A short description of
Simbridge Parish Church of St John the Evangelist
We welcome you virtually via the internet to this ancient parish Church where we hope you will spend a time in prayer for the living and departed and for yourself.
To all who have stepped aside here, caring for beauty, finding peace in the uplifted, inspired, praising handiwork of earlier men, and happy to look for a little time around our la6vely church - perhaps this simple account may help your enjoyment.
Some Historical Points
The very early history is uncertain and difficult to pinpoint with accuracy.
There is no known date of the building of the present church and it is not mentioned in Domesday Book, 1066. In 1146 the Benedictine Priory at Stanley St. Leonard was founded and it is recorded that the advowson of Slymbridge, amongst others, was granted to it at that time, which points to the existence of an earlier church. This is borne out by the discovery of loose stones under the Chancel floor bearing evident marks of Norman and Semi-Norman work during restoration work in the middle of the nineteenth century, thus giving rise to the opinion that these were probably used in the foundations of the present church. All of the church as we see it now, with the exception of the spire, the clerestory and the roof was built during the Early English period and the Transition period from Early English to Decorated, probably from about 1250 to the early 1300’s.
In 1484, Richard III, advowson of the parsonage of Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, and of Findon in Sussex, was vested in Waynflete by the Earl of Nottingham, on condition that he and his wife should have daily participation of all prayers and suffrages in the Chapel of the College of St. Mary Magdalen in Oxford.
The Earl of Nottingham was William, son of James, Lord Berkeley, who gave his castle and lordship of Berkeley, also twelve manors and three advowsons in the County of Gloucester, to Henry VI 1, to be made a Marquis. He was born in 1426, fought the battle of Nibley Green, and died without issue on 13th February 1491.
It would appear that the advowson was granted on these conditions by the Earl of Nottingham, afterwards William, Marquis of Berkeley, to the College of St. Mary Magdalen. But in fact it seems that there never was any commemoration of the Lords Berkeley in the College Chapel, but there is of Henry VI on account, it is supposed, of his vesting the advowson of Slimbridge in the College.
He also reserved f:10 per annum out of the value of the living as remuneration for this commemoration, duly kept by the performance of a Mass on the first day of May, till the Reformation, and since that time a Eucharistic Hymn is sung by the whole choir on the top of Magdalen Tower at five o'clock A.M., on the first of May, and for the said performance the Rector of Slimbridge pays annually the sum of ten pounds.
It is therefore probable that when the Earl of Notting- ham conveyed his estates to Henry VI 1, to be made a Marquis, Henry required that the prayers in the College should be for his own benefit instead of the Lords Berkeley, and that he reserved from the annual value of the Parson- age, E 1 0 as compensation to the Col lege for the benef it he might receive, and for which, as the advowson was not his to give, they would otherwise not have been remunerated by him.
Thus, the "Parson of Slymbridge, the only injured party" could have no redress, as it would be at his own option to accept the presentation to the Parsonage or not.
County Histories inform us that the church was dedicated to St. John the Evangelist but there is no evidence or commemoration of this fact, and the only Saint to whom any marked respect was paid is St. Thomas by the Will of William Smith, dated October 6th, 1774, who left £3 to be payable on every 29th September to the Rector and his successors for ever, for the purchase and distribution of bread to poor widows on St. Thomas' Day. This was added to by two bequests of a similar kind during the nineteenth century and the apportionment continued until 1956 when it was decided to give money to elderly people instead of bread.
Inside the Church
points to look for
Nave Arcades
Counted among the most beautiful to be found anywhere. Note the perfectly foliated capitals, in which the fieur-de-lis predominates, but is so varied as to assume a different aspect in each cap. Each shaft throughout the church, carries a different pattern of foliage. All are Early English. The six candelabrum, the gift of an anonymous donor, were installed by Lionel Keedwell in 1972. The cherubic motif matches well with the same decoration on the seventeenth century lead font.
South Aisle
The sixteen corbels are excellent and have the most intriguing faces. They date from the latter half of the reign of Henry VI, circa 1450. The windows are Perpendicular. There is a 13th century Piscina in the South Wall. These were basins, with drains leading to the consecrated ground of the Churchyard, for the priest to wash his hands before Mass and to wash the vessels after the ceremony.
The presence of this piscina denotes that there has been an altar here throughout.
North Aisle
The East window of this aisle is the most beautiful in the church and it is in the Flamboyant or wavy, flame-like style sometimes used in the 15th and 16th centuries. This still contains some stained glass, much mutilated, with rich crown border and also the lead showing the form of a nimbus round the heads of saints in two lights, the rest long lost. The ten corbels on which the wall-pieces are carried are of a later date than those in the South aisle but worthy of some scrutiny. There are two small corbels over the first arch depicting the Lord of Berkeley and his Lady over what was at one time the Earl's pew. This roof has been repaired at a cost of £3,000.
After the major restoration undertaken in the mid-nineteenth century was completed a fairly detailed record was left of what it was like before and of what was done, and of all that still remained to be done. The whole of the Clerestory with the exception of the eastern wall was taken clown at this time and re-built with a new roof and a new cornice and parapet on the exterior. It can now be clearly seen inside on the western wall of the nave that the original roof was very high pitched and the church would doubtless only appear in its initial glory if this had been replaced and no clerestory added. However the restorers had carefully made a new saddle-back oak roof to go up before the old wor@ was removed and it was not until a huge deal gallery which occupied the whole of the top half of the western wall was taken down that they were made aware, as we now are, of the inspired pitch of that earlier roof.
