Chivelstone Church KEU3A LHG meeting 18 September 2013 Introduction Dedicated to St Sylvester, a Pope 312-325, though the earliest record of the dedication was as late as 1742. This is a sister church to St Martins of Sherford and both founded by Stokenham Church soon after it was built, (1431). This latter was first dedicated to St Humbert, then St Barnabus and is now St Michael and all Angels. Unlike St Martins of Sherford, Chivelstone church remained a dependency of Stokenham, and through it, associated with the Priory of Totnes, and through the web of ecclesiastical feudal connections, with St Serge of Angers, Tywardeath in Cornwall and ultimately in 1495 with Bisham Abbey in Berkshire…. Chivelstone Church and Parish are a part of the Coleridge Hundred and as such was part of the original bequest to Judel by William the Conqueror. The Coleridge Hundred was composed of 20 parishes including Totnes and the outlying parishes of Ashprington and Thurlestone. (Despite what J. Goodman wrote in his book on Sherford it seems that the Hundreds of Coleridge and Chillington are the same. Heather Burwin in her book "the Coleridge Hundred and its Medieval Court" says that the Hundred Court was at Stokenham). The Stanborough Hundred covered other adjacent Parishes. It is recorded that Sir R.L Newman was the Lord of the Manor at Stokenham and there are memorials to him in the Chivelstone Church. The history of these three churches differs. St Martins (dedicated in1457), was involved in a gift by Gytha, daughter of King Canute, to St Olaves' in Exeter and from then, as St Olaves came under the aegis of William's newly established St Nicholas's Priory, it became one of the possessions of Battle Abbey (also built by William the Conqueror). In 1288 in the taxatio of Pope Nicholas, Chivelstone is recorded as belonging to Totnes Priory (1087). In 1678 with all the other churches in the Parish under Totnes Priory, it contributed to the rebuilding of St Paul's London. Totnes Priory was itself a dependency of the Priory of St Serge, Angers and a sister priory to one at Tyweardreath, Cornwall. In 1495 the patronage of Stokenham was ceded to the troubled Abbey of Bisham in Berkshire. The Abbey - originally Augustinian, under the Knights Templar by this time, acquired diverse church properties in various parts of England in the late 15th century, because of an accumulation of debts. Chivelstone, but not Sherford would have been involved in this. Epitaph 1856 - from a gravestone in the Weep not for us Churchyard at Chivelstone Our childen dear, We are not dead But sleeping here…….” Our days are past As you do see Prepare yourselves To follow we 1 The Rood Screen and its painted panels Viewing the panels from north to south (left to right!): Panel 1 St Ambrose Archbishop of Milan 4th Century. Translated New Testament or Edward Lacey, Bishop of Exeter. The Bishop of Exeter had a connection with pilgrimages Panel 2 St Jerome He wears a cardinal's hat. Often represented with a lion at his feet. He translated the Bible into Latin Panel 3 St Luke His symbol is the ox at his feet Panel 4 St Thomas His symbol is the builder's square which he carries Next section: Panel 5 St Andrew Carrying the cross on which he was crucified Panel 6 St Simon Holding the saw by which he was martyred Panel 7 St James the Great With pilgrim’s hat, stave and scallop shell Panel 8 St John Challenged by Diane of Ephesus to drink from a poisoned chalice. So he is holding the chalice. Next section: Panel 9 St Philip Because he carries a long cross and a purse, or St Lawrence Who often gave alms and who was martyred on a grid iron Panel 10 St Stephen Stoned to death. Reputed to be the first Christian Martyr Panel 11 St Jude One of the 12 disciples. The club is the symbol of his martyrdom (?) Panel 12 St James the Less (?) Next section: Panel 10 St Mark His symbol is the Lion Panel 10 St Mathew (?) Panel 11 St Gregory Pope Panel 12 St Sylvester 4th century Bishop of Milan (see notes at the end) 2 Relevant reference books: D.Allwater "A dictionary of Saints"- 1965 (Penguin) John Vine "Discovering Saints in Britain"- 2011 (Shire Publications) Maurice and Winifred Drake “Saints and their Emblems” 1971 reprint Lennox Hill Pub. N. York Diane Wilkes "A cloud of witnesses" - Medieval Panel paintings of Saints in Devon Churches" This doesn't include Chivelstone or Sherford) but from: Azure Publications, Burraton Bungalow, Broadclyst, Exeter EX 1 3DB. Wikipedia and the Catholic Church online….give a lot on all these saints: St Jerome and St Ambrose were two of the 4 original doctors of the Church. St Jerome translated