A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



slender pinnacled buttresses. The sloping wall 

 of the staircase is arcaded with trefoiled arches 

 in which are brackets for statues, but the iron 

 handrail is modern. The throne was restored 

 about 1700^ by Bishop Crewe, but the present 

 painted wooden front, which takes the place 

 of the original one of stone, is nearly a century 

 later. The whole monument was originally 

 richly gilded and coloured and still retains 

 much of its colouring.** 



In the middle of the quire in front of the 

 altar steps is the great blue marble slab which 

 covered the GRAVE OF BISHOP LEJVIS 

 BEAUMONT (d. 1333). It was discovered 

 beneath the pavement in 1848 when the east 

 portion of the floor of the quire was lowered 

 to the level of the west section and the steps 

 moved nearer the altar. The slab, now in two 

 pieces, measures 15 ft. 10 in. by 9 ft. 7 in., and 

 formerly bore a large brass, the matri.x for which 

 alone remains. It is described in Rites as ' a 

 most curious and sumptuous marble stone . . . 

 adorned with most excellent workmanshipp of 

 brasse, wherein [the bishop] was most excellently 

 and lively pictured, as he was accustomed to 

 singe or say mass, with his mitre on his head and 

 his crosier's staff in his hand . . . being most 

 artificially wrought and sett forth.' ^ 



In the bay opposite the Bishop's throne, on 

 the north side of the quire and occupying the 

 site of ' Skirlaw's altar,' ^ is the monument, 

 with recumbent EFFIGT OF BISHOP 

 LIGHTFOOT (d. 1891) in white marble, 

 designed by Sir Edgar Boehm, R.A., and com- 

 pleted after his death by Alfred Gilbert, R.A. 

 There is also on the south side of the quire a 

 modern tablet to Joseph Butler, Bishop of 

 Durham (d. 1752), with an inscription by W. E. 

 Gladstone. 



THE STALLS, with the tabernacle work over 

 them, were erected during Cosin's episcopate, 

 c. 1665, and are interesting examples of the 



^' The carved balustrade to the stairs shown in 

 Billings' drawings was of this period. 



^* The throne was ' new painted and gilt ' in 1772 

 by Bishop Egerton. Dr. GreenweO points out that 

 the upper portion, or reredos, is not well fitted into 

 the space it occupies between the pillars, and that 

 some of its parts do not quite correspond with each 

 other. He conjectures that Hatfield used some pieces 

 of stonework already carved before he planned the 

 throne, and that it possibly was not from the first 

 intended to occupy the position in which it was ulti- 

 mately placed (op. cit. 80). 



^* The monument was prepared by Beaumont be- 

 fore he died ; the epitaph and the ' sayings of Scrip- 

 ture,' which he had selected, are recorded in Rius of 

 Durh. 15. The monument is described and figured 

 in Ptoc. Soc. Antiq. 16 June 1890. 



^8 i.e., the altar of St. Blaise and St. John which he 

 founded, and where he had constructed his own monu- 

 ment. He was buried in the aisle opposite. 



characteristic work associated with his name, in 

 which the general form and spirit of the 15th 

 century are preserved side by side with Renais- 

 sance or classic detail. There are eighteen stalls 

 on each side, and originally there were four 

 returns on each side of the quire entrance, but 

 when Cosin's screen was taken down in 1846 

 the return stalls were removed ; the rest were 

 altered and the tabernacle work * cut to pieces 

 and placed between the piers instead of in front 

 of them.' ^' The side stalls were restored to their 

 original positions thirty years later by Sir Gilbert 

 Scott, the tabernacle work replaced in front of 

 the piers and new parts carved to take the 

 place of those destroyed; new front seats were 

 also added. The stalls have tall and rich cano- 

 pies supported by circular shafts, traceried back 

 panelling, and a series of carved misericordcs.^ 

 The desks and carved bench-ends^ are of the 

 same date, as is also the litany desk, which 

 bears the arms of Cosin and those of the see. 

 The oak faldstools in the sanctuary are also 

 Cosin's. 



Of other mediaeval QUIRE FITTINGS no 

 proper record of the quire-screen has been 

 preserved, but it appears to have been of stone 

 and adorned with statues of kings and queens 

 of England and Scotland and of bishops, 

 founders and benefactors of the church.'"' The 

 destruction of Cosin's screen is much to be 

 deplored. It is described as a magnificent work 

 of elaborately and richly carved oak vigorously 

 treated. Upon it was placed in 1684 the organ 

 built by Bernard Schmidt (Father Smith) in a 

 very handsome oak case on which were the arms 

 of Bishop Crewe. The case was removed from 

 the church in 1876 and is now in the Cathedral 

 Library .■•I 



The present open quire-screen, by Sir Gilbert 

 Scott, is of three bays, of marble and alabaster, 

 with clustered piers and spandrels of mosaic 

 work. 



The altar put up by Dean Hunt (1620-38), 

 consisting of a red marble slab on six supporting 

 pillars, is still in position, though covered by the 



^' Boyle, Guide to Durh. 212, quoting King. 



^* The misericorde carvings are without supporters ; 

 most of the subjects are the usual mediaeval ones, but 

 there are many repetitions, especially on the south side. 

 The 17th-century feeling is in some cases pronounced. 

 The stalls are believed to be the work of James 

 Clement, architect, of Durham, who died in 1690. 

 Boyle, op. cit. 207. 



^' There are two gangways and twelve bench-ends 

 on each side. 



*" Rites of Durh. (Surtees Soc), 20 ; Boyle, op. at. 



235- 



*^ The present organ dates from 1876, and was 

 restored and enlarged in 1905. It is di\'ided and placed 

 in the second arch from the west on each side of the 

 quire, above the canopies of the stalls. The cases 

 were designed by Mr. C. Hodgson Fowler. 



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