The Parish Church St Mary the Virgin

A Short History and Guide to
The Parish Church
St Mary the Virgin
at Ingestre
A short history and guide to
The Parish Church St Mary the Virgin
at Ingestre
The Dedication Tablet over the main entrance reads:
Deo. Opt. Max
Templum Hoc
A Fundamentis Extructum
Walterus Chetwynd
(Walt. Fil. Walt. Equ. Aur. Nepos)
L.M.
D.D.D.
Anno Aeræ Christianæ
1676
Translation:
Walter Chetwynd, (Son of Walter and Grandson of Sir Walter Knt.) built
this Church from its foundations and gave, presented and dedicated it to
Almighty God as his own monument in the year 1676.
Compiled by Reverend A J Poole,
Rector for Tixall-with-Ingestre 1976
Revised by Geoff Elkin 2011
Edited by Gill Broadbent 2011
W
elcome to Ingestre
Church, a unique place
of worship and the centre
of our community. It is the creation
and vision of one man – Walter
Chetwynd, achieved through the
skill of one of the world’s greatest
architects. Like the Taj Mahal in
India this “box of delights” was built
to the glory of God and for the love
of one woman. We hope you will
enjoy learning something about the
Church and its history and that you
will benefit from the atmosphere
of prayer and quiet peace which is
present here.
The Historical Background
I
ngestre is an ancient and
sacred place situated in the
heart of the Vale of Trent.
The Danish invaders came and
settled here in this fertile valley.
They established themselves in
the Tixall-Ingestre area in the 9th
and 10th centuries. Ingestre comes
from a Danish name “The Ings of
Trent” which means “flat meadows”.
Nearby Tixall is a corruption of the
Tycho’s Hall and Tycho was a Dane.
2nd Viscount Ingestre, died and
following an Act of Parliament,
the estate passed to his daughter
Catherine. She later married the
Honourable John Talbot (3rd son
of Lord Talbot), of another famous
Staffordshire family. It is fascinating
that the de Muttons, Chetwynds and
Talbots had each held lands at the
time of the Domesday Survey.
In 1784 Catherine’s and John’s
eldest son (also called John) was
created the first Earl Talbot and
Viscount Ingestre. In 1856 when the
17th Earl of Shrewsbury died Henry
John, the 3rd Earl Talbot, laid claim
to the peerage. In 1860 he became
the 18th Earl of Shrewsbury and
Waterford. The links to the Earl of
Shrewsbury continue today with the
22nd Earl of Shrewsbury and his
family maintaining their interest,
support and presence in the church.
In the Domesday Survey (1086) the
village is referred to as Gestreon
– a name still in use for one of
the properties in the village today.
With the Norman Conquest, new
overlords came to Ingestre. Hugo de
Mutton, known as ‘the Marshall’,
was granted this land under the
superior lordship of Robert de
Stafford. This interesting ancestral
story continued through the family
de Mutton (or Mytton or Mitton).
In 1242 Sir Adam died and the
estate passed to his only surviving
heir Isabella. Her marriage in
1256 to Philip de Chetwynd
began the connection with one of
Staffordshire’s greatest families
– the Chetwynds.
From 1613 the Chetwynds and their
descendants lived at Ingestre Hall,
which is opposite the church. The
Chetwynd-Talbots, and subsequently
the Earls of Shrewsbury from
the 18th Earl, continued to live
at the Hall, until 1960. It was
then sold to West Bromwich
Local Authority (now Sandwell
In 1767 John Chetwynd, the
Metropolitan Borough Council)
and is a Residential Arts Centre. Its
impressive facade can be glimpsed
from the church. The building,
which replaced the earlier manor
house, is a mix of Jacobean and
John Nash architecture. The grounds
were landscaped by Capability
Brown in 1756.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin at Ingestre
T
he present church is a
kaleidoscope of light and
colour. Its marvellous
architecture and the wealth of stories
of those who have been involved
with its history are a joy. But the
area itself has a deep sacred origin
from medieval times.
with lands to maintain a priest
and soon became famous for its
adjoining medicinal salt springs. It
was visited by the lame and diseased
who hung their crutches on the
church walls such that they covered
it.
There are references to a chaplain
at Ingestre in 1305 and to the
advowson of Ingestre Church in
1307. This was originally a Chapel
of Ease, established by the Lord
of the Manor with the Bishop’s
consent as Ingestre was too far from
St Mary’s in Stafford for people to
walk there regularly for services.
