The Cathedral Church of Peterborough: A Description Of Its Fabric And A Brief History Of The Episcopal SeeSweeting, W. D. (Walter Debenham)
History
The Cathedral Church of Peterborough: A Description Of Its Fabric And A Brief History Of The Episcopal See
Sweeting, W. D. (Walter Debenham)
Peterborough Cathedral
The last abbot was =John Chambers= (1528-1540). One incident of
considerable interest is related as having taken place in his first
year. "Cardinal Wolsey came to Peterburgh, where he kept his Easter.
Upon Palm Sunday he carried his palm, going with the monks in
procession, and the Thursday following he kept his Maundy, washing and
kissing the feet of fifty-nine poor people, and having dried them, he
gave to every one of them 12d. and three ells of canvas for a shirt; he
gave also to each of them a pair of shoes and a portion of red herrings.
On Easter day he went in procession in his cardinal's vestments, and
sang the High-Mass himself after a solemn manner, which he concluded
with his benediction and remission upon all the hearers." This abbot was
a native of Peterborough, and was sometimes known as John Burgh; and on
the brass placed on his tomb he was called "Johannes Burgh, Burgo
natus." A monumental effigy was also erected to him, "made of white
chalkstone"; and this is almost certainly the figure now placed
(temporarily) at the back of the apse. This abbot was B.D. of Cambridge
and one of the king's chaplains. It was during his time that Queen
Katherine of Arragon was interred in the minster. The well-known story
that the building was spared by the king out of regard to the memory of
his first wife is told by Dean Patrick in these words:--[34]"There is
this traditional story goes concerning the preservation of this church
at the dissolution of abbeys: that a little after Queen Katherine's
interment here (which Mr G. mentions), some courtiers suggesting to the
king how well it would become his greatness to erect a fair monument for
her, he answered, 'Yes, he would leave her one of the goodliest
monuments in Christendom,' meaning this church, for he had then in his
thoughts the demolishing of abbeys, which shortly after followed." Abbot
Chambers surrendered the monastery to the king in 1540, and was
appointed guardian of the temporalities, with a pension of £266, 13s.
4d. and 100 loads of wood. The king divided the whole property of the
abbey into three parts, retaining one-third for himself, and assigning
the other parts upon the foundation of the see to the Bishop and Chapter
respectively. If the annual value of the portion he reserved for his own
use may be taken to be exactly one-third of the possessions of the
abbey, the entire property must have been worth as nearly as possible
£2200 per annum. The last abbot became the first bishop.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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