THE INTERIOR
The North Porch, which no doubt from the days of its erection in the
fourteenth century has formed the chief entrance into the church, is
opposite to the westernmost Norman bay of the nave arcading. The porch
itself is vaulted in two bays, the vaulting springing from slender
shafts of Purbeck marble which rest on the stone seats on either side of
the porch. The bosses in which the ribs meet are carved with foliage.
Over the porch is a small room to which no staircase now leads; one
which formerly led to it was removed in the seventeenth century. This
room is lighted by a small two-light Decorated window facing north.
[Illustration: THE INTERIOR, LOOKING EAST.]
The two #Aisles# are of the same length as the nave, and are
divided from it by an arcading on either side, each containing six
pointed arches. The easternmost arches consist of two plain orders, and
are much narrower than the rest. These arches spring on the east side
from brackets on the western face of the tower piers: the bracket on the
north side is plain, that on the south side is ornamented with a kind of
scale carving. These bays were probably of the same date as the tower,
and it is not unlikely that the arches were at first like those of the
tower, of the usual round-headed form. If they were altered when the
remainder of the nave was built, the wall above was not removed. The
piers which support the western side of these arches consist each of a
semi-cylindrical pillar set against a rectangular pier, on the other
side of which another semi-cylindrical shaft is set to support the next
arch; the next two pillars on each side are cylindrical, perfectly plain
in the shafts with very simple bases and capitals. The latter may be
seen in the illustrations, the former are concealed by the pews. It
will be noticed as a peculiar feature that a little piece of the outer
moulding, facing the nave, of the first large arch on the south side is
differently carved from all the rest: first, counting from the bottom
upwards, are three eight-leaved flowers--these are succeeded by three
four-leaved flowers, all on a chamfered edge; above this the moulding
is not chamfered, and the outer face is decorated with shallow zig-zag
carving. The second member of the moulding consists of chevron work
somewhat irregularly carved, the projecting tooth-like points not being
all of the same size; in the centre is a roll moulding, from each side
of which chevron ornamentation projects, the points directed outward
perpendicular to the plane of the arch. These pillars and arches are
noteworthy in that the piers are of considerable size, and above them
are pointed arches. This would indicate a rather late date in the Norman
period for this portion of the church; probably it was built at some
time during the last quarter of the twelfth century. With the third wide
bay the twelfth-century church terminated, the two arches to the west
of these being characterised by ornamentation of the Decorated period.
At this time, as has been already explained (p. 10), the aisles were
widened and the inner edges of the roofs raised above the clerestory
windows of the Norman church. Four such windows, round-headed, each
placed over the point of an arch, may be seen on either side of the
nave; but the eastern one on each side differs from the other three
in being of heavier character and rougher workmanship. The external
mouldings of these can be well seen from the aisles: towards the nave
they are splayed and plain. The wall above the fourteenth-century arches
does not contain any windows on the same level as those of the old
Norman clerestory; but above them, stretching all along each side of
the nave, may be seen the windows of the present clerestory. These are
Perpendicular in style, and are five in number on each side, each window
being placed over one of the piers of the nave arcading. These windows
are square-headed, and have at the bottom three lights, each light being
sub-divided into two at the top. It is believed that this clerestory
was formed when the walls were raised, at the same time as the western
tower was erected--namely, at the end of the fifteenth century. But
to return to the Decorated arches at the west end of the nave. The
pier at the eastern side of the easternmost of these consists of the
semi-cylindrical respond of Norman date, a piece of masonry which was
part of the west wall of the Norman church; and then on the western
side of this an added semi-cylinder, on the capitals of which may be
seen the ball-flower ornament. The pier on either side, between the two
fourteenth-century arches, is octagonal, with a very plain capital (one
of these is shown in the illustration on page 57); the arches themselves
are also plain, consisting of two members with chamfered edges. The half
pillars at the western side of the western arch have been imbedded in
the octagonal buttresses of the west tower, which project into the
church.
[Illustration: PIER AND ARCH-SPRING IN THE SOUTH ARCADE.]
[Illustration: DECORATED ARCH IN THE NAVE.]
