Monument record 1160/19/1 - St. Gregory's Church, north of Gregory Street

The church is first mentioned by name in the 12th century, although a Saxon origin is likely. The church is said to have housed a shrine known as the Rood In The Wall. The last recorded institution as rector was in 1532. In 1556, St Gregory's church was granted for grammar school and the vicarage house for the residence of the master. The grant mentions that the graveyard was used for plague burial and a possible plague pit was identified in the 19th century. In 1840, when the school buildings were pulled down, parts of the church were revealed. Trial trench excavation in 1990 possibly identified the foundations of tower, chancel and part of the graveyard.

{1}Church lies to north of Gregory Street; Saxon foundation probable; first mentioned by name in late C12th when confirmed to St Andrew's Priory; last recorded institution as rector in 1532; in 1556 annexed to All Saints parish; site granted for grammar school. Norman arcade & other parts of church revealed in 1840 when school buildings were pulled down; south-west corner of church still stands to height of about 2.5m & edge of window in west wall visible.

{2}First mentioned by name in late C12th when confirmed to St Andrew's Priory;

{3}St Gregory's Church C11th-AD 1556.

{4}Church of St Gregory stood east of St Peter's in street which still bears its name; foundation date unknown; handed over to St Andrew's Priory at close of C11th; in 1556 parish of St Gregory annexed to All Saints & ruined church used as grammar school. Norman arcade & various other parts of former church were revealed by demolition works in 1840.

{5}Given to St Andrew's Priory by Simon de St Liz; no traces to be found at this day; church building granted in 1577 for grammar school;. Vicarage house granted for use of master of grammar school.

{6}Dedications & bequethals listed; mainly early C16th; mentions Gild of Holy Rood in The Wall;

{7}St Gregory's land for augmentation of incumbent's stipend;

{6}Dedications & bequethals listed; mainly early C16th; mentions Gild of Holy Rood in The Wall. 1527 will of Christine Butler to be buried in chapel of Our Lady in St Gregory's Church.

{9}Body of church still standing includes filled up arches on north side; also on north side is Holy Water place & above that is old arch or monument; also on north side is bracket jutting out of wall like capital of pillar; north wall appears to be original church wall; east window remains. The school yard is not used because of finds of inhumations.

{10}Priory of St Andrew by charter of Earl Simon had presentation of all churches in town including St Gregory. All Saints parish had absorbed St Gregory's after Reformation; site converted to use of free school. Priests house worth 6s per year granted for house of school master in 1556/7.

{11} In 1557 Act of Parliament enabled corporation & parishioners petition for use of church as schoolhouse; church was delapidated & divine service had not been performed for some time; Cardinal Pole granted site & church of St Gregory with its tower & bells & lead to mayor & parishioners for purpose of school.

{12}In pulling down old building in 1840 some interesting remains of old church were brought to light; well preserved Norman arches which had been built into north wall of school.

{13}Ruined church granted to Free School in 1577; east end & some capitals & bases & portions & columns of St Gregory's Church still to be seen on premises of Free School; east end has decorated window which was drawn by Miss Baker before being blocked up; fragments of church architecture visible in schoolhouse garden. Remains of vicarage house also still to be seen.

{14} Evidence of burials indicates first church on site was Saxon; reinforced by dedication to C6/7th Saxon Saint Gregory I who became Pope; detailed list of events relating to church; in 1209 C11th gift of St Gregory's Church from St Liz to St Andrew's Priory confirmed by Bishop of Lincoln; vicarage ordained in 1235; in 1428 church valued at #2.60 & only slightly below Holy Sepulchre in ranking; as well as functioning as parish church was also pilgrimage church with associations of legendary Holy Rood In The Wall & in 1472 Edward IV granted licence to found Gild of that name; parish mentioned in 1504 rental; in 1535 Valor valued at #2.66; in 1538 St Andrew's Priory dissolved & St Gregory's passes into hands of king; in 1546 church valued at 53s.4d.; 1556 records of fabric of church being sold off.

The 1557 grant by Cardinal Pope transfers site & ruins of St Gregory's to Free School; its decline would have been due to various factors including possibly declining parish population. The grant includes mention of the graveyard being used as a plague cemetery. Bones were found in 1902 and building alterations in 1927 revealed two skulls ten yards away from the earlier finds.

In legend of Holy Rood Stone said that pilgrim arrived in Northampton on spot where St Gregory's Church was to be built "as new"; suggests rebuilding of speculated earlier Saxon church; reconstruction of 1504 plan showing church building; church famous for shrine known as Rood In The Wall; detail of legend of shrine; uncertain whether 1990 surveyed fabric of wall in south elevation belongs to church or school.

Reconstruction of 1504 plan also shows possible churchyard boundary and possible parson's house on dog-leg in Gregory Street to south of church; suggested also to have been on Marefair to north of church; more detailed discussion of likely location of priest's house; concludes that if 19-31 Gregory Street was its location then observation of building demolition in 1970's was carried out on original building.

{15}1551 entry in Town Minute Book relates to price of lead & other materials of church being imperfect;

{16} Trial Excavation undertaken in 1990 by NCC Unit; Victorian cellars had destroyed almost all the earlier church site apart from perhaps the foundations of tower, chancel and part of the graveyard;

{18}St Gregory's church first recorded in 12th century, but parish incorporated into All Saints parish in 16th century and the church itself converted into a free-school. Excavations have shown that as previously expected the church almost certainly had its origins in the Saxon period.

