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Surrounding St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Paul’s Churchyard has had a multi-faceted history in use and function, being the location of burial, crime, public gathering, and celebration. Before its destruction during the civil war, St. Paul’s Cross was located in the middle of the churchyard, providing a place for preaching and the delivery of Papal edicts (Thornbury).
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St. Paul’s Churchyard is the area surrounding the Cathedral of St. Paul.
According to Walter Thornbury, the precinct wall of St. Paul’s first ran from Ave
Maria Lane eastward along Paternoster Row to the old Exchange,
Cheapside, then southwards to
Carter Lane, at the end of which it turned to Ludgate Archway
(Thornbury). When he became bishop of St. Paul’s in
This
Mauricius deceased in the yeare1107 .Richard Beamor succeeded him in the Bishopricke, who did wonderfully increase the said church, purchasing of his owne cost the large streetes and lanes about it, wherin were wont to dwel many lay people, which ground he began to compasse about, with a strong wall of stone, & gates.King H . the first gaue to the saidRichard , so much of the Mote (or wall) of the castle, on the Thames side to the South, as should be needfull to make the said wall of the church, & so much as should suffise to make a wal without the way on the north sideIt should seeme that this
Richard inclosed but two sides of the said church or Cemitory of S.Paule, to wit, the South and North side: forKing Edward the second , in thetenth of his raigne , granted that the said churchyard should be inclosed with a wall where it wanted, for the murthers and robberies that were there committed. But the cittizens then claimed the East part of the church yarde to be the place of assembly to their folkemotes, and that the great steeple there scituate was to that vse, their common bell, which being there rung, al the inhabitants of the citie might heare and come together. They also claimed the west side, that they might there assemble themselues together, with the Lord of Baynards Castle,for view of their armour in defence of the cittie. This matter was in the Tower of London referred to Robert Fitz Richard .Haruius de Stanton , and his fellow Iustices Itenerantes, but I finde not the decision or judgement of that controuersie.True it is, that
Edward the third , in theseuenteene of his raigne , gaue commandement for the finishing of that wall, which was then performed, and to this day it continueth; although now on both the sides (to wit, within and without) it be hidden with dwelling houses.Richard Beamer deceased in the yeare1127 . and his successors in processe of time performed the worke begun.
There were six access points into the enclosure: Ludgate Street; Paul’s Alley from
Paternoster Row; Canon Alley leading to the north door; the gate from
Cheapside; St. Augustine’s Gate into Watling Street; and the gate at
Paul’s Chain. Posterns were opened from dawn until night. Paul’s Chain is first mentioned in
Poules-cheyne
(Harben 461)
and was a chain or barrier which was put across the carriage way during the hours of public worship to stop people entering the churchyard whilst worship was in progress.
The new enclosure included the land where the mayor and citizens had once held court. They called this assembly the a stationer’s house and shop viz. the sign of the Rose
(Dugdale 131), reflecting the
tendency for booksellers and printers to move into the churchyard. In the east of the churchyard was St. Paul’s School, which was built in
The churchyard was a burial ground for the small parishes around the cathedral, and victims of the
In the middle of the churchyard stood St. Paul’s Cross, an open-air pulpit where public proclamations and Papal edicts were delivered, before
the Reformation.
It was destroyed in
spoke in the wall and whistled
in Aldgate Street
(Machyn 66). In
Despite fray, drawing of swords in the church or shooting with hand gun or dagg within the church or churchyard
(Thornbury),
on punishment of two months’ imprisonment. In
As a traditional gathering place, St. Paul’s Churchyard was used at times of celebration.
my lord mayre landyd at Banard Castyll and [in St. Paul’s] chyrche-yerd dyd hevere craft wher set in [array]: furst wher ij tallmen bayreng ij gret streamers [of] the
Marchand-tayllers armes, then cam one [with a] drume and a flutt playng, and a-nodur with a gret f[ife?] all they in blue sylke, and then cam ij grett wodyn [armed] with ij grett clubes all in grene, and with skwybes bornyngwith gret berds and syd here, and ij targets a-pon ther bake and then cam xvj trumpeters blohyng, and then cam in [blue] gownes, and capes and hosse and blue sylke slevys, and evere man havyng a target and a gayffelyn to the nombur of lxx and then cam a duyllyll, and after cam the bachelars all in a leveray, and skarlett hods; and then cam the pagant of sant John Baptyst gorgyusly, with goodly speches; and then cam all the kynges trumpeters blowhyng, and evere trumpeter havyng skarlet capes, and the wetes capes and godly banars.
