: The church was first lighted with gas on the 28th of November, 1847; and on that day was presented, by Mr. G. Parker, copper merchant of Hull, a lectern, in the form of an eagle (valued at about £200.), its height being 7ft. 3in.; spread of the wing, 2ft.; and the weight, 7cwt. The Chantry Chapels still remaining on the south side of the choir are now used for other purposes. One of them was converted into a Council Chamber for the Corporation to meet in, but it was so cold that they forsook it about 170 years ago. About the year 1669, another chapel or two were converted into a Theological Library, the first books having been given by those mentioned on a tablet hung up in the room. This library, which is continually increasing, now contains many rare and valuable works. The monuments are numerous, but the most remarkable of them are two in the wall of the south aisle of the choir. One of them, which is generally attributed to the De la Poles, exhibits beneath a pedimental canopy, crocketed, with a beautiful finial, the full-length effigies in alabaster of a man and woman. The man has his head bare, his feet rest on a lion, his robe is ample, and in his belt is a small sword or dirk. The woman has a full robe, and her head is partly covered by drapery. Angels formerly supported their pillows. Near it, in another arched recess, is the effigy of a female, which has been removed from another part of the church. Her dress is close, and partly covers her head, and she has a book between her hands. The most ancient gravestone in the church is that in the floor of the south aisle of the choir, near the east end, on which is engraved, on brass plates let into the stone, the effigies of Richard Bylt, Alderman and merchant of Hull, and his wife. The former died of the plague in 1401. The brass bearing the inscription is gone. The churchwardens of this parish are assisted in the execution of their office by six Sidesmen. (See page 41.) The east front of Trinity Church -abutting on the Market Place-was formerly occupied by a row of but chers' shops. The Vicarage House is a large plain brick building on South Church Side. The church yard has been closed, but the parish burial ground in Castle Street, opened about seventy years ago, by virtue of a special Act of Parliament, continues open. ST. MARY'S CHURCH, Lowgate, commonly called the Low Church. The earliest notice of this church is found in the will of William Skayl, made in 1327, which mentions it as "Capella b'e Virg' Marie." It was probably either built or considerably enlarged about that time, as it is described in a license, granted by Archbishop de Melton to the Prior and brethren of the Order of Knights Templars of North Ferriby, in the month of December, 1333, as being then newly built. The object of this license was to sanction the celebration of Divine worship in the chapel, and the rites of sepulture in the chapel and chapel yard, on account of its being about five miles distant from the parish church at North Ferriby, and the difficulty and hazard of going to the latter place from Hull, especially in the winter season. From this document it appears that the chapel of St. Mary originally stood in the parish of North Ferriby, and that it was built for the use of the parishioners occasionally resident at Hull. "It is not known when, or by what means the separation of the chapel of St. Mary, and the district now called St. Mary's parish, from the parish of North Ferriby, was effected," says Mr. Frost, "and there are many circumstances which favour the belief that no formal separation did ever take place; the earliest notice of St. Mary's as a distinct parish is in the Act of Resumption, of the 7th and 8th of Edward IV., wherein a house, formerly belonging to the Earl of Northumberland, is described as "an house in Kyngeston-upon-Hull, in the parish of oure Lady."* Tickell tells us that in the year 1540, the greater portion of this church was demolished by order of Henry VIII., "because it stood over against his Manor Hall (formerly Suffolk's Palace), where he resided, and obstructed his prospect;" and that nothing was left standing but the chancel. He goes even further than this, and asserts that this defender of the faith and protector of the church, "was with difficulty prevailed upon to spare even that." Henry, we are told by the same writer, seems to have had a double view in pulling down the body and steeple of this church, for by so doing "he was enabled considerably to enlarge his Manor Hall, to which this church stood nearly contiguous; for which purpose he converted part of the materials, and with the remainder he finished the Blockhouses on the Garrison side of the town, which he then caused to be erected for the defence of the town." The old chancel only having been left of this edifice, which was originally as stately and magnificent as that of the Holy Trinity, it was converted into a church, and so it continued till the 30th of Elizabeth (1588), when a considerable addition (three intercolumniations) was made to the east end of it. The new work is observable from the difference of the architecture, the arches of it being much lighter than those of the more ancient part. In 1696 the present tower was commenced, and in the following year it was completed. On digging for its foundation vast remains were discovered, extending across the street (Lowgate), as well as several coffins and skeletons * Rot. Parl., vol. v., fol. 588; in Frost's Notices, p. 84. + Tickell's Hull, p. 806. of bodies which had been there interred. In 1826 the tower was altered to harmonise with the ancient part of the church, and the whole structure, which then underwent a thorough repair, consists of three aisles, the east end of the centre one being used as a chancel. The tower is of considerable height, is finished with an embattled parapet with small pinnacles at the angles, and the whole is covered with compo, and has a plain appearance. On the south side is a stone porch with a pointed arched entrance; two depressed arched-headed windows of five lights each; and two more acutely pointed arched windows of three lights each. A modern vestry conceals half of one of the last mentioned windows. The clerestory, which has no less than twelve pointed windows of three lights each, has a singular appearance. In the north side of the church is a pointed doorway, and six pointed windows of three lights each. The clerestory is similar to the south side. At the east end the chancel rises to an apex, on which, and on the sides, are