210 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



All these decorations had probal)ly disappeared when, in the time of Charles 

 1., the church was thoroughly repaired and fitted for the Protestant service. 

 Many churches in York felt the henefit of similar, and as it often happens, 

 simultaneous efforts. In St. Cuthbert's we have the date I63fi on pews of a 

 character precisely similar, and others might be named. At that pcrind York 

 was often the residence of the Court, and would partake in the advantages 

 of it. The architect decided that it was fruith'SS, with the extremely limited 

 means at his ilisposal, to attempt any decorations of the fifteenth century, 

 and that it was in better taste to adhere to the Protestant moilel of the first 

 Charles. The lectern or reading desk now placed by the font is of this time. 

 The font is of the time of the restoration, when the clergy exerted them- 

 selves, it has been said, with more zeal than taste to repair the ravages of 

 the Puritans. The altar pieces of Belfry's, of St. iNIartin's, Coneystreet, and 

 St. Martin's, Micklegate, are of this epoch, and, aUhmigh out of place, are 

 very handsome in themselves. The style, however, of the time preceding 

 the rebellion retains enough of the Gothic character as not to shock the eye, 

 and may therefore, it is conceived, be eroployeil where circumstances forbid 

 recourse to an infinitely more elaborate ornament. Of the fittings up of the 

 Norman and early English styles we have in this country at least very scanty 

 remains : the fifteenth century seems to have been the time of a general re- 

 furnishing, so to speak, of sacred edifices, in a manner more suitable to the 

 greatly increased luxury and wealth of the age. In the more important edi- 

 fices this change was not confined to the wood work ; in Gloucester C'athe- 

 dral the vaulting and pannelling are " spread like a network of embroidery 

 over the old .\orraan work"" 



Ijtfore fixing the pews, precautions were taken to ensure dryness, and to 

 prevent the ascent of noxious gases from the grouud beneath. Means have 

 since been employed to give sufiicicnt warmth to the church. 



It now only remains to the architect to acknowledge very thankfully the 

 obligations he feels under to the restoration committee in general, and to the 

 church-wardens in particular, for the great confidence they have been pleased 

 to have in him during the progress of this tedious, and somewhat difficult 

 work, without the succour of which trust his efforts would have been unequal 

 to cope with the discouragements inseparable from such undertakings, where 

 the funds are necessarily precarious. 



It should have been noticed that considerable expense has been incurred 

 in rebuilding the church-yard walls. The public spirit of the Improvement 

 Commissioners came to the aid of the committee to carry out the very de- 

 sirable object of insulating the church, and at the same time affording a 

 double width to Hungate. A substantial wall and railing have been carried 

 along St. Saviourgate and west end of the church, and although it is difficult 

 in such matters to reconcile old ideas with modern ones, yet recourse has 

 been had to Lincoln Minster for the pattern of the iron work. The external 

 drainage of the church has been thoroughly completed. When it is remem- 

 bered that the earth on three sides reached up to the place where the new 

 works begins, about three feet above the door, it is no wonder that damp and 

 rottenness should have prevailed within. 



To complete the perfect restoration of the church there remains only the 

 tower, some parts of which are in a state of rajjid decay. To remove the un- 

 sightly roof, to repair the mouldering stone work, to renew the dilapidated 

 windows would be a most desirable thing, and after what has been done, it 

 is surely worth an effort to accomplish it. Another work, hardly less desir- 

 able, is to remove the hideous vestry to a situation on the north side of the 

 church, insulated from the church, but connected by a passage, where its 

 being constructed in a plain manner would be of less importance ; to renew 

 the very beautiful eastern window, and so restore to this elevation its very 

 handsome former appearance which has not, it is hoped, been injured by the 

 elevation of the side aisles. Without having entered into a minute estimate, 

 it is thought that .€300 would suffice to carry out all these objects, and it is 

 worthy of consideration by the benevolent persons who have already done so 

 much to the restoration of an interesting and highly useful structure. 



Ricii.iRD Hey Sh.mip, Architect, Y'ork. 



There were formerly no less than seven chantries belonging to this church, 

 all of them of considerable value. The first was a very ancient chantry, 

 founded at the altar of St. Mary, in this church, for the soul of Robert Ver- 

 denell, whose tomb-stone is under the present floor in the north aisle of the 

 chancel. There was another chantry founded in this church, at the altar of 

 St. John the Evangelist, for the souls of John de Ilathelsey and Emma his 

 wife. In 14G8, this chantry was united to another chantry in the same 

 church, founded for the souls of William Burton and Ivetta his wife, at the 

 altar of St. James the Apostle and St. Lawrence. M'Mliam Burton, of Y'ork, 

 founded another chantry in this church, at the altar of St. Anne, for his soul 

 and the soul of Ivetta his wife. There was another chantry founded in this 

 church, at the altar of St. Thomas the martyr, for the soul of Adam de 

 Spiriden ; also one founded by Richard Watters, of great value; a chantry 

 founded by William Frost, alderman, and Isabella his wife, in 1399 ; a chan- 

 try founded by William Gilliot. Besides these chantries there was also a 

 gild or fralernity of St. i\lartin in this church, which was founded by letters 

 patents from Henry VI. 



