THE CATHEDRAL AND THE CLOSE
THE CATHEDRAL.
The cathedral church of
St. Mary and St. Chad, built of dark red sandstone, comprises a Lady Chapel of three bays
with a three-sided east end, an aisled choir of
eight bays, a central tower and spire, north and
south transepts each of two bays, an aisled nave
of eight bays, and two west towers with spires. (fn. 1)
A two-storeyed building, formerly a chapel,
stands in the angle of the south choir aisle and
south transept. A chapter house with a library
above stands beyond the north choir aisle, from
which it is approached through a vestibule.
Figure 9:
LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL GROUND PLAN 1989
1 Site of Dean Yotton's chapel. 2 Dean Heywood's monument. 3 St. Stephen's chapel. 4 Font. 5 Site of St. Chad's shrine. 6 Probable site of Basset monument.
7 Original site of Bishop Hacket's monument. 8 Effigy of medieval bishop. 9 Effigy of medieval bishop. 10 Bishop Hacket's monument. 11 Effigy of George Stanley. 12 Former St. Peter's chapel (St. Chad's chapel over). 13 Statue of Charles II. 14 Sundial.
The cathedral established by St. Chad, bishop
669–72, was presumably the church dedicated
to St. Mary near which he was buried. In 700 his
remains were transferred to a funerary church,
apparently dedicated to St. Peter. (fn. 2) The two
churches probably stood near each other. The
cathedral may have been in the area later occupied by a side chapel on the north side of the
presbytery of the Norman cathedral. The site of
the chapel, which corresponds to part of the
present north choir aisle, was believed in the
18th century to be the burial place of two
Mercian kings. (fn. 3) The funerary church may have
stood where there was later a side chapel on the
the south side of the Norman presbytery; that
chapel was replaced in the earlier 13th century
by one with an altar dedicated to St. Peter, (fn. 4) a
name possibly significant in view of the likely
dedication of the Saxon funerary church. Nothing survives of either church apart from a decorated cross-shaft set into the foundations on the
north side of the nave. (fn. 5) It is not known when
the churches were incorporated into one cathedral building.
Bishop Limesey, 1085–1117, is reported to
have used money obtained from Coventry
priory for constructing 'great buildings' at
Lichfield, perhaps even before he moved the see
to Coventry in 1102. (fn. 6) His successor Robert
Peche, 1121–6, was reportedly also the initiator
of 'great buildings' at Lichfield. Their work was
probably completed by Bishop Clinton,
1129–48. The Norman church was cruciform in
plan and had an apsidal presbytery extending
from the central crossing to about the middle of
the fourth bay of the present choir. A shrine of
St. Chad presumably stood near the high altar.
A narrow ambulatory or processional way round
the presbytery provided access to the two side
chapels already noted and to an elongated apsidal chapel at the east end. In the later 12th
century, possibly the 1160s, the eastern chapel
was replaced by a three-bayed rectangular
chapel which extended nearly as far as the first
bay of the present choir. An altar stood in line
with the second bay, and under it was buried a
font apparently used as a relic container. The
chapel was encased, possibly in the 1170s, in a
large square-ended presbytery which had a row
of four chapels at its east end. The new work was
evidently intended to provide greater freedom of
movement around an improved shrine of St.
Chad. A new choir of seven bays was built to the
west in the 1190s, totally encasing the presbytery. The outer wall of the choir was misaligned
on the north. Possibly the fault occurred because work at the east end was commenced
before the demolition of the side chapel. That
chapel, as already noted, may have been a place
of special religious significance because of royal
burials and its removal postponed on that account until it was reached by the new work. The
later stages of the work were probably completed by Bishop Muschamp, 1198–1208, who
was the first post-Conquest bishop to be buried
at Lichfield. (fn. 7) The chapel on the south side of
the choir was replaced by a single-storeyed,
three-bayed chapel with a doorway through the
easternmost bay almost opposite the Norman
high altar. The chapel was presumably intended
for use as a sacristy. The Easter sepulchre
recorded in Bishop Nonant's statutes of c. 1190
was probably a movable structure. (fn. 8)
The rebuilding of the Norman cathedral was
begun in the early 13th century with the construction of a clerestory in the choir and of a
central tower. The tower had a lantern with
windows set above an arcade and later obscured
by vaulting. Work on both transepts was under
way in Bishop Cornhill's time, 1215–23, and
continued in the 1230s: royal grants of timber
and stone for the new work were made in 1221,
1231, 1235, and 1238. Henry III was at Lichfield in 1235, 1237, and 1241; he evidently
admired the high wooden roof of the 'new work'
there, carved and painted to resemble stonework, and in 1242 he ordered the construction of
a similar roof for his chapel at Windsor. (fn. 9) The
north transept was presumably completed, or
nearing completion, in 1241 when Bishop Pattishall was buried there. (fn. 10) The north doorway
was decorated externally with figures, including
in the outer moulding on the east a tree of Jesse
and on the west St. Chad and the apostles. (fn. 11) The
south transept, finished about the same time,
had a window designed to represent St.