small pinnacles. The centre window at this end is of seven lights, with perpendicular tracery in the sweep of the arch. The whole edifice is embattled. The tower contains six bells, and exhibits a large clock dial, which projects over the street. The interior is plain and neat, the side aisles are separated from the centre one by six pointed arches resting on columns formed by a union of four cylinders. The mouldings of the arches of the oldest part of the building rest on rather rude sculptures of angels playing on musical instruments, those of the modern portion on neat heads. The ceilings are flat and panelled. Round three sides of the church are galleries, in the westernmost is a handsome organ, which was erected by subscription in 1775, by Snetzler. In the east window are four small shields of arms in stained glass. It formerly contained the arms of the Earl of Salisbury, Lord of Cottingham; Percy, Earl of Northumberland; De la Pole of Wingfield; and St. George; and France and England. There were several chantries in this church. The monuments are neither numerous nor particularly curious. The Living of St. Mary's is a perpetual Curacy, in the patronage of J. Thornton, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. John Scott. Its annual value is £276. ST. JOHN'S CHURCH. --This edifice, which is situated in the parish of the Holy Trinity, and stands near the Wilberforce Monument, was erected at the sole expense of the Rev. Thomas Dykes, L.L.B., the first incumbent. The building was commenced in October, 1790, and opened for divine service on the 13th of May, 1792. It is a neat edifice of red brick, with stone dressings; the original cost of its erection was about £4,600.; but the tower at the west end, and a projection at the east end, have subsequently been built. The tower is finished with a plain parapet, and pyramidal : pinnacles at the angles. In each side of the church are two tier of seven windows, the lower small, and the upper with arched heads. The projection has similar windows. The interior is neatly and comfortably furnished to seat 1,500 persons, and has a gallery round three sides, supported by Tuscan pillars. The lower story of the above mentioned projection at the east end is used as a vestry, and the upper for an organ gallery, for which purpose it was erected when the organ was purchased in 1815. The monuments are very numerous, and amongst them is one, on the south side of the communion table, to the memory of the Rev. T. Dykes, the founder of the church, who died August 23rd, 1847, aged 85. It exhibits an excellent bust of the deceased, executed by Mr. Keyworth, of Hull. The Living is a Perpetual Curacy, in the patronage of the Vicar of Holy Trinity parish, and incumbency of the Rev. Henry William Kemp. Present value of the benefice, £205. per annum. ST. JAMES'S CHURCH, Pottery. ---This edifice is situated in St. James's Street, formerly called Cent-per-Cent Street; its foundation stone was laid on the 14th of December, 1829, and the building was finished in July, 1831. The expense of the erection, &c., was about £6,500., of which sum the Commissioners for Building Churches made a grant of £3,560., and the remainder was raised by subscription. It is a beautiful structure of white brick and stone, in the Early English style, with a tower at the west end, rising to the height of 110 feet, and having large octagonal turrets at the angles. This tower contains a melodious peal of eight bells, and has four clock dials on its sides. Each side of the church has five tall windows of two lights. The interior, which forms one large space, with a very small chancel, is elegantly furnished, and has galleries round three of its sides, with an organ in the west gallery. The ceiling is flat and panelled, and the windows have coloured borders. The pulpit is elegantly carved, and it and the reading and clerk's desks are clustered in front of the communion table. Immediately in front of them is a neat octagonal font. The Rev. William Knight is the incumbent, the Vicar of Holy Trinity has the appointment of the Minister, and the value of the living is about £300. ST. STEPHEN'S CHURCH, near Canning Street, was erected in the parish of Holy Trinity, and opened for divine service in 1844, and is an elegant cut stone structure in the Early English style. It consists of a nave and aisles, transept, and small chancel, with a beautiful tower and spire 200 feet high. In the first story of the tower are three finely moulded doorways, the mouldings resting on cylindrical pillars, and in each of the sides of its upper story are three tall windows unglazed; the centre one being taller than the VOL. II. T 1 others. The chancel and the ends of the transepts contain windows of a ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, Nile Street, is a small but neat brick building, Another Dissenting Chapel in Porter Street has just been purchased, and is about to be converted into a place of worship in connexion with the Established Church. MARINERS' CHURCH, Junction Dock Side. This is a large brick building, with a good front in the Early English style, erected in 1834 on the site of an old place of worship, which, till 1826, belonged to the Independents, but in that year its congregation removed to the Tabernacle, in Sykes Street. The interior is neat; there are no windows on the sides, but it is partly lighted from the roof. It contains extensive galleries, and there is a large organ in a recess over the communion table. The ceiling is flat. Many of the sittings are free, and appropriated to the use of seamen and their families. This was the first church opened in England for the exclusive use of mariners. The Rev. Allan Swinburn is the minister. ST. MARY'S CHURCH, SCULCOATES.*- This, the parish church of Sculcoates, is situated in Air Street, near the bank of the river Hull, in the old * Sculcoates parish, which is now included in the borough of Kingston-upon-Hull, is locally situated in the Hunsley Beacon division of the Wapentake of Harthill; and as has already been observed at page 5, of this volume, is of great antiquity, being mentioned in the Domesday Survey, as one of the manors of Ralph de Mortimer, who was lord of all the surrounding country. This Ralph was one of the fortunate adventurers that accompanied the Conqueror from Normandy. In 1378 the manor of Sculcoates was in the possession of Michael de la Pole, the first Earl of Suffolk of that family, who then granted it to the Carthusian Priory of St. Michael, which he founded at Hull. |