THE INTERIOR.
It has been already said that the exterior of the Cathedral Church
at Manchester lacks somewhat of the charm that so many of our old
cathedrals possess. There is no wide-spreading close with its smooth
turf and immemorial elms, no birds to fly round tower and pinnacle, and
break the silence of the home of ancient peace with their songs or cries,
but ever we hear the scream of railway engines, the bells of tramcars,
and the roar of the traffic along a busy thoroughfare. The surrounding
buildings are not now, as in many cathedral cities, the residences of
Dean and Canons, quaint and mediaeval, with stone mullioned windows
and ivy-covered walls, but modern erections, shops, and warehouses, and
hotels. And the church itself, destitute of transept and central tower,
provided only with a western tower, gives us the idea of a large parish
church, rather than of a building associated in our mind with Bishop,
Dean, and Canons. There is no cloister-garth with its surrounding
walks, the old collegiate buildings are detached from the church and
appropriated to secular purposes; so that probably our first feeling
is one of disappointment, but this feeling will vanish as soon as we
have passed into its interior. The usual way of entrance is by the south
porch; this is always open. The western doors are unfortunately generally
closed--unfortunately, for the most impressive view of the church is to
be had from beneath the tower arch looking to the east. It is a dimly
lighted building; this is due chiefly to two causes: first to the fact
that it is enormously wide, and the aisle windows are therefore far from
the central nave, and secondly to the fact that almost all the windows
both of aisles and clerestory are filled with painted glass, in many
cases of a deep colour, and rendered still more impervious to light by
the incrustation of carbon deposited on their outside by the perpetual
smoke of the city. So dark is the church that in the winter months it has
generally to be lit with gas all the day long, and even in the summer,
in comparatively bright weather, some gas burners will generally be found
alight. The mist also of the exterior atmosphere finds its way into the
building, and hangs beneath the roof, lending an air of mystery to the
whole place, and giving rise to most beautiful effects when the sunlight
streams through the clerestory windows. The tone also of the nave arcading
and clerestory rebuilt in recent years, of warm, rose-coloured sandstone,
is very lovely.
The visitor on entering the church, before examining the different objects
in detail, should get general impressions of the building. The view from
just inside the south porch showing the four rows of arcading separating
the outer aisles from the inner, and these from the central nave, is
very fine. The view from beneath the tower arch looking eastward is most
impressive. Another good view is from the altar steps looking westward,
especially in the early part of a bright day, when there is sufficient
light to show the magnificent tabernacle work of the stalls, and the
organ-stands out clearly defined against the sunlit misty air of the
upper part of the nave behind it.
[Illustration: VIEW ACROSS THE NAVE, LOOKING NORTH-EAST.]
To see these three views of the building under favourable conditions
of light will well repay the visitor for a journey of many miles to
Manchester, to say nothing of the exquisite detail work that now demands
our attention.
It has been already explained that the outer aisles on either side have
been formed by throwing down the walls or screens that once divided these
spaces into a series of chapels on the outside of the real nave aisles.
In Continental churches double aisles on the north and south side of the
church are by no means uncommon, but instances of this arrangement are
more rarely met with in England. The most familiar example is Chichester
Cathedral, where double aisles have been formed by the inclusion of
lateral chapels.
It has been already stated that the baptistery which occupies the western
end of the outer southern aisles is entirely modern, as also is the
south porch. At one time a small porch called Bibby's Porch projected
from the second bay from the west of the true south aisle, to the east
of which, stretching right over the outer south aisle, was the Chapel of
St. George. This occupied two bays, and projecting from it to the south
was Brown's Chantry. To the east of St. George's Chapel, also occupying
two bays, was the Chapel of St. Nicholas, the Trafford Chapel. These were
the chapels on the south side of the nave aisle. Opposite to them, outside
the north nave aisle, were two chapels, that of the Most Holy Trinity
at the west, that of St. James, otherwise known as the Ducie Chapel, at
the east end. The west wall of the outer nave aisle on the north side is
original, so that the whole length of the series of chapels on this side
was greater than that of the series on the south side. The nave and its
twin aisles, as will be seen from what has already been said, consist of
six bays. The eastern half of the church also consists of six bays, and
the choir aisles, like those of the nave, are flanked by chapels which
have fortunately remained undestroyed down to the present day, enclosed
by their original screens. On the south side, raised three steps above
the level of the nave and occupying three bays, was the Jesus Chapel,
now divided into two parts, the western bay being used as a vestry,
the two others as the Cathedral Library; from this a door leads into the
chapter house, the main entrance to which is from the choir aisle. With
this the unbroken series of building attached to the south side of the
church ends, but from the easternmost bay a doorway in a screen opens into
the Fraser Chapel, built as a memorial to her husband, the second Bishop
of Manchester, by Mrs. Fraser. Crossing the church by the ambulatory,
passing the small Lady Chapel, we find the whole length of the outer aisle
on the north side occupied by the chapel of St. John the Baptist, often
called the Derby Chapel. The western bay forms the antechapel, from which
we pass into the chapel itself through the original oak screen. From the
second bay, counting from the east end of this, the Ely Chapel projects.
