March 2012 The Churchwardens, Sheila Mullenger & Doug Eke sincerely thank John Dudley for updating and printing the guidebook and for his excellent new photographs. Most of the information used was from a previous edition of the guidebook compiled by Mr. Roy Done with a foreword by Fr. Bernard Parsons (past vicar). Many thanks to the Revd J. R. Moore for his foreword. This edition updates the previous editions of 1983 & 2005 CONTENTS FOREWORD 3 AN EARLY HISTORY 4 THE COLLEGE 5 BUILDING THE CHURCH 7 THE CHURCH 8 HOW THE CHURCH LOST ITS GLASS 11 THE BELLS AND CLOCK 12 EPITAPHS AND BRASSES 13 WALK WITH ME 16 ECCLESIASTICS BEFORE THE REFORMATION AND AFTER THE REFORMATION 20 GENEALOGY OF THE FOUNDER OF THE CASTLE AND LATER INHERITORS 21 CONJECTURAL PLAN OF CASTLE AND ENVIRONMENT CIRCA 1460 22 FLOOR PLAN OF CHURCH 23 Page 2 FOREWORD impressed by the voluminous space, and the light, which floods in prodigiously The Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity, through the impressive acreage of Tattershall, is an unparalleled gem of windows. The Ancaster stone looks as 15th century English architectural fresh as the day it was fashioned into splendour; a glorious monument to the place. vision and skill of its benefactors, designers and builders. Whilst Tattershall Castle is a splendid structure, it is only a relic of the past. It holds the distinctive position of being a Tattershall church, on the other hand, national treasure, which will hopefully continues to serve the purposes for dominate the surrounding Fenlands for which it was first designed. In the words many centuries to come, giving glory to of one of my predecessors, "It is still - as God. It stands impressive and proud, next it always has been and ever will be - the to Tattershall Castle, and was designed to Appointed Meeting Place between God supplement its founder's aspirations to and Man for this Parish of Tattershall develop a college. and Thorpe". It is the place where faithful Christians worship God, and encourage However, in this, the Lord High Treasurer others to discover His mercy. It is the of the Realm, Ralph, 3rd Baron Cromwell, place from where God's word is preached did not see the fruits of his aspirations and His presence made known. It is the come to completion. Having been place where the communities Rites of granted the necessary charter in 1439 by Passage - Birth, Marriage and Death - King Henry VI to demolish the old are still celebrated. Norman building of St. Peter & St. Paul, and replace it with the present structure, In Jesus Christ's name, we extend to and establish a college as well, he died Visitor, Pilgrim and Worshipper alike, a in 1455 long before the great church very warm welcome, and are honoured was started. by your presence. May you enjoy the Church's history and the wonders of its Thankfully, other visionaries, namely architectural splendour. May you find it William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester, to be a place of spiritual refreshment, completed the ambitious project ensuring prayer and peace. that the building was completed to the original design. Feasting our eyes on it As the dedicated, faithful few, who strive today, we see, in the cruciform church, to maintain God's House in this place, one of the finest examples of pray for you, may you know the Father's Perpendicular styling in the country. blessing and be drawn ever nearer to Himself. Inside the church, you cannot fail to be Page 3 AN EARLY HISTORY speculative ponderings is that the remains of a Roman road have been found in the midst of some woods at Tumby. The earliest known During the summer months, thousands of archaeological discovery in our local area is visitors travel by road through Lincolnshire to that of the ”Tattershall Trumpet” 28 inches the East Coast, to enjoy the fun of a holiday (71cms) long and curving upwards at the by golden sands. As they pass through end, it was made from hammered bronze, Tattershall they cannot help noticing one of soldered with tin, and was adorned along its Lincolnshire’s most prominent land marks, the lower edge with a “mane”. This instrument statuesque red brick castle. Now a property appears to be a goulish carnyx or warhorn, belonging to the National Trust and a popular and was dredged from the river Witham in place for picnicking sight-seeing families, and 1768. Legend has it that the Witham, being close to the magnificent Church of The Holy an east flowing river, was sacred, and was Trinity, standing in its cathedral-like splendour. worshipped by our primitive ancestors, who No guide to this majestic Collegiate Church called it “Grant Avon” or “Divine Stream.” The would be complete