The Lightfoot Memorial
Opposite the Bishop’s throne, on the north side of the Quire is the monument of a much loved Bishop of Durham, Joseph Barber Lightfoot.
Notable people
- Liverpool-born Joseph Barber Lightfoot (1828-1889) was a great academic and became a highly regarded scholar of religion. Starting as a tutor in 1851, he was quickly promoted in 1861 to Senior Professor of Theology at Trinity College, Cambridge University. By 1871 he was a Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral and in 1879 became Bishop of Durham, a post he held for ten years.
- Sir Edgar Boehm (1834-1890) sculptor for Queen Victoria, carved the marble effigy. It is an example of the Gothic revival style. Another sculptor, Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934) completed it after Boehm himself died.
- Lightfoot is buried at Auckland Castle Chapel, but this grand monument to his memory reminds us of his great Durham legacy.
Interesting facts
An honourable memory
- Lightfoot was so well-loved that public donations and cathedral funds covered the cost of his memorial. The effigy shows Lightfoot lying at rest with three large books at his feet - a contrast to the powerful lion at the foot of Bishop Hatfield.
- The memorial is decorated with three coats of arms, Lightfoot, Durham, and a combination of the two in the middle.
- Brooke Foss Westcott, Lightfoot’s lifelong friend and successor chose the Latin inscription, “Student of the Past - Interpreter of the Gospel - Leader of the Church”.
Did you know?
A reluctant bishop
When Lightfoot was first offered the position of Bishop of Durham he was unsure. He liked his life in Cambridge and had made a home and life-long friends there. Once settled in Durham he soon changed his mind and called it “my own Durham”.
Follow the guided tour
You’re in: The Quire You’re at: The Lightfoot Memorial Next stop: The Neville Screen
- Turn to your right and at the furthest end of the Quire is the High Altar
- Behind the High Altar is a large decorative, stone screen
- This is the Neville Screen