IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0074 CLC/313/B
Held at: London Metropolitan Archives
Title: SAINT PAUL'S CATHEDRAL DEAN AND CHAPTER: STATUTE AND EVIDENCE BOOKS
Date(s): 1100-1871
Level of description: Collection
Extent: 14 production units.
Name of creator(s): St Paul's Cathedral | London
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Saint Paul's Cathedral was probably founded in 604 by the King of Kent, Saint Ethelbert. The original wooden building was replaced by a stone church between 675 and 685; but this was destroyed by Vikings. The replacement building was destroyed by fire in 1087. The replacement cathedral was begun under the direction of Maurice, Bishop of London and chaplain to William the Conqueror. It was constructed in imported Caen stone and was higher and larger than the present building, topped by the tallest spire ever to have been built. The Cathedral precinct was walled in, and included a Chapter House, Saint Gregory's parish church, the Bishop's Palace, the Pardon Churchyard, a College of Minor Canons, the chapel of Saint Faith, Saint Paul's School, Paul's Cross, and a free-standing bell-tower. Paul's Cross was an important site for London life; sermons were preached here, proclamations made, and the folk moot for free citizens was held here. The cathedral itself was the site of many grand royal and ceremonial occasions: kings married here, lay in state here and gave thanks for military victories.
The Reformation caused great problems for the Cathedral, and the Dean and Chapter were unable to maintain the fabric. The walls of the Precinct crumbled and the open space around the Cathedral, as well as the nave itself, was used for business, selling of goods and meetings. Services were held in the choir. Extensive repairs were not begun until the 1630s, although they were interrupted by the Civil War and Cromwell's army used the nave as a cavalry barracks. The army smashed windows, mutilated statues and burned the woodwork. The nave roof fell in and the Bishop's Palace was destroyed. In 1663 the Dean and Chapter asked Christopher Wren to suggest how repairs could begin. Wren advocated destroying the existing building and starting again, which was rejected. He therefore drew up reconstruction plans which were accepted in 1666, 6 days before the Great Fire of London. The building was almost completely destroyed during the Fire, only the monument to poet and clergyman John Donne surviving.
Wren was forced to demolish the remainders of the walls using a battering ram. He made three designs for the new building; he is said to have burst into tears when his personal favourite was rejected. A design was finally selected in 1675, but Wren was given leave to adjust the plans if he chose to and he did make modifications, including the famous dome rather than a spired steeple. The rebuilding took 35 years, supervised throughout by Wren. He was one of the first people to be buried in the new crypt. Also buried in the crypt are Nelson, Wellington, and other distinguished soldiers, sailors, airmen, musicians, artists and writers.
Information from The London Encyclopaedia, eds. Weinreb and Hibbert (LMA Library Reference 67.2 WEI).
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Records of the Dean and Chapter of Saint Paul's Cathedral, London, comprising statutes and evidence books.
* "Liber L", a cartulary and statute book (original press mark WD4, now CLC/313/B/001/MS25504), early 12th-early 14th centuries, containing inter alia: copies of charters from the reign of Ethelbert (860-6) onwards; manorial inquisitions (see also section CLC/313/L, including CLC/313/L/E-G) and visitations within the cathedral's Peculiar jurisdiction (see also section CLC/313/K/B), 11th -14th centuries; and cathedral statutes, (?)13th century. "Liber L" has been calendared, with extensive extracts edited, by Maxwell Lyte (HMC Ninth Report). See Davis, Medieval Cartularies, no.596. Parts of this volume (lists of chantries and an inventory) are also described in sections CLC/313/O and CLC/313/P.
* "Liber A, sive Pilosus", cartulary (press mark WD1, now CLC/313/B/012/MS25501), 1241-1340, with additional entry 1505-1550, containing copies of charters from the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-66) onwards relating to cathedral property, rights and privileges in the City of London, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, Warwickshire and Wiltshire. Folios 1-37v are edited in full by Marion Gibbs, Early Charters. See also Davis, Medieval Cartularies, no.597.
* Statute and evidence book, ca. 1250-ca. 1300 (WD19) (CLC/313/B/015/MS25519).
* Statute and evidence book, late 13th century-1486 (WD2) (CLC/313/B/016/MS25502) [parts of this volume are also described in sections CLC/313/G and CLC/313/O].
* "Statuta Majora", 14th century (WD9) (CLC/313/B/021/MS25509) [parts of this volume are also described in sections CLC/313/L, O and P].
* "Statuta Minora", early 15th century-1813 (WD20) (CLC/313/B/024/MS25520).
* Statute and evidence book, early 15th century (WD8) (CLC/313/B/028/MS25508).
* Statute book, 15th century (WD7) (CLC/313/B/030/MS25507).
* Statute and evidence book, late 15th century (WD5) (CLC/313/B/031/MS25505).
Many of the cathedral's early statutes have been edited by W Sparrow Simpson, Registrum Statutorum et Consuetudinum Ecclesiae Cathedralis Sancti Pauli Londinensis (1873). His compilation, from the volumes described above (except for MS25501, WD1) includes statutes by Ralph de Diceto (Dean, 118 0-ca. 1200), William de Montfort (Dean, 1285-94), Ralph de Baldock (Dean, 1294-1304 and Bishop of London, 1304-13), Stephen de Gravesend (Bishop, 1318-38), Robert Braybrooke (Bishop, 1381-1404) and William Warham (Bishop, 1501-3); Sparrow Simpson's Registrum also includes extracts from CLC/313/B/034/MS25506 (WD6), ca. 1611-ca. 1613; CLC/313/B/033/MS25510 (WD10), 1502; and CLC/313/B/027/MS25624 (WC39), a transcript made in 1874 of Ms 25520.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Records arranged by MS number, assigned during cataloguing at the Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section. For a detailed discussion of the arrangement of the collection, see the fonds level description for Saint Paul's Cathedral, reference CLC/313.
Conditions governing access:
Available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.
Finding aids:
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
The bulk of the archives of St Paul's Cathedral were transferred to the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library in September 1980. They were catalogued by a member of Guildhall Library staff in around 1989. Other accessions were received from the 1960s onwards. The Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section merged with the London Metropolitan Archives in 2009.
ALLIED MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Date(s) of descriptions: August to October 2010.