Monument record MLI80570 - Site of church and churchyard of St John the Evangelist, Cornhill Square

Summary

Site of church and churchyard of St John the Evangelist, Cornhill Square

Type and Period (4)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Post Medieval - 900 AD to 1552 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Post Medieval - 900 AD to 1552 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Post Medieval - 900 AD to 1552 AD)
  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Post Medieval - 900 AD to 1552 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

PRN 70192 Cornhill Square was the site for the church dedicated to St John the Evangelist which was built in the tenth century, and dissolved around 1552. An early twelfth century column capital was recovered during pedestrianisation works in 1977. During the extension of the Tourist Information Centre in Cornhill Square human remains were revealed which lead to the archaeological recording and excavation of the site. Deposits associated with the medieval occupation of the site were revealed in all of the trenches investigated. To the west these deposits represented the graveyard of St John's and some of the associated burials. The buttressed structure on the southern boundary of the site may represent part of the church of St John or another medieval building. Bonded stonework present against the southern site boundary, to the east of the Centre, is also thought to represent a buttress associated with the medieval building. {1}{2} The foundation date of this church is not known for certain, although it has been suggested that it may have been founded between the mid 10th and mid 11th centuries. It appears to have been a relatively wealthy parish, and this is reflected in the high quality architectural decoration of the 12th century. It also appears to have had a relatively large graveyard. It was the home of the Guild of St Nicholas in the 14th century and it attracted the patronage of wealthy merchants such as Alderman John Fox prior to the Reformation. The church survived the Reformation and appears to have been still viable in the mid-late 16th century, however it was liquidated by the City Council over a long period between 1552-1598. The church building and the churchyard were used for secular purposes during the later 16th century and were eventually leased to the stall-holders of the new Cornmarket in 1598. {4}{5}{6} The church is first mentioned in documentary sources in 1147-8. {8} A stone coffin was found in Cornhill Square in 1848, and is believed to be associated with St John's church. A skull was also found on the site of Barclay's Bank, which may also be from the graveyard of St John.{3} Some remains of the old church building remained at the back of no. 195 (Cornhill?) in the 19th century. One section of rough stone walling containing a small blocked-up window was still present there in 1963 although the owner of the property at the time stated that this was soon to be demolished. {5}{7}

Sources/Archives (8)

  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1999. Tourist Information Centre, Cornhill Square. CTI99.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1999. Tourist Information Centre, Cornhill Square. LCNCC 25.99.
  •  Index: SMR file cards for Lincoln. LINCOLN. SK 9771 SE:BD, AK.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Jones, Michael, J; Stocker, D.; and Vince, A.. 2003. The City by the Pool including LARA. RAZ 9.60.23, 10.60.23.
  •  Article in Serial: Edmund Venables. 1888. 'A list and brief description of the churches of Lincoln previous to the period of the Reformation' in Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers. pp 333-34, no. 12.
  •  Article in Serial: Stocker, D.A.. 1990. ‘The archaeology of the Reformation in Lincoln’ in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. Vol 25, p 21.
  •  Index: Ordnance Survey. OS card index for Lincoln. LINCOLN. SK 97 SE; 78.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1984. The Place-Names of Lincolnshire, Part 1. 1. p 123.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 9752 7104 (47m by 39m)
Civil Parish PARK, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Related Events/Activities (2)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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