It may not plainly appear to some readers that our Engraving of this
fine vestige of ancient art, is from a View taken in the year 1818.
The Bishop's Chapel, which is there shown, was demolished about twelve
months since, at whose bidding we know not; perhaps of the same party
who now contend for the destruction of the Lady Chapel.
By the way we referred to the Altar Screen, of which we now find the
following memorandum in a _History of St. Saviour's Church_, published
in 1795:[4]
"Anno 1618. 15 Jac. I.
"The screen at the entrance to the chapel of the Virgin Mary was
this year set up."
In the same work occur the particulars of the repairs of the Lady
Chapel in 1624:
"Anno 1624. 21 Jac. I.
"The chapel of the Virgin Mary was restored to the parishioners,
being let out to bakers for above sixty years before, and 200_l_.
laid out in the repair. Of which we preserve the following extract
from Stowe:
"But passing all these, some what now of that part of this church
above the chancell, that in former times was called Our Ladies
Chappell.
"It is now called the New Chappell; and indeed, though very old,
it now may be called a new one, because newly redeemed from such
use and imployment, as in respect of that it was built to, divine
and religious duties, may very well be branded, with the style of
wretched, base, and unworthy, for that, that before this abuse,
was (and is now) a faire and beautifull chappell, by those that
were then the corporation (which is a body consisting of thirty
vestry-men, six of those thirty, churchwardens) was leased and let
out, and the house of God made a bake-house.
"Two very faire doores, that from the two side iles of the
chancell of this church, and two that thorow the head of the
chancell (as at this day they doe againe) went into it, were
lath't, daub'd, and dam'd up: the faire pillars were ordinary
posts against which they piled billets and bavens: in this place
they had their ovens, in that a bolting place, in that their
kneading trough, in another (I have heard) a hogs-trough; for the
words that were given mee were these, this place have I knowne
a hog-stie, in another a store house, to store up their hoorded
meal; and in all of it something of this sordid kind and
condition. It was first let by the corporation afore named, to
one _Wyat_, after him, to one _Peacocke_, after him, to one
_Cleybrooke_, and last, to one _Wilson_, all bakers, and this
chappell still imployed in the way of their trade, a bake-house,
though some part of this bake-house was some time turned into a
starch-house.
"The time of the continuance of it in this kind, from the first
letting of it to Wyat, to the restoring of it again to the church,
was threescore and some odde yeeres, in the yeere of our Lord God
1624, for in this yeere the ruines and blasted estate, that the
old corporation sold it to, were by the corporation of this time,
repaired, renewed, well, and very worthily beautified: the charge
of it for that yeere, with many things done to it since, arising
to two hundred pounds.
"This, as all the former repairs, being the sole cost and charge
of the parishioners."
[4] By M.M. Concanen, jun. and A. Morgan.
A correspondent, E.E. inquires how it happens that the Chapel of St.
Mary Magdalen, shown in all old plans of the Church, has likewise
disappeared within the present century? This Chapel adjoined the
South transept, and was removed during the repairs, under the able
superintendence of Mr. Gwilt. It was thus described by Mr. Nightingale
in 1818:
"The chapel itself is a very plain erection. It is entered on the
south, through a large pair of folding doors, leading down a
small flight of steps. The ceiling has nothing peculiar in its
character; nor are the four pillars supporting the roof, and
the unequal arches leading into the south aisle, in the least
calculated to convey any idea of grandeur, or feeling of
veneration. These arches have been cut through in a very clumsy
manner, so that scarcely any vestige of the ancient church of St.
Mary Magdalen now remains. A small doorway and windows, however,
are still visible at the east end of this chapel; the west end
formerly opened into the south transept; but that also is now
walled up, except a part, which leads to the gallery there. There
are in different parts niches which once held the holy water, by
which the pious devotees of former ages sprinkled their foreheads
on their entrance before the altar, I am not aware that any other
remains of the old church are now visible in this chapel. Passing
through the eastern end of the south aisle, a pair of gates leads
into the Virgin Mary's Chapel."
From what we remember of the character of this Chapel, the lovers of
architecture have little to lament in its removal. Our Correspondent,
E.E., adds--"This, and not the Lady Chapel, it was, (No. 456 of _The
Mirror_,) that contained the gravestone of one Bishop Wickham, who,
however, was not the famous builder of Windsor Castle, in the time
of Edward III., but died in 1595, the same year in which he was
translated from the see of Lincoln to that of Winchester. His
gravestone, now lying exposed in the churchyard, marks the south-east
corner of the site of the aforesaid Magdalen Chapel."
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