Southwell Minster

Southwell Minster or Collegiate Church

The Minster or Collegiate Church has now, however, an appearance that even Leland might have admired (though more a man of industry than of taste), as much has of late years been donw to give it a thorough repair. For this purpose, a subscription was opened as far back as 1804, the whole of the venerable pile having been long in a decayed and ruinous state. Towards accomplishing this praiseworthy design, Colonel Eyre set a munificent example by subscribing £100, and many others contributed liberally in conjunction with the prebendaries, so that the fabric has been completely repaired and beautified. Its extreme length is 306 feet, and its breadth in the nave and chancel 59 feet, and in the transcept 121 feet.

All historians have agreed in attributing its first foundation to Paulinus, the first Archbishop of York, about the year 628. During a succession of ages, until the Dissolution, the church had been encouraged and endowed by the liberality of both monarchs and nobles, and protected by the decrees of popes, and the regulations of various prelates, and it is said by Mr Rastall, that scarce a person was advanced to the see of York, that did not render it more independent upon his promotion, whilst its own members always manifested their attention by some augmentation of its revenues, whenever they had been long in the enjoyment of their benefices. In the early part of henry VIII's reign, its chantries were dissolved, and that order of its priests expelled, and soon after it shared in the general wreck of collegiate foundations. It was, notwithstanding, declared by Act of Parliament in Henry's 34th year (1542) to be the Mother Church of Nottinghamshire, a favour which it owed partly to Cranmer, and partly to the intercessions of the gentry of the county. In Edward's reign, the chapter was dissolved and granted to the Duke of Northumberland, but restored by Mary to the Archbishop and Chapter, in whose hands the property still remains. Queen Elizabeth I, in her 27th year, obtained a new code of laws which, with some occasional decrees of different Archbishops, form its present municipal law. It suffered much in the civil wars, being sequestrated, but afterwards restored, but it has not yet recovered the damages done by Cromwell's troops, who converted it into a stable for their horses, broke down the monuments, and ransacked the graves of the dead for lead, and other valuables. Even as late as 1793, some of the iron rings, driven into the walls to fasten the horses to, were still in existence. On November 17th 1711 it was struck by lightning, which set fire to the south spire, melted the lead and bells of the great middle tower, and destroyed the organ. The damage was £4,000. The massive pile has, however, lost but little of its pristine appearance, except in some of the windows, whose Saxon arches have given way to the gothic pointed ones of the 14th century, and in the western towers and chapter house, which were formerly surmounted by wooden spires covered with lead, but taken down about 50 years ago. It is supposed to be the oldest building in the kingdom, except St Augustine's at Canterbury, which was founded in 605.

The approach to this venerable fabric from the north is through a large gothic gateway, with reducing parapets, commanding a view of the west front, with the chapter house on the left, and the ruins of the Archbishop's Palace on the right. The west front consists of two lofty square towers, divided into seven storeys, and decorated with ornamented arched windows and arches recesses, whilst between the towers in the western entrance and the great window, which are insertions of a later date than the original edifice, having pointed heads and much tracery. The north side is most strictly Saxon, having five storeys, with breaks or pilasters between the windows, and a plain parapet above them. On entering the western door, the visitor soon leaves the plainness of Saxon architecture, for all the richness and elegance of the meridian pride or gothic of the 14th century displayed in the screen, at the entrance to the choir, which has large arched openings with recesses, and in the interior a kind of cloister, full of the richest tracery. The choir is elegantly pewed, and has a richly carved stall for each of the 16 prebendaries.

The Chapter House, at the north-east corner, is an octagonal building, approached by one of the richest archways in the kingdom, and having its stalls arranged in niches around the room, and separated by small cylindrical columns. The variety in the devices which ornament these niches is extreme, as no two of them are alike. The roof has rich light groins, and the windows pleasing tracery, and below the latter are recesses, with columns and arches, enriched with a variety of heads in ancient costume.