The height of the nave roof appears to have been altered on several
occasions. There may be seen from the interior of the nave, on the
west wall of the lantern tower, two lines running from the level of
the tops of the Norman clerestory windows: these make an angle of about
forty-five degrees with the horizontal, and, no doubt, are traces of the
weather mouldings marking the position of the exterior of the roof of
the nave in Norman times. Probably the roof visible from the interior
was flat and formed of wood, and ran across in the line of the string
course above the tower arch, at a level slightly above the heads of the
clerestory windows. A round-headed opening above this string course
probably gave admission to the space between the outer and inner roofs.
At a somewhat higher level, we have a slight trace which probably marks
the junction of the fifteenth-century roof with the tower. This roof
was of oak and very plain--at the restoration the pitch of the roof was
raised and carried up to such an extent as to cut off the bases of the
clerestory windows of the lantern tower; the inner roof itself is of
pitch-pine, with hammer-beams of the character which finds such favour
with nineteenth-century architects.
[Illustration: CLERESTORY STAGE OF THE CENTRAL TOWER.]
The #Central Tower#, the oldest and probably most interesting part
of the church, consists of four stages, of which the three lower ones
are open to the church. The lowest of these was undoubtedly part of the
original Norman church; the second or triforium was soon added. Above
this comes the clerestory, the pointed arch between the round-headed
windows indicating a somewhat later date; and above this there is a
chamber perfectly plain within, and not open to the church below. The
outside of this is decorated with an arcading of intersecting arches,
which indicates a somewhat later date. These intersecting arches form
seven pointed arches on each side--five of these were originally open to
allow the sound of the bells, which were formerly hung in the tower, to
pass out; but to add strength to the walls all but the middle ones on
the east face were at various periods walled up. At one time the tower
was surmounted by a spire, possibly of wood covered with lead; this is
supposed to have been erected by John de Berwick, who was dean of the
minster from 1286 to 1312. The squinches which supported this spire may
still be seen in the upper stage just described. Descending from this
stage by a spiral staircase in the north-west angle, we find ourselves
in the clerestory already mentioned. In each face there are two
round-headed windows widely splayed on the interior, with shafts in
the jambs; between each pair of windows is a pointed arch, in each
angle of the tower is a slender shaft encircled by three bands at about
equidistant intervals: a passage cut in the thickness of the wall runs
round this stage. Again descending, we reach the triforium level. Each
of the walls of this stage has two pointed sustaining arches built into
the wall to support the weight of the superincumbent masonry; each of
these encloses four semi-circular headed arches with shafts of Purbeck
marble. The capitals of these are rudely carved, and between the
relieving pointed arches are carved heads, that on the north side being
the most noteworthy. The passage behind the arches is very narrow, the
total thickness of the walls being only 4 feet 6 inches. At the centre
of each face are the openings which formerly led into the spaces between
the roofs and ceilings of the nave, transepts, and choir of the Norman
church. That on the north side now leads into a stone gallery, erected
in 1891 in the place of a dilapidated wooden structure, which runs first
westward to the angle between the tower and north transept, then along
the west face of the transept until it reaches a door leading into the
stair turret, which may be seen from the exterior. At the bottom of this
is a door opening into the transept. This stair turret projects slightly
into the transept. The lowest stage of the tower consists of four arches
and four massive piers. The arches have two plain orders. The piers have
double shafts supporting the central order, and single shafts supporting
the outer orders. The four arches are not of the same width, those on
the east and west being wider than those on the north and south. In
order to get the arches to spring from the same level and also to reach
the same height at their heads, the wider arches are of the shape known
as "depressed," while the narrower ones are of the "horse-shoe" type.
The choir being somewhat narrower than the nave, the walls on each side
take the place of the shaft which would have supported the outer order
of the eastern arch. The capitals and bases of these arches are very
plain, in fact nowhere in this church can the elaborately-carved
capitals so often met with in late Norman work be found. This central
tower was undoubtedly gradually raised stage by stage, as the character
of the architecture indicates: probably during each interval the part
already finished was capped by a pyramidal roof.
[Illustration: THE TOWER ARCHES.]
[Illustration: NORTH TRANSEPT AND CROSSING.]
The #Nave Aisles# were widened in the fourteenth century, the
Norman walls being removed and their roofs raised; a single stone of the
weather moulding, which may be seen on the west face of the north
transept, shows the height and slope of the roof of the Norman aisle.
