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Pulpit & Screen with mediæval painted panels
pulpit | furniture
wood
painted surfaces
Mediæval painted surfaces. On stone plinth; each panel has tracery with ogival arch and openings. 14 panels representing Christ, Mary, and 12 Disciples.
Mediæval
c1790. It is first shown on Carter's plan, set against the blocked western arch of the central tower. J E Clark, Arch. Æl., 2010, p.383.
1809. The Litany desk, at present placed on the west side of the transept. Topogr. and Hist. Description of Northumberland. Beauties of England and Wales, Hodgson, 1809, p.163.
1811. Mackenzie appears to have provided the first written record when he informs us that ‘… against the west wall of the transept is the Litany-desk, now used for burials.’ Movements of Fittings, J.E. Clark. Arch. Æl., 2010, p.383.
1870–1905: for some of this period on the floor against the north wall of the north transept.
1888. Pl.47 in Hodges Monograph. ‘The pulpit is in very good preservation. The mouldings are painted with a parti-coloured riband. Its original position, and the fate of its successor, shewn on Plate 7, are unknown.’ p.56.
1909. Captain Cuthbert proposed to give a stone base pedestal for the Lectern. A design by Mr Temple Moore was submitted, and the Chairman said it would be worked in local stone and executed by Messrs Holloway Bros, the contractors for the Nave, under the personal superintendence of Mr Jones, the foreman for the Nave. We understand that Captain Cuthbert has accepted the estimate and approved of design. [Hexham Parish Mag. July 1909, p.40.]
2022: Discussed and illustrated in article by Lucy Wrapson in Hamilton-Kerr Institute Bulletin no.9 [HEXAB5444]: probably part of a set with the 10 panels [HEXAB3068] currently in St Etheldreda's Chapel.
W panel L 1940 H 1070 | E panel L 1560 H 1070 | 5 Pulpit panels @ 360 L 1530 H 1090
on N side of Chancel in front of Reredos
Chancel
1907. Faculty: 21 November. … 11. Restoration and refixing of the Ancient pulpit in the Choir. NRO Faculty Book No. 1, no.316; and NRO EP.184/80.
1909. Faculty: 21 July. … 3) To place the lectern on a stone pedestal. NRO Faculty Book No. 1, no.356 and NRO EP.184/80.
1961: “(2) To restore the Mediæval Panel Paintings”; Faculty Regr. no.3. Faculty no. 2195, 10.7.1961

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St Matthew
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Matheus (Matthew)’ Halberd in right hand, closed book in left.
Light iconoclasm on face, sporadic dents and scrapes. Retouching fairly localized.
15th cent
sight W 30.1 cm
Chancel

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St Thomas
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘Sanctus Thomas’ Brocade pattern tunic. Strange grey layer on cloak – red lake deterioration? Red lead background, blanched grey on top – a red lake pigment? Possibly with rosettes. Mace in left hand, closed book with clasp in right.
No incipient flaking noted. Has suffered historical loss to bottom section – possibly damp related. Two splits
15th cent
St Thomas is also depicted in windows HEXAB1418.2 & HEXAB1418.5
sight W 28.8 cm
Chancel

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St Jude
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Judus (Jude)’ Right hand resting on two-handed saw; left hand holding closed book.
Largely not original. Only upper right board section original. Whitish-grey blanched layer present throughout. No sign of iconoclasm.
15th cent
St Jude is also depicted in window HEXAB1418.5
sight W 29.6 cm
Chancel

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St Matthias
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Matthias’ Original tracery head with polychromy: Yellow tops, red inside. Indigo cloak? Background like S. Thomas. Right hand holding a purse(?);left hand holding closed book.
Lower half replaced, with repainting that looks like it was done in crayon. Top, original section was two boards. One split present – stable. Minimal iconoclasm on face. Grey-white layer throughout – looks like remnant of coating/wholesale overpaint/whitewash is present throughout (as recorded by Pauline Plummer in her unpublished notes). Retouching is sporadic and localized. Inserted board has carpentry marks: “VIII” and the timber appears similar to the timber used for the loose panel of Dance-of-Death scheme, which has carpentry mark “VIIII”.
15th cent
St Matthias is also depicted in window HEXAB1418.4
sight W 29 cm
Chancel

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St James (the Less)
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Jacobus (Minor)’ Yellow background with red rosettes. Right hand holding closed book; left grasping handle of a saw.
Single panel. Original tracery head with polychromy: Yellow tops, red inside. No apparent iconoclasm.
15th cent
St James the Less is also depicted in window HEXAB1418.6
sight W 29.5 cm
Chancel