without a short history of trumpet once lodged at the British Museum, the local area with reference to the founding has now mysteriously disappeared, and they of the Castle, and the many people now have only a picture of it. responsible for much of the history of the The name Tattershall is probably derived from local area. Tatirsale or Tatersale from the Norse “Salr” It is said that the Romans, during their which means “A house of better class.” occupation of our country needed a road Thorpe, (now known as Tattershall Thorpe) from the coast to Sleaford and Ancaster, to was certainly in existence in Saxon times, and acquire stone from the quarries there; and it was later mentioned in the “Doomsday- that it passed through Tattershall, however no Book”. Tattershall itself is not mentioned until record survives to prove this, and it remains as merely speculation. It is, however, thought by some historians that Tattershall Park, the open area to the north-west of Tattershall was the Dorobrevis of the Romans, who used it as a Eudo, who fought at Hastings with the summer military camp, and evidence of two Conqueror, asked William 1 for some good encampments are proved by the discovery of wheat land so as to properly feed the child Roman coins at the sites. his wife (the Conquerors half sister) was The Romans were in occupation from 60 AD expecting. She gave birth to a son, a nephew when it is known that the ninth (Spanish) to the King, and he was given land in Legion was stationed at Lincoln, the nearest Lincolnshire to share with a comrade from known Roman settlement to Tattershall was the Conquest, called Pinco. They Bannovalum (Horncastle) G. J. Wilkinson’s subsequently divided their joint possessions, Tourists Guide of 1900 speculates that with Eudo gaining uncontested ownership of “Saltway”, a Roman road, was built connecting the Barony of Tateshale, Thorpe, and two Saltby (Leics.) with the coast near Wainfleet, thirds of Woodhall. The first Lord of the and that it passed through Grantham, Manor, he then took up residence at Sleaford and Tattershall. He further Tateshale, and died in 1139. speculates that a Roman road led from Eudo’s estates descended to Hugh Fitz Eudo, Tattershall, through Horncastle and Hemingby (The Breton), and it was he who, in 1139 to Caister. The only fact among these Page 4 founded the Cistercian Monastery and Abbey THE COLLEGE at Kirkstead; little remains today except the spiral staircase standing alone on Tattershall The Collegiate Church of The Holy Trinity was Park. His grandson, Philip died while in built on the site of a previous church, office as Sheriff and Governor of the Shire, in dedicated to SS Peter and Paul. It is impossible 1200. In 1201, Robert Eudo, his son and to tell when the original church was built, but it inheritor of the Estate, gave a well-trained was probably soon after the Conquest, and Goshawk to King John, and received in came to be used as the family Church of the return a grant to hold a market on Fridays, so Barony of Tattershall. The base and stem of it may be assumed that there was a sizeable the font, and a brass in the Chancel to Hugh community for it to have been worthwhile. de Goudeby, 1411, survive from the original The Butter-Cross still survives, and can be church. An altar in the present church is seen in the market place, the stone cross at dedicated to SS Peter and Paul to remind us of the top, however, has since been replaced. the original Parish Church. His grandson, another Robert, and third in a line of seven successive Roberts, in 1231 On 14th July 1439, a licence was granted by obtained permission from King Henry III to King Henry VI to :- rebuild the family residence in stone, and this would be the first substantially fortified Ralph Cromwell, Knight. structure to be built on the site of the present Castle. Robert died in 1249, two other Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, Cardinal Roberts succeeded in their turn, the second of all England. being called to Parliament as the Baron de Tateshale in 1297. He died in 1298. On the William Alnewick, Bishop of Lincoln. death of his grandson without male heirs in 1305, the Estate reverted to three Aunts. One John Scroope, Knight. 4th Baron Scroope of of the three, Joan, married Robert de Driby, Bolton. who became the master of Tateshale but their two sons died, and the property went to Walter Hungerford, Knight. Baron and Admiral their daughter Alice, who married Sir William of the Fleet 1416. Bernak, Lord of Woodthorpe. Their son, who became Sir John Bernak, married Joan, Walter Talbois and William Paston, - members daughter of Robert, second Baron Marmyun. of the parish of Tateshale.