CHAPTER XII.

WILMSLOW CHURCH, CHESHIRE. {253a}

THE village of Wilmslow is in the hundred of Macclesfield, in Cheshire, and before the introduction of railways, the mail-coach road from Manchester to Birmingham passed through it. It has not the advantage of having a market, but has some little trade, and possesses the convenience of being one of the stations of the London and North-Western (formerly the Manchester and Birmingham) Railway, which passes close to it; and it is pleasantly situate on the south bank of the river Bollin, which there flows through a picturesque and beautiful valley.

The parish of Wilmslow (anciently called Le Bolyn) contains four townships:—Bollin Fee, which comprehends the hamlets of Bollin-cum-Norcliffe, Hough, and Dean Row; Pownall Fee, which comprehends the hamlets of Morley and Styal; Chorley, also comprehended in the manor of Pownall Fee; and Fulshaw.

Wilmslow, in strictness, singularly enough, consists exclusively of the parish church with its churchyard, and of a small plot of land, now covered with buildings, near the church; and nearly the whole of the town is built in the hamlets of Hough and Dean Row.

The church is dedicated to St. Bartholomew, and is built of dark-coloured stone, close to the river, and consequently derives no advantage from elevation or position. The tower is ornamented with battlements and pinnacles, and has a peal of six bells; and both the tower and the church are of the Gothic style of architecture, though with some modern alterations. The church has evidently been rebuilt and considerably altered, at various periods, one of the latest of which must have been not long prior to the Reformation; and it has a clerestory and rood-loft. The nave of the church is spacious, and on each side of it, and of the chancel, are lofty and pointed arches, supported by octagonal pillars.

The pulpit has some handsome carved work, of a style which was common in the time of Elizabeth and James I. On each side of the chancel is an oratory or chapel. These chapels are separated from the altar, by projecting wing-walls, and also from the body of the chancel, by portions of an oaken screen, much mutilated; but the portions which remain are sufficient to show that it has been handsome; and on the south side, some small Tudor roses are yet visible in many parts; and a continuation of the wood-work, much defaced, extends under the rood-loft, so as to separate the chancel from the nave.

The chapel on the south side of the chancel is called the Earl of Stamford’s Chapel, or the Booth Chapel. The present Earl of Stamford is a descendant of the family of that name. It contains a massive raised tomb, evidently of very great antiquity, built against the wall on the south side, and bearing a strong resemblance to an altar; the inscription, if it ever contained any, is now quite obliterated. A grave-stone near it commemorates the “fifth son of S. William Booth, of Dunham Massey, who departed this life the 28th day of March, 1620,” at least so the date appeared to me; but there is some difficulty in deciding upon the two last figures of it, because the wood-work of a partition nearly covers them. Adjoining to it is another grave-stone, much defaced, to the memory of Lady Elizabeth Booth, who died on the 14th June, 1636. It appears, from a statement of donations painted up in another part of the church, that this lady benevolently left a sum of money, for the distribution of twelve loaves of bread weekly, to poor aged persons in Wilmslow; a dole which is still kept up.

In this chapel, close to the left side of the door, on entering from the churchyard, is an ancient pew, with carved panels at the back, on one of which are cut the following initials and date:—

S G B B 1557.

Probably meant for Sir George Booth, of Bollin, because at one period, the Booths resided at Bollin Hall, near Wilmslow, which was, after many mutations and alterations, reduced to the rank of a farmhouse, and was at last pulled down, when the railway was made.

The chapel or oratory, on the north side of the chancel and altar, is called the Pownall Chapel, and in its east window are four scrolls, in stained glass, each containing the words, “Ego autem in Dño gaudebo.” {255b} On the north side of the chapel, is a piscina {255a} in the wall; and on the south side, on the floor, close to the projecting wing-wall, separating it from the altar, is a grave-stone, evidently of great antiquity, with a singularly shaped cross carved upon it, the ends of the arms of which are sloped off, instead of being carved square; and the inscription is almost illegible, except that on each side of the cross, there are yet to be seen the initials T H S, in the old characters.