Between 1485 and 1509, William
Chetwynd built a chapel on the
waste of Ingestre dedicated to St
Erasmus, a Bishop and Martyr from
300 AD. The chapel was endowed
Roundels from the 13th Century
Church
in 1613, and his grandson, another
Walter, who built the Church
between 1673 and 1676. Walter the
Churchbuilder was a noted antiquary
and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
It was he who, on the death of his
wife in childbirth, was “so stricken
by grief and his profuse love for
her that he conceived this sacred
monument to the glory of God”. Her
memorial stands on the right of the
altar.
In April 1672 Walter Chetwynd
petitioned the Archbishop of
Canterbury to declare the 13th
century Church derelict and to grant
him permission to replace it with
a new building entirely at his own
cost. A copy of this petition, together
with the Archbishop’s reply written
Walter Chetwynd
The exact site of the old 13th
Century church is not known, but
it is suggested that it may have
been nearer to the Hanyards than
the current church. It possessed
some stained glass in the form of
the armorial bearings. When it was
taken down in the17th Century,
these roundels were reused in the
present church. Originally they
were placed above the altar, but
were moved to the side windows in
Victorian times.
There are two Chetwynds of most
interest to the development of
Ingestre: Walter, who built the Hall
on the site of an earlier manor house
Christopher Wren
in the margin, is on display in the
Church.
order to emphasise this fact, services
for the Churching of Women, Holy
Baptism, a Marriage and a Funeral
were solemnised in the Church
upon the day of its consecration.
However, it should be realised that
until quite modern times every
parishioner would have been in
some way a servant to the family, a
tenant or a tenant farmer.
In due course the Church was built
to a design by Sir Christopher
Wren - this is well established
and accepted as such by the
Wren Society, although any local
documentary evidence was lost in a
fire at the Hall in 1882. Both Walter
Chetwynd and Sir Christopher
Wren were Fellows of the Royal
Society from its very early
days. Wren was working
in London in the 1670s
and building St Paul’s in
1675. Compare the pillars
in Ingestre Church and
those in St Bride’s Church
in London built by Wren.
Further evidence of Wren’s
involvement lies in a
drawing of “Mr. Chetwynd’s
Tower” (which was never
built). This is now in the
Victoria and Albert Museum.
Ingestre Church can thus
claim to be the only Wren
Parish Church outside
London.
Although the Church is
adjacent to the Hall and was
built and used by the family,
it has never been a private
chapel, but is in every
respect a Parish Church. In Mr Chetwynd’s Tower
Pillars in St Mary’s Church, Ingestre.
Pillars in St Brides’ Church, London
What to look for in the building
“Enter through the circular lobby under the tower,
and you find yourself in a room of blissful harmony”.
Sir Nikolaus Pevsner
S
it and look around you.
light are important. Ingestre is the
only known pure Palladian church
outside London. When looking
around it is possible to imagine
the impact on the villagers who
formed the congregation. Light and
yet more awe-inspiring light from
Heaven all around them. There
are four arcaded bays with Doric
columns, a black and white marble
floor in the Chancel and a stunning
stucco ceiling. It is also interesting
to know that when the foundations
What shape is this space?
As you view this lovely
interior you need to consider its
shape, for Wren created a clever
optical illusion. The church is
actually a square within a square.
The architecture style is Palladian,
a fashion which moved away from
the heaviness of the Gothic style
and returned to a basic Greek
design and simplicity in which
light and the devotional power of
were laid in 1673, Walter Chetwynd
put coins (shillings/farthings and
halfpennies) in the four corners of
the Tower
I
n the woodwork we see the
hand of another great English
craftsman – Grinling Gibbons.
The magnificent tripartite screen
with pilasters, the Royal Arms
and the great pulpit with tester are
attributed to him. Almost all the
woodwork is original; the pews are
made of Flanders oak. The wood
was worked by Flemish craftsmen
– the best craftsmen available.
The Royal Coat of Arms which is
particularly imposing for what is a
secular image holds a clear message
from Walter Chetwynd. It says “I am
Protestant” and indicates his support
for the recent Restoration of Charles
II as monarch.
