, runs between the back of the modern reredos behind the high altar
and the beautiful mediaeval screen which stands beneath the arch at the
entrance to the Lady Chapel. The =Lady Chapel= has modern fittings making
it suitable for the celebration of Holy Communion when the congregation
is small. In the south wall a piscina may be noticed, and on the north
side of the altar stands a Renaissance font of grey-veined marble which
was formerly in use in the nave. There are marble tablets in memory of
various members of the Chetham family at the west ends of the north and
south walls of the Lady Chapel.
[Illustration: SCREEN OF THE LADY CHAPEL.]
On the west wall of the arch leading into the chapel may be seen the
rebus of Sir John Huntington, the first warden and rebuilder of the
church. On the north side is a man and dog _hunting_, on the south side
two _tuns_ of wine. This rebus is repeated in the roof of the choir. At
the north-east corner of the north choir aisle may be seen a statue by
Theed (1853) of Humphrey Chetham, the founder of the Hospital (_i.e._
school) and Library that bears his name. He sits, a roll in his right
hand, with long hair and pointed beard, a ruff round his neck, and a
long cloak which, falling open in front, shows doublet and slashed trunk
hose. At the bottom of the pedestal sits one of the boys of the hospital
school, pointing with his left hand to a book which he holds open in his
right, on which we read the inscription: "He hath dispersed abroad, and
given to the poor, and his righteousness remaineth for ever" (Ps. cxii.
9; Prayer-book version).
[Illustration: STATUE OF SIR HUMPHREY CHETHAM.]
An old oak screen running under five arches of the arcading to the north
side of the aisle separates the =Derby Chapel= from the aisle. This
screen is of good design, but the workmanship is not so good as that of
the other old screens in the church. Near the first pier, counting from
the east, is the altar tomb of Hugh Birley, M.P. for Manchester, with
a recumbent figure. Here also may be seen an old oak deed chest. About
halfway down this aisle on the south side may be seen a small organ built
by the celebrated Father Smith, dated 1680; this is of the finest tone
and is still frequently used. It has one manual with seven stops and
pedal with one stop.
Four steps lead from the outer nave aisle on the north side into the
antechapel that stands to the west end, outside the entrance to the
Derby Chapel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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