St Mark's Church, Bristol
St Mark's Church [1] is an ancient church on the north-east side of College Green, Bristol, England, built c. 1230.[2] Better known to mediaeval and Tudor historians as the Gaunt's Chapel, it has also been known within Bristol since 1722 as the Lord Mayor's Chapel. It is one of only two churches in England privately owned and used for worship by a city corporation.[3] The other is St Lawrence Jewry, London.[4] It stands opposite St Augustine's Abbey (after 1542 Bristol Cathedral), founded by a member of the Berkeley family of nearby Berkeley Castle, from which it was originally separated by the Abbey's burial ground, now called College Green. It was built as the chapel to the adjacent Gaunt's Hospital, now demolished, founded in 1220. Except for the west front, the church has been enclosed by later adjacent buildings, although the tower is still visible. The church contains some fine late gothic features and a collection of continental stained glass. It is designated by Historic England as a grade I listed building.[5][6]
Foundation
In 1220
Maurice de Gaunt also founded Blackfriars in about 1227-9 (the cloisters now known as Quakers Friars).[12]
Notable burials
The church contains several
- Bishop Miles Salley(d.1516)
- Members of the Berkeley family
- Members of the Poyntz family, of Iron Acton, Glos.
- Reynborn Mathew(d.1470), 2nd son of Maurice Denys(d.1466) and Alice Poyntz, half-aunt of Sir Robert Poyntz(d.1520).[13]
- Thomas Mathew(d.pre 1470), 4th son of Sir David Mathew.
- Mary Denys(d.1593), da. of Sir William Denys(d.1535) & last prioress of
- Sir Richard Berkeley(d.1604) of Stoke Gifford, whose recumbent effigy is situated to the right of the entrance door.
- Thomas James (d.1619), Mayor of Bristol and twice its MP, and his nephew, also Thomas James (d.1635), Arctic explorer, after whom James Bay is named.
- Margaret Hopton(d.1635), wife of Sir Baynham Throckmorton, 2nd Baronet(d.1664). Her husband erected a large and costly marble monument in her memory standing against the north wall of the South Aisle Chapel.
Dissolution
The following letter from Dr Layton to Thomas Cromwell was written on St Bartholomew's Day, 1535:[16]
“Pleas it your mastershipe to understonde, that yester nyght late we came from Glassynburie to Bristowe to Saint Austins, wheras we begyn this mornyng, intendyng this day to dispache bothe
this howse here, beyng but xiiii chanons, and also the Gawntes, wheras be iiii or v ... From Sainte Austines withoute Bristowe, this Saint Bartilmews day, at iiii of the cloke in the mornyng, by the spedy hande of your moste assurede poir preste, Rycharde Layton”.
Following the
Queen Elizabeth's Hospital School
From 1590 to 1767 a school known as Queen Elizabeth's Hospital utilised the former hospital building next to the church and used the church as its chapel.
Huguenot use
Following the arrival of many
Lord Mayor's chapel
In 1722 it became the official church of the Mayor and Corporation of Bristol.[4][10][20]
Architecture
The nave was built around 1230, and the south aisle around 1270–80. These parts are in the early decorated gothic style, while the rest of the church is of the later perpendicular style. The tower, constructed over the east end, was completed in 1487.[4][5] The chancel, south aisle chapel and reredos are the result of rebuilding by Miles Salley(d.1516), Bishop of Llandaff, in about 1500. The nave's roof and another side chapel are early 16th century.[4][5][10] The west front, with its geometric 12-petalled rose window, was a 15th-century design but was rebuilt in about 1830. In 1889 John Loughborough Pearson created a new west entrance, in the gothic style.[4][5]
Poyntz chapel
Another fine addition, to the east end of the south aisle, beyond the tower, is the "Chapel of Jesus" or "Poyntz Chapel", built c.1523 as a
Stained glass
In the early 19th century, Bristol Corporation took advantage of the sales of the collections of Sir Paul Baghott at
Fittings
The church contains some fine baroque wrought iron by the Bristol blacksmith William Edney. These consist of a sword rest of 1702 and the screen and gate for the south aisle chapel, which date to 1726. These were all moved from Temple Church, Bristol after it was bombed in the Bristol Blitz during World War II.[3][4][5][10]
The medieval high altar screen was deliberately covered up in 1722 with wainscotting 'with the deliberate effort of concealing it'. The wainscotting was removed in 1820.[23]
Archives
Archives for the Lord Mayor's Chapel are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. LMC) (online catalogue) including administration, finance, building alterations, music, and service registers.
