FROM the silence of the Domesday Book respecting a church at this place,
it may be concluded that there was not one erected when that survey was
made; there however appears to have been one in the reign of Richard the
first. {29a}
[Picture: North-East View of Horncastle Church]
The present structure, which is dedicated to Saint Mary, stands in the
centre of the town, and possesses but few attractions for the antiquary
or the architect. It consists of a square tower, a nave and chancel,
with north and south aisles. Being for the most part built with the soft
and imperfectly aggregated sand-stone of the neighbourhood, which yields
easily to the moisture of the atmosphere, it has suffered much from the
effects of time; and the decayed parts being repaired with brick gives to
the building a motley and unprepossessing appearance.
The few portions of the original architecture which have escaped the
silent ravages of years, and the hands of the innovator, bespeak the
building of no higher antiquity than the period of Henry the seventh.
The aisle on the north side of the chancel is ornamented with
embattlements, on which quatrefoils and blank shields are sculptured. It
was probably used as a chantry, one of the windows of the aisle having
formerly contained an inscription justifying such a supposition. {29b}
This aisle does not extend the whole length of the chancel, and in the
space so left, the remains of an oratory and confessional are still
visible: this space formerly appropriated as a depository for coals to
distribute among the poor, is now occupied by a building to contain the
fire engines; a corresponding part of the south aisle being used as a
vestry.
The interior of the church is remarkably neat and well pewed. A gallery
at the west end of the nave contains an organ which was purchased by
subscription in 1810. Galleries are also erected in each aisle of the
nave.
In the wall of the north aisle is a stone, containing the figure in brass
of Sir Lionel Dymoke, in armour, kneeling on a cushion, and holding in
his hand a label on which is written,
“Sc’ta trinitas unus deus miserere nob.”
On each side of him are two shields containing arms, at one of the lower
corners are the figures of his two sons, and at the other those of his
three daughters, and under him this inscription:
“In honore sc’te et individue trinitatis Orate p’ a’ia Leonis Dymoke
milit’ q’ obijt xvij die me’se augusti aº D’ni mº cccc xix cuj’ a’ie
p’piciet’ de’ Amen.”
The shields contain these arms:—1. Sable, two lions passant in pale,
ducally crowned or, DYMOKE, empaling Barry of six ermine and gules, three
crescents sable, WATERTON; a crescent for difference. 2. DYMOKE,
empaling Vairè, on a fess gules frettè or, MARMYON, in chief, Ermine,
five fusils in fess, HEBDEN; a crescent for difference. 3. Argent, a
sword erect azure, hilt and pomel gules. {30a} 4. DYMOKE, empaling
Quarterly gules and argent, a cross engrailed counterchanged, HAYDON; a
crescent for difference.
On the floor beneath this monument is a brass, on which is the following
inscription nearly obliterated:
“Leonis fossa nunc haec Dymoke capit ossa
Miles erat Regis cui parce Deus prece matris
Es testis Christe quod non jacet hic lapis iste
Corpus ut ornetur sed spiritus ut memoretur
Hinc tu qui transis senex medius puer an sis
Pro me funde preces quia sic mihi fit venie spes.” {30b}
[Picture: Monument of Sir Lionel Dymoke]
On the floor of the vestry is a stone with this inscription around the
verge:
“Here lyethe the Boyddes of Thomas Raithbeck & ame his wyf ye
founders of the Beidhous Departed thys world in ye fayth of Christ ye
last day of October in ye yere of or lord mdlxxv.”
On the wall over the door of the vestry is a shield containing three
storks proper, on an argent field; the crest a stork; and under the arms
this inscription:
“Sacred to the Memory of the Rev. Mr. THO: GIBSON, A.M. Forty four
years Vicar of this Parish. He liv’d in such times when Truth to the
Church, and Loyalty to the King, met with Punishment due only to the
Worst of Crimes. He was by the Rebellious Powers carried away
Prisoner, four times, from his congregation, once exchanged into the
Garrison of Newark, for a Dissenting Teacher: afterwards Sequester’d,
and his family driven out by the then Earl of Manchester. He
survived the Restoration, and was brought back at the head of several
hundreds of his Friends, and made a Prebendary, in the Cathedral
Church of Lincoln. As his Enemies never forgave his Zeal to the
Church and Crown: so nothing but the height of Christian Charity
could forgive the Insults he met with from them. He Died April the
22d, 1678.”
Against the wall on the south side of the chancel is a lozenge shaped
piece of canvas, on which are painted these arms, Argent, two bars sable,
each charged with three mullets of six points or, pierced gules; and
under them the following inscription:
“Here lieth the worthy and memorable Kt. Sir INGRAM HOPTON, who paid
his debt to nature and duty to his King and Country in the attempt of
seizing the Arch-rebel in the bloody skirmish near Winceby, October
the 6th, A.D. 1643. {32}
“—nec tumultum
Nec mori per vim metuit, tenente
Cæsare terras.
