A full and authentic report of the trial of Jonathan Martin at the Castle of York, on Tuesday, March 31, 1829, for setting fire to York Minister; with an account of the life of the lunatic. The destruction of the choir of York Cathedral, on the second of February, 1829; the flight and apprehension of the incendiary; his examination and commitment to York city gaol; the proceedings at public meetings held at York, in consequence of the fire; embellished with a striking likeness of Martin and a ground plan of the minister.
- Date:
- 1829
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A full and authentic report of the trial of Jonathan Martin at the Castle of York, on Tuesday, March 31, 1829, for setting fire to York Minister; with an account of the life of the lunatic. The destruction of the choir of York Cathedral, on the second of February, 1829; the flight and apprehension of the incendiary; his examination and commitment to York city gaol; the proceedings at public meetings held at York, in consequence of the fire; embellished with a striking likeness of Martin and a ground plan of the minister. Source: Wellcome Collection.
47/78 (page 43)
![It devolves upon nic, my Lords, as the Canon in Residence, to give, in the absence of the Dean, all the information on the part of the church which may assist the deliberations of this meeting; and I should wish, in the first place, to make some explanatory statements of the course which we have hitherto pursued. I know that our proceedings have been variously animadverted upon ; and I place these animadversions to no other account than that of the intense interest and eager anxiety which the public feel upon this subject. The only reason for which I allude to them is, to vindicate the character of the Church of York in one respect. I would not have it sup- posed, chat the warm and generous sympathy of the public has been stifled by our inertness. There were two descriptions of feeling to be dealt with in this case : the first was that prompt and open-hearted liberality, which, in the case of a citizen of this place, (his name is Hornby, and it deserves to be re- corded as long as the Minster stands)—[Applause]—sent a hundred pounds towards the reparation of the damage, before the fire was well extinguished,—a liberality which before an estimate has been delivered, or an account produced, has already raised the amount of the subscrip- tions to ;£l 5,000. Of this feeling, it would have ill become us to have taken any undue advantage; nor, on the other hand, would it have been proper to repel it. The measure which we took with respect to it, was immediately to request the municipal officers, and clergy, with the bank- ers, in all the principal towns of the county, to receive subscriptions. The other feeling to which I allude, was that of a deliberate desire and intention to contribute to the restoration of the Minster, as soon as the estimated expense of it, and the manner in which it was to be executed, should be known ; a feeling not the less deep and lasting for being con- siderate and reflective; and a feeling on which, after all, the principal reliance was to be placed. To meet these very natural and rational in- quiries, the Dean and Chapter made immediate application to an Archi- tect of the highest and most established reputation, to survey the injury, to consider in what manner it ought to be repaired, to form a correct estimate of the expense, and to draw up a report of the whole. The present, I would add, is the earliest moment at which it was possible by any exertion for such a report to have been produced. (Hear.) I will now lay this interesting document, which I only received two nights ago, before the meeting, at the same time apprising them, that Mr. Smirke is himself present to explain it, should any explanation be required. REPORT UPON THE STATE OF YORK MINSTER, February 1829. In compliance with the desire of the Dean and Chapter, I have examined the building, in order to ascertain the extent of the injury done by the recent fire in it, and to report the means and the probable expense of repairing it. After making a careful survey, I find that no injury has been done to any other part of the building than the choir; the external walls of the choir and the principal part of the side aisles are also uninjured, but within the choir every thing has been destroyed. Nothing remains of the highly enriched ancient wood-work with which the choir was fitted up : and the whole of the vaulted ceiling and the roof over it, have been entirely consumed.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20443894_0049.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
