Corse Gloucestershire
Church of St. Margaret , Corse Gloucestershire. one of very few buildings constructed entirely of local Arden sandstone, stands next to moated Corse Court and its apple orchard which was later converted into a burial ground for local Quakers; one of the first in Britain. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/41M743 it is now an active and vibrant worshipping community, together between the rivers Severn and Leadon. It is approached through an area of woodlands known as The Wildwood., the last vestige of the medieval hunting forest known as Corse Chase. The rest of the forest was cleared to create a vast area of common land known as Corse Lawn. The Lawn, in turn, was enclosed by an Act of Parliament in 1796.
The earliest records of 1290 says the parish belonged to Deerhurst Priory and there may have been a Saxon chapel here originally from which the later Norman 12c font survives. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/1V6X81 The advowson remained with Deerhurst until the 16c Dissolution passed it to the Crown where it remained until c1930 when the Bishop of Gloucester became patron.
The present building was built in 14c, and as late as 1384 it was described as a chantry chapel, possibly built as one by the owner of the adjacent Corse Court www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/8D632D
It consists of a nave built of larger stone than the chancel, two stage west tower with an external stair turrett and topped with a broach spire, c1500 timber north and stone south porches, the latter altered now to a vestry.
In 15c alterations included new larger windows for the chancel and nave which have surviving stained glass fragments.
Robert de Colevill instituted in 1311, was deprived as an unsuitable person, and his successor, Walter of Little Rissington, was deprived in 1313 for non-residence. Edmund Jones, vicar in 1532, was replaced in 1554, but was once again vicar and resident in 1563. He resigned in 1576 to be followed by his son Robert who was still vicar in 1603. Edmund did not do well in the bishop's doctrinal test of 1551; Robert was reported as neither a graduate nor a preacher in 1584, but in 1593 was classified as a sufficient scholar though not a preacher. Simon Jones who was presented for making unlawful marriages in 1631 and 1637, was presumably the 'preaching minister' serving here in 1650.
For most of the 18c Corse had a father and son as vicars: Joseph Gegg, 1727–65, who was also Vicar of Ashleworth, where he lived, and Robert Gegg, 1765–93, who built and lived in the new vicarage at Corse www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5i57Sq
There are 6 bells. In 1907 four bells (one of late 16c & 3 of 17c) were recast and two trebles added.
in 1857 the church was said to be in good order. Later restoration, done partly if not exclusively in 1913, was thankfully unobtrusive.
The parish includes Snigs End, one of 5 communities taken over by the 19c Chartists who sought to create a utopian vision of a 'New England' based on worker's living off the land in intentional communities.
Corse Gloucestershire
Church of St. Margaret , Corse Gloucestershire. one of very few buildings constructed entirely of local Arden sandstone, stands next to moated Corse Court and its apple orchard which was later converted into a burial ground for local Quakers; one of the first in Britain. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/41M743 it is now an active and vibrant worshipping community, together between the rivers Severn and Leadon. It is approached through an area of woodlands known as The Wildwood., the last vestige of the medieval hunting forest known as Corse Chase. The rest of the forest was cleared to create a vast area of common land known as Corse Lawn. The Lawn, in turn, was enclosed by an Act of Parliament in 1796.
The earliest records of 1290 says the parish belonged to Deerhurst Priory and there may have been a Saxon chapel here originally from which the later Norman 12c font survives. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/1V6X81 The advowson remained with Deerhurst until the 16c Dissolution passed it to the Crown where it remained until c1930 when the Bishop of Gloucester became patron.
The present building was built in 14c, and as late as 1384 it was described as a chantry chapel, possibly built as one by the owner of the adjacent Corse Court www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/8D632D
It consists of a nave built of larger stone than the chancel, two stage west tower with an external stair turrett and topped with a broach spire, c1500 timber north and stone south porches, the latter altered now to a vestry.
In 15c alterations included new larger windows for the chancel and nave which have surviving stained glass fragments.
Robert de Colevill instituted in 1311, was deprived as an unsuitable person, and his successor, Walter of Little Rissington, was deprived in 1313 for non-residence. Edmund Jones, vicar in 1532, was replaced in 1554, but was once again vicar and resident in 1563. He resigned in 1576 to be followed by his son Robert who was still vicar in 1603. Edmund did not do well in the bishop's doctrinal test of 1551; Robert was reported as neither a graduate nor a preacher in 1584, but in 1593 was classified as a sufficient scholar though not a preacher. Simon Jones who was presented for making unlawful marriages in 1631 and 1637, was presumably the 'preaching minister' serving here in 1650.
For most of the 18c Corse had a father and son as vicars: Joseph Gegg, 1727–65, who was also Vicar of Ashleworth, where he lived, and Robert Gegg, 1765–93, who built and lived in the new vicarage at Corse www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5i57Sq
There are 6 bells. In 1907 four bells (one of late 16c & 3 of 17c) were recast and two trebles added.
in 1857 the church was said to be in good order. Later restoration, done partly if not exclusively in 1913, was thankfully unobtrusive.
The parish includes Snigs End, one of 5 communities taken over by the 19c Chartists who sought to create a utopian vision of a 'New England' based on worker's living off the land in intentional communities.