Vestments and textiles, 15th-20th century
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Dalmatic, 15th/16th century
The most exceptional historic embroidery in the Cathedral collections, this item was probably a dalmatic; a vestment used by a Deacon. It dates from the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries is the oldest vestment in the Cathedral collections by centuries.
Before the collections of vestments were dispersed, inventories were drawn up under commission. Inventories of church fixtures and fittings were frequently made during the medieval period when vestments in particular, were numerous and often of great value. The purpose of the commission of 1552 was to ensure that the vestments, no longer used, were not illegally appropriated. For some reason the inventories drawn up under Edward VI are incomplete in the manuscript, Church Goods: Kent, deposited at the Public Record Office. One hundred and thirty-six survive and are for churches concentrated in the Lathes of Shepway1 and Sutton-at-Hone,2 together with the cities of Canterbury and Rochester. Commissioners, headed by the mayor, John Dixon, held sessions in Rochester on July 18, 1552.3 Unfortunately the inventory for the Cathedral has not survived; but those for St. Margaret's, St. Nicholas's and the Bridge Chapel do. At St. Margaret's there was among others, 'a cope of red damaske in value 16/-' (0.80), 'a coope of dornyx4 in value 1/-' (0.05), four sets of vestments, one 'an olde vestment of cloth of bowdkyn5 with an albe in value 13/-' (0.65) and 4d (0.01⅕). There was a more extensive collection at St. Nicholas's including, a coope or crymesser velvett with aungells & flowers price 30/-'* (£1.50), four high mass sets of vestments6 including 'a vestment and two tunvcles of white damaske with lilly potts and aungells with three albes to them price 40/-(£2.00). There were six copes here and thirteen other chasubles.7 The Bridge Chapel appears to have possessed mainly old and worn vestments including a 'coope of silke very olde 1/ 4' (0.067). At the Cathedral the sacristy would have been bursting with vestments and copes. Wollen and tustian materials were the only fabrics manutactured in England,8 yet we have read here of the richness of fabrics imported; and naturally such finer materials would have been predominate at the Cathedral. Without doubt many were embroidered with representations of Our Lord, Our Lady and sacred monograms on both hoods9 and orphreys10. All were swept away. Antependia11 from the medieval period are rarer survivors. Some continued in use while others were adapted to secular uses. An exquisite 15th century south German tapestry frontal of five panels, depicting scenes from the Life of Christ realised £ 12,000 at the Robert von Hirsch sale in 1978. A fifteenth century red tapestry antependium from a church near Strasbourg is used on the altar in the chapel at Leeds Castle. These are rare examples. After the reforming zeal had run its course, Archbishop Laud's reforms restored order and dignity to the sancturies. In certain centres, notably Westminster Abbey and the Chapels Royal, copes were re-introduced at celebrations of the eucharist. The use of a 'carpet of silk or other rich stuff,' as required by canon, was much more general. Thorpe's Registrum offense carries an illustration of the high altar as it appeared in the 18th century. The holy table is covered by a throw-over frontal, probably red, embroidered with suns rays encircling the IHS monogram. Behind is a dossal of similar material.
Not until the re-awakening of the church in the nineteenth century did the sequence of liturgical colours we know become general practice.12 Vestments were viewed with much suspicion but copes, particularly in sets, a singularly English contribution to ecclesiastical fashion, came to be acceptable as the century drew to its close. The splendid red copes worn at the Diamond Jubilee service held in the street outside St. Paul's in 1897, were made specially for the occasion as were the well known set used for many years at Westminster Abbey, which made their first appearance at the coronation of Edward VIl in August, 1902. Rochester was not in the vanguard of such movements. Beautiful antependia were introduced but copes and vestments were frowned on until well into the present century. As recently as 1960 so little attention was given to such matters that a testal cope, worn with a purple stole, was used at the sung Eucharist in Lent. To overcome such a lapse a purple cope, or traditional style, was presented which was used until replaced by the unfortunate set of three pale blue cones which are not even a liturgical colour.
Advent is possibly the finest in quality of material; but it looks and as it was not trequentiv used use until the early 1970's. orphreys, on which are presented as a me are emblazoned the the pall, which is covered b Lane (1904-1913), pall, acceptabie as ine cemury arew to us close, me spierora reo copes wom attre Diamona juonee service held in the street outside St. Paul's in 1897, were made specially for the occasion as were the well known set used for many years at Westminster Abbey, which made their first appearance of Edward VII in August, 1902. Rochester was not in the vanguard of such until well into the present century. As recently as 1960 so little attention was given to such matters that a testal cope, worn with a purple stole, was used at the sung Eucharist in Lent. To overcome such a lapse a purple cope, of traditional style, was presented which was used until replaced by the unronunate set of three pale blue copes which are not even a liturgical colour. Among the antependia, that used the finest in quality of material: but it looks dull. Symbolism leatured in man antependia and as it was not frequently used the red. with tongues of continued in use until the early 1970's exception ol deep oronrevs, on which are 're-mounted ornew silk. is covered foliage. with the IHS monogram set in of the Dean Lane (1904-1913), pall, Lord Northbourne. On a ground o deepest blue of the cathedral. These are set in alternate corners of the pall, which is covered by a cross of old gold worked with black and gold heraldic roses and crowns. This splendid furnishing, which should be used for its proper purpose only, is presently being restored.13 The green throw-over frontal is a memorial to Canon Henry Gripper.
Lord Northbourne's Funeral Pall, c. 1913
Presented by Lord Northbourne in 1913 in memory of Dean Ernald Lane, the brother of Lady Northbourne, the Northbourne Funeral Pall is the finest pall in the Cathedral collections. It was recently used during the period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.
