|
cletian. There is no proof that Margaret ever lived, but the story tells of her being swallowed by Satan in the form of a dragon; she burst forth from its belly, only to be beheaded for her declared Christianity and refusal to marry the pagan Olybrius. The presence of two fine dragons carved high up in the roof, one in the canopy of honour, supports the dedication to this Margaret rather than the one who was Queen of Scotland. The new parish church was to serve the local population, which had probably outgrown the nave of the Priory Church. First the Priors, then the owners of Christchurch Mansion which was built on the Priory site after the Dissolution - Withipolls, Devereuxs and Fonnereaus - chose incumbents, chaplains or perpetual curates, for the church. The first mention of St Margaret's in documents was in 1307; by 1381 St Margaret's was by far the largest parish in the town
OLDEST FEATURES AND EARLIEST SURVIVALS Two relics of Holy Trinity remain: a l3th century coffm lid with raised cross mounted on the aisle wall near the south door, no doubt a Prior's memorial [1]; and the timber-framed Guest House of the Priory, much restored, [The Guitar Shop] at the west end of Soane Street. On the corner post a shield [2] bears a Tau cross raguly (T for Trinity) and a sun and two moons for the Three Persons. The same shield, which is therefore the badge of the Priory, was recorded before 1600 in two other churches staffed by the canons: Tuddenham St Martin and St Mary-at-the-Elms. Architectural details from about 1300 are to be seen from outside in the filled-in window with Y-tracery at the west end of the south aisle and the two nave doorways and inside, the tracery of the north aisle windows [3] and the five-bay arcades. The south aisle windows [4] look about 50 years later, but all were restored in Victorian times. On the north side above the second and third arches was uncovered in 1846 (but whitewashed over in
|
|