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St John the Evangelist
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘St John the Evangelist’ Red background with rosettes (more ‘dotty’). Blue or green cloak (unclear) with red rosettes. Left hand holding chalice with serpent above.
Considerable remnants of wholesale overpaint on this panel. Two boards. No iconoclasm evident. Tracery non-original. Scattered retouching.
15th cent
St John is also depicted in panels HEXAB133.27 & HEXAB199.3, and in window HEXAB1418.6
sight W 26.2 cm
Chancel

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St Peter
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘St Peter’ Keys gilded (confirmed with XRF). Very elaborate halo. Yellow background has sacred red monograms. Two large keys in right hand, closed book with clasp in left.
Two replacement boards at the bottom. Replacement board on back in softwood. Considerable remnants of wholesale overpaint on this panel. Only the top part of the tracery is original and retains original paint scheme identical to that on the five panels to the left of the pulpit.
15th cent
St Peter is depicted in another panel: HEXAB213.9; and seven times in windows: HEXAB1405, HEXAB1407.1, HEXAB1418.1 (twice), HEXAB1418.3, HEXAB1418.5, & HEXAB1423
sight W 28.1 cm
Chancel

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The Risen Christ
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘The Risen Christ’ Background red with yellow or white rosettes. No evidence of iconoclasm. Cross with pennant in left hand.
Single board, 2–3 splits, stable, though with slight movement. Sporadic flaking along nibbled bottom. Grey-white blanched layer evident in certain areas. Evidence of insect damage – furniture beetle damage.
15th cent
sight W 27.7 cm
Chancel

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Virgin and Child
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘Virgin and Child’ Yellow background with rosettes. Red halo with red lake gone grey, or overpaint? Evidence of minor iconoclasm to face of Virgin. Colour of robe appears, slightly unusually, to be red, not blue.
Inserted board replacement, bottom right. Original tracery head with better preserved original polychromy.
15th cent
Mary is also depicted in panels HEXAB133.17, HEXAB133.18, HEXAB199.1, in painting HEXAB3076, and in stained-glass: HEXAB1402, HEXAB1414 (4 times), & HEXAB1422
sight W 27.7 cm
Chancel

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St Paul
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘St Paul’ Floral red background with yellow-white rosettes. Cloak possibly green. Sword does not appear to have metal leaf. No evidence of iconoclasm. Closed book in right hand, sword over left shoulder in left hand.
Tracery head not original. Localized, quite visible retouching. Single board.
15th cent
St Paul is also depicted in HEXAB213.11 and in stained-glass: HEXAB1421.1
sight W 27.3 cm
Chancel

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St Philip
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Philipus’ Well-preserved green grass. Possibly green halo (now grey) Red background with fleur-de-lis decorations. Red lake used on garment. Both hands holding basket of loaves.
Possibly remnants of wholesale overpaint scheme. Paint in sound condition. Single board, Original tracery. No evidence of iconoclasm. Patchy varnish, but little evidence of retouching.
15th cent
St Philip is also depicted in stained glass: HEXAB1418.4
sight W 29.9 cm
Chancel

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St Bartholomew
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Bartholomæus’ Red lake tunic. Possibly green cloak. Red sacred monograms on yellow background. Knife in left hand, closed book in right.
Original tracery, single board. Possibly indigo on book. No obvious evidence of iconoclasm.
15th cent
St Bartholomew is also depicted in stained glass: HEXAB1418.6
sight W 30.4 cm
Chancel

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St James (the Greater)
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Jacobus (major)’ Iconoclasm on pilgrim's cap. Purple-brown cloak. Red background with white fleur-de-lis stencils(?). Pilgrim's staff in left hand
Split panel all the way with gap. Sawn board. No evidence of active flaking. Quite a lot of remaining wholesale overpaint. Original tracery.
15th cent
St James (the Greater) is also depicted in stained glass: HEXAB1418.3 & HEXAB1418.4
sight W 30 cm
Chancel

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St Andrew
painted-panel | flat art
wood
‘S Andrew’ Red sacred monograms on yellow background. His cross in right hand and closed book in left.
Single board, original tracery. Minor evidence of wholesale overpaint. No iconoclasm.
15th cent
Andrew the Apostle was born between 5 and 10 AD in Bethsaida, in Galilee. The New Testament states that Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter, and likewise a son of Jonah. Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion at the city of Patras (Patræ) in Achaea, in AD 60. Andrew's relics were probably brought to Britain in 597 as part of the Augustine Mission, and then in 732 to Fife, by Bishop Acca of Hexham, a well-known collector of religious relics. Andrew is Patron Saint of fishermen, fishmongers, rope-makers, textile workers, singers, miners, pregnant women, butchers, farm workers, protection against sore throats, protection against convulsions, protection against fever, protection against whooping cough, Russian Navy.
St Andrew is also depicted in two other panels, HEXAB133.24 & HEXAB213.10, and in stained glass: thrice at the top of HEXAB1407, in HEXAB1417, HEXAB1418.1 (twice), & HEXAB1418.5
sight W 29.3 cm
Chancel



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