Statue of St. Wilfrid
Unnoticed by most people, the statue is fixed to the wall of 39 market square (south), the building to the left of the town hall. It is a stone sculpture set in a metal niche. The sculpture is all that remains of two previous buildings on the site demolished in the early 1960s.
St Wilfrid is the Patron Saint of Ripon. He had become Abbot of a newly founded monastery established in the town in 672AD by a group of monks from Melrose Abbey. The church in Ripon (now the cathedral) is dedicated to St Wilfrid and St Peter.
There is an annual procession for St Wilfrid every year in late July or early August.
The building on the far left of the photograph was the Claro Bank, and in the centre of the triangular parapet at the top of the building was a niche in which the statue of St Wilfrid was placed.
In the 1960s the Claro Bank building and the building to the right of it (possibly also part of the Bank) were attractive old buildings that were demolished and replaced with a new building for the National Westminster Bank. This was possibly the ugliest building in Ripon but it retained and displayed Wilfid's statue. In recent years the building has been remodelled and now borders on the attractive. It is occupied by the Claro Lounge, a coffee shop cum meeting place. It is encouraging that the name reflects the older bank.
The photograph appears to be of a celebration in front of the town hall (the white building). It is possibly Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee celebration (1897) when the Marquess of Ripon, owner of the building, gave it to the people of Ripon.
Who was St Wilfrid?
633 Wilfrid was born into a noble family in Northumbria (all the lands north of the Humber river, which included present day Yorkshire.) He entered religious life in his teens and studied at Lindisfarne, Canterbury, France and Rome.
660 returned to Northumbria.
Christianity was still new in Britain. It had come via two routes; Celtic (Irish) Christianity over the Irish sea and Roman Christianity over the channel. From his training in Rome, Wilfrid was of the Roman persuasion.
It is no surprise that the two groups could not agree on many things. They argued particularly about the date set for Easter. The issue was further complicated in the North because the king of Northumbria (Oswiu) was of the Celtic persuasion but his wife and son (Alhfrith) were of the Roman persuasion.
660 Wilfrid was given oversight of the monastery of Ripon by Alhfrith king of Diera (Yorkshire) under his father, king of Northumbria. The monks from Melrose Abbey, who had established the monastery in Ripon, were of the Irish persuasion so Wilfrid sacked the Abbot and filled the post himself. Monks who were not prepared to accept the Roman rites were expelled, including Cuthbert, later a Saint. Wilfrid was soon consecrated a priest and later a Bishop of York and bishop of Northumbria. He chose to be consecrated in Gaul.
664 At the Synod of Whitby, in a group set up to agree the method for determining the date of Easter. Wilfrid led those speaking for the Roman method which won the day and was agreed by the Synod. This act did not make Wilfrid welcome in the north.
The differences between the two branches of Christianity resulted in Wilfrid clashing with the king which resulted in his imprisonment and periods of exile. On each occasion Wilfrid was able to appeal to the pope who over ruled the celtic Christian king.
672 Wilfrid brought over stonemasons and artisans to oversee the building of his great church in Ripon later destroyed by the Vikings.