Diocese of Ely.

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The Lord Bishop.

The Right Rev. James Russell Woodford, D.D., The Palace, Ely, and Ely House, Dover Street, London, W.

Chancellor of the Diocese.

Worshipful Isambard Brunel, Esq., D.C.L., 4, Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, London, W.C.

Archdeacons.

Ely, Ven. William Emery, B.D., The College, Ely.
Bedford, Ven. Frederick Bathurst, M.A., Biggleswade. Beds.
Huntingdon, Ven. Francis Gerald Vesey, M.A., LL.D., Huntingdon.
Sudbury, Ven. Frank Robert Chapman, M.A., Stowlangtoft Rectory, Bury St. Edmunds, and Ely.

Registrar.

William Johnson Evans, Esq., Ely.

Chaplains to the Bishop.

Rev. H.M. Luckock, D.D., Canon of the Cathedral.[11]
Rev. H.F. St. John, M.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, Dinmore House, Hereford.
Rev. A.R. Evans, M.A., Oriel College, Oxford.[12]
Rev. V.H. Stanton, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.[13]
Rev. J. Watkins, M.A., St. John's College, Cambridge; Gamlingay Vicarage, Sandy.
Rev. Francis Paget, M.A., Senior Student and Tutor of Christ Church, Oxford.[14]

Proctors in Convocation.

Rev. Canon Hopkins.
Rev. Canon Birkett.

Secretaries.

J.B. & H.W. Lee, Esqs., 2, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster.
William Johnson Evans, Esq., Ely.

Diocesan Architect.

Arthur Blomfield, Esq.


coat of arms

The Dean and Chapter

W

HEN the abbacy was converted into a bishopric, a.d. 1109, the office of Abbot merged into that of bishop, and an officer called the Prior, or Lord Prior, became the head of the community; he presided in chapter, and governed generally the affairs of the monastery; and in the reigns of some of our kings he was summoned to sit in Parliament. The first Prior after this alteration was Vincent, and there followed in succession thirty-six others, the last of whom, Robert Wells otherwise Steward, surrendered the monastery, with its goods and possessions, into the hands of King Henry the Eighth, at the general dissolution in November, 1539. Agreeably to the powers vested in him by Parliament, the king, by letters patent dated September 10th, 1541, "did grant his royal charter for erecting the Cathedral Church of the late monastery of St. Peter and St. Etheldreda at Ely into a Cathedral Church, by the name and title of "The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely" to consist of one Dean, a priest, and eight Prebendaries,[15] priests, with other ministers necessary for the celebrating Divine service therein." And "did ordain the said Cathedral Church to be the Episcopal See of the Bishop of Ely and his successors, with all the honours and privileges of an Episcopal See and Cathedral Church. And that the said Dean and Prebendaries be one body corporate, have perpetual succession, one common seal, be the Chapter of the then Bishop of Ely, and his successors, and be called 'The Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely:' also did give and grant unto them the whole site of the late dissolved monastery, with all the ancient privileges, liberties, and free customs of the same, and nearly all the revenues thereof." Robert Steward, the late Prior, was made the first Dean, since whose time twenty-three others have held the office exclusive of the present Dean, who was appointed in December, 1869.

We append a list of the Priors and Deans of Ely.

PRIORS.

1. Vincent.
2. Henry.
3. William.
4. Tombert, or Thembert.
5. Alexander.
6. Solomon.
7. Richard.
8. Robert Longchamp.
9. John de Strateshete.
10. Hugh.
11. Roger de Brigham.
12. Ralph.
13. Walter.
14. Robert de Leverington.
15. Henry de Banccis.
16. John de Hemingston.
17. John de Shepreth.
18. John Saleman.
19. Robert de Orford.
20. William de Clare.
21. John de Fresingfield.
22. John de Crauden.
23. Alan de Walsingham.
24. William Hathfield.
25. John Bucton.
26. William Walpole.
27. William Powcher.
28. Edmund Walsingham.
29. Peter de Ely.
30. William Wells.
31. Henry Peterborough.
32. Roger Westminster.
33. Robert Colville.
34. William Witlesey.
35. William Foliott.
36. John Cottenham.
37. Robert Wells, alias Steward, last Prior, and first Dean.