[Illustration: THE INNER SOUTH AISLE OF THE NAVE.]
The reader should follow on the plan the general description just
given, and while doing so he will notice that the church is not quite
regularly built, but tapers slightly towards the east. The enclosed
choir, presbytery, and sanctuary taper still more, so that the east
end is between three and four feet narrower than the west end. But this
enclosed space is symmetrically placed in the church. The plan shows the
very great width of the church in proportion to its length. The interior
width of the nave and its double aisles is 114 feet, while its length is
only 85 feet; the whole interior length of the church, omitting the tower
at the west and the Lady Chapel at the east, is 172 feet. This shows
that the choir is about the same length as the nave, and that the total
length of nave and choir is only about one and a half times the width.
[Illustration: THE TOWER ARCH.]
Having now taken a cursory glance round the church, we will go once more
over the same ground, examining it more in detail. We will suppose that
the outer doors of the =West Porch= are open, and we can pass through
them from the street. We go up from the level of the pavement three
steps and find ourselves within the porch; on the south and north sides
of it, doors open into two rooms used the one as the lecture-room of the
Scholae Episcopi (or non-residential Theological College of the Diocese),
the other as a schoolroom for the choir boys. A flight of eleven steps
takes us up to a landing measuring about five feet from west to east,
and then four more steps bring us to the level of the nave floor, and we
enter through what were originally the west doors of the church, into
the space below the tower. The ceiling of this is of fan tracery, and
its side walls are panelled in five tiers. Passing under the tower arch
and looking back, we notice that the tower arch with the walls on either
side of it are original. =The Baptistery= is a modern addition. The font
formerly stood in the outer aisle on the north side. The =South Porch=
is also new. It is divided into two bays, each covered with a vault
formed of eight ribs crossing each other at the centre, and decorated
by two lierne ribs in each of the four quarters. The arcade dividing
the outer from the inner aisle on the south side is entirely modern;
the chapels which occupied the site of the outer aisle were formerly
divided from each other by stone walls, and from the aisle by irregular
arches filled with oak screens. All these were removed in 1815, so as
to throw the area of the chapels into that of the church; an arcade was
then built, but this was removed to make room for the present arcade
during the restoration that was begun in 1872. The westernmost chantry,
or =Chapel of St. George=, was founded by W. Galley in 1508. The next,
the chapel of =St. Nicholas=, or the Trafford Chantry, is said to have
been founded long ere the present church was built in 1186 by Robert de
Greslet; at the south-east corner of this a piscina may be seen, though
the altar has disappeared. Three steps and a screen divide this chantry
from the larger =Jesus Chapel=. This is separated from the south aisle
by a beautiful wooden screen of sixteenth century date. This is glazed
in order to make the room now used as a library comfortable. This chantry
was founded in 1506.
[Illustration: SCREEN BETWEEN THE JESUS CHAPEL AND THE SOUTH CHOIR AISLE.]
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO THE CHAPTER HOUSE, SOUTH CHOIR AISLE.]
[Illustration: THE SOUTH CHOIR AISLE.]
Between the Jesus Chapel and the entrance to the chapter house on the
south wall of the aisle are memorial tablets to Richard Heyrick, warden,
who died in 1667, and Thomas Ogden, who died in 1763. The entrance to the
=Chapter House= is a very beautiful piece of work. There are two doorways
whose heads are four centred arches; above these there are two tiers
of panel work, all being enclosed by one large arch whose sides and top
are decorated by six tiers of panelling on each side (see illustration,
p. 32). The chapter house is very comfortably fitted up. There are to
be seen in it several fragments of brasses and of other old work taken
from the floor of the choir and of the Lady Chapel and elsewhere.
