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Title: The Stranger's Handbook to Chester [1856]
Author: Hughes, Thomas
Language: English
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Transcribed from the [1856] Thomas Catherall edition by David Price,
email ccx074@pglaf.org
[Picture: Book cover]
[Picture: Chester, from Curzon Park]
THE
STRANGER’S HANDBOOK
TO CHESTER
AND ITS ENVIRONS;
CONTAINING
A SHORT SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES,
A Descriptive Walk round the Walls,
AND
A VISIT TO THE CATHEDRAL, CASTLE, AND EATON HALL.
BY THOMAS HUGHES.
WITH THIRTY-FOUR NEW ILLUSTRATIONS, BY GEORGE MEASOM.
* * * * *
“My guide, philosopher, and friend.”
* * * * *
ENTERED AT STATIONERS’. HALL.
CHESTER:
THOMAS CATHERALL, BOOKSELLER, EASTGATE ROW.
LONDON: WHITTAKER & CO., AND WARD & LOCK.
* * * * *
LONDON:
BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.
* * * * *
TO
EDWARD HAWKINS, ESQ., F.R.S. & F.S.A.,
KEEPER OF THE ANTIQUITIES IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM
AND A “CHESHIRE MAN” WITHAL,
THIS NEW
STRANGER’S HANDBOOK TO THE CITY OF CHESTER
IS,
WITH A LIVELY SENSE OF HIS UNIFORM KINDNESS AND FRIENDSHIP,
GRATEFULLY DEDICATED BY
THE AUTHOR.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
Introduction.—The City of Chester under the Britons.—Chester 1
a Roman Colony.—The City a prey to the Danes and
Saxons.—Ethelfleda the Amazon.—Chester under the
Normans.—The Palatinate Earldom.—Royal Visits to
Chester.—The Plague.—The Siege of Chester.
CHAPTER II.
The Railway Station.—Chester the Terminus of Six 10
Railways.—Flookersbrook.—Lead Works.—Canal and
Bridge.—William Penn, the Quaker.—Foregate Street, and the
old Watling Street.—Post-Office, and Old Bank.—The East
Gate, Roman and Mediæval.—The East Gate of To-day
CHAPTER III.
The Walls of Chester, their Builders, and their History.—The 18
Cathedral.—The Phœnix Tower, and the Walls during the
Siege.—Beeston Castle.—The North Gate.—Training
College.—Morgan’s Mount, and Pemberton’s Parlour.—The Water
Tower.—Infirmary, and Gaol.—Linen Hall.—The Water Gate
CHAPTER IV.
The Walls, continued.—The Roodeye.—Chester Races.—The Castle 31
of the Olden Time, and the Castle of To-day.—The Grosvenor
Bridge.—Cæsar’s Tower.—Handbridge, and Edgar’s Cave.—Bridge
Gate.—Dee Mills and Bridge.—Causeway.—Queen’s Park, and
Wishing Steps.—The Newgate and its Traditions.—The East Gate
CHAPTER V.
The Streets of Chester.—East Gate Street, and Royal 43
Hotel.—The Ancient Rows of Chester.—An American’s “Notion”
of them.—The Architecture of the Rows and Streets.—The High
Cross.—The Pentice, and Conduit.—The City Bull-bait.—St
Peter’s Church
CHAPTER VI.
Watergate Street.—God’s Providence House.—Bishop Lloyd’s 54
House.—The Puppet Show Explosion.—Trinity Church.—Dean Swift
and the “Yacht.”—St. Martin’s and St. Bridget’s
Churches.—The Stanley Palace.—Watergate.—Port of Chester
CHAPTER VII.
Bridge Street.—Ancient Crypt.—The Blue Posts and the Knave 64
of Clubs.—Roman Bath.—Grosvenor Street.—New
Savings’-Bank.—The Cemetery.—Curzon Park, and Hough
Green.—The Port of Saltney.—St. Michael’s Church.—St.
Olave’s Church.—The Gamull House.—St. Mary’s Church
CHAPTER VIII.
North Gate Street.—Commercial Buildings.—The Rows.—The 79
Exchange.—Music Hall and Old Theatre.—Chester Cathedral.—St.
Oswald’s Church.—The Cloisters, and Chapter
House.—Promptuarium.—Refectory and King’s School
CHAPTER IX.
Abbey Square, Deanery, and Palace.—The Abbey Gates.—Chester 95
Market, and Abbot’s Fair.—North Gate, and Old City Gaol.—St.
John’s Hospital, and Blue School.—Newtown, and Christ
Church.—Railway Tunnel.—St. Thomas Chapel.—Training-College
CHAPTER X.
Llwyd, the Welsh Antiquary.—Chester Fair.—Tennis Court and 106
Theatre.—The Justing Croft.—The Bars.—Steam Mills.—Ragged
School.—Boughton, and St. Paul’s Church.—The ’Spital, and
George Marsh.—Roman Altar.—John Street, and Mechanics’
Institution.—Roman Catholic Convent.—St. John’s Church, and
its Ruins.—Jacob’s Well, and the Anchorite’s Cell.—The
Groves, and the Dee
CHAPTER XI.
The River Dee.—Chester Rowing Club.—The Earl’s Eye.—Villas 119
on Dee Banks.—The Water Works.—Eccleston.—Eaton Lodge, and
Iron Bridge.—Eaton Hall.—The Grosvenor Family.—Belgrave
Lodge.—The Interior of the Hall.—Eaton Gardens.—Grosvenor
Lodge
CHAPTER I.
Introduction.—The City of Chester under the Britons.—Chester a Roman
Colony.—The City a prey to the Danes and Saxons.—Ethelfleda the
Amazon.—Chester under the Romans.—The Palatinate Earldom.—Royal Visits to
Chester.—The Plague.—The Siege of Chester.
“RARE old city of CHESTER!” writes Albert Smith in his “Struggles and
Adventures of Christopher Tadpole,”—“Rare old city of Chester! Even in
these days of rocket-like travelling, a man might fly all over Great
Britain and Ireland, with an extra ‘day ticket’ for Berwick-upon-Tweed,
before he saw anything half so fine as the mouldering old walls and
towers of that venerable city, or looked upon anything half so fair as
the prospect of vale and mountain, wooded headland, and spire-pointed
plain, that surrounds it.” Well said, friend Albert;—echoed, too, far
and wide, by the thousands of visitors who are annually led to seek
entertainment within its Walls!
Situate on the northern banks of the River Dee, the deified stream of the
Ancient Britons,—built upon, or, as we ought rather to say, built _into_
the solid rock, for the principal streets within the Walls are almost
wholly excavations of several feet in depth—the city of Chester stands
forth before the world certainly the most curious city in the British
Isles, second to none of its fellows in martial strength or historic
importance, and as a faithful and enduring relic of the past, “peerless
and alone!”
First a settlement of the Ancient Britons—then a colony of imperial
Rome—afterwards a favourite city and frequent resort of the Anglo-Saxon
monarchs—now the camp and court of Hugh Lupus the Norman, nephew of the
Conqueror—then the key to the subjugation of Wales, and to its union with
the English crown—ever a city of loyalty and renown,—no admirer of the
curious and remarkable, none who seek after the ancient and honourable,
should fail to visit and explore the beauties of “rare old Chester.” The
eye of the stranger, be he Englishman or foreigner, European or American,
will here find an ample and luxuriant field for admiration: the man of
taste, who may linger within its Walls, will not depart ungratified; nor
will the antiquary search here in vain for some rich and profitable
treasures of investigation: in short, such is the antiquity, the
peculiarity of Chester, that the stranger who can pass through without
bestowing on it some little share of attention, must have a dull and
incurious eye indeed.
Before we proceed to point out to the visitor the numerous objects of
interest within the city, we must conform to the fashion prevalent in
such matters, and, tedious though it may seem, preface our description
with a condensed sketch of the
HISTORY OF CHESTER,
Some historians there are who, dealing largely in the marvellous, have
attributed to Chester an existence almost coeval with the Flood. Sir
Thomas Elyot, for instance, writing about 1520, gravely asserts that the
name of the city was originally Neomagus, and so called from its founder
Magus, the grandson of Japhet, the son of Noah, who first planted
inhabitants in these islands! Were this statement authenticated, Chester
would hold the dignified position of the oldest city in the universe;
but, credulous as we undoubtedly are on some points, we confess to a
modicum of infidelity upon this. It may have been, and from its
commanding position doubtless was, one of the earliest settlements of the
aboriginal inhabitants, Ancient Britons or otherwise; but farther than
this, no historian, desiring to be accurate, can safely go.
Ranulph Higden, a shorn monk of Chester Abbey, attributes to the city a
British foundation, namely, from Lleon Gawr, the vanquisher of the Picts,
a giant of mammoth size and stature, who built a city here, chiefly
_underground_, hewn out of the rock, and after a rude and disordered
fashion. But let the “barefooted friar” speak for himself, from Wynkyn
de Worde’s edition of his Chronicle, published A.D. 1495:—
“The Cyte of Legyons, that is Chestre, in the marches of Englonde,
towarde Wales, betwegne two armes of the see, that bee named _Dee_
and _Mersee_. Thys cyte in tyme of Britons, was hede and chyefe cyte
of all Venedocia, that is, North Wales. Thys cyte in Brytyshe speche
bete Carthleon, Chestre in Englyshe, and Cyte of Legyons also. For
there laye a wynter the legyons that Julius Cezar sent for to wyne
Irlonde. And after, Claudius Cezar sent legyons out of the cyte for
to wynn the Islands that be called Orcades. Thys cyte hath plente of
lyveland, of corn, of fleshe, and specyally of samon. Thys cyte
receyveth grate marchandyse, and sendeth out also. Northumbres
destroyed thys cyte sometyme, but Elfreda, lady of Mercia, bylded it
agayn, and made it mouch more.
“In thys cyte ben ways under erth, with vowtes and stone werke,
wonderfully wrought, three chambred werkes, grete stones ingrave with
old mannes names there in. Thys is that cyte that Ethelfrede, Kyng
of Northumberlonde, destroyed, and sloughe there fast by nygh two
thousonde monks of the mynster of Bangor. Thys is the cyte that Kyng
Edgar cam to, some tyme, with seven Kyngs that were subject to hym.”
The delectable style of building above described is also thus commented
upon in that poetical curiosity, the “Lyfe of St. Werburgh,” by Henry
Bradshaw, another monk of Chester Abbey, who flourished in sackcloth and
ashes sometime previous to 1500:—
The founder of Chester, as saith Polychronicon,
Was Leon Gauer, a mighty strong giant;
Which builded caves and dungeons many a one,
No goodly buildings, ne proper, ne pleasant.
But King Leil, a Briton sure and valiant,
Was founder of Chester by pleasant building,
And of Caerleil also named by the King.
Among the ancient Britons, the city was known from time immemorial as
Caerlleon Vawr, and Caerlleon ar Dyfyrdwy, and was certainly with them a
city of great importance, long before the advent of the Roman invaders to
these shores. Equally certain is it that our primitive forefathers,
unable to stem the onward current of the victorious Romans, fled in
disorder from the city of Caerlleon (Chester), to the mountain fastnesses
of Wales, and there concentrating themselves, defied for many a long and
eventful century alike the wiles and encroachments of their enemies.
Chester, resigned to the tender mercies of the conquerors, rapidly lost
its first estate;—rising again, however, under the shade of the imperial
eagles, like a phœnix from its ashes, to be the chosen camp and colony of
the Twentieth Legion of Cæsar. Stirring times were these for old
Chester; the rude huts of the Britons, the temples and altars of the
ancient Druids, the mud walls and other defences of her former
possessors, all vanished like a dream, while in their place arose the
proud Prætorium, the pagan temples, the stately columns, the peerless
masonry, the noble statues, the massive Walls, and all the other elements
of civilisation which usually followed in the wake of proud old Rome!
Perhaps of the many Roman settlements in Britain, none have retained to
our own time so many enduring proofs of their energetic rule as Chester.
Surrounded by Walls, which for almost their entire length rest upon Roman
foundations,—nay, which still exhibit to the naked eye of truth and time
the evident impress of their mechanical genius,—we fancy, while we look
thereon, that we see the sturdy warriors pacing to and fro, keeping watch
against the enemy; while, within the city, the soldiers and inhabitants
are plying the pickaxe, trowel, and spade,—here piling stone upon stone
in the erection of a forum, and there planning and building the
tesselated floors, the baths, and the sudatories of domestic life.
Eighteen hundred years have rolled away since Julius Agricola and his
Legion held sway over the city, and yet ever since then, notwithstanding
that _they_ have long lain in the dust, scarce a year has passed without
the encroachments of the builder, or the researches of the antiquary,
bringing to light some long hidden, but valuable relic of this
extraordinary people. Time and space alike forbid us to give anything
like a summary of the records existing, under our very eyes, of Rome’s
sojourn within these walls. Other and more antiquated guide-books have
long ago exhausted and worn out these topics of interest, as well as the
miserable woodcuts that illustrated them; it only remains therefore for
us, in the body of our work, to enumerate a few of the more prominent and
accessible of these remains.
But another epoch was now rapidly dawning upon the world. Rome had
passed the meridian of her splendour, and she who, so short a time
before, was acknowledged mistress of the world, felt the tide of conquest
and prosperity visibly ebbing away. Insurrections abroad, divisions,
tumults, and murders at home, served but to aggravate and complete her
fall. After the departure of the Romans from this island, Chester
appears to have been alternately possessed by the Britons, the Saxons,
and the Danes; by the latter, however, it was held but a very short
period, being restored to the Saxons by the valiant daughter of Alfred
the Great, Ethelfleda, the wife of Ethelred, Prince of Mercia. This lady
is said to have repaired the city and rebuilt the walls in 907, and, as
some affirm, considerably added to their former extent. After her death,
the city again fell into the hands of the British princes, from whom it
was recovered in 924 by King Egbert, whose death almost immediately
followed this event. National affairs were then conducted according to
that
good old-fashioned plan,
That they shall take who have the power,
And they shall keep who can.
From this period to the Conquest, Chester has nothing of a tale to tell;
but on the accession of William the Conqueror, he created his nephew Hugh
Lupus, Earl of Chester, at the same time investing him with supreme
authority throughout the county and city, so that he held as absolute a
regal sway within those limits as the king himself had in his dominions.
For one hundred and sixty years did Hugh Lupus and his successors, the
seven Norman Earls of Chester, exercise their petty sovereignty over the
city and county, until the death of Earl John Scot, in 1237, when Henry
III. took the earldom, with all the powers annexed to it, into his own
hands; and from that period to the present it has been held by the
English Crown. The title of Earl of Chester was conferred by Henry upon
his eldest son, afterwards Edward I. It has ever since been vested in
the reigning monarch’s eldest son, and is now enjoyed by his Royal
Highness, Albert, Prince of Wales, the hopeful heir of our beloved Queen.
“In 1255, the Welsh, under their Prince, Llewellyn, made an irruption
into this neighbourhood, carrying fire and sword to the very gates of the
city. The following year Prince Edward, who had recently been created
Earl of Chester, paid a visit to the city, and received the homage of the
nobles of Cheshire and part of Wales.” The hostile inroads of Llewellyn
remained unrevenged until King Henry, in 1257, summoned his nobility and
bishops to attend with their vassals at Chester, in order to invade the
Principality.
“In 1272, Edward I. ascended the throne, and soon gave indications of his
determination to subject Wales to the English crown. This monarch was at
Chester in 1276 and 1277; in the former year he came for the purpose of
summoning Llewellyn, Prince of Wales, to do him homage; who having
refused to comply, he returned the next year with an army, and marching
from Chester, took Rhuddlan castle, and made it a strong fortress. In
1282, we again find Edward I. in the city, where he resided from the 6th
of June to the 4th of July. The following year, having been victorious
in his expedition against the Welsh, he was at Chester with his Queen,
and attended mass in St. Werburgh’s Church, on which occasion he
presented the Abbey with a cloth of great value. In September, 1284, the
King was at Chester for four days, and again passed through the city in
1294, on his march to Wales, to suppress the rebellion of Madoc.
“In 1312, Edward II. came to Chester to meet Piers de Gaveston, on his
return from Ireland.
“In 1399, Henry of Lancaster, in arms against Richard II., mustered his
troops under the Walls of Chester, whence, on the 19th of August, he
marched for Flint, and returned on the following day with Richard, whom
he lodged in a tower over the outer gateway of the castle, opposite to
Glover’s Stone, from whence he was conveyed prisoner to London.
“In 1459, Henry VI., with Queen Margaret and her son Edward, visited
Chester, and bestowed little silver swans on the Cheshire gentlemen who
espoused her cause.
“On the 13th of July, 1494, Henry VII., with his mother and the Queen,
came to Chester with a great retinue, from whence they proceeded to
Hawarden; the Earl of Derby, and a number of ‘Chester gallants’
attending.
“The summer of the year 1507, was memorable here from the awful
visitation of the ‘sweating sickness,’ which raged for a short time with
great violence. It is recorded that 91 householders were carried off in
three days by this distemper; but it is worthy of remark, that the female
sex were generally exempt from the plague, only four having fallen
victims to the disease. Cats and women have each nine lives! In 1517,
the sweating sickness again proved fatal to many of the inhabitants; and
the city was also infected with the plague, probably to a more serious
extent. It is recorded that ‘many died and others fled out of the city,
insomuch that the streets were full of grass;’ and ‘that for want of
trading the grass did grow a foot high at the Cross, and in other streets
of the city.’ In 1550 the city suffered severely from the sweating
sickness, and to this affliction was added a great scarcity of
provisions; corn selling in Chester at sixteen shillings a bushel. From
the year 1602 to 1605, with few intermissions, the dreadful effects of
the plague were experienced in the city. It is stated to have begun in
the month of September, in the former year, at the house of one Glover,
in St. John’s lane, in whose house alone seven persons died. The
contagion was particularly fatal in 1603 and 1604; 650 persons died in
the former year, and 986 in the latter; at one period 55 died
weekly.—During this dreadful visitation, the fairs of the city were
suspended, the court of exchequer was removed to Tarvin, and the county
assizes were held at Nantwich. The plague had abated in the month of
February 1605.”
From this time to 1642 no event of any great importance appears to have
transpired. In the autumn of that year, however, the Cestrians found
themselves embroiled in the civil war which then broke out in England;
and as this was one of the proudest and most memorable epochs in our
city’s history, a condensed sketch of the part she and her sons played
therein may not be uninteresting.
On the 25th of August, 1642, the commons being then in open rebellion
against his majesty, King Charles hoisted his standard at Nottingham, and
proclaimed war between himself and the parliament. “Three weeks after
this, the king came to Chester, accompanied by a numerous train: the
incorporated companies of the city received him and conducted him to the
Pentice, where he and his suite were entertained. After the banquet,
200_l._ were presented to his majesty, and half that sum to the Prince of
Wales. On the 28th of September, the king proceeded to Wrexham, escorted
by the corporation to the city boundary.
“War being declared, Chester was deemed a place of great importance; and
his majesty sent hither Sir Nicholas Byron, with a commission as
Colonel-General of Cheshire, and Governor of Chester. A levy of 300 men
was ordered by the citizens, independent of the trained bands, and a rate
was made for their maintenance. The outworks and entrenchments were
carried on with such vigour, that in the beginning of the summer, 1643,
the _mud walls_, _mounts_, _bastions_, &c. were all completed, and
several effective batteries planted.”
Upon Thursday, the 19th of July, 1643, Sir William Brereton, general of
the parliamentary forces, made an assault upon the works, but they were
so resolutely defended, that he was beaten off, and forced to retire. On
the 11th of November, the town and castle of Hawarden was surrendered to
Sir William Brereton, who sent a summons to Chester, requiring the
surrender of the city under pain of condign punishment in case of
refusal. Governor Byron sent him for answer, that he was not to be
terrified by words, but bade him “come and win the city, if he would have
it.” The authorities busied themselves in perfecting the defences of the
city: three troops of horse were raised, for the maintenance of which the
citizens assessed themselves according to their abilities, and converted
100_l._ worth of the city plate into coin, some of which pieces, stamped
with the city arms, still exist in the cabinets of numismatists.
On the 13th of February, 1644, a battle was fought near Boughton, in
which the enemy were forced to retire. About 100 of the royalists,
chiefly Chester men, fell in this engagement.
On the 19th of September, the parliamentary forces from Beeston Castle
advanced to Chester, and immediately transmitted a peremptory summons.
Ere an answer could be returned, the enemy made a brisk attack upon the
city, but were repulsed with loss: the city walls now constituted the
only defence of the besieged. After various skirmishes on each side, the
besieging commanders opened a correspondence, which, however, terminated
without leading to any result.
“By the end of February, 1645, the enemy had succeeded in surrounding the
city, and placed garrisons at Hoole, Rowton, Eccleston, Iron-bridge,
Upton, &c. In this position affairs remained until the middle of
September, when the garrison were gladdened by the news that the king was
on his march for the relief of the city. The exultation of the citizens
was beyond all bounds: but there is reason to believe, that in their
excess of joy, measures of prudence were grievously neglected.
“On the 27th of September, his majesty, with his guards, and Lord Gerard,
with the remainder of the horse, marched into the city, amidst the
acclamations of the soldiers and citizens. The condition of the garrison
now presented a promising appearance. Sir Marmaduke Langdale, as
previously arranged, passed the river at Holt, and marching in the
direction of Chester, drew up his forces upon Rowton Heath, about two
miles from the city, where, on the afternoon of the same day, the
decisive battle took place; the parliamentary forces, under Major-General
Poyntz, totally routing the royalists. His majesty, attended by Sir
Francis Gamull, and Alderman Cowper, had the mortification to witness the
rout of his army from the leads of the Phœnix tower. On the following
day the royal fugitive took his departure for Denbigh Castle.”
On the 29th of September, the besiegers effected a breach near the
Newgate, and at night made an assault, but were repulsed. On October
7th, the city was surrounded by their horse, and a violent assault made
in several places. For a long time the conflict was doubtful; at length
the assailants, having gained the top of the Walls, were again beaten
off, thrown down, and killed. From this time the parliamentary commander
despaired of taking the city by assault, and immediately converted the
siege into a close blockade—a high compliment to the gallantry of the
inhabitants of Chester.
“The beginning of 1646 found the garrison in want of the common
necessaries of life, being so reduced as to be compelled to feed upon
horses, dogs, and cats. In this extremity the garrison rejected nine
different summonses, nor, till they received assurances that there was no
hope of succour, did they answer the tenth. The negotiations occupied
six days, when conditions were agreed to—that the garrison should march
out with the honours of war, and that all the ammunition, stores, &c. in
the castle, be delivered up without injury to the besieging army.
“In conformity with these articles, the brave and loyal city of Chester,
which had held out twenty weeks beyond expectation, being reduced by
famine to the utmost extremity, was, upon the 3rd of February, 1646,
surrendered up to the parliamentary forces. For two years, nothing had
been heard but the sound of warlike preparations, and during most of that
time the citizens were inclosed within their Walls, the victims of
starvation and constant apprehension. The incessant drains upon their
property for the maintenance of the garrison, and the support of their
fugitive prince, had levelled the different classes of the community to
one common condition of beggary. The whole suburbs presented an
undistinguishable mass of ruins, while the Walls and edifices within the
city were defaced or battered down by the destructive cannon. In
addition to this, the city lands were all mortgaged, the funds quite
exhausted, the plate melted down, and the churches, particularly St.
John’s, being so long in possession of the enemy, greatly damaged.”
From this eventful period down to the present day, saving a few royal
visits, no circumstance has occurred of sufficient import to deserve
especial mention here. So now, kind reader, having in our own way, and
as briefly and modestly as possible, told our historic tale, we will
close the present chapter, and in our next be ready to accompany you in
your wanderings about the city.
CHAPTER II.
The Railway Station.—Chester the Terminus of Six
Railways.—Flookersbrook.—Lead Works.—Canal and Bridge.—William Penn the
Quaker.—Foregate Street and Old Watling Street.—Post Office and Old
Bank.—The Eastgate, Roman and Mediæval.—The Eastgate of to-day.
PRESUMING, gentle reader, you have sagaciously chosen _us_ as your
companion, we will evince our desire to be friendly and agreeable by
meeting you at the Station (for doubtless you have only just arrived by
train), and taking you affectionately under our wing, will straightway
introduce you to the chief Lions of Chester.
What think you, in the first place, of our noble STATION, with its
elegant iron roof of sixty feet span, and its thirteen miles of railway
line? Twenty years ago, the ground it stands upon, and indeed the
neighbourhood around, were but plain kitchen-gardens and uninteresting
fields. But a marvellous change has been effected since then, and, as if
by enchantment, suburban Flookersbrook has now become the very
life’s-blood of the city. Stretching away on either side of us, as far
as the eye can reach, we see the passengers’ arrival and departure sheds,
booking offices, refreshment rooms, goods and carriage depots,
waterworks, gasworks, and all the other facilities and conveniences which
are the usual characteristics of the railway system; while beyond the
limits of the Station, and indeed of the city itself, which here
intrenches upon the township of Hoole, the busy hum of life is
ceaselessly heard spreading itself in every direction, and rapidly
transforming the region of the plough into the turmoil of the town.
This Station is the grand central terminus of six several lines or
branches, all meeting at Chester, viz., the London and North Western; the
Great Western; the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction; the
latter company’s branch to Manchester; the Chester and Holyhead; and the
Chester and Mold Railways. It was erected in 1847–8 at the joint expense
of the four principal companies, and is acknowledged to be one of the
handsomest, as it is certainly one of the most extensive railway
establishments in the kingdom. The building was designed by C. H. Wild,
Esq., C.E., and Mr. Thompson, of London (the latter the architect of the
Derby station) and was built by that enterprising and well-known
contractor, Mr. Thos. Brassey, whom Cheshire proudly claims as her son.
The passengers’ shed occupies a space of ground nearly a quarter of a
mile in length, and presents to the city an elegant façade 1010 feet
long, and a frontage, including the house and carriage landings, of 1160
feet. It is built of dark red fire bricks, relieved with copings and
facings of Stourton stone. At each end of the Station, and projecting
from the main building, there is a shed for cabs and omnibuses awaiting
the arrival of trains, each 290 feet long by 24 feet broad, covered with
an iron roof.
[Picture: General Railway Station]
On the inner side of the building is the General Departure Platform,
extending 1010 feet in length by twenty feet in width; this and three
lines of rails are covered with an exceedingly chaste and elegant iron
roof of sixty feet span, designed and carried out by Mr. Wild, C.E.
Behind this shed again, but visible from the general platform through the
arches, is the spare carriage shed, 600 feet long by fifty-two feet
broad. The whole arrangements of the buildings are admirably adapted to
carry on with comfort to the public and with facility to the employés,
the immense business that has so suddenly been brought to the city by the
convergence of so many railways at this point.
Some idea may be formed of the extent of the business here transacted,
when it is stated that of passenger trains only, there now arrive and
depart upwards of ninety-eight, averaging 3500 passengers daily, or one
and a quarter millions annually.
The full extent of the passengers’ station from the carriage landing at
the east end to the one at the west end, is 1160 feet. This noble
building is an object of considerable attraction: it occupies a space of
ground a quarter of a mile in length;—only half the building appears in
our illustration. Great expedition was displayed by Mr. Brassey in its
erection, for although the first stone was only laid in August 1847, on
the 1st of August 1848 it was publicly opened for traffic.
The centre of the building, which is two stories in height, contains in
the upper compartments, offices for the General Station Committee for the
Chester and Holyhead, and the Great Western Railways; while on the ground
floor, besides the usual offices and waiting rooms, we find the noble
range of REFRESHMENT ROOMS, presided over with efficient zeal and
attention by MR. HOBDAY, and his select corps of experienced assistants.
If after your late journey, you feel any of the cravings of the inner
man,—if dinner _à-la-mode_ lie uppermost in your thoughts—if you would
enjoy an invigorating cup of coffee, unimpeachable pastry, a good glass
of ale, or a fragrant cigar, take a turn in the REFRESHMENT ROOMS, and
the utmost wish of your soul will be incontinently gratified.
The entire number of hands employed upon the passenger station is 109,
and in the goods department 130, including clerks, porters, pointsmen,
&c. Between seventy and eighty goods trains arrive and depart every
twenty-four hours, averaging 1600 wagons daily. In 1855, somewhere about
684,000 tons of goods, minerals and livestock passed under the
manipulation of Mr. H. Parker, general goods manager. The Station
Committee manufacture their own gas, the consumption of which upon this
station is about 6,500,000 feet per annum. The present gas and
waterworks now need to be removed more to the south-east in order to
afford additional station room—the _smallness_ of the present immense
building being a source of _continual and growing_ inconvenience. {13}
[Picture: Brook Street, and Liverpool Arms Hotel]
Leaving now the Station, we see upon our left hand the lofty SHOT TOWER
and LEAD WORKS of Messrs. Walker, Parker and Co., proprietors of a
similar establishment near London Bridge; while on the right our view is
obstructed by the handsome and commodious Bridge which here stretches
across the railway, and connects the city with its suburb, Flookersbrook.
Those carpetbags and cloaks, by-the-bye, however useful they may be in
their way, are but superfluous companions for a jaunt about the city.
Suppose, then, we drop in at the LIVER, a most respectable HOTEL, within
hail of the Station, and there depositing our luggage in one of the cosy
bedrooms of that establishment, we will sally forth on our mission.
After one night’s sojourn at this house you’ll know _your_, hotel, we
promise you, for all future time. Wending our way into the city, along
Brook Street, we come in due course to COWLANE BRIDGE, erected in 1776,
when the canal which flows beneath it was originally projected.
[Picture: Chester Cathedral, from Cowlane Bridge]
From this point we have our first glimpse of the CATHEDRAL and CITY
WALLS, and a venerable sight it is, as our little illustration
sufficiently testifies. Towering aloft above surrounding objects the
sacred fane of St. Werburgh, presents itself to our view, in all its
massive but rugged proportions, as the mother church of a vast and
populous diocese. Of the Cathedral itself, as also of the Walls, we
shall have abundance to say by-and-bye.
Cast your eye to the right, along the hue of the City Walls, and at their
north-east angle take a distant view of yon reverend turret, overhanging
the Canal. How forcibly does it remind us that—
The days of old, though time has reft
The splendours they once cast,
Yet many a relic still is left
To shadow forth the past!
People call it, in these days, the PHŒNIX TOWER; but two hundred years
ago, and even then it was accounted _old_, the name it usually bore was
_Newton’s Tower_. On its lofty ramparts, in 1645, stood the royal
martyr, King Charles, to witness a sanguinary contest not far from the
city, which ended in the total defeat of his troops by the parliamentary
forces. In that day’s struggle, and in the Siege that followed it, many
a Chester hero bit the dust; and the roll-call that evening proclaimed
many an infant fatherless, many a wife a widow! But why should we
anticipate? We shall soon be close to the very walls of this Tower, and
may then soliloquise to our heart’s content on those terrible times.
For the present, then, we will move on along Frodsham Street, anciently
called Cowlane, pausing midway to reflect that in the Quakers’
Meeting-house, at the corner of Union Walk, Friend William Penn, the
founder of Pennsylvania, held forth to his admirers, King James II. being
on one occasion an attentive hearer. Continuing on our course a short
distance, we emerge from Cowlane into a wide but irregular street, named
indifferently FOREST or FOREGATE STREET, the latter, from its standing
immediately before the gate,—the EASTGATE, close by, being always
esteemed _the porta principalis_ of the city. Foregate Street forms a
part of the old Watling Street of the Romans; so that it existed as a
road almost as early as the crucifixion of Our Lord! Fifty years ago
this was as curious a street as any within the city; but the ancient
piazzas which once ran continuously along it, are now becoming mere
specks in the landscape, and “like angels’ visits, few and far between.”
Not far from where we are standing, near the corner of St. John’s Street,
are two superior travellers’ inns, the HOPPOLE, and the BLOSSOMS, the
latter a house of the highest standing and respectability, admirably
adapted for the accommodation of visitors, and for all those who would
enjoy the comfort of a home combined with the advantages of a first-class
HOTEL. At the rear of the Blossoms, in St. John Street, is the POST
OFFICE, a neat stuccoed building, erected in 1842, at the sole expense of
William Palin, Esq., the present post-master. Prior to this, the
business of the Post-Office was conducted in a dark and dreary building,
situate up a court, still known as the Old Post-Office Yard. It was to
Rowland Hill, and his wonder-working penny stamp, that the citizens owed
this satisfactory change from darkness unto light.
[Picture: Foregate Street, and Blossoms’ Hotel]
Yonder white stone building at the head of St. John Street is the
well-known banking establishment of Messrs. Williams & Co., usually
denominated the Old Bank. And, here, crossing the street at an altitude
of some thirty feet, is the EASTGATE, a noble arch, with a postern on
either side, erected in 1769, on the site of a Gateway, dating back to
the days of the Third Edward, by Robert, first Marquis of Westminster,
whose arms, with those of the city, ornament the keystone of the centre
arch.
Handsome and commodious as is the present EASTGATE,—on every score but
that of convenience, it is immeasurably inferior to its predecessor.
Could we but look upon the structure as it existed only a hundred years
ago, with its beautiful Gothic archway, flanked by two massive octagonal
towers, four stories in height, supporting the Gate itself and the rooms
above,—could we but resuscitate the time-worn embattlements of that
“ancient of days,” we should wonder at and pity the spurious taste that
decreed its fall. “Oh, but,” we may be told, “the present Gate was a
public improvement.” A plague upon such improvements, say we! We should
vastly have preferred, and so would every lover of the antique, whether
citizen or stranger, to have retained the old Gate in its integrity,
altered, had need been, to meet the growing wants of the times, rather
than have thus consigned it to the ruthless hands of the destroyer. Oh!
ye spirits of the valiant dead,—you who lost your lives defending this
Gate against the cannons of Cromwell, why did ye not rise up from your
graves, and arrest the mad course of that “age of improvement!” When
this Gate was being demolished, the massive arches of the original Roman
structure were laid bare to the view, and a portion of one of them is yet
to be seen on the north-west side of the present Gateway.
At this point we will turn away from the street, and, ascending the steps
on the north-east side, will amuse ourselves in the next chapter with a
quiet WALK ROUND THE WALLS OF CHESTER.
CHAPTER III.
The Walls of Chester, their builders and their history.—The
Cathedral.—The Phœnix Tower, and the Walls during the Siege.—Beeston
Castle.—The North Gate.—Training College.—Morgan’s Mount and Pemberton’s
Parlour.—The Water Tower.—Infirmary and Gaol.—Linen Hall.—The Watergate.
A WALK round the Walls of Chester! Now, then, for a choice _tête-à-tête_
with the past! Away with the commonplace nineteenth century! Away with
the mammon-loving world of to-day! The path we are now treading, high
above the busy haunts of men, has a traditionary halo and interest
peculiarly its own.
With the rapidity of thought, our imagination wanders some eighteen
hundred years backwards on the stream of time, to the days when Marius,
King of the Britons, to defend his royal city from the incursions of his
enemies, built up a fortified wall around Chester. The Britons, however,
were no masons; and their rude defences availed them little when opposed
to the resistless career of Rome. Surrendered to its new masters, the
Romans, Chester speedily gave unmistakeable evidence of the change. The
mud-walls, or earthworks of the conquered, vanished before the imperial
masonry of the conquerors; and the Walls of Chester, built as only Roman
hands could build them, rose majestically in their place, clasping the
city in an embrace of stone, defiant alike of time and of the foe.
Chester Walls, which afford a continuous promenade, nearly two miles in
circumference, are the only perfect specimen of that order of ancient
fortification now remaining in Britain. The Walls of Shrewsbury, York,
and other places that occur to us, though interesting enough in their
way, yet “hide their diminished heads” beside the proud old ramparts of
Chester. Where is the pen or the pencil that can depict the scenes of
glory and renown, so inseparably bound up with the history of these
Walls? For three or four centuries the Roman soldier kept watch and ward
over them, and over the city; but no sooner had their legions withdrawn
from Britain, than the whole island was shaken to its centre by the
ruthless invasion of the Picts and Goths. Deserted by their old
protectors, the Britons invoked the aid of the Saxons, under Hengist and
Horsa; who, landing at the head of a powerful army, in concert with the
Britons, soon drove the invaders from their quarters within the Walls of
Chester.
The Saxons in turn, perceiving the weakness of the unfortunate Britons,
determined on possessing themselves of the country; and, during the
conflict that ensued, Chester was frequently taken and retaken by the
respective belligerents, and many a fierce and bloody battle raged
beneath its Walls. In 607, for instance, Ethelred, King of
Northumberland, laid siege to the city; and, after a sanguinary struggle
outside the Walls, during which he put one thousand two hundred British
monks to the sword, wrested the city from its native defenders. Again,
however, the Britons returned to the rescue; and, driving out the
usurpers, retained possession of Chester for more than two hundred years.
The Danes were the next invaders of old Chester; but, about the year 908,
Ethelred, Earl of Mercia, and Ethelfleda, his countess, restored the
shattered Walls and Gates of the city; in which state they remained,
Bristling with spears, and bright with burnish’d shields,
through many a long and eventful epoch of England’s history, Chester’s
faithful safeguard against every foe. In what good stead they availed
the city during the trying period of the great CIVIL WAR, a former
chapter has sufficiently declared; and, though we cannot but rejoice that
those days of anarchy and confusion have passed away, yet are we sure,
should the direful necessity again arise, the hearts of the men of
Chester will still beat as loyally, and their stalwart arms emulate as
nobly, the glorious deeds of their forefathers of yore! And now for our
proposed Walk round these celebrated Walls.
The steps we have just ascended give us but poor “first impressions” of
the Walls, the view being blocked up on either side by most unpicturesque
buildings. But when we have proceeded northward a few steps, a prospect
of venerable magnificence suddenly reveals itself. To our left, and so
close that we can hear the organ pealing forth its joyous hallelujahs, we
have a splendid view of the CATHEDRAL of St. Werburgh, seen here,
perhaps, to greater advantage than from any other accessible point. The
first glance will show us that it is a cruciform structure, as most of
our cathedrals are, the massive and weather-beaten tower standing just in
the centre compartment of the cross. The left wing, though an integral
portion of the building, is, nevertheless, a separate parish church,
dedicated to ST. OSWALD. The choir itself occupies the entire range of
the edifice between us and the tower, the _Chapel of Our Ladye_ being in
the immediate foreground. At our feet lie numberless memorials of the
dead, which—
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck’d,
Implore the passing tribute of a sigh.
This ground has served for a place of sepulture almost since the
Conquest, and has only recently been closed by act of parliament.
