 |
|
Our Church is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, but we have pictures of two unusual saints in one of our stained glass windows: St. Frideswide of Oxford and St. Richard of Chichester. St. Frideswide, who died in about 735, is the Patron Saint of the town and university of Oxford. According to legend, she was a princess who went into hiding to avoid a forced marriage. She hid for three years until her suitor was struck blind and gave up his suit, whereupon she founded a nunnery. St. Richard was born in Droitwich in 1197. He became Chancellor of Oxford University and later Bishop of Chichester. He went into exile with Edmund, and later quarrelled with Richard III. He died in Dover in 1253.
The Rolleston connection is through Robert Sherborne, who was born in the village and founded the Free Grammar School here in about 1520. Robert, who held important offices under both Henry VII and Henry VIII, was the fifty-ninth Bishop of Chichester (St. Richard) and Warden of New College, Oxford (St. Frideswide). His effigy and a replica of his seal are in the Chancel of St. Mary's Church. (Article by Arnold Burston - Nov 2002).
Close to the west wall of the tower of St. Mary’s Church stands a wheel-headed Saxon or Anglian cross with an interesting history. It was brought to the village and installed in the pleasure ground of Rolleston Hall by the then Lord of the Manor, Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart., who had succeeded as 2nd. Baronet in 1798. He had seen how it was lying neglected in Tatenhill and had recognised its importance. In exchange, he paid for a new path to be laid in Tatenhill churchyard.
An engraving now in the William Salt Library in Stafford of a drawing made by John Buckley in 1848 shows the cross behind of a fountain “of rustic style” in the pleasure grounds.
In August 1851, members of the Derby Congress of the British Archaeological Association examined the cross in the course of a visit to Rolleston. Their printed Proceedings record that “In the pleasure ground adjoining the churchyard is a very early cross, of which an engraving is here given, from a drawing accurately made by Miss Letitia Mosley; it was brought from the churchyard of the adjoining parish of Tatenhill, where, for many years, the shaft of the cross had been used as a step, and the upper part of it had been imbedded in a wall. Of its great antiquity there can be no question; but as to the precise period of its formation it would be difficult to speak with confidence.”
In June 1897, the cross was moved to its present position and mounted on a plinth by the 2nd. Baronet’s grandson, Sir Oswald (“John Bull”) Mosley, the 4th. Baronet. The Curate of Rolleston, Rev. Edwin Wardle, in his book “Peeps into the Past and Present” said that “the Bishop of Bristol (an authority upon crosses) paid us a visit in 1897, and pointed out what is most worthy of notice about it.” He considered it one of the largest of its kind. He suggested that, as the back is left rough, it may have been intended to stand against a wall, and that, as the edges are decorated at the bottom and half way up the sides of the wheel, it may have stood much higher than at present. The Bishop in question was George Forrest Browne (1897 - 1914), the prolific author of some 78 works, many with an Anglo-Saxon theme, including “Women in Anglo-Saxon Times”, “Venerable Bede”, “King Alfred’s Books”, “Alcuin of York” and “Theodore and Wulfrith”.
As the decoration is now difficult to see, and as Wardle’s book is long out of print, it is worth quoting Browne’s comments at some length: “The head of the Cross ... is unlike the great majority of the comparatively small number of the heads of Crosses which have survived from ancient times. The head of the Cross is neither a circular ring binding the arms together, nor is it a circular disc from which the arms of the Cross project, [...] The head of the Cross has been richly decorated with interlacing patterns in each of the four keys of the Cross. The pattern on the right hand key has to some extent been preserved. [...] The hollows perforated in the head are unusually clear cut. Evidently no pains were spared in the preparation of the monument [...]