Of the copes, that worn by Dean Storrs (1913-1928), and made up from silk sent from Arabia by his son Sir Ronald, is exquisite. A deep orphrey is arranged in panels of foliage encircling pilgrims' shells. On the back the IHS monogram on the hood is worked. like the orphrey, with extensive use of gold thread.
Dean Storr's Cope, c. 1920
John Storrs was Dean of Rochester Storrs from 1913 until his death in 1928. His cope is one of the most intricate items in the vestments collection, and is still worn by the Dean for some special services.
Bishop Harmer's (1905-1930), cope has a deep salmon pink silk damask orphrey from which is. suspended on the back a hood embroidered with the finely worked figure of an angel. This cope, probably the first worn by a Bishop of Rochester since the Reformation. Though damaged, it is such quality as to merit restoration. Bishop Harmer's mitre is also preserved.
Another fine cope is that which belonged to Bishop King, an assistant bishop of the diocese in the 1930's. Of heavy cream coloured silk, the cope has an orphrey of turquoise velvet on which are mounted roses worked in gold thread. One of the bishop's mitres is in the collection.
The cope press contains several three cope sets which are used at the Sung Eucharist. Of these a pair, made from General Harrison's Order of the Bath robes, and another, given by Mrs. Ozanne, with the Cathedral arms on the hood, are a more pleasing combination of red than those generally worn. Mr. and Mrs. Wootton have presented a red cope of modern design. A number ot years ago a quantity of gold hangings was successfully made up into three copes. On the orphreys are applique panels of our Lord and Lady and St. Andrew, seperated by the emblems of the Cathedral and St. Andrew. The modern cope presented by Canon D. C. Stewart-Smith. sometime Archdeacon of Rochester, is particularly striking. It was made by Mrs. Jennie Miskin with hand woven silk from Ditchling. In place of a hood is a beautiful working of the Christs Rex theme - through the cross to the crown - which was the motto of Brasted College. Recently the Dean and Chapter have had a set of five copes made for Festal occasions. Of gold material with rust coloured velvet orphreys these copes have distinctive pilgrims' shell morses. A black cope, with orphreys of gold work, always warmer looking than silver, has on the hood an intricate Chi Rho monogram. Space allows but the briefest mention of the eucharistic vestments. There are sets in all the liturgical colours save black; and all are of finest traditional style materials. A white set with blue orphreys, set with gold braid, is especially noteworthy. In the press there is a red damask tunicle dating from the sixteenth century. Its orphreys are applique panels portraying saints. One is certainly St. Stephen the deacon because the sleeves of his dalmatic, the vestment of deacons, are plain to see. The panels are worked in wool and gold thread. This ancient vestment links all the nineteenth century and modern vestments, copes and antependia with those used at the Cathedral in mediaval times.
David Cleggett
St. Andrew's Day 1988
Footnotes
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1 The Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh area of the county.
2 Located in the west of the county.
3 Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. VIII (1872) p.86.
4 Dornyx was a coarse kind of damask made at lournay.
5 Bowdkyn was cloth of gold and came from Baghdad, Babylon, or Baldacca.
6 A full high mass set of vestments comprised, and still does, a cope, chasuble for the celebrant, dalmatic for the deacon, and tunicle for the sub-deacon. Until recent times the sub-deacon also wore a humeral veil, a long narrow rectangular vesture, from the offertory to the end of the Canon. With these vestments the celebrant and deacon wore stoles, the latter over the left shoulder. All three sacred ministers wore maniples on the left forearm. These are not now worn. Beneath the vestments the ministers wore/wear albs, secured at the waist by a eirdle and round the neck an amice. In Lent all the sacred ministers formerlv vested in folded chasubles with the deacon exchanging his for a broad stole al the gospel. The chasuble has an aperture in the centre for the head and hangs down on all sides. It is Dalmatics, so called because they are an adaplation of are straight sided garments reaching to the knees, open at the sides below wide sleeves forme reaching to the wrist but latterly the elbow. Usually decorated with dalmatic was once fastened at the shoulders with lacing. Cords and tassels are a survival unicies are similar to the dalmatic but do not have fastened sleeves and instead of two bands between the orphreys they have one and one tassel and cord at the o enfold the paten in until required in the ritual. High Mass sets of vestments have considerably more dignity than copes.
7 An ordinary set of vestments comprises a chasuble, with stole, worn over alb and amice. Maniples are not now worn.
8 Archaeologa Cantiana Vol. VIII (1872) p.93.
9 Hoods were originally cowls but evolved into a piece of semi-circular material appended from the orphrey.
10 Orphreys are stripes, often richly embroidered, on the borders ot copes and at other ances on vesiments
11 Antependia are often called frontals. The small frontlet which hangs over the front of the altar, usually hiding the hooks suspending the antependium, is absurdly refered to as 'super frontal'.
12 The liturgical colours are:
White: Feasts of Our Lord and/or a Mystery and for such saints who were not martyrs. Real cloth of gold may be used for Feasts of Our Lord. Red: Feasts of the Holy Spirit, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and the feasts of martyrs. Green: Ferial times. Purple: Either Imperial purple or violet for Advent, Lent, Ember days, Vigils and requiems, except on All Souls' Day when black should be used. Rose: Rose coloured vestments may be worn on the Third Sunday in Advent and Fourth Sunday in Lent. According to the peculiarities of the Sarum usage, unbleached linen was used in Lent. Blue and vellow are not liturgical colours.13 When the pall is returned to the cathedral it will be placed in the cupboard specially made for it.
The Friends of Rochester Cathedral were founded to help finance the maintenance of the fabric and grounds. The Friends’ annual reports have become a trove of articles on the fabric and history of the cathedral.
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