A Walk Around the Interior of St Edward, King and Martyr Church

A Walk Around the Interior of St Edward, King and Martyr Church.

Goathurst Church is an ancient, possibly Saxon foundation. Until 2004 it was part of a United Benefice that included Spaxton, Aisholt, Enmore and Goathurst. This Benefice is now united with Nether Stowey and Over Stowey to form a new United Benefice – the Quantocks Villages Benefice.

The Church is referred to in "England's Thousand Best Churches" by Simon Jenkins

Foreword

Our Village Church is well loved and cared for and we welcome you as visitors. This booklet is intended as a ‘walk-around’ document. Please carry it around the building with you as you explore. Eventually we hope to have finalised versions available for visitors to take away but this copy is unique so please return it to the bookcase where you found it as you leave. There is an electronic version available to download on our website

Goathurst Church has possessed a guidebook written by Richard Ansell and updated by Ken Howison for at least 25 years. There was a wealth of well- researched information within that document. This document uses much of their text but reorders it and adds further or updated information so that visitors can meander through the church, access their scholarship and read extra information as they please. We apologise for this plagiarism – italicised passages are taken directly from this source. In addition the splendid black and white line drawings by Ken Howison have also been retained whilst further photos have also been included. Here is his drawing of the church from twenty years or so back.

Overleaf is a diagram of the church with some of the features of interest noted.

The Church of St Edward, King and Martyr Notable features as described in the guidebook

14th Century Piscina

Must see !

Pulpit (1630) and Tester (1690) Nollekens monument to Sir Charles Kemys Tynte (Pevsner comments on this)

Tudor Painting showing assassination of the patron saint

th 15 Century Font

Early 18th Century panelling

Hatchments

th Unique 18 Century Clock (outside the Church). Single hand.

Welcome then to St Edwards – we hope you find God’s House in Goathurst both rewarding and relaxing. If you find a church member here they will be pleased to show you round. However if you are relying on this booklet then…

Please stand with your back to the door through which you entered and look straight across the aisle. Between the two vast monuments you will see a small picture – painted by Andsell - which explains the dedication of the church. It is not to St Edward the Confessor but to St Edward, King and Martyr. This dedication is unusual: ours is one of only a few churches dedicated to this young Saxon King, believed to have been murdered on the orders of his step-mother, Elfrida, in 978, at Corfe in Dorset. The dedication could suggest a tenth century foundation for Goathurst Church, and the simple rectangular nave and chancel plan reflects a basic pre-conquest arrangement of a probably smaller building.The visitor’s eyes are drawn immediately to the those two vast monuments.

The north wall of the nave is dominated by two cathedral- sized mural monuments. That on the left is the monument to THE REVEREND SIR JOHN TYNTE who was the Rector from 1731- 1740: he died unmarried in 1742. The monument bears a bust of Sir John and is in the baroque style. It was designed by J.M. Rysbrack (1696- 1770) and erected by his brother Sir Charles Kemeys Tynte. To the right stands the enormous monument to SIR CHARLES KEMEYS TYNTE who died in 1785. Sir Charles was the younger brother to Sir John and a great benefactor to the church, and founder of the nearby Almshouses. As the beautiful italic inscription announces he "served his country in five parliaments" being a Member first for Monmouth, then Somerset. An allegorical figure, probably representing Fame, is extinguishing a torch. She leans, mourning, upon a pedestal from which is hung a cameo-like portrait of Sir Charles who appears to be gazing across the nave to his pew.

The monument was designed by Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823), one of the founder members of the Royal Academy-.' It is signed on the bottom right- hand corner.

Those interested in the monuments will be able to refer to another document detailing those both within and without the church. In this walk-about we simply ‘draw the eye’.

So now turn to your left and look upwards. Above the arch of the tower will be seen a painting often missed by visitors since that area is dark. This is the ROYAL ARMS.

The accounts for 1707mention payment of £3 -5s -0d to a Mr. Wist for painting the "King's" arms. NB The "King" at that date was Queen Anne so perhaps this is a mistake! The arms are those of the Stuarts, but one of the lions has been altered into a lion of Nassau, part of the arms of Hanover, as if it had been made to keep up with the times on the accession of King George I.

Below, is the font itself. Howison’s line drawing

THE FONT

Octagonal and carved with Quatrefoils, it is in the Perpendicular style and dates from about 1450. There are indications that the cover was originally fitted with a hinge and lock, a medieval practice to prevent witches from stealing holy water.

