St Peter Mancroft

St Peter Mancroft, Norwich
St Peter Mancroft, Norwich
52°37′40″N 1°17′33″E / 52.62778°N 1.29250°E / 52.62778; 1.29250
OS grid referenceTG 22932 08426
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipCentral
Websitewww.stpetermancroft.org.uk
History
DedicationSaint Peter
Administration
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseNorwich
ParishNorwich, St Peter Mancroft
Clergy
Vicar(s)The Rev'd Edward Carter
Assistant priest(s)The Rev'd Dr Fiona Haworth
Curate(s)Naomi Tuma
Laity
Organist/Director of musicJody James
Organist(s)Julian Haggett

St Peter Mancroft is a parish church in the Church of England in the centre of Norwich, Norfolk. After the two cathedrals, it is the largest church in Norwich. It was originally established by Ralph de Gael, Earl of East Anglia, between 1066 and 1075.[1] It was later rebuilt, between 1430 and 1455.[2] It stands on a slightly elevated position, next to the market place.[3]

St Peter Mancroft is a member of the Greater Churches Group.

Description

The present building was begun in 1430 on the site of an existing church, and consecrated in 1455. It is 180 feet long and ashlar faced with a tower at the west end.[3] It is a Grade I listed building.[4]

It has a Norman foundation dating from 1075.

There is a 1463 font, a 1573 Flemish tapestry and medieval glass. This ancient glass includes the 1450 Toppes Window, donated by Robert Toppes, a Mercer and mayor of the city,[5] 11 panels of that window survive are in the reconfigured east window, these are the ones showing:

  • Jesus at the Tomb
  • The Circumcision of Christ
  • The Apostles
  • The Jew arrests the funeral of Virgin Mary. The Jew is shown wearing full armour, bearing the coat of arms of the disgraced royal favourite, William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, who had feuded with, and was despised in, the city.[6]
  • The Annunciation
  • The Visitation
  • The Nativity and shepherds
  • 2x Adoration of the Magi
  • Massacre of the Innocents
  • Robert Toppes and two wives[7]

It is noteworthy that none of the glass is in situ, having been relocated on a number of occasions. These movements include John Dixon’s “improvements” dating from 1847 to 1841; the work undertaken by Clayton and Bell in 1881; and the 1947 reinstallation by Messrs G King and Son, which involved releading and rearranging the tracery lights after the window was removed for the duration of the War.[8] This east window also shows St William (possibly the Norman London bishop, Bishop William) and St Erkenwald.[9]

The North transept displays a collection of church silver, including the Gleane and Thistle cups, as well as memorabilia associated with the physician-philosopher Thomas Browne, author of Religio Medici (1642).[10] George Edmund Street published an exhaustive study of the church in 1879,[11] and in 1896 a small lead-covered spire with flying buttresses was added, designed by his son A. E. Street.[3] In 1850 two L-shaped trenches accommodating a number of acoustic jars were discovered beneath the wooden floor on which the choir stalls had previously stood. The earthenware jars were built into its walls at intervals of about three feet, with the mouths facing into the trenches.[12]


Incumbents

Organ

A new organ by Peter Collins was installed in 1984. The specification can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[25]

Organists

Assistant organists

  • Charles Robert Palmer 1899 - 1901[29]
  • W. Percy Jones 1910 - ca. 1921 - ????
  • Andrew Benians
  • Roger Rayner
  • Tim Patient 1990 - 2005

References

  1. ^ "The foundation".
  2. ^ "St Peter Mancroft: 360° panorama". BBC. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
  3. ^ a b c Wilson, Bill; Nikolaus, Pevsner (2007). Norfolk 1: Norwich and North- East. Buildings of England (second ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 247–50. ISBN 978-0-300-09607-1.
  4. ^ Historic England. "CHURCH OF ST PETER MANCROFT (1210490)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  5. ^ Matthew, R. (2013). Robert Toppes : Medieval Mercer of Norwich. Norfolk and Norwich Heritage Trust. ISBN 978-0951787830.
  6. ^ Richmond, C. (2008). "Sir John Fastolf, the Duke of Suffolk, and the Pastons". In Clark, L. (ed.). The Fifteenth Century VIII. Vol. Rule, Redemption and Representations in Late Medieval England and France. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. p. 91 n.62.
  7. ^ https://www.dragonhallnorwich.org.uk/pdfs/the-toppes-window-at-st-peter-mancroft.pdf
  8. ^ "East window of St Peter Mancroft Norwich". www.norfolkstainedglass.org. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Norwich, St Peter Mancroft, stained glass". www.therosewindow.com. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  10. ^ "The Historic Churches of Norwich". Norwich Historic Churches Trust. Archived from the original on 5 July 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
  11. ^ The Building News and Engineering Journal, Vol. 37 (1879), p. 233
  12. ^ Phipson, Makilwane (1863). "Acoustic Pottery". The Builder: 893.
  13. ^ a b c "Venn's Alumni of Cambridge: Mancroft". Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  14. ^ The New York genealogical and biographical record. New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. 1897
  15. ^ The Clergy list for 1841
  16. ^ "Venn's Alumni of Cambridge: John Bowman". Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  17. ^ The Clergy list ... containing complete lists of the clergy in England. 1866
  18. ^ "Venn's Alumni of Cambridge: Charles Turner". Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  19. ^ Biographical History of Gonville and Caius College 1349-1897. p.413
  20. ^ Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 9 November 1901. p.10
  21. ^ "Church Times: Clergy Appointments, 23 August 1929, p 209". Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Church Times: Clergy Appointments, 24 August 1945, p 482". Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  23. ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1973-74, 85th Edition, p 810.
  24. ^ "Church Times: Obituary, The Rev Frank Jarvis, 19 March 1965, p 19". Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  25. ^ National Pipe Organ Register
  26. ^ Restoration cathedral music, 1660-1714 By Ian Spink
  27. ^ Norfolk Chronicle, 18 November 1780, p2, column 4
  28. ^ Norfolk Chronicle, 16 March 1837
  29. ^ a b Who's Who in Music. Shaw Publishing Co. Ltd. London. First Post-war Edition. 1949/50
  30. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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