Deferring our special notice of the Cathedral, until “a more convenient
season,” we shortly find ourselves at the end of Abbey Street, and
immediately over the KALEYARDS GATE. This postern leads to the cabbage
and kale gardens, which formerly belonged to the Abbot and Convent of St.
Werburgh. The opening was permitted to be made for their convenience in
the reign of Edward I. to prevent the necessity of bringing their
vegetables by a circuitous route through the East Gate. The “good
things” in vogue among these reverend fathers were not, it is evident,
wholly spiritual. A defunct ropery, timberyard, and infant school now
flourish on the spot where monkish cabbages and conventual kale in old
time grew.
A few paces farther on was a quadrangular abutment, on which formerly
stood a tower called _The Sadlers’ Tower_, from its having been the
meeting-room of the Company of Sadlers. This tower was taken down in
1780; and the abutment, which marked the place where it stood, was
demolished in 1828.
We are now at an interesting portion of the Walls. Do you see that
mouldering old turret some fifty yards a-head of us? Three hundred years
ago it was familiarly known as Newton’s Tower; but the men of the present
day call it the PHŒNIX TOWER, from the figure of the phœnix, which is the
crest of one of the city companies, ornamenting the front of the
structure. Look up, as we approach it, and read, over its elevated
portal, the startling announcement, that
KING CHARLES
STOOD ON THIS TOWER
SEPTEMBER 24th, 1645, AND SAW
HIS ARMY DEFEATED
ON ROWTON MOOR.
Let us mount the rugged steps, and having reached the summit, gaze awhile
on the beautiful scene before us.
[Picture: Phœnix Tower, from the Canal]
To our left is the suburb of Newtown, a creation of the present
century,—the modest little spire of Christ Church pointing to the
thoughtful wayfarer another and a better world. Yonder, just visible
above the intervening buildings, the noble façade of the Railway Station
arrests the eye. Farther to the right, the Lead Works’ Shot Tower again
presents itself; while beneath us, at a depth of about forty feet, the
sleepy Canal flows languidly along, scarce a ripple distracting its
glassy surface. The bridge that crosses it is Cowlane Bridge, whence we
obtained the first glimpse of the Cathedral, _en route_ from the station.
Just over the canal is the new CATTLE MARKET, the Cestrian
Smithfield,—translated hither from Northgate Street in 1849. That
heavy-looking building just over the Bridge is the Independent Chapel in
Queen Street; while full south, the lofty steeple and church of St. John
“lend enchantment to the view.” Beyond all these, some ten or a dozen
miles away, the rocky heights of Beeston salute the eye, capped with the
ruins of a Castle, built by Earl Randle Blundeville,—a fortress which was
several times taken and retaken by the Royalists and Roundheads in the
great Civil War. To the right again, the stately form of the fine old
Cathedral, like a nursing mother, watches peacefully o’er the city. THE
WALLS beneath us are full of interest to the archæologist, for through
almost their entire length between this Tower and the Eastgate, the old
Roman masonry may yet be distinguished, forming the lower courses nearest
the foundations.
As we once more look up, and read yon quaint yet melancholy inscription,
our minds will of necessity revert back to that sad September day, when
Charles the First stood on this very spot and saw his gallant cavaliers
borne down by the grim soldiers of Oliver Cromwell’s army. For three
years he had maintained a doubtful contest with his Parliament; and
though for a time the successes of his troops in the western counties had
given a fitful gleam of prosperity to his sinking fortunes, the tide had
now turned, and one disaster followed another in quick succession. On
the fields of Naseby and Marston Moor he had been signally defeated.
Bristol had fallen; Prince Rupert had been disgraced and sent beyond the
seas; and the prospect daily grew darker. Chester remained firm; and
hither Charles had come to encourage his loyal subjects, and give to the
battle which seemed inevitable, the cheering influence of his kingly
presence. The city had been besieged for some months, and the houses in
the suburbs were mostly destroyed.
On the 23rd of September the King entered Chester; and the next day his
troops gave battle to the Parliamentary forces. Charles, with Sir
Francis Gamull the Mayor, here watched the progress of the contest; and
when at last all hope was gone, and his soldiers fled before the fiery
Puritans, he turned from the melancholy spectacle, descended the steps of
this Tower, and the next day with great difficulty made his escape from
the city. This defeat was but the precursor of worse misfortunes.
Within three years from that day, a crowd was gathered in front of the
Palace at Whitehall. A man in a mask severed at one blow, the King’s
head from his body, and another, holding up the ghastly countenance to
the view of the weeping spectators, cried aloud, “This is the head of a
traitor!” England was not many years discovering who were the real
traitors.
Charles had left Chester in worthy hands. “If you do not receive relief
in eight days,” said he to Lord Byron, who was in command, “surrender the
garrison.” The appointed time passed away, but no relief came. Day
after day for four months, the citizens of Chester, with a courage and
determination that claim our admiration, refused the oft-repeated summons
to surrender. But there was an enemy within the walls, far more
formidable than the troops without. Famine proved more powerful than the
sword. When the provisions were exhausted, as a last resource the horses
were slaughtered and given out in small rations. Dogs and cats were
eaten as dainties; and many of the inhabitants perished from the dreadful
hardships which were brought to their homes. The men were not alone in
this gallant defence. “The women,” says an old chronicler, “like so many
valiant Amazons, do out-face death and dare danger, though it lurk in
every basket; seven are shot and three slain—yet they scorn to leave
their matchless undertaking, and thus they continue for ten days’ space;
possessing the beholders that they are immortal.” At last, reduced to
the utmost extremity, and all hope of relief being gone, the city
surrendered on condition that the public and private buildings should be
unharmed by the Parliamentary troops. The churches still bear melancholy
witness to the manner in which this solemn compact was regarded; and the
organ and choir of the Cathedral were broken and defaced, with a
Vandalism whose traces yet tell of the horrors of civil war.
So much then for the Phœnix Tower, and its historical associations. We
must now move on to the westward, taking note on our way of UPTON CHURCH
and spire, lying just upon the northern confines of the city.
Below us stretches away the CANAL, which, here usurping the place of the
ancient _fosse_, skirts the entire city, within the Walls, from east to
west. Bidding a friendly adieu to the Dean’s Field, that beautiful mead
on our left, we approach by a slight incline the NORTH GATE of the city.
Look now over the right-hand parapet upon the yawning gulf below, and
reflect that, while yon arch was built by an architect of our own time,
that course of stones beneath us—the dark ones between the ivy and the
abutment—was laid by a Roman mason, when Rome herself was mistress of the
world.
Ascending two or three steps, we find ourselves on the top of the NORTH
GATE, which here, with its neat elliptical arch, divides Upper from Lower
North Gate Street. That new-looking red-brick building beneath us is the
BLUE-COAT HOSPITAL, a charity school, under the same roof with the
ancient Hospital of St. John,—of both which institutions more anon.
Pass we on now still to the westward, until we come to a curious
watch-tower, called MORGAN’S MOUNT, having a lower chamber on the level
of the Walls, and an open platform above, accessible by a few winding
steps. During the Siege of Chester, a battery was planted on the summit
of this tower, and from its commanding position, surrounded by
earthworks, successfully kept the besiegers at bay. Let us mount to the
top, and survey the diversified prospect before us. See yonder
Elizabethan building at the northwest extremity of the city, beautifully
placed on a hill, and separated from us by those fine, dark, evergreen
trees, through which you can see the bright sunshine, as it were, smiling
approvingly upon it. It is the Diocesan TRAINING COLLEGE, a normal
establishment, for preparing masters and teachers for the parochial
schools of the diocese. Stretching away to our left is the Hundred of
Wirrall, the foreground dotted here and there with a handsome mansion or
substantial farm-house, among which those of Crabwall, Mollington, and
Blacon, are most conspicuous. That house, so sweetly situate on the
eminence to the left, embowered in trees, is Blacon Point, commanding
extensive views of the city and North Wales. Still beneath us flows the
Canal, which, however, empties itself, close at hand, by a series of
descending locks, into the River Dee. That pile of buildings on the
opposite bank of the Canal, is the central official establishment of the
Shropshire Union Railway Company. The River Dee, the mountains of North
Wales, and the ancient Walls, serve nobly to complete this glowing
panorama of nature, and of art.
Once more, forward!—but only for a few steps; for here we are arrived at
another Tower, originally twice its present height, and at one time
denominated the _Goblin’s Tower_ (doubtless for some _ghostly_ reason),
but of late better known as PEMBERTON’S PARLOUR. Though now
semicircular, this was, in all probability, a round or octagonal tower
when first erected, having a passage through for pedestrians. Be that as
it may, in 1702, being in a ruinous state, a great part of it was taken
down, and the remainder repaired. The side towards the Walls was refaced
and ornamented with some fine heraldic sculpture; and an inscription, now
almost obliterated, proclaimed that in a certain “year of the glorious
reign of Queen Anne, divers wide breaches in these Walls were re-built,
and other decays therein were repaired; 2000 yards of the pavement were
new flagged or paved, and the whole repaired, regulated, and adorned, at
the expense of £1000 and upwards. Thomas Hand, Esq., Mayor, 1701. The
Right Honourable William, Earl of Derby, Mayor, 1702, who died in his
Mayoralty.”
[Picture: Pemberton’s Parlour and City Walls]
Passing on from ivy-capt _Pemberton’s Parlour_, we see on our left hand,
through that refreshing grove of trees, a large and verdant mead, still
retaining its ancient name of the _Barrow Field_, or _Lady Barrow’s Hay_.
This is the place where the soldiers of old Rome went through their daily
military exercises, and where, 1500 years afterwards, great numbers of
the citizens who died of the plague were hurriedly interred. We are now
upon a flat iron Bridge, and whew! with a rush like that of a tiger from
his den, the giant of the nineteenth century—a steam-engine and
train—emerge from the dark tunnel which passes under the city, and dash
away beneath us, full forty miles an hour, _en route_ to Ireland, by way
of Holyhead. The Roman Walls, that resisted so successfully the
Roundhead batteries, have in our own times succumbed to the engines of
peace, and the railway trains, with their living freight, now career it
merrily through two neighbouring apertures in these ancient
fortifications.
A little farther ahead are some modern steps, leading down to the new
BATHS and WASHHOUSES, in which is a capacious swimming-bath, where
plebeians may indulge in a plunge for a penny, and where hot and cold
shower and vapour baths are at the service of the public on equally
reasonable terms. Previous to the erection of these Baths, the only
means of egress from the city at this point was by an ancient postern
underneath us, now blocked up.
Wheeling sharp round to the left, for the Walls here take a direction
southward, we cross a second Railway Bridge, and then turn to regale
ourselves with an immediate foreground of startling interest. We are
looking upon a Tower erected in 1322, by one Helpstone, a mason, who
contracted to build it for 100_l._, a high price in those days, when
workmen for their day’s wage, “received but every man his penny.” It
consists of a higher and lower tower, the former being distinguished by
the break jaw name of _Bonewaldesthorne’s Tower_, and connected by a
steep flight of steps and an embattled terrace with the lower or WATER
TOWER. This tower was erected while the tidal waters of the Dee flowed
up to Chester Walls; and within the memory of man the rings and bolts
were to be seen about the old turret, to which, centuries ago, the ships
that came up to the city were safely moored. The case is altered now,
and, thanks to the duplicity of a public company, “Deva’s wizard stream”
ebbs and flows almost in vain for “rare old Chester.” “Stone walls tell
no tales,” says the proverb; but yon crumbling old ruin, so stern, so
ragged, so venerable to look upon, tells us in plain though silent
language its own unvarnished tale. Look at its broken and serrated
surface, its disfigured battlements? Think you old Time alone has
wrought all this? Turn to the annals of the city, and there read that
the Roundhead battery on Bruera’s Hall hill yonder played its artillery
fiercely against this tower during the great Civil War; and though its
fair form was shattered, its buttresses shaken by the terrible cannonade,
yet the proud old structure remained intact, and the hearts of its
defenders unfaltering, through the whole of that fierce and lamentable
struggle. The scenes then enacted have passed away, as we hope for ever,
and this venerable stronghold has become subservient to another and more
peaceful purpose, as a local and general antiquarian MUSEUM. Of course
we must go in and examine it for ourselves, and think, as we do so, with
becoming honour of the gallant spirits who once kept watch and ward over
its safety. It will cost us just sixpence each to pass in; but never
mind that, were the charge a crown, it would not have been money
injudiciously thrown away.
[Picture: The Water Tower, Railway, and City Walls]
The room we have passed into is the ancient keep, formerly known as
BONEWALDESTHORNE’S TOWER; and after ruminating a moment on the rusty
swords and rapiers that hang around, we will mount the winding staircase
into the room above. Here, on a whitened table, the light of day being
first excluded, we are introduced to the wondrous revelations of the
CAMERA OBSCURA. On this little table we have pourtrayed, with minute but
pleasing accuracy, every place and occurrence within gunshot of the
Tower,—boats on the Canal, pedestrians on the Walls, ships on the Dee,
green fields and trees, the flying train, and every passing incident,
ridiculous or sublime. From this Tower we proceed by a steep descent of
zig-zag steps, between rugged battlements of venerable sandstone, thickly
coated with “that rare old plant, the ivy green,” to the centre of
attraction, the WATER TOWER itself. How beautiful, how indescribably
beautiful, are those thick masses of dark, glossy, green ivy, “creeping
where no life is seen” round the blackened old ramparts we have just
passed by!
The iron gate or portcullis opens at our approach, and we enter a
spacious room, once bristling with hosts of armed men, but now filled
with curiosities and natural productions from every quarter of the globe.
A corkscrew staircase brings us to a similar room on the second story;
while higher still, upon the leads of the Tower, where the stalwart
warrior once paced his silent round, the observant visitor may feast his
eyes on a varied scene of wood and dale, mountain and river, garden and
field, of surpassing interest. To give anything like a detail of the
curiosities and antiquities stored up in this Tower would fill an
ordinary volume; let it suffice, then, to point out a few of the more
prominent and striking. Here is a large and beautiful collection of
shells, scientifically arranged, the gift of Captain T. L. Massie, R.N.,
and there a case of Australian birds, presented to the Museum by another
worthy citizen. In yonder glass-case we have, at one view, specimens of
almost every known variety of British birds, from the majestic bittern to
the diminutive jenny wren. Here is the “old arm-chair” of Bishop
Goodman, one of the worthiest prelates of our renowned Queen Bess. Here
again are trophies of battle and victory from Inkermann and Alma; and
there are glass cases of Greek, Roman, and British coins, from the penny
bearing the “image and superscription of Cæsar,” to the chaste medallions
of our own beloved Queen. There, too, is the skull of a soldier killed
during the Civil War, in the neighbourhood of Beeston Castle, the deadly
impress of two flattened bullets being still visible on the skull. Those
blackened fragments you are now surveying are the hand and foot of an
Egyptian mummy, the owner of which may possibly have been a contemporary
of Pharaoh. Doubtless this mummy, when in life, was a confirmed old
maid; for see, here is her favourite _cat_, embalmed like herself, and
found by her side when she was exhumed. The cat was a sacred animal with
the ancient Egyptians. We might linger here profitably a whole day, but
having other fish to fry, we must bid farewell to the Water Tower and its
obliging attendants, and remounting the lofty steps, find ourselves once
more on the venerable Walls.
Resuming now our walk, we approach a large and handsome brick building,
on the city side of the Walls. This is the Chester INFIRMARY, and a most
useful and valuable institution it is, having been founded in 1755 by Dr.
Stratford, of Chester, and supported entirely by the contributions of the
charitable in Cheshire and North Wales. The present structure was
erected in 1761, and has accommodation under its roof for one hundred
patients, besides spacious hot, cold, and vapour baths, and all the usual
adjuncts of a first class hospital. The upper story on the north side of
the building is set apart for a fever ward; and in this, as in every
other beneficial arrangement, the Chester Infirmary is second to none in
the kingdom. The honorary medical staff consists of three physicians and
three surgeons; and from these, and the worthy house surgeon and matron,
the patients receive the utmost assistance that human kindness and skill
can bestow. The halt and maimed, the sick and dying of the poorer
classes are here watched with anxious care, and experience comforts to
which at home or elsewhere they would necessarily be strangers.
The Infirmary was founded for the eradication of one species of evils;
but here is a building for the suppression of evils of another
description. The CITY GAOL, for such is the gloomy-looking structure
before us, is an erection of the present century, having supplanted the
old and ruinous prison which formerly stood upon the site of the present
North Gate. Over the handsome Doric entrance is an iron railing, within
which the last sentence of the law is occasionally executed on condemned
criminals. Surely the day is not far distant when “death by the hangman”
will be a punishment unknown to the criminal code of England! What adds
to the evil, so far as Chester is concerned, is that the authorities of
the City are compelled, by some antediluvian charter, to see execution
done on every condemned criminal within the County, though for what
reason this especial _honour_ was first conferred on the citizens, is an
enigma susceptible of no clear solution.
A short distance hence is Stanley Place, a double row of genteel
residences; at the head of which, within that ponderous gateway, is the
old LINEN HALL, once the great mart for Irish linens, but of late, owing
to the decay of that branch of trade, consecrated to the sale of the
famed Cheshire cheese. What! have you never yet tasted a bit of “prime
old Cheshire?” Let us recommend you then to do so, on your return to the
Inn; and if your fancy does not gloat over it for a month or two to come,
our belief in your _good taste_ will be considerably modified.
“Onward!” is again the word, and ascending a short incline, we find
ourselves on the top of another of the four great Gates of the city. We
are now exactly opposite to where we set out, and have, therefore, at
least half completed our circuit of the city. The West, or as it is more
usually termed, the WATER GATE (from the Dee having originally flowed up
to its portals), is like the East and North Gates, a modern structure,
having replaced the old and unsightly archway in 1789, as appears by an
inscription on the west side. The custody of Chester Gates was at one
time a privilege much courted by the high and mighty in the land. Thus
the sergeantship of the East Gate has belonged since the time of Edward
I. to the ancestors of the present Lord Crewe, of Crewe; the North Gate
during that period has been in charge of the citizens; the Water Gate, on
which we are now standing, in custody of the Stanleys, Earls of Derby;
while the Bridge Gate, to which we shall presently come, belonged to the
Earls of Shrewsbury, inheriting from their ancestors, the Troutbecks and
Rabys, sergeants thereof in the fourteenth century. Below us lies a
plain of sweetest verdure and most inviting beauty; and by way of
diversifying our subject, we will now step down from the Gate and Walls,
and find ourselves, in another chapter, treading the green sward of the
old Roodeye.
CHAPTER IV.
The Walls, continued.—The Roodeye.—Chester Races.—The Castle of the Olden
Time, and the Castle of To-day.—The Grosvenor Bridge.—Cæsar’s
Tower.—Handbridge and Edgar’s Cave.—Bridgegate.—Dee Mills and
Bridge.—Causeway.—Queen’s Park and Wishing Steps.—The Newgate and its
Traditions.—The East Gate.
WELL, here we are, on a beautiful meadow, eighty-four acres in extent,
clad in Nature’s own mantle of brightest green, and bearing the
euphonious name of the ROODEYE. This splendid pasture, now so cheerful
to look upon, has not always worn the same gay aspect. In ages past and
gone—when the Saxon and the Norman held sway over the land—when colossal
Liverpool was but a simple fishing-hamlet—the infant commerce of England
was borne along the surging billows of the Dee, up to the very Walls of
Chester. In those days the spacious lawn before us was covered with
water at every tide, save only a bank or eye of land near the centre,
which being surmounted by a plain substantial stone cross, acquired the
name of the ROODEYE, or the _Island of the Cross_. Are you fond of
legends?—Here then is one that may gratify your taste.
Once upon a time (you must not ask _when_) the Christians of Hawarden, a
few miles down the river, were in a sad strait for lack of rain. Now it
so happened that in the church of that place there stood an image of the
Virgin Mary, called Holy Rood. To her shrine then repaired the faithful
and fearful of all classes to pray for rain. Among the rest, Lady
Trawst, the wife of the governor of Hawarden, prayed so heartily and so
long, that the image, grown desperate we suppose, fell down upon the lady
and killed her. Mad with rage at this “answer to their prayers,” a jury
of the inhabitants was summoned, and the Holy Rood summarily convicted of
wilful murder and other heinous sins. Fearful, however, of the
consequences if they executed the offender, the jury determined to lay
her upon the beach at low water; whence the next tide carried her away to
the spot where she was found, under the Walls of Chester. The citizens
held a _post-mortem_ examination, and seeing that she was _Holy Rood_,
decided on burying her where she was found, and erected over her a simple
stone Cross, which, tradition says, once bore an inscription to the
following effect:
The Jews their God did crucify,
The Hardeners theirs did drown:
Because their wants she’d not supply,—
And she lies under this cold stone.
Another version affirms she was carried to ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, and there
set up in great pomp, and that this Cross was erected on the spot where
she was found.
So much for the legend: yonder is the remnant of the Cross under which
her holiness was laid; and as
Little she’ll reck, if they’ll let her sleep on,
We will leave her alone in her glory.
The spot now marks the boundary of St. Mary’s parish. The athletic
sports and Olympian games of the Romans, the military displays of the
Edwards and Henries, the pageants and plays of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries, were each in their day “set forth” on the Roodeye
before hundreds of wondering and admiring citizens. And it is pretty
much the same “even in this our day;” for martial reviews and rejoicings,
cricket and other athletic games are all celebrated and fostered on its
rich green sward.
Why, it was only the other day, on the 2nd of April, 1856, that the rank
and beauty of the county (and that beauty does reign dominant in Cheshire
all the world knows) assembled on the ROODEYE to witness a grand and
exciting ceremonial. For two years war had been convulsing Europe;
Turkey the weak had been marked out for a prey by Russia the strong; the
Eagle of the North would have trampled on the Crescent, and have blotted
out its name from the catalogue of nations. But the British lion looked
on from afar,—the champion of the weak girded on its ancient
strength,—and with the aid of France, once its enemy, but now a gallant
ally, went forth to the rescue. The result is patent to the world. In
two short years the pride of the despot has been humbled, and the freedom
of his almost victim assured, while Peace once again spreads its mantle
over the earth. The militia of England formed the nursery at home for
the army abroad; and the militia of Cheshire in particular responded
nobly to the repeated demands of their country. No wonder, then, that
the Roodeye was so crowded and gay on the occasion in question,—that so
many desired to witness the presentation of new banners to the gallant
1st Regiment of Royal Cheshire Militia. The Marchioness of Westminster,
as the representative of the Lord Lieutenant, presented the colours,
which were first duly consecrated by the amiable Bishop of the diocese.
_We_ were present at the ceremony; and, as the ensigns of the regiment
received their handsome banners, and unfurled them to the breeze, we felt
a glow of pride upon our cheek that the ancient chivalry of Cheshire
still animated her loyal sons. England has once more had to learn, and
will surely not this time forget the lesson, that “the only way to be
certain of peace, is to be at all times amply prepared for war.”
[Picture: Grand Stand, and Water Gate]
But the Roodeye is perhaps chiefly famous for the splendid horse Races
which are twice a-year held here; and while the course itself is a
perfect amphitheatre, and the spectator’s view of the contests
magnificent and unbroken, it is not too much to say, that the fame of
CHESTER RACES is a household word with every true lover of old English
sports. Our illustration presents to us a view of the handsome GRAND
STAND, with the Walls and Water Gate on the left; but for a more general
view of the entire race-course, we may profitably refer to the
frontispiece at the commencement of our GUIDE. The viaduct on the
extreme left is, with the girder-bridge over the Dee, the iron road of
communication between England and Ireland; while beyond it, again, lies
the “Port of Chester;” as also the ROODEYE GAS WORKS, WORKHOUSE, and
last, not least, the iron shipbuilding yard, conducted by Mr. Cram, of
this city.
We will now return to the WALLS, noticing as we pass through the Water
Gate, to the right, the remains of the wall of the _Black Friars’
Monastery_. Proceeding southward a short distance, we arrive at a field,
on the left hand, in which formerly stood the Benedictine _Nunnery of St.
Mary_. Within living memory, portions of this conventual establishment
were visible from the Walls, but all traces thereof are now unfortunately
obliterated. We have here a pretty close view of the CASTLE, SAVINGS
BANK, and ST. BRIDGET’S CHURCH; but as we have now arrived at the New, or
Grosvenor Road, we will approach still nearer, and while surveying and
admiring the Castle of the present, ruminate a little on the Castle of
past days.
When Chester Castle was first erected, whether during the British, Roman
or Saxon occupation, is a problem likely never to be determined. There
can be no question, however, that it existed some time previous to the
Norman Conquest; for it was the chosen court and camp of Hugh Lupus the
Norman, nephew of the Conqueror, and is stated by Camden to have been
merely _repaired_ by that powerful baron. On the death of the last
Norman Earl, the Castle passed into the hands of the king (Henry III.).
“Henry of Lancaster, (afterwards Henry IV.) having taken up arms against
Richard II., in 1399, mustered his army upon the banks of the Dee, under
the Walls of Chester, and Sir Piers Legh of Lyme, an adherent of Richard,
was beheaded, and his head set upon the top of the highest tower in the
Castle. A few days afterwards, the unfortunate Richard and the Earl of
Salisbury were brought prisoners to Chester, mounted (says Hall) ‘upon
two little nagges, not worth forty francs,’ when the King was delivered
‘to the Duke of Gloucester’s sonne and the Earle of Arundell’s sonne,
that loved him but a little, for he had put their fathers to death, who
led him strait to the Castell.’
“In 1403, Henry Percy, the renowned Hotspur, visited Chester, on his way
to the fatal field of Shrewsbury, and caused proclamation to be made,
that King Richard was yet alive, and a prisoner in Chester Castle, where
he might be seen.
“Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, wife of the _Good Duke Humphrey_, was
confined for several months in Chester Castle, in 1447, previous to her
removal to the Isle of Man, under a sentence of perpetual imprisonment on
a charge of ‘practising the King’s death.’
“Here, in 1651, the Puritans ‘_sought the Lord_’ by trying and condemning
to death the gallant and patriotic Earl of Derby, Sir Timothy
Featherstonehaugh, and Captain Benbow. According to Whitlocke, the Earl
‘attempted to escape, and was let down by a rope from the leads of his
chamber; but some hearing a noise, made after him, and he was re-taken
upon Dee bank.’ He was afterwards beheaded at Bolton, while
Featherstonehaugh was shot in the market-place of Chester.”
And now for the Castle of the present day. The old structure was removed
towards the close of the eighteenth century, and the new one erected from
the plans of the late Thomas Harrison, Esq., the architect of the
Grosvenor Bridge.
The GRAND ENTRANCE occupies the centre of a semicircular fosse, and is of
the Grecian Doric order. The whole of the majestic fluted columns of
this Gateway and of the Shire Hall, are constructed each, from capital to
base, of a single stone. As we pass into the CASTLE YARD, we have at one
view a fine prospect of this noble square.
“The two wings of the Castle, and the whole of the buildings to the
right, are appropriated to the military; the centre to the Assize Court
and County Gaol. The right wing is the officer’s barracks. There are at
present in this Castle, a regiment of militia, and a battalion of
artillery. The pensioners’ offices are at the back of the left wing, at
one side of which is the Nisi Prius Court, Grand Jury Room, &c.
“The first floor of the new barracks on the higher wards is appropriated
to the _Armoury_, which contains 30,000 stand of arms, and is decorated
with various devices, formed solely of weapons of warfare.
“Near these buildings is an old Square Tower, called _Julius __Cæsar’s_,
otherwise _Julius Agricola’s Tower_, in which was situated the _Chantry
of St. Mary infra Castrum_. It was in this Chapel that James II.
received Mass during his stay in Chester. This Tower was built soon
after the Norman Conquest. There was an ancient fresco painting on the
interior walls, the subject of which was Moses receiving the Table of
Commandments from the Mount, whilst the Devil in a nondescript form is
trying to seize them; in the back-ground are his old friends _the Pope_,
and a group of ecclesiastical personages. This Tower was newly cased
with red stone in 1818. The Powder Magazine is at present kept in it.”
Close by stood, prior to its demolition, the ancient Shire Hall and
Exchequer Court: the latter was the parliament house of the palatinate
earls, and had neat carved seats for the earl and his eight barons,
spiritual and temporal.
[Picture: Castle, Shire Hall, and Cæsar’s Tower]
“As before stated, the centre buildings contain the Assize Court and City
Gaol. In front of the Hall of Justice is a portico, supported by twelve
pillars in double rows. The entrances are at the sides of the portico.
The interior of the Court is of a semicircular form, forty-four feet
high, eighty feet diameter, and forty-four feet wide. Round the
semicircle is a colonnade of twelve Ionic pillars, supporting a
semi-dome, divided into four square compartments, richly embellished.
The _tout ensemble_ is grand and imposing, and admirably adapted to give
a majestic appearance to a judicial court.
“Behind this building is the Constable’s residence, a terrace in front of
which commands a view of the Chapel, and Felons’ Yards below, five in
number. The Debtors’ Yards form quadrangles on the right and left of the
Constable’s house, on a level with the Castle Yard.”
The Churches of St. Mary, and St. Bridget, are both within a stone’s
throw; but we must leave them for the present, and continue our
interesting “Walk round the Walls.” In a few minutes we arrive at the
angle of the Walls, where the massive ramparts of the Castle frown
majestically above us, while below, the classic waters of the Dee flow
languidly on, regardless of yon noble and magnificent stone Bridge,
which, with its unequalled single arch of 200 feet span, crosses the
river a short distance away from us. This is the GROSVENOR BRIDGE,
finished in 1832, at a cost of 30,000_l._ and formally opened in October
of that year, by Her present Most Gracious Majesty, then Princess
Victoria. It has the reputation of being the _largest stone arch in the
world_. Immediately to the left of the Bridge is the Cemetery, of which
more hereafter.
Again we pass onwards, having on our left the higher wards of the Castle,
Julius Cæsar’s Tower, and the lofty boundary wall of the new County Gaol.
Cæsar’s Tower (so called) has of late years been converted into a powder
magazine, and may, some day or other, make itself both heard and felt by
the citizens, unless they procure the removal of the magazine to some
more distant and fitting locality.
Still onwards, by the side of the Dee, and we approach the Old Dee Bridge
and Mills, having on the opposite shore the suburb of HANDBRIDGE, called
by the Welsh _Treboeth_, or _burnt town_, from its having been so often
razed to the ground during their predatory incursions. Yonder is EDGAR’S
FIELD, so called from the palace of that Saxon monarch having been
traditionally situate there. In this field is a projecting rock,
partially excavated, still bearing the name of EDGAR’S CAVE; and the
tradition is that, in 971, that monarch was rowed from thence to St.
John’s Church by six petty kings or princes, in token of their subjection
to his rule. At the entrance of the cave is a rude sculpture, supposed
to represent Minerva, accompanied by her usual symbol, the owl.
Where we are now standing was, fifty years ago, an ancient postern,
called the SHIPGATE, or _Sheepgate_, from which went a ford across the
river into Handbridge. The gate itself, of Roman construction, on being
taken down, was carefully preserved, and now ornaments the garden of the
present town clerk, J. Finchett-Maddock, Esq., in Abbey Square.
A few steps further will bring us to the South or BRIDGE GATE, the last
of the four principal Gates of the city. It is a bold and imposing
structure, erected, in 1782, at the expense of the corporation, in place
of the old and ponderous gateway which previously occupied its site. The
old Gate is quoted in deeds as far back as the twelfth century, and
appears to have been granted by the Norman Earl Randle and his Countess
to one Poyns, their servant, for some meritorious but unrecorded service.
From his successors it passed, through Philip le Clerc, to the families
of Raby, Norris, and Troutbeck, until the honour of “custodian of the
Bridge Gate” became vested at length in the Earls of Shrewsbury, who, in
the seventeenth century, sold their rights to the Corporation.
Crossing over the Bridge Gate, we have now a better view of the DEE
MILLS, a massive pile of buildings, resting on the south-west end of the
Old Bridge. The Dee Mills existed on this very spot shortly after the
Norman Conquest, and were for centuries a source of immense revenue to
their owners, the Earls. Edward the Black Prince, as Earl of Chester,
granted them for life to Sir Howel-y-Fwyal, constable of Criccaeth
Castle, for his gallant conduct at the Battle of Poictiers; since which
time they have passed through successive owners to the Wrench family, who
are the present possessors. The Mills have been thrice destroyed by
fire.
The DEE BRIDGE is of great antiquity, having been erected in 1280 by the
citizens, under a peremptory order to that effect from King Edward I.
Previous to that date there had been a _wooden bridge_ here, originating
with that amazonian “edifier” of Chester, the Mercian Princess
Ethelfleda; but that passage was continually subject to interruptions,
both from the violence of the tides, and the restless zeal of the
Welshmen,—hence the erection of the present Bridge. It consists at
present of seven arches of irregular size, but is said to have originally
boasted of two or three more, now built up. It was widened in 1826, by
the addition of a projecting footpath, seven feet wide, which has
somewhat destroyed its antiquated appearance from this point of view.
The CAUSEWAY, or weir, on this side the Bridge, is recorded to have been
first built by Hugh Lupus, the Conqueror’s nephew, probably about the
time of the foundation of the Dee Mills. It stemmed the tide of the Dee,
and of all opposition, until the period of the Commonwealth, when we find
an order of parliament commanding the destruction of both Causeway and
Mills; but the puritanical order appears to have been derisively set at
nought; at all events, it was never carried out. An American author,
writing upon this topic, facetiously remarks:—“The _dam_ was built, I
don’t know when. The Puritans, they say, tried to destroy it—for its
_bad name_, perhaps—but could not, because, like a duck, it kept under a
high flood of water, until the Cavaliers, making a rush to save it,
spiked their guns.”
Wending our way to the eastward, we have before us a long and interesting
stretch of the meandering Dee, crossed at some distance away by a chaste,
yet gossamer-looking bridge, erected in 1852, by Enoch Gerrard, Esq., the
projector and proprietor of QUEEN’S PARK, that beautiful range of
building land on the opposite side of the river. Those steps on the
right, leading down to the river side, are usually known as the
_Recorder’s Steps_, from their having been erected in 1700, for the
accommodation of Roger Comberbach, Esq., then Recorder of Chester.
The Walls here run at a great height above the roadway, until we turn
quick round to the northward, at a lofty flight of steps, called the
WISHING STEPS. And why the _Wishing Steps_, you ask? Listen, and you
shall hear. There’s a small bit of “folk lore” bound up with these
Steps, and we never pass by them without recalling to mind our boyhood’s
attempts to master the difficulty. We were always told when a child, and
we heartily believe it as a man, that whosoever shall stand at the foot
of these steps, and _wish_ for any mundane blessing—be it the gold of
Ophir, aye, or even Paradise itself—and (mind this!) run up to the head,
down to the bottom, and up again to the top of these steps, without
taking breath, shall have his fondest wish fulfilled, though it were to
the half of the kingdom! The secret is, that no one could possibly
accomplish the feat without taking breath some half dozen times.
From the top of the Wishing Steps we have a beautiful prospect of the
banks of the Dee, and of the south-eastern environs of the city. From an
altitude of some sixty feet, we see beneath us the stream of Deva in all
but repose, for above the Causeway the River assumes almost the
smoothness of a lake. The iron SUSPENSION BRIDGE, which crosses it
midway, and unites the city with its handsome suburb, QUEEN’S PARK, forms
a pretty object in the landscape. Though of such spider-like
construction, its capabilities and strength have been fully tested. Mr.
Dredge, upon whose patent principle the bridge was erected, thus
describes it:—“The Queen’s Park Bridge is 262 feet span, and 417 long,
resting upon massive block masonry (about 3000 cubical feet), which is
all below the surface as foundation, and upon it, on each side of the
river, is a cluster of four cast-iron pillars, about 33 feet high. The
bridge is 23 feet above the ordinary level of the river, and altogether
it consists of about 50 tons of iron, the whole of which was wrought on
the ground, and the bridge finished in about three months. Its cost was
850_l._” When Mr. Gerrard first projected the Queen’s Park, he saw at
once the necessity of providing a shorter and better pathway to the city
than the old route through Handbridge, and the erection of Queen’s Park
Suspension Bridge was therefore the starting point of his building
operations. Nor has the result belied his confident anticipations of the
popularity of the Park; for what was, but a year or two ago, a modest
agricultural farm, is now fast developing into an important and
delightful suburb. In fact, the salubrity of the air, and the high
commanding situation of Queen’s Park, together with its beautiful river
scenery, and its close proximity to the city, combine to render it
peculiarly suitable for villa residences.
[Picture: Queen’s Park and River, from the Wishing Steps]
To our left are some handsome houses, overlooking the river; and behind
them, the lofty steeple of ST. JOHN’S CHURCH attracts our especial notice
and admiration. This Church is one of our many Chester lions; but, as we
shall have to deal with it more at large by and bye, we will pass on now,
between some obtrusive houses blocking up the view on one side, and most
prolific gardens and orchards on the other, until we reach some modern
steps on our left, leading down to the NEWGATE.
This Gate, or its predecessor, was called _Wolfeld_ or _Wolfgate_, as
also _Pepper Gate_, from its standing at the bottom of the Pepper Street.
Tradition informs us that this Gate was “of old time closed up and shut,
because a young man stole away a Mayor of Chester’s daughter through the
same Gate, as she was playing at ball with other maidens in the Pepper
Street.” Albert Smith, in his “Struggles and Adventures of Christopher
Tadpole,” perpetuates this tradition, in his own happy and humorous
style. _There_ ‘all who run may read’ of the sinful conduct of that
wicked young man, and of that almost as froward and faulty young maiden,
whose mutual frailties gave birth to the Cheshire proverb, “When the
daughter is stolen, shut the Pepper Gate,”—another version of “When the
steed is stolen, lock the stable door.”
Two or three paces onwards bring us to some pretty little gardens on one
side, and on the other to the remains of an old turret, formerly known as
_Thimbleby’s Tower_, though why or wherefore so designated is, ‘in these
latter days,’ a mystery. Beyond this is a flight of steps, leading down
to the WESLEYAN METHODIST CHAPEL, a commodious structure erected in 1811,
the principal front of which is towards St. John’s Street; to the left of
it is the School-room of the same religious community. Within a short
distance from this, we mount some half dozen steps, and find ourselves on
the top of the EAST GATE, and enjoying a view of the principal Street of
the city, at an altitude of some forty feet. At our back is Foregate
Street, the old-fashioned mail-coach road to Birmingham and London; while
in front we have Eastgate Street, the Cross, and St. Peter’s Church,
which will receive more particular attention in our next chapter.