DECISION OF THE BOARD OF TRADE ON THE GAUGE QUESTION. 



The Minute of the Board of Trade, containing their lordships' deliverance 

 on the Report of the Gauge Commissioners, is dated the 6th of June, 1846. 

 It commences by stating that — 



" .My lords fully and entirely concur in the general conclusions at which 

 the commissioners have arrived with respect to the advantages of uniformity 

 of gauge for the conveyance of the internal traffic of the country. They 

 are of opinion that the facts set forth in the report, and the evidence by 

 which they are supported, incontestably establish the conclusion, that a 

 ' break of gauge is a very serious evil,' and they see no reason to doubt the 

 soundness of the opinion the commissioners have expressed, that none of 

 the mechanical contrivances, or other methods proposed for mitigating the 

 evil, ' are calculated to remedy, in any importanc degree, the inconveniences 

 attending a break of gauge.'" 



The Minute then quotes at length the conclusions and recommendationi 

 of the commissioners. The recommendations are in substance : — 1st. 

 That equitable means should be found of producing entire uniformity of 

 gauge, by reducing the broad gauge lines to the narrow gauge. 2nd. That 

 all public railways now under construction, or hereafter to-be constructed in 

 Great Britain, shall be formed on the narrow gauge. With respect to these 

 proposals, the Minute remarks: — 



" After long and anxious deliberation, my lords are unable altogether to 

 concur with the commissioners in the full extent of these recommendations. 



"Adverting to the vast expense which must be involved in an entire al- 

 teration of the broad gauge, and having regard to the circumstances under 

 which the companies employing this gauge were established, and to the in- 

 terests they have acquired, my lords cannot feel themselves justified in re- 

 commending that it should be proposed to parliament to compel the entire 

 reduction of the 7 feet gauge. They feel, with the commissioners, that 'they 

 cannot recommend the legislature to sanction such an expense from the pub- 

 lic moneys, dor do they think ttiat the companies to which the broad gauge 

 railways belong can be called upon to incur such an expense themselves 

 (having made all their works with the authority of parliament), nor even 

 the more limited expense of laying down intermediate rails for narrow gauge 

 traffic. 



" Still less can they feel themselves justified in proposing that the expense 

 of such alteration should be defrayed by a contribution levied, as has some- 

 times been suggested, on the rest of the railway companies in Great Britain ; 

 and they are unable to suggest any other equitable or practicable means by 

 which the desired uniformity of gauge could lie obtained. 



" The conclusion to which my lords have come respecting the reduction 

 of the broad gauge on existing lines necessarily affects their opinion with 

 regard to the future gauge lines now in course of construction." 



The Minute goes on to state that all that seems now possible is to prevent 

 the further extension of the evils arising from different gauges, and reduce 

 the inconvenience inflicted on goods and passenger traffic within the nar- 

 rowest possible limits. To this end it is recommended that 



"The lines for which acts have been obtained, but which have not yet 

 been completed to the south of the line from London to Bristol, should be 

 permitted to be constructed on the broad gauge, as originally intended. 

 They have had some difficulty in coming to a conclusive opinion on the case 

 of the South Wales line. They ate aware that strong arguments may be 

 adduced in favour of requiring this line to be constructed on the narrow 

 gauge ; but, adverting to the great public importance of a continuous line of 

 communication with the south of Ireland, and of a second line of railway 

 communication from Lonon to Ireland generally; and having regard to the 

 value of a continuous line to Milford Haven, &c., for the furtherance of the 

 public service ; they are of opinion that, on the whole, it would be advisable 

 that the South Wales line, together with its branch to Monmouth and Here- 

 ford, should, as originally sanctioned, be formed on the broad gauge." 



The districts to which the Board of Trade has directed most of its atten- 

 tion are those which are to be supplied with railway accommodation by the 

 Rugby and Oxford, and by the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton 

 lines. 



1. Uugly and Oxford lines, 



" In the last session of parliament an act was obtained for forming a line 

 of railway from Rugby to Oxford. The act contained the following 

 clause : — 



"' Cap. 188, sec. 35. That as a commission has been appointed for in- 

 quiring whether provision ought to be made for securing a uniform gauge in 

 tlie construction of railways, and for other purposes in reference to the mode 

 of obviating impediments to the internal traffic of the country ; if, in con- 

 formity with the report of the said commission, it shall appear to the Board 

 of Trade expedient that rails of the same gauge as the rails of the London 

 and Birmingham Railway should be laid down on the line hereby authorised 

 between Oxford and Rugby, it shall be lawful for the said hoard to ord^ 

 and require that such railway upon the said gauge shall be laid down and 

 maintained, and that the company hereby incorpora.ed shall thereupon pro- 

 ceed with reasonable despatch to execute the same to the satisfaction of the 

 Inspector-General of Railways for the time being. Provided always, that 

 nothing herein contained shall prevent the said company from laying down 

 and maintaining, on the whole or any portinn of the said line, rails of the 

 same gauge as those now laid on the line of the Great Western Railway.' 



" It is their lordships' intention, in the exercise of the powers granted t» 