The windows of the aisles on either side are two-light Decorated
windows; the three on either side to the east of the north and south
porches are of the same character, while the two on each side to the
west of the porches are also alike but differ in their tracery from
those to the east. The south porch is much smaller than the north, and
is very plain; it is composed of two solid walls projecting six feet
from the wall of the aisle.
The #Transepts#, as has been described in the preceding chapter,
were lengthened in the fourteenth century--the southern one by the
incorporation of some low Norman building, thought by some to have been
the Lady Chapel, the walls of which were raised; the northern one by the
addition of Bembre's chantry. This has caused the north transept to be
somewhat longer than the south. The original Norman transepts seem to
have been of the same length on either side. Bembre, who died in 1361,
is supposed to have been buried here. A stone slab lay until 1857 in the
centre of the pavement,--on it was a representation of a full-length
figure of a man dressed in a robe like a surplice; but when the pavement
was renewed this stone was allowed to remain exposed to sun and rain in
the churchyard until the surface was weathered to such an extent that it
is now impossible to make out with any certainty what is upon it. But
the description given by Hutchins of the arms on the shields which were
sculptured on it does not agree with the Bembre arms, so that it could
hardly have been the tombstone of this Dean who founded the chantry.
The window at the end of the north transept is modern restoration work.
Before 1891 the tracery was of a very plain character, as may be seen
from the illustration (page 21). It is supposed that damage was done to
this window at the time when the tower fell, and that the plain tracery
was inserted after that event. During the restoration in 1891, the old
plaster was removed from the walls, and in doing this a Norman altar
recess was discovered in the east wall of this transept; the southern
end of this had been cut away when the choir aisle was widened in the
fourteenth century. In this recess traces of fresco may be seen. A
piscina stands to the north of this altar recess, and is of Decorated
character.
[Illustration: THIRTEENTH-CENTURY PISCINA IN SOUTH TRANSEPT.]
The #South Transept# has a five-light Decorated window at its southern
end, with modern tracery in imitation of the old, each light running up
through the head of the window. A very fine Early English piscina, with
the characteristic dog-tooth moulding, stands in the south wall. An
altar occupying a position similar to the one in the north transept used
to stand in this transept also, but the pointed arch over the recess
shows that it was of later date.
[Illustration: CHOIR STALLS.]
The most elaborate part of the church is that which lies to the east of
the central tower. The great height to which the altar is raised above
the level of the nave gives it a very impressive appearance from the
west end; and, again, the view looking westward from the altar level is
much enhanced by the height from which it is seen.
[Illustration: WEST VIEW FROM THE CHOIR.]
The #East End# is purely English work, and this shows that in the
thirteenth century the church was extended about 30 feet towards the
east. The junction of the Early English with the Norman wall is marked
by a cluster of slender shafts rising from the ground. The alterations
which were made in the Norman walls at the time of this eastward
extension have been already described (p. 11).
It now only remains to describe the #Choir# and #Presbytery# as they
stand at the present time. Immediately to the east of the tower on
either side are two pointed arches of two plain orders rising on their
western sides from plain brackets in the tower piers, and supported on
the east by engaged shafts with roughly-carved Norman capitals. Next
to these come the Early English inserted arches, pierced as already
described through the Norman wall and cutting away the lower part of two
previously existing Norman windows on each side. The arches are of three
plain orders, with chamfered edges, resting on clustered shafts; beyond
these the new thirteenth-century work begins. Beyond the clustered
shafts mentioned above, which mark the commencement of the Early English
work, is a lofty arch on either side opening into the choir aisles; over
each of them is a pair of small lancet windows widely splayed inside.
Between the piers of these arches a wall is carried, its top being about
midway between their bases and capitals. On the southern wall stands the
Beaufort tomb, on the northern the Courtenay tomb; and below this the
walls are pierced with arches, beneath which are flights of nine steps
leading on to the crypt beneath the presbytery. It is not improbable
that after the eastern extension the altar stood at the east end of the
Norman part of the choir, and that under these two Early English arches
was the ambulatory or processional passage which is so often found to
the east of the high altar. Beyond the ends of the choir aisles on
either side of the presbytery is a lancet window. The east window is
worthy of the closest observation. Its exterior appearance has been
already described (p. 24). Within, it consists of three openings widely
splayed; the thin stone over the central lancet, beneath the surrounding
moulding, is pierced with a quatrefoil opening; over the two side
lancets the corresponding openings have six foliations; between the
three lights and outside the outer ones, flush with the wall, are
clusters of shafts of Purbeck marble, from which spring mouldings
enclosing the lights in a most peculiar fashion: these follow the curves
of the tops of the lancets, but before meeting they are returned in the
form of cusps, and then are carried round the upper foliated openings.