Stepping down from the Eastgate on its opposite side, we have now
completed our circuit of the Walls; and our appetite being somewhat
sharpened by our long walk, we will turn into the “Blossoms,” and discuss
the merits of such “savoury meats” as “mine host of that ilk” is enabled
to lay before us.
CHAPTER V.
The Streets of Chester.—Eastgate Street and Royal Hotel.—The Ancient Rows
of Chester.—An American’s “notion” of them.—The Architecture of the Rows
and Streets.—The High Cross.—The Pentice and Conduit.—The City
Bullbait.—St. Peter’s Church.
Let us move slowly through the street,
Filled with an ever shifting train,
Amid the sound of steps that beat
The murmuring walks like autumn rain.—BRYANT.
HAVING adequately “refreshed the inner man,” we will now, like Don
Quixote, sally forth into the STREET “in search of the picturesque,” and
doubtless we shall there find much of a nature to interest and delight
us.
The EASTGATE, under which we are now passing, marks the termination of
the old Watling Street,—the line of which is here taken up by the chief
of the four great Streets of the city, as planned and excavated by the
soldier colonists of once mighty Rome. We have passed from Foregate into
EASTGATE STREET, ever the _via principalis_ of Chester, and still
maintaining that ancient prerogative despite the revolutionary inroads of
steam. It is the one great highway for all passengers and conveyances to
and from the Station, and as a necessary consequence holds the proud
distinction of being, for all business purposes, the main Street of the
city.
This arcade on our left is the _Royal Hotel Row_, and the massive pile of
buildings of which it forms a part, and from which it derives its name,
is the ROYAL HOTEL. The “Royal” is pre-eminently the chief Hotel of the
city; for besides being the most central and commodious, it is at the
same time _par excellence_ the first and most fashionable of all our
Chester Hotels, and under its present efficient management, is certainly
not surpassed by any similar provincial establishment. Its capacious
_Assembly Room_ is, with perhaps one exception, the finest room the city
can boast, and is consequently in high repute for all literary and
musical entertainments. The Royal Hotel enjoys the singular felicity of
being _in three distinct parishes_; thus, in a religious, as well as a
commercial point of view, “it stands well!”
[Picture: Royal Hotel]
If you have any curiosity for modern ruins, turn up this passage in front
of the Hotel, and see the baneful effects of a chancery suit on what was
once a flourishing mart of commerce; and as you look upon that half
roofless, tottering fabric, still known as the _Manchester Hall_, “thank
your propitious stars” that you, at least, are free from the trammels of
the law.
The street immediately beyond on the left, is NEWGATE STREET, anciently
styled _Fleshmonger Lane_, from its having been at one time the chief
place of business of the butchers. Nearly opposite to it, on the right
hand, is ST. WERBURGH STREET, which we shall notice by and bye, when we
pay our visit to the Cathedral.
And here we are introduced to another unique characteristic of old
Chester,—its venerable Rows. To account satisfactorily for the origin of
these Rows, is a problem which has troubled far brighter heads than ours;
and, indeed, all we know in the present day is, that in reality we _know
nothing_ of their earliest history. Some writers, with exuberant
fancies, have attributed to the Rows a British foundation: while others,
with greater apparent reason, consider them a vestige of the dominion of
Rome, and to have been by them erected, conjointly for the purposes of
recreation and defence. There are many circumstances which seem to
justify this view of the case; particularly that of their resemblance to
the porticoes or _vestibula_ spoken of by Plautus and other Latin
authors. Further confirmatory of their Roman origin, we may add that
there is, or was, a street in old Rome, bearing a close analogy to the
Rows of Chester. Taking into account also that a Roman Bath and Lavatory
exist to this very hour under one of these Rows, the arguments in favour
of their Roman creation are certainly entitled to a fair amount of
weight.
If it be difficult to arrive at the early history of these Rows, equally
difficult is it to attempt to describe them to a stranger. Distrusting
our own powers, we will call in the aid of our friend Albert Smith, who
in describing the Rows of what he calls “this marvellous city,” proceeds
to say that “the passenger’s footway lies right through the first floor
fronts of the houses—which are cleared away altogether, and above the
shop, of ordinary normal position, by the road-side; and thus, the back
drawing-rooms, or whatever else they may be, are turned into more shops;
and great is the puzzle of the stranger as to whether the roadway is down
in the cellar, or he is up stairs on the landing, or the house has turned
itself out of window; affording a literal proof of that curious state of
domestic affairs so often spoken of. And first he fancies the ‘Row’—as
it is termed—is like the Quadrant, with the road excavated a floor lower,
and shops made under the pavement; and then it reminds him of a
Thames-side tavern, with all the shutter wainscots, that divide the large
convivial room into so many little philandering ones, drawn away, and the
windows knocked out. And finally he arrives at the conclusion that there
is nothing else in the world at all like it, except the prints published
by the enterprising booksellers who live there. But very convenient is
this arrangement for old ladies of weak minds who quail at meeting
cattle; and young ladies of extravagant ones who doat on shopping, in
spite of the weather. For it raises the first above suspicion even of
danger; and shelters the second from being favoured with the visits of
the clouds, who cannot here drop in upon them.”
Another description from the pen of an American, is still more
intelligible. Writing to a friend on the other side of the Atlantic, he
says, “The second story of most of the houses is thrown forward, as you
have seen it in the old settlers’ houses at home. Sometimes it projects
several feet, and is supported by posts in the sidewalk. Soon this
becomes a frequent and then a continuous arrangement; the posts are
generally of stone, forming an arcade,—and you walk beneath them in the
shade. Sometimes, instead of posts, a solid wall supports the house
above. You observe, as would be likely in an old city, that the surface
is irregular, that we are ascending a slight elevation. Notwithstanding
the old structure overhead, and the well-worn flagging under foot, we
notice the shop fronts are filled with plate-glass, and with all the
brilliancy of the most modern art and taste. Turning, to make the
contrast more striking, by looking at the little windows and rude
carvings of the houses opposite, we see a banister or handrail separates
the side-walk from the carriage way, and are astonished, in stepping out
to it, to find the street is some ten feet below us. We are evidently on
the second floor of the houses. Finding steps leading down we descend
into the street, and discover another tier of shops, on the roofs of
which we have been walking.”
And now for our own brief sketch of the Streets and Rows. This house,
near by, with the eccentric gable, and grotesquely carved front is the
notable establishment of Messrs. Platt and Son, chemists. The shop
itself, which is one of the most chaste and elegant in the city, deserves
something more than a mere passing notice, and is worthy the careful
inspection of every true ‘lover of the beautiful.’ “This shop,” says the
_Chester Courant_, “exhibits one of the most perfect and beautiful
examples of the application of architectural and artistic skill and taste
to the purposes of business, that we have lately witnessed. It is the
joint work of Mr. Penson and Mr. J. Morris, whose combined talents in the
constructive and decorative departments, have produced a most successful
and elegant illustration of the manner in which the antique character of
our domestic architecture can be preserved, with every regard for modern
requirements and comforts. The wood-work has been well executed by Mr.
Hankey; the floor is paved with fancy tiles from the celebrated
manufactory of Messrs. Minton, in Staffordshire; and all the details and
fittings of the establishment have been carried out with characteristic
taste and propriety. We should hope that the good sense and
intelligence, as well as public spirit, displayed by Mr. Platt in this
judicious work of restoration, will give an impulse to other improvements
in the right direction; while at the same time it excites a regret that
alterations have been previously effected, in such utter disregard of the
architecture of the Rows, seeing how beautifully their original
appearance might have been preserved, to maintain the unique
characteristic of the old city.” The hope indulged in this last
paragraph has not “wasted its fragrance on the desert air,” as two
neighbouring erections sufficiently testify.
[Picture: Eastgate Row—Platt and Son, Chemists]
Next door to Messrs. Platt’s, and half hidden by the shop which obstructs
it just in front, is that favourite resort of the fair sex, the drapery
establishment of the Messrs. McLellan. A few yards farther up the
street, our eye rests on the gabled _façade_, and handsome shop front of
Mr. Bolland, Confectioner, Bride Cake Manufacturer to her Majesty the
Queen. What! you are about to get married, are you? Well then, “a word
to the wise is sufficient for them,”—give an order to Mr. Bolland for a
Chester Bride Cake, and tell him it must be of the quality once supplied
to Queen Victoria, and you’ll never forget this “sweet and luscious
reminiscence” of your approaching wedding-day.
[Picture: Eastgate Row—Mr. Bolland, Confectioner]
[Picture: Eastgate Street, North Side]
You will perceive that there is a covered Row also on the other side of
this street, similar in character, though not in adornment, to the one we
have just been noticing. This is popularly known as the _Pepper Alley
Row_, a quaint but gloomy looking region, rendered still more so by the
projecting block of buildings displayed in our engraving. Here are the
well known drapery establishments of Messrs. Oakes, and Ambrose Williams,
and that curious old zigzag erection, occupied by Mr. Hill, Chester’s
enterprising boot-maker: behind which premises _Pepper Alley Row_ “worms
its darksome way” into Northgate Street. In this Row are the rooms of
the _Church of England Educational Institute_, and the Chester EXCISE
OFFICE.
On the ground floor of Messrs. Prichard and Dodd’s carpet warehouse in
Eastgate Street, there is a curious and interesting old crypt, erected,
it is supposed, in the eighth century, an illustration of which will be
found in our advertising sheet.
We are now fairly arrived at the HIGH CROSS, and close to the spot where
that sacred emblem of the faith in old time stood. This ancient
landmark, which was of stone, and elaborately carved, had for centuries
ornamented this part of the city, and was a relic much and deservedly
prized by the citizens. The Puritans, however, on obtaining possession
of the city in 1646, with their characteristic abhorrence of the
beautiful, and in direct breach of the articles of surrender, demolished
this “fayre crosse.” “No cross, no crown” was, in a perverted sense, the
motto of these fanatics, whose “organs of destructiveness” must, beyond
doubt, have been largely developed. Some fragments of the Cross were
picked up at the time, and hidden within the porch of St. Peter’s Church
hard by, where a century or so afterwards they were discovered, and now
ornament the grounds of Netherlegh House, near this city.
Near the Cross was the CONDUIT, to which water was of old brought in
pipes to this city from St. Giles’ Well in Boughton, and this conduit it
was that, according to ancient records, was made to “run with wine” on
all public and festive occasions. Here also, upon the south side of St.
Peter’s Church, was the Penthouse or _Pentice_ of the city, where the
mayor and magistrates of the old regime sat to administer justice with
the one hand, and feed on turtle with the other. A _lean_ alderman was
as great a curiosity in those days, as a _fat_ parish pauper would be
deemed in the present. The Pentice, which, with its accessories the
Stocks and the Pillory, had too long obstructed this quarter of the city,
was pulled down in 1803, and its jurisdiction removed to a more
commodious room in the north end of the Exchange.
This locality, crowded as it must have been before the removal of these
obstructions, was also annually the scene of the _Corporation Bullbait_,
thus vividly described by Cowdroy, a local scribe of the last century:
“The Cross is famous for being the annual scene of exhibition of that
_polite play_ called a bull-bait; where four or five of these _horned
heroes_ are attended by several hundred lovers of that _rational
amusement_. Till within a few years the _dramatis personæ_ of this
_elegant scene_ included even magistracy itself, the mayor and
corporation attending in their official habiliments, at the Pentice
windows, not only to countenance the _diversions_ of the _ring_, but to
participate in a sight of its _enjoyments_. A proclamation was also made
by the crier of the court, with all the gravity and solemnity of an
oration before a _Romish sacrifice_; the elegant composition of which
runs thus, ‘_Oyez_! _Oyez_! _Oyez_! _If any man stands within twenty
yards of the bull-ring_, _let him take_—_what comes_.’ After which
followed the usual public ejaculations, for the safety of the king, and
the mayor of the city;” when the _beauties_ of the scene commenced, and
the dogs immediately _fell to_. Here a prayer for his worship was not
unseasonable, as even the ermined cloak was no security against the
carcases of dead animals, with which spectators, without distinction,
were occasionally saluted. In many ancient boroughs a law formerly
prevailed, that no bulls should be slaughtered for food without having
been first thus baited by dogs. They loved tender beefsteaks in those
days!
This barbarous recreation of a bygone age has long since been put down by
the strong arm of the law, and we can now from the very spot study the
character of yonder Row, which commanded in those days so near a view of
the revolting spectacle.
The ancient and the modern in domestic architecture here stand forth in
curious juxtaposition. To the left rests a building of venerable mien,
the builder of which flourished probably in the sixteenth century, when
Harry the Eighth or Elizabeth swayed the sceptre of England, and when
wood and plaster was the chief ingredient in houses of this description.
In the centre of our view, looking affably down on its two-gabled
neighbour, is a bold and substantial building of white freestone, erected
in 1837, on the site of an older and more picturesque house. This is the
business retreat of _our publisher_, and by the same token the oldest
book establishment in the city. Here are procurable, in almost endless
variety, Guides to Chester and North Wales, local prints, books of views,
&c. to suit every imaginable taste and requirement. Perhaps no city in
the empire has been so fully and faithfully illustrated as
Chester,—Prout, Cuitt, Pickering, Sumners, and others equally celebrated
in the walks of art, have plied their pencils in its honour, while the
genius of the engraver and the enterprise of the publisher have given
permanence to their works.
The other house depicted upon the right of our view, its front bearing
the arms of the Apothecaries’ Company, is the well-known establishment of
MR. J. D. FARRER, Chemist. “Farrer’s Cestrian Bouquet” and “Floral
Extract” are perfumes too well known to the fair _élite_ of Chester to
need more than a passing notice here. Strangers and visitors, however,
will thank us for the hint that these, and other like gems of the toilet,
fragrant mementos of “rare old Chester,” are “prepared and sold only by
Mr. Farrer.”
[Picture: East Gate Row]
Opposite to these premises stands the parish CHURCH OF ST. PETER, the
site of which is supposed to have been also that of the Roman
_Prœtorium_. Tradition ascribes the first building of this church to
that Mercian celebrity, the Countess Ethelfleda, who raised an edifice in
the centre of the city to the mutual honour of St. Peter and St. Paul.
These two saints had, up to that time, presided over the destinies of the
mother church of Chester, now the Cathedral, but a ‘new light’ having
sprung up in the person of the virgin-wife, St. Werburgh, the two
aforesaid apostles were relieved of their charge, and a new Church
erected and dedicated to them on the spot we are now surveying. Bradshaw
the monk, from whose quaint historic poem we have already quoted, thus
records the translation:—
And the olde churche of Peter and of Paule
By a generall counsell of the spiritualte,
With helpe of the Duke moost principall,
Was translate to the myddes of the sayd cite,
Where a paresshe churche was edified truele
In honour of the aforesaid apostoles twayne,
Whiche shall for ever by grace divine remayne.
St. Paul’s connection with the church appears to have ceased before the
Conquest, since which time the edifice has been once or twice rebuilt.
The spire is recorded to have been re-edified in 1479, in which year the
_parson of the parish_, with his officers, ate a goose upon the top, and
cast the well-picked bones into the four streets below. The
ecclesiastics of those days were a jovial crew,—none of your lean,
skewery-built men, like their degenerate types of the present day,—but
priests of size and substance; men who quaffed their wine and sack right
merrily; and who evidently looked after the _spirits_ of their flocks
more than after their souls. Must not those have been “good old times!”
The east and part of the south sides of the church were rebuilt in 1640,
just before the breaking out of the great Civil War. The “parson and
goose spire” having been injured by lightning in 1780, was that same year
removed. The present square steeple was rebuilt in 1813; and the
illuminated clock which ornaments the south front was first publicly lit
up in 1835. The interior of the church, which contains some venerable
monuments, has of late years been considerably improved and beautified.
CHAPTER VI.
Watergate Street.—God’s Providence House.—Bishop Lloyd’s House.—The
Puppet Show Explosion.—Trinity Church.—Dean Swift and the Yacht,—St.
Martin’s and St. Bridget’s Churches.—The Stanley Palace.—Watergate.—Port
of Chester.
WESTWARD, ho! a few steps, and we find ourselves moving along Watergate
Street; once, and when Chester was a thriving port, the chief street of
the city. As with men, so
There is a tide in the affairs of _streets_,
Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
but the tide for Watergate Street has ebbed away, and now flows in other
and more favoured channels. Still, as we shall presently see, this
Street is not behind any of its neighbours in absorbing interest. You
will perceive that, like Eastgate Street, it has the Cestrian
characteristic on either side,—its high-level Row. The one upon the
right hand, adjoining St. Peter’s Church, is, perhaps, as good a specimen
as we have now left to us of the “Rows” of the last century. Had we the
time to spare, a ramble along this Row, and a hole-and-corner visit to
the numerous alleys that intersect it, would convince the most sceptical
that there is more in Chester than meets the eye. But we must away,—for
see! here is an odd-looking tenement, on the other side the street,
inviting our attention. Two hundred years ago that house was in the
pride of youth, and the residence of a family of “some rank and
standing,” as is evidenced by the armorial bearings carved on one of the
beams; but, as somebody or other (Longfellow, we believe), has justly
enough observed, “it is not always May!”, in proof of which this house
has of late years been occupied as a sausage shop, and now shelters the
defenceless head of a barber. Small and low are the rooms of this
house—absurdly so to the critic of the present generation; and so
contracted is the ceiling of the Row at this point, that no man of
ordinary stature can pass along without stooping. Is it not a quaint old
spot? Look up at yon inscription on the cross-beam. Tradition avers
that this house was the only one in the city that escaped the plague,
which ravaged the city during the seventeenth century. In gratitude for
that deliverance, the owner of the house is said to have carved upon the
front the words we are now reading—
1652. GOD’S PROVIDENCE IS MINE INHERITANCE. 1652.
[Picture: God’s Providence House, Water Gate Street]
On the right hand, lower down, is GOSS STREET; and still lower, CROOK
STREET, both destitute of interest to sight-seers: but, exactly opposite
to Crook Street, stand three fine gable-fronted houses, the centre one of
which deserves our attention and admiration. This house is, without
exception, the most curious and remarkable of its kind in Chester, and
one which, perhaps, has no parallel in Great Britain. Prout has
immortalised it in one of his inimitable sketches, of which the
accompanying woodcut is a reduced, yet faithful copy. The origin of the
house seems to be lost in fable; but, in the present day, it is usually
styled BISHOP LLOYD’S HOUSE, from the fact of that Cestrian prelate dying
about the date (1615,) carved on one of the panels, and from certain
coats-of-arms which decorate the front, bearing some analogy to the
bearings of his family. Grotesquely carved from the apex of the gable to
the very level of the Row, this house exhibits a profusion of ornament,
and an eccentricity of design, unattempted in any structure of the kind
within our knowledge. It is, indeed, a unique and magnificent work of
art. To say nothing of the designs in the higher compartments, it must
suffice here to state, that the subjects of the lower panels lay the plan
of human redemption prominently before the eye. In the first panel, we
have Adam and Eve in Paradise, in a state of sinless nudity; then comes
the first great consequence of the Fall, Cain murdering Abel his brother.
To this follows Abraham offering up his Son Isaac; typical of the “one
great Sacrifice for us all.” The seventh compartment has a curious
representation of the Immaculate Conception, whereby “Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners.” Ridiculous have been some of the
attempts of “Local Guide-makers” to arrive at the real meaning of this
design: some have gravely set it down as the “Flight into Egypt;” while
another and later “unfortunate” has sapiently pronounced it to be
“Susannah and the Elders.” The eighth panel symbolises the completion of
the great sacrifice, the Crucifixion of Christ, in Simeon’s prophecy to
the Virgin,—“Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own heart also.”
The three centre compartments contain the arms of the reigning monarch,
James I., England’s Solomon, as he was called,—the supposed arms and
quarterings of Bishop Lloyd,—and a Latin inscription, with the date 1615.
If it be true that
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,
then will this house, as a masterpiece of art, be an object of interest
and delight to strangers, “till time itself shall be no more.” We should
step up into the Row at this point, and scrutinise the indescribable
forms of men and beasts which ornament and support the oaken pillars in
front.
[Picture: Bishop Lloyd’s House, Water Gate Row]
A few steps lower down the Row is a passage or alley, communicating with
Commonhall Street, called _Puppet Show Entry_. This passage is chiefly
memorable as the scene of a most terrific explosion, which shook the city
like an earthquake, on the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, November
5th, 1772. A large room in this passage was fitted up as a sort of
Marionette Theatre,—a large audience had assembled,—the puppets were
going through their strange evolutions,—when, by some appalling
misfortune, eight hundred-weight of gunpowder lodged in a warehouse below
suddenly blew up with a tremendous report, killing the showman and
twenty-two others; eighty-three, besides, being more or less seriously
injured. In remembrance of that fearful calamity, this alley has been
ever since known as the _Puppet Show Entry_.
Where that new range of superior houses now stands, on the opposite side
of the street, was, until very recently, a fine old mansion of wood and
plaster, the city residence of the Mainwarings, a notable Cheshire
family.
Just below we have, upon the left hand, WEAVER STREET, anciently _St.
Alban’s Lane_, leading to the spot where the Church and _Monastery of the
White Friars_ in times past stood. Of this monastic establishment no
vestige remains, except a portion of the western wall, which is still
visible from Weaver Street. The spire of this Church, which was of noble
dimensions, served mariners as a landmark in steering their vessels up to
the Walls of Chester.
On the right side of Watergate Street is TRINITY STREET, in which is the
oldest dissenting chapel in the city. It was erected in 1700, by the
followers and friends of MATTHEW HENRY, the nonconformist, a learned and
earnest preacher of his day, and author of the celebrated “Commentary on
the Holy Scriptures” which bears his name.
Passing Trinity Street, we arrive at the Parish CHURCH of the HOLY AND
UNDIVIDED TRINITY, the first foundation of which is lost in remote
obscurity. So early as the year 1188, we find Walter, rector of this
Church, witnessing a deed relating to the Church of Rostherne, in this
county. Very little, if any, of the original Church now exists; the west
side is, perhaps, the most ancient portion of the structure, as it at
present stands. Prior to 1811, the steeple was surmounted by a handsome
spire, which, proving on examination to be in a dilapidated state, was
pulled down, and the present square tower substituted. The reason for
this change is not very obvious; perhaps there may have been bickerings
and dissensions in the vestry as to the relative cost of the two, and the
authorities thought it best to give up the _point_, in order to make
matters _square_. The advowson of the Church is vested in the Earl of
Derby, having previously belonged to the Norman barony of Montalt, one of
the titles created by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester.
The interior is worthy the inspection of the curious. Near the
south-west entrance is the baptismal font, by the side of which lies the
defaced effigy of a mail-clad knight, Sir John Whitmore by name,
representative in the reign of Edward III. of the Whitmores of
Thurstaston, a Cheshire family of knightly lineage and renown. This
monument was discovered in 1853, under a pew at the south-west end; the
face, hands, and knees, having been barbarously cut away, to suit the
flooring of the pew. In its perfect state, the monument must have been
one of the purest symmetry and beauty, and was evidently the work of an
eminent sculptor, the Westmacott or Gibson of his day. The legend runs
thus:—
Hic jacet Ioannes de Whitmore, qui obiit 3 kal. Octob. A.D. 1374.
A brass plate on the south side of the altar commemorates the burial of
MATTHEW HENRY, June 22nd, 1714. He who had during life been a rigid
nonconformist, at the “last sad scene of all” conformed to the faith of
his forefathers, and lies interred in the chancel of that parish in which
he had so long ministered as a dissenter.
The bones of another celebrity “lie mouldering here,”—Dr. Parnell, the
poet, Archdeacon of Clogher, who was buried in this Church, October 23,
1718. Other monuments of interest ornament (or shall we rather say
_deface_?) the pillars and chancel walls. In one of the western windows
are some remnants of ancient stained glass, and an obituary memorial, of
chaste design, has of late years been put up in one of the small east
windows of St. Patrick’s aisle.
A good view of Trinity Church is obtained from the end of Nicholas
Street, just opposite to that ancient hostelry, the YACHT INN. The YACHT
is, without exception, the most picturesque and curious of all our
Chester inns. Time was when it was the first hotel of the city, and even
now, “grown grey with long and faithful service,” lacks nothing that can
render it a fit home for the wayfarer, whom chance or design has brought
to the old city. Americans, who lust after the ancient and venerable,
and who delight in the rare timber houses of old England, will do well to
select snug apartments at the _Yacht_, for its host, Mr. White, is the
very impersonation of a true British Boniface. But the _Yacht_, apart
altogether from the qualities of “mine host,” and his well-filled cellar
of “Huxley’s Fine,” has other claims upon our attention. It was at this
house, then in the zenith of its glory, that the eccentric and witty Dean
Swift (who has not read his “Gulliver’s Travels?”) stayed, on one of his
journeys into Ireland. The Dean, being of a convivial turn, invited the
dignitaries of the Cathedral to a supper at the _Yacht_, but to his great
mortification not one of them appeared. Disgusted at this return to his
hospitality, the Dean scratched with his diamond ring on one of the
windows of this house the following distich, not over complimentary to
the church or the city,—
Rotten without and mouldering within,
This place and its clergy are both near akin!
So much for the _Yacht_. The CUSTOM HOUSE, immediately opposite, with
its low stuccoed front, has nothing to arrest the special notice of
visitors.
[Picture: Trinity Church, Yacht Inn, and Custom House]
NICHOLAS STREET, which branches off in a direct line towards the Castle,
has on the right hand a terrace of well-built, first-class houses,
extending as far as the corner of _Grey Friars_. From the circumstance
of every alternate house in this terrace being occupied by a doctor, it
has latterly acquired the appropriate cognomen of _Pill-box Promenade_!
Some distance up Nicholas Street, on the left hand, is ST. MARTIN’S
CHURCH, a humble brick building, erected in 1721, in the place of an
older structure dating back to the thirteenth century. St. Martin’s
parish has recently been united to that of St. Bridget, and the services
of this Church are now, in consequence, discontinued.
Moving along _St. Martin’s Ash_, as this locality is termed, past _Cuppin
Street_, where the Old Gas Works are situate, we obtain a good front view
of the new Church of ST. BRIDGET. This Church, or rather its
predecessor, stood originally at the other end of GROSVENOR STREET,
immediately opposite to St. Michael’s Church, and its foundation has been
by some ascribed to Offa, King of Mercia, in the eighth century. Be this
as it may, there are records preserved which establish its existence at
least as early as the year 1200. On the erection of the _Grosvenor
Bridge_, it was found that this Church stood exactly in the track of the
projected New Road, now called GROSVENOR STREET, and an act of parliament
was consequently obtained for its removal. The old Church was demolished
in 1827, and the grave-stones and bodies removed, where practicable, to
the new burial-ground adjoining the present Church. The first stone of
the new edifice was laid October 12, 1827, by Dr. C. J. Blomfield, the
present Bishop of London, who at that time presided over the see of
Chester. This structure presents outwardly none of the characteristics
of a Christian Church; and might easily be mistaken for some pagan
temple, rather than for one dedicated to the worship of the Most High.
Returning to Watergate Street, we see before us LINEN HALL STREET, called
formerly _Lower Lane_, from its being at one time the last street on this
side of the city. There is nothing to interest us in this street, which
terminates with _St. Martin’s in the Fields_, at the rear of the Gaol,
and General Infirmary. So late as the sixteenth century, there was at
the further end of this street an ancient Church, quoted in old deeds as
the _Church of St. Chad_, but the place thereof is now nowhere to be
found.
Lower still down Watergate Street, is LINEN HALL PLACE, where the Chester
CHESS CLUB holds its meetings, and where players of every country and
clime are sure of a hearty and welcome reception.
Nearly opposite to this Place, up a narrow, inconvenient passage, is a
house which invites and eminently deserves our notice and admiration.
This house is styled indifferently the OLD PALACE, and STANLEY HOUSE,
from its having been originally the city palace or residence of the
Stanleys of Alderley, a family of note in the county, and now ennobled.
This is an elaborately carved, three-gabled house, and is perhaps the
oldest unmutilated specimen of a timber house remaining in the city, the
date of its erection being carved on the front,—1591. The sombre dignity
of its exterior pervades also the internal construction of this
house,—the large rooms, the panelled walls, the oaken floors, the massive
staircase, all pointing it out as the abode of aristocracy in the olden
time.
[Picture: The Old Palace, or Stanley House]
From hence to the WATERGATE is little more than a stone’s throw; but on
the left is the handsome city residence of H. Potts, Esq., representative
of a family long and honourably connected with the county. This house
and the locality round occupy the site of the ancient _Monastery of the
Black Friars_, where the black-cowled faithful ‘fasted and prayed’ down
to the period of the Dissolution, but of which scarcely any traces, save
the fragment of a wall, are now discernible.
The passage to the right leads to STANLEY PLACE, near which, in 1779, a
Roman Hypocaust, and the remains of a house, also of the same remote
period, were discovered. Such portions of these remains as escaped the
ruthless pickaxes of the workmen, were removed to Oulton Park, and now
ornament the museum of its present worthy owner, Sir P. Grey Egerton,
Bart., M.P. for the county.
Beyond the Watergate are PARADISE ROW, overlooking the ROODEYE,—and the
two CRANE STREETS; beyond which we are introduced to that fabulous
existence of modern days,—the PORT of Chester. Time was when we might
have tuned our harps to a different key, but now, alas! we can only
lament the fallen condition of our ancient port, and the wretched
indifference of those ‘high in authority,’ who by their senseless apathy
in past days have brought the maritime trade of Chester to its present
lifeless and ignominious state. This is a sore subject; so we will at
once retrace our steps to the Cross, and in the next chapter continue our
perambulations through the city.
CHAPTER VII.
Bridge Street.—Ancient Crypt.—The Blue Posts and the Knave of
Clubs.—Roman Bath.—Grosvenor Street.—New Savings Bank.—The
Cemetery.—Curzon Park and Hough Green.—The Port of Saltney.—St. Michael’s
Church.—St. Olave’s Church.—The Gamull House.—St. Mary’s Church.
HEIGHO! After our bootless lamentation over the deceased Port of
Chester, it is refreshing to return once more to an atmosphere of life
and activity.
Turning our faces towards the south, we have before us BRIDGE STREET,
another of the four great Roman roads of the city. Here again we see the
Rows,—those strange old Rows!—threading their tubelike course along both
sides of the Street. The one upon the right hand is called the _Scotch
Row_, from the merchants north of the Tweed ‘clanning’ together there,
during the two great FAIRS, held annually at Chester from time
immemorial. It should be remembered that, except at these privileged
times, none but freemen were permitted to trade within the city; whence
is to be attributed the large concourse of foreign tradesmen to these
once important Fairs. Since the downfall of this monopoly, the _Scotch
Row_ has become a desert wilderness, so far as business is concerned; but
it will still serve as an admirable index to the stranger of what the
Rows of Chester were a hundred years ago. The street fronts of the
houses in this Row are more than ordinarily diversified,—the square red
brick, the everlasting gable of every shape and size, the stately
bow-window, and the ponderous, overhanging Dutch fronts, all flaunting
their pretensions within this circumscribed space. Previous to 1839, no
special archæological interest attached to this locality; but in that
year while excavating for a warehouse behind the shop of Messrs. Powell
and Edwards, cutlers, a discovery was made which at once set all the
antiquaries of Chester “by the ears.” The late Rev. J. Eaton, Precentor
of the Cathedral, an architectural authority in his day, made the
following Report upon this ANCIENT CRYPT, as it is called, for the use of
the proprietors. To these gentlemen, and particularly to Mr. Edwards,
the representative of the firm, the public are deeply indebted for their
intelligence and courtesy, in not only preserving intact this relic of
the past, but also for so readily affording admission to the structure:—
“The lower parts of several of the houses in the four principal
streets of Chester exhibit indubitable signs that they have been
built on the remains of the religious buildings with which, prior to
the Reformation, this city abounded.
“The ancient Crypt discovered by Messrs. Powell and Edwards is of an
oblong form, running from east to west. The following are its
dimensions, viz. length, forty-two feet; breadth, fifteen feet three
inches; height, from the surface of the floor to the intersection of
the groinings of the roof, fourteen feet. This Crypt was partially
lighted through the upper part of the west end, in which there are
three small windows, divided by stone mullions, and protected by iron
bars. The upper part of the groining on the centre window appears to
have been cut away to admit of more light. On examining the
intersection of the groins, marks were discovered from the lead on
the stone-work, that a couple of lamps had been used for lighting.
The entrance to the east end is by a flight of steps cut out of the
rock to the height of three feet. On the south side is an
Anglo-Norman-Gothic doorway, which is attained by three or four
semicircular steps, and forms an outlet within its inner and outer
wall by another flight of steps to the surface above the building.
In a niche on the south side of the window is a font in excellent
preservation.
“The architecture is Anglo-Norman-Gothic, and the groins are of the
third class of groining, which came into common use about the year
1180, and was succeeded in the next class of groins in the year 1280,
so that if we date this roof as being erected about the year 1230, we
shall not be far from the era of its real construction.”
Messrs. Powell and Edwards make no charge for admission: we must not
omit, therefore, ere we pass out from the _Crypt_, to drop a stray piece
of silver into the hat of the _Blue Coat Boy_ who stands modestly at the
door. Charity is seldom ill-bestowed; but here we have the special
privilege of contributing, in however slight a degree, to the gratuitous
education of the orphan and the friendless.
The Row upon the left hand is the one most frequented, forming a junction
at right angles with Eastgate Row, before described. In the sixteenth
century this Row was distinguished by the name of the _Mercers’ Row_,
from the predominance here, probably, of that most enticing class of
tradesmen. The love of dress and finery was evidently, even in those
days, woman’s chief besetting sin!
A little way down this Row was an ancient tavern, called the _Blue
Posts_, supposed to be the identical house now occupied by Mr. Brittain,
woollendraper. In this house a curious incident is stated to have
occurred in 1558, which tradition has handed down to us in the following
terms. It appears that—
“Dr. Henry Cole, Dean of St. Paul’s, was charged by Queen Mary with a
commission to the council of Ireland, which had for its object the
persecution of the Irish protestants. The doctor stopped one night
here on his way to Dublin, and put up at the _Blue Posts_, then kept
by a Mrs. Mottershead. In this house he was visited by the mayor, to
whom, in the course of conversation, he related his errand; in
confirmation of which he took from his cloak bag a leather box,
exclaiming in a tone of exultation, ‘Here is what will lash the
heretics of Ireland!’ This announcement was caught by the landlady,
who had a brother in Dublin: and while the commissioner was escorting
his worship down-stairs, the good woman, prompted by an affectionate
regard for the safety of her brother, opened the box, took out the
commission, and placed in lieu thereof a pack of cards, with the
_knave of clubs_ uppermost! This the doctor carefully packed up,
without suspecting the transformation; nor was the deception
discovered till his arrival in the presence of the lord deputy and
privy council at the castle of Dublin. The surprise of the whole
assembly, on opening the supposed commission, may be more easily
imagined than described. The doctor, in short, was immediately sent
back for a more satisfactory authority; but, before he could return
to Ireland, Queen Mary had breathed her last. It should be added
that the ingenuity and affectionate zeal of the landlady were
rewarded by Elizabeth with a pension of £40 a-year.”
The first street we meet with on the right hand is COMMONHALL STREET, so
called from the _Common Hall_ of the city having been at one time situate
there. This hall of justice stood upon the south side of the street, and
close to those venerable-looking almshouses still situate there. It had
previously been the _Chapel of St. Ursula_, which was founded there, with
an _Hospital_ for decayed persons, by Sir Thomas Smith, in 1532. The
Hospital of St. Ursula still weathers the storm, in those odd-looking,
tottering almshouses on the south side of this street. Lower down Bridge
Street, on the same side, is another break in the row, formed by
_Pierpoint Lane_, not now a thoroughfare, but through which went a
passage in olden time to the _Common Hall_, just referred to.
Scarcely so far down as this last-named lane, and on the opposite side of
Bridge Street, is a new and handsome range of buildings, erected in 1853
by Mr. Alderman Royle. On the higher side of these premises, and
adjoining the Feathers Hotel, exist a ROMAN HYPOCAUST and _Sweating
Bath_, of surpassing interest, and in a state almost as perfect as when
first erected. The following account of this “ancient of days” is the
result of a recent personal visit to the bath.
It consists of two rooms, considerably below the present level of the
street—the first being fifteen feet long, eight feet wide, and about six
and a half feet deep. The Hypocaust is of rectangular shape, about the
same size, but, except at the entrance, not more than half as deep as the
first chamber. It was originally supported by thirty-two square pillars,
two and a half feet high, and one foot in diameter at top and bottom:
twenty-eight of these pillars still remain. Brick tiles, eighteen inches
square, and three inches thick, surmount these pillars; and over these
are placed tiles two feet square, perforated here and there with small
holes, through which the heat ascended to the _sweating chamber_ above.
The sweating room, or Sudatory, was immediately over the Hypocaust, and
was fitted with seats for the bathers, who soon found themselves in a hot
perspiration. They were then scraped carefully with an instrument
constructed for the purpose, or else plunged into a cold water bath;
after which they were rubbed down with towels, anointed with fresh oil,
and then repaired to the tiring room: there they dressed themselves,
deposited their _denarii_ for the attendants, and then went their way,
having enjoyed a luxury which few but Romans had then learned to indulge
in.
As we have before stated, the buildings above and around have been only
recently rebuilt: but Messrs. Royle, the proprietors, with that
antiquarian zeal, and true public spirit, which have ever distinguished
them, took especial precautions to preserve, both from injury and
molestation, this curious relic of proud old Rome. Since the adjacent
premises have been rebuilt, the bath is much easier of access than it was
before; and visitors can now inspect these remains without any personal
sacrifice, either of cleanliness or comfort.
Lower down than the Roman Bath, there was, until recently, a break in
this Row, occasioned by a narrow lane, which leads up to the stables of
the Feathers Hotel. This inconvenience has now been obviated by a neat
wooden bridge, stretching across the passage from row to row; and we can
now walk along, without the slightest obstruction, till we come to St.
Michael’s Church.
The large and well-conceived street upon the right hand is GROSVENOR
STREET, capable, under proper management, of being made the finest street
of the city. It is flanked on the right side by WHITE FRIARS, formerly
_Foster’s Lane_, in which the Church and Monastery of that fraternity was
at one time situate.
[Picture: Grosvenor Street, and King’s Head Inn]
At the junction of White Friars with Grosvenor Street stands that
capital, well-conducted establishment, the KING’S HEAD INN. This is one
of those quiet, cosy-looking houses, in which, the moment a traveller
enters, he feels himself “at home;” and certainly, under the presidency
of Mr. and Mrs. Bedson, he will find that—“deny it who can!”—domestic
comforts are still to be enjoyed in an old English inn.
