Stamford Endowed Schools Chapel Eight Hundred Years of St Paul’s Stamford
c 1220—2020 Adapted from an earlier publication by Andrew Wilkes
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An Architectural History of Stamford School Chapel The Chapel is the oldest part of Stamford School. Originally part of St Paul’s Church, it is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and is referred to in a deed dated 17 February 1200. We cannot be at all certain about the size and shape of St Paul’s Church in the 12th – 15th centuries, though there are remains of stonework from throughout this period. The two east bays of the south wall have been dated to the first half of the 12th century, but they provide no real clue as to the layout of the building, which may have been no more than a simple rectangle. Left: Photograph of the Chapel, taken prior to its extension in 1929. This photograph also comes from the Stamford School prospectus of the early 20th century. In around 1200 a north aisle was added; this can be dated by the design of the columns, capitals and arches. The earliest documentary evidence for the church also dates to this time; it is a deed of 17 February 1200. The church was now probably the length of the present chapel. The east wall also dates from around 1200. Larger windows were added to the south wall during the first half of the 14th century. Late in the 15th century new windows were inserted into the east walls of the sanctuary and aisle. Documentary evidence tells us that the church had a tower and belfry and there was a room over the church door. A narrow stone staircase survives in the south wall and this staircase probably led to the room above the church door, but it is possible that it led to the tower. In 1548 the parish of St Paul was amalgamated with that of St George. This seems to have led to the west end of St Paul’s church being demolished, so that the building’s length was considerably reduced. It was only when it was decided to move the recently founded (1532) Stamford School into what remained of St Paul’s church, some time between 1548 and 1553, that the building was saved from complete demolition. The surviving east end became the schoolroom and a new west wall was built. For nearly four hundred years little obvious change was made to the schoolroom – Old School, as it was subsequently called. In the first two decades of the 20th century the idea of converting Old School into a chapel was raised and discussed but it was only in 1929, when the school took ownership of Brazenose House for extra classroom accommodation, that the conversion began. The chapel was consecrated on 21 June 1930 by the Bishop of Lincoln. Left: The columns, capitals and arches at the east end of the chapel date from around 1200. The beautifully carved stiff‐leaf foliage design on the capitals (at top of column) is typical of the 13th century. Originally, there would have been two additional columns and arches at the west end, but they disappeared when the building – then St Paul’s church – was reduced in length in the early 16th century.
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When the chapel was restored in 1929‐30 the floor of the building was lowered some 45 cm to its original level and the original west end column bases were discovered . New columns were built on them; they can be easily distinguished from the 13th century columns by their rather plain, moulded capitals. New arches were then built at the west end to link the columns. If you look closely at the arch linking the sec‐ ond and third column from the west end, you should be able to see where the modern arch was joined to 13th century part of the arch; before the chapel was restored, the 13th century arch would have joined up to the west wall. Right: The two 20th century west end columns, with their plain capitals, can be easily distinguished from the 13th century original on the right. The stone carved foliage on the capital may originally have been painted. Left: 13th century column and capital at the far east end show‐ ing the foliage design. It is not clear why there is a cone‐shaped feature attached to the capital; it has been suggested that origi‐ nally it supported an arch. Below left: Column and capital in the vault beneath the west tower of St Michael’s church, in the centre of town. The church is now used as shops. Notice that the design of the capitals in St Michael’s is very similar indeed to that of the capitals in the present school chapel (St Paul’s church) – below right. They are likely to have been made at around the same time. It has been suggested that these capitals in St Michael’s church may even have come from the west end of St Paul’s church when it was shortened in the 16th century. St Michael’s church:
St Paul’s church:
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Left: Piscina dating from the 13th or 14th century. It would have been used to wash the chalice and paten which had held the bread and wine in the service called the Mass. During the period when St Paul’s church was in use it was believed that, at a key point in the Mass, the bread and wine were trans‐ formed into the actual body and blood of Christ. It was, there‐ fore, important to keep the chalice and paten ‘pure’. The pisci‐ na would have featured a drain, to prevent the water being misused (such as for witchcraft) afterwards. The current drain is a modern replacement. Right: Carved keystone dating from the 13th or 14th century, with an oval or heart within looped branches. Its setting is almost certainly not original. It would probably have linked the two halves of a large arch. Above: Tomb of Henry Elyngton. The inscription on his tomb slab reads: ‘Henry Elyngton, formerly parson of this church, lies here. God have mercy on his soul. Amen. Katherine and Margaret pray for him. To your chapel he was for a friend. ‘ Henry Elyngton was rector of St Paul’s church between 1384 and 1400. The slab is in its original position and Elyngton’s remains still lie under the slab. His remains were examined when the slab was discovered in 1903: he had ‘a finely shaped head, perfect teeth and a good square jaw, but he would have walked lame through a broken leg badly set’ (Quoted in Deed’s History of Stamford School). Several words and phrases in the inscription on the slab require explanation: Katherine & Margaret pray for him . . . Katherine and Margaret were saints. It was common for people in the Middle Ages to pray to saints in heaven, in the hope that this would quicken their own journey there after they died.
