The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture, Elucidated by Question and Answer, 4th ed.Bloxam, Matthew Holbeche
History
The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture, Elucidated by Question and Answer, 4th ed.
Bloxam, Matthew Holbeche
Architecture, Gothic -- England; Church architecture -- England
When the rood was taken down at the Reformation, a custom began to prevail
of fixing up in its stead or place, against the arch leading into the
chancel, the upper part of which was in consequence blocked up by it, and
facing the congregation, so as to be seen by them, the royal arms, with
proper heraldic supporters; but it does not clearly appear that this was
done in consequence of any express law or injunction to that effect,
though it may perhaps have served to denote the king’s supremacy. We
seldom, however, find the royal arms of earlier date than the Restoration,
in the twenty years previous to which they appear to have been generally
taken down. In Brixton Church, Isle of Wight, on some plain wooden
panelling between the tower and a gallery at the west end are the remains
of the royal arms, which, from the style in which they have been painted
with the rose and thistle, appear coeval with the reign of James the
First; they are surmounted by a crown, below which is an open six-barred
helme. These arms appear to have been removed from their original position
against the chancel-arch, and are now much mutilated. In the church
accounts, St. Mary’s, Shrewsbury, for 1651, is a charge of 1_l._ 8_s._
“for making the states armes.” In Anstey Church, Warwickshire, the arms of
the commonwealth, put up during the inter-regnum, were taken down not many
years back. The little church of St. Lawrence, in the Isle of Wight, still
retains the royal arms put up at the Restoration in 1660.
Excepting the rood-loft galleries, we have few galleries in our churches
of a period antecedent to the latter part of the seventeenth century. At
the west end of Worstead Church, Norfolk, over the west door, is a gallery
erected in 1550, at the cost of the candle called the Bachelor’s Light. At
the west end of the nave in Leighton Buzzard Church is a gallery erected
in 1634; and at the west end of Piddletown Church, Dorsetshire, is a
gallery with the date of its erection, 1635.
From about the period of the Revolution, in 1688, we may trace the
commencement of a custom, still partially prevailing, of setting up the
pulpit and reading-pew in the middle aisle, in front of the communion
table; so that during the whole of the service the back of the minister
was turned to the east, and the view of the communion table obstructed;
but we have not found any pulpit thus placed of an earlier period.
We still retain, in the Anglican church, the usage of placing two
candlesticks and candles upon the communion table, in compliance with the
injunctions of King Edward the Sixth, together also with an offertory
dish; of reading the lessons from the eagle desk, and of saying the Litany
at the litany-stool. These practices are, however, more particularly
observed in our cathedrals and college chapels than in our parochial
churches, in most of which they have fallen into desuetude.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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