“The patterns on each side of the under edge are a double Stafford Knot and a single triquetra, or triangle with curved and intersecting sides, a well-known symbol of the Holy Trinity, constantly appearing on the sculptured stones in these islands of pre-Norman date. The chevrons, which appear above these and gradually die away, are probably intended to give the idea of thatching or shingling. It will be seen that the pattern on the face of the right hand key of the Cross is an adaptation of the Double Stafford Knot found on these edges. The edges of the shaft are decorated with a simple pattern formed by a single interlacing band. It is a very unusual pattern, if not unique. The face of the shaft was similarly ornamented. Without doubt it has been worn away by people’s feet. There is nothing Danish in the character of the ornament, or in the shape of the monument, nor anything Norman. It is as unlike Danish work, or Norman work as it could be. Its date cannot be later than from 900 to 1000 A.D., and the artist must have been an Anglian.”
The cross was damaged in the Fauld disaster on 27th. November 1944, the largest explosion of the Second World War until Hiroshima, and was repaired at the expense of the Air Ministry. It was scheduled as an ancient monument in 1963.
Arnold Burston.
This is an edited version of Arnold’s article in “Widowinde”, the journal of Da Engliscan Gesidas (a society for the study of anglo-saxon England (Ed.)
This is an annotated transcription of two of the large boards in the west of the Nave of St. Mary’s Church. They appear to date from the same time as the other boards, which are dated 1836. In 1899 the Moss Acre was offered for sale to Sir Oswald Mosley; three tenths of the purchase money was for Parochial Charities and the rest Ecclesiastical. Sir Oswald was to pay such a sum as invested in 2½ % Consols would produce the same income as the rents.
The Mosse Acre in the Township of Anslow containing 2A 3R 30P1 was purchased for the use of the Poor, with 60£ left by Humphrey Moore2, 10£ by William Caldwell, 10£ by Thomas Keeling 3 and 10£ by a brother of William Caldwell 4, the interest of the last sum to be paid for the repair of the Church Clock and Bridges 5.
The Allotments 6 made for the same under the Inclosure Acts are ...
On the Outwoods 3R 10P )
On the Lount 14P )
On the Forest 1R 19P ) Total 1A 1R 3P
The annual Rents of the above are regularly paid to the Poor of Rolleston on the 21st. of Decr. with the exception of 17s. 6d. 7 to the Schoolmaster and 7s. 6d. to the Clock and Bridge Account.
The Common Steenyard containing 1A 1R 28P belongs to the Church-wardens of Rolleston and Eggington in the County of Derby in equal shares, and the Allotments in right thereof are
On the Outwoods 25P )
On the Lount 7P )
On the Forest 26P ) Total 1R 18P
The annual rents arising from them amount to 3£. 9s. 6d. half of which sum is paid to Eggington and half to Rolleston Poor.
There are also several small sums paid annually by Custom which are applied to the repair of the Church, namely
From Lands called the Blackwells 1s. 6d.
For land in Allen’s Close 1s. 6d.
For land in Mr. Owen’s dam Close 1s. 0p.
Under the Award of the Rolleston Inclosure 2A 1R 2P of Waste land on the Newlands.
1A 0R 4P at Hopley Lakes in the Township of Anslow were allotted to the Overseers of the Highway for Gravel, which has ever since been appropriated to the use of the Poor as Garden Land.
The sum of 87£ secured by Bond of the Revd. I.P.Mosley to the Church-wardens of Rolleston consists of 40£, being the purchase money of 2£ left by Florens Caldwell’s Will to the Poor, 20£ by the Will of William Caldwell and the rest from other small Gifts and Accumulations, the Interest of all of which is given to the Poor.
1 A = acre, R = rood, P = perch. There were 4 roods in a acre, and 40 perches in a rood.
2 The £60 left by Humphrey Moore was to buy land, the rents from which were to be given as follows: “ten shillings (i.e. 50p.) per annum for the use of the Schoolmaster of Rolleston; and the remainder of the rent for the use of such poor people of the said town who shall be of the church of England”.
3 Thomas Keeling left this £10 in his will (1694) to buy land, the rent from which was to be distributed amongst the poor on St. Thomas’ Day.
