Winterbourne Church

by Shipway

This transcription is taken from the typed original draft of "Winterbourne Church" complete with corrections in ink, which is in the possession of John Turner and is annotated "Mr Shipway to C.R.H."
In the text it mentions Canon Burrough who died later, in 1931. C R Hudlestone finally published his own Winterbourne Church history in 1937, so it looks like Shipway was giving C R H a helping hand, before 1931.

WINTERBOURNE CHURCH. 1. A burial ground probably existed in very early times. An Act passed in Saxon times required every village to provide a burial ground within its bounds. It is possible that an early Church may have existed here( the Saxons sometimes built their churches with wood), but the first record which I have found is in 1281, when the bishop of Worcester (in which diocese W'. was until the reign of Henry VIII) ordered a Commission to be held to arrange between the Abbot of St. Augustines, Bristol, & the Rector of W'. as to the boundaries in regard to tythes. ( The outlying part of W'. bordered Almondsbury, which then be- longed to the Abbey). In 1286 there was a Commission to enquire into an act of violence committed in W'church by the Carmelite brethren, of Bristol. The "White Book" of Worcester Abbey states that on Oct. 2. 1332 a pension of £20 was granted to William of Hedingdone, Rector of W'."where he had built the church", on his resignation. The original church may have consisted of the present chancel only. It seems that it owes its present dimensions to Sir Thomas de Bradeston,who was knighted in 1330, & died in 1360, he founded the chantry of St. Michael(undoubtedly under the tower) & probably also built the manor chapel. He was lord of the manor of W'., but whether he & other members of his family were buried in the manor chapel,or in the chapel of St. Michael,is not clear. Anthony Bradston,lord of the manor in his will dated 28 June 1549, desires to be buried "in the chancel of St. Michael the Archangel in the parish church of

W'bourne." 2. Such records as may have existed of the subsequent history of the church may have been destroyed in the fire, which occurred( about 1880) at W'. Court, where many documents had been sent for safety. In 1843 a faculty was granted for (1) taking down the whole of the N.&W.& a portion of the S. walls & also the pillars supporting the roof of the church, & re- building the same walls & pillars; (2) converting the present vestry into a Southern porch & disusing the entrance at the W. wall; (3) building a new vestry at the E. End of the small chapel. (The north window of the chancel must have been blocked in at this time;)The present vestry was built in 1880,when that building was taken down. The old priest's door into the chancel remains,but a door leading into St Michael's chapel on the W.,has been blocked up & also one on the W. of the North wall. In 1815 a faculty was granted for taking down the gallery at the W. End,& errecting a larger one,owing to the great increase of population,& many inhabitants being unprovided with seats. The new gallery to provide for the children now attended the newly established school. In 1856 the East wall was rebuilt,& several alterations at the E. end were made, as a memorial to Mr. Jones, who was for long curate of W'. In 1876 a faculty was granted for the removal of the exist- ing pews or seats & for new ones to be errected.

3. In 1880 Wm Tanner, then lord of the Manor, restored the manor chapel,& put in the two stained windows. The reseating,floor- ing & cleaning of the chancel took place at the same time. In 1882 the stained glass window under the tower,put up by Mr. Tanner in memory of his wife & daughter was damaged in a gale, & was replaced by him with a new one. More recently the present organ-chamber was erected,the organ having been previously under the arch on the left of the chancel The Spire. An old record says" In the year 1583 W'. stone steeple in a tempest of thunder & lightning was piteously rent & the church moiled whereupon fell after discord between the old parson Mr. Crondall & his parishioners,& just ten years after 1593) the like tempest & hurt happened to ye same steeple & greater variance between Mr Nicholas Crondall & the parish- ioners,so he lost his parsonage worth 200 marks ye ann." In 1811 the weather cock was taken down from spire & replaced by a sailor. 1827. The spire was struck by lightning & repaired for £65. 1853. The spire not being considered safe, was taken down to within a few courses of the tower & rebuilt by the same archi- tect who built Frenchay Church. The old stones are set up in an orchard of Hambrook House(in which Rev.John Pring was then living.) Cost £387.10.6. In 1922 the tower & steeple were restored.