The =Fraser Chapel= contains an altar cenotaph in memory of the second
Bishop of Manchester, who died October 22nd, 1885, at Bishop's Court,
Higher Broughton, Manchester, but who was buried, not in his cathedral
church, but in the churchyard of Ufton Nervet in Berkshire, a parish of
which he had once been rector. The recumbent statue is considered to be
a fine likeness of the late bishop. This statue was unveiled on July
8th, 1887.
The tomb bears the following inscription written by the late Dr Vaughan,
Dean of Llandaff.
"To the beloved memory of James Fraser, D.D., Bishop of Manchester,
1870-85, a man of singular gifts both of nature and the spirit;
brave, true, devout, diligent, in labours unwearied. He won all
hearts by opening to them his own, and so administered this great
Diocese as to prove yet once more that the people know the voice of
a good shepherd and will follow where he leads."
At the east end of the south aisle stands a marble life-size statue by
Bailey of Thomas Fleming, who died in 1848, and a memorial tablet to the
Rev. George Ogden, B.D., who died in 1706. The aisle is divided from the
choir by a wooden screen; in the third bay from the east are iron gates
leading into the choir. The retro-choir, about thirteen feet from east to
west, runs between the back of the modern reredos behind the high altar
and the beautiful mediaeval screen which stands beneath the arch at the
entrance to the Lady Chapel. The =Lady Chapel= has modern fittings making
it suitable for the celebration of Holy Communion when the congregation
is small. In the south wall a piscina may be noticed, and on the north
side of the altar stands a Renaissance font of grey-veined marble which
was formerly in use in the nave. There are marble tablets in memory of
various members of the Chetham family at the west ends of the north and
south walls of the Lady Chapel.
[Illustration: SCREEN OF THE LADY CHAPEL.]
On the west wall of the arch leading into the chapel may be seen the
rebus of Sir John Huntington, the first warden and rebuilder of the
church. On the north side is a man and dog _hunting_, on the south side
two _tuns_ of wine. This rebus is repeated in the roof of the choir. At
the north-east corner of the north choir aisle may be seen a statue by
Theed (1853) of Humphrey Chetham, the founder of the Hospital (_i.e._
school) and Library that bears his name. He sits, a roll in his right
hand, with long hair and pointed beard, a ruff round his neck, and a
long cloak which, falling open in front, shows doublet and slashed trunk
hose. At the bottom of the pedestal sits one of the boys of the hospital
school, pointing with his left hand to a book which he holds open in his
right, on which we read the inscription: "He hath dispersed abroad, and
given to the poor, and his righteousness remaineth for ever" (Ps. cxii.
9; Prayer-book version).
[Illustration: STATUE OF SIR HUMPHREY CHETHAM.]
An old oak screen running under five arches of the arcading to the north
side of the aisle separates the =Derby Chapel= from the aisle. This
screen is of good design, but the workmanship is not so good as that of
the other old screens in the church. Near the first pier, counting from
the east, is the altar tomb of Hugh Birley, M.P. for Manchester, with
a recumbent figure. Here also may be seen an old oak deed chest. About
halfway down this aisle on the south side may be seen a small organ built
by the celebrated Father Smith, dated 1680; this is of the finest tone
and is still frequently used. It has one manual with seven stops and
pedal with one stop.
Four steps lead from the outer nave aisle on the north side into the
antechapel that stands to the west end, outside the entrance to the
Derby Chapel.
This chapel is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It was a private chantry
built and endowed by the Stanley family, of which the Earls of Derby were
members. Two of the family were closely connected with the church. One,
James Stanley, Prebendary of St. Paul's, and archdeacon of Chester,
held the office of warden from 1481-1485, and was succeeded by another
James Stanley, whose tenure was longer, 1485-1509. He it was who began
the building of the Derby Chapel. He became bishop of Ely, but when he
died in 1515 his body was buried at Manchester, close by the screen of
the =Ely Chapel=; but "for reasons which need not be mentioned here"
his body was laid just by the wall, and the chapel was erected by his
son according to his will over his grave, and called after the name of
his diocese. This tomb still stands there, with its original brass and
curiously inscribed epitaph, for which see hereafter.
The following description is copied from a MS in Chetham's Library.
"In the old or Christ's Church, Manchester, is a Chapell dedicated
to S. John Baptist on the screen which separates it from the broad
north aisle and over door leading from the aforesaid chapel into
the aisle is an ancient coat of arms carv'd in wood, and three
old brass inscriptions setting forth the founders of the chapell
together with y'e cause of its erection.
