| Stapleford
Church
By Mr G. Fellows, Transactions
of the Thoroton Society, 10
(1906)
 |
St
Helen's church, Stapleford
(© A. Nicholson, 2002) |
This church of St. Helen appears to
have been altered and enlarged at various times, and
little regard has beenpaid to the old work. The lower
portion of the tower belongs to the Early English
period. The much mutilated west doorway and the tower
arch, with the “keeled” columns and plain
chamfers, point to a date about 1250, whilst the belfry
stage, parapets, and stone spire were evidently added
in the fifteenth century.
The spire has no spire lights, or ribs, but it has
a considerable entasis in the upper portion. The wall
inside the south porch is also apparently a remnant
of Early English work; the doorway has a pointed arch
on the outer side and a semi-circular arch within.
Next in point of time is the chancel, with a large
east window of five lights of intersecting geometrical
tracery, with shallow cuspings in the top of the central
division only. This, and the cross on the east gable,
would date from about 1300.
There is a double aumbry in the north wall of the
chancel, the doors of which are missing, but the iron
hooks that carried them may still be seen. The nave
arcades of three bays and the south aisle belong to
the Decorated period, as does also the window at the
east end of the same aisle; there is a clerestory
on the south side only, consisting of square-headed
windows without cuspings; the north arcade is at a
lower level, and the westernmost arch has a lower
spring than the others.
In the vestry is a description of the
bells, two of which are pre-reformation, and the inscriptions
are recorded as :—i. + Ave Maria gratia plena
dominus tecum. “The angelus bell, so called
from having the salutation of the angel Gabriel upon
it . . .” ii. + I.H.S. naserenus rex judeoru
fili dei. iii. John Streets jr and John Smedley, Church
wardens MDCCCLIII.
The church is in the deanery of Bulwell,
and has been much restored. The last time it underwent
this process was in 1876-7, when £2,000 was
spent upon it, the Revd. Dr. Scott being the vicar.
There is seating accommodation for 440. The church
yard was closed for interments in 1883. The last lord
of the manor was Mr. John Jackson, who resided at
the manor house. He died intestate, and his estate
was administered in chancery. Mrs. Sherwin-Gregory,
of Bramcote, eventually bought this property in 1885.
As lord of the manor Mr. Jackson laid claim to a pew
in the chancel, and at the present time two sittings
on the south side of the nave are acknowledged as
belonging to the manor farm.
In the churchyard is the tomb (surrounded
by iron palisades) of Captain William Sleigh,
who died in 1842, aged 62. A large portion of the
stone side, which carried the inscription, has shaled
off, but sufficient is left to show that he saw much
service with the British army in the beginning of
the nineteenth century :—
In memory of Captain William Sleigh
/ who died Ap…. 1842 aged 62 /
He first served with …..t Egypt A.D. 1801 /
and afterwards as…….. in Canada /
He shared the glory ….t actions against / the
enemy, espec………WA July 5,
1814- where be was sl………/…….having
r…….. service,
be spent / the evening……….. his
place in / hospitable……..
friends and/in well…….tim……….NS
to the /………
There seems to have been a priest and
a church here in the Confessor’s time. William
Peveril held land in demesne here, and his feudatory
was Robert de Heriz. Civicia (or Avicia) wife of Richard
Cazmera, “the Lady of Stapleford,” gave
the church to Newstead Priory. In 1338 the head of
this family thought he was dying, and gave the estate
to found a charity at Newstead, but, getting better,
he revoked his deed and gave it to his sister, who
gave a part only to Newstead and the remainder to
her heirs; they seem to have adopted the name of the
village as their surname.
The tombs in the church are to members
of the Teverey family. This
family became identified with the place in the time
of Edward III., by the marriage of Johannes Teverey,
of Long Eaton, in Derbyshire near by, with Margareta
de Stapleford, an only child and heiress, whose
dower was a considerable property here.
The oldest of these memorials is an
incised slab in front of the chancel step, bearing
the figures of Robert Teverey and his wife, Katherine
Chaworth, with a shield bearing their respective arms
impaled, the Tevereys having apparently adopted the
arms of the Staplefords, viz: Argent on two bars azure,
three tin quefoils or. He died “circa festum
Pentecosti a° salutis 1553,” and she in
1571.Their eldest son, John, married Anna, daughter
and heir of John de Crevequeur, of Twyford, Leicestershire.
This couple’s mural monument, with a Latin inscription,
recorded in Thoroton, and their impaled arms, is affixed
to the south wall.
The most imposing tomb was sadly maltreated
at the time of the 1877 restoration, when the lower
part became divorced from its superstructure with
a view of gaining some two or three extra seats. The
superstructure remains in its original situation against
the south wall, and the slab which carries the effigies,
with the quaint group of figures beneath, was transferred
to the north of the chancel arch.
The effigies are those of Gervase Teverey
and his wife, Anna Ashby, of Quenby, in Leicestershire,
on which traces of paint are still visible, He died
in 1639, and the florid Latin inscription in his memory
is said to have been written by Dr. Huntington Plumptre.
Gervase was the last of the Tevereys; his only son
died an infant, and the property passed by the marriage
of his daughter, Maria, to Sir Brian Palmes, of Harburn
Yorkshire, whose posterity sold it to Arthur Warren,
of Toton. On this monument the arms of Teverey, viz:
Azure, a lion rampant argent, within a bordure engrailed
or, are reverted to. The heraldic stained glass referred
to by Dr. Thoroton has entirely disappeared, probably
in one of the numerous restorations.
Mr. Arthur Warren married the wealthy
heiress of Sir John Borlase; their grandson was the
distinguished admiral, Sir
John Borlase Warren, who was created Baronet on
20th May, 1775, and received the thanks of both Houses
of Parliament for his services. The property subsequently
belonged to the Wright family, the bankers. It is
now being rapidly sold off in building lots.
By Mr G. Fellows, Transactions
of the Thoroton Society, 10
(1906)
Thanks to A. Nicholson
for the use of text and pictures: www.nottshistory.org.uk |
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