Catherine's wheel. (fn. 12)
The chapel off the south choir aisle was
rebuilt in the 1230s or 1240s, presumably at the
direction of Dean Mancetter who was buried
there in 1254. It comprised two storeys and a
crypt; on the ground floor there was an altar,
dedicated to St. Peter, set on a dais along the
east wall. (fn. 13) A south-west turret incorporated a
deep pit which may have been a well, and stairs
in a south-east turret led to a barrel-vaulted
crypt. The upper storey may have accommodated relics of St. Chad. Access to it was presumably by a staircase from the south choir aisle
and through what had formerly been a window
in the aisle wall. There may also have been a
balcony in front of the entrance, from which the
relics could be displayed. Not long after the
chapel was finished, a ground-floor chamber was
added to the west; it was originally entered
through a doorway near the south-west turret.
Three large wall cupboards in the chamber were
presumably used for storing either relics or
muniments. In the mid 1250s and the 1340s St.
Peter's chapel was used for transacting business,
which probably included sittings of the consistory court. (fn. 14)
Figure 10:
Lichfield Cathedral before the Civil War
The long vestibule which leads off the north
side of the choir predates the chapter house to
which it provides access. Its original purpose is
uncertain. The chapter may have met there,
although one of the transepts was a more likely
venue. A newel staircase at the vestibule's
south-east corner gave access to an upper storey,
later an annexe to a library over the chapter
house. The chapter house was built in the 1240s
and is an elongated octagon with a ten-celled
roof vaulted from a central pillar. (fn. 15) It has an
upper chamber, now the library, which in the
early 14th century was given a tiled floor, still in
existence. (fn. 16)
The rebuilding of the nave dates from the
time of Bishop Meuland, 1257–95. It was presumably directed at least in part by Thomas le
Waleys, recorded as the master of the fabric in
1268 and as master of the work in the 1270s.
The work, which was probably completed by
1285, involved raising the pitch of the Norman
roof so that the new roof covered or cut across
the windows of the lantern tower. Work on the
west front began shortly afterwards. (fn. 17) The front
was designed as a screen with tiers of statues.
The lowest order contained the twelve apostles,
with the four evangelists and Moses and Aaron
in the porch of the central doorway; a figure of
the Virgin and Child was placed against the
centre pillar of the doorway with one of Christ
above. The second order of figures depicted
kings of either Israel and Judah or of England,
with St. Chad in the centre. Above, flanking the
west window, were two rows apparently of
prophets, prophetesses, and judges. In a niche
over the window stood a statue of Christ.
Figures of patriarchs covered the face of the
north and south towers. (fn. 18) The two west spires
and the central spire were finished probably by
1323. (fn. 19) Above the west doorway inside the
cathedral a text praising Oswiu, king of Northumbria, traditionally regarded as the cathedral's
founder, and later royal benefactors was written
possibly to mark the completion of the west end;
it was still visible in the early 18th century. (fn. 20)
Meanwhile, at the instigation of Bishop Langton, 1296–1321, work on the Lady Chapel at the
east end of the cathedral had been started,
probably c. 1315. (fn. 21) It was unfinished at Langton's death in 1321, when he left money for its
completion. The design, a rectangle of three
bays with a three-sided east end, is unusual in
England but has French parallels. The architect
may have been William Franceys, possibly a
Frenchman, who was recorded as the bishop's
mason at Lichfield in 1312–13. (fn. 22) He may otherwise have been known as William de Eyton,
recorded as the cathedral's master mason in
1322. The chapel was evidently finished by 1336
when two keepers of its fabric were appointed.
