A Report on St Wilfrid's Church, Kelham
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A Report on St Wilfrid’s Church, Kelham By Judith Mills including a summary of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Medieval Graffiti Survey 1 Acknowledgments This report combines research carried out for events held in St Wilfrid’s Church, research by other projects and research done specifically for the Kelham Revealed! Project. In particular I’d like to thank The Southwell and Nottingham Church History project, especially Dr Chris Brooke and Geoff Buxton for permission to use their photographs and information provided on the website. The Duke of Rutland for access to his private archive and Peter Foden, the archivist there whose help and knowledge were invaluable. The Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Medieval Graffiti Project, in particular Andy Hoe for providing their report. Philip Staniforth and Martin Cooper for use of their photographs. Dr Judith Mills Project Volunteer 2 Report on St Wilfrid’s Church, Kelham Summary The records for Kelham Church are patchy, with considerable gaps, nevertheless it is possible to build a picture of building, remodelling and refurbishment, as well as changing beliefs and responsibilities. These are outlined in detail in the following report. Notable points are: Building: 12th Century The Church was built, probably by one or more prominent landowners which gave them the right, called the Advowson, to appoint the priest. 14th Century North and South arcades built, suggesting the Church was widened and side aisles added. Recent work in Church has revealed two sculpture niches and aumbry at the east end of the South Aisle and opened up the ‘squint’ to the high altar. 15th Century Tower added, windows and other parts of Church modified. 18th Century Lexington Chapel added as a memorial to 2nd Lord Lexington and family 19th Century Extensive remodelling including the removal of box pews People 16th Century Evidence that members of the Sutton family were influential in the village Early 17th century Evidence of adherence to Roman Catholic practices through regular accusations of recusancy, especially by the Sutton family and possibly the priest who was absent from the parish and did not fulfil his duties. Artefacts Font 13th century, egg cup shape Cross slabs 13th century grave slabs reused as window lintels in tower Screens 14th century North door 15th century. Holes drilled through it in 17th for musket barrels. Box pews Parish seating allocated late 16th century, probably into box pews that were removed in 1874. Bells three bells date to late 16th—early 17th century and two are historically important. Chalice, Paton etc. late 17th inventory records church silver; one chalice remains but is not kept in Church. 3 St Wilfrid’s Church, Kelham Note: numbers in square brackets refer to the sources of information which are listed at the end of this document. The building Documents dating to the middle of the 12th century show that a church was well established by the middle of the century. [1, 2] The building as it now stands has elements dating to the 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th and 19th centuries. [2] It comprises a west tower, nave, north and south aisles, north and south porches and chancel. On the th north side of the chancel are the remains of a late 14 century chapel which was demolished at an unknown date. On the south side of the chancel is the Lexington Chapel, built in 1730 for the tomb of the 2nd Lord Lexington and his family. [2] It is Grade 1 listed and the listing includes these datable elements: 13th century Font · Eggcup font on later base (19th century cover) 13th century Font Eggcup font on later base (19th century cover) 14th century North and South · 3 bays. Chamfered cruciform piers with moulded arcades (pillars) octagonal bases and capitals. 14th century North and 3 bays. Chamfered cruciform piers with moulded Late 14th century ChancelSouth arcades ·octagonal Arch bases and capitals. (pillars) · Piscina 15th century Tower · Tower arch · Fourth (top) stage: four double lancet bell openings Late 14th Chancel Arch · Plank door with four centred arched head century Piscina North aisle · two single and two triple lancet windows · low pitched principal rafter roof 15th century Tower Tower arch South aisle Fourth· one (top) single stage: and fourtwo tripledouble lancet lancet windows bell openings North porch Plank· Original door with door four with centred lancet archedpanels head · plinth, sill band eaves and parapet Chancel · Panelled timber screen North aisle two single and two triple lancet windows · Windows: low· pitchedEast end; principal late 15th rafter century roof lancet window with four ‘lights’ with chambered mullions and double coved reveal with Tudor arched head. South aisle one· Twosingle triple and twolancet triple windows lancet to windows north and