Precentor's Court: Difference between revisions

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'''Precentor's Court''' is an historic street in the English city of [[York]]. Although certainly in existence by 1313,<ref name=jones>''York: The Making of a City 1068–1350'', Sarah Rees Jones (2013), p. 146</ref> the street does not appear on a map until 1610, and it is not given a name (Precentor's Lane) until 1722. It was given its current name exactly a century later.<ref name=bho>[https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/york/vol5/pp199-212 ''An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in City of York'', Volume 5, Central, pp. 199–212]</ref>

 

 

 

Around 1540, the marble and stone bases of two shrines in the Minster were dismantled and buried in what is now Precentor's Court. One was later exhumed during construction work<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8726000/8726512.stm "York saint's shrine on show for first time in 400 years"] – BBC News, 7 June 2010</ref> and is now preserved in the [[Yorkshire Museum]].<ref>''York: Art, Architecture and Archaeology'', Sarah Brown, Sarah Rees Jones, Tim Ayers (2021), p. 264 {{isbn|9781000399738}}</ref>

 

 

==Notable residents==

In 1763, artist [[Nathan Drake (artist)|Nathan Drake]] married and moved his painting room from Colliergate to Precentor's Court, where he remained for the rest of his life.<ref>[https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/18385287.new-terrace-walk-york-1733-56-nathan-drake/ "The New Terrace Walk, York, 1733-56, by Nathan Drake"] – ''[[The Press (York)|The Press]]'', 18 April 2020</ref> It was there that his two sons were born: [[Nathan Drake (essayist and physician)|Nathan]] (1766–1836), a physician and essayist, and Richard (b. 1767), a surgeon.{{sfn|Ingamells|2004}}

 

[[Peter Gibson (glazier)|Peter Gibson]], a glazier who worked on all of the Minster's [[stained-glass window]]s, lived at [[1 Precentor's Court]] for almost all of his 87 years. "I live here, and I look out of the window, and there it is, the Minster. It is one of the greatest buildings in the world," he said. "People cross oceans, cross the world, to come and see it."<ref name=press>[https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14904192.tributes-paid-to-peter-gibson-renowned-york-craftsman-and-glazier/ "Tributes paid to Peter Gibson, renowned York craftsman and glazier"] – ''[[The Press (York)|The Press]]'', 15 November 2016</ref>

 

{{main|Fenton House, York}}

 

In 2013, the eight-bedroom home was put on the market for £1.1 million.<ref name=press2013>[https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/10329155.11m-york-home-with-out-of-this-world-views/ "£1.1m York home with out-of-this-world views"] – ''The Press'', 3 April 2013</ref>

 

Below is a selection of notable buildings and structures on Precentor's Court, in addition to Fenton House, ordered from east to west. All are listed buildings at [[Historic England]]. Three are Grade II*; two are Grade II.<ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/sitesearch?searchType=site&search=precentor%27s+court Precentor's Court] – [[Historic England]]</ref> Each building is on the southern side of the street, except Fenton House (which faces the street from its western end) and number 10 (which is around the corner at the same end). The southern wall of [[Purey-Cust Lodge]], a Grade II listed building,<ref>{{NHLE|num=1257883|desc=Purey Cust Lodge, attached walls and gateways|access-date=19 September 2021}}</ref> occupies the northern section of the western end of the street. A group of buildings on the northern side were demolished in 1913.<ref>[https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/17686384.york-street-notorious-destitute-prostitutes/#gallery3 "This York street was notorious for its 'destitute prostitutes'. But where was it?"] – ''The Press'', 10 June 2019</ref>

 

*[[2, 3, 4 and 4a Precentor's Court]] – Grade II*; dating to around 1710<ref name=bho/>

*[[5 Precentor's Court]] – Grade II*; early 18th century with later alteration and extension

*[[10 Precentor's Court]] – Grade II*; dating to early 18th century, incorporating remains of a 15th-century house<ref name=bho/>

 

<gallery>

File:2 Precentors Court.jpg|Number 2

File:3, 4 and 4a Precentors Court.jpg|Numbers 3, 4 and 4a

File:5 Precentors Court.jpg|Number 5

</gallery>

 

{{reflist}}

*{{cite encyclopedia|last=Ingamells |first=John |chapter=Drake, Nathan (1726–1778)|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/65542}}

{{Streets of York}}

 

[[Category:17th century in Yorkshire]]