Now walk past the font into the tower belfry. The tower itself is best viewed from the outside of the church but here are its details.

The Tower, plain for Somerset, belongs to an older church of the fourteenth century; there is stylistic evidence for this in the rich mouldings of the tower archway, which are distinctly of the Decorated period. There are also slight clues on the north side of the exterior of the tower which is not bonded in to the nave walls. The windows in the tower are fifteenth century and were probably added when the Perpendicular nave was built. The massive buttresses may also have been constructed at this time.

Now look up to the fine West Window. If you are visiting in the later afternoon the sun may be streaming through this window.

The west window glass dates from 1885 and is in memory of the Rev. Francis Crane Parsons MA., Rector 1845- 1871. It shows St. Edward in the centre flanked by St. Peter and St.Paul: scenes of their martyrdoms occur at the base of the window.

Once in the belfry the most noticeable feature are the large square boards on the north and south walls. As described below, these are Hatchments

On the walls of the belfry under the tower are to be seen a fine collection of Hatchments commemorating the Kemeys Tynte family of Halswell House, created Lords Wharton in 1545. When a death took place in the family it was the custom to hang one of these heraldic achievements above the front door of Halswell House: there it remained for a month after the funeral,after which it was removed into the church. The deceased's side of the coat of arms was painted black.

The Hatchments, which are of eighteenth century date, and interesting heraldically, came to be stored in the Almshouses next to the church and were arranged here under the tower in 1910. For those interested in heraldry details are displayed by the hatchments.

The next feature to strike one’s eyes are the panels on the North wall (on the right)

Painted Panelling lines the north wall of the Belfry.

Figures of King David, the Four Evangelists and a female with a harp can be made out although the paintings have suffered much from damp and damage. They date from the first half of the eighteenth century. We know that they too were discovered in the "Poor House", and were placed here in 1902. There is documentary evidence for a western gallery for the "Quior" and instrumentalists and these panels probably formed part of this.

On the south wall of the belfry there is a board detailing the setting up of the Goathurst Charity whilst opposite there are details of payments made. The Board with the list of Charities cost £8 -5s -2d in 1832. (£8.26 in current coinage!)

Some clue as to the instrumentalists can be gained by the costs and nature of their instruments. Church bands were a common feature of the period but were also a cause of great friction in many churches with the incumbent. Sometimes today organist and bell ringers and incumbents have similar disagreements.

From the Church Warden's accounts: one violincello purchased in February 1826 for three guineas, togetherwith a green baize bag in which to keep it, costing 6s -2d. Two flutes and a type of clarinet were also purchased. Mr William Parker, who also did carpentry repairs, played the 'cello for thirty- three years, receiving 5sh a year for new strings; he received 7sh for a new bow in 1846. His wife or daughter, Elizabeth, had already made a new bag for the instrument in December 1842, costing only 3d.

Note the bell ringers ‘instructions’ also on the wall with penalties for dereliction of duty.

The Tower contains a ring of six bell whose ropes may be seen in the far corners of the south and north west corners of the belfry. At present the bells are silenced because of a cracked bell awaiting repair. We await grants and donations. The bells were repaired in 1928 when one bell was recast by John Taylor of Loughborough. They were rehung on ball- bearings and quarter- turned in 1937 and rung for the first time on 29th June that year. A note about them is displayed in the belfry.

You will also find in the belfry a note about the clock. This is worth a look when you leave the church. The clock in the tower was made by John Hunt of Bridgwater in 1734: it was the gift of Charles Tynte Esq. . It has been described by an expert as being “A clock of massive local importance and of interest nationally” The clock has a single hand. It was repaired in 1760 and again in recent times, and is still in working order. It used to run for thirty hours before needing rewinding. However times changed. The clock has been repaired and fitted with an autowind mechanism to save the climb daily into the tower for it to be rewound. While the bells are being repaired the clock may not be working.

THE NAVE

Now look down the nave of the church to gain an impression of the whole. It is perhaps time to talk a little about the parish and its historical background which will have relevance later on in the tour.

There were Domesday Book references to Goathurst and Halswell in 1086. There were originally two separate Manors here –the village of Goathurst and Halswell, now Halswell House.

