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CANTERBURY. 



CANTERBURY. 



308 



most celebrated of the archbishops are Thomas a Becket, who was 

 murdered before the altar by four of the attendants of King Henry II. 

 in 1171 ; and Thomas Cranmer, who was burnt at Oxford in the reign 

 of Queen Mary. The cathedral, one of the most noble buildings in 

 England, is of very ancient date. Augustine is said (Bede, ' Hist. 

 Ecc.' lib. i. c. 33) to hare commenced his cathedral on the site of a 

 church which was built during the Roman dominion in Britain for 

 the use of the Christian soldiers. The present cathedral dates from 

 1130, when the building which had been founded by Archbishop 

 Lanfranc, and enlarged by Anselm, was solemnly consecrated by 

 Archbishop Corbel, in presence of Henry I. of England, David, king 

 of Scotland, and all the English bishops. Forty-five years later 

 however, in consequence of having been nearly destroyed by fire, the 

 cathedral was almost entirely rebuilt, and at subsequent periods it 

 was frequently added to, or repaired, or in parts rebuilt. Hence it 

 exhibits the utmost diversity of architectural style, ranging from early 

 Norman to the latest perpendicular ; but notwithstanding this all the 

 parts are so disposed as to produce a pleasing effect. The cathedral 

 is a double cross, with a noble tower 235 feet high rising from the 

 intersection of the nave and western transepts, and two towers 130 

 feet high at the western end. The eastern end, called Becket's Crown, 

 from having been finished during his tenure of the archbishopric, is 

 circular. The south porch is a handsome embattled structure, with 

 a roof of stone. The great tower, called Bell Harry Tower, is one of 

 the moat beautiful specimens of the pointed style of architecture in 

 England. There are many windows of painted glass, of which the 

 great western is the most remarkable. A new stone chair or throne 

 for the archbishop has recently replaced the former throne, which 

 was made of wood. The choir is one of the most spacious in the 

 kingdom, being nearly 200 feet in length and 38 feet in breadth. 

 The extreme length of the whole building from east to west is 514 

 feet, and the extreme breadth 71 feet. The cathedral has lately 

 undergone extensive repairs and judicious restoration at the expense 

 of the dean and chapter. The crypts underneath the cathedral are 

 the finest in the kingdom. They have numerous chapels, in one of 

 which are some perfect remains of ancient paintings on the walls. 

 The crypt was long occupied by a Walloon congregation as a place of 

 worship, Queen Elizabeth having granted it for that purpose hi 1568. 

 The cathedral contains numerous splendid monuments : among others 

 are those of Henry IV., Edward the Black Prince, Archbishop 

 Langton, and many other personages famous in English history. Of 

 the magnificent shrine of Thomas E Becket not a vestige remains. 



Of the numerous old churches in Canterbury by far the most inte- 

 resting is that of St. Martin. A church occupied the site of the 

 present edifice at least as early as the time of St. Augustine ; who, 

 according to Bede, on his arrival in Britain, found a church existing 

 there. It does not appear very certain when the oldest part of the 



? resent church was erected ; the body of it was rebuilt in the 12th or 

 3th century, apparently out of the materials of the older church, as 

 Roman bricks and some Norman sculpture are worked up in the walls. 

 It is a small plain building, consisting only of a nave and chancel 

 without pillars. A few years back the whole was carefully and 

 thoroughly restored. The church of St. Mary Magdalene is in part of 

 Norman date. The church of St. John the Baptist has also some 

 Norman features. St. Dunstan's church and the church of the Holy 

 Cross are both very ancient. The chancel of St. Mildred's church may 

 be noticed as an example of the late perpendicular style. In several 

 of the churches are monuments of interest. In St. Dunstan's is the 

 vault of the Roper family, in which is still contained the head of 

 Sir Thomas More, which was buried there ' with great devotion ' by 

 his favourite daughter Mary Roper. When the chancel was repaired 

 in 1835 the Roper vault was opened, and in a niche in the wall was 

 found a leaden box, open in front, and with an iron grating before it, 

 in which was contained a head that was afterwards proved to be that 

 of Sir Thomas More. (' Gentleman's Mag.,' May, 1837.) 



The Grammar school, which is within the precincts of the cathedral, 

 and is supported by the chapter, is called the King's school, having 

 been remodelled by Henry VIII. This school was originally founded 

 by Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, who died about 690. The 

 King's scholars, of whom there are 50, have their classical education 

 free of charge, and receive II. 16*. 8d. a year in money. There are 

 30 exhibitions and scholarships attached to this school. Besides the 

 King's scholars there were 45 commoners at the school in 1851. 



St Augustine's Monastery stood in the eastern suburbs : this abbey 

 and its precincts occupied 16 acres of ground, which were inclosed by 

 a wall. The fine gateway of St. Augustine, which formed the chief 

 entrance, was in a dilapidated state, but was repaired a few years back 

 by public subscription. The revenues and privileges of this monastery 

 increased rapidly. Ample contributions from kings, nobles, and 

 others supplied funds for adding to the extent and magnificence of 

 the buildings. In 1168 the greater part of the church of the monas- 

 tery was burnt, and numerous ancient charters and codicils were 

 consumed. At the dissolution, Henry VIII. appropriated the monas- 

 tery as a royal palace. Queen Elizabeth kept a court here in 1573, 

 when she was on a royal progress. From Lady Wotton, who dwelt 

 here during the rebellion, the buildings were called Lady Wotton's 

 Palace, and the green in front of the great gate is still called Lady 

 AVotton's Green. The property continued in the possession of Lady 

 OBOO. DIV. vor,. it. 