At the east end of the chancel, is a large and handsome altar window, of the Perpendicular Gothic style; and on the outside, immediately above it, is a carved shield of arms, containing “the Griffin segreant,” the armorial bearing of the Traffords. In the projecting wall, on the north side of the altar, is a small square open recess, apparently intended, in former ages, for an almbury, or aumbery, in which the sacred vessels, and articles used in the celebration of the mass, were usually kept. The roof of the church is very handsome, of oak, the cross beams being elaborately carved, and in various places in the roof, the initial letters H. T. appear in the ancient character, doubtless intended for Henry Trafford, the last rector of Wilmslow, before the overthrow of the Papal supremacy, and the first of that rectory of the Reformed religion, if the Reformation can strictly be said to have been established, during the lifetime of the capricious monarch, Henry VIII. I shall have occasion to say more of this ecclesiastic hereafter. There are also one or two shields of arms painted on the beams, containing “the Griffin segreant, gules;” they furnish additional proof, that a large portion of the church, and probably the roof, were rebuilt or renovated, just before the Reformation. Amongst other ornaments on the roof, an etoile, or star, appears painted in several places where the beams intersect each other. {256}

The font is massive, quite devoid of ornament, and bears the appearance of great antiquity.

At the west end of the church is an arch, which is said to have formerly opened into the belfry of the tower; it is an exact segment of a circle; but as it has not the slightest appearance of the zig-zag, or dog’s-tooth, or any other of the ornaments so generally met with, on Norman arches, I am of opinion that it is of a comparatively modern date, and was probably erected when a portion of the church and its tower were rebuilt or altered, not long before the Reformation. This idea receives some degree of countenance from the circumstance, that on the south-west corner of the outside of the tower, is a niche with its carved canopy, which formerly contained an image, said to have been that of the Virgin Mary.

The church porch, which fronts the south, has been handsome, and much ornamented, but is now considerably defaced, and over the porch entrance is a handsomely carved niche with its canopy, {257a} which is said to have contained an image of Saint Bartholomew, the tutelary saint of the church; but at present, in lieu of the old saint, the niche is disfigured by an unsightly slab, or piece of stone, of a different colour to the rest of the stonework near it, let into the niche with an inscription, communicating the important fact, that certain good men were churchwardens some thirty or forty years ago. {257b} The fact of the existence on the walls of an old church, of niches, which contain, or formerly contained, images, is a sufficient proof, that they must have been erected, at least before the Reformation.

On the south side of the nave of the church is a chapel, projecting into the churchyard, called the Hawthorn Chapel, which, in the last century but one, belonged to a junior branch of the Leighs, of Hawthorn Hall, near Wilmslow. The arms of Leigh, “argent, a lion rampant, gardant, gules,” with a crescent for difference, and also the crest of the family, appear painted over an arch, which connects it with the church, and also in stained glass in the window of the chapel.

This chapel appears, from the style of its window, to have been rebuilt or altered, since the general prevalence of the Gothic style, but as some remains of inscriptions, in ancient characters, have been discovered on its walls, the inference is, that it is an old chapel rebuilt or much altered.

Hawthorn Hall, and the estate belonging to it, afterwards came from the Leighs to the family of Page, who were the proprietors of it, and resided there, during a considerable part of the eighteenth century, and at last sold it to a person named Bower, and it is now used as a school. It is about half a mile from Wilmslow, and is an antique brick mansion, with large gables, and a small cupola, and much resembles the style of mansions which were in fashion during the reign of William III., said to have been adopted from the Dutch. The same armorial bearings, before mentioned, of the Leighs, with the crescent for difference, appears over the principal entrances, on the north and south fronts of the mansion; and on the lead spouts are the initials of one of the Leighs, J L, and the date, 1698; which probably may also give us a hint of the date of the rebuilding of the chapel.

