Salisbury cathedral is an Anglican cathedral found in Salisbury, England. Salisbury cathedral is also known as Cathedral of Saint Mary. Back in 2008, the cathedral celebrated its 750th anniversary. It was in the same year when they decided to do some relighting works in the cathedral and the cathedral won the Lighting Design award in the heritage level or category. The new statue of Canon Ezra was also installed in the west front of the cathedral. The cathedral is known to posses the world’s oldest working clock from 1386 AD. The clock has no face because all clock way back then rang on an hourly basis. The clock was originally placed in a bell tower that was demolished way back in 1792 and they had already forgotten about the clock until the year 1929. It is said that the clock was found sitting in the attic. They decided to restore the clock in 1956. There was some remedial work done on the clock in 2007.
The cathedral also holds one of the four original copies of the Magna Carta. Magna Carta is also known as the Great Charter. One part of this charter gives the right to allow appeals against any unlawful imprisonment. This charter indeed created much controversy back then.
The cathedral is mainly the subject for John Constable’s famous paintings. Back in 1825, as a gesture of appreciation for the Bishop of Salibury known as John Fisher, John Constable decided to include the bishop and his wife in the painting or canvass. After two centuries, the paintings only had minor changes or discoloration. William Golding also used the cathedral as subject for his novel known as The Spire. In the famous Sarum novel of Edward Rutherfurd, he used the cathedral as a human settlement. Indeed the cathedral played a vital role in many occasions.
We greatly enjoyed our visit to Salisbury Cathedral on the 30th of March of this year. It is my understanding that my Paternal Grandfather apprenticed there in the very late 1800’s or early 1900’s. His name was Albert Edward Prince. It is also my understanding that his father worked full time at the Cathedral–both did wonderful work in wood carving. The family home was in Downton–just down the road from Salisbury. I am wondering if you have records of them working–would there be any mention of them in the history books. I am interested in the time period they worked and what they would have been involved in. It is my gut feeling that they very likely were involved in the wood work in the choir section but I really haven’t any basis to think that. I will thank you in advance for any information you may have.
I am interested in knowing if records have been kept listing who would have worked on the wood carvings in the choir section of the Cathedral.