St Peter's Church, Elford
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church, Elford is a parish church in the village of Elford
, Staffordshire
in the United Kingdom
. The church is situated on the eastern edge of the village on the north bank of the River Tame
. The church is a Grade II* Listed Building. A church has stood on the current site since Norman
times but the current building predominantly dates from the mid 19th century.
, probably dating from the 12th century. A Norman arch survived in a wall dividing the nave from the south aisle until the restoration of 1848. A small doorway from the original Norman church in the north wall of the nave was bricked up probably in the 18th century and a plain window is now set in its place. In the second half of the 14th century the old Norman church was falling into disrepair and major restorations and alterations to the church took place under the guidance of Sir Thomas Arderne, Lord of Elford at that time.
A century later Sir John Stanley added the south aisle and chantry dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The ancient roses and portcullises surmounted by crowns in a window of the south aisle signify the connection between the Stanleys and Henry VII
, who is said to have met secretly with Lord Stanley
at Elford on the night before the Battle of Bosworth Field
and persuaded Stanley to desert Richard III
and join his side.
In 1598 the old Norman tower was replaced by the current tower which is embattlemented with four pinnacles. The date can be seen on the exterior of the tower today. The church avoided destruction during the Civil War
due to the efforts of the then Rector, Thomas Dowley, who although a Puritan managed to preserve the church from desecration. Of the original Norman church nothing now remains. The oldest parts of the current building are the 14th century chancel east wall and the 16th century west tower.
in 1848/49 with the south aisle and south chapel rebuilt by George Edmund Street
in 1869/70. Francis Paget
(Rector 1835-1882), wished the restoration work
when completed to be as near to Sir Thomas Arderne's church of the 14th century as possible. Victorian decoration includes roof and walls painted and gilded, stained glass by Wailes, Ward & Hughes, ornate brass altar rails to guard the elaborate sanctuary. A 200m tree lined avenue currently leads up to the church creating a striking impression.
near Liège
, like the glass in the Lady Chapel of Lichfield Cathedral
. By being brought to England they were saved from destruction at the hands of the armies of the French Revolution. The subject is the 'Presentation of the Virgin' in the Temple. The glass was installed at St Peter’s in 1825.
Former Rectors of Elford are commemorated in the brasses in the Chancel floor. The ones there now are 19th century restorations as the originals disappeared long ago. There are some genuinely old slabs belonging to members of the Arderne family in the floor of the Chantry Chapel near where the altar formerly stood and the churchyard contains some tombstones with quaint inscriptions.
at St Peter’s have been regarded by some as being among the finest in the country.
High up in the Chantry Chapel can be seen the shields of the Lords of the Manor from Saxon times beginning with Wulfric
, Earl of Mercia and founder of Burton Abbey.
Elford
Elford is a village and civil parish in Lichfield District, Staffordshire, England. It is situated on the east bank of the River Tame, about east of the City of Lichfield and 5 miles north of Tamworth.-Origins:...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The church is situated on the eastern edge of the village on the north bank of the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
. The church is a Grade II* Listed Building. A church has stood on the current site since Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
times but the current building predominantly dates from the mid 19th century.
Original Buildings
The earliest known church to be built on the current site was NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
, probably dating from the 12th century. A Norman arch survived in a wall dividing the nave from the south aisle until the restoration of 1848. A small doorway from the original Norman church in the north wall of the nave was bricked up probably in the 18th century and a plain window is now set in its place. In the second half of the 14th century the old Norman church was falling into disrepair and major restorations and alterations to the church took place under the guidance of Sir Thomas Arderne, Lord of Elford at that time.
A century later Sir John Stanley added the south aisle and chantry dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The ancient roses and portcullises surmounted by crowns in a window of the south aisle signify the connection between the Stanleys and Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, who is said to have met secretly with Lord Stanley
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby
Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG was titular King of Mann, an English nobleman and stepfather to King Henry VII of England...
at Elford on the night before the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
and persuaded Stanley to desert Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
and join his side.
In 1598 the old Norman tower was replaced by the current tower which is embattlemented with four pinnacles. The date can be seen on the exterior of the tower today. The church avoided destruction during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
due to the efforts of the then Rector, Thomas Dowley, who although a Puritan managed to preserve the church from desecration. Of the original Norman church nothing now remains. The oldest parts of the current building are the 14th century chancel east wall and the 16th century west tower.