Some thirty yards up the street, on the right hand, is Cuppin Street,
before noticed; and nearly opposite to it, an old and narrow street
called _Bunce Lane_, leading off to St. Mary’s Church and the Castle.
Beyond, upon the same side, is an elegant structure of white freestone,
erected in 1853, from the designs of Mr. James Harrison, of this city, to
wit, the Chester SAVINGS BANK. The architecture of this building is of
the Tudor style; and the genius of Mr. Harrison has accomplished a work
which, while highly creditable to himself, is, at the same time, a
genuine ornament to the city. The clock turret at the north-west corner,
though it somewhat destroys the equilibrium of sight, yet, on the whole,
adds much of beauty to the general fabric. The clock, which works four
faces, and chimes the quarters on two melodious bells, was constructed by
Mr. Joyce, of Whitchurch.
The ordinary business of this Bank is conducted in two large rooms,
nearly twenty feet square, on the ground floor; over which a spiral
staircase conducts to the committee and lecture-room, a noble apartment,
forty-one feet long by twenty feet wide, lit on the north and west sides
by four handsome traceried windows. The panelled ceiling, and other
internal decorations of this room, are exceedingly chaste, and in happy
unison with its exterior character. The Bank was formally transferred
here from Goss Street in March, 1853. Here the poor and thrifty hoard up
their little savings; the shillings grow into pounds, and provision is
thus quietly, but surely, made against the rainy day. Let us never
despise the day of small things, remembering that the foundation of many
a rich man’s fortune has been laid with his first shilling deposited in a
Savings Bank.
On the right is St. Bridget’s Church; and from this spot we obtain a
capital view of the CASTLE, including the Grand Entrance, Shire Hall,
Barrack Square, and Julius Cæsar’s Tower. We have noticed the Castle
more particularly in our “Walk round the City Walls;” so we will now pass
on towards the Grosvenor Bridge, one of the modern wonders of old
Chester. From the parapet of this bridge we obtain a splendid view of
the Roodeye and river, as well as of the Viaduct and Railway Bridge in
the distance. This bridge has obtained an unenviable notoriety from its
having broken down with a passenger train, on May 24, 1847, precipitating
the whole of the carriages and passengers into the river below. By this
accident four persons were killed upon the spot, and very many others
more or less injured.
We are no sooner over the Grosvenor Bridge than we feel ourselves at once
out of range of the town, and breathing the fresh and balmy air of the
country. Bowers of trees are on either side of us, through which we can
see, upon our left hand, something which seems like unto a Christian
temple. The gateway we are approaching stands invitingly open; let us
therefore step in, and cast a quiet glance at the prospect around.
Despite the rose-clad lodge which guards the entrance, and the numerous
flowers and shrubs that everywhere greet the eye, we are at once struck
that this is a sacred scene, a royal domain of the grim King Death.
“Tread lightly,” then, all who would venture in hither, for assuredly
“this is holy ground;” and while we reverently scan the numerous
memorials of the departed lying scattered around, let us all prepare, ere
the day be too far spent, to follow them in peace and in hope to our last
earthly home. There are few but have, at some time or other, borne a
friend to the grave—perhaps even the soul and centre of their domestic
hearth; _our_ ‘household god’ lies peacefully _here_. To all such these
lines, coming thus from among the tombs, will lose nought of their
original force and beauty:
Forget not the Dead, who have loved, who have left us,
Who bend o’er us now from their bright homes above;
But believe, never doubt, that the God who bereft us
Permits them to mingle with friends they still love.
Repeat their fond words—all their noble deeds cherish—
Speak pleasantly of them who left us in tears;
From our lips their dear names other joys should not perish,
While time bears our feet through the valley of years.
Yea, forget not the Dead, who are evermore nigh us,
Still floating sometimes round our dream-haunted bed;
In the loneliest hour, in the crowd they are by us!—
Forget not the Dead,—oh! forget not the Dead!
The CHESTER CEMETERY, for such is the beautiful spot we are exploring,
seems as if formed by nature for the repose of the dead—all is so still,
so serenely still, within its halllowed sphere. Nature and Art have
alike combined to produce here a retreat worthy of the dead, and yet full
of beauty and allurement for the living; while on the lake below us
See how yon swans, with snowy pride elate,
Arch their high necks, and sail along in state;
In fine, the beautiful trees and shrubs, the serpentine walks, the rustic
bridges, the isle-dotted lake, the ivied rock-work, the modest chapels,
and, above all, the tombstones of chaste and mostly appropriate design
which meet us at every turn—all point out the Chester Cemetery as a
fitting refuge for all, who in serious mood would “commune with their own
hearts, and be still.” But we must not longer linger here, save to cast
a look towards the ancient city, the river, Castle, and the New and Old
Bridges, which from the north side of the Cemetery present to the eye a
varied and truly interesting panorama.
Opposite to the Cemetery, reached from the Grosvenor Road by a pretty
little suspension bridge, is CURZON PARK, the property of Earl Howe, and
upon which some handsome, aristocratic villas have been erected. It is
from Curzon Park whence that view of the city is obtained which figures
as the frontispiece of this “Guide,” and certainly from no point is old
Chester seen to greater advantage than from this elevated and commanding
locality.
Continuing our course from the Cemetery, we come to what we who live in
towns and travel only by rail, so seldom meet with—a
turnpike-gate,—through which we see the _Grosvenor Gateway_, to be
noticed more particularly hereafter. A road upon the left leads to
HANDBRIDGE and QUEEN’S PARK, and that upon the right to one of the most
thriving suburbs of Chester, HOUGH GREEN, and SALTNEY. Now, _we_ are not
troubled with a superfluity of grey hairs, yet do we well remember
SALTNEY when but two houses occupied the site of the present little town.
There was nothing heard _then_ of the _Port_ and _trade of Saltney_! But
since the cutting of the two great Railways which form a junction, though
not an alliance, at this spot, SALTNEY has rapidly risen in importance
and population. A large Ironworks and coal trade have been established,
new streets have sprung up, yclept severally Cable Street, Curzon Street,
Wood Street, &c., and the number of inhabitants is now computed at about
3000. The new Church, erected in 1854–5, comes scarcely within our
province, standing just beyond the boundaries of the city, which is here
separated only by a narrow lane from the Principality of WALES. Looking
at the rapidity with which building is going on at SALTNEY, and at the
causes which have induced it, we shall not go far wrong in predicting for
this ‘child of the old city’ a long future of commercial health and
prosperity.
Returning once more to BRIDGE STREET, we must pause awhile at ST.
MICHAEL’S CHURCH, standing at the north-east angle of this street and
Pepper Street. A Church existed here, in connexion with a Monastery of
the same name, almost coëval with the Conquest. In the year 1178, John
de Lacy, constable of Chester, whose ancestor Roger de Lacy had devised
the _Monastery of St. Michael_ to the Prior of Norton, gave a messuage
adjoining this church to the Abbot of Stanlaw. Two years afterwards,
viz., on Mid-lent Sunday 1180, this Church and monastery were, with a
large portion of the city, destroyed by fire; and Bradshaw the poet-monk
assures us, doubtless “on the best authority,” that if it had not been
for the virtues attaching to the holy shrine of St. Werburgh, the whole
city would have then “lain in dust and ashes!” He that hath faith enough
to remove mountains, let him swallow this also—_we_ are confessedly an
infidel. The _Monastery_ does not appear to have been rebuilt after the
Great Fire; but of the _Church_ frequent mention is made in old charters
and deeds. It has been several times rebuilt—the last time in 1849–50—so
that it is, at this moment, the newest ecclesiastical edifice in the
city. Mr. James Harrison, the architect of the Savings Bank and Music
Hall, furnished the plans and elevations for the present Church of St.
Michael.
[Picture: St. Michael’s Church, and Lecture Hall]
Perhaps the best view we can have of ST. MICHAEL’S CHURCH is from a
little way down Bridge Street, just opposite to that useful building, the
NEW LECTURE HALL. Chester has long stood in need of a room for such
purposes, moderate in dimensions, and conveniently situate; and Dr.
Norton, the proprietor of the new LECTURE HALL, has laudably ministered
to that want, by providing a public room admirably adapted, from its size
and situation, for popular lectures and musical entertainments. Our
illustration embraces a view both of the LECTURE HALL and of ST.
MICHAEL’S CHURCH.
Just behind where we have been standing is a curious relic of the timber
architecture of Chester—the Falcon Inn. A few yards higher up than the
Falcon, the street was for nearly two centuries blocked up by a
strange-looking timber building, erected by Randle Holme in 1655, called
the OLD LAMB ROW. While this house was in being it was the greatest
curiosity of its kind in the city; but in 1821, the decaying timbers
suddenly parted from their bearings, and the entire pile fell in with a
great crash, to the unspeakable relief of the pent-up thoroughfare, but
to the great chagrin and regret of the antiquary.
We are now descending LOWER BRIDGE STREET, which abounds, on either side,
with those queer-looking tenements, not to be met with in such numbers
and variety in any other city but Chester. Here is one with the date
1603, evidently the residence, in its earliest days, of some Cestrian
magnate long since “returned to his dust.”
But see! yonder rattles a bus, with a party from the station, down to
that first-class establishment, the ALBION HOTEL. This house has no
superior in the city; for while of handsome external proportions, its
interior arrangements have all been conceived with especial regard to the
comfort and convenience of visitors. The _Assembly Room_ is the largest
in the city; the other rooms are light and lofty; in short, under the
zealous superintendence of Mr. and Mrs. Chambers, none who once make
acquaintance with the ALBION will ever sigh for better or more
comfortable quarters. Behind the HOTEL are extensive pleasure-grounds,
as well as a verdant and spacious Bowling-green, to which there is a
carriage entrance from _Park Street_.
Only a step or two from the Albion, and on the same side, near the
residence of MR. SNAPE, the eminent dentist, is _St. Olave’s Lane_, so
named from the Lilliputian church, dedicated to that saint, at its
south-west corner. This Church dates back earlier than the Conquest.
The advowson in the eleventh century was vested in the Botelers or
Butlers; from whom it passed by gift of Richard Pincerna, in 1101, to the
Abbey of St. Werburgh. ST. OLAVE’S appears to have been always “in low
water,” a _starving_ rather than a _living_; for in 1393, on account of
its poverty, the parish was temporarily united with St. Mary’s. Down to
the seventeenth century, however, it eked out a precarious existence; but
after the close of the civil war, the ordinary services of the church
were discontinued for about a century; when they were again resumed,
until the final extinction of ST. OLAVE’S as a distinct parish, in 1841.
In that year the Church was finally closed, and the parish united to that
of St. Michael. The “powers that be” are fast allowing this ancient
structure to develop into a ruin.
[Picture: Lower Bridge Street, and Albion Hotel]
Opposite to St. Olave’s is CASTLE STREET; beyond which, up a flight of
steps, is a large tenement, of late years known as the _Boarding-School
Yard_. This was in the seventeenth century the mansion-house of the
Gamulls, a worthy Cheshire family; and here, on September 27, 1645, Sir
Francis Gamull (Mayor of Chester in 1634) lodged and entertained Charles
I. on his Majesty’s visit to Chester during the great Civil War. The
house is now divided into tenements; but several of the rooms still
retain evidence of their original splendour.
Still farther down, we have upon the left _Duke Street_, and on the right
_Shipgate Street_, through which, in old time, the citizens used to pass
by way of the Ship Gate, across the river, into Handbridge. It leads
also to St. Mary’s Hill; on the summit of which, half-embowered in trees,
we are introduced to the ancient Church of ST. MARY.
ST. MARY’S CHURCH is in all probability of Norman foundation; and is in
old writings termed indifferently _St. Mary’s of the Castle_, and _St.
Mary’s upon the Hill_, to distinguish it from the handsome Church of the
White Friars, which was also dedicated to that saint. Randle Gernons,
fourth earl of Chester, presented the advowson to the Monastery of St.
Werburgh; but shortly after the dissolution it was wrested from the dean
and chapter by that rapacious spoiler of churches and religious houses,
Sir R. Cotton, who afterwards sold it for 100_l._ to John Brereton of
Wettenhall. In this family it continued for about a century, when it
passed by purchase to the Wilbrahams of Dorfold. From them it came by
marriage to the Hills of Hough, whose representative sold it to the
father of the present Marquis of Westminster. Of no external beauty,
with a tower of miserably stunted proportions (so built in 1715, in order
that it might not overlook the Castle), ST. MARY’S CHURCH is nevertheless
well deserving a visit from all lovers of true ecclesiastical order.
Here is a Church which, when _we_ first remember it, was a disgrace alike
to the authorities and to the parish—choked up with galleries of hideous
shape and size—disfigured with pews of unsightly construction,—the walls
and ceilings buried in plaster, whitewash, and dust, and the monuments
and windows all alike in a state of ruin and decay. Let us step into the
Church, and survey the change which has been effected within a few short
years. We are no sooner inside, than we are at once convinced that this
is indeed the House of God, gradually, and, under the auspices of the
present worthy rector, _judiciously_ returning to its first estate, as a
seemly temple, worthy of the Most High. Here is none of that venerable
dust, that insidious mould, so painfully visible in other churches we
might mention; but everything we see, from the floor to the ceiling, from
the altar to the organ, is both correct in taste, scrupulously clean, and
in most beautiful, Church-like order. The Church consists of a nave,
with a clerestory of twelve lights, and a handsome panelled roof adorned
with Christian monograms and devices,—two side aisles,—two chancel
chapels, named respectively _Troutbeck’s_ and _St. Catherine’s_,—and a
spacious chancel, in which are some elaborately carved stalls and open
seats. So rapidly as stolid prejudice will admit, this uniform style of
seat will be adopted throughout the Church.
The monuments within the Church are of considerable interest. One there
is, in the north aisle, profuse in heraldic display, to the imperishable
memory of the four RANDAL HOLMES, local antiquaries and heralds of
considerable note, whose united Cheshire collections fill more than 250
MS. volumes in the British Museum. The third Randal was the author of
that extraordinary and scarce heraldic work,—the “Academy of Armory”
published in 1688. An elegant modern brass, and two altar-tombs of
curious workmanship, adorn St. Catherine’s Chapel, at the end of this
aisle. One of the latter remembers Thomas Gamull, Recorder of Chester in
1613, son of Edmund Gamull, aforetime Mayor of Chester, and father of the
celebrated royalist Sir Francis Gamull, who suffered sequestration of his
estates during the Usurpation. The recumbent figures of the Recorder and
his wife Alice appear upon the tomb; and at the feet of the lady kneels
their infant son, afterwards the loyal Sir Francis Gamull. Their three
infant daughters, holding skulls in their hands, and two elaborate
shields of arms, ornament the side of the tomb. A similar tomb near
bears the half-recumbent effigy of Philip Oldfield of Bradwall, dressed
in the costume of the period, with a long gown and ruff, and a roll in
his left hand. The figures of his four sons, each bearing a shield of
arms, support the slab on which he leans, and between them a painted
skeleton, in a similar attitude to the effigy, appears on the side of the
tomb. Two daughters kneel at his head, and these also bear shields, in
token of their marriage. Both these monuments are deserving the
attention of the curious.
One of the north windows, by the side of these relics, is filled with
stained glass. The east window also of this aisle, attracting the eye of
the visitor the moment he enters, has just been adorned with an obituary
memorial of intense national interest. Erected by public subscription,
this window commemorates the glorious deeds of the gallant 23rd Regiment
(Royal Welsh Fusileers) at the battles of Alma, Inkermann, and Sebastopol
in 1854–5. The 23rd is a regiment highly esteemed by the Cestrians, nay,
almost regarded by them as their own; and most of those brave spirits,
officers and men, who nobly fell “with their faces to the foe” on those
hard-won fields, had but a few months before regularly attended divine
service at ST. MARY’S CHURCH. The subject represented in the window is
Aaron and Hur holding up the hands of Moses, while the patriarch blesses
the warring hosts of Israel; for as we read, in Exodus xvii. ver. 11, 12,
“Moses’ hands were heavy, and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one
on the one side, and the other on the other; for it came to pass, that
when Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed, and when his hands fell
down, Amalek prevailed.” It is a pretty and appropriate subject for such
a memorial as this, implying the Christian Soldier’s dependence upon the
God of Battles!
The chancel, and Troutbeck chapel in the south aisle, also contain some
tasteful and appropriate painted windows, ancient and modern; and on the
south wall of the latter were discovered, a few years ago, some curious
remains of ancient mural painting, representing the _Crucifixion_ and
_Resurrection_ in curious juxtaposition with the figures of a _King_, a
_Bishop_, and the _red and white roses_ of York and Lancaster. The many
beautiful monuments once embellishing the Troutbeck aisle were destroyed
by the falling in of the roof in 1660. In bidding adieu to the church of
_St. Mary the Virgin_, we may confidently assert that “_ne vile fano_” is
the motto of Mr. Massie, the present rector, {77} for a neater and better
ordered church we have not yet met with in our tour through the city.
Once more returning to Lower Bridge Street, we have before us the
BRIDGEGATE, and two or three choice but eccentric-looking houses of the
wood and plaster type, as depicted in our engraving.
Passing under the BRIDGEGATE, by the DEE MILLS and OLD BRIDGE, we might,
if we chose, wander forth into HANDBRIDGE, were there anything in that
suburb deserving our especial notice. As it is, however, we will make
good our return to THE CROSS, and pursue, in the next chapter, our
peregrinations through the Streets of “rare old Chester!”
[Picture: The Bridge Gate]
The view here engraved affords a capital idea of the old timber houses
still glorifying the city; while we gain, at the same time, such a
prospect of the BRIDGE GATE as is not to be obtained from any other
point.
CHAPTER VIII.
Northgate Street.—Commercial Buildings.—The Rows.—The Exchange.—Music
Hall and Old Theatre.—Chester Cathedral.—St. Oswald’s Church.—The
Cloisters and Chapter-House.—Promptuarium, Refectory, and King’s School.
OUR tours of inspection have, so far, been all down hill; let us now,
then, take higher ground, and move glibly onward up NORTHGATE STREET.
Passing ST. PETER’S CHURCH, at the corner of the street, we come
immediately to that classic pile of white freestone—the COMMERCIAL
BUILDINGS AND NEWS ROOM, erected in 1808, from the designs of Mr. T.
Harrison, the architect of the CASTLE and of the GROSVENOR BRIDGE.
To this succeeds SHOEMAKER’S ROW, extending about a hundred yards along
the left side of the street. The Row upon the right hand used formerly
to be known as _Broken-shin Row_, from the rugged and uneven character of
the thoroughfare, and the manifest dangers that threatened the _shins_ of
those who ventured along it. Originally it is said to have been double
its present length; but modern innovation—that wolf in sheep’s
clothing—has here, as elsewhere, played terrible havoc with “ye good olde
citie.”
A little higher up than this latter-named Row, we may profitably turn
round, and survey, from this slight eminence, the lower part of the
Street we have just traversed, together with the curious architecture of
the houses in _Shoemaker’s Row_. The scene is a picturesque one, with
its oddly-carved beams and overhanging gables, which look as if ready to
fall down on the beholder. But in order more fully to impress it on your
memory, we present you farther on with a faithful sketch of NORTHGATE
STREET, as seen from this point.
Onward we go, until an open space upon our left introduces us to the
Market-Place of Chester’s famed city. The market for vegetables is held
in this area, with no other covering save the “bright blue sky;” but the
sale of fish is conducted in that airy looking building, which occupies,
we will not say _adorns_, the lower end of the Market-Place.
[Picture: Northgate Street]
But what is yon new-looking structure, overlooking the Marketplace?
_New_, did you say? Why, it is not very far from a couple of hundred
years since that building, the EXCHANGE, first delighted the eyes of the
old-fashioned citizens. True, the stone-work has been lately restored,
and the bricks newly pointed; but practically this is the same EXCHANGE
which, in 1698, was completed at a cost of 1000_l._,—Roger Whitley, the
then Mayor, being a large contributor. The statue embellishing yonder
niche on the south front is a graceful representation of Queen Anne, of
glorious memory, in her coronation robes,—a work which must have emanated
from no mean chisel. The superstructure of the EXCHANGE stood originally
upon four rows of stone columns, the ground floor being otherwise
entirely open; but in 1756, just a hundred years ago, owing to some
well-grounded fears for the safety of the structure, the lower tiers of
shops, &c., were erected, as an extra support to the fabric; the greater
portion of these are now occupied as police-offices, lock-ups, &c. On
the higher story are the _Assembly Room_, the _Pentice_ or _Council
Chamber_, and the spacious _Town Hall_. The _Assembly Room_ was a
popular resort in the last generation, when corporation feasts, redolent
of venison and primest turtle, were perpetually being discussed there;
but it is many a long day since these savoury viands graced the
aldermanic board. Oh, for the good old days! The winter Assemblies,
too, wont to be held here, are now transferred to more congenial quarters
at the Royal Hotel. The _Town Hall_, which is the _Common Hall_ of the
city, is a noble apartment, the walls ornamented with full-length
portraits of numerous city notables, among whom figure Recorders
Townsend, Leycester, Comberbach, and Williams; and Sirs Henry Bunbury,
and John Egerton, members for the city, of eminence in their day. Here
are held the Quarter Sessions for the city, official public meetings, and
the Elections for the city representatives in parliament. Immediately
beyond this room is the _Pentice_ or Council Chamber, where the mayor and
magistrates settle the accounts of the drunk and disorderly, and take
preliminary depositions in cases of felony, &c. This room, in which the
Mayor is also annually chosen by the Council, has on its walls
full-length portraits of George III., several members of the Grosvenor
family, and of William Cross, Esq., the first Reform Mayor of Chester.
Yonder series of large panels, contain portraits of Owen Jones, Offley,
and other famous benefactors to the poor of the city. In a room in Abbey
Square, the _City Records_, extending from the reign of the first Edward
to the present time, are wretchedly huddled together—we wish we could say
_preserved_; but surely the day is not far distant when a custodian of
these important documents shall be appointed by the Council,—one who
shall not only understand, but also _glorify_ his office; then will many
a dark epoch in the city’s history be unravelled, and many a fact
revealed which now lies hidden in the dust of obscurity.
[Picture: Exchange, and Markets]
Opposite to the EXCHANGE is SAINT WERBURGH STREET, down which we must
straightway roam, having a glorious treat awaiting us, in our
long-promised visit to CHESTER CATHEDRAL.
But before we set foot within the sacred fane, let us proceed a little
further, in order to examine yonder stately-looking pile, only just
completed,—to wit, the NEW MUSIC HALL. Perhaps no structure within the
city has undergone greater or more numerous changes of character than the
shell of the one we are now surveying. The first we hear of it is as the
Chapel of St. Nicholas, built, it is supposed, early in the fourteenth
century. About this time, we read that the monks of St. Werburgh (monks
were greedy dogs!), wishing to have the whole Cathedral to themselves,
transferred the parish Church of St. Oswald, then as now occupying the
south transept of the Cathedral, to this Chapel of St. Nicholas, which
latter had perhaps been built with that idea “looming in the future.”
But the parishioners and corporation repudiated the change, and after
much litigation recovered their old parish Church,—so the chapel of St.
Nicholas was speedily deserted. After being “to let” for some fifty or
sixty years, we next hear of it as the COMMON HALL of the city, removed
here from Common-hall Street in 1545. In this service it remained, the
arena of _law_, if not of _justice_ (for the two do not always go hand in
hand), until 1698, when the magisterial chair was removed to its present
resting-place in the EXCHANGE. The third phase in its existence was its
conversion into the warehouse of a common carrier, and into a mart for
the sale of _wool_; the name it then bore was the WOOL HALL. Again was
St. Nicholas the victim of transformation; for, at least as early as the
year 1727, the walls, which once echoed forth the sounds of prayer and
praise, were made to ring with the ribald jests of a common _playhouse_.
Thirty years afterwards, there were two Theatres open at one time in
Chester,—one _here_, and the other at the Tennis Court in Foregate
Street; but about 1768, the latter establishment was closed up, and its
“galaxy of talent” transferred to the Wool Hall. In 1777, the necessary
patent from the crown was obtained for the licensing of the premises, and
the Wool Hall forthwith developed into a THEATRE ROYAL. We will not stay
to run over the numerous “stars” which have from time to time graced this
theatrical firmament; it is enough to know that this “light of other days
has faded” away, and that, so far as this building is concerned, the
Chester Theatre exists only as matter of history. In 1854–5, the Theatre
was wholly obliterated, and the building in great part taken down; but
the massive buttresses and sidelight arches of the original
ecclesiastical structure were suffered to remain, and are yet plainly
visible upon the north and south sides of the building. And now comes
the last scene of the drama,—the scene we are now contemplating. On the
ruins of the fallen Theatre, and on the foundation walls of the ancient
Chapel of St. Nicholas, modern enterprise has raised a pile more in
unison with its first estate, and far more worthy its close proximity to
the Cathedral,—the NEW MUSIC HALL. The Hall has been erected from the
designs of Mr. James Harrison, architect, whose other important works
about the city we have already noticed. Its peculiar position, beset
with heavy private buildings on three of its sides, prevented much
attention being paid to the exterior; but the east front, being
comparatively free, has afforded Mr. Harrison an opportunity for
displaying his professional skill. Seen from the other end of St.
Werburgh’s Place, the handsome Tudor windows and porch of this front have
a rich and truly picturesque effect; our artist, however, has chosen a
nearer view, in order to give strength and definition to his sketch. In
addition to a refreshment room, ladies’ waiting and retiring rooms, and
other offices, the interior presents to us a large and noble hall, 108
feet long, 40 feet wide, and 50 feet high, capable, with its two handsome
galleries, of accommodating an audience of 1400 people. Its spacious
orchestra, adorned with an organ of superior excellence, by Jackson, has
ample room for 250 performers. The neatly panelled roof, resting upon
shafted cross-beams tastefully ornamented, gives to the CHESTER MUSIC
HALL a richness and elegance wholly unapproached by any similar room in
the city. The Hall is, in every respect, a credit alike to the architect
and to the city; and it is not too much to add that Mr. J. D. Williams,
the builder and decorator of the structure, has done his part of the work
faithfully and well. One man only was killed during the progress of the
works, by an accidental fall from the ceiling of the Hall. It was opened
Nov. 26, 1855, with a grand concert, at which Clara Novello and others
officiated.
[Picture: Music Hall, and Consistory Court]
And now for our long-deferred visit to the venerable CATHEDRAL. Turning
aside from the Music Hall, we pass a small gate, and are at once in close
communion with the south-west side of this massive structure. We can see
from this point, distinctly enough, the ancient cruciform character of
the edifice, that fittest symbolical form of a Christian Church; the east
end forming the choir and Lady Chapel,—the south transept the Parish
Church of St. Oswald,—the north transept almost unappropriated,—and the
west end the nave, into which latter we are now passing through a rich
and handsome Tudor porch. And here let us observe that, as our knowledge
of architectural detail is unhappily small, we must rely for our
descriptions on the “dogmatic teaching” of other and abler heads. But
first a word or two on the foundation and history of this fine old
CATHEDRAL.
Tradition avers that under the imperial dominion of pagan Rome, a temple,
dedicated to Apollo, occupied the spot now consecrated to the Triune God;
and that this temple had itself supplanted a still older fane of the
superstitious Druids. However this may be, it is an historical fact,
amply corroborated, that Wulpherus, King of the Mercians, who flourished
about A.D. 660, and Ermenilde, his queen, perceiving the attachment of
their daughter, St. Werburgh, to a religious life, built an Abbey at
Chester, for her and such other pious ladies who should, in like manner,
prefer a conventual life. To St. Peter and St. Paul this Saxon Abbey was
dedicated. St. Werburgh, being prioress or patron of three
Abbeys—Chester, Trentham, and Hanbury—died and was buried in the latter
edifice; but owing to the threatened incursions of the Danes, her sacred
relics were thence removed, two hundred years afterwards, to Chester, for
greater security, and lodged in the Abbey her royal father had founded in
her honour. About 907, Ethelfleda, Countess of Mercia, erected on the
same site a nobler Abbey, dedicated to her whose shrine then rested
there—the immaculate St. Werburgh. Thus matters remained for nearly two
centuries, when Earl Hugh Lupus, nephew and favourite of the Conqueror,
having lived a life of debauchery and excess, compounded for his sins by
the erection of an edifice larger and more splendid than the last,
founding there a Monastery of St. Bennet’s order, under the
superintendence of Anselm, then abbot of Bec, in Normandy, afterwards
Archbishop of Canterbury. A day or two before his death, Earl Hugh was
shorn a monk of the Abbey his own remorseful bounty had founded. Immense
possessions accrued to the Abbey, both from Hugh Lupus, the founder, and
from his successors in the earldom. Early in the reign of Edward I., and
in the abbacy of Simon _de Albo Monasterio_ (Whitchurch), the rebuilding
of the Abbey was commenced. It continued slowly to progress, under
succeeding abbots, for about two hundred years, and until Abbot _Simon
Ripley_ virtually completed, in 1492, the erection of the Cathedral as we
see it in the present day. Only fifty years afterwards, the foul blast
of destruction fell like an avalanche upon the monastic institutions of
Britain—Chester among the number. Bluff King Hal, that shameless
polygamist, in a fit of pretended religious zeal, dissolved all these
fraternities, and, pocketing the spoil, dealt out their lands to his
creatures with right royal munificence. True, he left us the _shell_, in
his new foundation of a Cathedral and Chapter; but he gulped up the
_kernel_ in the shape of the manorial possessions of the Abbey. John
Bird was the first peculiar Bishop of Chester; and Thomas Clarke
transposed himself from the last Romanist Abbot to the first Protestant
Dean of Chester.
Entering the CATHEDRAL by the South Porch, we find ourselves in the NAVE,
and close to a lofty chamber now used as the Consistory Court. Here are
tried, before the chancellor of the diocese, the validity or otherwise of
disputed wills, actions for slander, and other causes falling within the
province of ecclesiastical law. Beyond, and to the left of this Court,
near the baptismal font, is the great West Entrance of the Cathedral,
built during the energetic rule of the Abbot Simon Ripley. It was the
design of Ripley to erect two massive towers at this end of the
Cathedral, and the foundations of these towers are still existing there;
but owing to an unexpected “fall in the funds,” or to some other cause,
the original intention was never carried out.
The West Entrance, as we now behold it, has a large and magnificent
window of delicate tracery, recently filled with a series of designs in
stained glass, illustrating the final sentence of the Apostles’ Creed,
“The Resurrection of the Body, and the Life Everlasting.” In the centre
of the main opening, we have the “Appearance of our Lord to St. Mary
Magdalene in the Garden;” and beneath, “Our Lord’s Supper with the
Disciples at Emmaus.” The three lights south of the centre illustrate
the “Resurrection of our Lord,” above Whom are seen the Heavenly Host,
while below are the affrighted soldiers, the angel at the tomb, with the
apostles and holy women. In the three divisions on the north side is
depicted “Our Lord in Judgment,” surrounded by the patriarchs, prophets,
apostles, and saints: beneath is the Archangel Michael trampling upon
Satan, with groups of “the Just” on their way up to Heaven, accompanied
by guardian angels. The rich tracery overhead is filled with the
“Genealogical Tree of our Lord,” commencing with the reclining figure of
Jesse, and its branches spreading through more than one hundred openings,
finishing with the birth, death, and glorification of Jesus Christ. This
is a memorial window, erected by the widow of the Rev. P. W. Hamilton, of
Hoole, near Chester, and cannot fail to be an object of surpassing
interest to every visitor. It was designed and executed by Messrs. M.
and A. O’Connor, of London.
[Picture: West Entrance to the Cathedral]
The door being open, let us step out to the open air, and refresh our
eyes with a momentary glance at the WEST ENTRANCE OF THE CATHEDRAL. This
is, externally, the most beautiful remaining portion of this glorious
edifice. Time has, of course, been at work here, as elsewhere, gnawing
away at the old red sandstone; but there is still enough left to give us
an idea of its ancient beauty.
Forms of saints are meekly kneeling
The Cathedral door above:
the which door is a beautiful double Tudor arch of chaste design,
supported on either side by four canopied niches, once ornamented with
statuettes, but now fast going to decay. Over this is the great west
window of eight lights, the whole flanked by two fine octagonal turrets
with embattled parapets. Altogether, this front is a sight grateful to
look upon, but one eminently suggestive of the ephemeral character of all
things here below.
Returning to the Nave, we find at the head of the north aisle a flight of
stairs leading up through the arched doorway into the Episcopal Palace;
through this door the bishop ordinarily enters the Cathedral in his
robes. The external wall of this aisle is one of the most ancient
portions of the entire structure, being part of the Norman edifice of
Hugh Lupus. It has two doors, one at each end, opening to the east and
west walks of the CLOISTERS, of which more anon. The windows of the Nave
and of the clerestory above it, are all of the perpendicular character,
and throw a flood of dim religious light into the interior. There is but
one stained-glass window, and _that_ an obituary one, in the south aisle
of the nave. Numerous monuments deck the walls, and disfigure the
pillars of the nave, conspicuous among which are those to Dean Smith,
translator of Longinus, Thucydides, and other classic authors; also
memorials of the Mainwaring, Dod, Buchanan, Matthews, Ward, and Hilton
families. One in the north aisle to the memory of Captain John Moore
Napier, who died in India of Asiatic cholera, is worthy of special
remark, from the spirited and touching epitaph, written by his uncle,
that brave and gallant soldier, Sir Charles Napier, the veteran hero of
Scinde. It runs thus:—
The tomb is no record of high lineage;
His may be traced by his name.
His race was one of soldiers;
Among soldiers he lived, among them he died,
A soldier falling where numbers fell with him
In a barbarous land.
Yet there died none more generous,
More daring, more gifted, more religious.
On his early grave
Fell the tears of stern and hardy men,
As his had fallen on the grave of others.
True poetry this, albeit expressed in modest prose! The Nave is 160 feet
long, 74½ feet wide, and 78 feet high.
The following are the present dignitaries of the Cathedral:—
BISHOP—The Right Rev. John Graham, D.D.
DEAN—The Very Reverend Frederick Anson, D.D.
ARCHDEACONS.
Ven. Isaac Wood, Middlewich. Ven. John Jones, Liverpool.
CANONS.
Rev. James Slade, M.A. Rev. Thomas Eaton, M.A.
Rev. George B. Blomfield, M.A. Rev. Temple Hillyard, M.A.
HONORARY CANONS.
Rev. C. A. Thurlow, M.A. Rev. Hugh Stowell, M.A.
Rev. Hugh McNeile, D.D. Rev. William Cooke, M.A.
MINOR CANONS.
Rev. W. Harrison, M.A. Rev. R. M. Smith, M.A.
Rev. E. F. Thurland, Precentor. Rev. H. Venables, M.A.
Through an oaken door at the extremity of the north aisle, we pass into
the north wing of the Transept,—like the Nave, not appropriated to any of
the ordinary services of the church. The lower portion of its walls is
indisputably Norman work, as is evidenced by the seven-arched triforium,
which traverses midway its eastern side. A small doorway in the corner
of this wall leads up, by a spiral staircase, to the triforium and great
tower, as also to the clerestory gallery, which “threads its devious
course” almost wholly round the sacred edifice. The archway under the
great north window of the Transept conducts to the Chapter House and
Cathedral Library. Two monuments in this wing deserve our notice,—one to
the memory of Sir John Grey Egerton, Bart., sometime M.P. for
Chester,—and the other to Colonel Roger Barnston, of Chester, erected by
the subscriptions of his admiring friends and fellow-citizens.
Immediately over the monument of Sir John Egerton is placed a piece of
magnificent tapestry, copied from one of Raphael’s masterpieces,
representing “Elymas the sorcerer struck with blindness before Sergius
Paulus.” This is stated to have been brought over from a nunnery in
France, and, until the recent alterations, usurped the place of the
reredos at the back of the High Altar.
Thence returning to the Nave, we pass under the massive stone screen into
the CHOIR, and are at once filled with admiration of its noble
proportions, and of the taste and elegance which everywhere pervade it.
The great features of the structure we have hitherto examined have been
chiefly architectural, but here we are introduced to a scene in which all
the resources of human art have been brought to bear by the creature man
in honour of his Creator God. Look at this gorgeous canopy of ancient
oak, adorning and supporting the fine organ overhead—at that magnificent
range of Stalls, also of old oak, four-and-twenty on either side, crowned
with canopies of the richest tracery, no one stall a copy of the other—at
those pews of fairest form and choicest elaboration—at yon Shrine of St.
Werburgh, now the Episcopal Throne—at the handsome stone pulpit—at the
bold oak lectern, the eagle bearing upon his wings the glad tidings of
salvation—at the graceful Altar-screen and Holy Table—and at the
stained-glass enrichments of the two great east windows, through which
gleams the morning sun,
Dyed
In the soft chequerings of a sleepy light.—
As all these meet our wondering eyes, then do we awake to the
consciousness that this is the Lord’s House, and, as it richly deserves
to be, the Mother Church of the city and diocese. The seats of the
STALLS, or _misericordiæ_, are worthy of our inspection, every one
bearing some device different from its companions. The THRONE is
composed, in great part, of the pedestal on which rested, in Romish days,
the sacred relics of St. Werburgh,—those relics which, according to
Father Bradshaw, performed such great and astounding miracles. The
images surrounding it are supposed to be those of Mercian kings and
saints, to which royal line St. Werburgh belonged. The Throne has been
improved and raised some feet within the last fifteen years. The stone
PULPIT replaced an older one of monarch oak, which has since been
transformed into a long open seat for the Lady Chapel. The Communion
Table and its appointments are all in good taste; and the elegant stone
REREDOS, which divides the ALTAR from the Lady Chapel, is of exceedingly
chaste and appropriate character. The subjects in the east clerestory
window represent “Our blessed Lord between the four Evangelists,” over
whom are depicted five incidents in Christ’s career on earth,—the Agony
in the Garden—Jesus bearing His Cross—the Crucifixion—the
Resurrection—and the Ascension. The entire length of the CHOIR is 125
feet, breadth 74½ feet, and height 78 feet.
The north aisle of the Choir has one stained-glass obituary window, but
no other object of interest, save a few old monuments, and a vestry for
the Canons, the latter being a portion of the old Norman edifice. We
pass hence to the LADY CHAPEL, at the east end of the Choir, supposed by
some to be the oldest portion of the present re-edified Cathedral. It is
65 feet long, 74½ feet wide, including the side aisles, and 33 feet high.
