The Cairo bulletin., 1909-11-14
NAVE. OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY
story of Its Building, During 100
Years.

AT meeting OF the British aoadl
emy the dean Of Westminster pre-
sented paper of unusual historical
interest. The paper was based on In
Vestigations of the Westminster fab
ric rolls. and stated that the nave Of
Westminster was $50 years in build
Ing. The money for it came from
certain of the revenues of the monas-
terry which We're assigned to the Novum
opus, and. We're administered by q
warden who was responsible for the
building, These revenues come from
Longdon in Worcestershire, some
houses in Kink street and Tothili
street, Westminster, from the manors
OF Hyde and Paddington, and late,
from lands in Westbourne and Ken
sington. But further help was neea
Cd. and 1t is historically interesting
to trace the share in the wo'n taken
by kings and abbots. Its origin was
due to Cardinal Simon Langham, who
had been abbot OF Westminster; and
fortified by his pecuniary help Mich
olas Litlyngton laid the first stone
OF the new nave on March 3, 1876
Richard IL helped the work in the
last 10 years of his reign, when the
marble pillars We've set. up. Under
Henry " the work ceased altogether
Henry V atoned~1for this by making
himself responsiblea.foE It. He gave
1000 marks year, and zone of his
commissioners was the famous "Dicks
Wilmington. In this reign the tri-
forum was completed, the side aisles
rooted, and the clerestory walls vel
advanced. Unfortunately Henry v
died after nine years, and Henry VI
did nothing for the abbey.
The work languished until 1a67
when Abbot George Norwych was de,
posed by revolution in the convent
and the next year Thomas Millgfls
took up the work with renewed vigor
He rooted one bay, and his work was
carried on to its completion by ths
abbots who succeeded him, and wht
! appointed themselves wardens. Mil
yng became abbot in 1869, and wheT
Edward Tvs queen fed to Westmin
ster to take sanctuary in 1470, Mill
yng received her Hospitality, ant
stood godfather to the young prince
Edward V. who was born in his house
Consequently after Edward Tvs re
turn he with the queen and prince
gave gifts to the work, amounting II
all to ESQ; and soon after Millyns
was made bishop of Hereford (1474)
John Esteney, who had been warder
since 1471, succeeded him as abbot
and in his long wardenship of z
years he rooted the nave, vaulted fiys
bays of the nave and the side aises
and finished the great west window
In fact, Esteney practically completed
the fabric, and of all the builder.
Except perhaps Henry W most de
serves our gratitude.
His successor, George Fasset (1498
15OO). gave G600 to the work, which
was anished by the last great abbot
John Islip C500-1532). He finished
off what Esteney had left undone II
the vaulting and at the western gabli
| end. Then he glazed the windows II
1507-1510, paved the floor Q510-1517)
and put UP some stone screens u1lde
the towers which have now disap
| peared We may date the completion
of the work 1928. Islip enjoyed th
! confidence of Henry VII, who hat
| done nothing for the abbey In Este
ney's time, but after Islip had becom
abbot began to build the great Lad,
chapel which bears his name; am
the abbot put Henry's badges upol
his new vaulting, Islip also rebuilt
the chapel of St. Margaret's, and h
was at work upon the western tower
when he died in 1892 His death wa
| practically the end Of both of tn
/ new work and of the convent itseli
The last fabric roll dates from 1858
1884, and almost the last piece Of worl
was the preparation of the church an
sanctuary for the coronation of Quee
Anne Boleyn on Whitsunday, 1888.
\ y