The upper part of each of these mouldings forms about three-quarters
of the circumference of a circle. The characteristic Early English
dog-tooth ornament is carved round the moulding of the central light,
those round the other lights are not thus decorated. The whole group is
surrounded by a label following the curves of moulding, with carved
heads at its terminations and points of junction. The six cusps of the
moulding are ornamented by bosses of carved foliage.
[Illustration: THE EAST WINDOW.]
[Illustration: SEDILIA.]
To the south side of the presbytery, between the south window and the
Beaufort tomb, the triple #Sedilia# and the #Piscina# are situated: each
of these is covered by a canopy of fourteenth-century work. These were
extensively repaired at the time of the restoration. The Beaufort altar
tomb is the finest monument in the church. On it are two recumbent
figures carved in alabaster, and although there is no inscription it is
certain that they represent John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and his
wife Margaret. John Beaufort was son of another John Beaufort, Earl of
Somerset, who was brother of the celebrated Cardinal Beaufort, and son
of John of Gaunt by his mistress Catherine Swynford, a family afterwards
legitimatised by Parliament. This second John Beaufort distinguished
himself in the French wars of Henry IV., who in 1443 gave him a step in
the peerage, creating him Duke of Somerset. His wife Margaret was, when
he married her, widow of Oliver St John, and it is thought that after
the death of her second husband in 1444 she married again. This John and
Margaret, Duke and Duchess of Somerset, are famous on account of their
daughter the Lady Margaret, so well-known for her educational endowments
and for the fact that after her marriage with Edmund Tudor, the Earl
of Richmond, she became the mother of that Henry Tudor who overthrew
Richard III. at Bosworth, and was crowned King as Henry VII. Here
on this altar tomb their effigies remain in a wonderful state of
preservation, their right hands clasped together, angels at their heads,
his feet resting on a dog, hers on an antelope. He is completely clad
in armour, the face and right hand only bare--the gauntleted left hand
holds the right hand gauntlet, which he has taken off that he may hold
the lady's hand. She is clad in a long close-fitting garment. Each of
the two wears around the neck a collar marked with the letters SS. At
the apex of the arch above their tomb hangs his tourney helm.
[Illustration: THE BEAUFORT TOMB.]
Under the corresponding arch on the opposite side is a similar tomb, but
without any effigy. The fragment of an inscription tells us that it is
the tomb of one who was once the wife of Henry Courtenay, Marquis of
Exeter, and mother of Edward Courtenay. She was Gertrude, daughter of
William Blount, Lord Mountjoy. Her husband was beheaded in 1538,
together with the aged Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, whose chantry
may be seen in the Priory at Christchurch, though she was laid to rest
in what Macaulay describes as the saddest burying-ground in England, the
cemetery of St Peter's, in the Tower. Gertrude, Lady Courtenay, was
herself attainted at the time of her husband's execution, but was
afterwards pardoned and died in 1557. The tomb was opened in the last
century from idle curiosity, and some one attempted to raise the body to
a sitting posture, with the result that the skeleton fell to pieces. The
tomb was also damaged by this foolish opening.
[Illustration: BRASS OF ÆTHELRED.]
Three small carved figures at the bottom of the hood moulding of the
arches over these monuments deserve attention. The one on the west
side of the southern arch represents Moses with the tables of the law.
Probably there was another such figure at the eastern end of the same
moulding, but this would have been cut away when the sedilia were
inserted. The opposite arch has a figure on each side.