{19}In 1393 Carmelite joined Lollards; not necessarily of Northampton house; complaint raised against mayor that Nicholas Weston "Fryer Carmelite apostate & Lollard without licence of his order had been made parish chaplain of St Gregory's at Northampton; probably same Carmelite recorded in 1378 at diocese of Lichfield & Coventry & who was made Papal Chaplain in 1392; not sure whether he retracted;

{20}Details of legend of Rood In The Wall shrine at St Gregory's Church;

{21}Foundations of the tower and chancel established during the excavation whilst the rest of the remains had been destroyed by Victorian cellarage.

{22}Trial trenches established that the excavation of Victorian cellars had destroyed almost all of the earlier site except from perhaps the foundations of the tower and chancel. A trial pit 1.5m square only revealed human bone in loam layer. Presumed to be part of St. Gregory's Church graveyard. No further work was undertaken in this area.

{23}The foundations of the tower and chancel may survive outside the cellared area.

{24}Trial trenches, together with related architectural and documentary studies, established that the excavation of Victorian cellars had destroyed almost all of the earlier site apart from perhaps the foundations of the tower and chancel, together with part of the graveyard.

{26}House of parson of St Gregory's Church still is rectory upon other corner of same lane;

{27} Old "plague pit" in St Gregory Street emptied about forty years ago, 'when a number of people seized on the bones and even began to carry them away in bulk until the police interfered'.

{28} Author speculates C19th discovery of "plague pit" possibly charnel house of St Gregory's Church.

{29} Disturbed human burial on east-west alignment. Undated but later than the sunken-featured building also in Area C. It could relate to St. Gregory's Church graveyard but would have lain on the wrong side of Freeschool Street [possible pre-Freeschool Street date?].

Reconstruction of 1504 plan showing possible churchyard boundary; discussion of likely course of parish boundary;

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.379 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> Dugdale, 1823, Monasticon Anglicanum, p.191 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN479.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76SE40 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> SERJEANTSON R.M., 1901, HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, 85-9 (Uncertain). SNN2057.

<5> Whellan, 1874, History, Topography & Directory of Northamptonshire, p.117, 129; Handwritten notes in NDC SMR File M36;; (unchecked) (Book). SNN1002.

<6> Serjeantson R.M.; Longden Isham H., 1913, The Parish Churches & Religious Houses of Northamptonshire: Their Dedications, Altars etc., p.162-63 (checked); Copy in NDC SMR File M36; (Extract). SNN1080.

<7> Hamilton Thompson A., 1911, The Chantry Certificates For Northamptonshire, p.138 (checked) (Series). SNN1922.

<8> STAFFORD J., 1973, Old Northampton, (unchecked) (Book). SNN54539.

<9> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.449 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<10> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.55 (checked) (Series). SNN100370.

<11> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.236 (checked) (Series). SNN100369.

<12> FREEMAN, 1847, NORTHAMPTON, 44 (Report). SNN2164.

<13> ROSE H., 1848, The Northampton Mercury, (unchecked) (Paper/s). SNN2165.

<14> Giggins B., 1990, Gregory Street, Northampton: a report on the development of St. Gregory's church and Northampton Free School, (checked) (Report). SNN2054.

<15> Cox Rev.J.C., 1898, Records of The Borough of Northampton, p.351 (unchecked) (Book). SNN3420.

<16> NAU, 1991, Freeschool Street/St Gregory's St, Trial trench, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN48972.

<17> Williams J.H., 1982, Saxon and Medieval Northampton, (unchecked) (Book). SNN56479.

<18> 1980, Medieval Archaeology (24), 24/230 (Journal). SNN55094.

<19> SERJEANTSON R.M., The White Friars of Northampton, 6 (Article). SNN994.

<20> Northamptonshire Notes and Queries (Series 2), (unchecked) (Series). SNN2159.

<21> Nenk B.S.; Margeson S.; Hurley M., 1991, Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1990, p.178-9 (part checked) (Notes). SNN3418.

<22> SHAW M.; O'HARA P., 1990, Archaeological Evaluation at Freeschool Street/Gregory Street, Northampton, (unchecked) (Full Report). SNN2072.

<23> Pike A. (Editor), 1991, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (21), p.63 (checked) (Newsletter). SNN2091.

<24> The Society For Medieval Archaeology, 1991, Medieval Archaeology (35), p.178 (checked) (Journal). SNN3871.

<25> Wetton, 1849, Guidebook to Northampton and its Vicinity, p.35-36 (checked) (Book). SNN1032.

<26> 1504, RENTALS AND SURVEYS, (unchecked) (Document). SNN2160.

<27> LEACH E.F., 1910, Journal of Northants Natural History Society and Field Club, 258 (Note). SNN2156.

<28> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Hardy S., 1978-1984, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Secondary Record Sheets, M36 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN108.

<29> Williams J.H., 1979, St Peter's Street, Northampton: Excavations 1973-1976, p.67 (checked) (Report). SNN342.

<30> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, P122 (Article). SNN104441.

Record last edited

Nov 27 2023 10:19AM