This magnificent church is parochial and collegiate. The living was a vicarage, valued in the King's books at £7 13s 4d, and in the patronage of the prebendary of Normanton, the prediul tithes of the whole parish being divided amongst the three ancient prebends, viz. Normanton, Norwell Overhall and Norwell Pallishall. In 1841 the living was made a rectory, by the Ecclesiastical Commisioners of England, by a notice dated Buckingham Palace October 14th 1841 who, in pursuance of an act passed in Parliament, held the 3rd and 4th year of Her Majesty's reign, have prepared, and now humbly lay before your Majesty's council, the following scheme for making better provision for the spiritual care of the parish of Southwell. Whereas that:

"so soon as convenient may be, the vicarage of Southwell shall be endowed with such portion of the tithes, or with other provisions, as by the like authority may be determined on, and may be consituted a rectory with care of souls. By reason of the vacancy of certain canonries and prebends in the Collegiate Church, certain lands, tithes and other endowments and emoluments, have accrued to, and become vested in us, under the providence of the said act &c., we propose the vicarage shall be a rectory &c. The rector to employ a person, licensed by the Bishop of Lincoln, and not being a minor canon of the said church, to be his assistant curate. Such stipend to be assigned him, not exceeding the sum of a non-resident incumbent. And we further propose, out of the proceeds aforesaid, the sum of £300 shall be paid to the rector of Southwell, first payment made November next, 1841. Further, nothing herein contained shall prevent a further augmentation. When means are sufficent for the purpose at any future time, a gross sum of stock in government funds, shall be apportioned to the rectory, or the tithes, when they shall become vested in us, or any portion thereof, shall be conveyed to the rector, the said act to take effect after it has been published in the Gazette."

The Rev. John Murray Wilkins M.A. is the incumbent, and the above notice appeared in the Gazette November 9th 1841.

Two Synods, at which all the Nottinghamshire clergy attend, are held here yearly, and a certain number of the prebendaries and other clergymen are nominated by the Bishop of Lincoln to preside over them. Ten of the prebends have reverted to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and the vicars choral are made minor canons, of whom there are only two. In a few years all these revenues will revert to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

The Residentiary, which is occupied by one of the Prebendaries, for three months in rotation, is a handsome modern building, near the east end of the Minster, and has on each side of it the houses of the Vicars Choral, built on the site of the ancient vicarage, which was taken down in 1780. The Prebends will be abolished as the Prebendaries die off, and the Vicars Choral are now called Minor Canons, of whom there are but two at present. These changes are made by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, into whose hands all the income of the Prebendaries &c. revert, for the carrying out the great objects of that measure, when the Diocese of Lincoln will only extend over Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, whereas it formerly extended into Leicester, Huntingdon, Bedford and Buckingham.

For the reparation of the Minster, there are certain appropriated lands and tenements, the income of which, with the pew rents, have proved insufficient to keep it in repair. To supply this want, it had been determined by the prebendaries &c. that in future, certain absentee shares and surplus revenues should go to the fabric fund, and should so continue to do, until there should be sufficient monies to meet the ordinary, as well as the extraordinary repairs of the Minster. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, after all these revenues shall have fallen into there hands will, no doubt, devise means by which this magnificent structure may be kept in a complete state of repair.

In 1740, in cleaning one of the vaults in the Minster, the entire skeleton of a man standing upright was found, with boots and spurs on, and some part of his arms. This seems to corroborate a traditional report that, when Charles I was here, a spy was taken up and thrust into a vault.

In 1764, a Mr Fowler, a clergyman, fell into Lady Well and was drowned.

IN 1779 or 1780, a very broad gold ring was found on digging a grave in the churchyard, having this inscription underneath:

Miev † Moore † Que † Change † Ma † Foy

Some few Roman coins have been found.

White's Directory of Nottinghamshire 1853

[Last updated: Thursday 2nd October 1997 - Clive Henly]