Chapter VIII: THE PARISH OF ST. GILES’S, NORWICH, AND ITS CHURCH. {90a}

The parish of St. Giles’s, though relatively not large, yet has always in later periods occupied an important position in the City of Norwich. It formerly—as is usual with parishes dedicated to Saint Giles—lay upon the outskirts of the city, though not _necessarily_ within the city proper previously to 1253 {90b} (as Mr. Hudson has pointed out), when the city was enclosed with a fosse. In recent times Norwich has expanded largely in the direction of Earlham and Heigham, and St. Giles’s is now completely overlapped by these populous suburbs.

Blomefield describes the parish as having been part of a new portion of Norwich called the New Burgh, originally settled in the time of Edward the Confessor, but much increased at the Conquest by the Normans or Frenchmen settling in it. He says they chose and took this position as being the pleasantest part of the city; but it may also have been that they selected it as being merely the best ground as yet unoccupied by earlier settlers.

St. Giles’s parish is broadly triangular in form, with its base along Chapel Field Road and St. Giles’s Hill. It covers (according to Ordnance Survey) a space of 22·952 acres, and comprises within its area rather more than half of Chapel Field. Its western boundary is along the site of the old city wall, and of St. Giles’s Gate, whilst on the eastern or city side it extends as far as Fisher’s Lane and a little beyond. The population in 1881 was 1,438.

A main city street runs through it, now known as St. Giles’s Street, but formerly called Inferior Newport, Nether Newport, or Lower Newport; Bethel Street being then called Over or Upper Newport.

This street is handsome and well-built, and contains several large and important houses or mansions. Of late years several of these have been converted into the homes of public institutions, and the “Young Men’s Christian Association,” “Gilman’s Insurance Offices,” and the “Masonic Association,” now occupy some of the largest of them.

On the north side of this main street, near to Fisher’s Lane, formerly stood a _Domus Dei_, or Almshouse, but this was pulled down about 150 years ago. Browne, writing in 1814, says: “On the south side of this street is the office of Mack’s London Waggons, which go and return to and from London every week.” These waggons continued to ply for many years; and “Mack’s yard,” which adjoined what is now Mortimer’s Hotel, was a business centre of considerable importance.

In olden times, _Fisher’s Lane_, which extends from St. Giles’s Broad Street to Pottergate Street, was believed to have been so called as being the road to a fish-quay, which formerly existed there; but this is now thought to be very doubtful. The other principal thoroughfares are _St. Giles’s Plain_, in which was formerly an open pit—seen and mentioned by Kirkpatrick, but long since filled up; _Rigby’s Court_, leading from it, formerly called _Pit Lane_, but now known as Rigby’s Court, from the eminent Dr. Rigby, who once lived at its St. Giles’s end; and _Willow Lane_, noteworthy for having for a time been the residence of the Rev. Francis Blomefield, the Norfolk historian, and of George Henry Borrow, the celebrated writer.

The principal PUBLIC BUILDINGS are

_The Church_,

_The Church Schools_, built in 1862,

_The Roman Catholic Chapel_, erected in 1828, and

_The Volunteer Drill Hall_, erected in 1865–6.

Until quite recently the City Prison stood immediately outside the Gate of St. Giles; but the site of this prison is now occupied by the Roman Catholic Church, now in process of erection.

In earlier times a _Leper-house_ existed just beyond the gate.

Also until recently there existed just beyond the gate a series of remarkable and ancient _chalk vaults_, or excavations. They are described by Mr. Woodward (“Archæologia” vol. xxiij., p. 411), who showed a plan of them made by John Bond in 1571. Woodward thinks they were galleries made to obtain the chalk flints for building purposes, whilst Mr. Rye says “they were probably worked by the masons of the Castle and Cathedral for the sake of the chalk.” They are now filled up.

_The City Wall_, built between 1294 and 1319, surrounded the outer and western margin of this parish; and St. Giles’s Gateway, the “Porte de Newport,” or Gate of Newport, stood at the western end of St. Giles’s Street. Over this gate, at one time, lived an hermit. It was pulled down in 1792. In 1867 the greater portion of this part of the City Wall was also taken down; only a small portion near the southern end of Chapel Field, with one of the towers, being left standing. A photograph of this remnant is given in my book on St. Giles’s parish; as well as views of the Gateway as it existed in 1720 and 1792. The latter were sketched by the Ninhams, and published by Mr. Fitch in his work on the Gates of Norwich.

_Chapel Field_, whose history is so strongly interwoven with that of Norwich, lies on the southern side of St. Giles’s. It takes its name from a Chapel of St. Mary, which formerly stood where now is the building used as a High School for Girls. More than half of it lies in this parish (4·790 acres out of a total of 8·994 acres). It was formerly known as Chapel Field Croft; and its ancient owners are stated by Blomefield to have been the Prior of Buckenham, the Prioress of Carhowe, and the Dean and College of the Chapel in the Fields. But it appears to have been acquired by the City during the sixteenth century, after the dissolution of the monasteries. Chapel Field was at one time a sort of _Campus Martius_ of the city, and was used for the musters and training of the local trained bands, as well as for military reviews. After its acquirement by the Corporation, the Field was for a long time usually let out on lease.

In 1707 it was first railed in. In 1746 its main avenues of trees were planted by Sir Thomas Churchman. In 1792 a large portion of it was used for the construction of the reservoir of the old Norwich Waterworks. In later times it has been used for the drilling of Militia or Volunteers; as well as for Volunteer reviews; also for the holding of fêtes, flower shows, bicycle meetings, and horse shows. The well-remembered Fisheries Exhibition was held in the Drill Hall in 1881.

In 1866 the Prince and Princess of Wales each planted a Wellingtonia tree in the Field, but these did not flourish, and have been removed. In the same year the Field was enclosed with its present handsome iron palisading, and it has since then been transformed into the delightful Chapel Field Gardens, as we now see them, with their special beauties, and the handsome iron Pavilion in their midst.

_The Church_ of St. Giles, dedicated to the Saint of that name, stands on the north side of Upper St. Giles’s Street; and is a striking object as we pass up the street, as well as from many other points of view. It occupies a commanding position, overlooking much of the surrounding district, and was anciently called St. Giles’s on the Hill.

Blomefield says it was founded by Elwyn the priest, and given by him to the Monks of Norwich, after he had procured an indulgence of twenty days’ pardon for all who should come and offer here on St. Giles’s Day, or within seven days after, and it was rebuilt in the time of Richard II. The chancel, which appears to have been a very long one, was demolished in 1581, and was not rebuilt until the general restoration of the Church in 1866, when it was restored mainly at the cost of the Rev. W. N. Ripley (now Canon Ripley) who was then Incumbent.

The Church is a fine perpendicular flint-work structure. The tower is large and well proportioned. It is battlemented and crowned with a small bell-cot and weather-cock. It is rather more than 113 feet high, and the hill upon which it stands is 85·8 feet above the level of the sea. From its height and conspicuous position, it was selected in 1549 for placing a cresset, for a fire beacon, upon its top. There was formerly a Cross and Image of the Trinity in a niche on the west side of the steeple (Blomefield). It has a clock on its eastern face, and contains eight bells, one of which is rung as a Curfew every evening at eight o’clock, as has been the case for more than four hundred years, in accordance with a benefaction of one John Colton, in 1457.

_The Belfry Chamber_ contains five large steeple-boards, with many names of ringers.

_The Porch_ has a fine groined vault, with fan tracery, and a rich parapet and cornice.

Kirkpatrick (1712) says of it: “There is a neat porch of freestone on the south side of the Church for entrance, with a chamber above it. On each side of the window, which is in the front, is a niche (with) spired top. On each side of the arch of the door, cut in stone, is a cherub with an escocheon before him. That on the east side has two pastoral staffs. On the (west) a Pall, and at the top of the porch a border of carved work whereon you see the letter G of the antient form with a crown upon it and an escocheon with vine branch of various small ones denoting St. Giles, to whom dedicated.” (These three niches are now empty.) “On the north side of Church there is no porch, but only a door opposite to that of the south.” (This doorway no longer exists.)

The Church itself consists of new Chancel, Nave, and North and South Aisles. The whole building is about 120 feet long, and the nave with its aisles is 48 feet across. The roof is of good open woodwork, supported by “Angels bearing shields, emblazoned with the Arms of England, France, and Castile” (Bayne). And Taylor says the Arms of Norwich Priory are (or were) seen in this roof. The columns supporting it are light and elegant. They are four in number, with a pilaster at each end, and they divide the nave from the aisles. The clerestory windows have been modernised. They are five in number, and closely correspond to the larger windows in the walls of the north and south aisles. Of these there are five in the north side, and four (and the porch) on the south side.

Blomefield says that “In the west end of the south aisle there was formerly a chapel, altar, and image of St. Catharine, with a light burning before it; and against one of the pillars there was a famous rood called the Brown-rood. There was a Gild of St. Mary kept before the altar of the Virgin of Pity. The west window in the north aisle was adorned with the history of Our Lord’s passion; and there were lights burning before the images of St. Mary, St. John Baptist, St. Christopher, St. Unkumber, and St. Wilegesartis; besides those that continually burned before the Holy-rood, or cross, the Holy Sepulchre, and the Sacrament.”

Mr. Hudson says that S. Uncumber and S. Wilegesartis, or Wylgefort, were the same person, and in the _St. Peter Mountergate Parish Magazine_ for February of this year (1891) he has thus briefly given her history: “She was a beautiful maiden who was ordered to marry a man to whom she had a great aversion. While she was at her wits’ end to know how to avoid her fate, she was delighted to discover that in the course of a few hours she had become adorned with a full-grown and very ugly black beard. This, of course, disposed of the gentleman. Wylgefort lived to be a happy old maid, and when she died was honoured as a Saint . . . She was thought to have some special power to uncumber (_i.e._ disencumber, make free) discontented wives from disagreeable husbands. Hence her popular name.”

The remains of a colossal fresco painting of St. Christopher and two consecration crosses were discovered on the wall of the north aisle in 1723.

At the lower end of the Church stands an ancient stone _Font_; the upper part, or basin, evidently of much older date than the base, which consists of a pedestal and two steps. The outer part of the basin has eight facets, carved with shields and flowers, and below these are eight cherubs’ heads, with flowers between. The pedestal is carved out on its sides into niches, having cusped tracery heads. There was formerly a cover, which has been lost. Standing within the large basin is a small leaden vessel and cover, a rough miniature copy of the font itself, made about fifty years ago by Mr. Culyer, then parish clerk.

_The Communion Plate_ {97a} consists of six pieces, silver gilt, and presented by Robert Snell in 1738, and of two brass bowls, presented by Mr. John Gurney in 1869.

The reading desk and pulpit, the organ, the oak fittings, and the vestry room were all added in 1866, when the whole Church was restored, and the Chancel rebuilt. {97b} The building is thoroughly heated by hot water. The Communion rail was added about five years ago.

The Church contains several monuments, besides mural tablets and inscribed stones. The principal of the former are those of

Adrian Payne, 1686, the founder of Payne’s Charity.

Robert Snell, 1738, who gave the Communion Plate.

Alderman Churchman, 1742.

Dr. Offley, 1767.

Sir Thomas Churchman, 1781.

Dr. John Beevor, 1815.

The Stannard Family, 1838.

Slabs to the memory of Henry Crossgrove, printer, 1744, who published
the first Norwich newspaper in 1706; and to Elizabeth, wife of Colonel
Cobbe, of Sandringham Hall, 1698, may also be mentioned.

There are several brasses, the two principal represent Robert Baxter, Mayor of Norwich in 1424 and 1429, with his wife; and Richard Purdaunce, Mayor 1422 and 1433, with his wife. Both of these are figured in Cotman’s “Brasses of Norfolk.”

Other and smaller brasses are inscribed with the names of John Smith, Elizabeth Bedingfield, Margaret Landysdale, Thomas Hervey, and Rachel Spendlove.

_The Room over the Porch_ contains some church standards of former St. Giles’s Mayors; also a dilapidated ‘Parish Umbrella’; and the parish ‘Watchman’s Crake,’ or rattle.

_The Parish Registers_ date from 1538, and are very perfect. The Burial Register shows distinct evidence of the presence of unusual mortality in some of the well-known pestilence years. The first part contains a very remarkable illustrated dedication.

_The Churchyard_ was altered and enclosed with a wall and iron railing in 1866–7. Taylor says that a Hermitage formerly existed in its south-west corner.

There are several and important parish _Charities_; their proceeds being partly for Church purposes, and partly for the benefit of poor parishioners.

The incumbency has an endowment of about £70 a year. It was formerly a Perpetual Curacy, and is now a Vicarage. It is in the gift of the Dean and Chapter. A vicarage house for the minister has been purchased quite recently.

[Picture: The Tower of St. Giles’s Church]