760
SHRINES
chalices, etc., in a small cupboard in the side chapel.
He was compelled to flee immediately to the bell-
tower, and, whilst the rabble were destroying what-
ever they could lay their hands upon, he made his es-
cape along the roof, and descended by the spouting at
the back of the presbytery. Much of the church fur-
niture, with vestments, etc., was piled up in the street
antl burned. At St. Michael's, the Host was dese-
crated, and the py.\ and ciborium carrieti away.
On the death of Dr. Brown, Riglit Rev. Etlmund Knight (1827-1905), who was au.xiliary from 1S79, was translated to this see 25 April, 1882, and, on his resignation in May, 1895, was succeeded by Right Rev. John Carroll (1838-97), who had been coadjutor since 1893. He was followed by Right Rev. Samuel \\'ebster Allen (1844-1908), who ruled the diocese from 1897 till his death in 1908. His valuable library on Egyptology, his favourite stud.y, was bequeathed to the new Capuchin foundation at Cowley College, Oxford. The present ruler of the diocese, 1911, is Right Rev. Hugh Singleton (b. 1851).
The CathoHc population of the diocese is now 58,013, Shropshire contributing under 3000, partly on account of agricultural depression and the conse- quent flocking to industrial centres. There are 90 clergj', 16 convents, representatives of 4 orders of men, 8 secondary schools for girls, an orphanage and industrial school for boys, a home for aged poor, a home for penitents, and soon there is to be an or- phanage erected in memory of Bishop Knight. At Oakwood Hall, Romiley, a house of retreats for work- ing-men has been opened and has already done im- portant work; and at New Brighton, the nuns of Our Lady of the Cenacle have opened a house of re- treats for working-women and ladies. Shropshire is singularly rich in archeological interest, its pre-Ref- ormation parish churches, the noble ruins of mon- asteries round the Wrekin, the Roman city of Urico- nium (Wroxeter), the lordly castle of Ludlow, giving the county a place apart in the heart of the antiquary. In Shrew.sbury itself, where once Grey, Black, and Austin Friars and the Black Monks of St. Benedict had foundations, there is now a beautiful little cathe- dral, built by E. Welby Pugin. Chester, too, with its quaint streets, black and white houses, and venerable cathedral and city walls, claims the visitor's atten- tion. When the body of Daniel O'Connell was brought back from Genoa, it rested in the old chapel in Queen's Street on its way to Ireland.
Diocesan Archives; MS. History of Missions of the Diocese; Catholic Directories; Transactions of Shropshire Archeological Society; BuTLZB, Lives of the Saints; Maziere Brady, Annals of the Catholic Hierarchy; Gaibdner, Hist, of the English Church in the 16lh Century (London, 1904); GlLLOW, Bibl. Die. Eng. Calh. (London, 1885). JoSEPH KeLLY.
Shrines. See Pilgrimages.
Shrines of Our Lady and the Saints in Great Britain and Ireland. — I. Sanctuaries of Our Lady. — A. EngUiwl. — (1) Abingdon. — St. Edward the Martyr and St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, both encouraged pilgrimages to Our Lady of Abing- don, causing it to be resorted to by crowds of pious persons. (2) Canterbury. — At the east end of St. Augustine's monastery was an oratory of Our Lady built by King Ethelbert in which reposed the borlies of many saints. The old Chronicler informs us that "in it the Queen of heaven did often ap])ear; in it was the brightness of miracles made manifest; in it the voices of angels, and the melodious strains of holy virgins were frequently heard". (3) Caversham, Berks. — A chapel of Our Lady in the church of the Austin CfinonN was a centre of great devotion, where rich offerings were made by Countess Isabel of War- wick, I^lizabeth of York, queen-consort of Henry V'll, and by Henry VIII in his youthful days. The entire image was plated with silver. (4) Coventry. — A cele- brated image of Our Lady was here greatly venerated.
With it are a.s.sociated the glorious names of Leofric,
Earl of Mercia, and his wife, the Countess Godgifu
(Godiva). The splendid abbey church founded by
them in 1043 surjiassed all others in the land in
princely, even royal magnificence. It was spoken of
as the glory of England and contained dazzling
treasures. On her death Godgifu sent a rich chaplet
of precious gems to be hung round Our Lady's neck;
no description of this image has reached us. The
church was entirely demolished by Henry VIII. (5)
Ely. — In the ahl)ey church was venerated a magnifi-
cent image of Our Lady seated on a throne with her
Divine Child in her arms, the whole marvellously
wrought in silver and gold. Hither came King Canute
on the feast of Our Lady's Purification (1020 ?).
(6) Evesham. — The name of this renowned sanctuary perpetuates the vi.sion of Our Lady to a poor herdsman named Eoves. An abbey church was here built by Earl Leofric and the Countess Godgifu and enriched with a splendid image of Our Lady and Child, beauti- fully wrought of gold and silver. At once it became an object of popular devotion and attracted numerous pilgrims. (7) Glastonbury was the most ancient and venerable sanctuary of Our 'Lady in England (see Glastonbury Abbey). In 530 St. David of Menevia, accompanied by seven of his suffragan bishops, came to Glastonbury, invited thither by the sanctity of the place, and consecrated a Chapel of Our Lady on the east side of the church. As a mark of his devotion to the Queen of Heaven, he adorned the golden superaltar with a sapphire of in- estimable value, known as the Great Sapphire of Glastonbury. The Silver Cha])el of Our Lady was stored with costly gifts, the value of which, at our present standard, amounted to a prodigious sum. Among the Sa.xon kings who came hither on pilgrim- age may be mentioned Ath(>lstan and Edgar the Peaceable, the latter laying his sceptre on the Blessed Virgin's altar and solemnly placing his kingdom under her patronage. (8) Ipswich. — There were four churches of Our Lady in Ipswich, but the greatly renowned miraculous image was in St. Mary's chapel, known as Our Lady of Grace. The numerous miracles wrought there were proved genuine by Blessed Thomas More in one of his works. Cardinal Wolsey ordered a yearly pilgrimage to be made to Our Lady's sanc- tuary by the students of the college he had founded at Ipswich. In the thirtieth year of Henry VIII this image was conveyed to London and burnt at Chelsea, the rich offerings and jewels going to the king's treasury.
(9) Tewkesbury. — The church, founded in 715 by two Mercian dukes, Oddo and Doddo, enshrined within its walls a statue of Our Lady tliiit was held in the greatest veneration. Isabella Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick, gave a chalice and other valuable presents to this sanctuary in 1439. The statue had the good fortune to escape destruction at the time of the Reformation, probably owing to the reluctance of the magistrates to arouse the indignation of the populace, who regarded it with extraordinary veneration. In the reign of James I a Puritan inhabitant of the town got possession of this relic of the old religion, and to mark his contempt for it caused it to be hollowed out and used as a trough for swine. Terrible punishments overtook him and all the members of his family. (10) Walsingham was the most celebrated of all the English sanctuaries of Our Lady. So great was the ^•eneration in which it was held that it was called the " Holy Land of Walsingham". About lOOl a little chapel, similar to that of the Holy House of Nazareth (not yet trans- lated to Loreto) and dedicated to the Annunciation, was built here by Rychold (Recholdis) de Faverches, a rich widow, in consequence, it is said, of an injunc- tion received from Our Lady. Within the chapel was a wooden image of the Bles.sed Virgin and Child. Pilgrims flocked from all parts of England and from