The Chapel consisted originally of one central aisle only, the two side
aisles having been added at a later period. At the east end stood the
Shrine of St. Werburgh, until the Reformation saw it removed to the
Choir, and converted thenceforward into the Bishop’s Throne. The east
window of the Lady Chapel is embellished with stained glass of the
richest description—the subjects being severally, the Annunciation, the
Nativity, the Wise Men’s Offering, the Presentation in the Temple, Christ
disputing with the Doctors, the Baptism of John, the Water turned into
Wine, Healing the Lame, Walking on the Sea, Feeding the Multitude, the
Transfiguration, the Raising of Lazarus, the Entry into Jerusalem,
Washing the Disciples’ Feet, and the Last Supper,—the whole crowned with
symbolical figures of the Twelve Apostles. In this Chapel George Marsh
was condemned to be burnt for heresy in the days of Queen Mary.
The south aisle of the Choir and Lady Chapel has all its windows adorned
with stained glass, the one at the east end being an obituary memorial
for the late Hugh Robert Hughes, Esq., of the Bache, erected by his son,
inheritor from his uncle, Lord Dinorben, of Kinmel Park, Flintshire.
Obituary windows to the Humberston and Anson families, and two others
piously erected by the present worthy Dean, complete the adornment of
this aisle. Dean Anson has done more to beautify his Cathedral than all
his predecessors put together! Under an indented arch in the east wall
recline the dust and ashes of one of the abbots of St. Werburgh, the slab
adorned with a cross _floree_. In the centre of this aisle stands an
altar-tomb, once built into the wall of the Sedilia. This tomb tradition
assigns to Henry IV. of Germany; but it appears that monarch died and was
buried in his own dominions: other and better authority surmises it to be
the tomb of one of the later abbots.
From this aisle we pass into the south wing of the Transept, time out of
mind appropriated to the parish CHURCH OF ST. OSWALD. So early as the
ninth century, a Church existed here, independent of the Abbey; but on
the enlargement of the latter in the thirteenth century, St. Oswald’s
became incorporated with the Abbey, as its southern transept. This was
the Church, the functions of which were transferred by the monks to St.
Nicholas Chapel, now the MUSIC HALL; but the parishioners could not
forget their first love, and soon wormed their way back again to St.
Oswald’s. The Church contains some handsome monuments, worthy the
attention of the visitor.
Crossing the nave, we see opposite to us a door, introducing us to the
CLOISTERS of this once powerful Abbey. The arch we are now passing under
is a Norman specimen of exceeding purity; and disfigured as it has been
by modern _improvements_, yet affords a high degree of interest to the
intelligent antiquary. The CLOISTERS once formed a quadrangle of 110
feet square; but the south portion has almost entirely disappeared, the
bases of some of the pillars alone remaining. The east walk has a
doorway leading into the CHAPTER HOUSE, through a vaulted Vestibule of
great architectural beauty. These two apartments were the favourite
places of sepulture of the puissant Norman earls, as well as of the
earlier abbots of the Monastery. In the Chapter House, which is a noble
building of the twelfth century, are deposited the Cathedral Library, as
well as some vestiges of antiquity found within the Abbey and its
precincts. Of these, a part of the stone coffin of Abbot Simon Ripley,
and a Roman red sandstone inscription found near the present Deanery, are
the most prominent and interesting. Over the door hang two
bullet-tattered flags, once belonging to the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment. A
passage beyond the Chapter House leads, by the Maiden’s Walk, into the
Abbey Court; and a doorway at the northwest corner to the Dormitory, now
totally destroyed. A beautiful Norman chamber runs along the side of the
western walk, and is variously designated the Promptuarium and _Abbot’s
Hall_. This apartment, although an engraving of it appeared in Ormerod’s
“History of Cheshire,” was but little known to Chester antiquaries until
the year 1849, when this city was honoured with a visit from the British
Archæological Association. A vast amount of rubbish, the accumulation of
centuries, at that period blocked up the chamber; but the greater part of
it was removed at the expense of the Association, and an able paper
delivered on the subject, by Mr. Ashpitel, at their Chester Congress.
That gentleman pronounced it to be the _Promptuarium_, or _Buttery_ of
the Abbey; but a room, originally 105 feet long, seems of undue
proportions for such a purpose. Mr. W. F. Ayrton, Secretary of the
Chester Archæological Society, with greater apparent probability
conceives it to be the _secunda aula_ of the Monastery, such as we find
described in the charter of Henry VIII. Here it was that audience was
given to strangers and dependants, and where friends of the abbot were
temporarily entertained during their visits to the Monastery.
The wall of the obliterated south walk, notwithstanding the cloister
itself is ‘no more,’ is yet not without interest to the real lover of
antiquity. Two rude arcades of late Norman work stretch along this wall,
the arches of which mark the place of sepulture of four early abbots of
the foundation. Some of the bases of the pillars once supporting the
roof of the south walk are still visible on the Preese, or Cloister
Green.
Returning to the north walk, we pass thence, under a richly ornamented
arch, into another apartment on the right hand, now and for three
centuries past occupied as the GRAMMAR SCHOOL of the Cathedral. Few
portions of the conventual buildings are so little known to visitors as
the one we are now entering,—few will so amply repay their inspection as
will this, the ancient REFECTORY of this once famous Monastery. Time
was,
And a gay time it was then, O!
when this noble apartment, the _Frater House_ of the Abbey, re-echoed
with the sounds of feast and revelry,—when the monks of St. Werburgh, and
their privileged friends, discussed, in joyous mood, the good things of
this life, dished up to them from the kitchens and buttery of the Abbey.
Fancy how the tables groaned with the savoury venison and other titbits
from the granges of the abbot,—with the products of their favourite
kaleyards and fisheries,—and their wines and liquors brought from beyond
sea,—and say, if you think these degenerate times can show aught to equal
those palmy days! After all, though
Many have told of the monks of old,
What a saintly race they were;
Yet ’tis most true that a merrier crew
Could scarce be found elsewhere.
For they sang and laughed,
And the rich wine quaffed,
And lived on the daintiest fare.
And the Abbot meek, with his form so sleek,
Was the heartiest of them all,
And would take his place, with a smiling face,
When the REFECTORY bell would call;
And they sang and laughed,
And the rich wine quaffed,
Till they shook the olden hall!
Say what you will of the austerities supposed to belong to the monastic
life, those recluses of old lived a life as jolly, as careless, and as
free, as the gayest of us in this 19th century! Yonder, at the head of
that staircased recess in the south wall, is the ancient Oratory, from
which one of the ‘knights of the cowl’ daily ‘said grace,’ and pronounced
a classic oration, while his brethren were at meals in the spacious hall
beneath him. Oh, what a sight for carnal eyes like his to dwell and
gloat upon! But we must not soliloquise. The Fratry, or Refectory, in
the days we are describing, was of nobler dimensions even than now; for
it then extended some twenty or thirty feet farther westward, and was
doubtless shorn of its fair proportions at the time the present road was
constructed from the Abbey Square. This room, which is 98 feet long and
34 feet high, has a range of six pointed windows on the one side, and
four on the other, and had once an eastern lancet-shaped window of
considerable beauty. Of the window of the present day we forbear to
speak; simply let us hope that the hour is at hand, when so hideous an
abortion of all that is “chaste and beautiful in art” shall vanish from
the scene, and be replaced by a window worthy of the apartment it was
meant to adorn! The steps leading up to the Oratory communicated
originally with the DORMITORY of the Abbey, which prior to the present
century occupied the higher range of the eastern cloister, but has now
entirely disappeared.
At the Reformation, when King Henry VIII. transformed the Abbey into a
Cathedral, he founded here, in the thirty-sixth year of his reign, a
GRAMMAR SCHOOL for twenty-four boys, and endowed it with a Head Master,
and numerous privileges, some of which it was _our_ lot, twenty years
ago, personally to share. The history of the School, and of the many
Cheshire worthies educated within its walls, would furnish matter for a
distinct treatise, and it is not improbable that such may one day appear
from our humble pen. For the present, then, we will retire from this
scene of our boyhood’s delight, and ascending the range of steps near the
entrance door, emerge from the “bosom of our spiritual mother” at a point
very close to the head of Abbey Street.
CHAPTER IX.
Abbey Square, Deanery, and Palace.—The Abbey Gates.—Chester Markets, and
Abbot’s Fair.—Northgate, and old City Gaol.—St. John’s Hospital and Blue
School.—Newtown, and Christ Church.—Railway Tunnel.—St. Thomas’
Chapel.—Training College.
THE smell of sanctity yet fresh upon us, let us now continue, as best we
may, our peregrinations northward.
Yonder, at the lower end of this Street, we catch a glimpse of the WALLS;
and, turning ourselves about, take a rapid look at ABBEY SQUARE (the only
Square old Chester can boast!) with its DEANERY and BISHOP’S PALACE,—the
former occupying the site of the ancient CHAPEL OF ST. THOMAS, nay,
resting indeed on the foundations of that sacred edifice. The latter is
a gloomy-looking pile of red sandstone, erected by Bishop Keene in 1753;
but within it have resided as goodly a fellowship of mitred heads as ever
graced the episcopal bench. Markham, Porteus, Cleaver, Law, Blomfield,
Sumner, and last not least, Graham, our present amiable diocesan, have
each in turn found here their house and home.
But what is this massive and substantial structure, under which we are
now passing,—so massive and strong as almost to have defied the ravages
of time? Behold in it the principal GATEWAY of the ABBEY, an imposing
edifice even in this our day, but one which had seen the meridian of its
splendour ere Harry the Eighth, hypocritical Harry! sacrilegiously sealed
and decreed its doom. In those, its halcyon days, few gates indeed might
“stand between the wind and its nobility;” for ‘regal pomp and lordly
retinue’ sought ever and anon a welcome here. And not in vain: for as we
have already shown, when once its ponderous doors moved back to give them
ingress, the tables of the Refectory and the _bonhommie_ of the monks
never failed to sustain the hospitable character of the Abbey. Look up,
through the gloom, at the solid masonry of this ancient pile, and at the
admirable groining which supports the superstructure;—gingerbread
architecture was all unknown in those mediæval times! On the west side
of the archway, we can still see the rust-coated staples, on which, three
or four centuries ago, swang the oaken gates of the Abbey. Times have
changed; and the hoary old porter, with his shaven scalp, and keys of
‘trewyst steele,’ has flitted away from the scene, while the tide of life
now flows freely, and without obstruction, ’neath this venerable Gate.
Here, in 1554, it is traditionally said that GEORGE MARSH, a ‘champion
for the glorious truth,’ was first imprisoned, preparatory to his trial
and martyrdom at the stake. And why,—what evil had he done? What was
“the height and might of his offending?” Simply this,—that “after the
manner that man then called heresy, so worshipped he the God of his
fathers.” The _heretics_ of one age are not unfrequently the _saints_ of
another; and certain it is that the memory of Marsh and the faith he died
for, gained rather than lost by those Marian fires! Not long afterwards,
if not indeed before, this structure was turned into the Episcopal
REGISTRY; and here are deposited, in its well-kept archives, the ‘last
wills and testaments’ of all who have died, and ‘left aught to leave,’
within the scattered limits of this widespread diocese. The beautiful
condition and systematic arrangement of these important records put other
and similar Offices terribly to the blush, and are in the highest degree
creditable to the zeal and ability of the present Registrar, Henry
Raikes, Esq. {96} Half a century or so ago, the then deputy registrar
was one Mr. Speed, a Joseph Andrews in his way, though scarcely perhaps
so free from guile as that immaculate hero. Now it so happened that a
frail daughter of Eve had found her way into Master Speed’s domain,
probably to administer to some _will_ in his possession, or for divers
other “urgent private affairs.” While thus engaged, a party from without
required Mr. Deputy’s assistance; so locking the lady in the inner
office, he turned to attend to his unseasonable visitor. Mademoiselle,
finding herself immured, in so “wilful” a manner, in this dusky prison,
and having the remembrance of MARSH and his martyrdom in her mind, became
seriously alarmed. Having however, like most women, a “_will_ of her
own,” she threw open the window which looks into Abbey Square, and
springing out of it like a zephyr, quietly allowed herself to descend,
buoyed up by her flowing garments, to the ground below! Some waggish
artist has perpetuated the event in a characteristic sketch, displaying
the “flight of the descending angel;” to which another sarcastic genius,
the late Mascie Taylor, Esq., added this couplet:—
Since women are so fond of men,
With _Speed_ she will fly up again!
Let us now pass on.
Leaving behind us the ABBEY GATE and its bygone associations, we are once
more in NORTHGATE STREET, and may stay to cast “one withering glance” at
those melancholy-looking buildings on either side, the FOWL, BUTTER, and
BUTCHERS’ MARKETS of the city. Hideous as specimens of architectural
taste, destitute of convenience or comfort in use, furthermore heavy and
cheerless to look upon, these Markets have, of themselves, nothing to
rivet the attention of the sightseer. But the ground they stand on was
in old time an open area; and here, from the time of the great Hugh Lupus
to the glorious advent of the Reformation, did the monks of St. Werburgh
hold their annual FAIR at the great feast of that saint. It was during
one of these fairs that Earl Randle was besieged in Rhuddlan Castle by
the Welsh, when attempting the subjugation of those Cambrian
mountaineers. The Earl, perceiving the nice pickle he was in, despatched
a messenger to De Lacy, his constable at Chester, a “ryght valiaunt
manne,” who, rushing into the Fair, presently collected to his standard a
“noble army of fiddlers” and drunken musicians—the “tag, rag, and
bobtail” there assembled—and with these he forthwith set out to the
relief of his beleagured lord. The Welsh, who had previously felt sure
of their prey, seeing the immense host approach, and hearing withal the
terrible discords of “harp, flute, sackbut, psaltery, and other kinds of
music,” reasonably enough concluded that Bedlam was let loose; and with
that doubtful sort of valour sometimes nicknamed discretion,
precipitately took to their heels, and so raised the siege. The Earl
returned to Chester at the head of his victorious minstrels, and
immediately chartered the holding of this Fair with numerous privileges
and immunities, granting to the brave De Lacy, and to his heirs for ever,
the licensing of and custody over the “Minstrels of Cheshire;” which
prerogative was regularly exercised by his descendants, until the middle
of the last century. So much for the ABBOT’S FAIR, and the bloodless
“fight of the fiddlers;”—we may now “fair”-ly enough continue our course
of inspection.
Proceeding direct north, we come to another postern, now ruinated, the
mere arch itself alone remaining. This is the _Little_ or _Higher Abbey
Gate_; and from it, in days past, ran the wall of the Monastery in a
direct line southward to the Great ABBEY GATE; the wall itself has now
given way to a row of shops and other valuable buildings.
Nearly opposite to the _Little Abbey Gate_, retiring somewhat from the
street, stands a neat, modern-built house; in the courtyard of which we
may see a handsome piece of statuary, purchased by a former proprietor at
the close of the French War: it represents the British Lion,
With tail erect and aspect terrible,
trampling majestically on the Eagle of France,—typical of the overthrow
of the first Napoleon. Little did the sculptor suppose, when he proudly
chiselled ‘that angry mane, and tail of grim defiance,’ that the Lion and
the Eagle would so soon be united in such friendly bonds, nay even
fighting, side by side, the almost unaided battle of right against might,
justice against oppression! If that classic group had to be sculptured
anew—
Such are the strange mutations of the world,—
the prostrate Eagle might haply bear an additional head, emblematical of
the ruthless despoiler of Finland, the Caucasus, and Poland!
In a step or two we are passing the higher end of _King Street_, formerly
_Barn Lane_, at the corner of which stands an ancient hostelry, yclept
the “Pied Bull.” Here again we have before us the degenerate type of
those strange old Rows, which so filled you with amaze in our earlier
rambles. There can be no doubt that, originally, these wondrous piazzas
ran continuously along the four great streets of the city, except where
they verge upon the confines of the Abbey; but these isolated portions
are gradually disappearing before the “march of improvement.” Doctors
differ, alas! in Chester, as elsewhere, about the actual wisdom of this
aforesaid “march!”
Again we move onwards, passing under a substantial arch of white stone,
referred to in our “Walk round the Walls” as the NORTHGATE of the city.
While the other three Gates were vested, by serjeantship, from time
immemorial, in various noble families, this, the _porta septentrionalis_,
as anciently belonged to the commorant citizens. Prior to 1808, when the
present arch was erected, the NORTHGATE, if we may credit the engravings
handed down to us, was a miserably effete and incongruous erection. What
made it appear more so was the Gaol, or common prison of the city, which
occupied a great part of the space around, above, and below it. A prison
existed here from the earliest period; it is quoted in documents of the
Norman earldom, and was at the time of its demolition a terrible specimen
of legalised corruption—an establishment defying even the besom of a
Howard to purge or purify. The city sheriff here saw execution done on
all criminals capitally convicted within the county; here again the
unfortunate debtor got “whitewashed,” and relieved of his “little odd
scores;” and here were practised those “tortures thrice refined” which
might put even the Great Inquisition to the blush. Far away from human
gaze, fathoms deep in the solid rock, were chambers hewn, dreadful to
survey, horrifying to think upon. Of these, two bore the distinguishing
titles of “Little Ease,” and the “Dead Man’s Room.” The latter was the
spot where condemned criminals awaited their execution, and was “a dark
stinking place” in which snakes and other venomous reptiles gambolled at
discretion. The “Little Ease,” as we read from a contemporary work, “was
a hole hewed out in a rock; the breadth and cross from side to side was
seventeen inches from the back to the inside of the great door; at the
top seven inches, at the shoulders eight inches, and at the breast nine
inches and a-half; with _a device to lessen the height_ as they were
minded to torture the person put in, by drawboards which shot over across
the two sides, to a yard in height, or thereabouts.”
In those blissful times when Oliver Cromwell ruled England with an iron
sceptre, these two “pleasantly situated furnished apartments” were in
great request by the Barebones magistracy; and it is matter of record
that,
Locked in their cold embrace,
numerous unoffending, peaceloving Quakers endured the rod of persecution
for conscience sake. And yet, forsooth, _those_ were your oft-vaunted
days of civil and religious liberty! Away with them all, say we! The
Gaol, with its attendant miseries, has gone, but the dungeons we have
pictured abide there still, beneath the ground we are now standing
on,—though filled up, it is true, and for ever absolved from their
ancient uses.
Having just passed _under_ one arch, we are now walking _over_ another
which spans an abyss formed by the deep cut of the Ellesmere and Chester
Canal. Yon little parallel archway, a few yards to the westward of us,
is the _Bridge of Death_,—the path along which the felons about to die
usually went to receive the “last consolation of the church” in the
Chapel of St. John, on the opposite side of the gulf.
[Picture: Northgate, and Bluecoat Hospital]
Pass we on once more for a few yards, and then turning round, a prospect
awaits us the very similitude of that depicted in our engraving. To the
left we have the NORTHGATE, and portion of the WALLS—those rare old
Walls!—while the foreground to the right is occupied by that useful
charitable institution, the BLUE-COAT HOSPITAL. For centuries prior to
the great Civil War there stood, on this site, a venerable asylum,
founded by Randal, Earl of Chester, for “poore and sillie persons,” under
the name of the HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. In the reign of Edward
III., a jury of free citizens was sworn to report on the “vested rights”
of this house, and the verdict these worthies returned was this:—
“That there ought to be, and have accustomed to be, in the said
Hospital, three chaplains to say mass daily—two in the church, and
the third in the chapel—before the poor and feeble sustained in the
said Hospital; and that one lamp ought to be sustained at mass every
day in the said Hospital, and to burn every night in the whole year;
and that thirteen beds, competently clothed, should be sustained in
the same Hospital, and receive thirteen poor men of the same city;
whereof each shall have for daily allowance a loaf of bread, a dish
of pottage, half a gallon of competent ale, and a piece of fish or
flesh, as the day shall require.”
Not bad fare this for the thirteen brethren, “poore and feeble,” who,
from all we can judge,
Must have gone to bed merry (as who could fail),
On their foaming “half-gallons of competent ale!”
Thus matters sped with this thriving community for several hundred years;
and even at the Reformation, when other and similar institutions
foundered in the gale, St. John’s Hospital appears to have weathered the
storm. It might, indeed, have retained until now its original position,
had not England got entangled in that horrid Civil War. Then it was
that, with characteristic loyalty, the men of old Chester declared for
the king—then it was that the suburbs of the city became a ruinous
heap—and that this venerable Hospital was razed to the ground, lest it
should serve as a cover for the artillery of the enemy. But the city,
which had so bravely withstood one foe, had, like the Kars of our own
day, to succumb before another; for famine at length achieved what the
deadly cannon had failed to accomplish! The tale of the SIEGE has
already been told; suffice it then to say, that order and the monarchy
being once more restored, the site of the Hospital, and the lands
belonging to it, were granted by Charles II. to Colonel Whitley, and at
his death to the Mayor and Corporation of Chester, as permanent
custodians of the charity. How the Corporation abused their trust, and
mismanaged the Hospital; how they sold its estates, and squandered the
proceeds; and how, after all, “like leeches satiate with evil blood,”
they had to disgorge their plunder, is, we can assure you, a very pretty
story, which we might tell, if we chose, but we are mercifully inclined.
A BLUE-COAT HOSPITAL was established in Chester in 1700, under the
auspices of Bishop Stratford; and, seventeen years afterwards, the
liberality of the citizens erected in its service a “local habitation,”
on part of the site originally occupied by the Hospital of St. John. But
bricks and mortar, like everything else, will not last for ever; so the
old premises having gone to decay, benevolence has again put its shoulder
to the wheel, and, in 1854, restored the fabric in the handsome manner we
now behold it. That graceful little statue over the doorway—a portrait
of one of the “Blue Boys”—is a study from the life by Richardson, of
London. There are thirty-one scholars on the foundation, all clothed,
fed, boarded, and educated at the cost of the charity; besides which,
there is a probationary or “GREEN CAP” SCHOOL, from which those who have
“attained the purple” are usually selected.
As for the “thirteen brethren, poore and feeble,” of the original
foundation, their number, which, from causes already hinted at, had
dwindled down to six, has recently been restored,—their cottages at the
rear of the Blue School rebuilt, and fitted with every convenience,—while
each brother and sister now receives an allowance of ten shillings per
week. Thus, thanks to Lord Brougham and his charity commissioners,
thirteen poor souls—
From chilling want and guilty murmurs free,
here rest their aged limbs; and as they, in turn, go down peacefully to
the grave, others will step into their shoes, to the perpetual honour of
the HOSPITAL OF ST. JOHN, and of its Norman founder, the good Earl
Randal.
The steep lane running westward from the Hospital is CANAL STREET,
leading down to the canal, and the “banks of the Dee.” You don’t care
about going down there, just now? Very well, then, we’ll refrain; but,
uninviting as it seems at first sight, a ramble upon the Navigation Cop,
at the first flow of the tide, is an enjoyable sort of treat, as you’ll
find if you have time to avail yourself of it.
Nearly opposite to the Blue School is GEORGE STREET, anciently called
_Gorse Stacks_, a wider and more commodious street than the last, leading
away to the Cattle Market and Railway Station, as also to the populous
and increasing suburb of NEW TOWN. We can remember this locality when it
was little else but green pasture—the _Lion’s Field_ we believe it was
called—but how changed is it now! its verdure has fled,—it is country no
longer; for the once open fields now swarm with innumerable homes of men!
Near the bottom of ST. ANN STREET, the oldest and still principal street
of this suburb, stands CHRIST CHURCH, a neat little cruciform structure,
with diminutive spire, and small lancet-shaped windows, erected in 1838,
to meet the spiritual wants of this growing neighbourhood. The Church
has sitting accommodation for about 600 worshippers.
Proceeding along UPPER NORTHGATE STREET, we soon reach Egerton House,
formerly a seat of the Cheshire family of that name; but recently
converted into a first-class ladies’ school, under the efficient
management of the Misses Williams. Stay here an instant, for we are just
over the TUNNEL of the Chester and Holyhead Railway, which science, art,
and convenience have combined to make the great highway between England
and Ireland.
A little farther on, and our street branches off in two almost parallel
directions,—the way upon our right being the old coach road to Birkenhead
and Liverpool, and that upon our left—but stay! we are travelling a
“leetle” too fast, for we haven’t quite done with our present _locale_.
Before us stands a lofty house, crowned with a lanthorn-shaped
observatory, and at present the residence of Mr. Fletcher. It occupies
the site of an older house, called at different periods _Green Hall_ and
_Jolly’s Hall_, destroyed before the Siege of Chester, for the same
reasons which dictated the fall of other portions of the suburbs. This
house, again, had usurped the place of an older tenant of the soil; for
here was situate the CHAPEL and CEMETERY of ST. THOMAS À BECKET, founded,
no doubt, soon after that prelate’s murder and canonisation in 1170.
This Chapel gave name to the manorial court in connection with the Abbey,
to which jurisdiction the tenants of the Cathedral are even now subject.
Until lately, the bailiff of the Dean and Chapter held his annual court
for this manor in the Refectory (now the King’s School), impanelling his
jury from among the Cathedral tenants, who, by that “suit and service,”
acknowledged the prerogative of this ancient court. Now let us pass on
along the roadway to our left.
What is this Elizabethan building we are so rapidly approaching? Surely
this has no antediluvian tale to tell—no musty connection with mediæval
times? No, truly: here we have a creation of the present age—a noble
institution,—one which, from its character and objects, deserves at least
some notice at our hands. This is the DIOCESAN TRAINING COLLEGE, the
same building we saw and admired at a distance, in our “Walk round the
Walls.” Erected mainly by public subscription, in 1842, from the designs
of Messrs. Buckler, of London—established for the training and qualifying
of masters for the Church Schools of the diocese,—presided over by the
bishop, and more immediately by the talented principal, the Rev. Arthur
Rigg,—this institution “pursues the even tenour of its way,” by annually
preparing a number of young men fitted for the duties of parochial
schoolmasters—men firmly attached to the Church of their forefathers, and
able to impart to those intrusted to them the blessings of a sound,
religious, and useful education.
The COLLEGE has a resident principal and vice-principal, the former, Mr.
Rigg, having held his appointment since the first starting of the
project. In its infancy, and while the present handsome edifice was in
building, the COLLEGE for awhile “hid its light under a bushel” in some
dreary-looking premises in Nicholas Street, but was removed hither in the
autumn of 1842. In addition to the ordinary details of scholastic
training, the students are instructed in various branches of manual
labour; they are taught how “to handle the chisel and the saw, the
mattock and the spade.” They have on the premises a blacksmith’s
forge,—at which they manufacture all their own implements and
tools;—turners’ lathes, steam-engines, lithographic presses, power looms,
and a host of other appliances, are at the mercy of the “happy family;”
and it is wonderful to see to what proficiency these amateur craftsmen
attain,—and all, be it remembered, during their intervals of leisure from
more important duties. Subordinate in some measure to this “school for
school-masters,” there is also a Lower School, upon the ground floor, for
the children of the poor. Here the incipient masters in turn officiate,
and gradually learn, under the superintendence of their worthy chief, the
practical duties of their responsible profession. Under the same
paternal roof exists another school, more private and commercial in its
character and aims, under the special eye and control of the principal,
for the sons of the higher and middle classes of society. Of this latter
arm it is sufficient to say—
And higher praise ’twere hard to give,
Unjust to offer less,—
that it is conducted on the same scale of intelligence and liberality
which distinguish the other main branches of the institution.
Some years after the building of the COLLEGE, a Chapel was erected at the
south-east corner, for the use of the students; and a chaste little
edifice it is, inside as well as out; worthy—if aught here below, indeed,
_can_ be worthy—of the holy purpose for which it was designed,—the
glorious worship of the triune God. The internal fittings and
decorations, which are many and beautiful, are almost wholly the work of
the industrious students; and, while honourable to their taste in design,
reflect the highest credit as well upon their hearts as on their hands.
Beyond, and to the right of the COLLEGE, stands the Cheshire COUNTY
LUNATIC ASYLUM; but, this being without the confines of the City, is, by
the same token, beyond our pale.
We have now reached the extent of our wanderings northward, for a narrow
brook, a short distance away, determines the limits of the city
jurisdiction; so, bidding “a long, a last farewell” to the Chester
COLLEGE, and to the enchanting prospect its site commands, we will
return, nothing loth, to the heart of the city, and to those ravishing
chops so anxiously awaiting us at our own hotel.
CHAPTER X.
Llwyd, the Welsh Antiquary.—Chester Fair.—Tennis Court and Theatre.—The
Justing Croft.—The Bars.—Steam Mills.—Ragged Schools.—Boughton and St.
Paul’s Church.—The Spital and George Marsh.—Roman Altar.—St. John Street,
and Mechanics’ Institution.—Roman Catholic Convent.—St. John’s Church and
Ruins.—Jacob’s Well, and the Anchorite’s Cell.—The Groves and the Dee.
WHAT a strange old place this CHESTER of ours is! As we retrace our
steps under the NORTHGATE and the WALLS, we seem as if roaming through a
city of the middle ages; so oddly does everything around us arrest our
attention, and “excite our passing wonder.” Those overhanging gables,
with darksome pathways burrowed out beneath them, and whose builders were
subjects of “Good Queen Bess,”—those two rugged Gateways still marking
the course of the old Abbey wall,—the crumbling Abbey itself, more
venerable still, and incomparably “richer and rarer” to look upon; these,
and yon marvellous Rows, which nobody has ever seen, or ever can see,
anywhere but in Chester, afford us ample subjects for contemplation until
we arrive at the EASTGATE.
The first street we come to on leaving the Gate is ST. JOHN STREET; but,
the good old rule of “first come, first serve,” must for once be set
aside, since we intend to reserve the locality for the close of the
present chapter.
Just opposite to St. John Street, is Bank Place; the house at the top of
which was long the residence of Richard Llwyd, the Bard of Snowdon, and
the author of “Beaumaris Bay,” a zealous, amiable, and intelligent Welsh
antiquary. The poet died here in 1835.
Moving away eastward, then, past the end of FRODSHAM STREET, already
noticed on our way from the RAILWAY STATION, we discern, upon our left, a
long passage, leading up to the COMMERCIAL HALL; and, on the right, a
heavy block of buildings, one hundred and sixty feet long by ninety-two
feet wide, rejoicing in the name of the UNION HALL. These Halls were
erected, the former in 1815, and the latter in 1809, by the Lancashire
and Yorkshire merchants, who used formerly to inundate the city with
their wares during the continuance of the two great Chester Fairs, in
October and July. When first built, these “marts of foreign commerce”
were always thronged at the privileged season with both buyers and
sellers; but the world is wiser than it was; and even the Cestrians have
discovered that one of the worst things they can buy is “a pig in a
poke;” and that their own tradesmen sell articles every whit as cheap and
as good as did those itinerant pedlars.
[Picture: Eastgate]
Not far from the Union Hall is the old _Tennis_ or _Ball Court_, where
Perm the Quaker once preached to his admirers, and which was afterwards
occupied as a THEATRE, until the perversion of St. Nicholas’ Chapel (now
the MUSIC HALL) to the like use. Here the productions of “rare Ben
Jonson,” and the “immortal Will,” together with the minor frivolities of
Congreve, Cibber, and Vanbrugh (the latter of whom is claimed as a native
of Chester), were doled forth to the patrons of “the legitimate drama.”
Chester is now destitute of a Theatre; but whether it has suffered
materially by the loss, shall be left, so far at least as we are
concerned, an open question.
A little farther, upon the left hand, lies QUEEN STREET; its higher or
northern portion being anciently known as the _Justing Croft_. Beyond
the mere name, history has bequeathed us no record of this spot; but,
though England’s bard has tritely enough exclaimed—“What’s in a name?”
there is something in _this_ one of more than ordinary significance. It
is clear that at one time this was the mimic field on which the youthful
chivalry of Chester wielded the lance, battle-axe, and sword; that this
was the proud arena where, after their return from the wars of Palestine
and of France, the belted knights of Cheshire tried a friendly lance with
each other, in the presence of their assembled sweethearts and dames; and
here, at “tilt and tourney,” met the would-be champions of their county,
the Calveleys, the Dones, the Egertons, and the Cholmondeleys, and,
mayhap, too, the Grosvenors, the Warburtons, and the Leghs. We could
weave—but we won’t, for our time is getting short—a page or two of
romance about this once favourite haunt. Let us hurry away, then, first
casting a glance at two Chapels in this street—opposition establishments,
but near neighbours withal,—the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPEL, lately transformed
into a Cathedral; and the larger and much handsomer meeting-house of the
Calvinists, or INDEPENDENTS.
Once again in Foregate Street, we are soon at the head of LOVE LANE; why
so named is a mystery; at all events, its mission of love is now confined
to the manufacture of _tobacco-pipes_. At its eastern corner is a
handsome house, with spacious area in front, until lately the city
residence of the Barnstons of Crewe Hill, a Cheshire family of high
lineage and repute. In the area before this house, March 19, 1804, the
colours were presented to the _Loyal Cheshire Volunteers_, by the lady of
Colonel Barnston, commanding officer of the corps. The house is now
converted into the AUCTION MART of the Messrs. Churton, the knock of
whose professional hammer vibrates at intervals through its noble rooms.
Onward again past SELLER STREET, and the Octagon Chapel, where the
Reverend John Wesley once preached, we are not long arriving at a steep
road upon our right hand, called _Dee Lane_, running down to the river
side. Near the head of this lane stood an ancient Gateway, stretching
right across the main street, bearing the name of THE BARS. From a
curious plan of the city in the reign of Elizabeth, this Gateway appears
to have had a circular turret on either side; but no trace of these
remained at the time of its demolition in 1770. From the Bars extended,
to the left and right, the outer line of fortifications which encompassed
the city during the period of the SIEGE.
Once clear of the Bars, we have passed into Boughton, having Russell,
Steam-Mill, and Stevens Streets, all upon our left hand. STEAM-MILL
STREET, anciently _Horn Lane_, derives its present name from the large
STEAM CORN-MILLS of Messrs. Frost and Sons, occupying the whole of the
northern portion of the street. This is a mammoth establishment,
employing a large number of hands, and has been long and successfully
carried on by the present proprietors. The premises were destroyed by
fire in 1834. Close to these Mills flows the CANAL, on the opposite side
of which we have a prospect of another hive of industry, the LEAD WORKS
and SHOT TOWER of Messrs. Walker, Parker and Co., already noticed in our
earlier rambles.
Returning to the main street, we soon arrive, through “poverty, hunger,
and dirt,” at _Hoole Lane_, the corner of which is now embellished with a
neat little structure, known as the Chester RAGGED SCHOOLS, for the use
of those tattered little specimens of humanity ever found about the
streets of all populous towns.
The Street widens out at this point, disclosing, upon our left hand,
RICHMOND TERRACE, a row of handsome suburban residences with neat gardens
in front, overlooking the Dee and the Welsh side of Cheshire,
A prospect fair, of river, wood, and vale,
As ever eye could wish for!
The declivity on the right is called _Gallows Hill_, from its being of
old time the place where malefactors paid the sad penalty of their
misdeeds. But what is this white conventicle-looking edifice which
crowns its heights? Surely it is the refuge of some Mormon
congregation—the temple, perchance, of some pagan fanaticism? Nay
verily, good sirs,—assuage your indignation, for this is a Church of your
own communion, a sort of Chapel of Ease to the parish of St. John. The
architect was “abroad” when this building was designed; for one less
becoming the outward character of a Church it is impossible to conceive.
It is dedicated to ST. PAUL, and was opened for divine worship in 1830.
Some twenty or thirty yards farther the road divides in twain—that upon
the left being the great highway to Nantwich and London in the days when
“_flying_ machines” went hence to the metropolis in _a couple of
days_!—the disciples of Watt are now ready to convey us thither in six or
seven hours! The right-hand road would lead us to Whitchurch and
Shrewsbury, if we wanted to go there; but we have not yet done with “rare
old Chester.” This little plot of land on the right is extra-parochial,
forming part of that ancient Hospital for _Lepers_, the ancient
lazar-house of St. Giles. In the ’SPITAL, as it is now by corruption
called, George Marsh was burnt for his firm adherence to the Protestant
faith in the days of Queen Mary; and in the little Cemetery of this
Hospital, near which we are standing, his calcined remains now quietly
rest “in sure and certain hope.”
Beyond this lies the township of GREAT BOUGHTON, and a Chapel, once
presided over by the Rev. P. Oliver, a somewhat celebrated nonconformist
divine. Near this Chapel, in 1821, a Roman Altar was dug up, in splendid
preservation, and about four feet high, bearing the following
inscription:—
NYMPHIS ET FONTIBUS
LEG. XX. V.V.
the which, being translated, would in English read thus—“To the Nymphs
and Fountains, the 20th Legion, the invincible and victorious.” So much
for BOUGHTON, and its past and present condition; we will now retrace our
steps to the head of ST. JOHN STREET.
Moving rapidly down this street, leaving behind us the POST OFFICE, and
the entrance to the Blossoms Assembly Room, we pause before a house on
our right-hand, approached by a flight of steps, and having a lofty
stuccoed front. This is the MECHANICS’ INSTITUTION, and is consecrated
to the instruction and healthy amusement of that important class of
society whose name it bears. In addition to a Library, comprising
several thousand volumes, this Institution enjoys the advantages of a
News-Room, liberally supplied with the leading daily and weekly papers;
together with sundry classes for the special behoof and instruction of
the members. During the summer months also, members have the right of
free admission to the WATER TOWER MUSEUM, which we described at some
length in our “Walk round the Walls.” What a marvellous fact it is, that
with these benefits within their reach so few mechanics, comparatively,
avail themselves of this, _their own_ Institution!
Beyond this lie the Schools and minister’s house of the Wesleyan
Methodists, divided only by a path to the Walls from the WESLEYAN CHAPEL
itself. The principles of Wesleyanism found their way into Chester as
early as 1760, the first congregation being held at a house in Love Lane.
Fifteen years afterwards, the Octagon Chapel in Foregate Street was
erected for them, and continued to be their place of worship until the
completion of the present edifice in 1811.
But what is there to see within those large folding-doors at the bottom
of St. John Street? Are any _Roman remains_ to be met with in there?
Yes, indeed; but far different, in every point of view, from those we
have hitherto been exploring. This is a _noli me tangere_ domain; for
the elegant mansion and grounds of DEE HOUSE have recently developed,
’neath the double enchantment of money and zeal, into a CONVENT of Nuns.
Of the constitution and management of this veiled religious order we are
not competent to speak, our sympathies being allied unto quite another
creed: but from the specimens we have seen flitting noiselessly about the
streets, we may but little expect to hear any of them singing—
Oh, what a pity such a pretty girl as I
Should be pent in a Nunnery to weep and to cry.