"The arms are those of Stanley tho much different from those born
by that name at this day tho unquestionably of the same family
with the present Earl of Derby, who bears 3 stags heads caboch'd
on a bend these arms on the screen bears the stags heads in chief
and 3 eagles claws in base this kind of bearing might possibly be
to difference it from the elder house or grand stem of the family,
a matter not unusual in those days. In an old manuscript I have
the above arms born by the name of Stanley of Handford, and from
this family of Handford I should suppose sprung S'r John Stanley
of Aderley Ches'r which is within a few miles of Handford tho
S'r J'no now bears the same arms for his paternall coat as the
Earl of Derby. The arms impal'd with Stanley on the screen is
first and fourth a Chevron between three mascles voided second
and third a star with seven points the whole arms appears to be
totally void of colouring. The helmet is very clumsy and differs
much from those now us'd in arms. The crest or rather part of a
crest for it appears to have had something broke from it is not
now to be determin'd what it formerly was. What I take to be the
motto is grav'd upon two plates of brass on each side the arms the
half of one brass is broke way but no doubt was the same as the
other they are engraved in the old text with these words Vanitas
vanitatum Omnia Vanitas that is Vanity of vanity all is vanity.
"On the brass plate over the door is grav'd in the same character and
old Latin Obsecramus ut adjuvetis nos Jacobum Stanley Eliens Epis Johanne
Stanley milite et Margareta uxore ej ac parentes cor oracionibus vris apud
Dom Jhesu expm q. hanc Capellam in ej nomine et in honore Sancti Johanis
Baptiste Fabricavimus An^o incarnationis illius MCCCCCXIII. Designs from
the Originall plates may be seen in the following drawings. The Inscription
on the long brass I take to be this in English.
"We beseech you that you assist us James Stanley Bishop of Ely
John Stanley Knt. and Margaret his wife and their parents with
your prayers to y'e Lord Jesus Christ who have built this chapel
in his name and in honour of St Jn'o Baptist in the year of his
incarnation 1513."
According to an old poem entitled Flodden Field S'r John Stanley
was at that great Battle fought in Sept. 1513 along with other
gentlemen of Lancashire and Cheshire and in enumerating the
Leaders says:
Next with Sir John Stanley there yede
The Bishop of Ely's servants bold
Sir Lionel Percy eke did lead
Some hundred men well tried and told.
(Barrett MS. No. 41458, C. 4. 13.)
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF NORTH DOORWAY.]
These two chapels were the private property of the Earls of Derby, who
had to keep them in repair. In the second half of the eighteenth century
the roofs needed extensive repair; this was done by the thirteenth Earl
of Derby in conjunction with the townspeople of Manchester, and the
Earl surrendered his rights to the chapels, handing them over to the
parishioners on condition that he and his successors should no longer
be held responsible for keeping them in repair. The Derby Chapel is now
fitted with an altar at the east end, a font on the north side, and oak
benches, so that it can be used for week-day services when desired. The
Ely Chapel is not fitted in any way.
[Illustration: VIEW ACROSS THE NAVE, LOOKING NORTH-WEST.]
=St. James' Chapel=, or the Ducie Chantry, and the =Chapel Of the Holy
Trinity=, which formerly occupied the east and west ends of what is now
the outer north aisle, and were founded, the former in 1507 and the latter
by W. Radcliffe of Ordsall in 1498, have no longer any separate existence;
the only sign of their having been chapels that remains is a piscina
in the pier at the south east corner of St. James' Chapel. The arcade
between the outer and inner north aisles originally dated from about 1500.
=The North or Craven Porch= is opposite to the south porch and bears a
strong resemblance to it. It consists of two bays, each vaulted in stone
in the same manner as the bays of the south or Jardine Porch; a door to
the east side of the inner bay leads into the registry office.
It now remains to examine the =Central Nave= and =Choir=. This church
differs from most of our cathedral and abbey churches in having no
triforium.[2] And the clerestory is not lofty, so that the church is
rather low for its width,[3] though the height of the arches of the
main arcade prevents this being felt. The roofs of the aisles are all
modern, but that of the nave, though extensively repaired, has much
of the original work in it, and, with the exception of a few bosses,
the choir roof is old. All the roofs are of timber; in the nave the
intersections of the main beams are covered by beautiful bosses carved
out of the solid wood. On either side, at the points from which the
main cross beams spring, is a series of angelic figures splendidly
carved in wood: those on the south side playing stringed instruments,
those on the north side wind instruments.
