CHAPTER X. KIRKPATRICK'S NOTES OF ST. GILES'S CHURCH, ETC., IN 1712. ST. GILES. 1 August 1712. ST. GILES CHURCH stands on ye north side of ye street leading to yt Gate of ye City wch bears ye same name & not far from it: for ye Church in the North West corner of ye Churchyard is distant but paces from ye same. From this place ye Churchyard is bounded by a lane of a steep desct wch falls direct North being ye way to St. Swithin's Church from which ye tis divided leaving onely a gate at begin by a stone wall reaching paces where is a stile and by steps you descend into ye aforesaid lane ye lowest of wch steps is a gravestone of ancient form narrower at feet than head end. From thence turning Eastward it is bounded by a wall (and some houses adjoyning to it) wch runs paces turning inward where it meets ye wall of ye South side making an angle at E. wch wall from ye first men corner interrupted onely by a gate against ye Porch passed along ye Street paces winding hither where is a gate right against St. Giles Broadstreet wch leads into ye Market by or past ye Guild Hall. Within wch bounds the Church is situated nearest to ye street & is a strong & regular building of flint stones especially ye steeple wch is fortified by double Buttresses at each of ye 4 angles up to ye top of ye 3 story ye whole height is 38 yards. Ye situation of ye Church being upon as high ground as any in ye City is therefore the first of ye Parish Churches which appears to those who are travelling to ye City and may be seen. miles off. There is a neat Porch of free stone on ye South side of ye Church for entrance wth a Chamber above it, on each side of ye window wch is in ye front is a nich spired top. On each of ye arch of door cut in stone is a Cherub wth an Escochen before him that on ye East side has 2 Pastoral Staffs on the a Pall & at ye top of ye porch a border of carved work wherein you see ye Letter G of ye antient form wth a crown upon it and an escochen with vine branch of various small ones denoting St. Giles, to whom dedicated. by ye foot of ye buttress of the E angle lies a stone. The Length of ye Church from ye front of ye foot of ye Steeple Buttress to yt of E. angle is abt 112 foot very near ye height of ye Steeple and ye breadth about 70 foot from ye front of ye foot of ye Buttress on North side to those of ye Porch, ye height of ye nave walls to ye Eaves is abt 23 foot & of ye 2 ranges of upper windows abt 10 foot above ye Roofs of each Ile. There is 4 windows on this side between ye Porch and ye ease end about 7 foot wide and to ye top of their arches about 15 foot in ht. there being between each abt 8 or 9 foot of walls strengthened in ye midst wth a Buttress to ye height of ye window and one at yt South East angle, all ye angles of these & Steeple Buttresses. The wall of ye upper roof wch rest upon arch of Pillars within ye Church hath five windows placed at equal distances (corresponding to ye situation to those in ye side wall below, and one answering ye Door of ye Porch all wch you see in ye Prospect of this side of ye Church inserted as also ye form & proportion of ye windows of ye Iles & of ye Steeple The North side of ye Church form to ye South, except that there is no Porch but onely a Door opposite to yt of ye South. Beyond all this a Chancel hath formerly advanced . . foot to ye East. in breadth equal to ye Nave of ye Church as appears by some part of ye walls still to be seen above ground. But but (being fallen to decay it seems) was pulled down as far as end of each Ile of ye Church about 6 score years since & ye materials sold, with part of wch money a Bell was purchased which is dated 1593 & is ye 2nd in ye Peal. So that ye great Arch out of ye Body of ye Church into ye Chancel was filled up with a stone wall in which was made a Large window. The inside of ye Church consist of 3 parts ye South Ile, ye North Ile, & ye Middle or Nave which is about 18 foot wide (by wch it is distinguishd from ye Iles) 2 Rows of Columns each supporting a a wall wherein is ye upper Rank of 5 windows & upon which ye high Roof rests. The Iles are abt 10 foot broad each between ye columns & wall & of ye same length as ye Nave, viz: within ye walls 75 foot, whole breadth of ye Church within (including ye thickness of ye columns) is 44 foot & }. The Pillars on either side ye Nave are 4 with a Pillaster at each end ye Church in a line having ye equi-distant inter columniation M of near 13 foot. They are of free stone and neat work of ye ancient form and rise to ye height of 17 foot to ye top of their capitals or imposts of ye arches wch rest upon them whose bows are of agreeable workmanship and about 6 foot high upon the top of which runs the whole length a plain cornice or fillet of stone thence ye walls advance about 9 feet to ye Great Cornice of wood. A Great Arch there is at ye West end rendring ye Steeple patent to ye Church the Pillasters of wch consist of divers hollows & seimas & a large half round member the point from ye side of 2 Pillasters before mentioned so yt abt five foot west ward (the thickness of Steeple walls) they contract to 12 foot distance and advance so high that ye under part of ye arch is about ye same