In my observations on Wilmslow Church, I ought not to omit mentioning, that in the churchyard, at the east end, is an ancient grave-stone, with the date 1596, and on the north side of the church is another, of the same date, inscribed with the names, “Phe. Dale.” {258}

Under the altar is an under-ground chapel or sacristy, which at one time was unworthily used as a charnel-house, and when I visited it, in January, 1849, it was a place of deposit for bricks and rubbish; I am glad to hear that they have since been removed. With some difficulty I entered it from the churchyard, by an opening which exists under the large altar window. It is not vaulted with stone, as might have been expected, but the wooden floor near the altar forms its roof. Three recesses, resembling sedilia, in the Gothic style, and which, if they had been discovered near an altar, would be at once pronounced to be sedilia, are formed in the wall in front of the opening, and the centre one has an inclined groove on each side, cut into the stone, which rather conveys the impression as if a temporary desk, for reading, had formerly been sometimes fixed up there. It is lighted by loopholes, opening into the churchyard; and on the south side is a narrow winding staircase, of which many of the steps remain, which at one time gave access from the altar to it, but the communication is now built up. The steps in it commence under a plain Gothic arch, and the staircase was lighted by a loophole, which still remains.

The following is a list of the names of the various Rectors of Wilmslow, from 1339:—{259a}

Hugo Fitton. 1339—2nd September Thomas de Chatterton.

Thomas Ffrost. 1412—28th April Galfridus Boseley.

Willielmus de Bothe. 1418—26th Julii Georgius Radcliffe.

Galfridus Boseley. 1419—11th September Georgius Radcliffe. 1425—20th October Ricardus Radcliffe. 1456— Radulphus Davenport. 1500—13th February Robertus Broke. 1522—_Ante_ Henry Trafford, D.D. {259b} 1537—_Circa_ Henry Ryle. 1542— Henry Trafford. 1591—30th September William Massie, B.D. 1610—27th August Thomas Wright. 1654—12th December, _ante_ John Brereton. 1660— Thomas Wright. 1661—28th November Peter Ledsham. 1673—16th February Francis Mosley. 1699—24th August John Usherwood, A.M. 1705—9th December Joshua Wakefield. 1718—21st November Henry Moore, D.D. 1770—4th March Edward Berresford, A.M. 1787—16th April Croxton Johnson, LL.B. 1814—28th March Joseph Bradshaw, A.M.

The Rev. John Matthias Turner, D.D., afterwards Bishop of Calcutta, succeeded to the rectory about 1823, an interval having elapsed subsequent to the death of Mr. Bradshaw, about 1820, during which the living was in sequestration.

The present rector is the Rev. William Brownlow, M.A., who succeeded the Rev. Dr. Turner, in 1829.

Whilst describing Wilmslow Church, although I avow myself a Protestant, and a member of the Church of England, without any kind of leaning towards the Church of Rome, and without even admiration of her rites or ceremonies, I feel myself called upon, as an act of common justice to our Roman Catholic predecessors, to mention, that I have remarked, both in Wilmslow Church, and in various other ancient churches erected before the Reformation, that they appear better calculated for hearing, or, in other words, for the transmission of sound, than more modern churches; yet we might suppose that the large arches and massive pillars in the former would militate against that effect. It may be that the architects of an age gone by, understood the science of acoustics better than those of our time, and I throw out the suggestion (without giving any confident opinion), whether the pillars, arches, and carved oak roof, may not have the effect of preventing the too great number of pulses, or repetitions of sound in a given time, by returns from the walls, on the principle, that although the human voice in a large room, quite devoid of furniture, carpets, curtains, or a crowded assembly, will often produce a confused and indistinct echo, yet the resonance of the room becomes diminished, and the reverberation of sound becomes less, and consequently we can sometimes hear better, when the speaker is delivering his address in the room, when it is properly furnished, and contains a number of auditors. I may also add, that there is not any place of worship which I have been accustomed to attend, where I am more impressed (if so much) with feelings of devotion, than when attending divine service in this and other ancient churches erected before the Reformation; whether those feelings may arise from the reflection forcing itself upon the mind, that generations after generations of our fellow-creatures have worshipped there, and died since the walls of the sacred edifice were erected, or whether the massive walls, pillars, arches, and Gothic windows, naturally produce a certain degree of solemnity or seriousness on the mind, I cannot say; I can only speak to the effect which I have mentioned, be the cause what it may.

There is a very ancient chest in the vestry, in which are contained the parish books, which is said to be 500 years old. It is formed out of one solid block of oak, nearly four feet wide, by five feet long, and three feet deep.