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St Katherine of Alexandria was a devout Christian who is said to have lived in the 4th century. According to legend, she angered the Roman Emperor Maximinus by criticising his cruelty to Christians. He ordered her to debate the validity of Christianity with fifty philosophers, which she did successfully. Maximinus then threw her into prison and attempted to execute her by breaking her on a wheel set with knives – giving us the ‘Katherine Wheel’ seen in firework displays – but it was the wheel that broke, injuring those watching. Katherine was then beheaded. Her body was said to have been carried by angels to Mount Sinai, where later a church and a monastery were founded in her name. By the Middle Ages, the story of Katherine’s bravery had established her as a highly respected saint. Sixty‐two churches in England were dedicated to her and 170 medieval bells still bear her name. St Kyneburgha’s church in Castor, near Peterborough, contains a splendid medieval painting of St Katherine and her famous wheel. St Margaret of Antioch (no date) was also a very popular saint in the later Middle Ages in England and elsewhere. According to her legend she was the daughter of a pagan priest, but she became a Christian and converted large numbers of people to Christianity. She is said to have been executed, together with many of those she converted to Christianity, by the Emperor Diocletian (3rd century AD). Significantly, at the end of her life she is said to have promised that those who prayed to her when they were about to die would be protected by God, and those who dedicated churches/chapels or burn lights in her honour would receive anything useful they prayed for. This would explain the request on Elygnton’s tomb slab, and also . . . To your chapel . . . It would seem that, at the time of Elyngton’s death, St Paul’s church contained some sort of side chapel, probably dedicated to St Katherine and St Margaret. Perhaps Elygnton was involved in creating or furnishing it. A ‘Chappell of Seynt Kathryn’ is referred to in written accounts from the late 15th century relating to St Paul’s church. Left: Tomb slab dating from perhaps the 13th/14th century. Concealed behind the choir stalls on the south side, even most regular visitors to the chapel are unaware of its existence. The fish‐tail designs attached to the central ridge seem to indicate crosses. The slab does mark the location of a tomb – the skeleton was examined in the early 20th century – but the slab itself was not originally laid here; apparently it was dug out of the ground during the 1929‐30 extension and placed over the tomb at that time. The small size of the slab – about 60cm in length – suggests that it once marked the burial place of a child. It is possible that excavations on the north side of the chapel would reveal the existence of tombs, but in the Middle Ages it was more common for tombs to be on the south side of a church. This seems to have been because the ‘dark’ north – ‘dark’ in terms of climate! – was sometimes associated with evil, in contrast to the ‘light’ south. In addition, when facing the altar at the east end, the south side would be on your right and the north side on your left. In the Middle Ages, right was ‘good’ and left was viewed as ‘bad’; the Latin word for left, sinistra, now means ‘suggestive of evil’, which explains why left‐handed people in the Middle Ages were sometimes persecuted!
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Right: 14th or 15th century doorway. The steps lead up to the opening visible half way up on the south wall, and there are traces of the staircase ascending higher. We know from 15th century written evidence that St Paul’s church had a tower and belfry, and a room over the church door on the south side; the room may even have been the ‘chapel’ referred to on Henry Elygnton’s tomb slab. The surviving doorway and steps probably led up to this room, although they could have led to the tower. The room was associated with the Guild of St Katherine, a group of people who were responsible for the upkeep of the church. We know from written accounts that the Guild was certainly in existence between 1480 and 1532, but it had probably existed some time before this. The original accounts of the Guild refer to it holding its meetings ‘over the parissh Churche durre of Seynt Poules’ and the accounts comment that the Guild should ‘never ffrom that Chaple be alyened, ne donne awaye from thens in noo manner wise, but ever there to abyde, endure, and be maynteyned withoute ende.’ (Quoted in Deed’s History of Stamford School). This statement appears to link the meeting room over the church with the ‘chapel’. One of the roles of the Guild was to ensure that the church was supplied with wax for candles; a great deal of wax would be needed throughout the year. Members of the Guild met on St Katherine’s Day and on several other occasions each year; they had to pay a fine of one pound of wax if they did not attend a meeting! The surviving register of the Guild contains the names of men and women who were members between 1480 and 1532. Members of the Guild included two especially significant individuals: Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, who was a member in 1502, and Cecilia, daughter of Edward IV, who was a member in 1504. We cannot be sure how often either woman actually visited the church; they may have simply paid their fine of wax! William Radcliffe, the founder of Stamford School, was a member between 1502 and 1527. Left: Doorway at top of stairs. This may have been linked in some way to the meeting room/chapel known to have existed. Right: Painting of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. She is known to have been a member of the Guild of St Katherine in 1502, which met at St Paul’s church. She could have visited the church at some point. The refurbished ‘Beaufort’ building at Stamford School is named after her.