Current Building
The present church was designed by Anthony SalvinAnthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations...
in 1848/49 with the south aisle and south chapel rebuilt by George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
in 1869/70. Francis Paget
Francis Paget
The Right Reverend Francis Paget was the 33rd Bishop of Oxford from 1901 until his death. He was the second son of the noted surgeon Sir James Paget, 1st Baronet, and brother of Luke Paget, Bishop of Chester. He was educated at St Marylebone Grammar School,Shrewsbury and Christ Church, Oxford...
(Rector 1835-1882), wished the restoration work
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
when completed to be as near to Sir Thomas Arderne's church of the 14th century as possible. Victorian decoration includes roof and walls painted and gilded, stained glass by Wailes, Ward & Hughes, ornate brass altar rails to guard the elaborate sanctuary. A 200m tree lined avenue currently leads up to the church creating a striking impression.
Glass
The window at the west end of the south aisle near the entrance is of Flemish glass, said to originate from the Herkenrode AbbeyHerkenrode Abbey
Herkenrode Abbey was a former monastery of Cistercian nuns located in Kuringen, part of the municipality of Hasselt, which lies in the province of Limburg, Belgium....
near Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
, like the glass in the Lady Chapel of Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
. By being brought to England they were saved from destruction at the hands of the armies of the French Revolution. The subject is the 'Presentation of the Virgin' in the Temple. The glass was installed at St Peter’s in 1825.
Floor
The nave of St Peter’s boasts some highly regarded Minton Tiles. During the construction work of 1848/49, medieval tiles were found beneath the brick floor. They appear to have been relief tiles with a geometric pattern composed mainly of intersecting circles. Minton’s made a new nave pavement for the church replicating their design in line-impressed tiles using brown and buff grounds.Former Rectors of Elford are commemorated in the brasses in the Chancel floor. The ones there now are 19th century restorations as the originals disappeared long ago. There are some genuinely old slabs belonging to members of the Arderne family in the floor of the Chantry Chapel near where the altar formerly stood and the churchyard contains some tombstones with quaint inscriptions.
Monumental Effigies
The monumental effigiesEffigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
at St Peter’s have been regarded by some as being among the finest in the country.
- Sir Thomas Arderne - the oldest effigy is that of Sir Thomas Arderne, the 14th century church builder who died in 1391, and his wife, Matilda. The effigies of Thomas and Matilda are unusual in that they are holding hands. Notable are the angels and "weepers" in the panels round the sides of the tomb. Although the tombs are mostly plain now, some of the original colouring can still be seen on the shields on the sides.
- Sir John Stanley - the tomb of Sir John Stanley, founder of the Chantry, wearing armour of his period. The date of death was 1474 and is inscribed on the tomb. We only see the plain white effigy whereas the original would have been highly decorated. Near his head is an eagle and a baby which refers to the legend associated with Sir John's descent from the Latham family. His ancestor, Sir Thomas Latham, whose wife was barren, wanted to adopt his illegitimate son so he placed him in a nearby eagle's nest. He called his wife and she was delighted with this 'miracle' and took the child as her own.
- Sir John Stanley’s Grandson - the most famous effigy is that of Sir John's grandson, also John, who is shown holding the tennis ball that caused his death in 1460 and pointing to his temple. His effigy is in hard grit stone unlike the others, which are of alabaster. With the child's death the male line of the Elford Stanleys became extinct.
- Sir William Smythe - The final effigy in the Chantry is that of Sir William Smythe, Lord of Elford, died 1525, and his two wives, Anne Staunton and the Lady Isabella Neville. He inherited Elford through his first wife and his second was a niece of Warwick the KingmakerRichard Neville, 16th Earl of WarwickRichard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
and a cousin of Richard IIIRichard III of EnglandRichard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
.
Monuments
A notable post-Reformation monument is that of William Brooke of Haselour, dated 1641, above the Staunton effigy in the Chancel. He was the grandson of Lucy Huddleston of Elford.High up in the Chantry Chapel can be seen the shields of the Lords of the Manor from Saxon times beginning with Wulfric
Wulfric Spot
Wulfric , called Wulfric Spot or Spott, was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman. His will is an important document from the reign of King Æthelred the Unready...
, Earl of Mercia and founder of Burton Abbey.