Figures of the ten wise and foolish virgins were
placed on pillars in the chapel. (fn. 23) Three small
chambers on its south side were probably designed as sacristies for chantry chaplains serving
at the chapel altar. Vaults underneath the chambers were entered by a stair at the west end of
the westernmost chamber. Externally there were
recesses, presumably for tombs, against two of
the chambers, and possibly also against the
easternmost chamber, although in the early 18th
century there was a doorway there into the
Close. (fn. 24)
William de Eyton was possibly responsible for
the first stages of the construction of a new
choir. He died probably during the winter of
1336–7, and in 1337 the chapter engaged as
consultant William of Ramsey, the king's master
mason, (fn. 25) then working at St. Paul's, London.
His appointment was probably recommended
by Gilbert de Bruera, a canon of Lichfield who
in 1335 became dean of St. Paul's. (fn. 26) In 1337
Philip de Turvill, a canon who had been Bishop
Langton's commissary, left 300 marks for 'the
new work between the choir and the Lady
Chapel' and gave a statue of Our Lady for her
altar. (fn. 27) Ramsey died in 1349, and the completion
of the new choir was probably interrupted by
the effects of the Black Death. Work had been
resumed by 1352 and included the construction
of a stone staircase and stone balcony to the
upper storey of St. Peter's chapel. A stone
screen, which formed the reredos behind the
high altar and had niches for statues, may have
been completed in the later 14th century. (fn. 28)
The south transept was apparently refurbished: in 1346 a vicar choral was given permission to be buried there before the cross which he
had provided. (fn. 29) Historical notes on the kings of
England and on Lichfield cathedral and its
bishops were painted on folding panels at the
doorway of the south transept. The panels may
have been made during the time of Bishop
Northburgh, 1321–58, the last bishop listed on
them. (fn. 30) In 1378 his successor, Bishop Stretton,
improved St. Chad's shrine, which had been
given by Bishop Langton. (fn. 31)
Further work on the fabric took place in the
1380s. It included the decoration of the middle
part of the choir with statues set against the
pillars; on one side were figures of St. Peter, the
Virgin Mary, and St. Mary Magdalene, and on
the other St. James, St. Philip, and St. Christ
pher. (fn. 32) At the beginning of the 15th century,
when the rebuilding of the cathedral was
finished, the duties of the keeper of the fabric
were given statutory confirmation. (fn. 33) A scene
showing the Trinity flanked by two censing
angels was painted on the wall of the south choir
aisle, probably in the mid 15th century; traces of
it were restored in 1979. (fn. 34) Dean Heywood,
1457–92, paid for covering the walls and ceiling
of the chapter house with frescoes, one of which
partly survives over the doorway. He also gave
money for the glazing of the chapter-house
windows with pictures of the apostles and glazing the windows in the vestibule. (fn. 35) In 1543 the
chapter arranged for the regilding of the reredos. (fn. 36)
The main impact of the Reformation on the
fabric was the destruction of St. Chad's shrine
in 1538. (fn. 37) Statues on the high altar and elsewhere inside the cathedral were removed in
1548. (fn. 38) It seems that in contrast the west front,
which Leland in the earlier 1540s had described
as 'the glory of the church', was not defaced. (fn. 39)
Erdeswick in the 1590s remarked that it was
'exceedingly finely cut' with statues of prophets,
apostles, and kings of Judah and of England. (fn. 40)
The cathedral was severely damaged during the
parliamentarian siege and occupation in 1643,
and the siege of 1646 brought down the central
spire. Lead and other materials were stripped
away, and in 1649 it was reported that 'a great
part of the roof is uncovered'. What lead remained was taken away by parliamentary order
in 1651. (fn. 41) Many of the statues on the west front
were badly damaged. (fn. 42)
In 1660 only the chapter house and the 'vestry' (probably St. Peter's chapel) were still
roofed. The dean and chapter immediately set
about restoring the fabric, and following the
arrival of Bishop Hacket in August 1662 work
proceeded energetically. Most of the cathedral
had been reroofed by September 1665 and the
central spire was complete by April 1666; glass
was placed in the west window later the same
year. The cathedral was rededicated on Christmas Eve 1669. (fn. 43) Choir stalls for the prebendaries and others were paid for by donors whose
names were placed over the seats. (fn. 44) A pulpit was
given in 1671 by Francis Bacon, prebendary of
Ryton, (fn. 45) and an elaborate reredos, based on the
design of one in the Chapel Royal at Whitehall,
was installed c. 1678. The generosity of