The choir roof is more ornate; the panels between the beams are filled
with tracery; the bosses here are differently constructed from those in
the nave; here each leaf was separately carved and then nailed in its
place. At the time of the restoration this roof was skilfully repaired
by introducing new beams above the old ones and fastening the old to the
new with bolts.
The pillars of the main arcade of the nave are modern work built in
imitation of the original ones. They are light and graceful, and like
many other pillars of fifteenth century date, are formed of shafts of
which only half have separate capitals, the other mouldings running
round the arch. The spaces between the arches are elaborately carved
with heraldic shields.
[Illustration: THE CHOIR, LOOKING WEST.]
[Illustration: DESK-ENDS IN THE CHOIR STALLS; NORTH SIDE.]
Towards the east end of the nave may be seen desks for the choir
on either side, a brass eagle lectern on the south side, and a modern
pulpit against the first pillar from the east on the north side (see page
54). The pulpit, the gift of the late Chancellor Christie and his wife,
is octagonal, and six of its faces are carved with representations of
Christ, the four Evangelists, and St. Paul; of the other two sides one
rests against the pier, and the other, on the north, forms the entrance
from the pulpit steps. The ancient rood screen (see page 23) is a very
beautiful piece of work. It has three wide openings with double doors in
each; upon it stands the central part of the large organ; other parts
of the organ occupy spaces in the north and south aisles behind the
stalls. The case was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, and is effective.
[Illustration: CHOIR STALLS, NORTH SIDE.]
The present =organ= rebuilt by Wadsworth Brothers at the cost of Sir
W. H. Houldsworth, Bart., 1871, has
Four manuals CC to A 58 notes
Pedal CCC to F 30 "
The great organ has 13 stops
swell 16 "
choir 8 "
solo 5 "
pedal 9 "
accessory 8 "
and combination pedals 8 "
If we pass on through the screen beneath the organ we find ourselves
in the =choir=. This, the choir proper, as distinguished from the
presbytery to the east of it, is sometimes called the Radcliffe choir,
for many members of this family were buried here, and their brasses
were placed on the floor, but these were removed when the floor was
repaved with tiles. On either side of us, and behind us, we see some of
the most elaborate tabernacle work to be met with anywhere. Some idea
may be formed of the wealth of detail by examining the illustration on
the opposite page. There are twelve stalls on either side, and three on
each side of the entrance through the rood screen facing east. The stalls
are furnished with misereres, which, in common with many others both in
England and on the Continent, represent all manner of quaint subjects,
monsters, animals, hunting scenes, etc.
The =stalls= date from the early part of the sixteenth century, and bear
a strong resemblance to those in Beverley Minster and Ripon Cathedral.
At Beverley, however, the level cornice above the canopies which we see
at Manchester is wanting, except at the west end.
The carved elbows of the stalls and the ends of the book desks are also
worthy of careful examination, especially the Eagle and Child and general
carving of the Dean's Stall, which is a marvel of beautiful workmanship,
and said by high authorities to be unequalled.
Between the stalls the floor is one step higher than that of the nave,
and at the east end of the stalls there is a further rise of two steps
as we pass into the presbytery. Here, on the south side, we see the
bishop's throne--modern work, carved with a view to be in harmony with
the stalls, but comparing unfavourably with them in execution. There
is a rise of two more steps into the sanctuary, and the altar itself is
raised two steps higher; this gives a good effect. Behind the altar is
an elaborately carved wooden reredos of modern work, richly painted and
gilt. The upper part, as will be seen from the illustration on p. 22,
is wider than the lower; it is divided vertically into seven divisions,
the two lateral divisions on each side being themselves divided into
two tiers. The three central niches contain figures of the three patron
saints, St. George on the north, the Blessed Virgin in the centre, and
St. Denys on the south side.[4] Above the central figure, St. Mary, is
another niche containing a seated figure of Christ, holding in His left
hand an orb and cross, His right hand raised in the act of blessing;
above this figure is a canopy. On the top of the six uprights that form
the vertical divisions of the reredos, angels stand with clasped hands.
The carving on the smaller panels illustrates the following verses of the
"Preface to the Sanctus" which are inscribed beneath them.