4. The original position of the effigies is unknown,but it is not that which they now occupy. Those nearest to the N. wall seem to be Sir Thomas Bradeston & Agnes,his 2nd wife. (His first wife at Bradeston,by Berkly).). The next are probably Thomas( son of Sir Thomas) & Ela his wife. The next may be Blanche,wife of Robert,son of Sir Thomas, & father of Thomas. The brass appears to commemorate her. The much defaced effigy of a lady, lying at the foot of the other effigies may be of someone belonging to an earlier family than the Bradestones. The monument,under a canopy,under the N.E. window, is said to commemorate Hickonstern, a member of a family of W'. of whom traditions only exist.

RECTORS. 1. The first rector mentioned is called Thomas, who must have been appointed not later than 1281. In 1319 he is described as being infirm,& was suffering from blindness. He was ordered by the bishop to receive a coadjutor who was to take charge of him & of the parish, He several times refused to do so, & in 1324 the bishop,who now addresses him as William warns him, on pain of excommunication,to obey his order. He must, apparently have been identical with William of Hedingdone,who, after resigning the living, was granted a pension in 1332. 1332 Sept.13. John of Hereford was presented to the living. In 1349 Robert Murdoch is mentioned as Rector. 1368 May 19. John Ailmer. 1368 July 29. John Chippenham is mentioned as "parson of the church of Wynterbourne." 1370. Jan 20. Richard Coleshull,"parson of the church of W'. Exchanges benefices with Thomas Ocle,parson of the church of St.Mary, Southampton. 1370. Jan 24. Thomas of Ocle is instituted. 1371 Apl. 25. Richard Apelderham is presented to the living on an exchange with Thomas Ocle. 1371. Jul. 12. (William of Aston appears to have been present- ed to the living on an exchange with Richard Apelderham.) 1405. Jan 13. Sir Walter Fitzpiers,rector of W'., exchanges

2. livings with Sir Henry Mory,rector of Colemere, dio. of Chichester. Sir Henry Mory is admitted to the church of W'. ( "Sir" is the common title of the clergy at this time). There seems to be no evidence as to how long Henry Mory con- tinued to be rector,but at any rate there is a very long period during which there does not appear to be any inform- ation. 1533-1538.(exact date not known) Robert Gylbert is described as parson of the parish church. John Parker is mentioned after him. The names of several others are mentioned as having officiat- ed about this time. 1555 Jul. 2. Paul Bush,the first bishop of Bristol,which was formed into a diocese in the reign of Hen. VIII, after the abolition of the Abbey of St. Augustine,& who was deprived of his bishopric in the reign of Queen Mary, compounded for the first fruits of the rectory of W'. 1559.Jan.21. John Moore instituted. Vacancy caused by the death of Paul Bush, late incumbent. 1567.15 Nov. Henry Weston. 1572. Nov. 29. Nicholas Crundall instituted. Suspended 1599. 1600. Richard Bridges, M.A., instituted. 1642. Jun. 24. John Griffith compounded for first fruits. He died in 1697, aged 86; buried in the church. 1698. Feb. 11. Richard Towgood instituted.

3. 1713. Dec. 10. William Cary, M.A. 1759. Apl. John Saunders, D.D. 1777. Apl. 16. Edward Warniford, B.D. buried in the church. 1795. Jan. 25. Nathaniel Moore, L.D.D.,born 1744,died 1798. 1799. Jan. 24. Samuel Parker, B.D. 1827. Mar. 1. Thomas Whitfield. 1834. Apl. 19. John Crosby Clark, B.D.( resigned same year). 1835. Jan 10. William Birkett Allen, D.C.L. 1863. May 8. Frank Burgess,B.D. Died 17th July 1875,aged 62. 1875. Arthur Henry Austen-Leigh,Vicar of Wargrave, Berks. from 1889. 1890. Alfred Thomas Scrope Goodrick; died June 1914. Charles James Burrough,M.A. from 1914.

4. Mr. Carless, an architect who visited the church,says that the flat buttresses on the corners of the East end are characteristic of the Norman style of the 12th century, & by reason of their rather bold projection belong to the Transition period, which is usually dated between 1160-1200. The pointed moulding to the Priests' door is a mark of the transition period,& came into use about the same time as the pointed arch,which began to be employed,concurrently with semi-circular arches,during the transition period. The string course which runs horizontally around the chancel is a characteristic section of the same period. Certain features of the porch doorway belong to the same period also. From the evidence it looks as if a large portion of the original church was late 12th century work;this may have become ruinous, & have been restored,or "rebuilt" in the 13th century. Thomas mentioned on Page 1. Of Rectors,is said to have built the Church,but,if, as seems certain, a church existed before 1281,this must mean "rebuilt".