Catherine (d. 1674), wife of Sir Richard Leveson of Trentham, in restoring the cathedral
fabric was recorded in an inscription over the
south doorway. Henry Webb, the diocesan registrar, paid for the restoration of the entrance to
the choir in 1680. (fn. 46) A statue of Charles II,
attributed to Sir William Wilson, was placed in
the central niche of the apex of the west front; it
may have been covered with bronze. (fn. 47) The duke
of York (later James II) paid for the glazing of
the west window. (fn. 48)
In the 1770s the roofs were found to be in a
dangerous state. (fn. 49) Their pitch was lowered and
the lead covering replaced with slate. A restoration took place between 1788 and 1795 under the
direction of James Wyatt. His principal object
was to enlarge the choir, so that it could contain
the whole congregation. The late 17th-century
reredos and the medieval stone screen which
separated the choir from the Lady Chapel were
removed. The elongated choir was made easier
to keep warm by blocking the arcades and by
cutting off the nave east of the crossing with a
high stone screen, the base of which was made
with material from the redundant medieval
screen. An altar was set up at the east end of the
former Lady Chapel. The former high altar and
possibly its rails were taken to St. Chad's church
at Stowe, which was presented in 1812 with a
copy of Rubens's Crucifixion, originally the
centre piece of the reredos. (fn. 50) Wyatt had the
pews removed from the nave, which ceased to be
used for services, and the pulpit was taken to
Elford church in 1789. (fn. 51) Two vestries, one for
the vicars choral and the other for the choristers,
were fitted out against the screen at the west end
of the choir. Wyatt also replaced some of the
stone vaulting in the nave with plaster, raised
the roofs of the aisles, and rebuilt much of the
central spire. The restoration was completed by
the insertion of painted glass in the east window.
That glass was removed in 1803, when the
window and six others in the Lady Chapel were
filled with panels of mid 16th-century stained
glass from the dissolved Cistercian abbey of
Herckenrode (Belgium). Some of the glass was
also placed in the south window of the south
transept and in windows in the south and north
choir aisles. (fn. 52) Shortly after 1811 Dean Woodhouse had glass depicting the founders and
patrons of the cathedral inserted in the north
transept window. (fn. 53) The south transept window
was given glass depicting Old and New Testament figures in 1813. (fn. 54) Dean Woodhouse was
also responsible in 1814 for removing the 17th-century choir stalls and re-ordering the choir. (fn. 55)
The font in the early 19th century was at the
west end of the north nave aisle. (fn. 56)
Many of the medieval statues on the west
front were removed in 1744 or 1749. Those of
the second row were refashioned in 1820 and
1821 by Joseph Harris of Bath in the form of
pre-and post-Conquest kings of England. (fn. 57)
Sydney Smirke restored the south aisle of the
nave between 1842 and 1846. (fn. 58) The work of
opening out the choir was begun by Smirke in
1856 and continued from 1857 by George Gilbert (later Sir Gilbert) Scott. New furnishings
included a metal screen made by Skidmore of
Coventry between the crossing and the choir,
Minton pavement tiles inside the altar rails, an
alabaster reredos, and oak stalls and a bishop's
throne carved by William Evans of Ellastone,
uncle of the novelist George Eliot. (fn. 59) A new pulpit
and lectern were provided in the nave, as well as
an alabaster font given by the wife of Dean
Howard. The cathedral was reopened in 1861.
Visitors were afterwards allowed free access to
the nave and transepts, but admission to other
parts was by leave of the verger on payment of a
contribution to the fabric fund. (fn. 60)
During the remainder of the 19th century
plaster work in various parts of the cathedral
was replaced by stone. Between 1877 and 1884
the empty niches on the west front were given
new statues and existing ones were remodelled.
Most of them were carved by Robert Bridgeman
of Lichfield, but that of Queen Victoria on the
north side of the central window was carved by
her daughter, Princess Louise. (fn. 61) The statue of
Charles II in the apex was replaced by one of
Christ and survived in the late 1980s near the
south doorway of the cathedral. In 1893 the
north transept window was replaced with glass
depicting Christ's genealogy, donated by James
Hardwick of Hints. New glass depicting bishops
of the early Church was inserted in the south
transept window in 1895; it was given by Bishop
Lonsdale's nephew, A. P. Heywood-Lonsdale. (fn. 62)
Also in 1895 ten statues of virgin saints were
placed in the Lady Chapel. (fn. 63) A service of thanksgiving in 1901 marked the completion of the
restoration.
