Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/911

Rh YORK. 899 YOKK. This building, however, together with its library, col lected and given to it by Archbishop Egbert, was de- stroyed in the great conflagration of the city in the beginning of the reign of William the Conqueror. Archbishop Thomas, who was appointed to the see by William in the year 1070, finding the church thus de- spoiled, " rebuilt it (according to the testimony of his friend Hugo the precentor) from the foundation, and adorned and enriched it with books and clergy." This building also suffered from fire, being in great part destroyed in the year 1137, after which it was rebuilt, it is generally supposed, by Archbishop Roger, but some say that tho work of Roger was confined to repairs, alterations, and additions. The next account we have is the building of the present S. transept by Archbishop Walter Grey, which was commenced about the year 1220, and finished 1241. The rebuilding of the N. transept, it is thought, was begun by the same prelate, but not completed till several years after his death, namely, in 1260, by John le Romaine, treasurer of the cathedral. There are no documents in existence relating to the building of the chapter house, but it is conjectured with some probability that this structure was erected between the years 1280 and 1340. The present nave was begun in the year 1291, in the episcopate of John le Romaine, son of the treasurer of the same name, but not finished till the year 1360, in tho episcopate of Thoresby, by whom the present choir was begun, but not completed before the year 1472. About that time the central or lantern tower was finished ; and shortly afterwards the upper story of the north-western tower, the south-western tower having been finished probably about thirty years earlier. This Archbishop Thoresby appears to have been one of the most munificent contributors to tho erection of York Minster ; he found many liberal co-workers ; the central tower was erected by John Rkirraw, a prebendary of York ; the towers at the W. end by John de Birmingham. This cathedral is cruci- form, measuring in length from base to base of buttresses E. and W. about 519 feet, and from base to base of the transept 249 feet. It consists of a nave with side aisles (these are unequalled for grandeur in this kingdom, being as lofty as those at Westminster, but not so narrow), two transepts with side aisles, a choir with side aisles, a lady chapel, a large central tower, two bell towers, and a chapter house with its vestibule. This chapter house is of octagonal form, the angular diameter being 60 feet 6 inches, and the height of the central boss from the floor 62 feet. The roof is unsupported by any pillar. It has been lately decorated by Willement. In it are preserved several curious articlesof ancient times, such as tho carved ivory horn of Ulphus of Deira, a silver crosier brought from Portugal by Charles II.'s queen, &c. &c. The internal height of tho nave is 93 feet, of the choir 101 feet, of the central tower (internally) 182 feet. Tho height of the western towers is about 201 feet to tho top of the pinnacles, 178 feet to tho top of the battlement. During the Commonwealth jiciind the interior of the cathedral suffered much injury, and several of the ancient monuments were demolished or mutilated, but the greatest injuries were inflicted during the present century, when it has twice been nearly destroyed by fire. Tho first time was on February 2nd, 1829. It was the work of a maniac, Jonathan Martin (the brother of the famous painter of '.ho "Deluge," " Belshazzar's Feast," &c.). He had concealed himself in the Minster the preceding day, Sunday, after divine service. He was soon apprehended and tried, but acquitted on the ground of insanity. He wag sent to a lunatic asylum, where ho died, October, By this fire the whole of tho roof of the choir, 222 feet long, was destroyed, with the woodwork on each side ; and the walls above tho arches of the choir so much damaged, that it was found necessary to rebuild them ; the organ was burnt, and the altar screen so much injured as to render a new one neces- siiry ; the communion plate also was melted. No time was lost in repairing these injuries ; but the restorations were scarcely completed when another fire occurred, VOL. III. hardly less destructive in its results. A workman who had been employed to repair the clock, with most cul- pable negligence, left his candle burning when ho quitted his work. This was on the evening of May 20th, 1840 ; and by nine o'clock the south-western tower, in which he had been working, was discovered to be in flames. By twelve o'clock this tower, with its peal of bells, was destroyed, and tho whole of the roof of tho nave had fallen in. The progress of the flames was on both occasions checked by the great central tower. The parts destroyed have since been entirely recon- structed by Sir Robert Smirke, at a cost of above 100,000, raised by subscription. In the place of tho old peal of 10 bells, a new peal of 12 bells, of large size and fine tone, wag presented to the Minster by the late Dr. Beckwith, in 1844. A new great bell was also cast for the Cathedral by Mr. Mears, of London (at whose foundry the peal was cast), in 1845, and paid for by Subscription. It is hung in the N.W. tower, and is tho largest bell in the kingdom, weighing 11 J tons, and exceeding by 4 tons Great Tom of Oxford; it is 12-J- feet in diameter and 7J high. The new organ, built by Messrs. Elliott and Hill, was presented by the Hon. and Rev. Lumley Savilo, afterwards Earl of Scar- borough, at a cost of 8,000 ; it has 53 stops and 4,200 pipes. The communion plato was presented by the archbishop, in addition to his subscription of 2,000. Government made a grant of timber to the value of 500. At the period of the suppression of monasteries by Henry VIII., York contained 41 parish churches, 17 chapels, 10 hospitals, and 10 religious houses; of tho churches there remain 23. All Saints Church, in North- street, has a spire 120 feet high. In the S. wall, which is built in part of Roman bricks, is a piece of Roman sculpture. All Saints, Pavement, an ancient church, belonged to Durham Priory, previous to the Conquest. The steeple was in ancient times furnished with a lan- tern, as a guida to travellers through the forest of Galtres, N. of the city. Holy Trinity, Goodram Gate, is an ancient building, in which are some old monu- ments and specimens of painted glass. Many of tho stones in its walls are marked with fire, supposed to have been occasioned by the fire which, in the reign of Stephen, destroyed the Cathedral and 39 churches, with a large portion of the city. St. Crux, Pavement, be- longed at one time to St. Mary's Abbey. It was rebuilt in the early part of the 15th century ; tho tower about the close of the 17th century. Tho Earl of Northum- berland, who was beheaded in 1572, was buried in this church. St. Dennis, Walmgate, was an ancient rectory, the property of the hospital of St. Leonard. It has an Anglo-Norman porch, in good preservation. During the siege of York by the Parliamentarians, in 1644, the spire of this church was injured by a cannon ball ; and being afterwards further damaged by lightning, it was taken down about GO years ago, and the present spire erected. St. Helen's, Stonegate, occupies, according to tradition, the site of a temple of the goddess Diana, and Roman foundations have been discovered about 7 feet below the surface of tho ground. This church was closed by Act of Parliament during the reign of Ed- ward VI., in consequence of its awkward situation at the junction of three streets, but re-opened in the fol- lowing reign. St. Lawrence, without Walmgate Bar, is small, without aisles. Its particularities are, a Roman porch, an ancient and curious font, and St. Lawrence on. the gridiron, sculptured on the base of the spire. St. Margaret, Walmgate, is an ancient structure, with a porch concealed from general view by the houses built in front of it. The porch consists of 4 recessed circular arches, with curiously-sculptured representations, and supported on light round pillars. On the top of the porch is a small stone crucifix, a carving supposed to belong to the llth or 12th century, and to have been brought from the hospital of St. Nicholas, without tho city. St. Mary, Bishophill the younger, has the largest square tower of any parish church in the city. St. Mary, Castlegate, has a spire 166 feet high, which has been twice injured by lightning. St. Michael's, Spurriergate, 5 z