"With angels and | archangels and | all the company | of heaven
we laud and | magnify Thy | glorious name. | Amen."
It will be noticed that there are no sedilia in the usual place on the
south side of the altar, the arch being open where we might expect to
find them, and there is no pulpit in the choir. Most of the services in
which a sermon is preached are conducted in the nave.
Most of the windows have in recent times been filled with painted glass.
Perhaps we may be inclined to think that there are too many thus filled,
and that it would have been well if the windows of the clerestory had been
left uncoloured. Certain it is that as there is no triforium, there is
no place from which the clerestory windows can be examined; and had they
been left unpainted, the church would have been much lighter than it is.
A brief description must now be given of the windows. We will begin with
the west window in the tower, proceeding eastward along the outer south
aisle, crossing the church by the ambulatory, and coming back to the
west by the aisle on the north side, and then examining the clerestory
windows of nave and choir.
=The Windows.=--The west window of the tower has five lights, and is
divided by one transom. It represents the Ascension, and Acts of Mercy.
It was given by J. C. Harter, and is the work of Hardman.
The west window of the inner aisle on the south side has four lights,
and its subject is the parable of the Good Samaritan. It was erected
by subscription in memory of Jonas Craven, and was painted by Messrs.
Heaton, Butler & Baynes.
The west window of the outer south aisle, or Baptistery, has six lights,
and represents baptism by blood, water, and fire, illustrated by the
martyrdom of St. Stephen, the baptism of Christ, and the descent of the
Holy Ghost at Pentecost. It was given by Thomas Chesters in 1892, and is
the work of Messrs. Percy Bacon & Bros.
The window in the westernmost bay of the outer south aisle has four
lights, and illustrates the text "Suffer little children to come unto
Me," and was erected as a memorial to W. H. Bowler (son-in-law of Thomas
Chesters), who died in 1887. This also was painted by Percy Bacon &
Bros.
The window to the east of the porch in the Brown Chapel has four lights,
and represents Christ healing all manner of sickness, and was erected in
memory of John, William, Maria, and Henry Stevenson, and is by Wailes of
Newcastle.
The next window has four lights, and has for its subject various incidents
in the life of St. John the Baptist: 1, the announcement of his birth
to Zacharias; 2, his birth; 3, his preaching in the wilderness; and 4,
his baptism of Christ. This was given by Margaret Clowes in memory of
the Rev. T. Clowes, and is by Hardman.
The window in the fifth bay has five lights. It represents Christ in
Glory, and was given by Catharine, Countess of Stamford and Warrington,
in memory of her husband, the seventh Earl, who died in 1883. It was
painted by Messrs. Clayton & Bell.
The next window also has five lights, and illustrates the Magnificat. It
was erected by public subscription in memory of Dean Oakley, who died in
1890. It is by Burlison & Grylls.
The next window is in the westernmost bay of the Jesus Chapel. It has
four lights. Its subject is Simeon receiving Christ in the temple. It
was given as a memorial to Frederick Andrews, who died in 1890. It is by
Messrs. Heaton, Butler & Baynes.
The next window, in that part of the Jesus Chapel now used as the
cathedral library, has four lights, and represents Christ among the
doctors; it is a memorial to James Gray, who died in 1871, and is by
Messrs. Heaton, Butler & Baynes.
The next window of four lights has for its subject Christ healing all
manner of disease, and was inserted in memory of Jonas Craven, who died
in 1894. It is by Messrs. Heaton, Butler & Baynes.
There are four windows in the chapter house, all of four lights. The
first, with figures of Sts. James, Thomas, Simon, and Jude, was given
by Canon Gibson in 1869, and is by Messrs. Ward & Hughes. The next,
representing Sts. Peter, Mary, George, and Paul, is by Edmundson & Son,
and incorporates some old glass found in the clerestory windows of the
choir. The next, with figures of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
was given by the children of Canon Wray, in memory of their father, who
died in 1866. It is the work of Clayton & Bell. The last, with figures
of Sts. James, Andrew, Philip, and Bartholomew, was given by Dean Bowers
in 1869, and is by Ward & Hughes.
In the bay between the chapter house and the Fraser Chapel is a four-light
window with eight subjects. In the upper row, The Transfiguration,
Lazarus, Christ riding on an Ass, The institution of the Lord's Supper;
and in the lower, "This is my beloved Son," Elisha raising the Child,
David, The offering of Isaac. This was given in 1859 by a citizen once
a chorister. It is by Edmundson & Son.
