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| CREYGHTONE,
KEN AND KIDDER |
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On
the restoration of Charles II, Robert Creyghtone, who
had been his chaplain in exile, was appointed first
dean and later bishop in Wells. His magnificent brass
lectern, given in thanksgiving can still be seen in
the cathedral. He donated the great west window of the
nave at a cost of £140.
Dean Ralph Bathurst was appointed in 1670 when Creyghtone
became bishop. Dr. Bathurst was a man of eminence, President
of Trinity College Oxford, chaplain to the king, fellow
of the Royal Society and one of the foremost scientists
of his day. He was a long serving dean and saw four
bishops come and go. Restoration both of the fabric
of the cathedral and of the spirit took place during
his tenure.
The saintly bishop Thomas Ken was appointed in 1685,
the year of Monmouth's rebellion when puritan soldiers
again wrought havoc in the cathedral and turned part
of it into a stable. Some were finally imprisoned in
the cloisters .The work of restoration had to be done
all over again. Ken himself was for a time imprisoned
in the Tower of London for refusing with six others
to accept the repeal of the Act of Uniformity. He later
refused to take the oath of allegiance to William and
Mary because James II had not formally abdicated. He
was forced to retire to Frome and is best remembered
for his prayers and hymns and his charity to the poor.
Bishop Kidder who succeeded him was killed during the
great storm of 1703 when two chimneystacks in the palace
fell on the bishop and his wife asleep in bed. This
same storm wrecked the Eddystone lighthouse and blew
in part of the great west window in Wells. |
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