GOATHURST

"Walter and Ansgar the cook (coquus) hold of Alfred de Ispania -Gahers. Alwi held it in the time of King Edward and paid geld for three hides less one virgate of land.

There is arable for six ox-teams. In the demesne there are two ox-teams and four serfs, thirteen villeins, five cottars and four ploughs. There are sixty-two acres of woodland. When he received it, it was worth seventy shillings. Now the same."

The 1166 survey states: "Hugh, son of Malger of Gaherste, held one knight's fee of Phillip de Colombar" (Lord of Stowey).

In 1284 "Roger of Gatherst held the vill of John de Colombar."

In 1346 Roger had been succeeded by his son Walter and by 1400 the Pawletts held the manor of Goathurst.

HALSWELL

"Wido holds of Roger of Arundel -Hasewell. Alward held it in the time of King Edward and paid geld for one hide. There is arable for two ox-teams. In the demesne there is one ox-team and two serfs, two villeins, three cottars with one plough. There are fourteen acres of woodland. It is worth twenty-five shillings."

The list of rectors on the west wall of the nave gives a clue that an earlier church existed perhaps dating back to the 13th century

A list of Rectors, as far as we can trace them, is on the west wall of the nave. We know, from Bishop Gifford's Register, that there was an incumbent in 1266 and that the living was sequestrated because the rector had not taken holy orders!

The first name: "Rogerus", was probably the same "Roger of Gaherst" referred to above. The first positive reference is in Bishop Drokenford's Register: i.e. "Aug. 2 1371, Walter Broun instituted Rector of Gothurst on resignation of Roger. Presented by Roger of Gothurst." (i.e. the Patron).

A noteworthy entry is that of Thomas Blanchflower who was driven from his living at Norton Fitzwarren in 1643 because he would not accept the Puritan Rules. After great privation, and for the sake of his wife and children, he was forced to comply and entered the living of Goathurst in 1652. He was not instituted until 1662 when the King and the Bishoprics were restored.

The church as it now stands is mainly of the Perpendicular period, and dates from the second half of the fifteenth century. The exterior, with its rough rubble walling of local stone, with quoins and mouldings of Ham stone mixed with occasional pieces of Blue Lias, originally shone out in lime-washed rendering. Collinson, writing in 1791 criticises: "The outside of this tower and

9 the whole of the church is, to the reproach of taste and the abuse of antiquity, whitewashed." What he saw was almost certainly the freshly whitened Medieval "harling" -the usual treatment of rubble walls. Traces of this can still be discerned on the tower of nearby Broomfield church.

Upkeep and restoration have continued. The churchwarden's accounts for 1760 include: "A bill for lime for Gotes church -£1 -3s -9d."

The main restoration however was in the Victorian era. Glance around and try and visualise how the church must have looked before then.

Glancing upwards - The ceiling of the nave is of barrel construction and the carved oak bosses are all different in design: it is of fifteenth century date.When this ceiling was redecorated recently a discovery was made that in the centre of each panel was found evidence of a painted or plaster rose.

Andsell describes the ‘great restoration’

In 1884 a great restoration was carried out, during which the upper and lower rood-loft doorways,behind the pulpit, were discovered; as was the squint between the Tynte Pew and the Chancel. The Chancel arch was relined, window tracery repaired, a gallery hiding the tower arch was removed, the font was moved from near the porch doorway to its present position, and the pulpit was moved out of the Chancel. In addition, the whitened plaster which covered the exterior of the church was removed, and many necessary structural repairs were made.The two vast monuments already noted were moved during the restoration. Probably the next items to meet the eye are the pulpit and its tester which can be seen in the preceding photo of the roof. The

10 carved strap-work and coupled columns at the corners date the pulpit to about 1630. It was removed to its present position in 1884, mounted on a new base and the stairs added. At about the same time, paint was removed from it and a velvet hanging, which covered the whole front of it, was converted into the pulpit fall, now in a case in the Chancel. From the remainder was made a "dossal" which, was a form of textile reredos behind the altar. This, unfortunately has been lost. A description of the pulpit fall appears in the case which now holds it. The Tester or sounding board above the pulpit can be dated stylistically to between 1690 and 1700. There is a tradition in the village that it was discovered during alterations, hidden in the roof at Huntstile Farm, but it is stated in the Churchwardens' Accounts that it was brought from storage in the Poor Houses and set up in its original position and cleaned and repaired at the expense of C.T.H. Kemeys Tynte in 1910.