On the north side of the altar, and erected as a continuation of the wing-wall before mentioned, is a very remarkable and perfect monument. On an altar-tomb, {261} and in flowing ecclesiastical robes, lies, the size of life, the effigy of Henry Trafford, who was rector of Wilmslow, both whilst the Roman Catholic religion was predominant here, and after the overthrow of the Papal supremacy. He obtained the living at least as early as 1522, and died in 1537; and the figure is interesting, as combining, so to speak, badges of both the old and the reformed religion. The head has the tonsure or shaven crown, but it rests upon a large clasped book, evidently intended for a Bible: a combination which I do not recollect having ever seen in any other monument. On the leaves of the Bible, parts of a short inscription are visible; but I was not able to read more than the words “ut non,” which are not very legible. Round the four upper edges of the tomb is the following inscription, which unfortunately is not cut, but painted on the stone, and although now legible, it is by no means certain that it will long continue so:—

“Hic jacet corp’ Mr. Henr’ci Treffort sacre theologie doctor lice’ciat quo’d’ ca’celarii metropolit’ eccl’ie Ebor’ et Rector de Holtō psōn Rector etia ’eccl’sie de Siglisthorn & i’ti eccl’ie qui obiit primo die me’s’ Augusti ann’ D’ni - - - MCCCCCXXXVII cuj’ ai’e o’ipote’s De’ sit p’pti’.”

In English the inscription reads thus:—

Here lies the body of Mr. Henry Trafford, a Doctor in Divinity, formerly Surrogate of the Chancellor of the Metropolitan Church of York, and Rector of Halton, Parson and Rector of the Church of Sigglisthorne, and of this Church, who died on the first day of the month of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and thirty-seven: to whose soul be the Almighty God merciful.

In Lysons’ _Mag. Brit._ {262a} it is stated, that on the side of this tomb are painted an emaciated body, and scrolls with inscriptions, in text-hand. I however could not discover any trace of them, and probably they have been for some time defaced.

In the reign of Henry V. the advowson of Wilmslow came to the family of Trafford, and now belongs to Sir T. J. De Trafford, {262b} Bart.

In the north wall of the Pownall Chapel are two obtuse arches, with crockets and foliage; one containing a tomb, on which rests the figure of a man, in flowing robes, his head resting between two tuns or casks, with a scroll on his body, containing the word “Neuton.” The adjoining one contains a tomb, on which rests the figure of a female, in a flowing robe, with the head resting on a garb, or sheaf of corn, and with a purse or pouch attached to her girdle. Both tombs have fronts, ornamented with remains of carved work and shields, but they are so much in the dark, by the construction of the seats, and the valances in the pews, that even with a candle which the sexton brought me, I could not discover any armorial bearings. The pew adjoining the tomb which has the figure of the man, was not long ago used by the residents of Pownall Hall, near Wilmslow, which formerly belonged to an ancient family named Fitton, afterwards to another named Pownall, and, after passing through many hands, was purchased by Mr. John Worrall, in 1817, and was again sold, some eighteen or nineteen years ago, to James Pownall, Esq., {263a} of Liverpool, who resided there for some time after his purchase.

It is well known what a proneness existed, during the middle ages, to make punning rebuses, even in sacred buildings; and if the male figure be intended for the effigy of Humphrey Newton, after mentioned, I cannot discover a reason for the head of that figure being placed or fitted between two tuns or casks, which appears intended as a rebus or figurative enigma on the word Fit-ton, and has no allusion, that I am aware of, to the word Newton. I do not mean to hazard any opinion as to the time when the word “Neuton” was inscribed on it; but, if it were originally inscribed there, I cannot see the application of the punning rebus to the name Newton. I could not find the slightest trace of any inscription except that, on either of the monuments; but we are informed, on the authority of Ormerod, {263b} that on the man’s tomb was formerly the following inscription:—“Orate pro Humphrido Neuton de Pownall Armigero, et Elena uxore ejus, fil: et hered: Tho. Fitton et Cecilie ux: ejus, qui obiit A.D. MCCCCC.” A modern inscription, in stained glass, also commemorating Humphrey Newton and Ellen his wife, has been recently placed in the window above the tomb.