St. Peter's chapel had been used as the canons' vestry in the early 18th century. (fn. 64) In 1797
it was fitted out as the bishop's consistory court,
formerly in the north transept. (fn. 65) A triple seat for
the judge's use with a later 17th-century canopy,
which survives in the chapel, evidently comprises Bishop Hacket's throne and two other
seats refashioned after the stalls were removed
from the choir in 1814. The court continued to
meet there until 1876, when the chapel became a
vestry again. (fn. 66) It was used by the vergers in the
late 1980s. The vault underneath the chapel was
used as a charnel house in the early 18th century; it was reserved in 1797 as the burial place
of the Paget family of Beaudesert in Longdon. (fn. 67)
The upper chamber was dedicated in 1897 as St.
Chad's chapel and in the late 1980s was a place
for private prayer. (fn. 68)
The north-east corner of the south transept
was used as a vestry by the vicars choral in the
earlier 18th century and the south-east corner as
the dean's consistory court. (fn. 69) The court continued to meet there until the abolition of the
dean's probate jurisdiction in 1858. (fn. 70) In 1926
both parts were dedicated as St. Michael's
chapel in memory of Staffordshire men who had
died during the First World War. In 1960 it
became the regimental chapel of the Staffordshire Regiment. (fn. 71) St. Stephen's chapel in the
north transept on the east side was used as the
bishop's consistory court in the late 17th century. (fn. 72) The court remained there until the
chapel was opened out during restoration work
c. 1790; it moved first to the chapter house and
in 1797 to St. Peter's chapel. (fn. 73) The font given by
Mrs. Howard was moved from the west end of
the nave to the north transept in 1982. (fn. 74)
The space between the vestibule and the
north transept was enclosed c. 1860 in order to
create vestries for the vicars choral and the
choristers, replacing those at the west end of the
choir. (fn. 75) Two upper storeys were added as vestries in the early 1980s.
St. Chad's shrine.
Bede described the saint's
shrine as a wooden coffin in the shape of a little
house, with an aperture in its side through
which pilgrims could put their hands to take out
some of the dust. (fn. 76) In the Norman cathedral the
shrine probably stood behind the high altar, in
the apse of the presbytery. A light was maintained before it in the later 12th century. (fn. 77) In the
early 14th century some of the relics were placed
in a costly shrine commissioned in Paris by
Bishop Langton. (fn. 78) It presumably stood in the
space between the high altar and the Lady
Chapel, then still under construction. In 1378
Bishop Stretton arranged for it to be moved to 'a
marble place next to the Lady Chapel'. (fn. 79) The
move probably entailed placing the shrine on a
marble table. When its ornaments were listed in
1445, it was apparently in the form of an oblong
chest with the narrower sides facing east and
west. A gilt statue of St. Chad and other statues
stood on the south side, and there was also a
statue of the Virgin Mary and a silver-gilt statue
of a man brandishing a sword, possibly a representation of St. Michael the Archangel. (fn. 80)
By 1345 there were also relics of the saint in a
portable shrine. It was made in the form of a
church with transepts and a bell tower and may
have been a model of the cathedral itself. It too
was adorned with statues in 1445. One of St.
Chad stood on the face of one of the transepts,
with a gold statue of St. Catherine above, and a
statue of the Virgin Mary stood on the face of
the other transept. The bell tower contained or
was surmounted by an enamelled gilt crucifix.
The saint's head was kept in a painted wooden
box in 1345. By 1445 it was encased in a gilt
reliquary, possibly in the form of a mask or a
complete head which could be opened up to
reveal the skull, and a mitre was hung over it.
The reliquary was kept in its own chapel, probably the chamber over St. Peter's chapel off the
south choir aisle. The saint's right arm was by
then kept in a separate silver-gilt reliquary,
probably made in the form of an arm: at one end
was the model of a hand in the act of giving a
blessing. (fn. 81)
The reliquaries were destroyed in 1538 in the
general attack on pilgrimage shrines. The statues, jewels, and other ornaments were seized by
the Crown; the cathedral was granted for its own
uses the shrine itself, presumably the marble
fabric behind the high altar. (fn. 82) The saint's bones
were smuggled away by Canon Arthur Dudley.
Some were taken to Flanders in 1669, and by
1671 were in Liège; others remained in England
and are now kept in the Roman Catholic cathedral in Birmingham. (fn. 83)
Side altars.
