Editing St Botolph's Church, Boston (section)

==Earlier buildings==
Early English legends say that the church was built on the site of a monastery founded by [[Botolph of Thorney|Saint Botolph]] in 654. As the main source of this account is the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'', it is strongly disputed. Modern historians believe it much more likely that Botolph's monastery was located at [[Iken]] in [[Suffolk]].

The Boston Stump is not the first church to have been built on this site. Archaeological evidence indicates that a smaller wooden and stone [[Norman architecture|Norman]] church had existed on the location of the south aisle of the present building. [[William Stukeley]], the 18th-century antiquary, mentions large stone remains to the south of the church. Excavations during the mid 19th century revealed a Norman stone pillar and a number of coffins from the period.

The small church was inadequate for a booming town with trading revenues to rival London. Trade was across the North Sea with the Low Countries. The town also became a theological centre, with no fewer than four religious houses. In the beginning of the 14th century, the parish began work on a much grander building, more fitting for a prosperous town.

Historically, the transformation from a small church to the equivalent of a continental European cathedral was begun in 1309 under Sir John Truesdale, Vicar of St Botolph's (‘Sir’ being a title of priests at the time). In this period there was change and upheaval across the continent and England following the arrests of the [[Knights Templar]] by King [[Philip IV of France|Philip the Fair]] of France on Friday, 13 October 1307. 

England became a refuge for many individuals with ties on both sides of the channel, and there was a surge in building construction across England. For approximately the next 20 years, theological determination was disputed among the crown, nobility, and clergy in England. Political turmoil from these events led to the [[Hundred Years' War]] and the eventual formation of the Church of England in the 16th century.