Visitor's Guide
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
St Nicholas' Church Child Okeford Dorset Visitors' Guide A look round our Church C G Giles If you have any information to help improve these booklets, please advise the Churchwardens. #1 St Nicholas Church; A Short History #2 St Nicholas Church; Visitors’ Guide #3 St Nicholas Church; Memorials #4 St Nicholas Church; The Stained Glass Windows #5 St Nicholas Church; The Bishops’ Bible #6 St Nicholas Church; Church Music and the Church Organ #7 St Nicholas Church; The Church Bells St Nicholas Church, Child Okeford Visitors’ Guide This booklet is one of a series of seven written in 1998 by Chris Giles. After a career in teaching, Chris took early retirement and began to devote himself to the local Church. He became a Churchwarden, the first Benefice Secretary and a member of General Synod. Chris was always interested in history, and especially local history. It was never a nostalgic pursuit for him, but just one of the ways in which he sought to unite the past and the future, those who had lived in the village for a long time and those who had arrived more recently. In 1999, after these booklets were written, he played a key role in the establishment of the Okeford Benefice. This Pastoral Measure brought the Parishes of Child Okeford. Okeford Fitzpaine, Manston and Hammoon into one Benefice with the Parish of Shillingstone. As Benefice Secretary, Chris worked tirelessly to ensure that what we could best do together was done together, not only within the Benefice, but beyond, with the other Parishes of the Southern Blackmore Vale. He delighted in being able to assist in the training of our first Stipendiary Curate, Rev'd Michael Brierley, and in helping to foster other vocations to Ordained and Reader Ministry. Whenever he could, he also delighted in combining his devotion to the Church with his devotion to his family - his wife Jean, son Tim, with his computing skills, and twin daughters Kate and Melanie, gifted in history and archaeology. Chris never took Holy Orders but was, in the true sense of the word, a Deacon, utterly unstinting in his service and an exceptional guide and companion to the first Rector of the Okeford Benefice. He was tragically killed in a road traffic accident on 19th September 2002, at the age of sixty five years. It was Chris' hope and prayer that these booklets would help you, the reader, better to understand the past of this place, that you may serve the Lord better in the future and know His presence and peace with you today. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Rev'd Philip Rahilly Rector of the Okeford Benefice Lent 2003 (1995 – 2006) Page 2 2nd Edition 2008 (Updated April 2012) St Nicholas Church, Child Okeford Visitors’ Guide The Church building There may have been an earlier building but we know that a church was built here about 1250- 70. The record of Rectors of Child Okeford Superior and of Child Okeford Inferior, which begins in 1297, is to be found on the wall of the South Aisle. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book (see also “Short History” booklet about the name ‘Child Okeford’). The oldest remaining part of the church building is the Tower, possibly dating from the late 15th Century or early 16th Century. Older still is the 13th Century Font, made of coarsely tooled Purbeck stone, which is now situated in the South West Corner. It had previously been placed in the tower when the rest of the church was rebuilt in 1878/9 and was moved to its present position during the re-ordering of the South West Corner in 1999. Almost all the rest is a Victorian building. The outside of the Tower is built of greensand ashlar - blocks of cut greensand rock. The inside is chalk clunch. Upstairs, inside the Tower, is a fine clock, built by John Smith of Derby. This clock drives the hands on the large Clock Face on the west side of the Tower. On the door of its case is a pencilled record of its cleaning; this dates from 1907 but the clock mechanism dates from 1887. Originally it was wound by hand every week, but in 1978 this mechanism was replaced by an electric motor. On the tower roof is a plaque which notes the dates of re-roofing of the tower with the names of the Church Wardens and the Rector of 1910: I.CROWCH T.ARNOLD CW 1729 H.S.BOWER N.J.NEWBOVLD CW C.H.S.BOWER R 1910 Changes to the building Records indicate that an upstairs gallery had been added to the original South Aisle in 1816. A North Aisle had been built in 1835 and the