DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6912#0144
ST. JAMES'S TOWER.
85
Danish conquest of East Anglia. King Canute, when he had established his autho-
rity, expelled the secular clergy, and, A. D. 1020, placed the regulars, or monks,
in the monastery of St. Edmund, and bestowed on them another royal charter con-
firming the former grant of Edmund, King of the West Saxons. Under these
auspices, Ailwin, the Bishop of East Anglia, rebuilt the Church of St. Edmund, in a
style of greater splendour : this building was consecrated A.D. 1032 ; but the estab-
lishment continuing rapidly to increase in wealth, Baldwin, who was placed in the
abbot's chair by William the Conqueror, demolished Canute's Church, and raised a
much more magnificent structure, which was re-consecrated A.D. 1095. Several
charters of King William's are preserved in the registers, granting the use of
Barnack stone-quarry, in Northamptonshire, to Abbot Baldwin for this building,
and exempting the stone from all toll or duty in its passage to Bury.* The monas-
tic writers that supply this information do not mention this portal; but as they ex-
pressly state, that the latter and more magnificent church was built by Abbot Bald-
win " with hewn stone," it is probable that this tower was then erected. About
A. D. 1121, or 1130, Abbot Anselmf built St. James's Church for the use of the
inhabitants of the town ; and the only notice by the ancient writers that appears at
all applicable to this portal, is preserved in the Monast. Aug. p. 300 : where it is
said, about the same time Radulphus and Herseus, the sacrists, built " Turrim Sancti
Jacobi." It admits of a doubt whether this notice refers to the building under con-
sideration, or to one of the demolished towers of St. Edmund's Church. The style
of architecture of the present tower evidently fixes the time of its erection before
the introduction of the pointed style, and renders it probable that, if it formed no
part of Abbot Baldwin's buildings, it is the tower built by the sacrists above-men-
tioned. Mr. King, in his Munimenta Antiqua, vol. iv. calls it " Canute's Great
Gate, at St. Edmund's Bury," and observes that, with the cathedral of Christ
Church, at Oxford, this gate affords the most striking instance of that bold and
noble style which he designates as the full or perfect Saxon. A learned writer in
* The authorities for these particulars are given in Yates's History of Bury, pages 18, 48, 64, 66, and
seq.-—To this work the reader is also referred for much interesting information respecting monastic history in
general. J. B.
t This ahbot being sick, vowed to make a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella, should he recover; he was
restored to health—but Compostella was far off. The prior and monks were convened for their advice, and they
determined, that it would be more beneficial for the town, more convenient to the lord abbot, and more to the
honour of St. James, if the said abbot would build a church here, and dedicate it to the saint. E. M.
M. VOL. III.
85
Danish conquest of East Anglia. King Canute, when he had established his autho-
rity, expelled the secular clergy, and, A. D. 1020, placed the regulars, or monks,
in the monastery of St. Edmund, and bestowed on them another royal charter con-
firming the former grant of Edmund, King of the West Saxons. Under these
auspices, Ailwin, the Bishop of East Anglia, rebuilt the Church of St. Edmund, in a
style of greater splendour : this building was consecrated A.D. 1032 ; but the estab-
lishment continuing rapidly to increase in wealth, Baldwin, who was placed in the
abbot's chair by William the Conqueror, demolished Canute's Church, and raised a
much more magnificent structure, which was re-consecrated A.D. 1095. Several
charters of King William's are preserved in the registers, granting the use of
Barnack stone-quarry, in Northamptonshire, to Abbot Baldwin for this building,
and exempting the stone from all toll or duty in its passage to Bury.* The monas-
tic writers that supply this information do not mention this portal; but as they ex-
pressly state, that the latter and more magnificent church was built by Abbot Bald-
win " with hewn stone," it is probable that this tower was then erected. About
A. D. 1121, or 1130, Abbot Anselmf built St. James's Church for the use of the
inhabitants of the town ; and the only notice by the ancient writers that appears at
all applicable to this portal, is preserved in the Monast. Aug. p. 300 : where it is
said, about the same time Radulphus and Herseus, the sacrists, built " Turrim Sancti
Jacobi." It admits of a doubt whether this notice refers to the building under con-
sideration, or to one of the demolished towers of St. Edmund's Church. The style
of architecture of the present tower evidently fixes the time of its erection before
the introduction of the pointed style, and renders it probable that, if it formed no
part of Abbot Baldwin's buildings, it is the tower built by the sacrists above-men-
tioned. Mr. King, in his Munimenta Antiqua, vol. iv. calls it " Canute's Great
Gate, at St. Edmund's Bury," and observes that, with the cathedral of Christ
Church, at Oxford, this gate affords the most striking instance of that bold and
noble style which he designates as the full or perfect Saxon. A learned writer in
* The authorities for these particulars are given in Yates's History of Bury, pages 18, 48, 64, 66, and
seq.-—To this work the reader is also referred for much interesting information respecting monastic history in
general. J. B.
t This ahbot being sick, vowed to make a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella, should he recover; he was
restored to health—but Compostella was far off. The prior and monks were convened for their advice, and they
determined, that it would be more beneficial for the town, more convenient to the lord abbot, and more to the
honour of St. James, if the said abbot would build a church here, and dedicate it to the saint. E. M.
M. VOL. III.