Derby Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church in the City of Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the seat of the Bishop of Derby
Bishop of Derby
The Bishop of Derby is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Derby in the Province of Canterbury, UK.The diocese was formed from part of the Diocese of Southwell in 1927 under King George V and roughly covers the county of Derbyshire...
, and with an area of around 10950 sq ft (1,017.3 m²) is the smallest Anglican cathedral in England.
History
The original church was founded by King Edmund IEdmund I of England
Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his...
in about 943 as a royal collegiate church; however, there is no trace of its existence today. The current cathedral dates from the fourteenth century, although it appears to be based on an earlier medieval building, which drawings show was about the same size as the present church. It may be that it became structurally unstable and was pulled down. The tower dates from 1510 to 1530 and was built in the popular perpendicular Gothic style of the time.
Joan Waste
Joan Waste
Joan Waste was a blind woman who was burned in Derby for refusing to renounce her Protestant faith.-Biography:Waste was born blind in 1534, with her twin brother Roger, to a Derby barber, William Waste and his wife, Joan...
was tried for heresy here in 1556. The execution took place on the Burton Road in Derby.
Apart from the tower, the building was rebuilt in a classical style to the designs of James Gibbs
James Gibbs
James Gibbs was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Scotland, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England...
of 1725.
The building, previously known as All Saints' Church, became a cathedral by Order in Council on 1 July 1927.
The cathedral contains the oldest ring of ten bells
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Other treasures include an eighteenth-century nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
Rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
by Robert Bakewell
Robert Bakewell (ironsmith)
Robert Bakewell was an English smith. He took an apprenticeship in London as an iron worker and became an extremely skilled ironsmith.In 1706, he started working at Melbourne Hall for Thomas Coke, and living in the town of Melbourne...
, the memorial to Bess of Hardwick
Bess of Hardwick
Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (c. 1521 – 13 February 1608, known as Bess of Hardwick, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox...
, and the Cavendish
Cavendish
- People :* The House of Cavendish, a British noble family* Ada Cavendish , British actress* Camilla Cavendish , British journalist* Charles Cavendish , British Liberal politician* George Cavendish - People :* The House of Cavendish, a British noble family* Ada Cavendish (1839–1895), British...
brasses
Monumental brass
Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood...
, including those of Henry Cavendish
Henry Cavendish
Henry Cavendish FRS was a British scientist noted for his discovery of hydrogen or what he called "inflammable air". He described the density of inflammable air, which formed water on combustion, in a 1766 paper "On Factitious Airs". Antoine Lavoisier later reproduced Cavendish's experiment and...
and Georgiana Spencer, the wife of one of the Dukes of Devonshire.
According to the Derby Mountain Rescue
Mountain rescue
Mountain rescue refers to search and rescue activities that occur in a mountainous environment, although the term is sometimes also used to apply to search and rescue in other wilderness environments. The difficult and remote nature of the terrain in which mountain rescue often occurs has resulted...
Team the cathedral tower is 212 feet (64.6 m) tall. More than 150 members of the Rescue team abseiled down the tower for charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
in 2009.
In late 2005, it was discovered that a pair of Peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s had taken up residence on the Cathedral Tower. In 2006 a nesting platform was installed, and they nested here in April. The same pair successfully reared chicks in 2007, 2008, 2009 and again in 2010. Webcams were installed in 2007 and 2008 to enable the birds to be seen at close-range without being disturbed by human contact. Four eggs were laid in 2007; however, only two chicks eventually hatched. The same number of eggs were laid the following year, but this time all four chicks successfully hatched. Four chicks hatched and fledged in 2009, but only two survived beyond the autumn.
Burials
- Bess of HardwickBess of HardwickElizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (c. 1521 – 13 February 1608, known as Bess of Hardwick, was the daughter of John Hardwick, of Derbyshire and Elizabeth Leeke, daughter of Thomas Leeke and Margaret Fox...
- Henry CavendishHenry CavendishHenry Cavendish FRS was a British scientist noted for his discovery of hydrogen or what he called "inflammable air". He described the density of inflammable air, which formed water on combustion, in a 1766 paper "On Factitious Airs". Antoine Lavoisier later reproduced Cavendish's experiment and...
- Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of DevonshireGeorgiana Cavendish, Duchess of DevonshireGeorgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire , formerly Lady Georgiana Spencer, was the first wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and mother of the 6th Duke of Devonshire. Her father, the 1st Earl Spencer, was a great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Her niece was Lady Caroline Lamb...
- William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of BessboroughWilliam Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of BessboroughWilliam Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough PC PC was an Irish and English peer and member of the House of Lords, styled Hon. William Ponsonby from 1723 to 1739 and Viscount Duncannon from 1739 to 1758...
Cathedral clergy
- The Very Revd Dr John Davies DL – Dean of Derby
- The Revd Canon Elaine Jones – Canon Pastor
- The Revd Canon Dave Perkins - Canon Precentor
- The Revd Richenda Leigh – Cathedral Chaplain and Anglican Chaplain to the University of DerbyUniversity of DerbyThe University of Derby is a university in the city of Derby, England. The main site is on Kedleston Road, Allestree in the north-west of Derby close to the A38 opposite Markeaton Park...
Organ
In 1939, an organ was installed by John ComptonJohn Compton
Sir John George Melvin Compton, KBE, PC was the first, fifth and eighth Prime Minister of Saint Lucia in 1979, from 1982 to 1996, and from 2006 until his death. Compton, who previously led Saint Lucia under British rule from 1964 to 1979, was the country's first leader when it became independent...
of London, which was used until being overhauled in 1992. In 1973, an additional instrument was installed in the new retro-choir (east end) by Cousans of Lincoln.
Organists
| Year instated | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Arthur Griffin Claypole Arthur Griffin Claypole Arthur Griffin Claypole was an cathedral organist, who served in Derby Cathedral.-Background:Arthur Claypole was born in 1882 in Peterborough.... |
|
| 1930 | Alfred William Wilcock Alfred William Wilcock Alfred William Wilcock was an cathedral organist, who served in Derby Cathedral and Exeter Cathedral.-Background:Alfred Wilcock was born on 21 October 1887 in Colne Lancashire.... |
|
| 1933 | George Handel Heath-Gracie George Handel Heath-Gracie George Handel Heath-Gracie was an cathedral organist, who served in Derby Cathedral.-Background:George Handel Heath-Gracie was born in Gosport, Hampshire.He was educated at Bristol Grammar School.-Career:Organist of:... |
|
| 1958 | Wallace Michael Ross Wallace Michael Ross Wallace Michael Ross was the founder of the Derby Bach Choir. He was also the Master of Music at Derby Cathedral, assistant organist at several great English Cathedrals, teacher of languages and music at several schools including Sturgess School in Derby... |
|
| 1983 | Peter David Gould Peter David Gould Peter David Gould is an cathedral organist, who serves at Derby Cathedral.-Background:Peter Gould was born on 9 February 1952 in Portsmouth.He studied at the Royal Academy of Music.-Career:Assistant Organist of:... |
Tom Corfield |
Assistant organists
- (Alfred) Samuel (Wensley) Baker
- Celyn Kingsbury
- Rodney Tomkins
- 1985 Tom Corfield