Just at the east end of the Courtenay tomb is a slab of Purbeck marble,
reputed to have once covered the grave of Æthelred. In it is inserted a
fifteenth-century brass, with a rectangular plate of copper bearing an
inscription, represented in the illustration (p. 46). A brass plate with
a similar inscription, though the date on it is given as 872, was found
in the library. Possibly the original brass and inscription were taken
up in the time of the civil wars and hidden for safety, and the
inscription having been lost, the copper plate now on the tomb was made
when the brass was replaced, and the original plate was afterwards found
and was placed for safety in what is now the library. _Copper_ nails
were used to fasten the brass to the floor, which perhaps serves to show
that the engraved _copper_ plate was made at the time when the brass was
replaced on the slab. A little piece of the left-hand bottom corner has
been broken off, and the top of the sceptre is missing. There are no
rails before the altar, but their place is supplied by three oak benches
covered with white linen cloths (these may be seen in the illustration
on p. 43). The use of the "houseling linen" dates back to very early
times. The word "housel" for the sacrament of the Lord's Supper has gone
out of use, though most of us are familiar with the line
"_Unhouseled_, unanointed, unanelled,"
in which the ghost of Hamlet's father describes the circumstances of his
death. The word "unhouseled" in this means that he died without
receiving the sacred elements before his death.
The benches are a relic of Puritan times: there is an entry dated 1656
in the churchwardens' accounts respecting the payment of £1 "for making
and setting up the benches about ye communion table in the quire." These
were at first used as seats, on which the communicants sat to receive
the bread and wine. In after times their use was modified. These
benches, ten in number, were placed on the steps leading up to the
altar, and it was customary for the clerk on "Sacrament Sundays" to go
to the lectern after morning prayer, and, in a loud voice, give notice
thus: "All ye who are prepared to receive the Holy Communion draw near."
Those who wished to communicate then went into the chancel and sat on
these benches or in the choir stalls, waiting their turns, and kneeling
on mats until the clergy brought them the bread and wine. Up to 1852
there was a rail on the top step, at the entrance of the presbytery,
on which the houseling linen hung. The rail, which was of no great
antiquity, was removed at that date, and three of the oak benches
were retained to supply its place; these are now used as an ordinary
communion rail, but are always covered with the "fair white cloths."
The #South Choir Aisle#, known as the Trinity Aisle, has at its east
end a five-light window, each light of which runs up through the
head; the south wall is pierced by two three-light windows of similar
character. The wall opposite in the western bay, against which the organ
now stands, is blank, as on the outside of this the vestry stands with
the library above it. At the east end of this aisle was the chantry
founded by the Lady Margaret, Countess of Richmond, whose father and
mother lie in the tomb already described beneath the nearest arch on the
north side of this aisle. The altar of this chantry, as well as all the
other altars in the church, numbering ten in all, have been swept away,
no doubt at the time of the Reformation. But recently the east end of
this aisle has been fitted up with a communion table for use at early
services.
In this aisle is to be seen, under the second window from the east,
the marble or slate painted sarcophagus known as the Etricke tomb.
Anthony Etricke of Holt Lodge, Recorder of Poole, was the magistrate
who committed for trial the ill-fated Duke of Monmouth, who, after
his flight from Sedgemoor, was captured in the north of Dorset near
Critchell. It is said that in his old age he became very eccentric, and
desired to be buried neither in the church nor out of it, neither above
ground nor under; and to carry out his wish he got permission to cut a
niche in the church wall, partly below the level of the ground outside,
and then firmly fixed in it the slate receptacle which is now to be
seen. Into this he ordered that his coffin should be put when he died.
Moreover, he had a presentiment that he should die in 1691, and so
placed that date upon the side of the sarcophagus. He, however, lived
twelve years longer than he expected, so that when his death really
occurred the date had to be altered to 1703. The two dates, the later
written over the earlier, are still to be seen. On the outside of the
sarcophagus are painted the arms of his family. The whole is kept in
good repair, for so determined was the good man that his memory should
be kept alive, and his last resting-place well cared for, that he gave
to the church in perpetuity the sum of 20s. per annum, to be expended in
keeping the niche and coffin in good order. When the church was restored
in 1857 the outer coffin was opened, and it was found that the inner one
had decayed, but that the dust and bones were still to be seen, these
were placed in a new chest and once more deposited in the outer coffin.
[Illustration: THE ETRICKE TOMB.]
In this aisle is also to be seen an ancient chest, not formed as chests
usually are, of wooden planks or slabs fastened together, but hewn out
of a solid trunk of oak. The chest is over 6 feet long, but the cavity
inside is not more than 22 inches in length, 9 inches in width, and 6
inches in depth, hence it will be seen how thick and massive the walls
are. Originally it may have contained some small relics, and probably is
much older than the present minster itself. It was afterwards used as a
safe for deeds. In 1735 some deeds were taken from it bearing the date
1200.
Formerly, there stood on this aisle the tomb of John de Berwick, dean of
the college, who died in 1312. At his tomb once a year the parishioners
met to receive the accounts of the outgoing churchwardens and to elect
new ones. The altar tomb was removed about 1790, the slab at the top of
it being let into the floor.
[Illustration: ANCIENT CHEST.]
The #North Choir Aisle# is a foot narrower than the corresponding south
aisle: it has three windows each with two lights instead of two of three
lights. This is known as St George's aisle. In the east wall is a
piscina of Perpendicular date. Two doors lead into this aisle--one at
the corner, where the walls of the aisle and transept meet, and one
between the two easternmost windows. The principal objects in this aisle
are two bulky chests, one containing the title-deeds of some charity
lands in the parish of Corfe Castle. This is fastened by six locks, each
of different pattern,--each trustee of the charity has a key, of his own
special lock,--so that the chest can only be opened by the consent of
the whole body. The other chest contains the parochial accounts; this
once had six locks, but now has only two.
In the south-eastern corner of this aisle lies a mutilated effigy of a
mail-clad knight with crossed legs. This is said to have been removed to
the minster from another church when it was destroyed. Whom it represents
is uncertain, but traditionally it is known as the Fitz Piers monument.
[Illustration: UVEDALE MONUMENT.]
In this aisle is the monument of Sir Edmund Uvedale, who died in 1606.
The monument was erected by his widow in "dolefull duety." It is in the
Renaissance style, and was carved by an Italian sculptor. The old knight
is represented clad in a complete suit of plate armour, though without a
helmet. He lies on his right side, his head is raised a little from his
right hand, on which it has been resting, as though he were just awaking
from his long sleep, his left hand holds his gauntlet. Above the tomb
hangs an iron helmet, such as was worn in Elizabethan times, and which
very probably was once worn by Sir Edmund himself.
Between the eastern ends of the choir aisles, and beneath the eastern
end of the presbytery, is the #Crypt#. This is a vaulted chamber, the
vaulting being supported on two pairs of pillars, thus forming three
aisles, as it were, running east and west, each containing three bays.
The western bay is of somewhat later date than the central and eastern;
the wall against which the westernmost of the pillars once stood was
removed, but the piers were allowed to remain, backed up by a new piece
of masonry built against them to support the new vaulting. The crypt
is lighted by four windows, equal-sided spherical triangles in shape;
two look out eastward, one northward beyond the chancel arch, one,
correspondingly placed, to the southward. The centre of the east end is
a blank wall. Against this the altar stood--a niche, probably a piscina,
still may be seen. On each side of the place where the altar stood there
are two openings into the choir aisles. The exteriors of these are of
the same form and size as the crypt windows, but they are deeply splayed
inside, and probably were used as hagioscopes or squints, to allow those
kneeling in the choir aisles to see the priest celebrating mass at the
crypt altar.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO CRYPT.]
[Illustration: THE LIBRARY.]
The #Vestry# stands in the south-east angle between the transept
and choir aisle; it is a vaulted building dating from the fourteenth
century, and is lighted by two windows, one looking to the east, the
other to the south. A small door at the south-west corner opens upon the
staircase leading to the #Library#--a chamber situated above the vestry.
The collection consists chiefly of books left to the minster by will
of the Rev. William Stone, Principal of New Inn Hall, Oxford, a native
of Wimborne. They were brought from Oxford in 1686, under the care of
the Rev. Richard Lloyd, at that time Master of the Grammar School at
Wimborne. The books are chiefly works on divinity; some additions were
subsequently and at various times made to the original collection. The
books were attached to the shelves for safety's sake by iron chains, the
upper end carrying rings which slid on rods fastened to the shelf above,
the other end to the edge of the binding of the books. Hence the volumes
had to be placed on the shelves with their backs to the walls. The room
in which the books were placed was formerly known as the Treasury; it
was refitted in 1857, but the old chains are still used. It would occupy
too much space were any attempt made to give a list of the books. The
oldest volume is a manuscript of 1343, "Regimen Animarum," written on
vellum, and containing a few illuminated initials. A "Breeches,"
Black-Letter Bible, dated 1595, is another book worth mentioning; also
a volume of Sir Walter Raleigh's History of the World. A hole was burnt
through 104 of its pages. It is said that Matthew Prior, the poet, was
reading it by candle light and fell asleep, and when he woke was much
distressed to find that the snuff from his candle had done the mischief.