Paulum sepultæ distat inertiæ
Celata virtus.”
Beside the sepulchral memorials already detailed, are a number of others
on the floor, and a few of recent date, on marble tablets, against the
walls.
At the end of the north aisle of the chancel, is the following table:
The BENEFACTORS to the CHURCH and POOR of this Town, the Clauses of
whose Wills may be seen at large in a Book in the Town Chest. Note
these Tables were erected 1724.
WILLIAM EVERITT and JOSEPH BROWN Churchwardens.
Anno 1611, October.
Mr. Robert Clark of Woodhall gave to the Poor of this town . . .
Shillings a year, to be paid the vicar on St. Thomas’s, and by him to
be distributed every Christmas-day for ever, out of his lands in
Thimbleby, now belonging to John Hutchinson, Gent.
Mrs. Ann Smith gave the poor of Horncastle twenty shillings a year
out of her lands there, now in the possession of Mr. Thomas Coats: it
is given in brown bread every Good Friday.
George Acham of Asterby, Gent. gave also one hundred and forty
pounds, to purchase lands, the rents thereof to be disposed off
yearly to the poor of Horncastle, at the discretion of the governors
of the free-school (for the time being,) which lands are in the
parish of Burgh in the Marsh.
Anno 1639, May the 2nd.
Mr. William Hurtscroft gave one house the yearly rent of fifty-two
shillings; to be given weekly (viz.) twelve pence in bread every
Lord’s day to poor fatherless and motherless children in Horncastle,
by the overseers for the poor; the said house now in possession of
widow Scamon.
The same year.
Andrew Kent, gent. gave six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence,
to be a stock for the poor of Horncastle, which is applied
accordingly in coals for their use.
Anno 1661, June the 6th.
Thomas Bromley of Conesby gent. left to the poor of this town forty
shillings per annum (viz.) twenty shillings every good Friday, and
twenty every St. Thomas’s day, to be paid out of his lands in Haltham
super Bane; now the said lands belong to Thomas Hamerton, gent.
Rutland Snowden, gent. gave to the poor of Horncastle one house of
the yearly rent of twenty-six shillings; but being decayed, is now
reduced to thirteen, paid in bread six-pence every other Sunday: the
said house belongs now to Mr. William Dawson.
Anno 1673, December the 5th.
Thomas James, gent. gave to the poor of Horncastle twenty shillings
yearly in white bread on every Christmas day for ever; payable out of
his lands there, which lands are now the estate of Thomas Howgrave,
Esquire.
Anno 1702, December the 20th.
Captain John Francis, gave two chaldern of coals yearly to be given
to the poor, appointed by the governors of the school, out of lands
in this town now the Rev. Mr. John Francis’s of Sibsey.
Anno 1703, December the 14th.
Mrs. Douglass Tyrwhitt of Gaiton on the would gave ten shillings
yearly to the poor of Horncastle on St. Thomas’s day, out of her
lands in Belshford, now the lands of Joseph Sutton of the same.
Anno 1696, May the 26th.
Nicolas Shipley, gent. gave to this church one brass candlestick of
twenty-four sockets, and Fox’s three books of martyrs. He gave also
to the poor five pounds, which was immediately given amongst them,
and thirty shillings yearly for ever, (viz.) twenty on St. Thomas’s
day, and ten every good Friday, in brown bread, to be paid out of his
lands adjoining to this church-yard, now purchased by Mr. Thomas
Hamerton. He gave also to the governors of the school one hundred
pounds, the interest thereof to put out poor boys apprentices to
trades; but their then treasurer dying insolvent, that money was
lost. We mention this here, because this misfortune doth not lessen
the charity of that well-disposed gentleman.
Anno 1719.
Mrs. Mary Hussey, widdow, gave one silver plate to the communion
table for ever.
Anno 1721.
Mrs. Dorothy Parker of Boston, gave to this church one brass
candlestick of sixteen sockits, and to the poor widdows and widdowers
of this town she gave sixty pounds, the interest or rents thereof to
be given amongst them on St. John’s day, in Christmas, and St.
James’s in July, yearly, for ever.
Anno 1724.
Mrs. Mary Waters, widdow, gave to the overseers of the poor, five
pounds: to be by them put out at interest, and the said interest to
be given to the poor on Christmas day, yearly, for ever.
Against the wall over the north entrance are several scythes and hay
knives, some of which are yet remaining in the shafts to which they have
been affixed, in order to render them instruments of warfare. The
occasion for which they were so prepared is unknown, the traditionary
accounts of them being both vague and contradictory.
In the steeple are six bells, bearing the following inscriptions:
1 LECTVM : FVGE : DISCVTE : SOMNVM. G: S: I. W : H: PENN : FVSOR:
17l7.
2 IN: TEMPLO : VENERARE : DEVM. HEN : PENN : NOS : FVDIT :
CORNVCASTRI.