Let us leave then these recluses to the quiet enjoyment of their
lot,—whether it be the nursing of the sick, the feeding of the hungry, or
the schooling of the ignorant children of their communion,—and, “pursuing
the even tenour of our way,” move quickly forward along LITTLE ST. JOHN
STREET. The little row of Almshouses erected by Mrs. Salmon in 1738—the
premises of Messrs. Royle and Son, builders—and the resuscitated fabric
of ST. JOHN’S HOUSE, almost destroyed by fire in the summer of 1855, will
each in their turn salute us on our progress, until the eye rests subdued
before the silent grandeur of the CHURCH OF ST. JOHN.
ST. JOHN’S is the only Church with any pretensions to antiquity now left
to the city outside the Walls,—the minor fanes of St. Thomas, St. John
the Less, and St. Giles, having each disappeared ’neath the hand of the
destroyer during the great Civil War. In Roman and early Saxon times the
land to the southeast of the city, on both sides the Dee, was most
probably a forest—the home of the wild deer, the fox, and the wolf—the
genius of civilisation finding ample field for employment within the
Walls. In those latter days, Ethelred, son of Penda, being king over
Mercia, and withal an amiable and pious prince,
Myndynge moost the blysse of Heuen,
journeyed towards Chester, on a visit, it may be, to his virgin niece,
the holy St. Werburgh, then Abbess of Chester. While there, we are told
that, being admonished by God in a vision “to build a Church on the spot
where he should find a white hind,” the king and his nobles engaged in
the chace, and straightway coming upon a white hind at this very place,
the royal hunter, in 689, founded and erected the Saxon CHURCH OF ST.
JOHN THE BAPTIST. A more beautiful site for the erection of such a
Church could scarcely have been chosen. Seated on an eminence
overlooking the river Dee,—the rock it rests on washed by a stream of far
nobler proportions than the river of _our_ day,—its banks studded with
primæval woods, above which, and far beyond, the peaks of the Cambrian
hills just showed their giant heads,—the yet nearer mountain ranges of
Beeston and Peckforton,—the city itself, engirdled by the Walls of their
Roman predecessors,—such was the prospect that gladdened the eyes of the
good King Ethelred and the chaste Werburga, as they watched the progress
of their newly-founded Church.
What were the actual dimensions of the Saxon ST. JOHN’S is now, and must
ever remain a mystery;—whether any and what portion of the present
edifice may be properly referred back to that remote age is, in like
manner, doubtful. There are, however, many who believe, like ourselves,
that much of the older work, here and there perceptible, belongs to a
period anterior to the Norman conquest. The brothers Lysons, (no mean
authority, you’ll say) pronounce much of the nave and east end of the
church to be late Saxon work—portions, no doubt, of the structure
re-edified by Leofric, Earl of Mercia, in 1057. Originally the steeple
was in the centre of the Church, at the point where the transept
intersects the nave; but in or about 1468, it suddenly gave way, and
destroyed in its fall great part of the choir and east end of the Church.
This tower was soon after rebuilt, and another erected at the west end of
the nave:—the former again fell in 1572, and this time the parishioners
declined to restore it. The west steeple shared a similar fate in 1574,
destroying the whole of that extremity of the fabric. Look up, from our
present position at the Gateway of the Churchyard, and the effects of
this mishap will be at once apparent,—the steeple, one hundred and fifty
feet high, stands isolated from the main body of the Church, that portion
broken in by the fall having since been suffered to remain so by the
authorities of the parish. If we pass round to the west side of the
tower, we shall see midway a canopied niche, in which stands the statue
of the abbot king Ethelred, caressing at his side the “white hind” of his
vision. This statue originally decorated the centre tower; but being
found _miraculously unhurt_ amongst the heap of rubbish created by that
structure in its fall, was removed by the parishioners to its present
lofty and dignified position. This steeple enjoys a set of eight
peerless bells, by far the most melodious of their kind in the city. Six
were cast in 1710, and the other two in 1734, having replaced an older
peal, which existed here at least as early as the reign of Henry VII.
Doubtless, therefore, during the great Civil War, when the news of a
royalist victory reached the ears of the loyal citizens,
Merrily, merrily rang the bells,
The bells of St. John’s church tower.
And “merrily, merrily” ring they still, as the bridal procession issues
from the porch, as well as on days of public rejoicing—whenever, in fact,
loyalty, love, or patriotism need their witching strains. So much for
the outside of ST. JOHN’S CHURCH,—now for a hasty glance at the interior.
Passing through the “old church porch,” adorned with an arch of most
beautiful character, the mouldings of which spring from little delicately
formed shafts, we enter the sacred edifice at its north-western
extremity. Here a prospect awaits us enough to disgust even an out and
out Puritan. Hideous galleries of giant build, through which the light
of heaven can scarcely find its way,—long rows of high wooden boxes, by
those in authority facetiously termed pews!—curtains of green
exclusiveness, separating the rich from their brethren the poor—such,
alas! are our first impressions of this venerable Church! With such
incentives to drowsiness, no wonder the parishioners are so sleepy about
their Church, and so painfully apathetic about its much-needed
restoration!
Threading our way, so well as we can in the gloom, to the bottom of the
centre aisle, we now begin to see, despite these grievous drawbacks,
something of the original glory and magnificence of this ancient fabric.
Following the line of sight eastward, we feast our eyes on the massive
pillars and horse-shoe arches of the Saxon, or it may be early Norman
architect:—noble ideas of strength and symmetry had the builder of those
days! Above these, the double Triforium of later work stretches along
the whole length of the Nave, giving to it an elegance and variety
claimed for no other sacred edifice in Cheshire. Originally the Nave was
just double its present length, boasting eight of those massive
semicircular arches on either side, of which four only now remain,—the
other four vanished ’neath the crash of the western steeple.
Having arrived at the east end of the Nave, we find ourselves standing
between the four lofty piers which, previous to its demolition, supported
the great central tower. At this point the transept divides the nave
from the choir, and though shorn of its fair proportions by modern
reparations wholly devoid of taste, yet contains enough of the original
work to give us an idea of its ancient grandeur. Eastward lay the
Choir,—now for the most part in ruins, and shut out from the present
Church by an interpolated window of very moderate pretensions. The space
beneath this window, once part of the choir, has now become, consequent
on these alterations, the Chancel of St. John’s.
To the right of the Chancel is another horse-shoe arch of very early
work, disclosing, behind, a “fayre chappell,” once the burial place of
the Warburtons, an ancient Cheshire family. A fine sketch of this
Chapel, in his own masterly style, will be found in that now scarce work,
Prout’s “Antiquities of Chester.” The floor is strewed with a number of
incised slabs, discovered at various periods in the church or churchyard:
three of these have been illustrated by Mr. Boutell, in his valuable
works on the history of Christian Monuments. On the opposite side of the
Chancel rests a sculptured slab, bearing the recumbent effigy of an
ecclesiastic, robed in the chesuble and other priestly vestments of the
thirteenth or fourteenth century. The slab, which is somewhat defaced,
and without inscription, was found, in December 1855, some feet below the
surface, on removing the house on the east side of the porch. This is
the third or fourth relic, of a similar character, rescued from
destruction by the intelligent zeal of the present rector, the Rev. W. B.
Marsden. To the left is the Vestry; and near by, ignominiously stowed
away in a corner, lies the crosslegged figure of a warrior, of the
twelfth century perhaps, clad wholly in mail, and supposed to represent a
redoubtable hero of the Carrington family. Close beside, but totally
unconnected with it, lies another incised slab, commemorating one of whom
all we know is that inscribed on the stone itself, “HIC JACET JOHENNES LE
SERJAUN.” Most modern “Guide”-mongers have ignorantly supposed the
mailed figure adjoining to be this _Johennes le Serjaun_; but this is an
error, for the two relics were dug up in different parts of the
churchyard! Numerous other monuments, of more or less interest, lie
scattered around; but as we are now arrived at the north chancel door, we
will bid adieu to the interior of ST. JOHN’S, and again emerge into the
open air.
In the graveyard before us, to the left of what was originally the
extreme north of the Transept, stood until the last century an ancient
house, called the _Woolstaplers’ Hall_, of which all trace has now passed
away. Over the churchyard wall we can see the upper portion of the
GROSVENOR SCHOOL, a charitable institution, erected and endowed by the
first Lord Westminster, but now supported by voluntary contributions.
Farther still to the right is the Rectory House, abutting upon Love
Street and Barker’s Lane, neither of which possesses any charms for us
sightseers.
Turning away to the right from the Church door, a few paces will bring us
to a decayed and half-ruined wall, in the centre of which is a small
pointed arch, known as the entrance-gate to the PRIORY. This arch
originally formed part of the _Nunnery of St. Mary_, near the CASTLE, and
was placed in its present position on the demolition of the ruins of the
former establishment, about thirty years ago. The ground within is,
strictly speaking, private; but permission being courteously afforded to
visitors, we will quietly step into the interior, and ponder awhile on
the scene which now presents itself. The genius of desolation reigns
dominant here; this spot, once the holiest of holies, the _sanctum
sanctorum_ of the Church of St. John, is now a roofless and floorless
waste. We are standing on the site of the original choir, whose walls
oft resounded with purest melody:—but where _now_ are the white-robed
train? The occupation of the chorister is gone—the voice of the priest
has hence for ever died away, and the hymn of praise, of matin and
evensong, no longer echoes along its richly vaulted aisles! Here we see
the effects produced by the fall of the centre steeple, in 1470, and
again in 1572, laying the whole east end of the structure in ruins. Yet
still, amid the general decay, for everything here seems crumbling into
dust, the rich old chancel arch (call it Saxon or Norman, whichever you
will) maintains erect its venerable crest,—the ivy that clasps it, the
trees that overshadow, the mould that corrupts it, serving but to
increase and develop its charms. Passing under the arch, we are
straightway in the Chancel, and close to the spot where the high altar of
ST. JOHN’S of old time stood. Here, it may be, the censor of the priest
wafted aloft the incense at the daily sacrifice;—here the anathemas of
the church were pronounced against excommunicated sinners;—and yet, here,
after a lapse of some four hundred years, rank weeds and grass now
desecrate the ground, while the owl and the bat hold their midnight
levies in this once “holy place.” Cast your eyes o’er that fragment
heap, now formed into a sort of rockery,—every stone there, could it but
speak, has its tale to tell;—here a shattered niche, there a sepulchral
slab, yonder a broken font, there again an image defaced—all rich and
glorious in their time, but surrendered now to undeserved decay! Pass we
on into one of the chapels, where high up in the wall, snugly housed
within the masonry, stands an ancient oak coffin bearing the appropriate
inscription of
Dust to Dust.
[Picture: St. John’s Rains]
The Priory House was built on the ruins of the priests’ houses, but has
of itself no other claim to our notice, being little in character with
aught else around. Thus, then, have we inspected these venerable ruins,
so typical of the vanity of everything human; let us now, all unwilling,
tear ourselves away,
And thence returning, soothly swear,
Was never scene so sad and fair!
Perhaps the best general idea of the Church and Ruins is obtained from
yonder gateway at the east end of the yard, where the eye embraces the
whole at one view. During the Siege of Chester, ST. JOHN’S CHURCH was
taken and garrisoned by the puritans.
From hence we proceed along a narrow pathway to the right, turning round,
as we do so, to take a last fond look at the south side of the Ruins,
which, from whatever point viewed, are distinguished alike for their
sublimity and beauty. Slightly to the westward, on this side of the
Church, stood formerly the _Chapel of St. James_, which the brothers
Lysons assert was the original parish church. If this be true, it was
probably while St. John’s was the Cathedral of the united sees of
Lichfield, Coventry, and Chester; in which case _St. James’s_ must have
been even of greater antiquity than the present Church of St. John.
There is now no trace existing of this venerable Chapel. Yon block of
buildings at the extreme west of the churchyard is known as DEE SIDE, and
the two mansions comprising it were erected on the site of the Bishop’s
Palace and Deanery of the episcopal foundation.
From thence a flight of steps leads down to the GROVES, near a spring of
great repute, called JACOB’S WELL; over which is engraved the warning of
Christ to the woman of Samaria,
Whoso drinketh of this water shall thirst again.
Moving along to the eastward, we see a curious old house, crowning the
edge of the cliff on the left, and known as the _Anchorite’s Cell_. Here
it is traditionally affirmed that King Harold, merely wounded, not
killed, at the Battle of Hastings, was conveyed by his friends, and lived
the life of a hermit for several years. This is an article of faith
which you may believe or reject, as the spirit moves you; for ourselves,
we are tainted with the leaven of unbelief!
Passing QUEEN’S PARK HOTEL, at the foot of the Suspension Bridge, we see
the rich _Grove_ of trees which has given to the present locality its
name. We are now close to the river side, and feeling, moreover,
somewhat tired with our long walk; let us, therefore, with appetites
sharpened by exercise, step into the DEVA, a handsome HOTEL overlooking
the river, and lay violent siege to its well-stored larder. Take care to
lay in a plentiful stock of both liquids and solids ere you quit the
Hotel,—and, “would you know the reason why?” Our next chapter will treat
us to a “Row on the DEE,” and a visit to EATON HALL,—neither of which, as
you’ll presently see, are feats to be accomplished on an empty stomach!
CHAPTER XI.
The River Dee.—Chester Rowing Club.—The Earl’s Eye.—Villas on Dee
Banks.—The Water Works.—Eccleston.—Eaton Lodge, and the Iron
Bridge.—Eaton Hall.—The Grosvenor Family.—The Belgrave Lodge.—The
Interior of the Hall.—Eaton Gardens.—Grosvenor Lodge.
HAVING finished our repast at the DEVA HOTEL, and tested the merits of
Huxley’s prime ale (we should like to know where you can meet with its
equal!), we are now fully charged for a “Row on the DEE.” Talk of your
Thames and your Tamar, your Tyne and your Clyde! To our minds a quiet
little “row up the DEE” has a charm superior far to them all! Yonder
gaily-decked barge, adorned with the “red, white, and blue” of old
England, is the craft of our choice. While, then, mine host is summoning
the oarsmen, and arranging the cushions and seats for our reception, a
word or so touching the source of the Dee, and its progress towards
Chester, will not be out of place.
Rising in Merionethshire, not far from Dolgelley, a modest little
rivulet, fed by a score of tributary brethren, elbows its way through
many a chasm and rocky dell, until it reaches BALA LAKE. We have so far
been tracing a mere mountain stream; but gathering strength and increased
impetuosity as it passes through the centre of this beautiful Lake, our
little Welsh brook, twin sister of the Wnion, developes into a River, and
henceforward assumes the “local habitation and name” of the DEE. Still,
as from its source, a pure Welsh river, the “Druid stream of Deva”
gambols cheerily on, through the rich Vale of Corwen, ’neath the frowning
ruins of _Castell Dinas Bran_, by the side of the beautiful Abbey of
VALLE CRUCIS, and so through LLANGOLLEN, “that sweetest of vales.”
Winding its way thence, through Overton and Bangor,—the latter the scene
of the massacre of the British monks,—our river proceeds by a series of
zigzags on its course towards HOLT; before reaching which, it serves as
the boundary line between Denbighshire and Cheshire. On the Welsh side
of the river stand the town and castle of HOLT, an important post in the
Anglo-Welsh wars. On the opposite side is FARNDON, connected with Holt
by an ancient stone bridge; and from this, the DEE passes ALDFORD and
EATON on its way to CHESTER and the Irish Sea.
[Picture: River Dee, and Groves]
But see; “our bark is by the shore,” and the boatmen are awaiting us; let
us, then, take our seats beneath its awning, and launching out into the
stream, cast a momentary glance at the landscape behind us. In the
foreground is the DEVA, “our marine Hotel,” half hidden from view by yon
rich Grove of trees stretching along the river’s edge. Behind, and far
above it, the tower of ST. JOHN’S CHURCH proudly shows its rugged form.
To the left is the Queen’s Park Suspension Bridge, more particularly
noticed in our “Walk round the Walls.” Away under the Bridge we can see
a small portion of the WALLS near the Wishing Steps; and beyond that,
again, the DEE MILLS and BRIDGE, of ancient fame. Talking of the Dee
Mills, of course you know the song, the rare old song, of the “Miller of
the Dee,”—that “miller hale and bold,” the burden of whose song
For ever used to be,—
I envy nobody, no, not I!
And nobody envies me!
How few millers there are, who can say as much nowadays!
At length we are off, at a stately pace, for “steady’s the word,” in a
Chester barge, and soon we leave the GROVES and the Queen’s Park Villas
behind us in the distance. Having rounded Aikman’s Gardens, we are
opposite the grounds of the ROYAL CHESTER ROWING CLUB. We take a pride
in our rowing, we citizens of Chester,—and not without reason, for in
1855, our “crack crew” were twice victors at the Henley Regatta, and then
and there acknowledged “Champions of the Isis and the Thames!” Whew!
there go the “Royals”—the champion crew, old Chester’s pride!—at a
spanking pace, which nought but sterling metal could possibly maintain!
They are out for their daily exercise, under the care of their trainer;
the smile on whose face betokens the delight with which he views their
performance. They are bad ones to beat, are those amateurs of Chester!
Here is _Billy Hobby’s Field_, with its Well of pure water, bearing the
same obscure but euphonious name. The meadows on our right were
anciently known as the _Earl’s Eye_, and used to be covered with water at
every tide. A few more strokes of the oar, and we are scudding it past a
second grove of trees, overshadowing the river for a considerable
distance. The DEE here forms a magnificent crescent, its left bank
studded with handsome villas,—foremost among which, “embosomed in
foliage,” stands DEE HILLS, the residence of Mr. Titherington; while,
farther on, we see the new and elegant range of villas, recently erected
by that gentleman, called SANDOWNE TERRACE. To these succeed Richmond
Villas, and Barrelwell, the sloping gardens of which form a pleasing
object in the landscape.
We are now speeding along in front of the WATER WORKS, an establishment
which has literally worn itself out in “the temperance cause,” and now,
in a great measure, superseded by the New Works lately erected in higher
Boughton. Just above is ST. PAUL’S CHURCH, of which we told you enough
in our last chapter.
Onward again, past West Mount and Dee Banks, we are soon in front of
another range of villas, of recent construction, called DEE VIEW, from
the long stretch of the Dee which the site commands. This part of the
River takes the name of the _Long Reach_, until we come to IRON BRIDGE,
vulgarly _Heron Bridge_,—yonder house amid the trees—the pleasant
residence of C. W. Potts, Esq.
Yonder is the tower of ECCLESTON CHURCH; and as we are now nearing the
village, we may land, if we choose, and indulge in a hasty stroll of
inspection. ECCLESTON is the pet village, and wholly the property of the
Marquis of Westminster, whose elegant mansion, EATON HALL, we are so soon
about to visit. Every house in this village is a picture of itself,
clothed in woodbine and choicest evergreen, and adorned with small, but
sweetly smelling gardens. The CHURCH is a modern structure of red
sandstone, having taken the place of an older temple in 1810. The
interior has recently been altered and re-decorated by Lord Westminster,
and is now a pretty little model of a village sanctuary. The space above
the altar is occupied by Westall’s grand painting, “Joseph of Arimathea
begging the Body of Jesus from Pilate.”
It is now time to retrace our steps, and row glibly on towards the IRON
BRIDGE and LODGE, the former erected, in 1824, by the late Lord
Westminster, at a cost of 8000_l._ Another course, and one we ourselves
prefer, is to row merely to the EATON LODGE, a short distance up the
river, and there, leaving our friendly barge, take the road along the
Park,
’Twixt avenues of proud ancestral trees,
till we find ourselves suddenly close to the western entrance to EATON
HALL, the princely seat of the MARQUIS or WESTMINSTER.
It is no part of our present business to assume the herald’s place, by
painting the genealogy of the noble house of GROSVENOR; else might we
show that the family trace back, in the direct male line, to the Norman
Conquest,—how that Gilbert le _Grosveneur_ (or the _Great Hunter_),
nephew of Hugh Lupus, first Norman Earl of Chester, came over with his
uncle in the train of King William,—that Robert le Grosvenor, a
“red-cross knight,” fought with much distinction under Richard I. in the
great Crusade,—how that another Robert covered himself with honour at the
battle of Cresy,—that his grandson Robert was defendant in the famous
“Scroope and Grosvenor suit,” concerning the ancient arms of those two
great families. All this we could show,—and that later still, in the
Great Rebellion, when other magnates joined the traitorous band, the
“House of Eaton” remained steadfast in its loyalty, and, in the person of
Sir Richard Grosvenor and his son Roger, raised the _posse comitatus_ of
Cheshire, and gallantly therewith did battle for the King. But we must
forbear,—for see, we are now approaching the entrance porch at the West
Front of the HALL.
The EATON estate passed to the GROSVENORS in the fifteenth century, by
the marriage of Raufe le Grosvenor with Joan, daughter of John de Eaton;
previously to which, for two centuries, the family had been settled at
Hulme, near Northwich.
A mansion of considerable importance existed here long prior to the
seventeenth century, being then usually known as EATON BOAT, from its
proximity to the ancient ferry of that name, across the river Dee. Sir
Thomas Grosvenor, however, son and grandson of the two ardent royalists
already mentioned, took unto himself a wife, in the person of Mary
Davies, of Ebury, county Middlesex; through whom he acquired her father’s
valuable estates in Westminster. The lady, it would seem, admired not
the humble palace at EATON BOAT; for Sir Thomas soon after erected in its
stead a nobler mansion, from designs furnished by Sir John Vanbrugh, the
celebrated architect and dramatist, who is confidently affirmed to have
been a native of Chester. This Hall, which was of brick, with a heavy
lanthorn roof, was pulled down, in 1803, by the late Lord Westminster,
who at once set to work with the magnificent fabric we see now before us.
It is built of white freestone from the Manley quarry; Porden being the
architect originally consulted. Nine tedious years and a mint of money
were exhausted in its erection; and in 1823–5, two new wings were added,
so as almost to double its original length. Critics now began to
complain that its height was wholly dis-proportioned to its length, and
impertinent scribes picked all manner of holes even in the architecture
itself.
These and other considerations moved the present worthy Marquis, in 1845,
to attempt the remedying of these defects. With his accustomed sagacity,
he called in the professional aid of Mr. Burn, an eminent London
architect, to whose ability and judgment his lordship confidently
entrusted the work. How that gentleman fulfilled his mission it skills
not for us to declare,—let the edifice before us speak for itself.
Erected and adorned regardless of expense, tasteful and grand in design
and execution, this princely pile, Gothic in every material
characteristic, is a model of all that is rich and elegant in domestic
architecture. Look up for a moment at the gracefully light yet massive
structure,—at its sculptured niches, its crocketted pinnacles and
embattled parapets, its windows filled with gorgeous tracery, every
available space upon its surface bristling with shields charged with the
heraldic crests and quarterings of the Grosvenor family,—and say if the
sight, rich even to profusion, and wholly indescribable, savours not more
of a palace of fairy land than of the house and home of a retiring
English nobleman! The HALL itself exceeds four hundred and fifty feet in
length; but in addition to that we have the Stables and outbuildings
continuing the line, in the same Gothic style, their centre crowned with
a lofty Clock Turret of chaste design. The entire length of the Hall and
offices is nearly seven hundred feet. But we must not any longer linger
here, for it is high time we were turning our attention to the interior
of the HALL.
Mounting the flight of steps under the porch,—from the top of which,
through that dark vista of trees just a mile in length, we see the
BELGRAVE LODGE,—we present our tickets of admission to the attendants,
and are forthwith ushered into the ENTRANCE HALL of certainly the most
magnificent mansion in Britain. This is an apartment eminently
calculated to prepare the visitor for the gorgeous splendour everywhere
pervading this far-famed Hall. In height it extends to two stories of
the house, the floor being composed of the most richly varied tesselated
marbles of the utmost rarity. Imagine a floor, less than forty feet
square, costing its noble owner sixteen hundred guineas! Glance up at
the chaste and elegant groined ceiling, the intersections relieved with
foliated bosses and heraldic devices,—foremost among the latter being the
arms of the Grosvenors, “azure, a garb or,” confirmed to the family after
their bootless legal suit with the Scroopes. From the centre of the
ceiling depends a gorgeous brass chandelier lamp, of exquisite
workmanship. Opposite the entrance runs a Gothic screen of most
elaborate character, supporting and half hiding an open gallery, which
leads from the upper apartments on the north to those on the south side
of the Hall. This screen is furthermore decorated with fourteen heraldic
coats, in high relief, representing some of the numerous quarterings of
the Grosvenor family. On the right and left are two chaste and beautiful
white marble chimney-pieces, corresponding in design with the rest of the
apartment. Above these, and on either side, are rich canopied niches,
eight in number, in which are placed stalwart figures of warriors, clad
in belted mail, and other ancient armour. In the lower recesses of the
screen are two massive vases and pedestals of Peterhead marble. Four
marble statues give a finishing grace to this noble ENTRANCE HALL,—that
on the right representing “Telemachus Arming,” by Bienaimé; opposite to
it, on the left, being Rinaldi’s classic group, “Ulysses Recognised by
his Dog.” The other two present to us Gibson’s conception of “The
Wounded Amazon,” and the equally meritorious “Dying Amazon,” by Wolff.
From the ENTRANCE HALL we pass through the Gothic arch upon the left,
along the GREAT CORRIDOR,—a handsome gallery, near five hundred feet in
length, enriched with numerous portraits of the Grosvenor family, as well
as a recumbent statue, in marble, of a _Sleeping Bacchante_,—to the
private or DOMESTIC CHAPEL of the mansion. This is reached by a short
gallery to the left, the two gothic windows of which are adorned with
medallions of _The Resurrection_ and the _Madonna_, in richly stained
glass. The CHAPEL, which measures about 40 × 30 feet, has a handsome
groined roof, tastefully relieved with floriated bosses and circular
finials, adorned with sacred monograms and other devices. The light of
day shines into the Chapel through three rich pointed windows, upon the
west side, each filled with stained glass of pristine beauty. In the
centres of these we see eighteen vesica-shaped medallions, depicting
scenes and events in the life of Our Blessed Lord, viz., in the left-hand
window,—“The Annunciation,” “The Virgin and Child,” “The Wise Men of the
East,” “The Shepherds Watching,” “The Presentation in the Temple,” and
“The Flight into Egypt.” In the right-hand window we have—“Christ giving
Sight to the Blind,” “Blessing Little Children,” “Raising the Dead
Lazarus,” “The Woman of Samaria,” “The Baptism of Christ,” and “Christ
Walking on the Sea.” The subjects in the centre window are—“The Last
Supper,” “The Agony in the Garden,” “Christ bearing His Cross,” “The
Angel declaring the Resurrection,” “Christ appearing to Mary,” and “The
Ascension.” Contrary to usual ecclesiastical rule, the reading-desk and
communion-table, of carved oak, are at the south end of the Chapel. Near
by is the stall of the noble Marquis, which, together with the rest of
the seats, is of oak, appropriately carved, under the superintendence of
Mr. Morison, then clerk of the works, but now permanently employed by
Lord Westminster in a higher capacity. On the north wall formerly hung
the painting now decorating the east side, representing “St. Michael’s
Contest with the Dragon,” a copy by Evans from the original by Guido. A
handsome window has recently been introduced into the north wall, and
filled with embossed fleur-de-lys quarries of plate-glass, producing an
admirable effect. Over the communion-table we perceive Weiser’s spirited
copy of Rubens’ “Descent from the Cross.” The servants’ entrance is by
another door upon the left, leading away to their apartments on the
basement story.
Leaving the Chapel by the door at which we entered, we repass through the
lobby, observing in our course the fine bust of Our Saviour, in marble,
upon our right-hand. Thence crossing the Great Corridor, we move along,
through a short passage, into the DINING-ROOM. This is a splendid
apartment, chastely beautiful in all its details, and though less
profusely gorgeous than some of its companions, is yet sufficiently so to
justify its position as the great Banqueting Room of the mansion. The
ceiling is a combination of rich and delicate tracery, dotted here and
there with the coats armorial of the family, and radiating almost
imperceptibly towards the centre, whence depends, from its elaborate
boss, a massive chandelier. Three richly-carved mahogany sideboards, and
a splendid mirror in five Gothic panels, add a grace to this room, the
walls of which are caparisoned in maroon and gold on a white ground.
Each corner of the room has a chaste canopied niche, adorned with
statuary from the studio of Sir R. Westmacott,—those at the north end
representing the Crusader, “Sir Robert le Grosvenor,” in mail armour, and
“Mary, Lady Grosvenor,” the heiress of Westminster. At the south end we
have “Sir Gilbert le Grosvenor,” the Norman patriarch of the family, and
“Joan de Eaton,” afterwards Lady Grosvenor, a chaste and graceful
conception of the sculptor. Over the rich marble fireplace is an
original _chef-d’œuvre_, of Rubens—“The Meeting of David and Abigail,”—on
either side of which are full-length portraits of the first Marquis and
Marchioness of Westminster, painted by Jackson.
From this Room we pass through a handsome doorway into the
ANTE-DINING-ROOM, a smaller and much plainer apartment, the walls painted
a beautiful arabesque of white and gold on a green ground, producing an
extremely rich and pleasing effect. The inlaid oak-floor, the delicate
ceiling, and the stained glass portraits of three of the Norman Earls of
Chester, which ornament the windows, all merit our attention; but we must
hurry away, and by a doorway opposite, pass into the SALOON.
This apartment is stated, and with every good reason, to be without
exception the most elegant room in Great Britain! Let other scribes
presume, if they will, to attempt a description of this sumptuous hall of
state,—_we_, for our part, shrink dismayed from the task. To do anything
like justice to its manifold merits would require far more time, and
infinitely greater powers, than _we_ have at command; let us be content,
then, shortly and without parade, to point out a few of its prevailing
features. Measuring nearly eleven yards square, the graceful arches
intersecting the angles invest it with quite an octagonal appearance.
From these, and the walls, springs the roof, with its majestic dome of
dazzling splendour—a matchless epitome of all that is rich, chaste, and
beautiful in decorative art. The prevailing colours are crimson, blue,
and gold, and these so judiciously blended that the eye never tires in
its fascinating mission; but still gazing upwards, allured and
bewildered, finds new beauties and richer charms, the longer one remains
in this wondrous SALOON. From the marble base springs a lofty fretwork
of painted mosaic, in close imitation of the Ambassador’s Court in the
Alhambra Palace,—that peerless relic of old Moorish magnificence. Higher
still range panels and medallions, apparently in high relief; but this
curious effect is a mere illusion of the painter, for the whole of the
walls are perfectly flat. Five handsome landscapes, also painted on the
walls, adorn this Saloon, four being the work of Mr. Telbin, of
London,—and the fifth the production of Mr. John Morris, of Chester, to
whose talented management the entire decorative arrangements were
confided. The imitation basso-relievos over the doors are the work of a
humble but talented artist, the late William Tasker, of Chester. The
windows of the Saloon are in perfect consonance with the apartment
itself, and contain six handsome figures, representing “William the
Conqueror” and his uncle “Odo, Bishop of Bayeux;” “Sir Gilbert le
Grosvenor,” nephew of King William, and an imaginary portrait of his
wife; “Sir Robert le Grosvenor” (of Scroope and Grosvenor notoriety); and
“Joan Pulford,” his wife. The view from these windows, which open out to
the TERRACE and cloistered arcade on the East side of the Hall, is one of
rich and varied beauty. In the foreground we see the elegant TERRACE,
GARDENS, and LAKE; and just beyond, catch here and there a glimpse of the
“tortuous Dee.” Between yon avenue of trees, and some sixteen miles
away, the landscape ends with the towering, rain-clad hill of Beeston,
and the noble baronial Castle of Peckforton. Our woodcut illustration of
the HALL is taken from near the Terrace beneath us, which is perhaps the
best point for viewing to perfection this side of the mansion. Turning
again to the Saloon, our eyes rest on the massive and elegant folding
door of carved oak, which, thrown open, reveals to us the great ENTRANCE
HALL. These two apartments, thus seen at one view, for gorgeous
magnificence, stand alone and unrivalled.
[Picture: Eaton Hall, East Front]
We now pass on, by the south door of the Saloon, into the
ANTE-DRAWING-ROOM, differing materially in its enrichment from the room
we have just quitted, but withal an apartment of chastened beauty. It
has a flat ceiling, adorned with delicate tracery in cream-colour and
gold; the walls painted a rich arabesque, enchased throughout with red
and green on a cream-coloured ground. Three bookcases, filled with
modern ‘light reading’ in elegant bindings, add a grace to the
apartment,—the fine windows of which contain stained glass figures of
Hugh Cyvelioc, Randle Blondeville, and John Scot, the last of the line of
Norman Earls of Chester.
Next we have the DRAWING-ROOM, second only to the Saloon in the splendour
of its decorations. Fifty feet in length—its ceiling sparkling with
heraldic shields, and honeycombed with tracery in cream-colour and
gold—its walls hung with rich crimson silk damask; its superb niches,
vases, and chandelier; its marble chimney-piece and mirror; its glorious
original pictures of the “Wise Men’s Offering,” by Rubens, the “Battles
of the Boyne and La Hogue,” by West, and other celebrated works of
art,—all invest this room with a halo which no words of ours can possibly
do justice to. It must be seen to be appreciated; and to be admired as
it deserves, must be closely scrutinised in all its bearings.
From the Drawing-Room we proceed, along the corridor, into the LIBRARY, a
spacious apartment at the southern extremity of the HALL. This
well-proportioned room measures sixty-two feet by fifty feet; a range of
pillars on either side adding symmetry and strength to its richly groined
ceiling. Three bold Gothic windows, facing south, east, and west, shed a
fine flood of light into the room; the oaken bookcases of which are
filled to overflowing with the richest and rarest works of ancient and
modern literature. Upon the left we observe a fine organ, in a carved
mahogany case. But the most attractive objects, apart from the library
itself, are the remarkably chaste and beautiful conceptions in marble of
“Cephalus and Procris,” by Rinaldi, which occupies the centre, and the
quite as enchanting _chefs-d’œuvres_ of Wyatt—“Glycera” and “Hebe.” In
this room also is preserved one of those extremely rare Romano-British
ornaments, a golden TORQUE, discovered some years ago near Caerwys, in
Flintshire. The Torque was an ornament worn round the necks of
illustrious British warriors: Queen Boadicea, and Llewellyn, Lord of
Yale, are both recorded to have been so decorated. Who was the original
owner of the one now before us is a matter, of course, wrapped in
impenetrable obscurity.
But time presses, and we, too, must press on. Passing out from the
Library, we may now direct our steps to the STATE BEDROOM. This is a
plain, yet elegant, apartment,—its prime feature being the mahogany State
Bed, most elaborately carved, whereon have reposed the sleeping majesty
of England, and other royal and distinguished personages. The handsome
mirror, the rich green Brussels carpet, and other furniture of the
chamber, are all in chaste and admirable keeping with the principal
Bedroom of this “Palace on the Dee.”
Turn we now to the GRAND STAIRCASE, a portion of the Hall which may vie
with any we have yet visited, whether for beauty or variety. A flight of
stairs running up from the centre, continued again towards the right and
left, conduct to the second gallery, and to the private apartments on the
higher story. Opposite to us, on either side as we ascend, are two
Egyptian statues in coloured marble, within rich Gothic niches. The
decorations of this staircase are sumptuous in the extreme, blue and gold
being the predominant colours,—the whole producing to the eye of taste a
grand, impressive, and lasting effect. Among the paintings embellishing
this staircase and its vicinity are the “Leicestershire Hunt,” by
Ferneley, the “Grosvenor Hunt,” by Stubbs, and another of the “Cheshire
Hunt,” all three introducing portraits of the Grosvenor family, either of
the last or present generation. Another picture deserving our notice is
that of a “Brood Mare and Foals,” painted also by Stubbs. The private
Sitting-Rooms of Lord and Lady Westminster, which with other apartments
adjoin the GREAT CORRIDOR, are not exhibited to strangers. Numerous
pieces of statuary, family portraits, and racing pictures, many of them
of great interest, arrest our attention as we move along the Corridor;
but having now returned to the ENTRANCE HALL, we must beat a hasty
retreat from this scene of enchantment, and, emerging from its portals,
bid “a last, a long farewell” to EATON HALL, the palatial home of the
Marquis of Westminster.
Before we do so, however, if provided beforehand with tickets from “our
publisher,” we may take a turn round the spacious GARDENS on the east
side of the Hall. Though time and space alike forbid us to enlarge upon
their charms, the GARDENS of EATON will amply repay the careful
inspection of every admirer of “nature, art-adorned.” The rich groves of
trees—the rare shrubs and flowers, with their attendant perfumes—the
crystal conservatory—the massive statuary—the dolphin fountain—the Roman
altar, dedicated by the Twentieth Legion to the “Nymphs and
Fountains”—the fairy lake—the verdant lawns, and walks of “sweet
umbrageous beauty,”—each and all combine to invest these GARDENS with a
charm peculiarly their own! Gladly would we linger all day in this
sylvan retreat,—but we must away!—and exchanging our barge for a cab with
a party just arrived (cabman and boatmen first of all consenting), we are
soon out of sight of the “Palace on the DEE.”
Moving rapidly along the avenue, past yon herd of timid deer, startled
into flight at our approach, we soon flit beneath the archway of a lodge
which marks the boundary of the park. A ride of two miles, through a
serpentine avenue of “old hereditary trees,” now remains to us; and from
this we emerge only to behold the GROSVENOR GATEWAY, with old CHESTER in
the distance “lending enchantment to the view!” The GROSVENOR GATEWAY
was erected in 1838, on the site of Overleigh Hall, once the manorial
seat of the Cowpers of Overleigh. This lodge is a copy of St.
Augustine’s Gate, at Canterbury, altered (some say improved) here and
there by Mr. Jones, architect of Chester. Built, like the Hall itself,
of white freestone, enriched with a profuseness of carving and heraldic
sculpture, this ENTRANCE LODGE to the EATON Estate forms a fitting
introduction to the magnificent mansion we have just quitted, and of
which, in conclusion, we may truly enough say that
Take it for all in all,
We ne’er shall look upon its like again!
In five minutes more our cab is rolling over the well-paved streets of
CHESTER. And now, as you are off by the next train, and as the best of
friends must part, we will shake you by the hand, and trusting you have
enjoyed yourselves under our protection, wish you, with all our heart, a
swift and pleasant journey to your HOME, SWEET HOME!