height with ye top of ye wall of ye upper Rank of windows. The Pillaster reaching abt 2 foot above ye top of ye Rows of arches. Another Great Arch at ye East end was into ye Quondam Chancel whose Pillasters reach to within 2 foot of ye top of ye said Arches and ye under part of its Arch to two thirds of ye height of ye windows of ye upper Ranges but is now filled with a wall and window as aforesaid. Now between the Pilasters of ye Row of arches & those of this last mentioned there is a space of about 18 inches in each of wch are 3 Niches of stone work one above ye other about 5 foot & high wth a Pedestal in all the lowest beging about 44 foot above ye pavemt of ye Altar the space undr being put into 2 narrow arched pannels. The window sill in ye west end of each Ile is abt 6 foot from ye Pavemt & 74 foot wide ye height to ye top of ye arch abt 13 feet. Those in ye sides of ye Church same beginning & breadth but are about 15 foot high reaching within about 14 foot of ye top of ye wall ye window in ye E end of either Ile is of ye same dimensions onely begins (or ye soil is) abt 14 higher than those in ye sides. Entering into this Church through ye Porch your eye Payne. will first be fixed upon ye opposite Monument of Alderman Payne, a Benefactor to ye Parish, it being placed in ye wall toward ye west end of ye North Ile near wch his Body is deposited in a vault undr that pt of Ile. Above it you see his Funeral Escocheon fixed. This Monumt is composed of an oblong Table of black Marble beautified and inclosed by 2 Corinthian Pilasters of wch Pedestal & Cornish & Semic: Pedimt upon or against ye Cornish of ye Pedt. is fixed. An Escochen of his Arms being a chev verry being 3 Lyons Rampt And is further adorned below wth volutas & foliage work extending ye breadth with Palm Branches on ye outside of each Pilaster and with an Urn burning placed upon ye top of ye Pedimt: all of white marble curiosly polished except ye Table & Tympan which are of black, under part of ye Foliage work of about 18 foot distance from ye pavt: and ye height from thence to ye flame of ye Urn is abt 8 foot more ye breadth at Base is 3 foot and but ye form of it you may better see by the draught thereof here inserted. The Inscriptions upon ye Monument are as follow, viz: upon ye Tympan Upon ye Table of Pro: xiii. 21 He yt hath mercy on ye Poore Happy is he. ye Monumt Adrian Payne Gent: & some time Sherife & this Vault the 4th day of May 1686 who The funeral Escochen is (as such are usually made) a square piece of Canvas Linnen of abt 2 or 3 foot each side whereon is painted in proper colours ye Atchievemt of ye deceased with ye Base of ye Escoch: to one of ye Angles upon wch it stands when fastued into a black frame of wood 3 or 4 inches broad whereon at ye upper and lower angles is painted a skull an hour glass winged. upon ye midst of ye sides Bones &c. The Arms in this Funeral Escoch: or Atchievemt are first Payne. Or a Chev: varry betw 3 Lyons rampt az. impaling Osborn in Arg. on a bend sab. 3 Dolphins embowed Or. betw 2 Lyons rampt. of ye 2d, upon a Helmet degree mantled Or. The Crest between a pair of wings expanded sable an Ostridge's head erased Or biting a horse shoe Arg: Cowper. From hence as you pass to ye East end of this N. Ile ye following Inscriptions are to be seen upon ye several gravestones viz: first on a brass plate for Robert Cowper anno domini 1521 Orate p aia Rob'ti Cowper Cuij aie ppiciet de3 Ao dni mov*xxj Near 2 small stones lying by ye side of each other for John Baker & his wife HERE lyeth the Body | of John Baker who | departed this life | the 30th day of March and was buried the First day of April Anno domini 1673 Baker. The other is Here lyeth the body of Margaret Baker the wife of John Baker who departed this | life the 11th day of June & was buried the 12th | Anno Domini 1679 Spendlove. The next is upon a brass plate (Spendlove, for inscription, vide Church Monuments). The next 3 stones having lost their Brass plates are without inscript: one has had a Chalice next inlaid above ye Inscript: next a small effigies of a man. Ye other has no more of ye plate remaining but ye word Capellanus. Then come at another thus inscribed Lee. Pool. Here lyeth ye | body of Robert | Lee who dyed | Febr. the 13-Ano dom 1683. The next a brass plate for Hen: Pool priest anno 1442 Hic jacet Henricus Pool Capellanus qui obijt | decimo die Julij anno dni m°cccc° | xlii cujus anime ppicietur deus Amen. Near a stone pt Eliz. Robinson widow 1712 æt 76 Curtis. At ye end of the Walk or passage of this N. Ile is a stone with this Daniell ye sonne | of Augustus | Curtis & Sarah | his wife died | ye 30th of Decemb | 1675. Turning southward is this in ye E. Alley upon a plate of Brass by Beding some Pious but ignorant Etymologist field. (Bedingfield vide Church Monuments). The stone next this is now without an Inscription but ye plate wch came off it lyes in ye Vestry and is thus inscribed Tyllys. Orate p aia Alicie Tyllys filie Johis Tyllys* & dionisie uxr eius genosorum Further south against ye middle Ile or Nave. is a large whitish free stone near 4 foot broad but ye length (running partly under ye (* Pbably J: Tyllys Sheriff 1485) |