rt
House_ on the right, an Italian structure dating from 1826, and the
broad St. Peter's Street opens before us, leading to the old church
dedicated to that saint. The church is one of three built by Abbot
Ulsinus in Saxon times; the date of their foundation is very uncertain,
but we may bear in mind that the first abbot, Willegod, ruled at the
close of the eighth century, that Ulsinus was the sixth abbot, and that
six others ruled during Pre-Norman times. St. Peter's Church, largely
restored by Lord Grimthorpe, is therefore of great antiquity as a
foundation; the present structure is chiefly late Perp. with a lofty E.
tower carrying four pinnacles, the latter an addition by the restorer.
The position of the tower (elsewhere almost invariably W.) is explained
by the fact that the old church was cruciform, and that when, at the
beginning of last century, the extreme E. of the chancel and the
transepts were found much dilapidated they were pulled down, the old
tower thereby losing its central position. Note the E. Perp. arches
separating nave and aisles; the pulpit a good example of Belgian
carving, and the old stained glass in windows of N. aisle; the stained
glass in other windows is modern. Concerning the brass to Roger
Pemberton, Sheriff of Herts (d. 13th November, 1627), a story is told.
If the visitor passes out of the churchyard by the N.W. gate he will be
_vis-a-vis_ to the almshouses founded in 1627 on the W. side of what was
then "St. Peter's Street, Bowgate". Pemberton is said to have been
shooting in the woods, to have shot a widow by accident, and to have
founded these almshouses for widows, and endowed them with L30 per
annum for ever as a salve to his conscience. There is an iron arrow over
the old brick gateway before the houses, which seems to countenance the
story. There were formerly many other brasses in the church, but the
inscriptions on some of them must now be sought in the county histories.
A few, however, remain, _e.g._, one with shield of arms to Mrs.
Elizabeth Wyndham (d. 1735). In the N. aisle is the tomb of Edward
Strong (d. 1723), "Master Mason" of St. Paul's Cathedral; in the
churchyard lies Dr. Nathaniel Cotton, the friend of Cowper (see page
180) (d. 1788). Among those who fell in the battles of St. Albans (of
which more will be said presently) and were buried in this church or
graveyard were (1) Sir Bertin Entwysel, Kt., Baron of Brybeke in
Normandy; (2) Ralph Babthorpe and Ralph his son,