In the chancel, in the front of the altar, is a grave-stone, with brasses, representing a male and female, Sir Robert Booth, Knight, of Bollin and Dunham, and Douce, his wife, with the right hand of the former clasping that of the latter. This Sir Robert Booth is said {264a} to have been slain at the battle of Blore Heath, in the wars of York and Lancaster; and there is every reason to believe the statement, which is corroborated in a remarkable manner, by the fact that the battle was fought on St. Tecla’s day, {264b} 1459, which saint’s day is mentioned in the inscription on the brass, as the date of his death. The following is a copy of the inscription, given by Ormerod:{264c}—“Hic jacent corpus Roberti del Bothe, militis, quondam d’ni de Bolyn, Thorneton, et Dunh’m qui obiit in festo _s’ce Tecle Virginis anno domini mill’mo cccc_LX {264d} et corpus _Dulcie ux’ris d’ci_ Rob’ti del Bothe que obiit in castrino s’cte be’e Virginis anno Domini mill’mo CCCC _quinquagesimo tercio_, _quorum animabus p’p’tietur Deus_. _Amen_.”

Some parts of the inscription have been purloined or lost, and some portions are preserved in the vestry, and a small part still remains affixed to the stone; but if the inscription given by Ormerod be correct, as there is reason to believe, one or two fragments, which probably got loose, have been injudiciously riveted on, in wrong places. Immediately following the part of the date relating to the husband, “mill’mo CCCC,” the pieces of brass containing the words “quinquagesimo tercio, quorum animabus p’p’tietur Deus. Amen,” have been riveted on in a wrong place, and, so far from having any relation to the death of the husband, clearly allude to the death of the wife, in 1453, and conclude with the prayer so common, in those times, for the souls of both of them.

Such portions of the inscription as I could ascertain, from a careful inspection both of the parts of the inscription and brass fixed to the stone, and of the parts which are loose, are marked in _italics_ in the above copy of the inscription. {265a}

The brass has originally had a handsome Gothic canopy engraved over each figure, but at present one portion, that over the husband, is missing. He is represented without a helmet, and bareheaded, and in the armour of that age, but without gauntlets (which indeed would have been a little incongruous, as he is clasping the hand of his wife), and with a plated gorget, and rather remarkable pauldrons; his feet rest upon a greyhound, and near them is a shield of four quarters, of which the dexter chief only can be deciphered, which represents a lion passant gardant. The wife is represented in a loose robe, with her hair flowing, and without any kind of head-dress, except a narrow fillet or band, on which precious stones appear to have been represented, and at her feet is a small dog; over her head is a shield, on which is a bend with three garbs. A similar coat of arms appears on the wood-work attached to a seat, situate very near the grave, carved boldly, and evidently at a remote period back, and it is also seen in stained glass in the large altar window; it appears to be the arms of Fitton, which were, “argent, on a bend azure, three garbs, or.” Some few other armorial bearings and fragments of stained glass, but in very indifferent preservation, may be seen in the window of the chancel. {265b}

In concluding, I must here express my regret that this interesting monument should be so situated as to be exposed to great risk of injury, and even of destruction. It is usually covered by a mat, but that is not a certain safeguard against its being worn and trampled under foot, by persons passing through the chancel, and it is close to the place where the charity children sit, a class of beings not very likely to respect old monuments. The same plan might be advantageously pursued respecting it, which has been successfully adopted with other monuments, in other churches: it might, at a very trivial expense, be removed, with the grave-stone to which it is attached, and placed, in an upright position, on one of the walls of the chancel, and a common grave-stone might be put down in the place of the present one, with a few words engraved, commemorating the removal. The inscription on the Trafford tomb might, at a light expense, be cut in, by a skilful man, so as to be a copy, _verbatim et literatim_, of the words now painted on it, and precisely in their present characters and places, in order to prevent the inscription from being lost.

It is to be hoped that some of the members of the families of the personages interred under the two last-named monuments, will adopt some plan, with the sanction of the rector, for their preservation; if not, it would be judicious for some few individuals, who possess sufficient taste to appreciate those interesting memorials of an age long past, to set on foot a small subscription, and adopt measures to preserve them from further injury or mutilation.

The following lines, from Crabbe, {266} may, without impropriety, be quoted here, after describing the ancient monuments in the church:

“Wonder not, mortal, at thy quick decay. See! men of marble piecemeal melt away; When whose the image we no longer read, But monuments themselves memorials need.”