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Queen Elizabeth's House in the Trinity

  • 15 Jan 2012
  • Worcester People and Places
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Queen Elizabeth's house is so called because of a tradition that when the Queen came in 1575, she ascended to the gallery to watch a pageant, and address the populace. In those days the house faced a square.

Until 1877, there was a portrait of the Queen. painted on an oak panel, hung outside the gallery of the house. For 30 years the portrait was missing but was recovered about 1908, and was replaced. On the eve of Trinity Sunday, this portrait was wreathed with evergreens, gilded laurel leaves being prominent, and in the arches of the gallery, a large golden ball was inserted.                      

The Guild of the Holy Trinity was founded by Richard Norton in 1371. Men and Women were admitted on equal terms. The chapel belonging to the Trinity Guild was probably a chantry in old St. Nicholas, a building dating from the first Crusade. It has been claimed that the house is one of the original almshouses, and the schoolmaster's house.

In 1890, the house was in danger of being demolished, but was saved by public spirited citizens. St.Swithen's Street had to be widened, and the Trinity passage impoved, but the old house blocked the way, and was put up for auction. A restoration committee was formed with Mayor Smith-Carrington at the head, and they found a substantial sum of money to acquire the property.

In It was decided to move it bodily to a new site across the road and out of the way of the new road. A Worcester firm, Bromarge and Evans, undertook to move it by screww jacks. It was reputed to weigh over 200 tons and was moved along on greased metal railway metals, a distance of about 30ft; a no mean feat in those days.

It was let by the Corporation at 3d. per week, as a furniture shop. Later, it was let as an office for Berrow's Journal, and although not in use at present the building is still in a good state of repair.