Fig 5: South Aisle 1 detail. Crucifixion Scene, 15th century.
The CG tantalizingly relates a rather sordid intrigue; that the removal of the glass from Tattershall was payment by Fortescue for a gambling debt owed to Cecil. This may or may not be true. It is more likely that the Rev. Kirkshawe’s remarks gave Lord Fortescue a good reason to remove what glass remained.
Whatever the true reason for the failure to complete the reglazing works at Tattershall, it is clear that the chancel remained unglazed for upwards of fifty years and, “thus exposed to the weather, the elegantly carved oak stalls, the rich screens, and other ornamental work, fell entirely to decay”.12 This may be just hyperbole. The Architect and Building News of 1875 reports that once the glass had been removed, and the agreement by Exeter to install plain glass left unfulfilled, the apertures were bricked up…
The removal of the glass was clearly regarded by many as an egregious act of vandalism. In a withering attack on the conduct of Fortescue, the article continues.
As late as 1843 Tattershall church was still in a deplorable state as is evidenced by a letter sent to the Lincolnshire Chronicle. In it, the correspondent signing himself as “Philecclesia” rails against Lord Fortescue for putting the building of his new country pile at Castle Hill in Devon before his responsibility for ensuring the decay at Tattershall was remedied. He writes:
“Amongst other announcements of the movements of the fashionable world in last week's paper, I find the following: "Earl Fortescue left Tattershall in Lincolnshire last week for Castle Hill, near South Molton, Devon, to inspect the progress of improvement now making at that beautiful seat."
Did his lordship, I wonder, during his sojourn in Lincolnshire ever happen to go into the parish church of Tattershall, a most beautiful structure in the perpendicular style of architecture —the benefice being extra-judicial and in his patronage. I would hope not, for nothing but ignorance of the miserable state in which that venerable pile now is can in the least degree excuse such neglect. Would that instead of going to inspect the progress of the improvements now making the Castle Hill he had put off his journey for a day, stepped into Tattershall Church, to inspect the progress of decay there going on! Surely it shall never be said that the noblemen of England have so far fallen from the zealous piety of their forefathers, who built and endowed churches out of their comparative poverty, that they improve their own seats and domains, whilst they heed not the temples of the living God — that they spend " the silver and the gold which are the Lord's" in ministering to their own comforts, whilst the houses of God are almost crumbling into ruins. No one can enter this church without being struck with the remains of its former grandeur, and without lamenting its present condition; the body of the church is pewless, the service being performed in the chancel, capable perhaps of holding 100 people, the parish consisting of more than 600 souls —the rood-loft is boarded up,—the richly-ornamented niches are now green with damp;—the windows once enriched with beautiful stained glass, which was sold and is now in St. Martin's church, Stamford, have in some cases been bricked; the splendid arches and pillars are being injured by the wet, which streams in continually from the roof; —the elegant monumental brasses have been removed from the ground and tacked up against white-washed walls, —in short the whole building is quickly going to ruin. I feel confident that if his lordship knew of this awful (for I can call it nothing else) this awful state of things —he would have commenced his improvements, at any rate his repairs, at the temple of that God from whom he has received the talents which he is now laying out on his seat in Devonshire. I remain, Mr. Editor, yours, &c, Philecclesia".14In 1819 James Dugdale reported that the Collegiate Church was, “greatly dilapidated”. The windows in the body of the church and the transepts (and quoting Gervase Holles), had been richly adorned with the legendary histories of St Catherine, St Guthlac, and other saints.15 In one of the windows the Passion, in another Hell Torments, with divers creatures bound together with a chain; among them one with a crown, another with a mitre, the devil tormenting them, and below, “Sic affliguntur penis qui prava sequuntur” etc. In Lincolnshire Church Notes, Holles listed many of the windows in the church extant at the latest in 1642. However, he does not list any of the glass that is still to be found in the east window in Tattershall Church (e.g. the 7 sacraments windows) and although he identifies a number of armorial shields, the only one he lists that is still represented in St Martin’s is Marmyon. At this stage in my enquiries, it is unclear whether this is because the Harleian Manuscript on which Cole’s book relies (MS 6829) has been quoted in full or not.
In the next section we explore the East window in more detail.
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- The History of the County of Lincoln From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, 1834; Thomas Allen, Book iv p76
- The Architect and Building News, 1Jul 1876, p9
- Lincolnshire Chronicle, 27th October 1843; p2, col 8.
- Lincolnshire Church Notes Made by Gervase Holles 1634 to 1642; Holles, Gervase; Ed; Cole R.E.G; Lincoln Records Society 1911.