'His works, his monument' - The Final Resting Place of Bishop Joseph Hall

 

On the night of April 27th 1942 St Bartholomew, Heigham (a suburb of Norwich), was gutted following a German air-raid. The nave walls survived the attack but were demolished during the post-war period, but fortunately the tower was consolidated and here it still stands. 

This was the church in which Bishop Joseph Hall (1574-1656), was buried. Following his expulsion from Norwich Cathedral Hall during the English Civil War, he had taken up residence nearby, in what is now known as ‘The Dolphin Arms’ (a property that also suffered extensive damage in the same raid). I have a copy of Bishop Hall’s will and in it he clearly expresses his wish to have a modest memorial. However, following the Restoration in 1660, his, no doubt, well meaning friends and supporters were responsible for a monument within the church, reputedly of extraordinary ugliness (no images survive). 

Although the bombing of the church was a tragedy, it did mean that Hall’s wishes were, in a sense, eventually fulfilled. How appropriate, then, that Sir Thomas Browne, who was his doctor during his waning days, wrote the following lines after his death:

‘A person of singular humility, patience and piety: his own works are [his] best monument.’

Bishop Joseph Hall

Heavens Above!

If it’s easy to overlook many things, it is perhaps just as easy to ‘under look’ many fine things that loom above us as we pass through an historic city like Norwich. A good example of this tendency is the wonderful fifteenth century vaulted ceiling to be found underneath the west tower of St John Maddermarket, central Norwich. 

This passageway was built to accomodate the religious processions that were a key part of the late medieval liturgy. The quality of this carved ceiling was undoubtedly financed by a wealthy donor - in this part of the city, most probably a merchant. No doubt their hope was that such an investment would facilitate their passage through the tortures of purgatory.

The Punk Steps In Front Of His Window

I am a writer for the national Heritage Open Day (HOD) blog. Here is an article I've just written about our HOD event at Frettenham Church, where the artist who created it, Paul Greener, was 'in situ' to reveal its secrets...

The Punk Steps In Front Of His Window

Thanks!

~ Colin Howey ~

Tues 9th Sept - The Churches of Ber Street & King Street

Tuesday 9th September 2014: The Norwich Community History Club are delighted to welcome back Dr Nick Groves (pictured above) who will be speaking to us about the churches in the area of Ber/King Street. Whereas, previous, he has offered us a more general survey of the city's churches, this focus on a particular locality will allow him to explore the sites in much greater depth than was hitherto possible. As regular members will already know, Nick combines a genuine depth of knowledge with a warm wit - always a winning combination!