The Former
Shrines
of Lincoln
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The canons of Lincoln were once rich in the possession of the bodies of four saints. Two of these, both of the name of Hugh, were duly canonized, and the other two — John of Dalderby and Robert Grossseteste — both prelates of Lincoln, had been acclaimed saints.
The northern apse of the north-east transept was dedicated to St John the Baptist, and near this altar of his patron saint was the first tomb of St Hugh. Shortly after his burial the chapel was enlarged to accommodate the pilgrims who flocked to his tomb, and an altar, dedicated to St Hugh, was raised in the adjoining apse.
The canonization of St Hugh in 1220 gave such an impetus to the pilgrimages to his shrine that the enlargement of the chapel was rendered necessary by the increased throngs of the faithful.
The beautiful Angel Choir was now expressly constructed to receive the feretory of St Hugh. Behind the high altar the new shrine was erected, and on 6 October, 1280, the translation of the relics took place. It was presumably on this occasion that the head of St Hugh was taken from the feretory and put into a separate head reliquary of gold and precious stones. During the episcopate of John Bokyngham, 1363-1398, the head of St Hugh in its golden reliquary was stolen. In this case it was not for the sake of the relic but for the riches of the shrine; for the thieves, after stripping off the gold and jewels, flung the head into a meadow, where, we are told, it was guarded by a crow until it was recovered and taken back to the cathedral.
At this time the treasurer of the cathedral was John of Welbourn, a great benefactor to the Church. Among other costly works enumerated in the Chapter Records it is chronicled that he covered the two sides of the great shrine, which had hitherto been painted, with plates of pure gold, and placed an image of St Paul within a niche or tabernacle on the north side of the feretory. He also made a canopy of wood to cover the upper part of the shrine.
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| The
one time resting place of St Hugh |
The shrine of the other saint of the same name, known as “Little St Hugh,” was erected in the south aisle of the choir. A mutilated statue of a child, still preserved, is said formerly to have been on the tomb. The base of the shrine remains, and when it was removed during the repairing of the cathedral in 1790 a stone coffin was found inside, lying on a level with the pavement. The coffin contained a complete skeleton of a boy 3 feet 3 inches in length, corresponding with the traditions of over five centuries.
Two of the shrines were spoliated at one visitation, and it in some measure exposes the real principles of Henry VIII in his wholesale destruction of the shrines of the saints, when it is observed that the shrine of Little St Hugh, on which we hear of no gold, silver or jewels being lavished, was not mutilated until the Great Rebellion, while the precious feretories of St Hugh and St John, and probably their relics, were utterly destroyed. By virtue of this commission there was taken out of the cathedral of Lincoln, on 11 June, 1540, 2,621 ounces of gold, and 4, 285 ounces of silver, besides a great number of pearls and precious stones which were of great value, as diamonds, sapphires rubies, turky carbuncles, etc.
When search for the tomb of St Hugh of Lincoln was made in 1866, an unsoldered lead coffin was found within one of stone which contained nothing but decayed vestments of rich material.
At the easternmost part of the cathedral, is a structure of the middle of the fourteenth century, which appears to have been the base of a portable shrine. It has two niches on the north side and one in the front for the pilgrims. Over the arches are shields bearing the instruments of the Passion, and the pavement in front is very much worn. This was probably the base of the Shrine of the Head. †
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| The feretory of St Hugh is carried in procession |
One
of the few surviving relics of St Hugh, his stole, |