Overview
Universitätsbibliothek HeidelbergUniversitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
Overview
Facsimile
0.5
1 cm
facsimile
Scroll
OCR fulltext
»t Jeter's Cfjurcf),

NORTHAMPTON.

The town of Northampton contains four parish churches, one of which has been
illustrated and described in the first volume of this work: and another, still more
curious in architectural details, and beautiful as a building, I shall now endeavour to
develope. It is dedicated to St. Peter, and stands at the western extremity of the
town, near the outer fortifications of the ancient castle, which is said to have been
built by Simon de St. Liz, in the time of William the Conqueror. From the con-
tiguity of the former to the latter, it is probable that the church was connected with
the castle, and was most likely erected by one of its Norman lords. But ot this
event there is no memorial preserved ; and though the History of Northampton cir-
cumstantially details many public events relating to councils,* assemblies, sieges,f
&c. yet no notice is taken of the time when this building was erected, nor is the sin-
gularity of its architecture described. From the register of Saint Andrew's priory,
m this town, it appears that the rectory of St. Fetor's was given to that house by
Simon de St. Liz, and was confirmed to it, with Kingsthorpe and Upton, by Hugh
Wells, bishop of Lincoln, who was translated to that See A. D. 12094 " In the
reign of Henry the Third, the right of patronage was recovered of the convent by
the king, and continued for some time in the hands of the crown. The advowson

* In 1138 a council was held at Northampton, when the bishops, abbots, and barons of the realm were sum-
moned by King Stephen , and several promotions then made in the church and state. Bridges 8 History of Northamp-
tonshire, vol. i. p. 422, from Florence of Worcester.

t The early history of this town, like the general histories of the kingdom, is almost wholly devoted to the de-
plorable narration of wars and intestine tumults, as if it were the only province of history to record the savage and
^grading propensities of man j or as if the reader could derive no amusement or interest in any events but those
immediately connected with warlike governments and military governors. If historians would cease to bestow
that indiscriminate praise, which at present disgraces literature, on all commanders of armies, and those who only
study the murdering science of war, it would greatly tend to check that unworthy ambition, which seeks for honour
in the field of battle, or " glorious renown in the massacre of thousands of our fellow-creatures.
J Willis's Survey of Cathedrals, vol. ii. p. 50.

C. VOL. U.
 
Annotationen