Chancel
Sedilia on the South wall. Notice the lovely 14th century panelling above with quatrefoiled flower decoration and trefoiled arches under. On the South wall there is a second Piscina very much restored but as with the first, the front leaf is broken off . On the North wall is a Prothesis or Credence table on which stood the wafers and wine before they were consecrated at the Altar. There is a third Piscina on the South side by the Nave Arch near where the Rood Screen and the Rood Loft originally were. This last shows that the Altar was at some time placed at the East end of the Nave. Immediately below the Sedilia is a Priest's door, note the well-worn step.
In one light of the window at the western end of the South wall of the Chancel is some old glass depicting the coat of arms of the Whittington family. The connection with Slymbridge is obscure, but Richard Whittington of Pauntley in Gloucestershire, the same Dick who has pro- vided unwittingly entertainment ever since did marry Alice Fitzwarren, daughter of Sir John Fitzwarren, mercer and Merchant Adventurer of London who was connected with the Berkeleys. Much later, in the earlier part of the sixteenth century Anne Whittington, second daughter of Thomas Whittington of Pauntley and a direct descendant of Dick Whittington, married a younger son of the Berkeley family. These are links with Slymbridge.
The Porch
The inner Doorway of the South Porch with its beautiful moulding with Early English flowers running round it, without base or cap. Seventeen of the twenty-seven flowers were replaced last century, but the rest and the hood-moulding terminating at the east side in a female head and at the west in a ball-flower are Early English. There was a Parvise or top story to the South Porch. The floor has been removed while the staircase, which is in the north-west angle of the Porch and the door leading to it from inside the church just to the west of the South Door, have been blocked up. The Parvise was complete a century ago and is depicted with wall and beams in one corner blackened by fire and smoke, so would probably and possibly the Vestry likewise, have been used by the priest in early days as a permanent or occasional residence. Note the deep, narrow early 13th century windows, splayed inside, one of which looks into the church.
Rood Loft
In the piers of the Nave Arch, just below the caps, there were notches, now filled in, on which the beams of the Rood Loft would have rested. There was a door, now covered up, leading up the Rood Loft stairs, which are walled up in the South-East angle of the North Aisle. A hundred years ago there was still a carved oak Rood Screen with semicircular arches and a pulpit, both of the times of James 1, but these too are no longer there to be enjoyed. The present Screen was made from sections of the old three-decker Jacobean pulpit.
The Linen-fold pattern Screen was placed at the West end of the church in 1914 in memory of William Tyndale who was reputedly born at Hurst Farm, Slimbridge, and who certainly spent his early boyhood days in the parish. Edward Tyndale's brother, who died in 1546 (10 years after William's martyrdom) lies buried in Slymbridge churchyard.
In 1953 a floor was built above the vestry at the West end of the church, making a Ringing Chamber for the six pleasingly toned Bells, greatly facilitating the work of the ringers, and adding to the beauty of this part of the church.
The Font
The lead Font of handsome design and bearing the date 1664 replaces a much earlier one.
The Organ
This instrument was originally built by Liddiatt & Sons of Leonard Stanley, Stroud, Glos. in 1897. Percy Daniel & Co. of Clevedon, Somerset, completely re-built it in 1953 with electro-pneumatic action. The Electric Blower was given jointly by Mrs. M. G. Thomas and Mr. 0. E. Hill the Organist, in 1944. The instrument is now in the care of Messrs. P. W. Hutchins, of Coleford, Glos.
Electric Lighting in the Church was installed as a gift from the late Rector, the Reverend Canon William Henry Thomas, M.A., formerly Academical Clerk of Magdalen College, Oxford, and Miss Dorothy Thomas, in memory of their Mother, Mrs. Alice Ada Thomas, in 1939.
Outside the Church
The church is built of local tufa stone from the neighbourhood of Dursley.
The Tower
The tower is Early English while the West Window is early 14th century of the Decorated Period. On the western face of the Tower are several niches. The two on either side of the West Window would have held figures of Saints, the three above probably contained the Rood in the centre, the Blessed Virgin on one side and St. John on the other.
The Spire
Surely an inspiration to all to raise their thoughts from the discords of today as it rises out of the lowland of the Berkeley Vale with such slender grace, a landmark for miles around. It was originally higher but has been shortened during the last one hundred and twenty-five years, and in 1912, when repairs to render it safer had be- come necessary. The Spire was added to the Tower in the 14th century.
Gargoyles
On the North and South side, dating from the 14th century, gutters with gargoyles, a kind of stone water-spout. It was a common belief that dragons and demons infested the church. Carved forms of these were used for gargoyles. They were thus made to protect the church they wished to destroy.
Note the rather lovely bail-flower course round the South Aisle and the South Porch, usually a characteristic of 14th century Decorated style but sometimes as is possi- ble here, found in earlier work. (it is interesting to note that the identical ball-f lower strings are to be found on the exterior of the South side of Gloucester Cathedral).
Some Reflections
While you are here in this quiet House of God, think for a little of all the ordinary people who planned, built, maintained and restored it, and too, of all the troubles and hopes that have been talked over with God inside its walls for so many centuries. May you now likewise find comfort for yourselves!
0 Almighty God, we, who come to this place as pilgrims, give thee thanks for thy gifts in past times through thy Church. Grant that we may be worthy of our inheritance ; quicken our faith and inspire us with thy spirit that we may walk together in fellowship and peace ; draw all men unto thee and one to another by the bands of thy love ; and unite us in a sacred brotherhood to the glory of thy name ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
0 Dear Lord And Saviour of all the world, Grant to us Thy Servants a goodlie measure of grace in all our daily endeavourings. Let there be always most holie charities, self denial and humilitie. Enlighten our soulles with the good medicine of Thy Word now and for ever. Amen.