South Aisle was further extended in 1860 (when the earlier gallery was taken down). There was also a gallery in the Tower used by the Sunday School, which, on the 1877 plans, had room for 95 Scholars and their Sunday School teacher. The gallery projected out over the west end of the Nave. Page 3 2nd Edition 2008 (Updated April 2012) St Nicholas Church, Child Okeford Visitors’ Guide The Victorian Church The plans of the previous Church are dated January and February 1877. The re-building plans are dated 1878. These plans are in the County Record Office at Trowbridge, which houses many of the Ecclesiastical (Church) records for Salisbury diocese. The Rev John Brymer was Rector and Henry Syndercombe Bower was one of the Church Wardens at the time. (see the item about the earlier Rectories below). A legal document from the Diocese which gave permission for the alterations (called a Faculty), and dated 1878, lists details of the rebuilding, including the re-roofing of the South Aisle and rebuilding the Nave and Chancel. The interior of the church was re-paved and re- floored. The St Lo(e) Vault was removed from the South Aisle. New seats made of pine and other furnishings were designed by the architect - and are the ones still in use. The architect was J D Wyatt of London. The seating plans are of interest: 1877 plans 1878 plans Adults Children Adults Children Nave 72 Nave & Aisles 256 North Aisle 95 N. Chancel Aisle 2 52 South Aisle 107 S. Chancel Aisle 30 Chancel 28 Chancel 33 28 Gallery 95 Total 321 80 = 401 Total 302 95 = 397 The North Chancel Aisle, originally designed for the Sunday School, was in fact occupied by the Organ. The Vestry, which had been in the Tower, was moved to the new North Chancel Aisle, where it remains. In 1995, the Parochial Church Council (PCC), with the Rector’s Support, gained Diocesan Advisory Committee approval to develop the South West corner. The Font, moved from the Bell Tower in the late nineteenth century, was repositioned to become a central feature of the South west corner. The action of moving the Font from the tower caused the floor of the tower to collapse exposing a vault beneath. The coffins of the Rossiter family were damaged but the remains reinterred by the Rector. The vault was resealed and the floor repaired. Pews were removed and nine church chairs for daily worship, PCC and other meetings now encircle the Font. Library shelves, notice boards and cupboard space were built in. In 2007, the church lighting was reappraised and new fittings made. The church and chancel have been effectively brightened and special lights show up the character of the roof. The vestry was also reordered to include a lavatory and enable disabled access. Page 4 2nd Edition 2008 (Updated April 2012) St Nicholas Church, Child Okeford Visitors’ Guide The Steps to the Altar As you go up to the Chancel to start this part of your visit, you will go up two steps from the Nave to the Choir. On the riser of the top step are the words: “O Lord open thou our lips” on the bottom step: “and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise” At the first step at the east end of the Choir to the Sanctuary are the words: “O come all ye faithful” At the Sanctuary step: “ I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord and so will I go to thine Altar” The 1879 newspaper report also refers to a fifth set, but I cannot yet find them: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts” Page 5 2nd Edition 2008 (Updated April 2012) St Nicholas Church, Child Okeford Visitors’ Guide The Window Glass Most of the glass is Victorian, dating from 1879. A separate and more detailed set of notes is available about the windows and the images. The Chancel 1. The East Window depicts the Ascension of Christ. The centre panel (light) shows Jesus with the Apostles Peter, James and John. On the left and the right are two groups of 4 Apostles. 2. The Sanctuary, south window, shows Jesus with Martha and Mary at the time of the raising of Lazarus (Luke 10: 38-42). 3. The Choir window, south wall, is in two parts (lights). On the left, Joseph is shown as a prisoner of his brothers being sold to the slave traders (Genesis 37). One of his brothers is holding his “coat of many colours”. On the right, St Peter, (or possibly St Paul), is being held prisoner (in Rome), restrained by leg irons (Acts 12). [The leg irons are an English design, and were still being exported to Africa and the Middle East in the 1970’s!] The South Aisle South east side - Lady Chapel 4.