south of chancel · Doorway with 19th century hood to north North porch Original· Parclose door screenwith lancet in entrance panels to Lexington Chapel – restored and probably placed there in 1874 plinth, sill band eaves and parapet when church was renovated. th 15 century Chancel Panelled timber4 screen cont. Windows: East end; late 15th century lancet window with four 16th century Tower · second stage: C16 triple lancet window with perpendicular tracery 17th century Pulpit · Stem and base 17th century, top and steps 19th century 18th century Lexington chapel · Chapel and monument, built c.1730 for 2nd Lord Lexington and his wife 19th century North porch · Roof South porch · Door South aisle · Door Chancel · Reredos Known Building Alterations Tower: when the tower was added to the church, probably in the 15th century, late 12th or early 13th century grave slabs, known as Cross Slabs were reused as window lintels in the clock chamber of the tower. [2] Photo: Dr Chris Brooke 5 Nave: at some unspecified date, the roof line was heightened, and a clerestory added. The original roof line is visible above the tower arch. And there is some evidence of wall paintings. Ultraviolet image with image processing of tower wall and arch (mage courtesy of Dr Chris Brooke Photo: Geoff Buxton 1726: Chancel and Nave. Probably as part of the work of building her father’s memorial chapel (see below) Bridget, 3rd Duchess of Rutland paid for the chancel to be paved and ‘the window by my Seat in the Church to be glazed with crown glass’. [3] This reference to her ‘seat’, must refer to her personal box pew—see below under Fixtures and Fittings for more about church seating. 6 1726—1730: Lexington Chapel. Robert Sutton, 2nd Lord Lexington died in 1726. In his will he left £500 for a ‘decent’ monument to be built at Kelham where he was to be buried. The bodies of his wife, son, daughter, and grandchildren who had died in infancy, all buried at Rolleston to be reburied with him. This became the Lexington Chapel (see separate entry below). [4] 1844: unsubstantiated claim that the Church was re-roofed and renovated. [2] 1873-4: Extensive renovation by Hodgson Fowler, including new pews, choir stalls, windows and turreted stonework to outside. Classical archway to Lexington Chapel redesigned in Gothic style. Fowler’s architectural drawings, held at Nottinghamshire Archives, show ‘existing’ and ‘proposed’ views of the Church, including the location of the box pews. Some proposed work was not carried out. [2, 5] 2015: The Bells: The bell frame, ringing floor and bells underwent extensive restoration. A new bell was added and the old clock mechanism replaced with a modern clock. (see below for more information on bells). 1949: An altar at the east end of the north aisle was dedicated to St George and the fallen of WW1 and WW2. It is the Church’s War memorial. 2018: Plaques were installed in the Chapel listing all those from the Villages and the Society of the Sacred Mission who fell in WW1. Photo: Phil Staniforth 2018: The old organ was removed from east end of south aisle to reveal two sculpture niches and an aumbry. It has also opened up the ‘squint’ to the high altar. The organ previously used Lincoln Theological College (now closed) was installed on the south wall. Photo: Martin Cooper Damage to the Church Church windows. A few remnants of 15th century stained glass have been inserted into the existing church windows which was probably smashed either as a result of the Protestant Reformation or, given the apparent adherence to Catholicism during the 16th and early 17th century, during the Civil War. A few pieces can be seen in the aisle windows at Kelham. A large quantity of medieval glass, found in the cellars of Kelham Hall, has been reconstructed into a window in Averham Church. North door: There is a row of holes drilled though the door which are believed to date to the Civil War and were there to allow musket Photo: Geoff Buxton barrels to be inserted. 7 Fixtures and Fittings Seating and box pews 1583 On 9th October 1583, the Churchwardens were ordered by the Archdeaconry Court to allocate seats to the parish to take with them Mr Henry Sutton, Mr Roche, Henry Welles and Francis Mydleton and themselves to appoynt the parisheners their places in the church before Sondaye next” and to certify at the next court “what order they take there” [6] Before the Protestant Reformation pews or benches in churches were not common. After the Reformation, church attendance became a legal requirement and congregations were expected to listen to long sermons. Seating was installed in churches and seats allocated to parishioners according to social status. Wealthy parishioners could pay for their own seats, which were often box pews as these offered a degree of privacy. A plan, drawn up in 1872-3 by Hodgson Fowler shows the location of all the box pews in Kelham Church, which take up the whole of the Nave.