Preston on Stour, Warwickshire
Church of St Mary , Preston on Stour, Warwickshire anciently dedicated to St. Peter the apostle, -
The earliest recorded mention of a church here is in 1272, when the advowson belonged to Deerhurst Priory. It consisted of a chancel, nave and north porch. A tower was added in late 15c which has 3 bells- two by Henry Bagley of 1635 , the third is by Abraham Rudhal of 1713.
In 1504 the church passed to Tewkesbury Abbey on condition that the abbey pay for a vicarage, though it seems this never happened and by 1540 the whole income was a salary of £8 13s. 4d. later reduced to £8 pa by 1647.
The vicarage was so poor that the parish was often inadequately served. Thomas Roberts, vicar in 1532 - 1557 "was weak in doctrine" and from 1544 kept instead a curate. Roger Horrocks described as "very old and impotent" in 1572, remained vicar until 1576, when he was excommunicated for contumacy. (stubborn refusal to obey or comply with authority) In 1584 the vicar (described as curate) "neglected to hold services and teach the catechism" (In 1603 seven people were listed as recusants). There was no vicar or curate from from 1623. and John Bursey, who held it by 1642 to 1664 was said in 1650 to be 'no constant preacher'. A vicarage house was mentioned in 1615, but by then it had been divided into 2 cottages. The smallness of the salary and the vicar's dependency with the owner led in 1747 and 1818 the living being augmented with 7 sums of £200 from Queen Anne's Bounty.
In 1753 he lord of the manor, James West of Alscot Park, commissioned architect Edward Woodward of Chipping Campden to begin rebuilding the medieval church in the entirely new style of Gothic Revival .
The chancel was rebuilt in 1753-4 in a mixture of Gothic styles taken from 14c & 15c -
In 1756 the main entrance was created in the west face of the tower, and in 1757 the north wall of the nave was rebuilt, windows placed in the medieval south wall of different builds, and a parapet added by Edward and Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden, though the early 15c timber roof of the nave was left intact.
At the same time a west gallery was added built by Salmon of Stratford, on which was placed the 1603-88 Stuart royal coat of arms. Overhead hang 4 funeral hatchments of the West family from 1799-1882.
James West seems to have been a collector of stained glass, and there is heraldic 15c English glass in the tower window, 17c pieces in both the east and west windows, and 17c Dutch glass in the chancel allegedly brought here from Evesham Abbey.
The chancel was restored in 1904 when a small north door was added below the window.
The churchyard was enlarged in 1885 and 1926. In early 18c each landowner was responsible for a specified section of the fence round it, which was later replaced by a wall, and there are two pairs of large 18c stone gateposts with wrought iron gates. One pair opening on an avenue of ancient yews.
In 1818 the only school in the parish was a dame school attended by about 10 children. Anne, wife of James Roberts West 1838 started a Sunday school in 1821; In 1846 there was a day and Sunday school for girls, and a Sunday school for boys totalling 65 children. In 1848 James Roberts West II built a parish school, the earliest feature of his model village, which he maintained.
Charities : £10 Giles Smith 1634; £20 Richard Mariett 1744; £40 Sarah West 1770 invested to be given to the poor in money or coal.
Preston on Stour, Warwickshire
Church of St Mary , Preston on Stour, Warwickshire anciently dedicated to St. Peter the apostle, -
The earliest recorded mention of a church here is in 1272, when the advowson belonged to Deerhurst Priory. It consisted of a chancel, nave and north porch. A tower was added in late 15c which has 3 bells- two by Henry Bagley of 1635 , the third is by Abraham Rudhal of 1713.
In 1504 the church passed to Tewkesbury Abbey on condition that the abbey pay for a vicarage, though it seems this never happened and by 1540 the whole income was a salary of £8 13s. 4d. later reduced to £8 pa by 1647.
The vicarage was so poor that the parish was often inadequately served. Thomas Roberts, vicar in 1532 - 1557 "was weak in doctrine" and from 1544 kept instead a curate. Roger Horrocks described as "very old and impotent" in 1572, remained vicar until 1576, when he was excommunicated for contumacy. (stubborn refusal to obey or comply with authority) In 1584 the vicar (described as curate) "neglected to hold services and teach the catechism" (In 1603 seven people were listed as recusants). There was no vicar or curate from from 1623. and John Bursey, who held it by 1642 to 1664 was said in 1650 to be 'no constant preacher'. A vicarage house was mentioned in 1615, but by then it had been divided into 2 cottages. The smallness of the salary and the vicar's dependency with the owner led in 1747 and 1818 the living being augmented with 7 sums of £200 from Queen Anne's Bounty.
In 1753 he lord of the manor, James West of Alscot Park, commissioned architect Edward Woodward of Chipping Campden to begin rebuilding the medieval church in the entirely new style of Gothic Revival .
The chancel was rebuilt in 1753-4 in a mixture of Gothic styles taken from 14c & 15c -
In 1756 the main entrance was created in the west face of the tower, and in 1757 the north wall of the nave was rebuilt, windows placed in the medieval south wall of different builds, and a parapet added by Edward and Thomas Woodward of Chipping Campden, though the early 15c timber roof of the nave was left intact.
At the same time a west gallery was added built by Salmon of Stratford, on which was placed the 1603-88 Stuart royal coat of arms. Overhead hang 4 funeral hatchments of the West family from 1799-1882.
James West seems to have been a collector of stained glass, and there is heraldic 15c English glass in the tower window, 17c pieces in both the east and west windows, and 17c Dutch glass in the chancel allegedly brought here from Evesham Abbey.
The chancel was restored in 1904 when a small north door was added below the window.
The churchyard was enlarged in 1885 and 1926. In early 18c each landowner was responsible for a specified section of the fence round it, which was later replaced by a wall, and there are two pairs of large 18c stone gateposts with wrought iron gates. One pair opening on an avenue of ancient yews.
In 1818 the only school in the parish was a dame school attended by about 10 children. Anne, wife of James Roberts West 1838 started a Sunday school in 1821; In 1846 there was a day and Sunday school for girls, and a Sunday school for boys totalling 65 children. In 1848 James Roberts West II built a parish school, the earliest feature of his model village, which he maintained.
Charities : £10 Giles Smith 1634; £20 Richard Mariett 1744; £40 Sarah West 1770 invested to be given to the poor in money or coal.