In addition to the principal cross--the High Cross--of Chester, there
was one near St Michael's church. Another cross stood at Barrs, one at
Northgate, and another at Spittal Boughton. All three were pulled down
in 1583 by order of Archbishop Sandys' visitors. A contributor to the
_Gentleman's Magazine_, in 1807, says: "The only remains of any cross
at this time," in or near Chester, "is upon the Roode, where races are
run." The said meadow, otherwise Roodee, or Roodeye, is situated by
the River Dee, not far west of Chester. In former days, down to about
1587, this meadow used to be submerged at high tide, all except one
little island, upon which stood an ancient cross of such venerable
repute, as an object of pilgrimage, as to give its name to the isle
itself. This cross is identical with "the swete rode of Chester,"
referred to in the ribald verses, entitled "The Fantasie of Idolatrie"
printed under the date 1540 in Foxe's _Actes and Monuments_. When Dr
George Ormerod wrote his _Chester_ (finished in 1819), the base of
this cross, he said, "is, or was lately remaining, and was a few years
since replaced."
In and around London, besides the well-known crosses of St Paul's,
Cheap, and Charing, there were at one time and another three more
crosses which may be mentioned. One, called Le Broken Cross, was
erected by the Earl of Gloucester in the reign of Henry III. (1216
to 1272), but it did not stand very long. Its site is said to
have been the "place of the meeting of the Folkmote ... near St
Martin's-le-Grand, about midway between the Northgate of the precinct
(of St Paul's) and the church of St Vedast." On 5th September 1379
agreements were drawn up for letting the stations about the Broken
Cross to five divers persons. The cross was bodily taken down in 1390.
Another was the Cow Cross at Smithfield, a monument referred to by
Stow as no longer standing when he wrote. Another instance was the
Strand Cross, near Covent Garden. This cross was hexagonal on plan,
and comprised four stages. It was standing in 1547, but was ultimately
removed, its site being occupied by the Maypole, which was spoken of
in 1700 as new.
[Illustration: 21, 22, 23. OXFORD
SOCKET OF JEWS' CROSS, PRESERVED IN ST FRIDESWIDE'S CHURCH]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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