He did his best to repair the damage, by placing a tiny piece of paper
over the hole in each page, and inserting the missing letters with pen
and ink. The book has since been rebound, leaves taken from another copy
having been bound in between the damaged pages.
[Illustration: THE CRYPT.]
[Illustration: THE FONT.]
The lower part of the west tower is used as a baptistery; this is
separated from the nave by a screen, formed of fragments of the old rood
screen. In the centre stands the octagonal late Norman #Font#, supported
by eight slender shafts of Purbeck marble, and a modern spirally-carved
central pillar of white stone, through which runs the drain to carry off
the water.
[Illustration: THE CLOCK IN THE WEST TOWER.]
In the inner southern wall of this tower, rather low down, is fixed a
curious old #Clock# made by Peter Lightfoot, a Glastonbury monk, in the
early part of the fourteenth century. The earth is represented by a
globe in the centre, the sun by a disc which travels round it once in
twenty-four hours, showing the time of day; the moon by a globe so
fastened to a blue disc that it revolves once during a lunar month; half
of this is painted black, the other half is gilt, and the age of the
moon is indicated by the amount of the gilded portion visible--when the
moon is full the whole of the gilt hemisphere is shown, when new the
whole of the black. This clock still goes, the works being in a room in
the tower above. It requires winding once a day. The same clock also
causes the Jack outside the tower to strike the quarters.
In the #Belfry# is a peal of eight bells. The tenor weighs about 36
cwts., the treble 7 cwts.
The tenor bears this inscription:
MR WILHEMUS LORINGE ME PRIMO FECIT,
IN HONOREM STÆ CUTBERGÆ.
RENOVABAR SUMPTU PAROCHALI PER AB,
ANNO DOMINI 1629.
The seventh bell is dated 1798.
The sixth bell 1600, and is thus inscribed: "SOUND OUT THE BELLS, IN GOD
REGOYCE."
The fifth 1698, "PRAISE THE LORD."
The fourth 1686, "PULSATA ROSAMUNDI MARIA VOCATA. SMV."
The third was originally the smallest bell of the peal, and bears the
Latin hexameter: "SUM MINIMA HIC CAMPANA, AT INEST, SUA GRATIA PARVIS,"
and the words, "THIS BELL WAS ADDED TO YE FIVE IN 1686, Samuel Knight."
The two smaller bells are of recent date.
The #Lectern# bears date 1623. The stone pulpit is modern (1868).
The old wooden pulpit, whose place it has taken, has been removed to the
church at Holt.
The earliest mention of an #Organ# is in 1405, but the earliest
authentic record is of one set up by John Vaucks, Organ Master,
in 1533. A memorandum in the churchwardens' accounts speak of him
setting up a pair of organs on the rood loft. In the year 1643, we have
records of the sale of organ-pipes and old tin. After the Restoration
in 1664, we have a record of the purchase of a new organ for £180.
This was repaired, enlarged, and rebuilt at various times, and at the
restoration, when the rood screen was unfortunately destroyed, the organ
was placed in the south choir aisle.
All the lower windows are now filled with painted glass; all of which,
with the exception of a few fragments, is nineteenth-century work.
DEANS OF WIMBORNE
Martin Pattislee or Pattishull appointed 1224
Ralph Brito " 1229
John Mansell " 1247
John de Kirkby " 1265
John de Berwick " 1286
Stephen de Mawley " 1312
Richard de Clare " 1312
Richard de Swinnerton " 1334
Richard de Merimouth " 1338
Richard de Kingston " 1342
Thomas de Clopton " 1349
Reginald de Bryan " 1349
Thomas de Bembre (founder of the chantry) " 1350
Henry de Buckingham " 1361
Richard de Beverley " 1367
John de Carp " 1398
Roger Tortington " 1408
Peter de Altebello " 1412
Walter Medford " 1416
Gilbert Kymer " 1427
Walter Herte " 1467
Hugh Oldham " 1485
Thomas Rowthel " 1508
Henry Hornby " 1509
Reginald Pole " 1517
Nicholas Wilson " 1537
COLLEGE DISSOLVED " 1547