DEANS.

a.d.
1541. Robert Steward, or Wells, M.A., last Prior.
1557. Andrew Perne, D.D., Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.
1589. John Bell, D.D., Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.
1591. Humphrey Tindall, D.D., President of Queen's College, Cambridge.
1614. Henry CÆsar, or Adelmare, D.D.
Dean CÆsar was a great patron of Music. A musical Service, known as "CÆsar's Service,"
but written by John Amner, Organist, is preserved among the MSS. in the Cathedral Library.
1636. William Fuller, D.D. In 1646, Dean of Durham.
1646. William Beale, D.D., nominated but never admitted; Master of St. John's College, Cambridge. Died at Madrid, 1650.
A vacancy of ten years.
1660. Richard Love, D.D., Master of Bene't College, Cambridge.
1661. Henry Ferne, D.D., Master of Trinity College, Cambridge; in 1662 Bishop of Chester. Died five weeks after his consecration.
1662. Edward Martin, D.D., Master of Queen's College, Cambridge. Died a few days after his institution.
1662. Francis Wilford, D.D., Master of Bene't College, Cambridge.
1667. Robert Mapletoft, D.D., Master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge.
Dean Mapletoft left several acres of land to augment the Stipends of the Singing Men.
1677. John Spencer, D.D., Master of Bene't College, Cambridge.
1693. John Lamb, M.A., Chaplain to King William and Queen Mary.
1708. Charles Roderick, D.D., Provost of King's College, Cambridge.
1712. Robert Moss, D.D., Fellow and Tutor of Bene't College, Cambridge.
1729. John Frankland, D.D., Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
1730. Peter Allix, D.D., Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge.
Commenced important repairs in the fabric of the Church.
1758. Hugh Thomas, D.D., Master of Christ's College, Cambridge.
1780. William Cooke, D.D., Provost of King's College, Cambridge.
1797. William Pearce, D.D., Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.
1820. James Wood, D.D., Master of St. John's College, Cambridge.
1839. George Peacock, D.D., Lowndean Professor of Astronomy, Cambridge.
Extensive repairs and restorations were commenced in 1844.
1858. Harvey Goodwyn, D.D. In 1869, Bishop of Carlisle.
1869. Charles Merivale, D.D., D.C.L.

Arms of the Deanery—Gu. three keys or. These were the arms of Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, and from him assumed as the arms of the monastery.


The Dean and Chapter have the patronage of sixteen livings in this diocese, three in the diocese of Norwich, and one in the diocese of Rochester. They also appoint to the Minor Canonries and other offices connected with the Cathedral.


Service—On Sundays at 9 0, a.m., 11 0, a.m., and 4 0, p.m.

A Parochial Service at 6 30, p.m.

The Ordinary Daily Service at 10 0, a.m., and 4 0, p.m.


but they have at various times undergone considerable alterations which have done much to obliterate their original appearance, and alter the character of the buildings. We first pass the house occupied by the Rev. W.E. Dickson, then those occupied by the Rev. R. Winkfield, including the house standing a few feet in retreat, originally part of the prior's residence, which adjoins the western end of the Deanery; the remaining space to the south-west Transept being occupied as a private garden by the Dean. On our left are the gardens belonging to the Bishop's Palace; and this brings us to the west end of the Cathedral, from whence we started on our tour of observation.

The Cathedral is too much encumbered by buildings to allow us to take the whole of it into view from any one position; but several good points of view may be found at moderate distances, ranging from south-west to east, which will, we think, amply repay those who may have leisure and inclination to go a short distance to observe them.


Having endeavoured to point out, to the best of our ability, the objects most worthy of notice in the Cathedral, as well as others around it within the precincts of the ancient monastery, we will add a brief notice of a few other buildings which are without the precincts, but should not be passed without some observation.

The Bishop’s Palace.