4 This was probably Florens Caldwell. The bequests of the Caldwell (or Caldwall) brothers are recorded on the family tomb in the Sanctuary of St. Mary’s. It was their father who “gave a cow to ye Church & made a beginninge for others to follow”
5 The Trustees of the Almshouses still contribute small sums for the clock and bridges.
6 Allotments here means “allocations”, nothing to do with the Rolleston Allotments Society!
7 For younger readers: in pre-decimal money there were 20 shillings (s) in a pound and 12 pence (d) in a shilling. For example 17s. 6d. in modern money would be 87½p.
(transcribed by Arnold Burston, Churchwarden)
Below is an annotated transcription of the two boards on the south side of the west wall of the Nave of St. Mary’s Church. For notes on acres, roods, perches, and on pre-decimal currency see above.
was founded by Robert Sherebourne 1, Bishop of Chichester AD 1520, who left a Salary of 10£ a year to be paid for ever by the Dean and Chapter of Chichester to the School-master, through the hands of the Church-wardens. This sum is now paid every 22nd. day of Novr. at the Bank of Messrs. Glyn Halifax and Co., London.
Florens Caldwell 2 left by Will dated 1612 5£ a year for the use of the School-master, charged on premises in Ludgate Street London. This sum is now paid by Ayscough Boucherett Esqr. of North Willingham, Lincolnshire, at the bank of Messrs. Wright and Co. Covent Garden London, every 5th. day of April.
William Caldwell gave the Interest of 50£ for an increase in the School-master’s Salary, which sum is now in the hands of Joseph Rowland of Rolleston Victualler.
Lawrence Caldwell gave 5£ a year for the like purpose arising from premises in London destroyed by the great fire, of which only 2£, 3s, 4d a year has since been paid every 5th. of July by the Haberdasher’s Company.3
The sum of 20£ was given by Thomas Hinckley of Lichfield Esqr. as Trustee of the late Mr. Newton, towards the further increase of the Master’s Income, which sum is also in the hands of the above named Joseph Rowland.
The Sum of 15£ a year is allowed to the School master by the Trustees of Mr. Rolleston’s Charity, out of their Receipts, and the sum of 17s. and 6d. by the Church-wardens out of the Rent of Mosse Acre in Anslow, in pursuance of the Wills of William Rolleston Esqr. 4 and Mr. Humphrey Moore.
The land upon which the School stands being 101Yds. 7 Ft. 2 Ins. belongs to the Church-wardens subject to a right for the Lord of the Manor to hold his Courts there.
Under several Inclosure Acts the following allotments were made for the School, and the rents arising therefrom are received by the Master.
On the Forest 1R 30P )
On the Outwoods 1P { Total 1R. 36 P.
On the Lount 5P )
SAMUEL HIGGOTT ) Church-wardens, 1836
WILLIAM TALBOT )
1 Robert Sherebourne, (Sherbourne, Sherborne, Sherburn etc.), was baptised in Rolleston in 1453 but his family moved to Hampshire when he was young. He was educated at Winchester School and Oxford University. He became wealthy through a number of well-paid appointments in churches and cathedrals and, in 1496, became Henry VII’s ambassador to the Roman court. He was Bishop of Chichester from 1508 to 1536, when he died at the age of 82. Originally the Churchwardens had to collect the Master’s salary from the common font in St. Paul’s, London, on 11th. November each year between 1 and 5 p.m. They had to take with them the silver seal a replica of which is displayed near Robert’s effigy in our Chancel.
2 Florens Caldwell and his brothers William and Lawrence are mentioned on the family tomb in the Sanctuary. Their father, Thomas, “gave a cow to ye Church & made a beginninge for others to follow”.
3 The ground on which the house had stood was sold for road widening, and this sale produced the income.
4 This William Rolleston was the last of the family to have lived here. He not only left £10 a year for the Schoolmaster, but also 10 shillings a quarter to buy cakes for the scholars. His memorial on the wall over the squint says that he “held various commands in the armies of King Charles the First and Second, and served his country in England, Scotland, France and Ireland, being a downright Englishman”. Under his will of 1672, he left the money which eventually built the Almshouses.
(transcribed by Arnold Burston, Churchwarden)
Return to St Mary's Home Page
Last updated: 14 October 2012