St. Mary's altar was recorded in
the early 1220s. (fn. 84) Statutes of 1241 mention five
chaplains serving the cathedral's principal altars. (fn. 85) Those altars probably included the four
at the east end of the choir before the construction of the Lady Chapel; the fifth may have been
the high altar, or else St. Chad's altar which is
known to have been in the nave in 1325. (fn. 86) A list
of chantries made in 1335 (fn. 87) records the altars of
the Virgin Mary, St. Chad, St. John, St. Radegund, St. Catherine, St. Thomas, St. Peter (in
the chapel off the south choir aisle), St. Stephen
(in the north transept and in existence by
1241), (fn. 88) St. Andrew (probably in the north choir
aisle), (fn. 89) and St. Nicholas (probably in the south
choir aisle). (fn. 90) St. Kenelm's altar was recorded in
1466. (fn. 91) A chantry at the altar of St. Blaise,
evidently in the choir, was founded by Dean
Heywood, 1457–92. He adorned the altar with
an alabaster 'table', probably a reredos, on
which scenes of the saint's life were depicted. (fn. 92)
In 1468 he founded a chantry at the altar of
Jesus and St. Anne. The altar stood in its own
chapel in a loft, which lay across the north choir
aisle next to the choir screen. Its furnishings
included statues of the Risen Christ and of St.
Anne, a pair of organs, and choir stalls. (fn. 93) In
1499 there was an altar of St. George, (fn. 94) and
there was presumably an altar in the chapel built
on to the north side of the nave by Dean Yotton
(d. 1512). (fn. 95) There may also have been a chapel
in the chamber over the vestibule leading to the
chapter house; in the early 18th century the
chamber was known as St. Peter's chapel and
had wall paintings which included one of the
saint's crucifixion. (fn. 96)
Buriala and monuments.
Bishop Geoffrey Muschamp (d. 1208) was the first post-Conquest
bishop to be buried in the cathedral. (fn. 97) The
site is unknown. Of his successors William
Cornhill (d. 1223) was buried in the south choir
aisle (fn. 98) and Hugh Pattishall (d. 1241) in the north
transept before the altar of St. Stephen. (fn. 99) Both
Roger Weseham (d. 1257) and Roger Meuland
(d. 1295) were buried in the cathedral. (fn. 100) Meuland's burial site may have been in the choir on
the south side of the high altar: a tomb there
drawn by William Dugdale before the Civil War
may have been his. (fn. 101) Walter Langton (d. 1321)
was first buried at the east end of the choir,
presumably beyond St. Chad's shrine and near
the Lady Chapel. In 1360 his body was moved
by his successor Robert Northburgh to an elaborate canopied tomb of white stone on the south
side of the high altar. (fn. 102) Northburgh himself was
presumably buried in the cathedral, but there is
no record of the site. Robert Stretton (d. 1385)
was buried in St. Andrew's chapel. (fn. 103) John Burghill (d. 1414) directed that he should be buried
in the Lady Chapel, (fn. 104) as did Reynold Boulers
(d. 1459). (fn. 105) John Hales (d. 1490) chose to be
buried near the west door, and Geoffrey Blythe
(d. 1532) before the image of St. Chad, possibly
a reference to the statue on the saint's shrine
behind the high altar. (fn. 106) Blythe was the last
bishop to be buried in the cathedral until 1670.
Only two effigies of medieval bishops survived
the Civil War; both are now in the south choir
aisle. (fn. 107) One is of the 13th century; the other is
14th-century.
A monument to Dean Heywood (d. 1492)
contained effigies of him in his vestments and as
a cadaver; only the second survives. In the early
18th century it was in a wall in the south choir
aisle; it was moved in 1877 to the north-west
corner of the north transept. (fn. 108) Dean Boleyn (d.
1603) was buried at the entrance to the choir. (fn. 109)
A monument to Ralph, Lord Basset (d. 1390),
formerly stood at the east end of the south choir
aisle, and one to George Stanley (d. 1509) of
Hammerwich survives in the wall of the same
aisle. (fn. 110) A medieval effigy survives in the wall of
the south choir aisle (fn. 111) and two others in the wall
of the south nave aisle. A monument to William,
Lord Paget (d. 1563), his eldest son Henry (d.
