Robert William Billings Architectural Illustrations and Description

Annotation

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. This Volume was commenced with the intention of making the architectural illustrations to one scale. This intention has been carried out, and the Work as now completed, forms, together with a similar Work by the Author upon the Cathedral Church at Carlisle, the first series of parallel representations of two English Cathedrals ever given to the public. It would seem perfectly surprising that, in the numerous works already produced, this plan has not been adopted, did not the length of time necessarily expended in making correct representations, and lack of patronage, at once explain the cause.<br><br>For the materials of the Historical Account the Author is indebted to Sanderson's reprint of Davis's Rites and Monuments of the Church of Durham (1767); the reprint (1816) of Hegge's Legend of St. Cuthbert; Hutchinson's History of Durham (1785); and Raine's St. Cuthbert (1828). As these contain the lives of the Bishops of Lindisfarne and Durham, as well as biographies of the Priors and Deans, with the Statutes of the Cathedral, and many other particulars, it has been thought unnecessary to enter into any long account, and the principal portion of the following pages therefore relates to the Cathedral in its present state.<br><br>The Author begs to tender his acknowledgments to the Dean and Chapter of Durham, for the numerous facilities afforded him in the prosecution of the Work, now terminated.