* * * * *
In closing this account of EATON HALL, it is our pleasing duty gratefully
to acknowledge Lord Westminster’s kindness and favour, not only in
throwing open the mansion and grounds to us on a “private day,” but also
in affording us every possible assistance in our humble endeavours,
however feebly, to do justice to his peerless Cheshire home.
To G. Allen, Esq., his Lordship’s house steward, as well as to Mr. J.
Morison, we are especially beholden,—to the former, for his courteous
attention in pointing out every prominent feature of the Hall—and to the
latter, for numerous architectural and other data, of essential service
to us in our “labour of love.”
VISITORS are reminded that EATON HALL AND GROUNDS are, by the kindness of
Lord Westminster, exhibited to the public during the months of JUNE,
JULY, and AUGUST, subject to the following judicious regulations:—
On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, between the hours of ten and
four, to Residents and Tourists generally; and on Thursdays also,
during the same hours, to _Foreigners only_, or _Travellers from a
distance_. In order to do away with the unsatisfactory principle of
giving fees to the servants, his Lordship has authorised the sale of
ADMISSION TICKETS, in accordance with the following tariff. The
money realised by the sale of these Tickets is generously
appropriated by Lord Westminster to the benefit of the funds of the
various CHESTER CHARITIES.
TICKETS
_s._ _d._
To admit one person to the HOUSE _only_ 2 0
,, three ,, 5 0
,, five ,, 7 6
To admit one person to the GARDENS 1 6
_only_
„ three ,, 3 0
,, five ,, 5 0
Without such TICKETS (which may be obtained in Chester from “Our
Publisher,” MR. T. CATHERALL, EASTGATE ROW, Messrs. Prichard and Roberts,
or from the ROYAL and ALBION HOTELS) no persons will, on any account, be
admitted into the HALL.
EATON HALL being distant nearly four miles from Chester, CABS, &c. can be
obtained either on the STAND in Eastgate Street,—from the principal
Hotels,—or from Mr. T. Griffith, cab proprietor, Nicholas Street.
* * * * *
FOR the convenience of those Visitors who have no faith in human nature,
especially when hidden under the “thick skin of a cabman,” we have
appended a list of
CAB FARES IN CHESTER.
_Not exceeding three persons_: to or from the Railway Station in Brook
Street—from or to any part of the city, within the point where the
Whitchurch and Northwich roads turn off—Abbot’s Grange and the
College—the Sluice House, including Crane Street and Paradise Row—the
May-pole in Handbridge, and the New Bridge Toll-house, _One Shilling_.
The same distance: _four_ persons, _One Shilling and Sixpence_. Any
distance beyond the Borough, _One Shilling_ per mile.
No gratuities to be demanded by the drivers of any cars plying within the
borough, and no charge for luggage not exceeding 100 lbs. in weight.
FARES TO OR FROM ANY OTHER PART OF THE CITY.
_Not exceeding three persons_: any distance not exceeding one mile, _One
Shilling_; and at the rate of _One Shilling_ per mile for every
additional mile; and _Sixpence_ for every additional half-mile or
fractional part of half-a-mile.
For _four_ persons: any distance not exceeding one mile, _One Shilling
and Sixpence_; any distance exceeding one mile, and not exceeding two
miles, _Two Shillings_; any distance exceeding two miles, at the rate of
_Two Shillings_ for the first mile, and _One Shilling_ per mile for every
additional mile, and _Sixpence_ for every additional half-mile or
fractional part of half-a-mile.
BY TIME.
Not exceeding one hour, _Two Shillings and Sixpence_; and _Sixpence_ for
every fifteen minutes and fractional part of fifteen minutes beyond the
hour. In all cases it shall be at the option of the driver to charge by
time or distance.
* * * * *
* * * * *
BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.
* * * * *
CHESTER GUIDE ADVERTISER.
THE OLD-ESTABLISHED
SEED WAREHOUSE,
[Picture: Crest]
CHESTER.
* * * * *
FRANCIS & ARTHUR DICKSON & SONS,
SEED GROWERS, SEED MERCHANTS, & NURSERYMEN,
106, EASTGATE STREET,
OPPOSITE THE ROYAL HOTEL.
* * * * *
VEGETABLE, FLOWER, AND AGRICULTURAL SEEDS,
Of every description, of superior quality, and true to name.
* * * * *
NURSERIES AT UPTON, NEAR CHESTER,
Where are cultivated complete Collections and a very extensive Stock of
FOREST AND ORNAMENTAL TREES,
EVERGREEN AND DECIDUOUS SHRUBS, FRUIT TREES, ROSES,
HERBACEOUS AND ALPINE PLANTS,
Stove and Greenhouse Plants, Florists’ Flowers, &c.
To which all novelties of merit are added as introduced.
_The following Catalogues are published_, _and may he had on
application_:—
1. VEGETABLE AND FLOWER SEEDS. 6. FRUIT TREES (DESCRIPTIVE).
2. AGRICULTURAL SEEDS. 7. HARDY HERBACEOUS AND ALPINE
PLANTS.
3. FOREST TREES AND EVERGREENS.
8. STOVE AND GREENHOUSE PLANTS.
4. HARDY ORNAMENTAL TREES AND
SHRUBS. 9. DAHLIAS, BEDDING PLANTS, &c.
5. ROSES (DESCRIPTIVE).
Their Nurseries (which extend over upwards of 50 acres) are within 20
minutes’ walk of the
Railway Station, and are open to the public every day except Sunday.
FRANCIS AND ARTHUR DICKSON AND SONS.
* * * * *
ROYAL INSURANCE COMPANY,
ROYAL INSURANCE BUILDINGS, NORTH JOHN STREET, AND DALE STREET,
LIVERPOOL; AND 29, LOMBARD STREET, LONDON.
CAPITAL—£2,000,000, IN 100,000 SHARES OF £20 EACH.
TRUSTEES.
JOHN SHAW LEIGH, ESQ. JOHN NAYLOR, ESQ.
DIRECTORS, ETC., IN LIVERPOOL.
CHARLES TURNER. ESQ., _Chairman_.
J. BRAMLEY-MOORE, ESQ., M.P., and RALPH BROCKLEBANK, ESQ., Deputy Chairmen.
MICHAEL BELCHER, ESQ. ROBERT E. HARVEY, ESQ. ROGER L.
GEORGE BOOKER, ESQ. JAMES HOLME, ESQ. JONES, ESQ.
THOMAS BOUCH, ESQ. THOS. DYSON HORNBY, ESQ. JAMES
MICHAEL BOUSFIELD, ESQ. GEORGE H. HORSFALL, ESQ. LAWRENCE.
DAVID CANNON, ESQ. RICHARD HOUGHTON, ESQ. ESQ.
THOMAS DOVER, ESQ. EDWARD JOHNSTON, ESQ. ROBERT M’
JOHN TORR, ESQ. ANDREW. ESQ.
WIL. J.
MARROW, ESQ.
FRANCIS
MAXWELL, ESQ.
WILLIAM
SMITH, ESQ.
AUDITORS.
WILLIAM TITHERINGTON, ESQ. JOHN DICKINSON, ESQ.
Surgeon—HUGH NEILL, F.R.A.S. _Surveyor_—SAMUEL HOLME, ESQ.
_Solicitor_—SEPTIMUS BOOKER, ESQ. _Manager and Actuary_—PERCY
M. DOVE, ESQ.
DIRECTORS, ETC., IN LONDON.
S. BAKER, ESQ., _Chairman_. HENRY KENDALL, ESQ. DANIEL H.
ROBERT. B. BYASS, ESQ. THOMAS LANCASTER, ESQ. RUCKER, ESQ.
RICHARD C. COLES, ESQ. EDWARD MACKMURDO, ESQ. WIL.
WAINWRIGHT,
ESQ.
J.
WESTMORLAND,
ESQ.
_Secretary to the London Board_—J. B. JOHNSTON, ESQ.
_Solicitors_—MESSRS. JENKINSON, SWEETING, & JENKINSON.
_Surgeons_ EUSEBIUS A. LLOYD, ESQ., F.R.C.S., Surgeon at St.
Bartholomew’s Hospital.
Dr SANDERSON, 26, Upper Berkeley Street, Portman Square.
_Surveyor_—JOHN BELCHER, ESQ., 5, Adelaide-place, London Bridge.
_Actuary_—PERCY M. DOVE, ESQ.
LIFE BRANCH.
Special Notice—Stamps on Policies not charged.
FORFEITURE OF POLICY CANNOT TAKE PLACE FROM UNINTENTIONAL MISTAKE.
OTHER ADVANTAGES, viz.—
The Guarantee of an AMPLE CAPITAL and EXEMPTION of the ASSURED from
LIABILITY of PARTNERSHIP. The Assured neither having to depend on an
uncertain fund, nor being in any way accountable for the Payment of
Claims.
MODERATE PREMIUMS.
PARTICIPATION OF PROFITS by the ASSURED, amounting to TWO-THIRDS of its
net amount.
LARGE BONUS DECLARED 1855,
_Amounting to_ £2 _per cent. per annum on the sum assured_.
PERIODS OF DIVISION EVERY FIVE YEARS.
“Every fraction of the premiums received have been allowed to accumulate
for 10 years.—Expenses small without leaving one charge provisional or
otherwise to be taken out of future premiums.”—_Vide Actuary’s Report_,
1855.
FIRE BRANCH.
The Rates of Premium are exceedingly moderate, and governed in each case
by a careful consideration of the Risk proposed.
AGENTS IN CHESTER:—
Messrs. MINSHULL & OWEN, Booksellers, Eastgate Row.
* * * * *
ALLIANCE
BRITISH AND FOREIGN
LIFE AND FIRE ASSURANCE COMPANY,
BARTHOLOMEW LANE, LONDON.
ESTABLISHED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT.
CAPITAL FIVE MILLIONS STERLING.
* * * * *
BOARD OF DIRECTION.
PRESIDENTS.
SAMUEL GURNEY, ESQ. SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE, Bart.
DIRECTORS.
JAMES ALEXANDER, ESQ. JAMES HELME, ESQ.
GEORGE H. BARNETT, ESQ. SAMPSON LUCAS, ESQ.
SIR ROBERT CAMPBELL, BART. THOMAS MASTERMAN, ESQ.
SIR GEORGE CARROLL. SIR A. N. DE ROTHSCHILD, BART.
BENJAMIN COHEN, ESQ. L. N. DE ROTHSCHILD, ESQ., M.P.
RT. HON. G. R. DAWSON. OSWALD SMITH, ESQ.
JAMES FLETCHER, ESQ. THOMAS C. SMITH, ESQ.
SAMUEL GURNEY, JUN., ESQ. MELVIL WILSON, ESQ.
_Auditors_.—ANDREW JOHNSTON, ESQ.—JOSEPH M. MONTEFIORE, ESQ.—GEORGE
PEABODY, ESQ.
_Bankers_.—MESSRS. BARNETT, HOARE, & Co.
_Actuary and Secretary_.—FRANCIS AUGUSTUS ENGELBACH, ESQ.
_Physician_.—GEORGE OWEN REES, M.D., F.R.S., 10, CORK STREET.
_Solicitor_.—JOHN M. PEARCE, Esq.
_Surveyors_.—WYATT PAPWORTH, ESQ.—THOMAS G. ALLASON, ESQ.
* * * * *
ESTABLISHED MARCH, 1824.
* * * * *
Persons effecting Assurances with the ALLIANCE COMPANY, enjoy the
following important Advantages:—
I. PERFECT SECURITY.—The large invested Capital, and the personal
responsibility, of upwards of One Thousand Shareholders, render the
security undoubted.
II. MODERATE PREMIUMS OF ASSURANCE.—The Rates for Life Assurance will be
found generally reasonable; and, for the younger Ages, lower than those
in use in many of the older and most respectable Offices.
The Premiums for Assurance on FIRE are the same as those which are
demanded by the first class of Assurance Companies.
III. PARTICIPATION OF PROFITS BY THE ASSURED, BOTH IN LIFE AND FIRE.—The
Profits, appropriated to the participating Assured, are applied, every
Five Years, to the increase of the amounts assured, or to the reduction
of the future Premiums, according to the choice of the Assured.
The PROFITS of the FIRE Department appropriated to the Assured, are
distributed at the close of each successive period of Five years, in the
form of a per-centage on the Premiums which have been paid.
IV. Parties who obtain the settlement of Losses from Fire are not
thereby deprived of their right to participate in the Profits of the
Company.
V. Losses by Lightning are made good.
VI. The Company are liable for losses by EXPLOSION, unless such
explosion should be occasioned by gunpowder deposited on the premises, or
except in cases specially provided for in the Policy.
The Directors grant Loans on the sole security of the Company’s Policies,
if unencumbered, to nearly the full extent of their value, provided such
value will justify an advance of not less than £50.
The Cost of the Stamps upon Life Policies is borne by the Company.
Life Committees are held at the Office every Wednesday and Friday at one
o’clock; but to facilitate transactions, appearances can be taken, when
requisite, on any other day.
MR. J. JONES, Westminster Buildings, Newgate Street, Chester,
AGENT.
* * * * *
Atlas
FIRE AND LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY,
92, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON.
* * * * *
ESTABLISHED 1808.
* * * * *
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Manufactories, Sugar Houses, Distilleries, Private or Public Warehouses,
Ships Building, Ships in Harbour, Houses, Furniture, Stock in Trade, &c.,
assured for the year, or any shorter period, on advantageous terms. The
Rates of Premium will be found to assimilate with those of the principal
London Offices.
Reduction of Premium on Farming Stock and Implements to 3s. per cent.
(exempt from Duty); the use of Steam Threshing Machines on Farms allowed
without any extra charge.
Allowance for the loss of Rent on Buildings rendered untenantable by
Fire, and Losses occasioned by Lightning, will be paid.
The Assured are entitled to participate in the Profits every fifth year.
* * * * *
LIFE DEPARTMENT.
The Income for this Branch for the year 1854 exceeded £183,000.
The Investments for the Life Policy Holders amount to £1,565,551.
A Quinquennial Valuation has been made up to Christmas, 1854; the result
will be declared shortly.
* * * * *
Rates and Proposals may be had at the Office in London, or of any of the
Company’s Agents, who are authorised to report on the appearance of lives
proposed for Assurance.
* * * * *
THE AGENTS FOR THE COMPANY IN CHESTER ARE:—
MR. T. CATHERALL,
AND
MR. GEO. PRICHARD,
BOOKSELLERS.
* * * * *
SCOTTISH WIDOWS’ FUND,
AND LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY.
COURT OF DIRECTION—1855–6.
_Those marked thus (*) are new appointments_.
PRESIDENT.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF ROSEBERY, K.T.
VICE-PRESIDENTS.
HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUGH, K.G.
THE MOST HONOURABLE THE MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE, K.T., AND C.B.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF ELLESMERE.
* ROBERT DUNDAS, ESQ., OF ARNISTON.
EXTRAORDINARY DIRECTORS.
THE VERY REV. PRINCIPAL ALEXANDER BLAIR, ESQ., Banker,
MACFARLAN, Glasgow. Edinburgh.
JOHN NORTH, ESQ., Dock Solicitor, WM. B. WATKINS, ESQ., Alderman,
Liverpool. Manchester.
THE RIGHT HON. LORD JOHN WM. E. AYTOUN, ESQ., Professor of
FREDERICK GORDON HALLIBURTON. Rhetoric in the University of
THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF STAIR. Edinburgh.
HENRY BURY, ESQ., Banker, JOHN RAVENHILL, ESQ., Banker,
Manchester. Warminster.
SIR JOHN S. RICHARDSON, of WILLIAM WILSON, ESQ., C.S.,
Pitfour, BART. Edinburgh.
THE RIGHT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF J. Y. SIMPSON, ESQ., Professor of
LINCOLN. Midwifery in the University of
JOHN AMERY, ESQ., Banker, Edinburgh.
Stourbridge. * SIR JAMES RUSSELL, of
THE HONOURABLE LORD BENHOLME. Ashiesteil.
JOSEPH JAMES WELCH, ESQ., * GEORGE TOD, ESQ., Cheltenham.
Cheapside, London. * HENRY CHEYNE, ESQ., W.S.,
Edinburgh.
* FREDERICK THYNNE, ESQ., land
agent, George Street,
Westminster.
ORDINARY DIRECTORS.
THOMAS G. MACKAY, ESQ., W.S. CHRISTOPHER WOOD, JUN., ESQ.,
JOHN CADELL, ESQ., of Tranent. Merchant, Leith.
ALEXANDER DUNSMURE, ESQ., ARCHIBALD DAVIDSON, ESQ., Sheriff
Merchant, Leith. of Aberdeenshire.
THOMAS BEVERIDGE, ESQ., D.C.S. CHARLES FORBES, ESQ., of Canaan
WM. JAS. DUNCAN, ESQ., Banker, Park, Edin.
Edinburgh. ISAAC BAYLEY, ESQ., of Manuel.
LEWIS A. WALLACE, ESQ., * JAS. MYLNE, ESQ., W.S.,
Architect. Edinburgh.
ANTHONY MURRAY, ESQ., of * JOHN JOPP, ESQ., W.S.,
Dollerie, W.S. Edinburgh.
THE HON. BOUVERIE F. PRIMROSE. * JAS. TYTLER, ESQ., of
GEORGE DUNDAS, ESQ., Sheriff of Woodhouselee.
Selkirkshire.
TRUSTEES.
WILLIAM MITCHELL INNES, ESQ., of EDWARD LOYD, ESQ., Banker,
Parsons-green. Manchester.
JAMES BALFOUR, ESQ., of Pilrig, THE HON. BOUVERIE F. PRIMROSE.
W.S. ALEXANDER PRINGLE, ESQ., of
Whytbank.
_Medical Officer_.—JAMES BEGBIE, M.D.
_Auditor_.—DONALD LINDSAY. _Manager_.—JOHN MACKENZIE.
_Secretary_.—WILLIAM LINDESAY.
During the year 1854 there have been 638 Policies passed and taken up by
the proposers, representing Assurances to the extent of £455,377 14_s._
3_d._ The Society’s Realised and Accumulated Fund amounted, at 31st
December last, to £2,802,140 1_s._ 1_d._ The Annual Revenue has
increased to the extent of £22,168 0_s._ 11_d._, and amounted, at 31st
December last, to £373,901 13_s._ 8_d._
FOREIGN RESIDENCE AND TRAVEL.
Greatly increased facilities have recently been given to Assured parties
having occasion to go abroad; and in the cases of many Foreign Countries
(including considerable portions of North America and Australia, New
Zealand, the Cape of Good Hope, &c.) the only extra charge now imposed by
the Directors is for risk of Sea Voyage.
CHESTER HONORARY BOARD.
GREGORY BURNETT, ESQ., Hawarden. JOHN TREVOR, ESQ., Treasurer of
THE REV. F. AYCKBOWM, Rector of County Courts.
the Holy Trinity. MR. SAMUEL DAVIES, Chemist.
ALEXANDER MACKINTOSH, ESQ., C.E. Mr. JOHN SMITH, Woollen Draper.
_Agent for Chester and North Wales_.—JAMES SMITH, OLD BANK, CHESTER.
* * * * *
NATIONAL PROVINCIAL
LIFE AND FIRE INSURANCE OFFICES,
127, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON.
* * * * *
TRUSTEES.
SIR JAMES DUKE, BART., ALDERMAN, AND M.P. FOR THE CITY OF LONDON.
THE RIGHT HON. THOMAS MILNER GIBSON, M.P. FOR MANCHESTER.
JOHN LEWIS RICARDO, ESQ., M.P. FOR STOKE.
* * * * *
LIFE SOCIETY: Guarantee Fund, £50,000.
THIS Society is established on the just principles of MUTUAL LIFE
ASSURANCE, without entailing on its Members the liability incurred in
other Institutions of a similar character.
The Justice and Liberality of its Principles, and their suitability to
the wants of the Public, have obtained for it a large and rapidly
increasing business; and it may fairly be considered one of the most
flourishing and successful institutions of modern date.
_The Policies_, _being_ INDISPUTABLE, entail no trouble or inconvenience
to the survivors.
PERSONS ASSURED IN THIS OFFICE HAVE THE FOLLOWING PRIVILEGES:
Every Member has a right to vote in the Election of Directors and
Officers, by which means the Assured possess full control over the
management and affairs of the Society.
Annual publication of Accounts, which are audited by Public Accountants,
who are in no way interested in the Society.
No advantage is taken of a Member’s temporary inability to pay the
Premium, as the Society will, on application, advance the required amount
as often as the value of the Policy will admit.
No charge made for Policy Stamp, Entrance Money, or Medical Fees, nor is
any other payment required beyond the Premium.
Should a Member fall into difficulties, or be otherwise totally unable to
continue his payments, he would not, as in other Offices, lose all he had
paid in, but would have a fresh Policy granted to him, FREE FROM ANT
FURTHER PAYMENTS, and equivalent to the sum he had paid.
Annual distribution of Bonuses.
The Funds of the Society are employed in granting Loans to Members on
approved Personal or other Security.
_Members are entitled to deduct the Premiums paid to this Society in
making their returns for Income Tax_.
* * * * *
SPECIAL NOTICE.—Policies effected on the participating Scale before the
31st of December next, will be entitled to a Bonus, to be declared after
the close of the present year, when a valuation of the Society’s assets
and liabilities will be made. Extract from Directors’ Report of
September 6, 1855:—“The Deed of Constitution enacts that, at the close of
the year 1856, a valuation of the assets and liabilities of the Society
shall be made, with a view to determine the amount of BONUS to be awarded
to the Proprietors and Policy-holders; and if the same favourable rate of
mortality continues to prevail, the result of this investigation cannot
fail to be of the most highly satisfactory character.”—January 1, 1856.
FIRE COMPANY: Capital, £250,000 Sterling.
_Fully Subscribed by a Numerous_, _Influential_, _and Wealthy
Proprietary_.
THE FOLLOWING ARE AMONG THE MOST PROMINENT FEATURES OF THIS OFFICE.
I. Instead of making a small return to the Insurers at intervals of Five
or Seven Years, this Company will return ANNUALLY FIFTY PER CENT. of the
PROFITS, the advantage of which is felt as the renewal Premiums become
due, virtually making a large reduction from future Payments.
II. NO CHARGE for POLICIES when the sum insured amounts to £300.
III. Persons Insuring in this Office for Seven Years, by a Single
Payment, are charged Premium for Six Years only.
IV. INSURANCES TRANSFERRED from other Offices, without any expense,
trouble, or inconvenience.
V. CLAIMS SETTLED with Promptness and Liberality.
The MUTUAL PRINCIPLE, with freedom from liability to the Insured, as
applied to Fire Insurance, is a novel system, based on liberal and
equitable arrangements, thereby securing to the Insured a participation
in the Profits they themselves have created; hence, in proportion to the
amount of business introduced to this Office by the Insured, so are their
own Rates of Premium reduced, or their own Profits increased.
* * * * *
AGENT FOR CHESTER:
MR. THOMAS HUGHES, 4, PARADISE ROW.
* * * * *
PROVIDENT CLERKS’
MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE ASSOCIATION, AND
BENEVOLENT FUND.
ESTABLISHED 1840.
ATTENTION is particularly directed to the advantages offered by this
Association to assurers of all classes. It embraces Mutual Life
Assurance in all its branches, and has a Revenue, as shown by the last
balance-sheet, of more than £20,000 per annum. Policies to the extent of
£900,000 have been issued since its formation; and upwards of £30,000
have been paid to the representatives of deceased members. The Bonuses
already declared have averaged 24 and 33 per cent. respectively on the
premiums paid; while the mortality continues extremely favourable.
Foreign residence permitted in most cases without extra charge, and a
liberal sum given for Surrendered Policies.
THE BENEVOLENT DEPARTMENT,
Established for the benefit of Clerks, their Widows, and Children, has an
Accumulated Capital of £15,000, and an Income of more than £1500 per
annum. Loans and Gratuities are granted for the relief of temporary
embarrassment, and members are assisted in payment of their premiums when
in distress. Annuities are granted to aged and infirm clerks, and to
widows of clerks.
By order of the Board, WM. J. LINFORD, _Secretary_.
15, MOORGATE-STREET, LONDON.
AGENT FOR CHESTER—MR. FRANK PALIN.
* * * * *
TRAVELLERS
ON THE
LONDON & NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY
Are respectfully informed, that
THE OFFICIAL
ILLUSTRATED
GUIDE TO THE LINE,
BY GEORGE MEASOM,
IS NOW READY,
And may be procured at any of the Bookstalls.
* * * * *
THE
CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY.
ESTABLISHED IN 1852. ENROLLED UNDER 6 & 7 WM. IV., c. 32.
TRUSTEES.
LORD VISCOUNT RANELAGH. RT. HON. R. C. NISBETT HAMILTON,
HON. COLONEL LOWTHER, M.P. M.P.
J. C. COBBOLD, ESQ., M.P.
HOLDERS of completed Shares (price £52 4_s._ 6_d._, and 1_s._ for
pass-book) and of Shares in progress, paid a year in advance (price £5
2_s._ 6_d._ each, and 1_s._ for pass-book), and upwards, receive
FIVE PER CENT. PER ANNUM GUARANTEED INTEREST,
PAYABLE HALF YEARLY,
One month after Lady-day and Michaelmas, and also any per centage above
five
per cent. of the BONUS declared at each annual meeting.
Six per Cent. was paid for 1853, Seven per Cent, for 1854, and
Six per Cent. has been declared for 1855.
Any number of Shares may be taken; and there is no personal liability,
every Member being allowed to withdraw, under the rules, when he choses,
his subscriptions at ten days’ notice. The taking of land is quite
optional: a Shareholder may be either an investor or an allottee, or
both, at his pleasure.
The First Payment on an uncompleted Share is 12s. 6d.; the subsequent
Monthly Payments, 8s., with 1s. every Third Month for quarterage, to meet
working expenses.
The CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY is thus open to every class of the
community, with an equally adjusted system on the mutual principle, and
is now universally acknowledged to be one of the most eligible
investments of the day.
For Prospectuses, containing a list of the Noblemen, Members of
Parliament, and other Gentlemen (upwards of seventy in number), on the
Executive and General Committees, &c., apply to
CHARLES LEWIS GRUNEISEN, _Secretary_,
OFFICES:—No. 33, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, LONDON.
OR TO
MR. THOMAS HUGHES, 4, PARADISE ROW, CHESTER.
Payments on Shares can be remitted by cheques, bank notes, provincial
notes (if payable in London), post-office orders (in the name of the
Secretary), or postage stamps. The Society has on its Register, Members
in China, India, the Mauritius, on the Continent, and in all parts of the
United Kingdom; the interests of the most distant Shareholders being
carefully attended to.
Persons desiring the Freehold Franchise in Counties, can acquire plots of
Land of adequate value, without any trouble beyond that of forwarding the
price of the plot they may select, on any Estate, after inspection of the
Plan.
* * * * *
FRANCIS F. HICKMAN,
FURNISHING
IRONMONGER, MANUFACTURER, & CUTLER,
145, NORTHGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
FLAVEL’S PRIZE KITCHENER.
[Picture: Flavel’s Prize Kitchener]
These Ranges are strongly recommended for their simplicity of
construction, and their economy and cleanliness in use.
The top forms a Hot-plate, and the open fire removes many of the
objections which are felt to close Ranges.
They are made in all sizes, from 3 feet to 18 feet in width, suitable for
large or small establishments.
They are admirably adapted for the cure of Smoky Chimneys.
Experienced Workmen employed to fix them, and every information given on
application.
* * * * *
EDWARD PETERS,
BRASIER, FURNISHING IRONMONGER, CUTLER,
BRASS-FOUNDER, LOCKSMITH, BELL-HANGER,
AND
GAS-FITTER,
103, EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER,
Has always on hand a good assortment of
COPPER, BLOCK-TIN, AND IRON KITCHEN UTENSILS,
Manufactured on the Premises.
* * * * *
The Show-Rooms contain an extensive Stock of
KITCHEN RANGES,
DINING, DRAWING & BED-ROOM GRATES, FENDERS & FIRE-IRONS
PATENT IRON BEDSTEADS,
BATHS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION,
TEA URNS AND SWING KETTLES.
GASALIERS, HALL LAMPS, BRACKETS, &c.
* * * * *
AGENT FOR
FLAVEL’S PRIZE-MEDAL PATENT KITCHENER,
AND
HADROT’S PRIZE-MEDAL FRENCH LAMPS.
* * * * *
LAMP OILS, CANDLES, COTTON, AND GLASSES.
COPPER KITCHEN UTENSILS REPAIRED AND RE-TINNED.
Brass Work Repaired, Cleaned, Re-Lacquered, and Re-Bronzed.
* * * * *
ESTABLISHED 1832.
ENGRAVING, LITHOGRAPHIC, STEEL,
COPPER-PLATE, AND
LETTER-PRESS PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT,
EASTGATE STREET ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
EVANS AND GRESTY,
BEG TO INTIMATE THAT THEIR BUSINESS CONSISTS OF
ENGRAVING,
Viz: on PLATE, BRASS, WOOD, and STONE—Arms, Crests, Cyphers, and
Inscriptions, Invoices, Shop Cards, Marriage and Visiting Cards, Book
Plates, Vignettes, Window, Door, and Coffin Plates, Stone and Brass
Seals.
Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Name Plates, tastefully engraved, 2_s._ 6_d._
each.
Addresses, 1_s._ extra.
WEDDING CARDS AND ENVELOPES IN GREAT VARIETY AND TASTE.
* * * * *
_In an ornamental wrapper_, _upwards of Forty_
SELECT VIEWS IN CHESTER AND ITS VICINITY,
WITH A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE OLD CITY WALLS.
Price 2_s._ 6_d._ tinted, and 1_s._ 6_d._ plain.
* * * * *
LITHOGRAPHY.
MAPS, PLANS, Chalk Drawings, Letter Headings, Circulars, Letters of
Credit, Invoices, Bills, Labels, Gold and Colour Printing, Likenesses,
Law Forms, &c.
E. & G. beg to intimate to SURVEYORS, AUCTIONEERS, and others, that they
have Lithographic Presses and Stones, measuring 50 inches by 32 inches,
38 inches by 25 inches, and so on in smaller sizes.
Letter-press Printing, Plain and Ornamental.
* * * * *
OLD CRYPT CARPET ROOM,
No. 11, EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER.
SUPPOSED DATE, A.D. 800.
[Picture: Old Crypt Carpet Room]
PRICHARD & DODD,
LINEN DRAPERS, MERCERS, AND UPHOLSTERERS,
CARPET FACTORS,
GENERAL MOURNING AND FUNERAL FURNISHERS,
CHESTER,
Respectfully solicit an inspection of their extensive and varied Stock of
Brussels, Tapestry, Kidderminster, Dutch Hemp, &c. Carpets.
MATTINGS, OIL CLOTHS, ETC.
* * * * *
THOMAS CATHERALL,
BOOKSELLER, BOOKBINDER, STATIONER,
MUSIC AND PRINT-SELLER,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER,
HAS CONSTANTLY ON HAND A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF
BIBLES, TESTAMENTS, PRAYER BOOKS, & CHURCH SERVICES,
IN PLAIN AND ELEGANT BINDINGS.
* * * * *
A CHOICE STOCK OF PLAIN AND FANCY STATIONERY,
DAY BOOKS, CASH BOOKS, LEDGERS,
And every other description of Account Books, ruled, printed, and paged
to any pattern, and bound on an improved principle, upon the shortest
notice.
BLOTTING BOOKS, ALBUMS, AND SCRAP BOOKS.
* * * * *
POSTING BILLS, HAND BILLS, CATALOGUES, CIRCULARS, PAMPHLETS, CLUB
ARTICLES, BILL HEADS,
CARDS, AND EVERY DESCRIPTION OF
LETTER-PRESS & COPPER-PLATE PRINTING,
Executed with care, neatness, and despatch, and on the most reasonable
Terms.
* * * * *
AN EXTENSIVE STOCK OF
THE MOST POPULAR MUSIC,
At a reduction of _Threepence in the Shilling_ from the published price.
All new pieces procured from London at the same rate.
MAGAZINES AND ALL OTHER PERIODICALS REGULARLY SUPPLIED.
GENERAL NEWSPAPER AGENT.
* * * * *
Platt & Son,
Chemists to Her Majesty,
Eastgate-street Row, Chester.
* * * * *
Importers’ of German and French Seltzer, and Medicinal Waters.
Depot for all the most approved Inventions for Ladies whilst
Nursing, and Infants, which have received the approbation of
the leading London and Country Accoucheurs.
Lists, with Prices, forwarded on application.
Schweppe’s Soda, Potash, and Lemonade Waters at
Wholesale Prices.
* * * * *
MRS. HILL’S
BOOT AND SHOE MART,
9, EASTGATE ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
A Choice Selection of Ladies’ and Children’s Boots and
Shoes always in Stock.
* * * * *
W. HIGGINS,
PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMIST,
142, BRIDGE STREET, CHESTER.
_Prescriptions and Family Recipes prepared with the strictest care and
accuracy_.
GENUINE PATENT MEDICINES,
With every Drug and Medical Preparation as directed in the respective
Pharmacopœias.
* * * * *
JAMES DICKSON & SONS,
SEEDSMEN AND NURSERYMEN,
102, EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER,
Have always on Sale at their _extensive Nurseries_, NEWTON, close to
Chester, every variety of Forest and Fruit Trees, Evergreens, Flowering
Shrubs, Roses, Alpine, Herbaceous, Greenhouse, and Stove Plants; with
every other Article cultivated in an _extensive and General Nursery
Business_.
Their Seed Stores in Chester are at all times fully stocked with every
kind of Agricultural and Horticultural Seeds of warranted quality. Also
Gardening Implements, Russian Mats, Mushroom Spawn, and every other
Article connected with the Seed Trade, at the lowest market value.
* * * * *
TO RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS.
JOHN DOWNING FARRER,
FAMILY AND DISPENSING CHEMIST,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER,
(Member of the Pharmaceutical Society by Examination.)
ESTABLISHED 1825.
AWARE of the responsibility which attaches itself to those who dispense
prescriptions, J. F. pledges himself to superintend the preparation of
every medicine leaving his establishment; and in proof of his ability to
perform that office aright, can submit certificates of qualification from
the most distinguished London Chemists.
Delicious Summer Beverages, Lemon, Orange, Raspberry, Strawberry, Cherry,
Red and Black Currant, Foreign Pine Apple, &c., possessing the true
flavour of the fresh fruit.
Stomachic Bitters for giving a correct tone to the stomach; particularly
recommended after too free an indulgence at the table.
The much admired Floral Extract, Cestrian Bouquet and Lavender Water, so
highly esteemed for their surprising sweetness and extreme durability of
perfume, sold in bottles, 1_s._ 6_d._, and upwards; and for the
accommodation of visitors who are desirous of purchasing some memento of
Chester, are packed in conveniently sized boxes, containing a bottle of
each Perfume, price 4_s._ 6_d._ and 8_s._ 6_d._ per box.
The above are prepared and sold only by the Proprietor,
JOHN D. FARRER, Family and Dispensing Chemist,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER,
N.B. Agent for Schweppe’s Aerated Waters, which J. F. continues to
supply at 3_s._ per dozen.
* * * * *
JOSEPH HILL,
BOOT AND SHOE FACTOR
AND
MANUFACTURER,
90, EASTGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
J. T. WATHEW,
GOLDSMITH, JEWELLER, AND WATCHMAKER,
69, EASTGATE ROW,
CHESTER.
PURCHASERS MAY ALWAYS RELY UPON A VALUABLE STOCK OF GOODS
TO CHOOSE FROM.
* * * * *
W. A. BILLINGTON,
CONFECTIONER AND BRIDE-CAKE MAKER,
45, WATERGATE ROW, CHESTER.
(Within two minutes’ walk of City Walls, Racecourse, &c.)
Parties Visiting Chester will find his Refreshment Rooms
REPLETE WITH
SOUPS, STEAKS, PIES, JELLIES, PASTRY,
IN VARIETY.
TEA AND COFFEE, BURTON ALES, LONDON PORTER.
* * * * *
C. J. BLELOCK AND SON,
DISPENSING CHEMISTS,
MANUFACTURERS OF [Picture: Royal coat APPOINTMENT TO
SODA WATER AND of arms] HER MAJESTY AND THE
LEMONADE ROYAL FAMILY.
BY SPECIAL
CHESTER.
* * * * *
HARP & PIANOFORTE WAREHOUSE,
ABBEY STREET, CHESTER.
BOUCHER AND CO.,
Have always in Stock a constant supply of New and Second-hand INSTRUMENTS
of the best character, for sale and hire, on the most moderate terms.
Warranted for any length of time. Instruments taken in exchange.
ADDITIONAL STOCKS KEPT BY THEIR VARIOUS AGENTS IN WALES.
B. & C. beg to announce, that to meet their increasing business, they
have engaged an _additional_ Assistant of first-rate ability, as Tuner
and Repairer, from one of the principal London Houses.
Tuning, Regulating, and Repairing, of the most extensive
description, in Town and Country.
* * * * *
FAMILY SHOE WAREHOUSE,
CROSS, CHESTER.
ESTABLISHED 1828.
* * * * *
WILLIAMS AND SON
MANUFACTURE AND SELL
EVERY VARIETY OF BOOTS AND SHOES.
QUALITY:—PRIME. PRICE:—THE LOWEST REMUNERATIVE.
* * * * *
D. Mc. GREGOR,
ROYAL HOTEL,
Family, Commercial, and Posting House,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
THE BLOSSOMS
FAMILY AND COMMERCIAL HOTEL,
CHESTER.
HENRY CUTTER, PROPRIETOR.
TO FAMILIES, COMMERCIAL GENTLEMEN, and PARTIES ON PLEASURE, the above
HOTEL offers peculiar advantages, being situated in the centre of the
City, adjoining the Post Office, near to the Banks, within two minutes
walk of the Ancient City Walls and Cathedral, and the nearest Hotel to
the Railway Station. The above Hotel is one of the OLDEST ESTABLISHMENTS
IN THE CITY, and is conducted on principles combining COMFORT WITH THE
STRICTEST ECONOMY.
A FIXED MODERATE CHARGE FOR SERVANTS.
Omnibuses to and from the Railway for every Train.
☞ Attached to the above Hotel, and TO BE LET, is A LARGE AND SPACIOUS
ROOM, 25 yards long, well lighted with gas, and to which there is an
excellent approach.
* * * * *
LONDON HOTEL.
R. T. MORTIMER
BEGS TO INFORM HIS FRIENDS GENERALLY THAT HE HAS OPENED A
FAMILY & COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT,
113, FOREGATE STREET, OPPOSITE SELLER STREET,
CHESTER.
