Thomas Chatterton Manuscript Project
Timeline
St Mary Redcliffe Church - Slideshow
Click the picture to open full screen with clickable links.
St Mary Redcliffe Church was at the centre of Chatterton's life from the start. He was baptised here on the 1st January, 1753, and received his confirmation sometime between 1762-1764, from Bishop Newton, a man he later came to despise : View.
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Chatterton's sister, Mary Newton, and Dr. Lort (B11457), say that Chatterton was confirmed in 1764. Taylor states that if it was 1764 then 'On the Last Epiphany' is not by Chatterton. Meyerstein disagrees and seems convinced that it is Chatterton's work. It's just another one of the Chatterton conundrums.
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At around 10 years of age, Chatterton, according to his sister, "Was more cheerful After he began to write poetry."
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The engraving of St Mary Redcliffe, above, is by William Henry Toms, it shows the church as Chatterton would have seen it. It lost its spire in 1446 after a lightning Strike. It is said that the engraving adorned a wall of the house of Mr Kator, a Sugar-Baker. The son of the family, Henry Kator, was a friend of Chatterton's, so it is reasonable to assume that Chatterton saw the engraving and would have been influenced by it.
The historic details on the engraving is said to refute the claim by Rowleyites that Chatterton could only have learned the history of St Mary Redcliffe church from the manuscripts in Canynges' Coffer, which was stored in the Muniment Room of the church - Click the image for a close-up view.
The image on the postcard above shows the church after the spire was rebuilt in 1872. A mere 426 years after it was destroyed by a lightning strike.
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The St Mary Redcliffe website has a nice page about Chatterton. It has a couple of poetry readings and is well worth the visit : View
Publications etc
Videos
Canynges Tomb in St Mary Redcliffe
Rachel Presents St Mary Redcliffe
Redevelopment of the Site around St Mary Redcliffe
St Mary Redcliffe - Design Competition : View
Links to All Works & Correspondence
Call it what you will, authentic, doubtful, lost, or plainly wrong - if it was linked with Chatterton it will be included in Chatterton's Works & Correspondence. This will be the base point from which we can examine every piece of work, and add notes and links accordingly.