In the Fraser Chapel are two windows. The first, facing south, has
four lights, and contains the glass which formerly occupied the window
of the bay that was opened out when the Fraser Chapel was built. Its
four subjects are: Simeon, The Baptism of Christ, The Miracle at Cana,
and Christ blessing little Children. An inscription records that it was
given in 1858 by a citizen once a chorister; it is by Edmundson & Son.
The window in the east wall of this chapel has three lights. Its
subjects are: 1, St. John; 2, "I am He that was dead and am alive
again"; 3, St. Paul. It was erected as a memorial to Bishop Fraser by
Messrs. Shrigley & Hunt.
The east window of the south choir aisle has five lights, and each of
these contains two subjects.
In the upper row we see Christ in the centre, with two of the evangelists
on either side of him. In the lower tier are represented: 1, The Agony
in the Garden; 2, Christ bearing His Cross; 3, The Crucifixion; 4, The
Angels announcing the Resurrection; 5, The Ascension. This was given by
G. Pilkington, and is by Wailes of Newcastle.
In the Lady Chapel there are two windows, each of two lights in the
north and south walls, and two, of four lights each, in the east wall.
Beginning with the westernmost window in the south side, we find a
representation of the descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost,
and an inscription which states that the window is a memorial to "John
Allen bonorum bujus ecclesiae custos," who died in 1861.
The next window contains a representation of Christ among the Doctors.
It is a memorial to Samuel Bulteel, who died in 1883.
The next window in the east wall represents the Crucifixion of Christ
and the two robbers, and was erected to commemorate the fact that the
Lady Chapel was once the property of the Hoare family.
The other window in this wall shows the visit of the Magi, and was given
by J. H. Chetham in 1884, in memory of Humphrey Chetham, the great
benefactor to Manchester, who was born in 1580 and died in 1653.
The two windows in the north wall represent the Annunciation and
Salutation respectively, and were inserted as memorials to Edith Mary
Romilly, daughter of Dean Cowie, who died in 1883; it was given by the
Dean; and to Elizabeth Sharp, who died in 1881. The latter was given by
S. Wm., and Elizabeth Bulteel.
All the windows in the Lady Chapel are by Moore of London.
The five-light window at the east end of the north choir aisle illustrates
the text beginning "I was hungry," etc. It was given by G. Pilkington as
a memorial to Humphrey Chetham. It is by Wailes of Newcastle.
The east window of the Derby Chapel has seven lights, each containing
two subjects. The upper tier are: 1, The Magi; 2, The flight into Egypt;
3 and 5, Angels; 4, Christ; 6, Christ blessing Children; 7, Christ among
the Doctors.
In the lower tier the three central subjects are hidden by the reredos
erected in recent years over the altar. Of the four visible, the first is
the raising of Jairus' daughter; 3, Christ setting a Child in the midst;
6, Suffer little Children to come unto Me; 7, The feeding of the Five
Thousand. It is by Edmundson & Son of Manchester.
The easternmost window in the north wall has four lights. The subjects
are: St. Mary, "Why weepest thou?" and St. John. This window was inserted
as a memorial to George Hull Bowers, D.D., the second Dean of Manchester,
who died in 1872. It is by Burlison & Grylls.
There are three windows in the Ely Chantry. That facing north has
five lights, the other two four; the central light of the north window
contains the figure of Bishop Stanley wearing his mitre and holding his
pastoral staff.
The next window to the west contains in its four lights representation
of four incidents in the life of Jacob: His dream, Rachel tending her
sheep, Jacob watering them, and Jacob's journey into Egypt. This window
is a memorial to William Newall, who died in 1851. It is by Ward & Hughes.
The next window, also of four lights, represents Christ cleansing the
leper, raising the daughter of Jairus, blessing children, and restoring
sight to Bartimaeus. This was inserted in memory of Robert Barnes, who
died in 1871. It is by Clayton & Bell.
The next window--the last within the screen of the Derby
Chapel--represents: 1. Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. xlviii.
14); 2, The end of Job (Job xlii. 17); 3, Simeon blessing Christ (Luke
ii. 27-29); 4, The great multitude in Heaven (Rev. vii. 9.) It is a
memorial window to Thomas Broadbent, who died in 1875. It was given by
his daughter, Elizabeth Boyd Garfit, the wife of Thomas Garfit, M.P. for
Bristol, and is by Hardman.
