A Handbook to St Mary Redcliffe Church, J. Chilcott 1848

sr. MARY REDCLIFFE CHURCH. 7
Bristol,” (now in the possession of the Chamber of
Bristol,) which state that a “ church was built to our lady
at Redclifl'e, by Sir Simon de Burton, in the year 1292.”
This church, however, seems not to have been com
pleted by him, nor to have obtained very large endow
ments, for a MS. (Hobson’s) says, “Simon de Burton,
mayor in 1294, had two years before began to build
Redclifl'e Church; but he lived not to finish it, which
afterwards William Canynge did, and gave lands to re
pair it for ever.”
It appears William Canynge, senior,“ mayor of Bristol,
completed the body of Redcliffe Church from the cross
aisle downwards, in 1376, and so the church was finished
as it now is; and as this was eighty-four years after the
dedication of Burton’s church, it may be considered to
be the finishing of what had been begun and partly ac
complished by its founder. It was customary at that
time for the builder of a church to begin at the east end,
or choir part, which, when finished, was consecrated,
and the remainder was gradually prosecuted, either by
the original projector, or by his immediate successors.
Barrett (p. 570) says, the church was probably not
finished before the year 1396, which is more than a
century after it was commenced by Burton. This con
clusion of Barrett arose, perhaps, from the difficulty of
making rapid progress in great undertakings at so early
an era, as well from the want of money and efficient
workmen, as from the many difficulties arising from the
elaborate and ornamental nature of the Gothic workman
"' He was member of parliament for Bristol in 1364, 1383, and 1384.—
311st History quristol, p. 151.