Surname History 2

The family were minor landowners for some time after the Norman Conquest but their power and influence rose quickly during the 13th century when Robert Harrington acquired, through marriage, extensive lands on the shores of Morecambe Bay to add to his existing possessions. His son, John Harrington, added greatly to the growing influence of his family in Cumbria by his marriage to another wealthy local heiress, Joan Dacre. Not content with his coastal castle at Aldingham, he replaced it by a second and much larger one inland, at Gleaston, of which extensive remains are still visible. Another of his properties, at Wraysholme near Cartmel, would have provided him with a convenient staging post for his journey across the sands to Lancaster and thence to London when, from 1327 onwards, as the first Lord Harrington, he was regularly to attend Parliament.

Lord Harrington’s Gift

In accordance with the custom of the time, Lord Harrington gave thanks to God for the benefits conferred on him, by giving generous alms to the Priory of Austin Canons at Cartmel. Perhaps the most important benefaction provided for the construction, between 1327 and 1347, of a Chapel in the South Choir Aisle. This elegant structure, with four traceried windows, was known as Lord Harrington’s Choir and became the part of the priory which the people of Cartmel used for their own worship. The Chapel is thought to have housed the stately chantry in which Lord John and his wife were buried in a massive tomb. This chantry would contain an altar, and an endowment was provided for two priests to say masses there.

The Priory is saved

In 1536 Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries, and the Priory’s buildings, chattels and revenues were confiscated by the royal officials, and many of it’s community were put to death. The Chancellor’s warrant for the Priory to be stripped and destroyed was stayed at the last moment, when the townspeople petitioned that Lord Harrington’s Choir, an integral part of the main building, was their parish church. At this time another Harrington – also named John Harrington – had gained much wealth and influence at Court, through his marriage to Etheldreda, one of Henry VIII’s daughters, and he may well have had a hand in it’s reprieval.

The Chapel is ravaged

The original site of the chantry is not known, though it may have been in the centre of the Chapel. At some stage it suffered considerable damage, probably at the hands of a band of Cromwellian soldiers, who in 1643 ravaged the Church with unusual ferocity. The little altar would have been destroyed, the fine tomb vandalised, and only vestiges of the arches forming bays of the chantry have survived. The windows of the Chapel were originally filled with fine contemporary stained glass from the great mediaeval workshop at York: unhappily most of this has been lost, though in the east window there are still substantial remains.

The great Tomb and its rare Painting survive

At some later date – probably soon after the disaster – the tomb chest, the effigies of Lord John and his wife, the canopy and the remains of the arcade were put together and fitted into an opening breached for the purpose in the south wall of the chancel, where they have since rested. This removal must have been an affair of considerable difficulty and it did not receive the care which it deserved. The boards forming the decorated ceiling had to be shortened ; this was done without regard to what was painted on them and they were replaced out of their correct sequence. Replacements for some of the missing stonework were very crudely fashioned and the whole tomb was whitewashed, largely obliterating the medieval painting on the stonework. Furthermore, intensive restoration in the early nineteenth century scrubbed the stonework clean of whitewash as well as of any remaining colour; the only part to retain the original colours was the painted ceiling over the tomb.

The massive stone chest, which contained the bodies of Lord Harrington and his wife is empty. Their life size stone effigies rest on top of it; Lord Harrington in full armour of chain-mail with sword and shield, his feet resting on a lion. Apart from some damage to the face and the sword, the figure is well preserved. To his right, the effigy of his wife appears in a long full dress with a girdle, her feet resting on a dog. Both their hearts are in their hands, perhaps in obedience to the injunction “Lift up your hearts”. Angels support their heads and on either side of them kneels a line of mourners, probably representing Austin canons’. Symbols of the four Evangelists appear at each corner of the base of the tomb chest, and between them a choir and precentor are singing for the souls of the deceased.

On the ceiling of this tomb there is a rare painting. Probably on account of the difficulty of seeing it from ground level, it had been largely ignored and it was left to the late Sir Nikolaus Pevsner in his great survey “The Buildings of England” (1969) to draw attention to.

“…. A ceiling of wooden boards and on three of them remains of important PAINTING: medallions, complete and fragmentary of the Signs of the Evangelists and the feet of a large seated Christ. They look c.1350. The ceiling ought to be investigated”.

The ceiling is made up of ten boards placed transversely to the long axis of the tomb. Superbly drawn quatrefoil medallions containing emblems of St. Matthew and St. Luke. Due to the careless re-assembly of the boards at the time of the removal of the tomb to its present site, the picture is disrupted by the board bearing the representation of the feet of a seated Christ in Glory. Tests have shown that there is a further painting on at least five more of the boards. The body of Christ can be made out wearing a robe with a scarlet tunic over it, closed across the breast with a morse; both his arms can be seen, the right raised in blessing, the left with the hand clearly outlined holding an orb.

Restoring the Harrington Heritage

To this day, the parish priest and people of Cartmel have continued to hold their daily service in Lord Harrington’s Choir – now commonly known as the Town Choir. It is therefore intended that, in the forefront of the restorations planned are works to the great tomb with its rare painting and the dedication of a “Harrington” bell.

The Painting: Specialist techniques recently developed enable paintings in this state to be revealed with a high degree of clarity, and stabilised in their revived state. It is proposed here that the boards should be removed and treated in this way, the timber hardened to ensure future preservation, and any decay made good. The boards would then be replaced in their correct order and the rusting iron stayrods, which at present disfigure the face of the painting, would be replaced by special concealed ties and the painting discreetly illuminated. Miss Anna Hulbert, a worker with great experience in this field of conservation has been commissioned to carry out this work.

The Tomb: Masonry in the tomb is lose and in danger of collapse and elsewhere settlement has caused the stonework to crack. It is proposed to repoint all joints after inserting steel ties, where necessary. It is hoped to modify several crude stone blocks, which have been inserted in the fine tracery.

The Bell: As part of the 8th Centenary works, it is intended to install a ring of six bells in the Priory’s tower with one of these dedicated to the first Lord Harrington and his descendants.