Note how the family pews, set
at right-angles to those of the
congregation, are identical to the
others - surely a clue to the character
L
of Walter Chetwynd who, in an age
of ostentation, refused to sit higher
than his people. The pews’ sides
were originally higher (Box Pews)
which made the congregation look
up. They were reduced in the mid
19th Century. The figures of the
Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel
above the altar were pieces added in
1871 by the 19th Earl and date from
1676.
ooking up you can view the
glorious stucco ceiling in
the nave which is typical
of Wren churches. During the
restoration work in the late 60s two
names were discovered inscribed
in the plaster - “Gilbert” and
“S Hand”. It is interesting that
members of the Hand family were
in charge of quarrying the stone
for St Paul’s Cathedral. The ceiling
decorations were created in typical
Wren style with horsehair, leather
and lime wash. There is a very
similar example at Sudbury Hall in
Derbyshire
Whilst examining the woodwork
near the altar you might like to look
out for Grinling Gibbons trademark
– an open peapod...there are several
up there!!
T
The Laudian frontal in Venetian
Tapestry covering the altar is a 1976
memorial to Lady Joan Bickerton,
a daughter of Viscount Ingestre
and Lady Winifred, who secondly
married Mr. Richard Edmands
Pennoyer of the USA.
he church has many fine
carved memorials around
its walls to the Chetwynd/
Talbot family. A full list is available
in the church but you might like to
look out for Viscount Ingestre 1915
in Royal Horse Guards uniform
with a red-plumed helmet; Lord
Talbot 1849 in the robes of the Lord
Lieutenant and the 18th Earl of
Shrewsbury in his ermined robes­
10
aimed to return craftsmanship to a
medieval past. The windows reflect
the richness of pre-Raphaelite
colours. The centre window in the
north wall was designed by BurneJones and the facing window in the
south wall by Baroness Gleichen
(the dates suggest after the death of
Morris). One window in the Chancel
is signed by Willement, a British
stained glass artist, called “the
Father of Victorian Stained Glass”,
active from 1811 to 1865.
The family is not absent from the
windows...the 19th Earl is featured
in the painted glass of the South
Window in the chancel.
T
he church windows give
an insight into the history
of stained glass. The
roundels bearing the Chetwynd
Arms are very early and came from
the 13th century church. They were
originally placed above the Altar in
the east window and moved to the
south and north windows during
the late 19th century. You can see
that they lack any vibrant colour,
a technique which had not yet
been discovered. Others windows
however are Victorian and were
made in the workshops of William
Morris, the prime leader in the
Arts & Crafts Movement, which
11
The Church is the possessor
of a pair of silver-gilt pricket
candlesticks (21 ins high), a chalice,
paten and salvers from the reign of
Charles II and a paten and chalice
from the William & Mary period.
Owing to the value of these items,
they are on permanent display in a
special case in the County Museum
at Shugborough Hall, about two
miles from Ingestre.
The painting over the door is by
the Belgian artist Forasyn (1871)
and depicts Thomas doubting the
Resurrection. There were two
Forasyns, father and son. As the son
would only have been a teenager
in 1871 we assume this to be by
Forasyn the elder. It is a copy of a
painting by Verrio and the original is
at Chatsworth House
12
B
E
lectric Lighting was installed
in 1886. This was the first
church outside London
and only the second church in the
country to have it. The Chetwynds
were always in the forefront of
development. The lights were made
to a typical Victorian design and
are very ornate. The wrought-iron
fittings were designed by Thos
Taylor-Smith of London and the
installation was carried out by The
Domestic Lighting Company of
London.
ells have been rung in
the church since it was
built. Prior to his death
in 1692, Walter Chetwynd made
provision in his will for a peal of
six bells to be cast and installed in
the church tower. They were cast
by Henry Bagley and dated 1676.
Subsequently, one bell was cracked
and was the first bell to be recast
by Mears and Stainbank in the
Whitechapel Bell foundry after the
war in 1945. These beautifully toned
bells bearing the arms and initials of
Walter Chetwynd are still in the bell
tower today.
13
O
days.
rgan accompaniment
has been enjoyed in the
church since its early
The organ was made by J Banfield
& Son, Birmingham, and installed
in 1876.
T
he one-handed clock is
the remaining curiosity
of the church. The dots
between the numerals represent
each quarter. It can be viewed
from outside and also seen via
a CCTV link inside the church.
It strikes on the hour, using the
fourth bell.
This wonderful building continues to be a place of
peace and tranquility.
14
21st Century Restoration
D
Death-watch beetle was
discovered in the roof in
2000. As a result the Church
was closed for 4 years. The Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) supported the
restoration of the roof and helped
to provide additional access for
those with mobility difficulties. An
enormous effort of fund raising was
undertaken by a dedicated band of
parishioners supported by people
from around the world. Thanks to
all this support the church re-opened
to the public in 2004 enabling
everyone to enjoy its wonderful
heritage.
