E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Gary Houston, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 19494-h.htm or 19494-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/9/4/9/19494/19494-h/19494-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/9/4/9/19494/19494-h.zip) Transcriber's note: Words and phrases which were italicized in the original have been surrounded by underscores('_') in this version. Words or phrases which were in bold face have been surrounded by pound signs('#'). THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF SAINT ALBANS With an Account of the Fabric & a Short History of the Abbey by the REV. THOMAS PERKINS, M.A. Rector of Turnworth, Dorset Author of "Rouen," "Amiens," "Wimborne and Christchurch," Etc., Etc. With Fifty Illustrations [Illustration: ST. ALBANS CATHEDRAL FROM THE SOUTH.] [Illustration: ARMS OF THE SEE] London: George Bell and Sons. 1903 PREFACE The Rev. W.D. Sweeting, who had originally undertaken to write this monograph on St. Albans, having been obliged, on account of ill-health, to abandon the work, the Publishers asked me to write it in his stead. My task was rendered much easier by Mr. Sweeting kindly sending me much material that he had collected, and many valuable notes that he had made, especially on the history of the Abbey. My best thanks are due to the Dean for kindly allowing me permission to examine every part of the Cathedral church, and to take the photographs with which this book is illustrated. A few illustrations only are from other sources, among them those on pages 9 and 11, for permission to use which I have to thank Mr. John Murray. I have also to acknowledge the courtesy of the vergers, Mr. Newell and Miss Davis from both of whom I obtained much information; Miss Davis's long connection with the church, and the interest she takes in every detail connected with it, rendered her help most valuable. I have consulted many books on the Abbey, among them Lord Grimthorpe's and Mr. Page's Guides, Mr. James Neale's "Architectural Notes on St. Albans Abbey," and papers read before the St. Albans Archaeological Society by the Rev. Henry Fowler. THOMAS PERKINS. TURNWORTH. _July, 1903._ LIST OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. HISTORY OF THE BUILDING 3 II. THE EXTERIOR 23 III. THE INTERIOR 35 IV. HISTORY OF THE MONASTERY AND SEE 81 V. THE NEIGHBOURHOOD 106 INDEX 113 DIMENSIONS OF THE CATHEDRAL 115 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS