It would be impossible, in the course of a short chapter, to give an
adequate account of all the crosses in the county of which remains
still exist. On such a subject, as in the case of most counties, a
volume might be written. Nor will it be attempted even to refer to
all of them or to give a complete list, and it may well be that some
interesting specimens will be omitted, or not mentioned here, not
because they are not worthy of mention, but because there is not space
to do justice to them.
It cannot but be a matter of regret that Puritan fanaticism was
responsible for the destruction of many, if not most, of these crosses
throughout the country. It has been computed that at least 5000 had
been at various times erected, and they afforded not only types of
architectural design and ornament, but also historical evidence of
former times and customs.
The crosses varied much in form and character, as also in position and
origin. Many of them, no doubt, were in the first instance _Preaching
Crosses_. The monks or other early heralds of Christianity would rear
up some simple or wooden cross to mark the place from which they would
address the people who came to hear them, and this would in process
of time give place to a more permanent structure of stone, sometimes
of an elaborate nature. Generally it would be elevated or raised upon
a platform of steps, sometimes few, but sometimes as many as eight
or more. The cross itself might be enriched with the Figure or with
some inscription or pattern of some emblematic kind. After a time, in
some places, a church would be erected, and the cross or its successor
would become the _Churchyard Cross_. Where this did not happen, the
cross would remain as a reminder to the people of the message that
had been delivered there, and to teach them that all their actions
were to have a religious purpose. In some instances the cross became a
_Market Cross_, of which, in different parts of the country, we have
various elaborate specimens. Here again the name, whether the form of
the cross was prominent or not, was evidently meant to suggest that
the transactions there carried on were to be true and just, as became
Christian men. Sometimes the cross became “_the High Cross_,” where
justice was administered and civic matters discussed; and in this case
also the title is most suggestive. In addition to these there were
_Boundary Crosses_, by which would be implied the sin of removing a
neighbour’s landmark; and _Weeping Crosses_, visited by penitents. Of
all these, except, so far as I know, the latter, there are, of course,
many examples in the county, and of some of them this article will
treat.
[Illustration: The High Cross, Chester.]
First and foremost, it is a matter of great regret that the _High
Cross_ has disappeared from its position in the city of Chester. It
has indeed left its name behind it, the junction of the four principal
streets in the centre of the city being still known as _The Cross_,
and being so named not from the fact of the cross-roads being there,
but from the structure which once stood on the spot. This was a tall
shaft with canopied head, on which were carved two rows of figures
in niches, and on the top an orb surmounted by a cross. The civic
buildings were close at hand, being built on to St. Peter’s Church, and
being styled _The Pentice_, probably from pent-house, as indicating
the way in which it was built on to the church. Though the offices of
the municipality have long since been moved to the Town Hall, the old
name is still preserved, one of the courts over which the Recorder
presides being called in documents “The Pentice Court.” The _High
Cross_ was taken down in 1646, when the Parliamentarians entered the
city, the other crosses having been destroyed in 1577 or earlier. It
was removed to Netherleigh House in the outskirts of the city, then the
home of the Cotgreaves. What is said to be the head of it is now in the
Grosvenor Museum at Chester, but the carvings have been cut away, as
it is quite plain; and the shaft is said to be in the grounds of Plas
Newydd at Llangollen. The suggestion has been made that the cross might
be restored, and though it could not be placed again on its old site,
owing to the confined space and the exigencies of traffic, it might
find a position of importance in some other part of the city. The _High
Cross_ was the scene of all great civic functions. Here, again and
again, royalty was received and conducted into the adjacent Pentice and
entertained. Here proclamations were read out with due formality, and
here the Mystery Plays were represented, the first performance having
taken place at the Abbey Gate before the Abbot and his brethren. The
cross would thus be associated in the minds of the citizens with much
of their civic life, and many noteworthy events in their history, and
for this reason, if for no other, its removal is much to be regretted.
Reference has already been made to the destruction of crosses in
1577 in and about Chester. In that year Sheriff Mutton seems to have
distinguished himself in this work, as we read that he pulled down
certain crosses by a commission from the Archbishop’s visitors. Some
probably had disappeared at an earlier date, for in 1543 the city
mason was paid two days’ wages “for shiftyinge the cross” at St.
Mary’s-on-the-Hill. No doubt at this period many of the churchyard
crosses in the county, as well as in the city, were demolished.
This was often done by shortening the shaft, thus taking away the
cross itself, and using the portion that was left as the basis for a
sun-dial. This was sometimes a flat one, as at St. Mary’s-on-the-Hill,
Chester, and sometimes a four-sided one, as at Acton, where a very
elaborate one of the latter description may be seen. In this latter
case the base, out of which the octagonal shaft rises, rests upon a
pedestal of three steps, and the square stone, with its dial-face on
each side, is surmounted by a round knob. On the top of the cube there
was this inscription: on the north, “Tempus fugit: mors venit”; and on
the south, “Ut hora: sic vita.” Originally this cross must have been
very fine in its proportions, and a conspicuous object, whether it
occupied its present position (at the west of the church) or not. In
the churchyard of St. John the Baptist, Chester, is a sun-dial, which
probably stands where the _Churchyard Cross_ stood, as marked in an
old plan of the end of the fifteenth century preserved in the British
Museum. In the old chapter-house of this church are preserved some
fragments of crosses of a remarkable character. They are of beautiful
design, and are fully described by the Bishop of Bristol in vol.
xlix. of the _British Archæological Journal_. He assigns them to the
pre-Norman period, and designates them as British, and prior to 903,
when the Bréts were driven out of this part of England. In his opinion
the fragments of two beautiful sculptured shafts are as fine in their
work as any of the pre-Norman monuments left in England. Fragments of
crosses of a similar character, and probably of a similar date, are
to be found at Neston, Bromborough, and West Kirby, and a portion of
one from Hilbre Island is now in the Grosvenor Museum at Chester. Most
of these have circular wheel heads with three projections, a type of
cross which (according to Mr. Romilly Allen) is common to North Wales
and Cornwall, but does not appear to be known elsewhere. Some of the
crosses here mentioned, besides others elsewhere, as at Disley (now
at Lyme Hall) and at Cheadle, have no doubt been sepulchral, either
as headstones or flat ones. Some, however, have been _Churchyard_ or
_Preaching Crosses_, and a notable instance of this is to be found in
the fragments now preserved at Bromborough. The late Mr. E. W. Cox
gave a very accurate and careful description of these, and a design
for the reconstruction of the cross, which would have stood about 10
feet high. A similar one once existed at Wallasey, and is described in
a MS. history of that parish early in the seventeenth century. It is
said to have been broken in three pieces by the soldiers of William
III., and afterwards used for steps to the churchyard stile. In many of
our churchyards, as at Bebington and at Shocklach (and no doubt there
are many other instances), the pedestals or bases of crosses are to
be seen. In the latter place the stones of the three steps have been
carefully refixed, and the stem been lengthened a foot at its lower
end so that it might fit into the socket on the top base. On the top
of the stem (from which, of course, the cross had been removed) are
four semi-circular holes systematically placed opposite to each other,
2 to 2½ inches in diameter, and 1½ inches deep. These are not dowel or
cramp holes for the affixing of a sun-dial, or for the cross itself;
and it has been conjectured that marketing and other transactions
would take place here, and that when the plague was raging these holes
would be filled with vinegar, in which the coins would be placed,
so as to render them free from infection. Many of our readers will
think of other examples which are left, some, it may be, in their own
churchyards, and will be able to associate with them scenes of former
days. They may picture to themselves the congregations gathered round
them listening to the monk or friar or other early preacher as he
unfolded the story of which the cross was the centre and the emblem,
and pressed upon his hearers the lessons it was to teach, and the
impression it was to make upon their daily lives. Then, in some cases,
these fragments which are left have preserved to us wonderful specimens
of decorative treatment, interesting not merely to the archæological
student, but also to the ordinary individual, as indications of
the art and skill and thoroughness of past generations, and thus
as treasured memorials of olden days. Sometimes the _Churchyard
Cross_ has been restored in recent years, as at Over Peover and St.
Mary’s-on-the-Hill, Chester. In each case the shortened shaft had been
made the receptacle of a sun-dial. At Peover the restored cross is
a memorial to the late Sir Philip Mainwaring. On an octagonal shaft
of Portland stone a moulded capped head has been placed, on which is
carved the figure of our Lord upon the cross with St. Mary and St. John
under a gabled canopy. The cross at St. Mary’s, Chester, is a floriated
one of Yorkshire stone: at the bottom of the new work is a border with
four angels, and above this architectural canopies or niches, in one of
which is the patron saint of the church, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The
cross occupies a most commanding position overlooking the river and the
city walls. Other examples will no doubt occur to many of our readers.
Mention must be made, though an accurate description cannot be given,
of Clulow Cross, near Wincle, of the Bow Stones on Lyme Moor, of two
at Ludworth, and of three in the Public Park at Macclesfield. They are
singular in their construction, the shafts being square at the top and
round at the bottom. Mr. Romilly Allen has given a careful description
of these, which have great antiquarian interest, but has not suggested
what their origin may have been, though he classes them amongst early
Christian monuments. Whilst they may have been memorial in the first
instance, they may afterwards have served the purpose of reading a
lesson and imparting instruction to the wayfarer as he passed by, or to
the observer as he noted them from a distance.
[Illustration: Base of Old Village Cross, Eaton, near Tarporley.]
Of _Market Crosses_ the county has some noteworthy examples. Some of
these are to be found in places where markets are no longer held, and
thus stand out as witnesses of departed greatness. A notable instance
of this is found at Bromborough, in the Wirral. Though a simple
village, it formerly had a market on Monday, which was granted in 1277
to the Abbot and Monastery of St. Warburgh, in Chester, together
with a three days’ fair at the festival of St. Barnabas, the patron
saint of the church. The market, of course, has long since ceased to
be held, but in the centre of the village the site of the Market Cross
is marked by the ancient steps, eight in number, on which was erected
a few years ago a handsome cross. In this case it can only recall what
once has been. At Lymm (where again no market is now held) is another
example of a different kind. Here the lower steps are carved out of
the natural rock. On the top one stands, not a cross, but a stone
building, supported on four columns, with a gabled roof, surmounted
by a knob facing each way. On the gables are sundials, which have
been renewed, and on the top a central pinnacle with weather-cock.
On one of the lower steps are the stocks, very perfect examples of
these old-time punishment seats. The grooved uprights still remain,
and the woodwork, with a double pair of holes (so that two offenders
might be in durance vile at the same time), though much chipped and
broken, is still complete. In the little hamlet of Eaton, in the parish
of Tarporley, at the junction of the roads may be seen a flight of
steps, on which once evidently rested a cross, the place of which is
now occupied by a growing tree. The position seems to bring it into
the category of market crosses. Was it in humble imitation of larger
places that village crosses were erected in the centre of the hamlet,
and did they thus give their religious sanction to the business which
might be transacted beneath them, even though no markets, in the proper
sense of the word, were held there? At Macclesfield, the remains of the
old Market Cross now stand in the Park, where the uncomfortable town
stocks of iron may also be seen. In other places in the county no doubt
similar relics have been preserved; but it is in the Market-place of
Sandbach that the greatest treasures of this kind are to be seen. Of
the Sandbach crosses Ormerod has said, “They may indisputably be ranked
among the finest monuments of antiquity of this kind in the kingdom.”
Similarly Mr. Romilly Allen has said, “Much of the finest series of
figure subjects probably in all England is to be seen on the mutilated
crosses at Sandbach.” The origin of the crosses is veiled in obscurity.
It has been asserted that they were put up in the year 608, when Penda
returned a Christian convert to Mercia, attended, according to Bede, by
four priests deputed to preach the gospel throughout his dominions. But
though this statement may be quite conjectural, there is no doubt that
they may be placed at a very early date. Mr. Romilly Allen thinks that
the earliest date which can be assigned to any Christian monument in
Cheshire is in the second half of the seventh century; so that he (no
mean authority) would not accept the above statement.
[Illustration: Sandbach Crosses.]
The crosses have had a chequered history. They were broken down and
defaced in the civil wars in the reign of Charles I. The pieces were
then dispersed, and were taken possession of by different people. One
of the largest was removed to Utkinton Hall, thence later to Tarporley
Rectory, and finally to Oulton Park, where it stood for some time near
the park wall, not far from the lodge. Other pieces had a similar
experience. Dr. Ormerod was chiefly instrumental in gathering the
fragments together, one having been built into a wall near the town
well, and another used as a step of a cottage. Fortunately the stone,
though local, is of a much harder grit than the ordinary Cheshire
sandstone, and in consequence the carving has not suffered to anything
like the extent it otherwise would have done by these removals and by
weather. Considering the unique character of the crosses, this is a
matter of sincere congratulation. Mr. Allen suggests that they were
erected “to encourage devotion in a public place by the religious
subjects sculptured on them”; and to this we might add, to urge upon
all who transacted business there that their dealings should be marked
by truth and justice. The two crosses stand on a substructure of two
steps, with two sockets in which the crosses are fixed. At the angle of
each stage of the platform are stone posts, on which figures have been
rudely carved. The crosses are now of unequal height, if ever they
were of the same dimensions. The taller one is 16 feet 8 inches high;
the shorter one 11 feet 11 inches. On the shorter cross one piece,
and on the taller one two pieces, have evidently suffered somewhat
when they were taken away, as the carving on them is less distinct
than on the rest. The following description will give some idea of the
elaborate nature of the carvings, and will show that the opinion of
Dr. Ormerod and other experts is amply justified, and that the county,
and specially the town, of Sandbach may be proud of possessing such
treasures. In the larger cross the framework, in which the figures on
each side are included, divides near the base and becomes forked, and
in the angles on the east side are figures of cherubs looking upwards.
Immediately above this is a large circle containing three figures,
representing the Virgin enthroned, holding the Holy Child, with a saint
on either side and the Holy Dove above. In the next compartment are
three figures, and it has been suggested that they may represent the
Baptism of our Lord, though it would seem to be unusual to have three
figures in such representation. The Holy Dove is again observed here
on the right. The longer panel above this has in the lower division
the Nativity, the ox and the ass being seen on either side of the
manger-cradle. Then there is the Crucifixion, with the sun and moon
above and the Virgin and St. John below; and surrounding this are the
symbols of the four Evangelists. On this latter point Mr. Romilly
Allen remarks: “The association of the symbols of the four Evangelists
with the Crucifixion is somewhat unusual, as well as in the form of
the symbols, which resembles those on one of the crosses at Ilkley,
in Yorkshire, and on a small fragment of a cross shaft at Halton, in
Lancashire.” Perhaps the association of the four Evangelists with the
Crucifixion may be intended to emphasise the fact that that event is
recorded with much minuteness by each of them, and is thus the central
fact of the gospel story. The west side of this cross is divided into
eight double compartments. The first part is filled by dragons and
other zoomorphic designs, and in other parts representations of winged
figures. The scriptural scenes are pronounced to be the appearance of
the Angel Gabriel to Zacharias; Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross; our
Saviour led bound before Pilate; Christ in glory; and St. Peter with
his keys. On the south side we find a variety of foliage, knots, and
elaborate ornaments; and on the north side a number of figures, the
most conspicuous being a large fish, with tongue triply cloven. The
smaller cross bears a variety of human figures placed within niches and
lozenges, with one group apparently intended to represent the Three
Persons of the Blessed Trinity. There are at least three different
patterns in what may be called the knot ornamentation, which may be
thus described: knots derived from a three-cord plait, figure-of-eight
knots, and a pattern derived from a four-cord plait. This last is one
of extreme rarity in this country, there being, in Mr. Romilly Allen’s
opinion, no other instance of its occurrence elsewhere. It is, however,
to be found on a splendid sword of the Viking period found at Ultuna,
in Sweden. Mr. Romilly Allen, commenting on the crosses, remarked that,
“The way in which the designs are arranged in several different kinds
of panels is worthy of notice. Some of the panels have square tops,
others round tops, others are diamond-shaped, and others triangular.
They are also in some cases placed in double rows, and are not always
opposite each other. On one of the shafts the panels are shaped like a
thimble, and aggregated in twos and threes in an extraordinary way.”
It will be understood from this that these monuments, whatever be their
origin, are of priceless value, and offer for the student much food for
reflection, and for the ordinary individual objects for admiration.
It is satisfactory to know that the local authorities at Sandbach fully
appreciate these treasures. Quite recently they consulted the Council
of the Chester and North Wales Archæological and Historic Society as to
their condition, and as to whether any further steps should be taken
for their preservation. Accordingly two members of the Council with
expert knowledge visited the place, and came to the conclusion that
beyond the careful pointing of some joints nothing was necessary. They
thought that a fence or barricade of any kind would interfere with the
harmony of the design, and that if a careful watch was exercised to see
that no damage was done by children or mischievous persons, the crosses
would last in their present condition for generations, the nature of
the stone being hard and durable. Still more recently Sandbach has been
visited by the Cambrian Archæological Society, and as a consequence
of that visit it is probable that casts or squeezes will be taken of
the designs on the crosses, and that thus a more close and careful
examination of them will be rendered possible. This may lead to the
elucidation of some of the doubtful points in connection with their
interpretation, and so to the clearing up of a good deal which is at
present uncertain. At any rate, we may hope that for many generations
Sandbach will be known as the happy possessor and the jealous guardian
of these early monuments, and that for many a long year amongst the
“Memorials of Old Cheshire” will be reckoned these wonderful and unique
crosses.