V.—The Early History of the Choir of Eton College Chapel

Abstract

The first intention of this paper is to correct various long-standing misconceptions about the original layout (c. 1480) of the choir of Eton College Chapel. This will probably be of interest to those concerned with the college and its history. It is to be hoped, however, that the study will recommend itself on three grounds of a more general character. First, it deals with the college at a peculiarly precarious stage in its history. It will be remembered that, with the downfall of the Lancastrian government, the very future of the college, a recent Lancastrian foundation, was called in question (it was, indeed, officially dissolved as an independent body by papal bull in 1463). Although it survived as an institution, its endowments were severely impaired and there was virtually no money available to complete the buildings. Such building activity as there was appears to have been payed for bythebishop of Winchester, William Waynflete. The modifications about to be described are directly the result of these parlous circumstances; and they have a place in that generally interesting history of ambitious foundations which, unexpectedly reduced to straitened circumstances, are forced to adapt themselves accordingly.