BOROUGH OF NORTHAMPTON 



stage, above the plain masonry, are two courses of fine 

 carving, and over these an arcade of blind arches 

 ranging with those of the clearstory. The middle 

 stage is separated from the lower by a string course of 

 trowel point ornament supported by a corbel table 

 of heads and grotesques, and has an arcade of round 

 irches on each of its three sides, the arches being 

 moulded and supported by octagonal detached shafts 

 with scalloped capitals and moulded bases. Above 

 these is another corbel table and stringcourse with 

 double roll-moulding. 



The two western angles are covered, to the top 

 of the middle stage, by large buttresses of unusual 

 design, consisting of triple clustered freestone shafts, 

 perhaps fashioned from 1 2th century columns or 

 jambshafts,*' and at the north-east angle is a massive 

 four-stage buttress, of alternate courses of ironstone 

 and freestone, projecting in its lower stages beyond the 

 width of the aisle. .At the south-east angle a large square 

 staircase turret serves as a corresponding buttress. 



To the top of tlic middle stage, after the cessation 

 of the alternate bands, the tower is mainly of free- 

 stone, but above the arcades ironstone is used. 

 The upper stage is later in ch.iracter, with battle- 

 mented parapet, pyramidal stone slated roof, and 

 transomcd bell-chamber windows of two trefoiled 

 lights with separate hoodmoulds. The triple-shafted 

 buttresses are continued as single shafts, in two stages 

 to the underside of the parapet. The walls of the 

 upper part of the tower are said to be largely built 

 of moulded and wrought stones of 13th century date,'* 

 which may have been brought from one or other of the 

 destroyed monastic buildings in the neighbourhood," 

 and there is reason to believe that the whole of this 

 work in its existing form dates only from the early 

 17th century rebuilding. 



The reconstructed late 12th century tower arch 

 occupies the whole width of the west end of the nave, 

 and consists of three orders all richly decorated with 

 cheveron moulding," and a bold square-edged hood- 

 mould ornamented with fine chiselled work. The 

 orders spring from half-round responds and detached 

 jarab-shafts with elaborately carved capitals*' and 

 moulded bases. Three of the shafts are enriched, 

 one on the north side with a spiral pattern, while 

 two on the south are ornamented respectively with 

 interlaced work and with studded cheverons.** 



The unmounted octagonal font is of late 14th 

 century date, the sides panelled with cusped tracery 

 under straight-sided crocketed canopies which spring 

 from dwarf buttresses at the angles and terminate 

 in floriated finials. In the upper part, between the 

 canopies, the angles are ornamented with crocketed 

 attached pinnacles. 



The stone pulpit, low chancel wall, and all the 

 roofs and fittings are modern. The carved oak reredos, 

 first erected in 1878, was completed in 1914, as a 



" jlrcb. Jeur. xxxv, 417. The 

 moulded plinth is continued round these 

 buttresses. 



'• Serjeantson. op. cit. 56, ex. inf. 

 Matthew Holding, architect. 



" Either from St. Andrew's Priory or 

 from St. James's Abbey : ibid. 56. 



** In the middle order the cheveron 

 and ball ornament is used. The arch 

 is quite plain on the west side. 



" 'The capitals of the jimbshafts are 

 not properly fitted to the orders of the 



memorial to Edward Nichols Tom, rector 1873- 

 1905. There are modern screens north and south 

 of the chancel.** 



In addition to the high altar, mention is made in 

 the 15th and l6th centuries of the high rood loft, 

 the chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the altars 

 of St. Nicholas, St. John Baptist and St. Katharine, 

 and to St. Eregaiar's altar (1535)-** 



There are monuments to jolin Smith of London 

 ((/. 1742), ' the most eminent Engraver in Mezzo- 

 Tinto in his time' ; William Smith I.L.D. (d. 1839), 



St. Peter's Church, Northampton : Capital 



the ' father of British geology,' with white marble 

 bust; George Baker** {d. 1851), historian of the 

 county, and his sister, Ann EUza (d. 1861) ; Edward 

 Lockwood (d. 1802), rector for 52 years ; John 

 Stoddart {d. 1827), headmaster of Northampton 

 Grammar School ; and a brass plate in the chancel 

 in memory of Robert Meyricke Serjeantson, rector 

 and historian of the Northampton churches {d. 1916). 

 In the churchyard is a memorial cross to the men of 

 the parish who fell in the Great War (1914-18). 

 There is a ring of eight bells by Abraham Rudhall, 



1734°* 



The plate consists of a paten of 1709, a cup and 

 paten of 171 1, a flagon of 1715, and a brcndholder of 

 1713 



97 



archivolt above them, nor to the jambs 

 below them, and some of the stones 

 composing the shafts seem upside down ' : 

 Serjeantson, op. cit. 59. 



"• Sir Gilbert Scott was of opinion 

 that the enriched shafts had been brought 

 from elsewhere, probably from the original 

 western doorway : ibid. 262. 



'■" The organ occupies the north aisle 

 of the chancel and Testries the south 

 aisle. 



" Ser'eantson, op. cit. 62-64. 



43 



*'' Buried, with his sister, at King Street 

 chapel. 



" North, Cb. Belli oj Noithants, 348, 

 where the inscriptions are given. The 

 tenor was the gift of Sir Arthur Hasllerige. 

 The bells were rehung in 1893, and ag.iin, 

 with new fittings, in 1928. 



" Markham, Ch. Plait 0/ Norlhatils, ill. 

 The flagon was the gift of Sir Robert 

 Hesilrige, but not purchased till two years 

 alter his death in 1713; the bread-holder 

 was given by Sir Arthur Hasilerige in 1728. 