15
A subsequent HLF ‘Your Heritage
Grant’ in 2004 contributed funds
towards for the restoration and
refurbishment of the bells and bell
tower and enabled us to promote the
history and heritage of the church.
The restored bells were re-hung in
2006. Innovative display facilities
were also provided to demonstrate
bell ringing.
16
Appendix 1
Chetwynd / Chetwynd-Talbot Family Tree
Sir Philip de Chetwynd = Isabella de Mutton (of Ingestre)
d. 1284
:
d. 1291
:
Sir William Chetwynd d. 1547
________________ _______|__________
|
|
Thomas Chetwynd d. 1555
Anthony Chetwynd
|
|
John Chetwynd d. 1592
John Chetwynd d. 1632
|
|
Sir Walter Chetwynd
John Chetwynd
(Hall builder) d. 1638
d. 1674
|
|
Walter Chetwynd
John Chetwynd
d. 1670
d. 1702
|
|
Walter Chetwynd
John Chetwynd
(Church builder)
d. 1767
d. 1692/93 (without
|
surviving heir)
Catherine Chetwynd=John Talbot
d. 1785
d.1756
|
John Chetwynd-Talbot=Lady Charlotte Hill
d. 1804
(1st Earl Talbot) d. 1793
|
Charles Chetwynd-Talbot=Frances Thomasine Lambert
d. 1823
(2nd Earl Talbot) d. 1849
|
Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot=Lady Sarah Elizabeth Beresford
d. 1884
(3rd Earl Talbot) d. 1868
(In 1860 he succeeded a distant relative to become 18th Earl of Shrewsbury)
|
Charles Chetwynd -Talbot=Anna Theresa Cockerell
(19th Earl of Shrewsbury) d. 1877
d. 1912
|
Charles Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot=Ellen Mary Moorwood
d. 1921
d. 1940
(20th Earl of Shrewsbury)
|
Charles John Alton Chetwynd-Talbot=Winifred Constance Hester Paget
(Viscount Ingestre)
d.1915
d. 1965
|
John George Charles Chetwynd-Talbot=Nadine Muriel Crofton
(21stEarl of Shrewsbury)
d. 1980
d. 2003
Charles Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot=Debora Hutchinson
17
Appendix 2
Ingestre Rectors
1375 Adam de Ingestre,
Priest
1769 Thomas Higgon
Rector of Ingestre
1396
John at the Wall
Warden
1784
George Talbot
1398
Henry Drayton
1813
Hon John Chetwynd Talbot
1824
Edward Levett
1828
Hon Arthur Chetwynd Talbot
1884
James Bradshaw
1401 William Gylling
Parson & Warden
1480 Thomas Counter
1533
Richard Egerton
Clerk, Rector
1538
John Underhill
1908 Henry Seger Oriel
1927
Hon. Sydney G.W. Maitland
1938
Clifford William Dugmore
1577 William Clark
1943 Walter Francis O’Neil Fisher
1591 Thomas Walker
1953 A. Hanley Towlson
1597
John Greenwood
1958 P.H.Vaughan
1620
John Starsmore
1965 Arthur Poole
1651
Matthew Thornton
1981 E.G.H. Townshend
1697
James Milnes
1988 John Gear
1738
R Turner Rector
1993 Roger Vaughan
1757
Richard Fawcett
2006 Adrian Stone
1761
James Ball
Rector of Ingestre
18
Bibliography
A History of Tixall. Tixall Churches by Anne Andrews;
(1995 Hanyards Press);
Domesday Book – Staffordshire Ed. By John Morris
(1976 Phillimore, Chichester,);
The Chetywnds of Ingestre by H.E. Chetwynd-Stapleton,
(1892 Longmans, Green and Co, London and Bradbury, and Agnew& Co
Limd. Whitefriars.)
Two Chapelries of the Royal Free Chapel or College of Stafford by Lionel
Lambert,
(1940 RW Hourd and Son Ltd)
Our thanks to:
Stan Strudwick, Gill Broadbent and Marian Owen
for supplying photographs for inclusion in this guide
19
PLAN OF ST MARY’S CHURCH INGESTRE
Painted Glass
Window
Memorials to Countess Talbot
and her son Walter.
Altar
Chancel
Thomas
Willement
Window
Memorials
Carved oak screen
1915 Viscount
Ingestre
Organ
Pulpit and
Tester
Window
containing
glass from
old Church
Pillar
Window
containing
glass from
old Church
Nave
Burn Jones
Window
(William
Morris
Studio)
Baroness
Gleichen
Window
(William
Morris
Studio)
Font
Tower
with 6
Bells
20