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Gosforth Cross, Gosforth
Gosforth Cross
site name:-   St Mary's Church
locality:-   Gosforth
civil parish:-   Gosforth (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   cross
coordinates:-   NY07230357
1Km square:-   NY0703
10Km square:-   NY00

photograph
BNM44.jpg (taken 4.4.2007)  
photograph
BQX01.jpg (taken 25.6.2009)  
photograph
BNM45.jpg (taken 4.4.2007)  
evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag
source data:-   Magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine or Monthly Intelligencer or Historical Chronicle, published by Edward Cave under the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban, and by other publishers, London, monthly from 1731 to 1922.
image G799Eng2, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1799 opp p.833 
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"H. Serjeant esq. fecit 1799"
evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag 1799
source data:-   image G7990833, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1799 p.833  "Sept. 29."
"Mr. URBAN,"
"THE inclosed drawing (Plate I. fig. 2.) may, perhaps, be a small subject of entertainment to your Antiquarian readers. It represents a column at present extant in the church-yard of the parish of Gosforth, situated 12 miles Southward of Whitehaven, in the county of Cumberland. It stands above 15 feet above the ground, and is about 14 inches mean diameter, and formerly, as is reported, had a fellow column at about 7 feet distance, with an horizontal stone between the two, on which was rudely cut the figure of a large and antique sword. This stone has been taken away within memory; and the cross which crowned the two columns, after that the column was cruelly cut down and converted into a style for a sundial, which was put into the parson's garden of Gosforth, and there remains. On this column I once, by means of chalking, discovered two figures of horses and men; but these were faint. It is much more perfect, and perhaps less injured by time, than those spoken of by Camden as being in Penrith church-yard; and are much taller, and of more elegant shape. They are sepulchral monuments, and of Christian days. What else may be supposed of them, I leave to your Antiquarian correspondents."
"CARBO."
evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag 1799
source data:-   image G7990945, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1799 p.945  "The cross at Gosforth (p.833), of which not the least notice is taken in Burn's History of Cumberland, vol. I. p.583, was probably at the head or feet of a grave, like those in the church-yard at Penrith."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P132, button  goto source
Page 132:-  "... the village of Gosforth, where a tall column carved with unintelligible characters stands in the church-yard on the right; ..."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman, Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839.
image FD01P073, button  goto source
Page 73:-  "..."
"... in the churchyard a tall cross of British or Danish origin, sculptured on its four faces with various figures and devices. ..."
evidence:-   old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s
source data:-   Photograph, b/w, Gosforth Cross, Gosforth, Cumberland, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s?
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HB0351.jpg
item:-  Armitt Library : ALPS727
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- Pearson 1900s
source data:-   Print, halftone photograph, Ancient Cross in Gosforth Churchyard, Cumberland, published by C Arthur Pearson, Henrietta Street, London, 1900s.
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On p.49 of Pearson's Gossipy Guide to the English Lakes and Neighbouring Districts. 
printed at bottom:-  "ANCIENT CROSS IN GOSFORTH CHURCHYARD. ..."
item:-  Armitt Library : A1188.29
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- Calverley 1899
item:-  cross; Gosforth Cross; Loki; Sigun; adder; earthquake; Heimdal; Baldr; Odin; Nanna; Hodr; Fenrir wolf; Vidar
source data:-   In St Mary's churchyard:-
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CV1092.jpg
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CV1093.jpg
Loki bound in Hel's dark home, with gyves round hands and feet, a bond round his neck, the adder round him with its body fastened to a ring above. Sigun kneels with poison cup in hand. The poison dripping on Loki makes him shudder, the cause of earthquakes. 
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CV1094.jpg
Heimdal, the warder of Asgard, with spear and Giallar horn, restrains the monsters before the last battle of Ragnarok. 
South face:- 
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CV1095.jpg
Engravings by M Petersen. 
East Face:- 
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CV1096.jpg
Sketch by W S Calverley. 
Referred to as the crucifixion panel:- 
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Perhaps Odin, perhaps Baldr, wounded by a spear. The spear held, perhaps, by blind Hodr, and the wife of Baldr, Nanna, on the right. 
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Vidar, son of Odin, his shoe on the jaw of the beast, Fenrir wolf, slays him. 
Engravings by M Petersen. 
item:-  JandMN : 190
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- Bogg 1898
source data:-   Print, engraving, Gosforth Cross, Gosforth, Cumberland, published by Edmund Bogg, 3 Woodhouse Lane, and James Miles, Guildford Street, Leeds, Yorkshire, 1898.
image  click to enlarge
BGG179.jpg
Included on p.208 of Lakeland and Ribblesdale, by Edmund Bogg. 
item:-  JandMN : 231.79
Image © see bottom of page
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