Saint Barnabas Cathedral

[Paulus 541]

As a 12 year old lad, circa 1963, I sang in the Cathedral choir..................me mam told me that years before there was a hole (recess) in the outside wall of the cathedral just a few yards south of the main entrance, and a Hunchbacked Dwarf would often sit in the recess to beg..............

I can recall finding evidence of the recess, newer brickwork/cement etc, during my short lived careere in the choir.

Short lived cos I used to faint when the incense was wafted too close, & the clothing (cassock & cotter) became unbearably warm..............

Anyone else know of the 'Dwarf in the wall' story?

Please excuse the foregoing non PC references, apologies to all the HBD's that may be reading this.................

[denshaw 2,872]

Seem to remember a story about a man who sat there selling matches, not sure if he was a dwarf or lost his legs in an accident.

[Paulus 541]

Seem to remember a story about a man who sat there selling matches, not sure if he was a dwarf or lost his legs in an accident.

That sounds infinitley more credible!! I heard the story 48years ago, and am/was prone to 'poetic licence' even at that age.....................

[radfordred 6,284]

 

 

[benjamin1945 16,158]

Brilliant photo................about the time Arthur was filmed running down there..............and i bumped into Judy Dench there a couple of years later..........

[radfordred 6,284]

Wow! ...... Dame Dench did Owd Judi get to see the lovin' stick? @benjamin1945

[David sheridan 159]

@benjamin1945 I was surprised that she didn't shoe horn you into the new James bond , think he was a ladies man too !!

[Mess 617]

My Uncle Bill Whyley (1920-2006) told me about the legless match seller who sat in the recess in St Barnabas cathedral wall selling matches.

I did a bit of research and found this on Flickr:

 

 

I am not sure when exactly this was taken. However, the man sitting on the pavement in the foreground may help to date it. The man is likely to be Gilbert Brown a matchseller whose legs were amputated when he was 20 years old. According to older people that I knew he used to sit at that spot six days a week. I also recall letters in the Nottingham Evening Post in the 1990's about this man.

 

Nottingham Police after many years decided that Gilbert Brown should be moved on for obstructing the Public Highway. When Bishop Thomas Dunn (5th Bishop of Nottingham 1916-1931) found out about this he ordered that a shelter should be constructed within the Cathedral's wall on Derby Road. This shelter permitted Gilbert Brown to continue selling his matches at his usual spot but off the public highway. He died in around 1939. The Cathedral Wall has now been re-instated. It is still possible to make out where the shelter was in the wall if you look closely at the mortaring. 

 

The Cathedral opened as St Barnabas Parish Church in 1844. At that time it was the only building in this part of Nottingham. In 1850 St Barnabas became a Cathedral when the Roman Catholic Hierarchy was restored by Pope Pius IX in 1850. By 1877 all of the other buildings shown here had been built. 

 

The buildings on the immediate right were demolished in 1970.

 

[radfordred 6,284]

Might help anyone outside or inside of Nottingham if it was given it's correct title The Cathedral Church of St Barnabas 

[Cliff Ton 10,465]

And this is what it looks like from the other side.........in the gardens behind the building.

 

[radfordred 6,284]

The correct title The Cathedral Church of St. Barnabas was designed by A.W.N. Pugin, who also designed the interior of the Palace of Westminster & Elizabeth Tower home to Big Ben.