All Saints-in-the-Jewry, Trinity Street, Cambridge

History of All Saints churchyard

 

 

The church, All Saints-in-the-Jewry, was pulled down in 1865 in favour of Bodley’s new church in Jesus Lane. Its tower stood astride the pavement. There is a Gothic monument to the church, 1880, by Champneys which is a listed building.

The history of the church at this site is documented from the 11th century. By the 13th century the patronage had pass to St Radegunde’s nunnery. The nunnery was reestablished as Jesus College in 1497 after which the vicars were normally graduates of that college.

The mediaeval church was rebuilt several times but by the 19th century it was cramped and dark, and had insufficient space for the congregation. In 1849 it had been hoped to enlarge the church but three years later it was decided to build a new church.

Certain features of the old church were transferred to the new.

Five memorial plaques, one commemorating an alderman, another Susannah Forrester’s bequest of the income of her estate to be given to five widowers and 5 widows in the parish. She died in 1732.

Three dells from the old church: the treble is 15th cent., the second was cast by Thomas Norris of Stamford in 1632; the tenor was cast by Tobie Norris of Stamford in 1606.

There is an 18th cent. brass chandelier. This was the gift of Thomas Nutting, mayor of Cambridge, who was greatly helped by the parish when a poor boy.

The 17th cent. communion table is now in the vestry of the new church, and there is a set of royal arms from the period 1603-1707.

The 15th cent. font was moved to the new church as well.