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Above: Inscription and carved head. The inscription, formerly on the north wall but moved to its present location in 1833 when most of the north wall was replaced, can be translated as follows: ‘+ Here lies Eustachius Malherbe, once burges of Stamford. God have mercy on his soul. Amen.’ The wording suggests that the inscription would originally have been placed above the tomb of Eustachius Malherbe; its present location above the west door is, therefore, not entirely appropriate! We know that Eustachius Malherbe was Member of Parliament for Stamford in 1322 and that he owned Hudd’s Mill near St Leonard’s Priory. The carved head was discovered during the excavations to extend the building in 1929‐30. It may represent a head of Christ. Its date is uncertain. Right: Remains of carved figures, probably saints – could one of them be Saint Katherine? They were found during the 1929‐30 excavations and placed on the south wall at this time. They are both medieval in date, so probably stood somewhere in St Paul’s church when it was in exist‐ ence. The wooden panelling around the walls of the chapel contains the names of those former pupils who lost their lives in World War II. Further wooden panels at the east end, behind the altar, list the names of pupils and staff who lost their lives in WWI. A B Above: The east wall dates from around 1200, but it may contain earlier stones which have been reset, and it has been repaired/altered several times since then. The window dates from the 15th century. 8
Many of the smaller stones in the bottom half of the wall [A] were probably added in the 19th century to repair it. Above these stones the horizontal string‐course [B] contains a ‘saw‐tooth’ design and this may date from the 12th century, when such a design was popular. Left: A grotesque headstop alongside the east window, probably dating from the 15th century. There is another headstop on the other side of the window. It was very common in the Middle Ages for churches to have stone carvings of evil‐looking creatures on the outside of the building. They were designed to remind people what evil would await them in hell if they did not live a good Christian life! 20th century 13th—15th centuries South Wall The south wall of the chapel. The west end is on the left hand side. The wall is deceptive; at first glance, its appearance gives the impression that it was built all at the same time. In fact, the west end – up to and including the second window ‐ was built in 1929‐30 when the building was extended, while the east end dates from the 13th – 15th centuries. The fact that the entire wall looks the same is a great credit to the architects and builders responsible for the extension. If you look more closely at the wall, however, you will notice that the stone at the east end is far more weathered. Comparing this photograph with the early 18th century drawing of the building (over) it is easier to understand and appreciate the extension work.
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A 1727 drawing of the building. At this time the building was being used as a schoolroom for Stamford School. It had ceased to exist as St Paul’s church in the early 16th century, at which time the building was reduced in length and became a schoolroom; you should notice that the drawing above shows the building much shorter than it is today. It was only in 1929‐30, when the building was converted into Stamford School chapel, that its (probable) original length was restored. right: south wall, east end window. The window dates from the 14th century. Parapet Corbel‐table Headstop The corbel‐table design was popular in the 12th and 13th centuries.
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Left: 15th century doorway. The door itself was placed there, as a false door, in 1929. Doorways which allowed priests to enter directly into the chancel (the part of the church from where the service was led), so avoiding any direct contact with ordinary people just before a service, were popular at this time. Right: The ‘Old Man’. This stone head, possibly that of St Paul, originally stood over the old west door of the building before the exten‐ sion of the west end in 1929‐30. It used to form the basis of an unusual school ceremony: ‘kissing the Old Man’! Quite how the ceremony began is unclear, but it was certainly a fea‐ ture of the school by the late 19th century. The ceremony was ar‐ ranged by the Head of School on the second Saturday of each term during break time. Two prefects held each new boy up in turn to kiss the stone and all those watching the event would applaud. Health and Safety regulations would probably prevent the cere‐ mony being reintroduced today! Photograph of the Chapel taken at a time when the building was still being used as a schoolroom – i.e. prior to 1929. The photograph comes from a Stamford School prospectus of the early 20th century.
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Chapel Pre‐1930 School House and Chapel—1920s
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Refurbishment of the Chapel—1929 Extension of Chapel—Keystone Laid by Lady Burghley, 17 October 1929
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Chapel Refurbishment—1929 Chapel Choir 1960s 14
Kissing the Old Man—1910 Kissing the Old Man—1930 15
Stamford Endowed Schools Foundation Brazenose House, St Paul’s Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2BE T. 01780 750032 | E. foundation@ses.lincs.sch.uk | W. www.ses.lincs.sch.uk
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