Similar processions took place on
In
Queen’s accession signified the return of the golden age, though rooted in the ancient praises accorded entering monarchs, is also the first hint of a body of imagery that would, in the later years of the Queen’s long reign, be deployed to associate her with the goddess(Warkentin 73).Astrea
(Vos igitur Angli tot commoda accepturi Elizabetham Reginam nostram celeberriman ab ipso Christo huibus regni imperio destinatam, honore debito prosequimini
was of the people receiued merueylous entierly, as appeared by thassemblie, prayers, wisshes, welcomminges, cryes, tender woordes, and all other signes, whiche argue a wonderfull earnest loue of most obedient subiectes towarde theyr soueraygne(
what that pageant was ere that she came to itat Cornhill,
because shee feared for the peoples noyse, that she should not here the child which did expounde the same(
Against a soundscape composed of pre-industrial noises, the sounds from other elements of the passage would have been audible to the people congregated in the churchyard
that day. At The Standard in Cheap was placed a noyse of Trumpettes
, and at the door to
St. Peter’s stode the waites of the citie, which did geue a pleasant noyse with theyr instrumentes as the Quenes maiestie did
passe by
(receiued with a noyse of instruments
, and
again, this was likely to have been audible to the people congregated in the churchyard or by those following the pageant towards it. The description of a noyse
of instruments
suggests that louder instruments such as sackbuts and cornetts were chosen, because they were more likely to be heard at distance and above ambient noise.
For [b]oys of St.
Paul’s school ‘sang diverse staves in gratifying the Queen’
(Edwards 127). In [t]hrough the windows of which he might behold the Cathedral Temple of
Saint Paule: upon whose lower batelments an Anthem was sung, by the Quiristers of the church to the music of loud instruments
(Dekker H1r).
the second Land-Triumphin the churchyard (
ſtand ready the fiue Ilands, thoſe dumb Glories that I ſpake of before vpon the water; vpon the heighth of theſe fiue Ilands ſit fiue perſons repreſenting the fiue Sences,(Middleton B4r).Viſus ,Auditus ,Tactus ,Guſtus ,Olfactus (or)Seeing ,Hearing ,Touching ,Taſting ,Smelling ; at their feet their proper Emblemes, Aquila, Ceruus, Araneus, Simia, Canis, an Eagle, a Hart, a Spider, an Ape, a Dogge
Our next deuice, before it be marſhalled in due ranke and order, is a goodly Bower, ſhaped in forme of a flowrie Arbour, and adorned with all the Scutchions of Armes of ſo many worthy men, as haue beene Lord Maiors of the
Fiſhmongers Company , and each mans name truely ſet downe on them. It is appointed firſt to ſtand in Paules Church-yard: And at ſuch a place as is thoght moſt conuenient. In this Bower is a faire Tombe, where on, in Armour lyeth the imaginary body ofSir William Walworth , ſometime twiſe Lord Maior of London, and a famous Brother of theFiſhmongers Company . The reaſon of this conceit, aimeth at that tempeſtuous and troubleſome time ofKing Richard the Second , and thefourth yeare of his Raigne , whoſe life, Crowne and Dignitie (next vn- der Gods omnipotent power) were manfully defen- ded and preſerued, by that worthy manWalworth .
References are made to St. Paul’s Churchyard in various plays and poems, such as
D. Now .Nay ſtay good Iohn , thou knowſt my dwellingIohn ?Iohn .In Powles Church-yard Sir.
The churchyard is also mentioned in
Cymbal . True Paul’s bred, I’the Churchyard.P. Junior . [Indicating Tom]. And this at the West Door, O’th’other side.
To all the bookbinders by Paul’s, because I like their art, They every week shall money have when they from books depart
Book publishing and selling was a feature of the churchyard from the