Note the inaccessible door to the left of the pulpit. This small doorway leads by a spiral staircase to an upper doorway which originally gave access to a Rood Loft on top of the now missing Chancel Screen.

To the right of the nave is the lectern which is relatively modern. It is made of oak and was carved and presented by Mrs Rawlins (Mrs Halswell Kemeys Tynte) in 1902.

Walk towards the lectern, up the little flight of steps into the South Aisle or the Tynte Pew. Thereby hangs a tale - There was friction between the Halswell and Paulet families as to the title and use of the south aisle. In1558 "by mediacion of friends" they signed an Agreement which relinquished this aisle to the Paulets and gave Sir Nicholas Halswell a plot of ground, north of the Chancel,to build an aisle or Chapell for himself and his heirs forever."

By his marriage to Mary Paulet, John Buncombe acquired the Manor of Goathurst, including the Patronage and the South Aisle. His son John sold the Manor to Sir Charles Kemeys Tynte of Halswell who then used the aisle as a family pew. It remained so until early in the twentieth century his descendant, Lord Wharton ceded it to the Church.

Look up at the splendid ceiling and at the numerous coats of arms forming a fresco. You will see many of these coats of arms in notable family houses in Somerset and Devon indicating how important this family has been. In more recent times, as an active church, this pew has been turned into a meeting and visitors’ room with a comfortable sitting area. Feel free to rest your weary feet in this room and glance through the squint and think how the ‘important’ folk would come into the church through the door to your right, view the service through the squint, shut the door and be kept away from the contamination of inferior village folk! Times have, thank the Lord, changed. Glance at the modern additions of photographs and tapestries and perhaps browse the little collection of books which are there for you to read and, if you feel so inclined, to take away (possibly leaving a small donation).

Now return to the nave and on your right will be the chancel. Whilst the pews in the main church are 18th Century, the choir stalls here are a Victorian, and uncomfortable, addition.

On your left is an electronic organ, a Wyvern Exeter. This was the first transistorised electronic organ and, some 40 years old, and recently sounded quite sweet – depending on the organist. However this is currently in need of repair. Earlier, a church band accompanied the services, but the church started collecting for an organ at Easter 1857; it was installed in 1859 and a Miss Kingston was engaged to play it at a salary of £2 a year: the man who worked the bellows got £1 for his work. A drawbar organ replaced that organ which had become decrepit. And in turn this was replaced by the present Wyvern Exeter.

Now look across the aisle of the chancel. There is a finely engraved slate memorial monument on the south side of the chancel arch. It is inscribed: "In memory of the Rev. Mr William Trivett, rector of this parish, who died 12th April AD 1730". There are various other nineteenth century wall monuments in the chancel.

The East Window of late nineteenth century glass was given in memory of several members of the Kemeys Tynte family. The tracery of this window is of an early style of perpendicular and was much restored in 1884.The South Windows show the Annunciation: the glass is dated 1884. It is possible that the smaller window was inserted in the sixteenth century when the priest was obliged to read prayers from a position nearer the front of the Chancel, facing the congregation.

The Piscina (a basin in the wall) with its ogee-headed arch is fourteenth century- perhaps the chancel was not altogether rebuilt in the following century.

The Ambury, or small cupboard, nearby is also built into the wall: it is rebated for a door.

The splendid damask banner was made and painted by Mr and Mrs Richard Ansdell in 1978 to celebrate the Millennium of the patronal Saint, Edward the Martyr.

And now perhaps your patience is rewarded after wandering around this interesting building. Turn right and mount the steps beside the organ to find yourself in the North Chapel or the Halswell Chapel. This has already been referred to as being part of the outcome of the agreement to give Nicholas Halswell a plot of ground abutting the church to the north.

HALSWELL CHAPEL

On the north side of the chancel, behind the red curtains, is the Halswell Chapel or Halswell Aisle, a tomb chapel of the Halswell family, added to the church in the second half of the 16th Century. It is worthwhile noticing the heavy beam spanning the entrance to the chapel. Its mouldings are fifteenth century and it has been cut in half to shorten it. On the underside of this beam holes can be made out as if upright mullions had been attached. As this

13 beam has obviously been re-used it could have formed part of the lost chancel screen. It was revealed during the 1884 restoration when a brick partition below it was removed to bring the chapel into view from the chancel.

