BOROUGH OF NORTHAMPTON 



raents, the other windows in nave and chancel being 

 of three lights. There are elliptical windows in the 

 nave pediments, and the roofs are leaded. The 

 dome sits on a square base. 



The transepts are internally about 31 ft. long by 

 20 ft. in width, and have straight dcntilled pediments 

 and five-hght end windows. They contain the 

 gallery staircases and vestries,'* and in the south 

 transept the Consistory Court : they also form 

 vestibules, with lofty round-headed outer doorways 

 opening on to the portico. The smaller west door- 

 way of the tower is flanked externally by semicircular 

 wall recesses. The great oct.istyle portico covers the 

 west end of the building to within about 8 ft. of 

 the ends of the transepts : it is two columns deep 

 and the Ionic order is used. The entablature is 

 surmounted by a balustrade with urn ornaments, 

 in the centre of which are the Royal Arms and a statue 

 of Charles II in Roman costume and long flowing 

 wig, added in 1 71 2. Along the frieze is the inscrip- 

 tion : ' This statue was erected in memory of King 

 Charles II, who gave a thousand tons of timbei 

 towards the rebuilding of this church, and to this 

 town seven years' cliimney money collected in it. 

 John Agutter, mayor, 1 712.' 



The white marble chalice font was the gift in 

 1680 of Thomas WiUoughby." 



The carved 17th century pulpit stood from 1 81 5 

 till 1866 in front of the altar below the chancel arch, 

 but was then removed to its present position on the 

 north side : it was altered in 1888 and a new base 

 provided." The removal of the 17th century chancel 

 screen is to be deplored : its carved pilasters, pedi- 

 ment and Royal Arms have been worked up in the 

 three western doorways of the nave.'' The mayor's 

 seat has a carved and panelled back surmounted by the 

 arms of the town and is inscribed 'Anno Majoratus 

 20 Ricard White. Anno Dom. 1680.' 



The only monument apparently'* older than 1675 

 is a marble tablet at the west end of the south aisle 

 in memory of John Travell (d. 1669). T'^^ '^^^^ 

 monuments include tablets to Dr. John Conant, 

 vicar (d. 1693); Dr. Daniel Danvers (d. 1699); 

 John Bailes (d. 1706), who ' was above 126 years old 

 and had his hearing, sight, and memory to the last ' ; 

 Isabella Stewart, daughter of John Haldane of Lan- 

 rick and widow of the Jacobite leader Charles Stewart 

 of Ardsheal, who died at the Peacock Inn, Northamp- 

 ton, 8 .'^pril 1782 ; Sir John Stonhouse, oart., founder 

 of the County Infirmary (d. 1795), and others." A 

 record of the monument of Francis Samwell, erected in 

 1585, has been preserved, and also of upwards of a 

 hundred coats of arms taken from stained glass or 

 from monuments in the church at the beginning of 

 the 17th century.** 



There is a ring of eight bells by Chapman and Meats, 



of London, 1782.*^ In 1829 the corporation presented 

 a clock and new set of chimes by John Briant of 

 Hertford.** 



The plate consists of a set of two cups and cover 

 patens, two breadholders, two flagons and two alms 

 dishes of 1677, given in that year by ' Mrs. Mary 

 Reynolds, relict of Edward, late Lord Bishop of 

 Norwich ' ; a cup and strainer spoon of 1718 ; a cup 

 of 1740; two cups of 1888, and a small plain paten. 

 There is also a plated set of seven pieces.*' 



The registers before 18 1 2 are as follows : (i) 

 baptisms 1560-1722, marriages 1559-1721, burials 

 1559-1722, (ii) baptisms and burials 1721-1812, 

 marriages 1721-1754, (iii) marriages 1754.-1S12. There 

 is also a series of Vestry Books from 1620. 



Interments in the churchyard west of the portico 

 were prohibited in 1857, and in 1871, with a view to 

 widening the lower end of The Drapery a portion of 

 the yard was cut off. Originally enclosed by low fence 

 walls on the north and south and by an iron grille 

 on the west, the churchyard was afterwards bounded 

 by a low wall and chains ; these remained until 1926, 

 when the whole space was added to the roadway and 

 the existing steps to the portico formed. An octa- 

 gonal conduit, which stood at the south-west angle of 

 the churchyard, was taken down in 1831 ; it is said 

 to have been of 14th century date.** A war memorial 

 in the churchyard, designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, 

 was unveiled by Gen. Lord Home on 1 1 Nov. 1926. 



The church of ST. GILES consists of chancel 

 42 ft. by 25 ft. 6 in. with north and south chapels, 

 central tower 17 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 6 in., clearstoried 

 nave of five bays 68 ft. 6 in. by 21 ft., north and south 

 aisles respectively 14 ft. 6 in. and 15 ft. 8 in. wide, 

 outer north aisle of four bays 14 ft. 9 in. wide, and 

 north and south porches, all these measurements 

 being internal. The tower is flanked on the north 

 and south by continuations of the aisles representing 

 former transepts. Including the outer north aisle 

 the total internal width of this building is 74 ft. 6 in. 

 The south chancel chapel is now the organ chamber, 

 and the vestry is in the space south of the tower. 



The building is faced with dressed ironstone and 

 has plain parapets throughout ; the porches are tiled, 

 but elsewhere the roofs are leaded. 



The architectural history of the building may be 

 briefly summarized as follows : as originally built 

 early in the 12th century it was an aisleless cross 

 church with central tower, the lower part of which 

 remains. Early in the 13th century the chancel was 

 rebuilt, lengthened and increased in width on the 

 north side, and later in the same century the south 

 arcade of the nave was begun, with the intention 

 of adding aisles, but was temporarily abandoned. 

 The tower was strengthened at the same time by 

 blocking up its four arches and building narrower 



"'* In the north transept a clergy vcetry 

 on the ground floor with choir practice 

 room above, in the louth transept a 

 temporary choir vestry. 



'* It is inscribed ' Donum Thomae 

 Willoughby armigeri Ecclesiz Omnium 

 Sanctorum in Northon.' 



" Serjeantson, op. cit. 261. 



" Ibid 252. 



" It is possible that this monument may 

 have been erected after the fire. 



" Serjeantson, op. cit. 277-297, where 



the inscriptions on all the monuments are 

 given. Certain of the tablets were re- 

 moved from the ch.Tncel to other parts of 

 the church in 1888. 



'° Ibid. 278-280, where the Samwell 

 monument and some pieces of heraldic 

 glass are figured, taken from the Belcher 

 MS. in the Bodleian Library (Lansd. 

 MSS. 213, col. 379). 



" North, Cb. Brils of Ncritanls, 344, 

 where the inscriptions are given. Before 



51 



1782 there were six bells, which appear 

 to have been by Bagley. 



" Serjeantson, op. cit., 273. The date 

 1829 is on the west face of the tower above 

 the clock ; chimes had been presented 

 by the Corporation in the reign of Eliza- 

 beth, and a * new pair of chimes * was 

 erected in 1628. The chimes were 

 renewed in 1651 and 1680: ibid. 

 275-6. 



" Markham, Cb. Plate of Norlbants 199. 



'* Serjeantson, op. cit. 302. 



