Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Hereford Part 9

*The Stained Gla.s.s* has survived only in a few fragments, scattered about the eastern end of the cathedral.

Some of the best, apparently of early fourteenth century date, is in one of the lancets on the south side of the Lady Chapel, west of the Audley Chapel. The subjects are:

1. Christ surrounded by symbols of the four evangelists; 2. Lamb and flag; 3. Angel and Maries at the sepulchre; 4. Crucifixion; 5. Christ bearing His cross.

In the north-east transept is an ancient gla.s.s window, restored and entirely releaded by Warrington, at the cost of the Dean and Chapter, Oct.

1864. It is a fairly good specimen of fourteenth century work. For many years it was hidden away in old boxes, and was formerly fixed in some of the windows on the south side of the nave.

The figures represent-1. St. Katherine; 2. St. Michael; 3. St. Gregory; 4.

St. Thomas of Canterbury.

In the south-east transept, again, is a window of ancient gla.s.s, erected under the same circ.u.mstances. The figures in this case represent-1. St.

Mary Magdalene; 2. St. Ethelbert; 3. St. Augustine; 4. St. George.

In the north aisle of the nave is a two-light window by Warrington. It was erected in 1862 by Archdeacon Lane Freer to the memory of Canon and Mrs.

Clutton. The subjects are from the life of St. John the Baptist.

In the north transept is a very fine memorial window to Archdeacon Lane Freer, erected at a cost of 1316. The window is one of the largest of the Geometric period (_temp._ Edward I.) in England, the gla.s.s being 48 feet 6 inches in height by 21 feet 6 inches in breadth. About five or six shades each of ruby and Canterbury blue are the dominating colours. Plain white gla.s.s has also been wisely used in the upper part of the window. It was designed and erected by Messrs. Hardman.

There is a small window by Clayton and Bell in the north aisle of the choir to the memory of John Hunt, organist of the cathedral. The subjects, in eight medallions, are:-1, 2. King David; 3, 4. Jubal; 5, 6. Zachariah the Jewish Priest; 7. St. Cecilia; 8. Aldhelm. In Bishop Stanbury's Chapel is a memorial window to Archdeacon Musgrave, of which the subjects are:-1.

St. Paul present at the Martyrdom of S. Stephen; 2. Conversion of St.

Paul; 3. The Apostle consecrating Presbyters; 4. Elymas smitten with Blindness. In the lower part of the window, 5. Sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas at Lystra; 6. St. Paul before the Elders at Jerusalem; 7. His Trial before Agrippa; 8. His Martyrdom.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MONUMENTAL CROCKET.]

MONUMENTAL CROCKET.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EARLY ENGLISH BAs.e.m.e.nT MOULDING.]

EARLY ENGLISH BAs.e.m.e.nT MOULDING.

The five eastern windows in the Lady Chapel were designed by Mr.

Cottingham, junior, and executed by Gibbs, to the memory of Dean Merewether.

A series of twenty-one subjects, in medallions, connected with the life of our Lord. These windows were erected in 1852.

In the south-east transept is a memorial window to Bishop Huntingford, 1816 to 1832. It was designed and manufactured by Warrington at the sole cost of Lord Saye and Sele.

The upper part of the tracery is filled with the arms of George III., those of the See of Gloucester, the See of Hereford, Winchester College, and of the bishop's family.

The subjects, relating to St. Peter, are:-

1. His Call; 2. Walking on the Sea; 3. Receiving the Keys; 4. Denial of our Lord; 5. S. Peter and S. John at the Gate of the Temple; 6. Baptism of Cornelius; 7. Raising of Dorcas; 8. Deliverance from Prison by an Angel.

In the north and south side of the clerestory of the choir are simple stained gla.s.s windows, consisting of various patterns. They were manufactured by Messrs. Castell of Whitechapel.

The eastern central window of the choir was an anonymous gift in 1851, executed by Hardman.

Its beauties are entirely lost at its present height from the ground. The circular medallions are 3 feet in diameter, the subjects being:-

1. The Ascension; 2. The Resurrection; 3. The Crucifixion.

The upper semi-circles represent Christ healing lepers and demoniacs; the lower, His being taken down from the Cross, and Mary with the box of precious ointment.

CHAPTER IV. - HISTORY OF THE SEE.

The true origin of the See of Hereford is lost in remote antiquity.

However, it seems probable from the researches of many antiquarians that when Putta came to preside here in the seventh century the see was re-established.

The Rev. Francis Havergal writes on this matter in the beginning of his _Fasti Herefordenses_.