1568), and their wives was erected in 1577 on
the site of St. Chad's shrine. It was commissioned by Henry's brother Thomas, Lord Paget,
from the Flemish sculptor Jan Carlier. Unusually for English monuments of that time the
material used was marble and the figures were in
a kneeling, not recumbent, position. It was
destroyed during the Civil War. (fn. 112) Robert
Master (d. 1625), chancellor of Lichfield diocese,
and his wife Catherine were commemorated in a
monument at the east end of the south choir
aisle, also destroyed during the Civil War. (fn. 113)
Bishop John Hacket (d. 1670) was buried on
the south side of the high altar. When the choir
arches there were blocked in the late 18th century, his monument was set against the wall of
the south choir aisle. It was moved in 1979 to a
position under a choir arch near the west end of
the aisle. (fn. 114) Of later bishops buried in the cathedral or its graveyard, Richard Smalbroke (d.
1749) and James Cornwallis (d. 1824) are commemorated by wall tablets in the south transept;
Henry Ryder (d. 1836) by a life-size figure
sculpted by Sir Francis Chantrey in the north
choir aisle; George Selwyn (d. 1878) by an effigy
in one of the chambers on the south side of the
Lady Chapel decorated with scenes reflecting
the bishop's work with Maoris in New Zealand
and miners in Lichfield diocese; and Edward
Woods (d. 1953) by a bronze bust of 1958 by
Jacob Epstein, first placed in the north choir
aisle and in 1989 at the north end of the vestibule leading to the chapter house. (fn. 115) Augustus
Legge (d. 1913) has no memorial in the cathedral. In contrast, John Lonsdale (d. 1867),
although buried at Eccleshall, has an effigy with
medieval canopies in the north choir aisle.
There are wall tablets to Dean Lancelot Addison (d. 1703) at the west end of the south nave
aisle and Dean John Woodhouse (d. 1833) in the
north transept. Dean Henry Howard (d. 1868) is
commemorated by an effigy with medieval canopies in the south choir aisle. A wall tablet in the
south transept to John Saville (d. 1803), vicar
choral, has verses by his friend Anna Seward.
The young daughters of William Robinson,
prebendary of Pipa Parva, are commemorated at
the east end of the south choir aisle in a sculpture by Chantrey dated 1817. Other monuments
include those to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
(d. 1789), the writer, at the west end of the north
nave aisle, Andrew Newton (d. 1806), founder
of Newton's College in the Close, in the south
transept, and Sir Charles Oakeley (d. 1826),
governor of Madras, in the north transept.
There are memorial busts of the actor David
Garrick (d. 1779) and Dr. Samuel Johnson (d.
1784) in the south transept. Naval and military
memorials are chiefly in the south transept. (fn. 116)
Plate.
Inventories of 1345 and 1445 list the
cathedral's plate, as well as vestments and other
liturgical artefacts, often with a note of their
donors. (fn. 117) In 1549 the dean and chapter divided
surplus plate among themselves, and what remained was mostly seized by the Crown in 1553.
Replacements were acquired during Mary I's
reign and later, but their seizure was ordered by
the Privy Council in 1579. (fn. 118) The earliest surviving plate comprises a chalice, two flagons, a
paten, and a paten cover, all of 1662; a ciborium
given in 1670 by Lucy, dowager countess of
Huntingdon; a paten and almsdish of 1701; and
a chalice and paten of 1702.
Bells.
A scheme for ringing the cathedral bells
was included in Bishop Nonant's statutes of c.
1190. It mentioned at least two great bells, as
well as a 'sweet bell' and its 'companion', presumably bells with a light timbre. A reference to
the smallest bell 'in the church' may suggest that
the others were in an external bell tower. (fn. 119)
There was a belfry 'in the close' by 1315, when
it was burnt down. (fn. 120) A belfry mentioned in 1385
may have been the cathedral's south-west tower:
a great bell called Jesus, made in London and
given by Dean Heywood, was consecrated in a
belfry 'on the south side of the cathedral' in
1477. (fn. 121) There were evidently bells in the central
tower, which was presumably the 'great belfry'
badly damaged in 1537. (fn. 122)
In 1553 the Crown allowed the cathedral to
keep its 12 bells. (fn. 123) In the earlier 17th century a
great bell (evidently the Jesus bell) hung in the
south-west tower and there was a bell (or bells)
in the central tower. (fn. 124) The Jesus bell was melted
down in 1653, (fn. 125) and most of the other bells were
presumably destroyed about the same time. One
at least was saved: in 1661 the chapter clerk
recovered 'a stolen bell' at Coventry. (fn. 126) It is
possibly the small, medieval bell which survived
in the central tower in the late 1980s. A peal of
six was placed in the south-west tower in the
1670s. The bells proved unsuitable and were
recast in 1688 as a peal of ten by Henry Bagley of
Ecton (Northants.). Three of the new bells were
recast by Bagley in the early 1690s. (fn. 127) No. 9 was
recast by Abraham Rudhall of Gloucester in
1758, and the treble and the tenor by Thomas
Rudhall in 1764; the tenor was again recast in
1813 by Thomas Mears of London. All ten were
recast in 1947 by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough. (fn. 128)
Organs.