The chapel is dominated by the splendid early seventeenth century monument to Sir Nicholas Halswell and his wife Bridget whose effigies lie here surrounded by the kneeling figures of their six sons and three daughters. The Halswells had large possessions in various counties which descended to the sole heiress, Jane, grand-daughter of Sir Nicholas. Jane, who died in 1646, had married a John Tynte of Chelvey, thus uniting the two manors. (Her portrait can be found in Taunton Museum.)

Their son, Sir Hugh Halswell Tynte, was the builder of the baroque front of Halswell House in 1689. Sir Nicholas Halswell's father, Robert, who died on September 11th 1570, leaves in his will:"To Nicholas my son, my greater chain of gold and all my plate except one little gilt goblet to Susan my wife, the said gilt goblet, and the residue of all my goods and all my armour to my son Nicholas."

Sir Nicholas and Lady Bridget were married forty-one years. Bridget, second daughter of Sir Henry Wallop of Farley Wallop, Hants, died in 1627. Sir Nicholas died in Bristol in 1633. The magnificent effigy tomb was erected by their son Henry whose sister Bridget stated in her will: "What would I not give that the bones of my faithful and dear Nicky were brought over and buried with me." Nicholas, her younger brother, died aged thirty-two at Bergen op Zoom in Holland. Her will continues: "I leave to my cousin Wallop my clocks, my little Paris works, my Psalm book, my ring, on which is engraved -'shall affliction part friends?' -and I desire him to accept these as unworthy rememberances of an unfortunate wretch."

Sir Nicholas, as a Justice of the Peace as well as Member for Bridgwater 1603: "Committed to prison one John Gilbert, alias Gogulmere, a fanatical minister, for having on a Sabbath day attempted to preach naked in the parish church of North Petherton"!

The baroque monument to Sir Hugh Halswell Tynte, and to other members of the family, is nearby; it has a long Latin inscription framed by Corinthian columns and flanked by figures of Faith and Hope. On either side of the

14 cornice, cherubs show an hour glass and a skull. In the centre is the Halswell coat of arms -Per Pale, Barry Wavy, azure and argent. A bend gules. Argent, a bend wavy sable.

In the corner of the chapel is a marble statue of a sleeping child -Isabella Anne Kemeys Cooper -who died aged three in 1835. She was a grandchild of the Kemeys- Tyntes and the daughter of Sir William Henry Coope. The sculptor was Raffaeli Monti.

The wooden chest dates from the seventeenth century and has its original three locks, the keys to which were held respectively by the Rector and the two Churchwardens.

Unlike the Tynte Pew, this chapel remained in the ownership of the Wharton Family until 2005. By then rain had penetrated the roof and the whole was in a poor state. When the cost of repair was pointed out to Lady Wharton, she, with considerable commonsense, decided to gift the chapel to the church. Whilst much remains to be done in restoring the monuments the work done to date shows this to be almost unique for such a small church.

You will now have seen everything within the church but as you leave glance again at the exterior and particularly the porch.

THE PORCH

This was a Tudor addition to the church. It is not bonded in to the main wall. There is a restored consecration cross to the right of the door. The coved ceiling is a miniature of that of the nave; the bosses are carved with Tudor roses and vines. One has the single rose, which must date the porch after 1485.

The little platform above the inner doorway probably supported a statuette of the patron saint.

The little window formerly gave a view of the entrance to the churchyard and the Lych Gate, which was erected in 1920 as a War Memorial to the First World War. The names of those who died in the Second World War have been added. There is a Book of Remembrance in the South Chapel giving names and details.

On the west side of the inner door of the porch, about 4 feet from the ground, may be discerned all that remains of a medieval scratch dial. This was probably scraped flat during the Victorian restoration, but the style hole and some of the lines are still visible.

From the porch can be seen a fine Table-Tomb which uniquely sprouted a square Corinthian column with "Gothic “niches. It bears the date 1765, and was erected by the Willis family, members of which gave over 100 years of service to the village being churchwardens in 1605, 1636, 1670, 1704 and 1706. There is a fine display of the state of this Willis Monument which now lacks its Corinthian column and is in the process of restoration

A few yards west of the tower is the first step – all that is left - of a medieval churchyard Cross.

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