Guild of the Holy Cross
Encyclopedia
The Guild or Gild of the Holy Cross was a medieval religious guild
in Birmingham
, England
. It was founded in 1392 by three burgesses of the town - John Coleshill, John Goldsmith and William atte Slowe - in place of an attempt to found a chantry
in the parish church of St Martin in the Bull Ring
, that had been licenced ten years earlier but never came into effect.
The Guild had several roles within the town. The majority of its income was spent maintaining priest
s and a chantry
at St Martin's, but it also maintained almshouses, roads and the bridge over the River Rea
at Deritend
. Its hall on New Street
provided a social focus for the town, with feast
ing and the provision of a clock, chimes and a bell turret It had a number of paid officials including a warden, a clerk
, an organist
, a keeper of the hall and gardens, a midwife and a bellman - one of whose jobs was to announce when the spit ceased to turn at feasts. These officials had a high degree of status within the town: a list of twenty nine leading men of Birmingham in 1482 placed the Master of the Guild above the High Bailiff
of the borough.
The Guild survived the investigations of the commissioners established by Henry VIII
in 1545 to examine the religious endowments that remained after the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, but was suppressed along with its associated chantries under Edward VI
in 1547. Property worth £21 per year was retained to fund the Grammar School (now King Edward's School
) which was established in the Guild's former hall on New Street.
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, 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 was founded in 1392 by three burgesses of the town - John Coleshill, John Goldsmith and William atte Slowe - in place of an attempt to found a chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
in the parish church of St Martin in the Bull Ring
St Martin in the Bull Ring
The church of St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham 5, England is a parish church in the Church of England.-Background:It is the original parish church of Birmingham. It stands between the Bull Ring shopping centre and the markets. The church is a Grade II* listed building. The current Rector...
, that had been licenced ten years earlier but never came into effect.
The Guild had several roles within the town. The majority of its income was spent maintaining priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
s and a chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
at St Martin's, but it also maintained almshouses, roads and the bridge over the River Rea
River Rea
The River Rea is a small river which passes through Birmingham, England. The name of the river derives from a root found in many Indo-European languages and means "to run" or "to flow". It frequently bursts its banks after heavy rain....
at Deritend
Deritend
Deritend is an historic area of Birmingham, England, built around a crossing point of the River Rea. It is first mentioned in 1276. Today Deritend is usually considered to be part of Digbeth.-History:...
. Its hall on New Street
New Street, Birmingham
New Street is a street in central Birmingham, England . It is one of the city's principal thoroughfares and shopping streets. Named after it is Birmingham New Street Station, although that does not have an entrance on New Street except through the Pallasades Shopping Centre.-History:New Street is...
provided a social focus for the town, with feast
Feast
Feast may refer to:* Banquet, a large meal* A Festival or feria* Ramadan, Muslim's holy month* Nineteen Day Feast, a monthly meeting held in Bahá'í communities to worship, consult, and socialize....
ing and the provision of a clock, chimes and a bell turret It had a number of paid officials including a warden, a clerk
Clerk
Clerk, the vocational title, commonly refers to a white-collar worker who conducts general office or, in some instances, sales tasks. It is also occasionally used to refer to third-year medical students completing a medical clerkship. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record...
, an organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, a keeper of the hall and gardens, a midwife and a bellman - one of whose jobs was to announce when the spit ceased to turn at feasts. These officials had a high degree of status within the town: a list of twenty nine leading men of Birmingham in 1482 placed the Master of the Guild above the High Bailiff
High Bailiff
In the Isle of Man the High Bailiff is the head stipendiary magistrate.In Vermont, a high bailiff is a county officer.-Isle of Man:The current High Bailiff is His Worship John Needham, who took office on 30 January 2010 on the retirement of Mr Michael Moyle. Mr Needham was previously Clerk to the...
of the borough.
The Guild survived the investigations of the commissioners established by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
in 1545 to examine the religious endowments that remained after the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, but was suppressed along with its associated chantries under Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
in 1547. Property worth £21 per year was retained to fund the Grammar School (now King Edward's School
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
) which was established in the Guild's former hall on New Street.