In 1482 Dean Heywood gave a 'great
organ' to be placed on the choir screen. (fn. 129) In
1639 Robert Dallam agreed to build an organ,
which, if built, was presumably destroyed or
dismantled during the Civil War. (fn. 130) At the Restoration Bishop Hacket commissioned a new
organ from Bernard Smith, evidently completed
in 1669. It was known as 'the Ladies' Organ'
because its cost was met by ten women, including Anne, duchess of York, and Frances,
duchess of Somerset. (fn. 131) A small organ for use in
the Lady Chapel was made probably in the
1660s. It fell into private hands and c. 1900 was
presented to Lichfield museum by Bishop
Selwyn's widow Harriet. It was restored to
working order in 1954 and returned to the
cathedral. (fn. 132) A 'great organ' was built by Thomas
Schwarbrook (d. c. 1753). It was replaced in
1789 by one built by Samuel Green. The present organ, made by George Holdich, was given
in 1860 by Josiah Spode of Hawkesyard Park in
Armitage and was placed in the north transept
aisle; it was enlarged in 1884. (fn. 133)
Clocks and sundial.
There was a cathedral
clock in 1401 when a keeper was appointed by
the chapter at 20s. a year. (fn. 134) A keeper was still
employed in the late 16th century. (fn. 135) The clock
may then have been in the south-west tower,
where it evidently was in the earlier 17th century. (fn. 136) There was a clock on the west front of the
south-west tower in the later 18th century. Its
dial was removed in 1823. (fn. 137) A clock was installed in the south-west tower in 1891, with a
dial at the west end of the south nave aisle. (fn. 138)
A sundial near the south doorway of the
cathedral was removed in 1781 and re-erected in
1785 at the west end in order to regulate the
clock on the tower. (fn. 139) It was removed in 1881 and
passed into private hands. It was returned to the
cathedral in 1929 and placed on a pedestal in its
present position south of the nave. (fn. 140)
Books and archives.
A brick library was built
beside the north transept in the late 15th
century. (fn. 141) Its small manuscript collection was
catalogued in 1622. (fn. 142) When the Close was surrendered to parliamentarian forces in 1646, the
terms of surrender stipulated that the library's
contents were to be preserved. (fn. 143) None the less
they were dispersed, and in 1663 the chapter
recovered books from Shrewsbury. (fn. 144) The
library was restocked by Frances, duchess of
Somerset (d. 1674), who left it nearly 1,000
books belonging to her late husband William
Seymour, duke of Somerset, the recorder of
Lichfield. (fn. 145) Between 1680 and 1682 Dean
Smalwood had ten cases made for the books,
each case bearing a wooden boss with the donor's arms, including his own. (fn. 146) The library was
further augmented by Dean Addison (d.
1703). (fn. 147)
In 1757 the chapter ordered the demolition of
the library in order to improve the aspect of the
Close; the adjoining chapter clerk's house,
which was timber-framed, was also demolished
because it was a fire risk to the cathedral. (fn. 148) The
books and the cases were moved in 1763 to the
chamber over the chapter house. (fn. 149) The cases
were replaced by smaller ones in the later 19th
century. After a bequest by Frederick Martin, a
canon of Lincoln cathedral, of over 2,000 books
in 1865, the library was extended by opening a
doorway into the adjoining room over the vestibule. (fn. 150)
The library's greatest possession is the 8th-century St. Chad's gospel book. It is periodically displayed in the chapter house, as a
memorial to Bishop Stretton Reeve (d. 1981).
In the earlier 17th century the cathedral's
archives were kept in the chamber over the
chapter house. (fn. 151) A chest of drawers dated 1663
in the present library annexe was presumably
made to store documents. The archives were
moved to the upper storey of St. Peter's chapel,
probably in 1763 to make room for the transfer
of the library that year. They were moved in
1896 to the library annexe. (fn. 152) In 1973 most of the
archives were deposited in the Lichfield Joint
Record Office. (fn. 153)