Wotton's descendants till 1844, wheii the remains of the abbey were 

 sold by public auction. The purchaser was Mr. A. J. Beresford Hope, 

 M.P., the cost being 21001. The building had been employed for 

 some years for purposes very different from its original object. "The 

 chapel was in ruins ; the Guests' Hall was used as a brewery and 

 public-house of low character ; the space under the gateway was a 

 dray-house, and the room over it (the state bed-chamber of the abbey 

 and palace) contained the large vat for cooling the liquor, and had 

 before this been used as a cock-pit." Mr. Hope presented the site 

 and the remains of the buildings to the Archbishop of Canterbury in 

 trust for the erection of a missionary college in connection with the 

 Established Church. In the erection of the required buildings as 

 much as possible of the ancient structure has been preserved. The 

 entire expense of the chapel, which has been built on the foundation 

 of the former chapel, including the altar plate, amounting in all to 

 about 4500Z., was defrayed by Mr. Hope, who also contributed largely 

 to the institution in other ways. The windows of the chapel are 

 filled with stained glass. The chapel and cloister are paved with 

 encaustic tiles. On the south of the chapel are the warden's lodge and 

 rooms for the fellows of the college. On the north side of the 

 quadrangle are the rooms and dormitories, which are calculated to 

 accommodate about 45 students. The library, a spacious room, 80 feet 

 by 40 feet, is built on the foundations of the ancient refectory of the 

 abbey. The library contains about 8000 volumes. Beneath the 

 library is a fine crypt, used as a workshop in which the students are 

 taught carpentering, carving, and other branches of manual industry. 

 The college was incorporated by royal charter, June 28, 1848. The 

 course of study extends over three years. The annual collegiate 

 charge for the education and maintenance of each student is 351. 

 Twenty exhibitions have been founded by private individuals and by 

 committees of public societies in order to promote the objects of the 

 college. The Archbishop of Canterbury is visitor, and one of the 

 patrons. The Archbishop of York and the Bishop of London are also 

 patrons. The number of students in 1852 was 20. 



Among the ruins of ancient buildings in Canterbury may be noticed 

 the walls of a castle, said to have been built by William the Conqueror, 

 which is on the south-west side of the city, near the entrance from 

 Ashford. These remains appear to have been the keep, or donjon, of 

 a fortress, within which it stood, and of which the bounds may still 

 be traced. The ruins of the palace, which was originally built by 

 Archbishop Lanfranc, are adjoining the borough of Staplegate, a 

 suburb of the city. The Pilgrims' Passage, by Mercery Lane, on the 

 north side of the High Street, is towards the cathedral. Canterbury 

 contains 14 parish churches and places of worship for Independents, 

 Baptists, Wesleyan Methodists, Quakers, Roman Catholics, Unitarians, 

 Jews, and others. The charitable institutions for education, for the 

 maintenance and relief of the aged and infirm, and other purposes, are 

 numerous ; those which have endowments attached are administered 

 by trustees appointed by the Lord Chancellor. There are several 

 National, British, and Infant schools, a Blue-Coat school, and a Gray- 

 Coat school. The city and county hospital, a valuable and well- 

 conducted establishment, was completed in the year 1798 ; it is 

 supported by voluntary contributions. 



The city of Canterbury was in ancient times part of the royal 

 demesnes, and was under the government of an officer appointed by 

 the crown, styled the prefect, portreeve, or provost, who had all the 

 civil authority, and accounted yearly to the king for the several 

 profits arising from the city. In the 18th of Henry III., the citizens 

 were empowered to choose bailiffs for themselves. In the 26th of 

 Henry VI., a charter of further liberties and privileges was granted, 

 and that form of municipal government established which existed 

 until the operation of the Municipal Reform Act. Edward IV. granted 

 a charter which settled the boundaries of the jurisdiction, and formed 

 the city into a county by the name of the county of the city of Canter- 

 bury. There were subsequent charters by Henry VII., Henry VIII., 

 James I., Charles II., and George III. A county court is held at 

 Canterbury. Quarter sessions are held by the recorder; capital 

 offences are removed to the assizes at Maidstone. The city has sent 

 two members to Parliament since the 23rd of Edward I. 



Canterbury is neither a manufacturing nor a commercial city. Silk 

 weaving, which was introduced by French refugees, was at one time 

 prosecuted to a considerable extent in the city, but has been long 

 extinct. The trade in wool is large, but the chief trade is in corn and 

 hops, for the cultivation of which the soil of the neighbouring country 

 is particularly favourable. There are numerous mills on the banks of 

 the river Stour. Canterbury has long been noted for its brawn, which 

 is sent to all parts of the kingdom. A railway from Canterbury to 

 Whitstable, the port of Canterbury, has been of considerable benefit 

 to the trade of the town. Of the public buildings the guildhall, the 

 fruit and vegetable market, the new corn and hop exchange, tho 

 butter and fish markets, the philosophical museum, the barracks, the 

 military infirmary, the jail, the houses of correction, and the assembly 

 rooms, are the chief. There is a savings bank in Canterbury. The 

 city is lighted with gas. At the south-east corner of a field, close to 

 the city wall, is a largo artificial mound, or circular hill, which in 1790 

 was converted by Alderman James Simmondn, to whom the city is 

 much indebted for many improvements, into a city mall ; the sides ot 

 the hill were also cut into serpentine walks, so as to admit an easy 



