The Collegiate Church 943 – 1549

A church of All Saints was founded on the site of the present Cathedral about the year 943 by Edmund, King of the West Saxons. It was a Collegiate Church, served by a college of seven priests – a dean and six canons – who maintained daily worship and lived a community life. Nothing of that first Saxon church remains, nor of the college next door, though the name ‘College Place’ is a reminder.

All Saints (or ‘All Hallows’) was one of three pre-Conquest churches of Derby, along with St Werburgh’s and St Alkmund’s. The latter housed the shrine of St Alkmund, Prince of Northumbria, killed in battle in defence of his kingdom in 800 and venerated as a Christian martyr. Alkmund is regarded as patron saint of the city.

We know little of the medieval church built in the 14th century, other than that it was much the same size as the present Cathedral, had a number of chapels and altars, including St Katharine’s Quire, associated with the Cavendish family, and owned sumptuous plate and vestments. Its crowning glory was its Tudor tower, erected between 1510 and 1530.

Some of the monuments in the Cathedral date from this pre-Reformation era. The most remarkable is the wooden effigy of Sub-dean Robert Johnson, dating from about 1530. An alabaster memorial slab to Sub-dean John Lawe dates from around the mid 15th century. Older still is the 14th century grave slab, re-used for the painter Joseph Wright, but this stone, originally in the old St Alkmund’s, was imported into the Cathedral only in 2002. The tenor bell, the oldest of the 10 in the tower, also dates from the 15th century and the medieval seal, still in use in the cathedral ‘logo’, dates from the same time.

The Parish Church 1549 – 1927

In 1549, in the reign of the Protestant Edward VI, the college was dissolved, the priests turned out and all the rich trappings sold or destroyed. All Saints became a parish church.

In the reign of the Catholic Mary, it had its own Protestant martyr. Joan Waste was a poor blind woman living in the parish, who used to go daily to All Saints where the clerk would read the Bible to her. Joan could not accept the doctrines then being preached and was tried for heresy. She was burned as a heretic at the age of 22 at Windmill Pit.

At the beginning of the 17th century the connection between the Cavendish family and All Saints was strengthened in a grand manner by the building of an elaborate monument to Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, ‘Bess of Hardwick’, one of whose husbands was Sir William Cavendish. The association continued and for more than 200 years the Cavendishes – the family name of the Dukes of Devonshire – were buried here, including the equally famous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, in 1806.

By the beginning of the 18th century, the Church was in a state of disrepair. In February 1723 the vicar, Michael Hutchinson, arbitrarily began its demolition (except the tower) overnight. For the new church he chose as architect James Gibbs, who had designed St Martin in the Fields in London. A local ironsmith, Robert Bakewell, was commissioned to make the now famous screen, which was put in place in 1730.

There were many changes of furnishings and the addition of galleries over the decades that followed, the acquiring of fine plate, notably that given by the Earl of Exeter, and a very large number of memorials to local worthies, but the buildings remained substantially unaltered until the second half of the 20th century.

The Cathedral 1927

The growth in the population of the Midlands led to the formation of the new Diocese of Derby in 1927 and All Saints became the Cathedral of the Diocese. It was hallowed as the Cathedral on 28 October and next day the first Bishop, Edmund Pierce, was enthroned.

Plans were very soon made for the extension of All Saints to equip it for its ministry as a Cathedral, but war and post-war austerity meant that it was not until 1966 that work began, to a design by Sebastian Comper, on an eastern extension, as well as the introduction of the Ceri Richards All Saints and All Souls windows, a striking new colour scheme and a new sense of light and openness.

As a Cathedral and the Bishop’s Church, All Saints has a ministry well beyond its ancient parish boundaries, to the city, the churches of the Diocese, the towns and villages of Derbyshire and to visitors of many kinds. Although a Church of England Cathedral, it tries to be a holy place and a sign of unity for Christians of many tradition and a meeting place of faiths.

Christian worship is offered in the Cathedral every morning and evening by the ‘foundation’ – clergy, choir and vergers – and all are welcome to join them. On a Sunday morning it has a large congregation both of local people and visitors. Throughout the week there is an emphasis on mission – through education (including work with schools), hospitality and welcome to the poor.

The Cathedral is governed by the Dean and Chapter (four canons and four lay people). The Guild of King Edmund is a body of volunteers who help staff the Cathedral’s ministry. The Friends of the Cathedral are a company of those who care for the Cathedral Building and its mission and support it financially. Both groups welcome new members.