St Edward King and Martyr, Cambridge | |
---|---|
Location | Peas Hill, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3PP |
Country | England |
Denomination | Church of England |
Website | Church website |
History | |
Status | Active |
Founded | 13th century |
Specifications | |
Number of towers | 1 |
Tower height | 59ft (18m) |
Bells | 6 |
Tenor bell weight | 8-2-22 in A (442kg) |
Administration | |
Diocese | None (a Royal Peculiar ) |
Clergy | |
Chaplain(s) | The Revd Dr Mark Scarlata |
Laity | |
Churchwarden(s) | Dr. Paul Anderson |
St Edward King and Martyr is a church located on Peas Hill in central Cambridge, England. It is dedicated to Edward the Martyr, who was King of England from 975 until his murder in 978. In 1525 it was at St Edward's that what is said to have been perhaps the first "openly evangelical" sermon of the English Reformation was delivered, and the church is sometimes labelled the "Cradle of the Reformation". [1]
It has been considered a royal peculiar, [2] not belonging to a diocese, but this is disputed. [3]
The present church was founded in the 13th century on what is believed to be the site of an earlier Anglo-Saxon church. In around 1400 the church was rebuilt, creating the present chancel and arches of the nave, though the arch at the base of the tower dates from the original building. There are some pictures and a description at the Cambridgeshire Churches website. [4]
When Henry VI ordered the clearing of land in order to create King's College, the church of St John Zachary that was used by both Trinity Hall and Clare was demolished. In 1445, by way of recompense, the living of St Edward's Church was granted to Trinity Hall, and the Chaplain is still appointed by the college. Two 15th-century side-chapels were built in St Edward's, the north chapel used by Trinity Hall, and the south by Clare. [1]
St Edward's played a pivotal role in the English Reformation. During the 1520s a group of evangelicals led by Thomas Bilney had been meeting to discuss the preachings of Martin Luther and Erasmus's translation of the New Testament.
At the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 1525, one of the group, Robert Barnes, gave what is believed to be the first openly evangelical sermon in any English church, and accused the Catholic Church of heresy. Over the next decade many of the great reformers preached at St Edward's, including the Oxford Martyr Hugh Latimer, who was a regular preacher until he left Cambridge in 1531. These events have led to St Edward's being referred to as the "Cradle of the Reformation". [1]
The buildings of central Cambridge have led to St Edward's becoming somewhat hidden away from view in its location on the west side of the Cambridge Guildhall. It is surrounded on three sides by its namesake pedestrian alleyway, St Edward's Passage, whose 'Y-shaped' form has remained unchanged since at least the 16th century: there is only a tiny churchyard. It holds Grade II* listed status. [5] [6]
During the 1930s, St Edward's served as the Toc H church for the east of England, and became popular with students, who referred to it as "Teddy's".
The present east window was designed by George Gilbert Scott and was added during the restorations of 1858–60. The theologian F. D. Maurice was chaplain at St Edward's from 1870 to 1872.
The acting vicar-chaplain is Reverend Dr Mark Scarlata, who is also Old Testament lecturer and tutor at St Mellitus College, London.
Lancelot Andrewes was an English bishop and scholar, who held high positions in the Church of England during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. During the latter's reign, Andrewes served successively as Bishop of Chichester, of Ely, and of Winchester and oversaw the translation of the King James Version of the Bible. In the Church of England he is commemorated on 25 September with a lesser festival.
John Fisher was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI.
Robert Barnes was an English reformer and martyr.
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Thomas Bilney was an English Christian martyr.
Nicholas Shaxton was Bishop of Salisbury. For a time, he had been a Reformer, but recanted this position, returning to the Roman faith. Under Henry VIII, he attempted to persuade other Protestant leaders to also recant. Under Mary I, he took part in several heresy trials of those who became Protestant martyrs.
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Events from the 1520s in England.
Peas Hill is a street in central Cambridge, England. It runs between Wheeler Street to the south and Market Hill to the north. King's Parade runs parallel with the street to the west. Guildhall Street runs parallel to the east.
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St Edward's Passage, known in the 18th century as Chain Lane, is a Y-shaped alleyway in Cambridge, England, between King's Parade—opposite the main gate of King's College—and Peas Hill. It houses the entrance and churchyard of the Church of St Edward King and Martyr; the Cambridge Arts Theatre; several cottages; G. David, an independent bookshop run from the same building since 1896; a few businesses; and student accommodation. It is a narrow, dark lane, with riven-stone paving, which opens out onto the much wider and sunnier King's Parade.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Cambridge, England.
Thomas Swinnerton was an evangelical preacher and author during the English Reformation.
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