DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6910#0038
20
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
For carrying on the buildings of the college, the founder settled, per annum, till
the work should be completed, a part of his Duchy of Lancaster, which, for that
purpose, he vested in feoffees.
On March 4th, 1446, he granted to the provost and scholars, a stone-quarry in
the lordship of Heselwode, in Yorkshire ; and on the 25th of February, 1448, to
the provosts and scholars of King's and Eton jointly, another quarry at Huddlestone,
in Yorkshire.
In 1461, on the proclamation of Edward the Fourth as King, an entire stop was
put to the works ; for the Duchy of Lancaster and the whole revenues of the college
were seized: a part of them, indeed, were granted again for the maintenance of the
provost and his scholars, but nothing from the Duchy for the building.
In this state every thing remained for the greater part of twenty years, till Dr.
Field, the warden of Winchester college, was chosen provost. On June 10th, 1479,
he was appointed overseer of the works ;* and continued till June 14th, 1483, dur-
ing which time £1296. Is. 8d. was expended on the buildings, of which £1000. was
given by the King, and £140. by Thomas de Rotherham, Bishop of Lincoln, and
Chancellor of England, who had been once a fellow of the college.
From the 14th of June, 1483, to the 22d of March following, nothing was done, at
which time Thomas Cliff was appointed by King Richard III. overseer of the works,
and continued so till December the 23d; during which period the sum of £/46.
10*. 9|c?. was expended, of which the King appears to have given £700.
At this time the east end of the chapel seems to have been carried up to the top
of the window, and the two first vestries towards the east, on the north side, were
covered in; but the battlements over them were not set up. And thus the building
stood sloping towards the west end, being carried no higher than the white stone
rises, till the 28th of May, 1508 (23d Henry VII.); from which time the work
* Formerly, when the principal knowledge of the arts and sciences centred in the clergy, it was not an
uncommon thing to appoint some dignitary of the church to preside over the king's works. Thus William of
Wykeham was the overseer or surveyor of the works at Windsor Castle : and Nicholas Cloosc, who was made a
fellow of King's College at its foundation, and was afterwards, in 1452, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, was the
first person appointed as overseer and manager of the intended building; some assert that his father was the
architect. John Canterbury, who went from Eton to King's, in 1451, was made clerk of the works. And another
of the overseers was John Langton, who was made Bishop of St. David's, in 1447. In the indentures likewise,
which are printed in the Appendix, we find the Archdeacon of Norwich overseer of the glass-work for the windows.
And in the archives of Caius College, in a deed dated August the 17th, 1476, the names of the following artificers
are preserved : John Wulrich, master-mason ; John Bell, mason-warden ; and Richard Adam, and Robert
Dogett, carpenters.
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
For carrying on the buildings of the college, the founder settled, per annum, till
the work should be completed, a part of his Duchy of Lancaster, which, for that
purpose, he vested in feoffees.
On March 4th, 1446, he granted to the provost and scholars, a stone-quarry in
the lordship of Heselwode, in Yorkshire ; and on the 25th of February, 1448, to
the provosts and scholars of King's and Eton jointly, another quarry at Huddlestone,
in Yorkshire.
In 1461, on the proclamation of Edward the Fourth as King, an entire stop was
put to the works ; for the Duchy of Lancaster and the whole revenues of the college
were seized: a part of them, indeed, were granted again for the maintenance of the
provost and his scholars, but nothing from the Duchy for the building.
In this state every thing remained for the greater part of twenty years, till Dr.
Field, the warden of Winchester college, was chosen provost. On June 10th, 1479,
he was appointed overseer of the works ;* and continued till June 14th, 1483, dur-
ing which time £1296. Is. 8d. was expended on the buildings, of which £1000. was
given by the King, and £140. by Thomas de Rotherham, Bishop of Lincoln, and
Chancellor of England, who had been once a fellow of the college.
From the 14th of June, 1483, to the 22d of March following, nothing was done, at
which time Thomas Cliff was appointed by King Richard III. overseer of the works,
and continued so till December the 23d; during which period the sum of £/46.
10*. 9|c?. was expended, of which the King appears to have given £700.
At this time the east end of the chapel seems to have been carried up to the top
of the window, and the two first vestries towards the east, on the north side, were
covered in; but the battlements over them were not set up. And thus the building
stood sloping towards the west end, being carried no higher than the white stone
rises, till the 28th of May, 1508 (23d Henry VII.); from which time the work
* Formerly, when the principal knowledge of the arts and sciences centred in the clergy, it was not an
uncommon thing to appoint some dignitary of the church to preside over the king's works. Thus William of
Wykeham was the overseer or surveyor of the works at Windsor Castle : and Nicholas Cloosc, who was made a
fellow of King's College at its foundation, and was afterwards, in 1452, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, was the
first person appointed as overseer and manager of the intended building; some assert that his father was the
architect. John Canterbury, who went from Eton to King's, in 1451, was made clerk of the works. And another
of the overseers was John Langton, who was made Bishop of St. David's, in 1447. In the indentures likewise,
which are printed in the Appendix, we find the Archdeacon of Norwich overseer of the glass-work for the windows.
And in the archives of Caius College, in a deed dated August the 17th, 1476, the names of the following artificers
are preserved : John Wulrich, master-mason ; John Bell, mason-warden ; and Richard Adam, and Robert
Dogett, carpenters.