This is a large mansion consisting of a centre and two wings, nearly adjoining the west end of the Cathedral, being separated from it only by a public road. But little is known of a palace here prior to the time of Bishop Alcock, who erected the present wings with a noble hall or gallery about the end of the fifteenth century: his arms, and those of the see may be seen in the face of the eastern wing. The gallery adjoining the western wing was erected by Bishop Goodrich in the third year of the reign of Edward VI., whose arms appear in stone on the centre of the lower panels of the bay window; on the panel to the right of this are the arms of Bishop Goodrich, and on the left panel, the same arms impaling those of the see; on the left-hand splay panel is carved the "Duty towards God," and on the right-hand splay panel the "Duty towards our neighbour." The more modern part of the house next the garden is said to have been erected by Bishop Keene, but was perhaps only altered by him, as there was on the eastern side of the part projecting into the garden, a stone door arch apparently much older than this part of the house; and another on the eastern side near the chapel; this has been removed, and now forms the servants' entrance from "the Green."

The interior of the house has been much improved, and the chapel in the eastern wing fitted up with taste, the windows being filled with stained glass. The gardens are neat and kept in excellent order. There are in the Palace several portraits of bishops and others, also a curious painting called the "Tabula Eliensis" representing the forty knights who were quartered on the monastery by William I., each with his shield of arms, and a monk as his companion. There is also a picture 6 ft. 6 in. long and 2 ft. 2 in. high, representing the funeral of Bishop Cox, in 1581. Bishop Turton left by his will two pictures, to remain in the palace; and there is a good library belonging to the see.

Formerly the bishops of Ely had residences at several other places, viz., palaces at Somersham and Downham; Wisbech Castle, and the Manor-houses at Doddington, Fen Ditton, and other places in Cambridgeshire; and Hatfield, and Hadham, in Hertfordshire; there were ten manor-houses and places of residence belonging to the Bishop of Ely at the time of Bishop Barnet. The London residence of the bishops of Ely was formerly in Ely Place, Holborn, which was occupied successively by forty-one bishops, extending over a period of nearly five hundred years; it is now in Dover Street, Piccadilly, in a house built by Bishop Keene, on the site of Albemarle House and other messuages, which were purchased for the see in 1772.

The "Green" in front of the palace was formerly a piece of waste ground; a few years ago it was laid out and planted with shrubs, and fenced off with a neat iron railing, at the expense of Bishop Turton, reserving to the public the right of free admission from eight a.m., until an hour after sunset; this improvement has, we regret to say, through an unfortunate misunderstanding, been done away, and it now presents an appearance of desolation and neglect much to be deprecated. We hope something may be done in order to remedy this sad state, and render it more worthy of its position in front of one of the noblest Cathedrals in England, and of the residence of the chief pastor of a large and important diocese.

The house standing in a garden with iron gates, nearly opposite the bay window in the palace stands upon the site of the residence of the chaplains of an ancient chantry founded by Bishop Northwold, called "The Chantry on the Green."

St. Mary's Church

St. Mary’s Church.

This church will be found a short distance to the westward of the Palace, standing in a large grave-yard with a row of lime trees in front. It is a neat building having a Nave with aisles, a Chancel and a Tower surmounted by a spire at the west end. The Church is a mixture of the Transitional and Early English styles, but the Tower and Spire are in the Decorated style. It was built by Bishop Eustachius in the early part of the thirteenth century on the site of a former church. "It contains," says Mr. Millers, "some curious architectural remains, particularly the north and south[55] door arches, which are pointed and decorated with different sorts of Norman mouldings; but the columns have slender detached shafts, united under one capital wreathed with foliage, as in the Early English style. Of this mixture there is no other specimen at Ely, and I have not met with an account of such an one in any other place." "In the Tower of the Cathedral we have the Norman style with pointed arches; in the Galilee, built a very few years after, we have the Early English style; but each of these is perfectly and characteristically distinct: in the interval, between the erection of one and the other, the public taste had undergone a change. It seems as if the work before us had been erected in that interval, and that the architect was disposed to adopt the new style without quitting the old one."[56] The Galilee of the Cathedral was erected about 1215, and it is not improbable that this church was erected shortly before, and as it is stated during the episcopate of the same bishop.

The columns of the Nave are simple and cylindrical, the capitals are Norman, and nearly similar to some of those in what has been called "The Infirmary," but the high pointed arches which they support are of a shape usual in the age in which this church was built, and some of the mouldings are Early English. The windows in the aisles and clerestory are Perpendicular, probably inserted at a later period, when the church was repaired. The Chancel is Early English, with an inserted Perpendicular east window; there is a double sedile under one trefoil arch, and a double piscina in the south wall.