the Old Testament from the Hebrew and gave the church the “Vulgate” Bible. Called “the most learned of the Fathers of the Church”. Known for his bad temper. St James the Less was a the author of the first Catholic Epistle, Patron Saint of Hat Makers. Known as “the brother of Christ” because he was a close relative through his mother. Said to have witnessed the Resurrection. St James the Great was the son of Zebedee and an Apostle. An early martyr, his shrine is in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He was also the brother of John, another of the 12 Apostles St Sylvester was Pope 312 -335. His name means “light of the earth”. He was involved with the council of Nicaea 325 which denounced the Arian heresy and he is said to have converted, and baptised Emperor Constantine and cured him of leprosy. His feast day is December 31st. St Humbert} – earlier dedications of the Stokenham Church. St Barnabas reputed founder of Greek Orthodox Church. Mentioned in St Paul’s epistles. St Barnabas} St Humbert was martyred by invading Danes in the time of St Edmund (C9) Thoughts and Questions What was the function of a church in the middle ages? It was a source of religious teaching and morality, it helped mark the passage of the seasons and a lifetime.. used for Christmas, Harvest etc for christenings, burials, the “churching” of new mothers...used for the administration of tithing - a tax, as a sanctuary in times of fighting/invasion and for fleeing criminals.Sometimes it was used to store illicit goods (as in the hidden brandy kegs in the tower of East Portlemouth church!). So, as there were no good roads as we know them connecting these small villages it seems sensible that a mother church like Stokenham should commission chapels to ease the population’s observance of these functions. 3 One wonders why Chivelstone was chosen as the site for a “sister” church? Unlike Sherford with its four manors, where the working population of the farms would have been numerous, Chivelstone seems only to have had the one large farm opposite the Church – as well as a few cottages. The population seems never to have been very large. In 1641 there were 116 adult males who signed a “Protestation Return” and a few years later 28 heads of households were able to contribute to the rebuilding of St Paul’s (1678)….. But it was a link with the coast where fishing, beach scavenging and the gathering of sea weed for irrigation for shells, fish and samphire which were additions to the food supply...., And shipwrecks and piracy would impinge on the lives of the inland populace. Chivelstone would seem to have been on a direct route to the sea from Chillington and Stokenham; the toll road towards Torcross didn't exist before the 19th century. Perhaps this was of importance on the choice of site? On the other hand there was the church of St Michael and St Cyriac - at nearby South Pool and at Prawle there was St Brendan's chapel…. But perhaps power or finance played a part as Chivelstone was not a church in its own right but, like Sherford a sister church of St Michaels at Stokenham. Both these “sister” churches had links with other eccleiasical foundations which were spread over different parts of England and even extended to the Abbey of St Serge, Angers. Such foundations were Totnes Priory, Bisham Abbey (Berkshire) and Tyweardreath in Cornwall. Acquisitions of churches were an extra source of revenue in feudal times. Often early churches were sited near to a previous holy site (as at Stokenham - where there had been a Holy Well (“Stoke” means holy place in Old English) or where a Saxon church had stood, "on a hill, near water, facing south" (See J. Goodman's book on "Sherford") Did the Chivelstone site offer these? Or was it near a convenient source of stone! In Sherford the cottage of the bailiff responsible for the collection of tithes due to St Nicholas' Priory, Exeter has been identified. Was there such a bailiff in Chivelstone? And also where was the Church House which provided space to practice hymn singing, or to take some refreshment after a long walk to church where sometimes accommodation was provided? I wonder if it could have been in the cottage adjacent to the church? This is called “the Seven Stars”, which according to the Kingsbridge Trailguide (!) was a name with religious connotations. Audrey Lloyd September 2013 Continued: 4 East Portlemouth Church KEU3A LHG meeting 18 September 2013 The church is in a typical hill-top position, a good vantage point to watch for invaders, particularly from the sea. The Manor of East Portlemouth (then known as Portlamuta i.e.