Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-10-20


are disclosed. AlonG either side of these are
tall timber piles and stagings in every circum-
stance of age newness, with lofty wharves and
warehouses of antique or modern appearance.
The hest residential suburb of Boston is Shr-
beck which indeed claims to be older than Boston
itself for while the town Is not mentioned in
Domesday Book, Shirbeck finds a place in its
pages,
Always a seaport and thriving trade with
Russia with Sweden and Norway and the Baltic,
well as on its fisheries, Boston has in most ofs
its streets and queer odworld lanes a tang Of
the sea. Yet the visitor will see nothing of the
ocean in Boston town unless he cares to ascend
the lofty tower Of the parish church, whose Ian
tern stage was built for the purpose not only Of
a landmark when roads scarce existed and when
the fens largely overspread the land, but also
as beacon for mariners out at sea and ascending
the winding river channel. 1t has been stated
that Boston steeple can be seen 40 miles out at
sea; and certainly 1t is easily visible 20 miles
away on the land. Roads leading from the town
to seashOre are few and the shore itself when
reached is not attractive.
Why 1t Has Foreign Air.
The curiously foreign air of Boston, like that
of Kings Lynn, is derived from its trade with
foreign parts and from the merchants of other
countries who once had houses here, in the times
of its great commercial prosperity For Boston
was at one time second only to London us port.
That was in the opening years of the Thirteenth
century. While London and other ports have de-
veloped, Boston has simply stood still.
There was, however, period when "decayed"
might well have been applied here 1t was, curl
ously enough, exactly at the time when the Pill
grim Fathers sought to leave these shores; for in
1907 the corporation pettoned that their borough
might be put among the decayed towns" The
object was to escape paying subsidies, but the
decay there. The cause of decline was the
gradual choking up by mud of the winding river
channel. Modern docks cut about 1882 below
Shrbeck have, together with railways, brought
back prosperity; and there seems no reason to
doubt but that in the future there will be con-
siderable expansion.
Sea-borne trade has been shifted below the town
except for quite small vessels 1t Is a pity to
observe many Of those old warehouses empty,
and soon, no doubt to be dsmantled, for they
have an architectural distinction which the mod
ern ones wholly lack Looking at them, we see
another reason apart from their situation, why
they are longer desirable. They are buildings
with the small windows that make dark interiors.
The modern warehouses have little wall space
and much window. Secular architecture has, in
fact, followed on exactly the same lines eccle-
sastical for Romanesque developed into Gothic
from few and tiny Norman windows into the vast
ard lightsOmG fenestratiOn of the Sixteenth CEN
fury.
We find this well exemplifed in the case Of the
great church of Boston, that of st. BOtolph's,
whose dedication gave the town Its name. The
existing church is largely of the decorated and
perpendicular periods of the Fourteenth and Fiji
tcenth centuries, when windows had already at
tanned a great size.
Boston Church and the "stump"
Boston church entirely dominates the town.
the lofty steepe does the surrounding country.
1t is said to be the Largest parish church in Eng
md 1oiI re RI TO-
nifty. st. MichaeS. Coventry, is, however, the
largest but St Botolphs interior certainly con-
veys the impression Of greater size. 1t Is an
amazingly ample and dignfed interior. There
are ancient memorial hrasses, a wonderful series
of sculptured 'miserere" seats beautiful ia
cobean pulpit of 1920. far restrained in style
than commonly to be met with of that period,
and an efigy of the lady, Dame Margaret Tilney,
who placed IS on the foundations of the great
tower eXcayated In 1909.
This tower Of Boston church, so noble,
markabe. known in endearng fashion to all Lin
Conshire folk as Boston stump" from It's singu-
larry bunted outline, rises to height of 2SS feet.
1t seems astounding that the builder should have
had the confidence to raise so lofty and heavy
building upon the banks of a muddy river chan
mel, only some 40 feet from its shore; but the
foundations carried down 30 feet, to a stone
bed five feet below the level of the river bottom.
For 30 years the work Of building the tower
stayed, and then recommended, being finished
without the topmOst octagonal stage, which was
added at a later period, especially to exhibit
light for sailors making the haven.
The south chapel, used in the Eighteenth cen
fury and until comparatively recent years as n
fire engine house restored by citizens of Bos-
ton in America in honor of Rev. John Cotton,
who resigned his post vicar in 1888 and accom-
panied by many Of BostOns most prominent men,
sailed In the Griffin for the newer Boston. 1t is
now known as Cotton chapel.
Selling Their Antiquities.
Boston has never been a good warden of her
historic buildings and picturesque corners, and
very much has been destroyed. The Guldhall is
long, low building of two floors. Built in red
brick in the Fifteenth century, 1t was evidently
originally Of religious character from the great
church-ike window still containing some stained
glass, representing the twelve apostles. The
two narrow cells are survivals Of several made
in 1852 by order of the town council. They are
but seven feet long and high and about five feet
across. A staircase once led to the courtroom,
hut when the new sesslonshouse was built, in
1913, these cells were disused and the staircase