"The Welsh claim a high antiquity for Hereford as the recognised centre of Christianity in this district. Archbishop Usher a.s.serts that it was the seat of an Episcopal See in the sixth century, when one of its bishops attended a synod convened by the Archbishop of Caerleon (A.D. 544). In the _Lives of the British Saints_ (Rev. W. J. Reeves, 1853), we learn that Geraint ab Erbin, cousin of King Arthur, who died A.D. 542, is said to have founded a church at Caerffawydd, the ancient British name for Hereford. In Wilkin's _Concilia_, I. 24, it is recorded that beyond all doubt a Bishop of Hereford was present at the conference with St.

Augustine, A.D. 601. Full particulars are given of the supposed time and place of this conference. It is also stated-'_In secunda affuisse perhibentur septem hi Britannici episcopi Herefordensis, Tavensis alias Llantavensis, Paternensis, Banchoriensis, Chirensis alias Elinensis, Uniacensis alias Wiccensis, Morganensis._' It is styled '_Synodus Wigornensis_,' or according to Spelman, '_Pambritannicam_.' Nothing whatever is known of the names or of the number of British bishops who presided over the earliest church at Hereford."

The boundaries of this diocese in the tenth century are defined in Anglo-Saxon in an ancient volume known as the _Mundy Gospels_, now in the library of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

"The condition of the Church of Hereford (_circa_ 1290 A.D.) gave clear testimony to the liberal piety of its founders by the extensiveness of its lands. The diocese itself was richly endowed by nature, and enviably situated. Those of St. Asaph, Lichfield, Worcester, Llandaff, and St.

David's, were its neighbours. On the north it stretched from where the Severn enters Shropshire to where that river is joined on the south by the influx of the Wye. From the west to the east perhaps its greatest width might have been found from a point where the latter river, near Hay, leaves the counties of Radnor and Brecon, by a line drawn to the bridge at Gloucester. It embraced portions of the counties of Radnor, Montgomery, Salop, Worcester, and Gloucester, and touched upon that of Brecon. It included the town of Monmouth, with four parishes, in its neighbourhood.

The Severn environed its upper part. Almost midway it was traversed by the Teme, and the Wye pursued its endless windings through the lower district,-a region altogether remarkable for its variety, fertility, and beauty, abounding in woods and streams, rich pastures, extensive forests, and n.o.ble mountains. In several of the finest parts of it Episcopal manors had been allotted, furnishing abundant supplies to the occupiers of the see."(8)

In the early history of British dioceses, territorial boundaries were so vague as to be scarcely definable, but one of the earliest of the bishops holding office prior to the landing of Augustine was one Dubric, son of Brychan, who established a sort of college at Hentland, near Ross, and later on removed to another spot on the Wye, near Madley, his birthplace, being guided thither by the discovery of a white sow and litter of piglings in a meadow; a sign similar to the one by which the site of Alba Longa was pointed out to the pious son of Anchises.

Dubric probably became a bishop about 470, resigned his see in 512, and died in Bardsey Island, A.D. 522.

It was this Dubric who is said to have crowned Arthur at Cirencester, A.D.

506. When he became bishop he moved to Caerleon, and was succeeded there by Dewi, or David, who removed the see to Menevia (St. David's).

The Saxons were driving the British inhabitants more and more to the west, and before the close of the sixth century they had founded the Mercian kingdom, reaching beyond the Severn, and in some places beyond the Wye.

The See of Hereford properly owes its origin to that of Lichfield, as s.e.xwulf, Bishop of that diocese, placed at Hereford Putta, Bishop of Rochester, when his cathedral was destroyed by the Mercian King Ethelred.

From Bede we learn that in 668 A.D. Putta died, and that one Tyrhtel succeeded him, and was followed by Torhtere.

Wahlstod, A.D. 731, the next Bishop, is referred to by both Florence of Worcester and William of Malmsbury, as well as Bede. We also hear of him in the writings of Cuthbert, who followed him in 736. Cuthbert relates in some verses that Wahlstod began the building of a great and magnificent cross, which he, Cuthbert, completed.

Cuthbert died, A.D. 758, and was followed by Podda, A.D. 746. The names of these early Bishops cannot all be regarded as certain, and their dates are, in many cases, only approximate. Some of them may have been merely a.s.sistants or suffragans to other Bishops of Hereford.

The remaining Bishops of Hereford, prior to the Conquest, we give in the same order as the Rev. H. W. Phillott in his valuable little _Diocesan History_.

A.D. 758, Hecca.

777, Aldberht.