In the antechapel is a four light window. The subjects are the Good
Shepherd teaching the young and healing the sick. It was given by James
Chadwick, churchwarden, in 1863, and is by Ward & Hughes.
[Illustration: THE GORDON MEMORIAL WINDOW.]
The easternmost window in the nave, in what was once the Ducie Chapel, has
five lights, and was erected by C. J. Scholfield in 1888 as a memorial to
Major-General Gordon, who was killed at Khartoum in 1888. In the centre
light the General is represented with his hand on the head of a native
boy; in the other lights we see native women and children expressing
their gratitude to him for his work on their behalf; and in the outer
lights and above the heads of the human figures are angels.
This window is by Messrs. Wilson & Whitehouse of London, and from the
interest of its subject attracts much attention.
The next window to the west has four lights, each of which contains two
subjects: in the upper tier, Sts. Stephen, Paul, Barnabas, and Philip;
in the lower, the stoning of St. Stephen, the Conversion of Saul, St.
Paul and Barnabas, and St. Paul before Agrippa. It was given by Stephen
Smith in memory of his two sisters, Lucinda and Marie, who died in 1881
and 1883 respectively. This window is the work of Messrs. Burlison &
Grylls.
The next window contains, in two tiers, representations of various Old
and New Testament characters. It was inserted as a memorial to Samuel
and Elizabeth Pickup. It is by Messrs. Clayton & Bell.
The next window also has two subjects in each of its four lights: the
upper one, Feeding the hungry, etc.; the lower, the story of the Good
Samaritan. This was given in memory of James Pickup, who died in 1868.
It is by Messrs. Clayton & Bell.
The next bay opens into the north porch and does not contain any window.
Between this and the west wall is a four-light window containing
representations of eight incidents in the life of Joseph: 1, His dream;
2, his coat dipped in blood; 3, his imprisonment; 4, his interpretation
of the butler's and baker's dreams; 5, his interpretation of Pharaoh's
dreams; 6, his honour in Egypt; 7, his turning aside from his brothers to
weep; 8, the presentation of Jacob to Pharaoh. This window was presented
by J. Beard in 1887, and is by Hardman.
The west window of the outer north aisle has seven lights. The subject
is the Ascension. It is a memorial to William Rose, superintendent
of the Manchester Fire Brigade, who died in 1884, and is the work of
Messrs. Clayton & Bell.
The window at the west end of the inner north aisle has two tiers of
subjects; in the heads are angels playing on musical instruments. It
was given as a memorial by the widow and children of Samuel Fletcher,
who died in 1863, and is by Hardman.
The windows of the clerestory contain five lights; in the north side all
are painted, on the south side only the four western ones.
The subjects are:--
On the north side: 1, Aaron sacrificing on the day of Atonement; given
by R. B. M. Lingard Monk. It was painted by Messrs. Clayton & Bell.
2. Joshua at the fall of Jericho; given by Sir J.W. Maclure, Bart., M.P.
It is by Messrs. Clayton & Bell.
3. David praising God in the tabernacle; given by G. Benton. By Burlison
& Grylls.
4. Solomon praising God; given by Susanna Woodcock in memory of Henry
Woodcock. By Gibbs of London.
5. The ascent of Elijah; given by Sir W. Cunliffe Brooks, Bart. Painted
by Messrs. Clayton & Bell.
6. Malachi pointing out the promised messenger; given by Edward and Henry
Charlewood. It was painted by Messrs. Burlison & Grylls.
On the south side:--
1. Moses with the tables of the Law; given by James Chadwick.
2. Miriam dancing and singing; given by William Hatton.
3. Joseph and his brethren; given by Lord Egerton of Tatton.
4. Abraham offering Isaac; given by the Earl of Ellesmere. These four
windows are all the work of Messrs. Heaton, Butler & Baynes.
In the choir clerestory on the north side only the second from the west
is painted; it represents Christ raising the dead, and is by Clayton &
Bell.
On the south side, the first and third from the west are painted. The
former represents Christ and Nicodemus; it was the gift of Canon Gibson,
and is by Hardman. The other, representing the presentation of Christ in
the Temple, was given by Canon Gibson, and is by Ward & Hughes.
The east window of the choir, a short wide window of seven lights,
representing the Crucifixion, was given by W. Andrews in 1856, and is
by Hardman.
[Illustration: THE NAVE FROM THE WEST.]