ONE OF THE BELTISLOE GROUP OF PARISHES
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DOMESDAY BOOK – Records
exist of a church at Bodebi (Boothby).
Dr. Robert Sanderson, chaplain to
Charles 1, was Rector from 1619 - 1660 and Bishop of Lincoln 1660 – 1662 (Life
of Robert Sanderson by Izaak Walton, 1648.)
Charles 1st is recorded
as saying;
‘I
carry my ears to hear other preachers. I carry my conscience to hear Mr
Sanderson and to act accordingly.’
The Church was restored by Mrs Cecil
Thorold in 1895 -1897.
It had, according to a contemporary
report in the Grantham Journal of
The architect John Loughborough
Pearson was chosen to be responsible for the restoration.
Pearson was one of the most famous of
Victorian church architects; he was also responsible for Truro Cathedral
and
THE CHURCHYARD – This was extended to the
South, during the restoration, and the Lych - gate
built in 1896 is now a listed building.
THE SOUTH PORCH – Built in the 14th
century with a gabled flat roof. The only ancient piece of glass in the Church
is in these windows – 15th century and depicts the Harrington Coat
of Arms. Meetings of the P.C.C. were held in the porch until the end of the
last century.
SOUTH AISLE – Rebuilt and extended in the 14th
– 15th century (Perpendicular windows). Norman Font with oak
cover made 1896 carvings depicting the seven virtues Lady Chapel was formed at
the church restoration; the statues on either side of the altar are of our Lady
and St. Andrew. The Mothers Union Banner was embroidered by the late Mrs W
Chantry wife of William Joseph Chantry Rector from 1941.
THE TOWER – Built at the end of the 12th
century has a fine Norman West Doorway with Waterleaf capitals.
The
groin vaulting in the lower stage is from 1896.
The bell
openings have Saxon type mid-wall shafts, whilst the top of the tower has
battlements with eight pinnacles; on the S.W. pinnacle is a coat of arms of the
Paynell family.
The
pinnacles were repaired in 2005.
THE BELLS – The Church did have three bells as follows:
(1) Pre-
reformation
(2) 1609
(3) 1594
These were replaced in December 2008 with a peal of five bells dating from 1867. Click here to see more about this project.
THE NAVE – This
is the earliest part of the present church and was built 1125 – 1150.
The
roof was raised and the clerestory added early in the 14th century.
At the
restoration in 1896 the low Norman arch dividing the nave from the chancel was
demolished and the existing arch was built. The Rood Loft was destroyed at the
reformation.
CHANCEL – Rebuilt and extended in 14th
century.
Piscina, or basin for washing vessels, in South Wall.
Aumbry or small cupboard, and filled in Priest’s Doorway in the
North Wall.
Marble
pavement was part of the 1896 restoration.
WINDOWS – The
windows in the church were made by Clayton and Bell as part of the restoration,
they were one of the largest and most respected stained-glass makers of the
Victorian period and the designer George Daniels, who was an apprentice at
Clayton and Bell, went on to become a much sought after freelance designer. The
Jesse Window is especially impressive.
NORTH AISLE – Rebuilt between
1320 - 1330 and considerably extended.
Prior to
1896 this aisle was used as a chapel and is the cemetery of the Harrington,
Tyrwitt and Litchford families. A brass memorial to the Harrington’s is on the
South wall of this aisle.
THE ORGAN – In 1896 Mrs Thorold commissioned
Robert Hope Jones to install an Electric organ in the church. This was powered
by re-charchable batteries; at first the organ pipes were housed in the newly
cut opening in the East wall of the Tower, whilst the console was at the East
end of the North aisle.
Robert Hope Jones is either reviled or revered in church building
circles yet the fact remains that he was the inspiration for the Mighty
Wurlitzer Organ arguably America’s finest product of the early 20th
century and at the reopening service in
1897 Hope Jones himself played the organ.
This original organ proved to be unsatisfactory and it was rebuilt in
1904 by Norman and Beard and converted to pneumatic action and the organ pipes
were rehoused in an oak case in the north aisle.
THE VESTRY – This was built in 1896.
GENERAL ITEMS OF INTEREST
The restoration in 1897 cost Annie
Thorold £10,000.00 around £756,000.00 at today’s prices.
Electric lighting was put into the
church in 1946 at the cost of £95.00 around £550.00 at today’s prices.
In about 1900 the Low Church
Kensitites, who were a group of men opposed to ritual in the church, cycled
from Grantham with the intention of breaking the sanctuary lamps and other
decorations. The villagers resisted their efforts with ripe tomatoes and bad
eggs and seized a revolver from one of the party.
This revolver was hanging for a time
in the vestry. It then disappeared but came to light in 1955, underneath the
organ, as this was being cleaned and overhauled.
It was taken to the police station!