Within Three Minutes walk of the Railway Station and Post Office.
In soliciting a share of public support, R. T. M. assures his patrons
that every attention shall be paid to their comfort, and that his charges
will be found very moderate.
N.B.—Spacious and comfortable Apartments for Visitors, as the upper part
of the east side of this Hotel affords a commanding View of the Cheshire
Hills and River Dee, a desirable and healthy situation for private
families during the spring and autumn season.
* * * * *
T. HOBDAY,
LIVERPOOL ARMS
FAMILY AND COMMERCIAL HOTEL,
BROOK STREET, CHESTER.
THE NEAREST HOTEL TO THE RAILWAY STATION.
* * * * *
PRIVATE APARTMENTS FOR FAMILIES.
MRS. EDWARD TASKER,
FOREGATE STREET, (near the Bars), CHESTER,
Respectfully announces that she has recently fitted up her house in a
neat and appropriate manner for the especial use of
PRIVATE FAMILIES VISITING THE OLD CITY.
The House is conveniently situated
WITHIN FIVE MINUTES’ WALK FROM THE STATION,
And commands an extensive prospect over Queen’s Park, as well as of the
Mountains of Cheshire and North Wales. The Rooms are large and lofty,
and no expense has been spared to secure to the Establishment every
possible internal convenience. HOT and COLD BATHS always ready.
REFERENCES PERMITTED TO SEVERAL RESPECTABLE FAMILIES.
* * * * *
ELIZABETH BELL,
HOP-POLE,
COMMERCIAL AND FAMILY INN,
FOREGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
ARTHUR BANKS,
GREEN DRAGON,
COMMERCIAL AND FAMILY INN,
EASTGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
JOHN LITTLE,
FAMILY GROCER AND TEA DEALER,
EASTGATE, OPPOSITE THE OLD BANK,
CHESTER.
SUPERIOR BRITISH WINES, SPICES, PICKLES, FISH SAUCES, &c.
GENUINE SMOKED CUMBERLAND HAMS.
* * * * *
BY APPOINTMENT [Picture: Royal Arms] TO THE QUEEN.
WARRANT BEARING DATE MARCH 17TH, 1840.
GEORGE SUMNERS,
BOOT AND SHOE MAKER,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER,
AND AT 31, BOLD STREET, LIVERPOOL.
STRANGERS and VISITORS may obtain at these Establishments every Article
in the trade, of first-rate quality and style, either ready made or to
their own order, with promptness and attention.
* * * * *
JOHN LOWE,
GOLDSMITH, JEWELLER, AND WATCH MAKER,
6, BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER,
(_Late George Lowe & Sons_, _and J. & T. Lowe_).
Established in 1790.
* * * * *
JOHN LOWE returns his sincere thanks to the Nobility, Gentry, and the
Public in general, for the liberal support he has received since his
connection with the above named Establishment, and respectfully solicits
a continuance of the same.
A large assortment of Gold Chains, Watches, Jewellery, Silver Plate, and
Electro-plated Goods.
Electro-plated Tea and Coffee Sets, consisting of Tea and Coffee Pot,
Sugar Basin, and Cream Jug, from £3 15s. to £6.
WEDDING RINGS, ETC., AT REASONABLE PRICES.
Plated articles re-plated and restored as when new. Repairs of Jewellery
and Silver Goods executed on the premises with dispatch. Seals and Plate
engraved in the First Style.
N.B. NO CONNECTION WITH ANY OTHER HOUSE IN THE TRADE.
* * * * *
PRIVATE APARTMENTS.
MRS. H. J. CUTTER,
8, PARADISE ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
J. W. MASSEY,
Importer & Dealer in Foreign Wines & Spirits,
128, FOREGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
THOMAS LATHAM,
LATE FOREMAN TO MESSRS. PARRY & SONS,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
BRUSH MANUFACTURER,
NORTHGATE STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
EDWARD TASKER,
PAINTER, SLATER, AND PLASTERER,
THE BARS,
FOREGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
DEALER IN OILS, PAINTS, COLOURS, VARNISH, CEMENT, AND PLASTER
OF PARIS.
* * * * *
(A CARD.)
JOHN T. T. PILKINGTON,
CIVIL AND MINING ENGINEER,
22, UPPER NORTHGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
J. DODD’S
WHOLESALE CONFECTIONERY
AND BRITISH WINE ESTABLISHMENT,
NORTHGATE STREET ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
[Picture: Royal Coat of Arms]
WESTMINSTER SAUCE,
PATRONISED BY THE NOBILITY & GENTRY OF THE CITY & COUNTY.
This Sauce, from its peculiar piquancy and zest, is pronounced by
connoisseurs to be the best and most generally useful of any yet offered
to the public.
SOLE PROPRIETORS:
BOWERS, BROTHERS,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TEA DEALERS,
Family Grocers and Italian Warehousemen,
101, EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
BARGAINS AT
AMBROSE WILLIAMS’, GLASGOW HOUSE,
18, EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER.
BONNETS at from 4½_d._ to 4_s._ 6½_d._, worth from 8_d._ to 6_s._ 6_d._
BLANKETS AND SHAWLS, at from 20 to 30 per cent. under the usual prices.
A large assortment of Ladies’ WHITE STAYS extremely cheap. BOYS’ CLOTH
CAPS from 1_s._ to 2_s._ 6_d._ STOUT TWEED for Boys’ suits, 10_d._ per
yard.
* * * * *
JOSEPH OAKES,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL LINEN DRAPER,
Silk Mercer, &c.,
94 & 95, EASTGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
CROSS & HARPER,
IMPORTERS OF WINES AND FOREIGN SPIRITS,
EASTGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
WHITLEY & ROBERTS,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
WOOLLEN DRAPERS, CLOTHIERS, & HATTERS,
EASTGATE ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
[Picture: Three scenes: riding, shorting and finishing]
JAMES JONES
Has a very superior, novel, and fashionable Stock of Gentlemen’s,
Ladies’, and Children’s
BOOTS AND SHOES,
Carefully made up on improved anatomical principles; possessing many
advantages in style, fit, durability, and workmanship.
BOOTS AND SHOES MADE TO ORDER, REMODELLED, & REPAIRED.
38, BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER.
* * * * *
ORIGINAL ROYAL BAZAAR,
No. 36, BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER,
ESTABLISHED 30 YEARS.
* * * * *
PIETRO BORDESSA
Begs to acquaint Tourists and Visitors to the Ancient City that a large
Stock of
FOREIGN AND FANCY GOODS
are always kept on hand at this Old Established House. A large quantity
of BAROMETERS at half-price. Also, LOOKING GLASSES of every description
selling off at very reduced prices.
P. B. begs to inform the Nobility, Gentry, and his Friends in general,
that he has just received a large stock of Naples Maccaroni of the finest
quality.
* * * * *
J. KEARTLAND,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
TEA DEALER AND GROCER,
140, UPPER BRIDGE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
(ESTABLISHED 1780.)
BOWERS, BROTHERS,
DISPENSING CHEMISTS,
101, EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER.
* * * * *
PRESCRIPTIONS and FAMILY RECEIPTS prepared with the GREATEST CARE AND
ACCURACY, and compounded of Drugs and Chemicals of the FINEST and PUREST
Description.
* * * * *
AGENTS TO THE
SUN FIRE AND LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY.
* * * * *
WILLIAM WEBB,
(LATE FIELDING)
GLASS, CHINA, AND EARTHENWARE MERCHANT,
145, BRIDGE STREET (NEAR THE CROSS), CHESTER.
Dinner Services, &c., matched. Glass made to pattern. Glass Shades,
Water Filters, &c. Glass, Fruit, and Stone Porter and Ginger Beer
Bottles. Hotel Keepers and Parties Furnishing supplied on most
reasonable terms. All Kinds of Stoneware, Garden Pots, &c.
* * * * *
JOHN AND THOMAS HIGGINS,
WOOLLEN DRAPERS AND HATTERS,
14, BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER.
FUNERALS FURNISHED,
* * * * *
GEORGE LOWE,
Working Silversmith, Jeweller, & Watch Maker,
EASTGATE STREET ROW, CHESTER.
A Large and Fashionable Stock always on hand for sale.
CLOCKS, TIME PIECES, AND PATENT LEVER WATCHES.
* * * * *
HAIGH’S PAPER-HANGING WAREHOUSE,
10, GROSVENOR STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
THE ONLY ONE IN THE CITY WHERE NOTHING BUT PAPER-HANGINGS ARE DEALT IN.
* * * * *
LONDON BREAD AND BISCUIT ESTABLISHMENT,
136, BRIDGE STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
JOHN BAKER,
(BAKER TO THE LATE MARQUIS OF WESTMINSTER)
Returns his sincere thanks to the Nobility, Gentry, and Public generally,
for the very liberal patronage he has received during the last eleven
years, and embraces this opportunity of informing them that he has
entered more extensively into the
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL BISCUIT TRADE,
Of which he will have a daily supply of superior qualities, in packages
of all sizes, and on moderate terms.
J. B., in soliciting a continuance of the favours hitherto bestowed,
assures those who may honour him with their future commands, that they
shall at all times meet with his prompt and careful attention.
* * * * *
MR. SNAPE,
DENTIST,
BRIDGE STREET, CHESTER.
At Home daily from 10 till 4.
* * * * *
BRIDE CAKE MANUFACTURER
BY [Picture: Royal Coat of Arms] TO THE
APPOINTMENT QUEEN.
RICHARD BOLLAND,
CONFECTIONER,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER,
SUCCESSOR TO THE LATE MRS. THOMAS.
(NO OTHER PERSON HAVING THE PURCHASE AND USE OF HER RECEIPTS
FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF BRIDE CAKES,)
WEDDING BREAKFASTS,
FURNISHED IN WHOLE OR PART.
PIC-NIC PARTIES SUPPLIED.
FRENCH AND ORNAMENTAL CONFECTIONERY.
PARTIES VISITING CHESTER WILL FIND HIS REFRESHMENT ROOMS REPLETE WITH
Soups, Pies, Jellies, Ices, Pastry in variety.
* * * * *
THOMPSON,
(LATE WALKER AND COLTON),
SEEDSMAN, NURSERYMAN, AND FLORIST,
136, NORTHGATE STREET, CHESTER,
Has always on hand a full supply of
AGRICULTURAL, GARDEN, & FLOWER SEEDS, OF GENUINE QUALITY,
With every other article connected with the trade. Catalogues may he
had, or
will be forwarded on application.
* * * * *
WILLIAMS & SON,
TOBACCO AND SNUFF MANUFACTURERS,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
JOHN DAVIES,
(LATE R. FLETCHER,)
GOLDSMITH, SILVERSMITH, AND JEWELLER,
PATENT LEVER WATCH AND CLOCK MANUFACTURER,
EASTGATE, CHESTER.
A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF SECOND HAND WATCHES AND PLATE.
* * * * *
MESSRS. EDWARDS,
CABINET MAKERS, UPHOLSTERERS,
AND
PAPER-HANGERS,
6, WATERGATE ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
W. J. WRIGHT,
(FROM MESSRS. BROADWOOD’S, LONDON)
PIANOFORTE TUNER AND DEALER,
ST. WERBURGH’S STREET, CHESTER.
Pianofortes for Sale or Hire, Tuned and Repaired, Taken in Exchange, &c.
&c.
* * * * *
JOHN SMITH AND SON,
WOOLLEN DRAPERS AND HATTERS,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER.
CLOTHES MADE IN THE FIRST STYLE OF FASHION.
Funerals Completely Furnished.
* * * * *
JOSEPH FINCHETT,
FAMILY GROCER,
EASTGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
E. ACTON,
SHIRT MANUFACTURER AND GENERAL OUTFITTER,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER.
Hosiery, Gloves, Parasols, Umbrellas, Carpet-Bags, Ladies’ Ready-made
Linen, Gentlemen’s Cravats and Handkerchiefs of every Description,
Perfumery, &c., &c.
Sole Agent for Ford’s Celebrated Eureka Shirt.
* * * * *
(A CARD.)
MESSRS. JOHN PALIN AND SON,
LAND AGENTS AND SURVEYORS,
WESTMINSTER BUILDINGS, NEWGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
JAMES WORRALL,
GUN AND PISTOL MAKER,
30, FOREGATE STREET, CHESTER.
EVERY DESCRIPTION OF SPORTING AMMUNITION.
Repairing in all its Branches.
* * * * *
ALEXANDER & WILLIAM BOOTH,
MERCHANT TAILORS, DRAPERS, & HAT MANUFACTURERS,
99, EASTGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
FUNERALS COMPLETELY FURNISHED.
* * * * *
A CARD.
MR. D. HERBERT,
AUCTIONEER, APPRAISER, AND COUNTY COURT AGENT,
98, BROOK STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
OFFICE:—FRODSHAM STREET.
* * * * *
T. R. HINCKS,
CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST,
NORTHGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
RICHARD DAVIES,
GENERAL DRAPER AND SILK MERCER,
112, EASTGATE STREET,
(OPPOSITE THE ROYAL HOTEL)
CHESTER.
* * * * *
JOSEPH ROBERTS,
FAMILY TEA DEALER AND GROCER,
138, BRIDGE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
A. & G. MCLELLAN,
SILK MERCERS, &c.,
EASTGATE STREET ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
THOMAS EDWARDS,
BRUSH MANUFACTURER,
CROSS, CHESTER,
Begs most respectfully to return his grateful thanks to the Inhabitants
of Chester and its vicinity, for the liberal support which he has
received since his succession to his late Father’s business, and hopes by
strict attention and personal superintendence to merit a continuance of
their future favours, and an extension of public patronage.
* * * * *
ROBERT GREGG,
SUCCESSOR TO BROADHURST & JONES,
154, BRIDGE STREET, CHESTER,
Rope and Twine Manufacturer, and General Dealer in
Smallwares.
* * * * *
WILLIAM ALDIS,
CLOTHIER AND HATTER,
BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER,
First-class Goods, ready for immediate wear, consisting of Over-coats,
Frock,
Dress, and Shooting Coats, Vests, Trousers, &c., always on hand.
Loudon and Paris Hats, Portmanteaus and Hat Cases, Shirts, Stocks, Neck
Ties, Handkerchiefs, &c. &c.
* * * * *
BLAKE,
(LATE GIBBONS,)
CONFECTIONERY AND GENERAL REFRESHMENT ROOMS,
EASTGATE ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
SOUPS, STEAKS, CHOPS, COFFEE, TEA, &c. &c.
LEMONADE, SODA WATER, A GINGER BEER.
MELTON MOWBRAY PIES.
* * * * *
HENRY SPENCER,
GOLDSMITH AND JEWELLER,
Watch and Clock Maker,
Has always on hand a large assortment of GOLD and SILVER PATENT
LEVER WATCHES, WEDDING RINGS, &c. &c.
EASTGATE ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
J. THOMPSON,
PRINT SELLER, &c.,
BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER.
Repository for the Sale of VIEWS IN WALES, of the ANCIENT BUILDINGS
IN CHESTER, and GUIDE BOOKS for CHESTER and WALES.
ENGRAVER, LITHOGRAPHER, AND COPPERPLATE PRINTER.
_Ladies and Gentlemen’s Address Cards Engraved and Printed_.
* * * * *
W. CROSBY,
AUCTIONEER AND APPRAISER,
104, EASTGATE ROW NORTH,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
Agent for the Clerical, Medical, and General Life Assurance Society.
* * * * *
A. TAIT,
TAILOR, WOOLLEN DRAPER, HATTER, &c.,
BRIDGE STREET ROW,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
WILLIAM RICHMOND,
TUNER, REPAIRER, AND DEALER IN
ACCORDEONS, FLUTINAS, AND CONCERTINAS,
2, EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER.
(NEAR THE CROSS.)
_A variety of Music Books_, _arranged for the Accordeon_, _Concertina_,
_&c._ _A choice assortment_, _of Instruments kept constantly on hand_.
_Old ones taken in exchange for new_.
* * * * *
MARIA WILLIAMS,
SILK, WOOLLEN, COTTON, AND FANCY DYER,
CLEANER, GLAZER, AND HOT PRESSER,
ST. WERBURGH STREET, CHESTER.
Gentlemen’s Wearing Apparel Renovated. Blankets and Carpets scoured on
the shortest notice, and on the most reasonable terms.
* * * * *
G. MARSH,
5, BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER.
TAILOR AND DRAPER,
GARMENTS MADE TO ORDER AT A MODERATE PROFIT.
Coats from 25_s._ to £3. Vests from 8_s._ to 15_s._ Trousers from
12_s._ to 28_s._
FUNERALS FURNISHED.
* * * * *
FRANCIS GILL,
SON OF THE LATE MR. JOHN GILL, SOLICITOR,
ACCOUNTANT, ESTATE, AND GENERAL AGENT,
30, NEWGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
JOHN HITCHEN,
SURVEYOR, BUILDER, AND CONTRACTOR,
EATON ROAD.
CHESTER.
* * * * *
W. J. BELL,
FASHIONABLE BOOT AND SHOE MAKER,
No. 2, BRIDGE STREET ROW,
CHESTER.
HUNTING, SHOOTING, and FISHING BOOTS made in a superior style, possessing
great advantages in fit, durability, and general appearance, besides
economy in price. BOOTS REFRONTED, and Repairs executed in a superior
manner.
A Good assortment of Ladies’, Gentlemen’s, and Children’s Walking Boots
and Shoes; Dress, and warm House and India Rubber Over Shoes.
* * * * *
SAMUEL DEAN,
LATE MATTHEWS AND DAVENPORT,
SADDLER,
EASTGATE, CHESTER.
Saddlery and Harness on moderate terms. Successor to the late E.
Matthews.
* * * * *
GEORGE H. CROWTHER’S
OLD BOOK REPOSITORY,
No. 8, ST. WERBURGH STREET,
CHESTER.
“Whose Shop is well-known, or ought to be so, by all the true
lovers of curious little old smoke-dried Volumes.”
☞ Libraries arranged, catalogued, valued for testamentary and other
purposes. Libraries or smaller lots of Books purchased on equitable
terms.
* * * * *
W. FARISH’S
COMMERCIAL TEMPERANCE HOTEL,
No. 6, BROOK STREET, CHESTER,
Is conveniently situated for Business, in the leading thoroughfare to the
City, within five minutes’ walk of the Railway Station and Post Office,
and is fitted with a view to the comfort of Commercial Gentlemen,
Visitors, &c. A respectable Boots always on the Premises.
OMNIBUSES PASS TO AND FROM EVERY TRAIN.
* * * * *
A CARD.
MR. JAMES HARRISON,
ARCHITECT,
23, ST. WERBURGH STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
☞ BASS’S INDIA PALE ALE.
PRIVATE Families, Gentlemen, and Invalids would do well by sending their
orders for the above distinguished beverage, so much admired for the
summer months, and especially recommended by the Medical Profession
throughout her Majesty’s dominions; also a general assortment of MILD
ALES viz. Edinburgh, Alloa, Burton, and Windsor; likewise Guinness’s
Double Stout, {34} in bottle, in fine condition for immediate use, at
MANLY’S INDIA ALE & PORTER STORES,
VICTORIA BUILDINGS, LOWER BRIDGE STREET,
CHESTER.
N.B.—Agent, by special appointment, for the United Kingdom Life Assurance
Company, London.
* * * * *
JOHN DENNIS,
BASKET & HAMPER MANUFACTURER,
WHITE COOPER, FANCY BASKET, BRUSH & COMB DEALER,
EASTGATE STREET, OPPOSITE THE ROYAL HOTEL,
CHESTER.
All kinds of Wine, Fruit, and Packing Hampers constantly on hand.
* * * * *
HENRY MORRIS,
WOOLLEN DRAPER, TAILOR, AND HATTER,
EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
FUNERALS COMPLETELY FURNISHED.
* * * * *
SAMUEL SETTLE & SON,
CUTLERS,
BRIDGE STREET,
(CORNER OF COMMONHALL STREET,)
CHESTER.
* * * * *
[Picture: Various optical items etc.]
To have the Vision accurately suited with SPECTACLES, apply to
W. N. TELFORD,
OPTICIAN,
GROSVENOR STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
EGERTON STREET [Picture: Royal Coat TIMBER YARD,
SAW MILLS AND of Arms] CHESTER.
ALFRED LOCKWOOD
Begs to announce that he is selling MOULDINGS of every description, DOORS
SASHES, and all kinds of JOINERS’ WORK, Manufactured by PATENT MACHINERY,
at reduced prices a List of which may be had upon application.
SEASONED AND PREPARED FLOORING ALWAYS ON SALE.
TIMBER AND SCANTLINGS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION.
* * * * *
EDWIN CLARK,
(FROM SHEFFIELD)
WORKING CUTLER,
GENERAL DEALER IN HARDWARE,
3, NORTHGATE STREET, CHESTER.
Umbrellas and Parasols neatly covered and repaired on the shortest
notice.
* * * * *
THOMAS LEWIS,
CURRIER,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL LEATHER WAREHOUSE,
No. 9, NEWGATE STREET, CHESTER,
Gutta Percha, &c.
* * * * *
Hosiery, Glove, Shirt, Cravat, Baby, and Ladies’ Ready-made
Linen Establishment.
J. E. EWEN,
Has always on hand a large Stock of First Class Goods at moderate prices.
_N.B._ _Muslin and Lace Collars_, _Sleeves_, _Scotch and Irish
Embroidery_, _Ribbons_, _Neck Ties_, _Parasols_, _Umbrellas_, _&c._
For the convenience of purchasers, every article is marked in plain
figures.
8, BRIDGE STREET ROW, CHESTER.
* * * * *
E. PARIS,
BAZAAR AND FANCY REPOSITORY,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER.
Strangers visiting Chester are invited to pay the above Establishment a
visit, where may be seen a great variety of MECHANICAL FIGURES, &c., free
of charge.
* * * * *
SAMUEL PARRY,
ENGINEER, &c.,
MOST respectfully informs his friends and the Public generally that he
has commenced business in the Cross Gun Yard (next to the Golden Lion
Inn), Foregate Street, Chester, where he intends carrying on the
ENGINEERING BUSINESS—and trusts that, having obtained during the last
twenty years, and whilst with his father, Mr. Robert Taylor Parry, of
Crook Street Foundry, an experimental and practical knowledge of his
business in its several branches—he shall merit a continuation of those
favours so liberally bestowed upon his father for so many years, which
shall have his best attention, and his charges most moderate.
S. P. continues to wait upon his agricultural and other friends as usual.
* * * * *
THE LANCASHIRE
FIRE AND LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY.
AGENT,
MR. EDWARD GEE,
106, EASTGATE STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
OLD BOOK REPOSITORY.
W. ROBERTS,
44, FOREGATE STREET,
Has constantly on Sale, a large quantity of SECOND-HAND BOOKS, at the
lowest possible charges.
OLD BOOKS BOUGHT, SOLD, OR EXCHANGED.
W. R. will be happy to receive commissions from Gentlemen unable
personally to attend the various Book bales in the neighbourhood.
* * * * *
POWELL AND EDWARDS,
CUTLERS AND IRONMONGERS,
BRIDGE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
FOREGATE STREET PRINTING
ESTABLISHMENT.
BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, CATALOGUES, CIRCULARS, CARDS, LEASES, INVOICES,
HEADINGS, POSTING AND HAND BILLS,
AND EVERY DESCRIPTION OF LETTER-PRESS PRINTING,
Neatly, accurately, and expeditiously executed, with
THE BEST AND MOST MODERN TYPES AND MATERIALS,
Under the personal superintendence of
F. P. EVANS,
Who will forward Specimens and Estimates on the shortest notice.
* * * * *
CHARLES COTGREAVE,
LAW STATIONER AND GENERAL AGENT,
NORTHGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
F. FODEN,
(LATE LANCASTER)
CONFECTIONER, & c. &c.,
ST. WERBURGH’S STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
THOMAS GRIFFITH,
LIVERY STABLES,
14, NICHOLAS STREET, CHESTER.
Licensed to let Post and Saddle Horses, Gigs, Chaises, Cars, &c.
_Close and Open Carriages always ready for Visitors_.
* * * * *
EXCELLENT YARD AND TWO-YARD COAL,
FROM TRYDDYN LODGE.
* * * * *
MESSRS. LOWNDES AND SMITH,
No. 5 OFFICE, RAILWAY COAL YARD,
Sole Agents for Chester.
* * * * *
MESSRS. L. and S. beg to inform the public that they continue to sell the
above valuable Coals at the undermentioned
PRICES:—
Tryddyn Two-yard Coal at Chester 5_d._ per cwt.
„ „ Saighton Lane, Waverton 5½_d._ „
Tryddyn Yard Coal (very superior) 6_d._ „
ORDERS PUNCTUALLY ATTENDED TO.
N.B.—A good Stock of BEST RUABON and LANCASHIRE COAL always on hand.
* * * * *
(A CARD).
MR. HENRY LEWIS,
ARCHITECT AND SURVEYOR,
QUEEN STREET, CHESTER.
Sixteen years Assistant to Messrs. Penson & Son, Architects, of Oswestry
and Chester.
* * * * *
W. WILLIAMS,
BASKET AND HAMPER MANUFACTURER,
104, BRIDGE STREET (NEAR THE CROSS),
CHESTER.
ALL KINDS OF WINE, FRUIT, AND PACKING HAMPERS, CONSTANTLY
ON HAND.
FRENCH FANCY BASKETS, HOLLAND RUSHES, WHITE COOPERY, &c.
Baskets of every description made to order on the shortest notice.
REPAIRS NEATLY EXECUTED.
* * * * *
STEPHEN BOX,
GAS FITTER, BRASS FINISHER, AND BELL HANGER,
LOCKSMITH, BRAZIER, ZINC, IRON, AND TIN PLATE WORKER,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER.
GAS CHANDELIERS, LAMPS, GLASSES, &c., IN GREAT VARIETY.
BRONZING, LACQUERING, AND ALL KINDS OF BRASS-WORK
NEATLY EXECUTED ON THE PREMISES.
Bell-hanging in all its branches, on the most approved principles.
WORKSHOPS AND SHOWROOMS adjoining Messrs. W. & C. BROWN, Mercers.
* * * * *
From The George Hotel,
Bangor Ferry.
[Picture: George Hotel, Bangor Ferry]
THE GEORGE HOTEL,
AND POSTING HOUSE,
BANGOR FERRY,
(ELLEN ROBERTS, PROPRIETRESS,)
Is beautifully situated on the Banks of the Menai, within five minutes’
walk of the Menai Bridge, and ten of the great Tubular Bridge, also the
same distance from the Railway Station; where an Omnibus, Post Horses for
Private Carriages, and Cars, wait every Train.
THERE IS A BOAT IN READINESS FOR PARTIES WISHING TO SAIL TO THE
BRIDGES OR ELSEWHERE.
EXCELLENT SEA BATHING, WITH ATTENDANCE;
HOT, COLD, AND SHOWER BATHS ALWAYS IN READINESS.
TICKETS OF ADMITTANCE FOR PENRHYN CASTLE ON
THE APPOINTED DAY.
Steamboats ply Daily to and from Liverpool.
* * * * *
CHARLES WOOLEY,
ALBION TAVERN,
WATERGATE ROW (NEAR THE CROSS), CHESTER.
Every Accommodation for Tourists and Visitors.
* * * * *
JOHN DENMAN,
(LATE OF THE LIVERPOOL ARMS),
ALBION FAMILY AND COMMERCIAL HOTEL,
And Posting House,
OPPOSITE THE CATHEDRAL, BANGOR.
* * * * *
W. TASH,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TOBACCONIST.
Meerschaum, and other Pipes,
AND ALL ARTICLES CONNECTED WITH SMOKING.
NEWS AGENT.
All the London and Manchester Papers regularly supplied. Weekly and
Monthly Periodicals on Sale.
TOP OF SHOEMAKER’S ROW, NORTHGATE ST., CHESTER.
* * * * *
TO TOURISTS AND OTHERS.
A. & T. B. FOULKES,
OLD ESTABLISHED
GLOVE MANUFACTURERS AND HOSIERS,
CROSS, CHESTER,
Have always in Stock a large assortment of
GLOVES AND GAUNTLETS
Of their own and other approved makes. Their
PATENT GAUNTLETS
Continue to give great satisfaction; their accuracy in fitting being very
much superior to all others.
* * * * *
ANN RIGBY,
ITALIAN & FAMILY GROCERY ESTABLISHMENT,
BRIDGE STREET, CHESTER.
Potted Meats, Marmalades, Fancy Biscuits, and Choice British Wines.
* * * * *
EDWARD KAY,
LOCKSMITH, BELL-HANGER, AND GENERAL SMITH,
ABBEY BUILDINGS, CHESTER.
* * * * *
INTERESTING NEW WORKS FOR TOURISTS,
BY THOMAS JACKSON, R.M.
BRITANNIA BRIDGE, 14 Engravings, 1s.
MENAI SUSPENSION BRIDGE, with an Engraving of the Bridge, 6d.
HANDBOOK FOR HOLYHEAD, 71 pages, 6d.
GUIDE TO DUBLIN, with a large Map, 6d.
The above works are not mere skeletons, but contain a large fund of
information.
Sent by post, free, for the amount in stamps.
Orders addressed, Mr. JACKSON, Holyhead, will be promptly attended to.
* * * * *
WILLIAM JONES,
Engraver, Lithographer, Ornamental & General Printer, 1, Bridge Street
Row, Chester, gives Estimates, and gets up Proofs, subject to approval.
* * * * *
JAMES HOLAWAY,
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
BRUSH MANUFACTURER,
139, NORTHGATE STREET,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
HALL’S
ORIGINAL INDELIBLE
PATENT METALLIC PAPER
MEMORANDUM BOOKS,
MANUFACTURED BY
CHARLES PENNY AND SONS,
16, CANNON STREET WEST, LONDON.
* * * * *
SOLD BY
T. CATHERALL, PRICHARD AND ROBERTS, MINSHULL
AND OWEN, AND PARRY AND SON,
CHESTER.
* * * * *
JOSEPH HILL,
BOOT AND SHOE MANUFACTURER,
90, EASTGATE STREET,
CHESTER,
AND
HIGH STREET,
HOLYWELL.
* * * * *
THE CASTLE HOTEL,
CONWAY.
THIS Old-established Hotel, situate near to the Railway Station, the
Castle, Plas Mawr, and other objects of attraction to the Visitor, is
still conducted with that attention to the comfort and convenience of
passengers, which has, for many years, gained for it the first repute.
The Proprietress,
CORDELIA OWEN,
Returns her sincere thanks to the public for the patronage and
encouragement which she has received, and begs to state that no efforts
shall be wanting on her part to secure their future favour.
WINES OF THE BEST VINTAGES AND OF MATURE AGE.
GENUINE SPIRITS FROM THE FIRST IMPORTERS.
MILD AND BITTER ALES FROM THE MOST EMINENT BREWERS.
London and Dublin Porter.
DINNERS ON THE SHORTEST NOTICE.
_During the summer months_, _a Cold Collation_, _with hot Vegetables_,
_always on the Table_.
New and Fashionable Carriages, by the best makers, with good Horses, and
careful Drivers.
PRIVATE APARTMENTS.
* * * * *
FREDERICK J. HILL,
MANUFACTURING & WHOLESALE CONFECTIONER,
DEALER IN BRITISH WINES, &c.
5, NORTHGATE STREET ROW, CHESTER.
PRICE LISTS SENT FREE BY POST ON APPLICATION.
* * * * *
WILLIAM SIMPSON,
GENERAL PLUMBER, GLAZIER, &c.
FRODSHAM STREET, CHESTER.
* * * * *
PUMPS, BATHS, WATER-CLOSETS, ETC.
* * * * *
IMPORTANT TO TOURISTS.
* * * * *
SMITHS’ INDELIBLE METALLIC BOOKS.
SMITHS’ MANIFOLD COPYING LETTER-WRITER.
SMITHS’ WRITING COMPENDIUM,
With PATENT SELF-COLLAPSING POCKETS, which can be refilled at a small
expense.
* * * * *
Sold by all Stationers, and Wholesale by the Manufacturers,
T. J. & J. SMITH,
QUEEN STREET, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON.
* * * * *
WILLIAM DEW,
BRITISH HOTEL
FAMILY, COMMERCIAL, AND POSTING HOUSE,
WITHIN ONE MINUTE’S WALK OF THE RAILWAY STATION,
BANGOR.
REFRESHMENT ROOMS.
* * * * *
BANGOR, NORTH WALES.
Prints, Guidebooks, Maps, &c. for Tourists in the Principality.
* * * * *
THOMAS CATHERALL,
BOOKSELLER, STATIONER, MUSIC AND PRINTSELLER,
OPPOSITE THE OLD BANK, BANGOR,
Has on sale a great variety of Lithographic Views and Steel Engravings of
the most
PICTURESQUE SCENERY IN NORTH WALES,
PRINTS OF THE
WELSH COSTUMES, A WELSH WEDDING, &c.
LARGE AND ACCURATE VIEWS OF BANGOR,
PENRHYN CASTLE, THE MODEL VILLAGE OF LLANDEGAI,
A SPIRITED SKETCH OF
A MARKET DAY IN BANGOR,
AND ALL THE BEST
TOURISTS’ GUIDE BOOKS, MAPS,
AND
VOCABULARIES IN ENGLISH AND WELSH.
* * * * *
VISITORS TO BANGOR
Will save themselves much time and expense if they purchase, price _One
Shilling_,
CATHERALL’S HANDBOOK TO BANGOR,
AND ITS VICINITY.
It contains a guide to all the objects of interest in the neighbourhood,
and points out what to do, and how to do it, at the least possible
expense and loss of time.
* * * * *
On the 1st January, 1856, was published, the First Monthly Part, price
1_s._, of a
POPULAR HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT FROM
THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO OUR OWN TIMES.
BY CHARLES KNIGHT.
Each Part contains a beautiful Steel Plate, and the whole work—divided
into about Thirty-six Monthly Parts—will be enriched with about 1000 Wood
Engravings.
“It is not only felt with fairness and admirably written, but very
freely illustrated with good woodcuts. We can conceive that such a
history, when a complete work, will be a family book, seldom suffered
to be idle. It is an attempt to supply a well-known want, and we
believe that the event will prove it a successful one.”—_Examiner_.
“A book for the parlour, the cottage, and the school-room—such is the
work proposed by Mr. Knight.”—_Athenæum_.
* * * * *
Publishing in Monthly Parts, price 6s. each,
NATURE-PRINTED FERNS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.
_This new and important Folio Work on the_ “_British Ferns_,” _to be
completed in Seventeen Parts_, _will contain_, _besides Wood Engravings_,
_upwards of fifty large folio Plates of_ “_Ferns_,” _represented_,
_life-size_, _by NATURE-PRINTING_. _With Descriptions of the Indigenous
Species and Varieties by_ THOMAS MOORE, F.L.S., _and Edited by_ DR.
LINDLEY.
* * * * *
The ENGLISH CYCLOPÆDIA, conducted by CHARLES KNIGHT,
publishing in Weekly Numbers, price 6d., and in Monthly Parts, price 2s.
* * * * *
Now ready, price 10s., cloth, Vol. I. of
THE CYCLOPÆDIA OF BIOGRAPHY;
OR, THIRD DIVISION OF THE ENGLISH CYCLOPÆDIA, CONDUCTED
BY CHARLES KNIGHT.
“Two Divisions of Mr. Knight’s admirable Cyclopædia—those comprising
Natural History and Geography—being now finished, a third is here
entered upon; and we have before us the First Part of a New
Biographical Dictionary, which, when completed, will form a perfect
work in itself, and will present a large body of information on the
personal history of distinguished men, brought down almost to the day
of publication. All living men of any degree of celebrity are
included in this collection, and the very freshest incidents in their
lives are not forgotten.”—_Leader_.
* * * * *
Just completed, each in 4 vols., price £2 2_s._,
THE CYCLOPÆDIAS OF GEOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.
WITH MANY HUNDREDS OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
“These Cyclopædias contain all that an ordinary reader is solicitous
to know with reference to these two large departments of human
learning.”—_Times_.
* * * * *
BRADBURY AND EVANS, 11, BOUVERIE STREET, LONDON.
* * * * *
CHESTER AND NORTH WALES.
The following Works are deserving the especial attention of
VISITORS AND TOURISTS.
PROUT’S ANTIQUITIES OF CHESTER, 4to, £1 11s. 6d.
half-bound morocco
The same, on large paper, imperial folio, £2 12s. 6d.
half-bound morocco, price
Or Coloured and Mounted in imitation of £5 5s. 0d.
the original Drawings, in Portfolio
A great variety of Views in Chester and North Wales, both Plain and
Coloured.
BOOK OF VIEWS IN CHESTER AND ITS VICINITY, in an appropriate wrapper,
containing 12 Steel Plate Views, price 2_s._ and 2_s._ 6_d._
The same on card, in a handsome Envelope, price 1_s._ 6_d._
BENNETT’S PEDESTRIAN’S TOUR THROUGH NORTH WALES, price 1_s._ 6_d._ in
boards; or on large paper, bound in cloth, 3_s._
THE CAMBRIAN MIRROR.—The favourite Tourist’s Guide through North Wales,
with Map and Illustrations, price 3_s._ 6_d._
THE STRANGER’S HANDBOOK TO CHESTER. A large paper edition of the present
work, with numerous additional Illustrations, bound in cloth, price 5_s._
* * * * *
PUBLISHED AND SOLD BY
THOMAS CATHERALL,
EASTGATE ROW, CHESTER,
AND
HIGH STREET, BANGOR.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTES.
{13} We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr. G. F. Ward, of the General
Manager’s Office, and Mr. H. Parker, the indefatigable Goods Manager, for
the above statistics of this mammoth establishment.
{77} While these sheets were waiting for the press, the hand of death
has removed our friend, the Rev. W. H. Massie, to his reward in heaven.
Of him it may truly be said, that, having done his Master’s work upon
earth, he has now gone aloft to be partaker of His glory! May the mantle
of this modern Elijah fall on his successor, the Rev. C. Bowen! An
elegant stained glass window, raised by public subscription to the honour
of Mr. Massie, will shortly beautify the chancel of this Church.
{96} See an article on the Chester Registry in Dickens’ “Household
Words,” entitled the “Doom of English Wills.”
{34} The page is disfigured at this point and the text is not present.
Transcription is best guess based on similar advertisements.—DP.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Stranger's Handbook to Chester [1856]" ***
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