A chapel on the south side is also Early English; it has a triple lancet east window, and a west window of two lights with a quatrefoil in the head; there is here also a double piscina in the south wall. A portion of this chapel was partitioned off for use as a vestry, but is now thrown open to the church.

The church was repaired and pewed, and a gallery erected on the south side in 1829-30, but this gallery, with another at the west end erected many years before, have lately been removed, the tower arch opened, and the nave restored, the floor raised, and the passages and other portions laid with Staffordshire tiles; the nearly flat plastered ceiling is divided into compartments by moulded ribs of wood, and the panels painted in distemper, among the patterns of which may be seen the sacred monogram, the arms of the see and of the Dean and Chapter. The pews erected in 1829 have been removed and replaced by open seats of oak, free to all, and a new oaken pulpit resting on a pillar of stone, the gift of the Bishop, placed against the chancel arch on the south side. A new font, the gift of one friend, and an elegant brass lectern the gift of another, have assisted in the general improvement. A fine-toned organ, built by Bishop and Sons, removed from Trinity Church, Paddington, has been erected at the east end of the north aisle, on a site formerly occupied by a large faculty pew belonging to "Chantry House," alluded to in p. 112.

The chancel has been partially rebuilt and thoroughly restored, and fitted with appropriate seats in oak, at the cost of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

The church is warmed by hot water, and lighted by gas. A fine peal of eight bells hang in the Tower. There are no ancient monuments, but a few modern tablets on the walls record the deaths of some former residents of the parish; and a new and elegant memorial brass has been put up in the chancel to the Rev. Solomon Smith, M.A., Minor Canon of the Cathedral, and for forty years incumbent of the parish.

The restoration of the church, the purchase of the organ, the fittings, &c., has been effected by subscriptions at a cost of nearly £2500, but a further sum is still required to repair and restore the tower and spire, improve the church-yard, &c.

The living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter; the present incumbent is the Rev. John Franey, M.A. Minor Canon of the Cathedral.

The Grange.

The premises adjoining the church-yard on the west stand on part of the ground formerly occupied by "The Grange" of the monastery, and the house is stated to have been at one time the residence of the Protector, Cromwell. The "Sextry Barn," one of the largest in the county, perhaps in the kingdom, stood here, and is stated to have been 291 ft. 6 in. long, and 39 ft. 5 in. wide, inside; it was built about the middle of the thirteenth century, and taken down in 1842, and the space once occupied by the monastic "farm-yard" is now covered by modern buildings, part of which at least, are used for as good purposes; on one part excellent and commodious National Schools for both boys and girls have been erected, and on another a series of substantial and comfortable Almshouses for aged men and women, inhabitants of Ely.

St. John’s Hospital.

The site of this hospital is a few hundred yards further west; the remains of it are very scanty, but sufficient to show that the buildings were of an early age, although not enough to enable us to give an opinion as to their form or extent; what is left has been converted into use as farm buildings, one portion near the dwelling house, and another a short distance from it. There were formerly two hospitals in Ely, this dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and another to St. Mary Magdelene, the site of which is now unknown. According to Mr. Bentham, the revenues of the two were united, and the communities associated by Bishop Northwold about a.d. 1240, by whose ordinance the united hospital was to consist of thirteen chaplains and brethren, who were to have a common refectory and dormitory, and to wear an uniform habit, and be under the immediate government of the Sacrist of Ely. It seems that this was not, like other hospitals of the kind, dissolved by Henry VIII., for it was held under the mastership of Edward Leedes, the second prebendary of the eighth stall, who was also chancellor of the diocese under Bishop Goodrich, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; he was at the same time chaplain to Archbishop Parker, and Master of Clare Hall, Cambridge; he afterwards obtained from the queen a grant of the hospital, and with the consent of Bishop Cox, he surrendered the whole site and possession to his college; his grant to the college was confirmed by the Dean and Chapter in 1562, and the property is now in the hands of the Master, Fellows, and Scholars of Clare College, Cambridge.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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