William Walton 001
Witley Court Church (UK)
1655: Thomas Foley of Stourbridge, Worcestershire bought the Great Witley Estate (amongst other properties and lands) from the Russell family of Strensham, Worcestershire.
Thomas Foley, now the 1st Baron Foley grandson of above decided to build a new church but died in 1732. His wife Lady Mary Foley and their son Thomas, 2nd Baron Foley at their own expense continued with the project. Lady Mary died in December 1735 just before the church was consecrated and the 2nd Lord Foley continued with the completion of the church including the memorial monument sculpted by Michael Rysbrack and dedicated to his parents and their five children who predeceased them. The cost of the monument was £2000.
At this point in time the interior of the church was quite plain with plain flat ceiling, plain walls and clear window glass. There were box pews, a high pulpit including a sounding board above, a lectern, and the reredos panels were wood with the Lord’s Prayer, Ten Commandments and the Creed written on them.
1747: The church was transformed. 2nd Baron Foley acquired by private sale from the Duke of Chandos’ Canons Palace, Edgeware, near London; the ten stained glass windows and the oil on canvas paintings which were placed insitu on a new curved ceiling, purpose built to hold the central painting ‘The Ascension’. This painting is stretched onto a wooden curved frame. The organ and pipes were also included in the private sale. The moulds for the wall and ceiling decorations were taken from the original designs of the plasterwork at Canons and recreated from papier mache. Papier mache had just been perfected by Henry Clay of Birmingham.
Information by Witley Parish Church.
Effects by William Walton & Topaz.
Witley Court Church (UK)
1655: Thomas Foley of Stourbridge, Worcestershire bought the Great Witley Estate (amongst other properties and lands) from the Russell family of Strensham, Worcestershire.
Thomas Foley, now the 1st Baron Foley grandson of above decided to build a new church but died in 1732. His wife Lady Mary Foley and their son Thomas, 2nd Baron Foley at their own expense continued with the project. Lady Mary died in December 1735 just before the church was consecrated and the 2nd Lord Foley continued with the completion of the church including the memorial monument sculpted by Michael Rysbrack and dedicated to his parents and their five children who predeceased them. The cost of the monument was £2000.
At this point in time the interior of the church was quite plain with plain flat ceiling, plain walls and clear window glass. There were box pews, a high pulpit including a sounding board above, a lectern, and the reredos panels were wood with the Lord’s Prayer, Ten Commandments and the Creed written on them.
1747: The church was transformed. 2nd Baron Foley acquired by private sale from the Duke of Chandos’ Canons Palace, Edgeware, near London; the ten stained glass windows and the oil on canvas paintings which were placed insitu on a new curved ceiling, purpose built to hold the central painting ‘The Ascension’. This painting is stretched onto a wooden curved frame. The organ and pipes were also included in the private sale. The moulds for the wall and ceiling decorations were taken from the original designs of the plasterwork at Canons and recreated from papier mache. Papier mache had just been perfected by Henry Clay of Birmingham.
Information by Witley Parish Church.
Effects by William Walton & Topaz.