Current usage
The church is open regularly for visitors and worship. It has been used to exhibit artwork involving caged birds singing along with a live pianist.[24]
See also
- Churches in Bristol
- Grade I listed buildings in Bristol
Bibliography
- Barker, W.R. (1892). St Mark's or The Mayor's Chapel, Bristol (Formerly Called the Church of the Gaunts), Bristol.
- Dallaway, James (1823). "St. Mark's of the Gaunts, or the Mayor's Chapel". William Wyrcestre Redivivius. Bristol: J. Norton. pp. 25–33.
- Dugdale, Sir William. Monasticon, vol. 6, part 2, pp. 687–8
- Ralph, Elizabeth; Evans, Henley (1950). St. Mark's The Lord Mayor's Chapel Bristol (formerly the chapel of the Gaunts' Hospital). Corporation of Bristol.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Ross, C. D., ed. (1959). Cartulary of St Mark's Hospital, Bristol. (Bristol Record Society, Vol. 21)
References
- ^ (grid reference ST583727)
- ^ Barker, W. R. (1892). St. Mark's; or, The Mayor's Chapel, Bristol, (Formerly called the Church of the Gaunts.). Bristol: W. C. Hemmons.
- ^ ISBN 0-289-79804-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-300-10442-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Church of St Mark, Lord Mayor's Chapel". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2007.
- ^ a b "St Mark's". Looking at Buildings. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ Barker, W. R. (1892). St. Mark's; or, The Mayor's Chapel, Bristol, (Formerly called the Church of the Gaunts.). Bristol: W. C. Hemmons. pp. 3–5.
- ISBN 0-85331-409-8.
- ISBN 0-7524-1482-8.
- ^ ISBN 0-905459-06-7.
- ISBN 1-900178-56-7.
- ^ M Q Smith, The Medieval Churches of Bristol, University of Bristol (Bristol Branch of the Historical Association, 1970, p. 14.
- ^ Lecture given by Mr J. Barry Davies at the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral 2003 annual lecture, published in "Friends of Llandaff Cathedral 71st annual report 2003/4"; Notes from site of Barry L. Matthews, www.users.qwest.net; Heralds' Visitation of Co. Gloucester, 1623, ed. Sir John MacLean, London, 1885, p.133 Poyntz, p.50, Dennis
- ^ Wiltshire Archaeological & Natural History Magazine, no. 28, p.297; Letters & Papers Henry VIII, vol. ix, p.47
- ^ Liber Corpus Christi College Oxford no. CCXX, folio 865; Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine, no. IV, p.55
- ^ Wright, Thomas, FSA (ed.). Three Chapters of Letters Relating to the Suppression of the Monasteries, Edited from the Originals in the British Museum.. Camden Society, London, 1843, letter no.24, (from MS. Cott. Cleop. E, iv. fol. 249.) p.58.
- ^ Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society (BGAS) Transactions 1878/9, vol. 3, pp.245-6
- History of Parliament: House of Commons 1509–1558, vol. 1, Carne, E., p.586
- ISBN 1-86077-138-6.
- ISBN 1-86077-138-6.
- ^ Smith, M. Q. (1970). The Medieval Churches of Bristol. Bristol Historical Association. pp. 22–23.
- ^ Lord Mayor's Chapel, Spanish tile details.
- ^ Dallaway, James (1823). William Wyrcestre Redivivius. Bristol: J. Norton. p. 25.
- ^ A Concert for the Birds