History of St. Mary's Church
St. Mary the Virgin has stood in the heart of the village for almost 800 years. Construction started in the 13th century and continued throughout the 14th,15th and 16th centuries. There is also evidence of an even earlier church on the site. It is a grade 1 listed building of great historic and architectural importance. It was built on prominent ground so that it can be seen from all directions. It is a symbol of belief and trust that has endured through the ages.
Today you enter the church through the south door, passing through the 15th century porch. The porch is usually decorated in line with the monthly theme and you can also pick up a few useful leaflets about coming events. Over the porch you will notice a priest’s room, or parvise, which in the past probably provided living quarters for a priest and now houses one of the four Bray libraries in Essex, established in the 18th century for the use of the local clergy. The church doorway is 14th century restored.
The church holds approximately 220 people and the large nave is 66 feet long and 22 feet wide. The chancel arch dates from c.1240 and the tower arch at the west end from the 15th century, with graceful slender lines which symbolically lead the eye towards Heaven.
The clerestory is late 15th or early 16th century and was restored in 1858-59. The angel roof is late 15th century with some later oak timbers. The north transept arch dates from 1220-1240 and the pillars of the north arcade are c.1390.The south transept arch is 1220—1240 and the pillars of the south arcade are c.1320.
The oak chancel screen is early 15th century as is the oak lectern, which swivels and can be adjusted for height,as seen above, and still retains the chains to which the Bible was once attached. The pulpit is 19th century and was given to the church at a cost of £45. It replaced a three tier pulpit with clerk and reader’s desk which formerly stood at the south end of the screen.
The south aisle was added, or possibly rebuilt, early in the 14th century. The windows in this aisle are 19th century reconstructions, except for the rear arch and splays of the western one. The font has a 13th century bowl, a 15th century oak cover but a Victorian base.
The south transept was built in 1220-1240.The present roof and the east window date from the 15th century. The curved braces of the tie beams rest on roughly carved head corbels on the east wall and moulded corbels on the west. The arch to the south aisle is c.1320.
The altar chest in the south transept, known as the Newport Chest, is a portable altar of the late 13th century (700 years old) with space for communion vessels, vestments and missals. The false bottom conceals a secret compartment. The lid is raised to form a reredos and the panel depicts, from left to right, St Peter, the Virgin Mary, the Crucifixion, St John and St Paul, and these are some of the earliest known oil paintings on wood. The altar is made as a chest, with three handles and five locks. The vestments and books would be kept in the locker and the altar stone in the secret place. A fine band of metal tracery ornaments the outside, and the 13th century paintings are on the inside of the lid, which lifted up to form the reredos as we see it today, with its five panels of the Crucifixion. Each saint stands on a mound in a strikingly dramatic pose, delightful representatives of a now old art in its infancy.
The chancel was completely restored in 1911, but contains much older work. The lower walls date from 1220-1240 and the upper walls were last rebuilt in the 15th century – no mention of the stalls.
The paving throughout the church dates from the major refurbishment of 1858-59, which was made necessary by the fact that the building had deteriorated to a very poor state. The nave roof was restored and the clerestory walls rebuilt, the internal walls were re-plastered and the pillars and the porch restored. Unfortunately during this restoration work many of the ledger stones over the vaults were removed or destroyed, and no record was kept of the actual location of the intra-mural burials in the church.
The tower was completely rebuilt in 1858-59 as the former 15th century tower had been struck by lightning and was dangerously cracked.
Records show the parish was without a priest for much of the 17th century and the church building became neglected. The registers are blank for the period of the Civil War – from 1636 to 1690 there are no records which seem to indicate a similar lack of incumbent over that period.
A few facts about some of our past vicars
1539: Edward Cowper was formerly the Abbot of Rievaulx in Yorkshire but was dismissed for 'unsuitable behaviour'. He did not support changes made by Henry VIII.
1690: Henry Rix was also headmaster of Newport Free Grammar School, but Edmund Tathum who succeeded him in 1703 reformed the tithe system and instituted a parish rate. Newport had a resident incumbent from then on.
1742: John Lane was shot dead by a highwayman in Epping Forest in 1746. An account states he was believed to be under the influence of drink and made resistance to the robbery.
1748: Richard Knightly, was a younger son of a member of the aristocracy and is described as 'a very odd and out of the way kind of person,' also a 'noisy fox hunting kind of man.'
1779: Brian Hughes was said to be an eccentric vicar who cut off the heads and wings from the angels on the nave roof as he insisted they were idols in God's house.
1794: Thomas Bell had an acrimonious relationship with the people of Newport, he was not on speaking terms with his churchwardens for many years and was sued by the local magistrate.
The objects of the Friend's of St. Mary's Church are to maintain, repair, restore, preserve, improve, beautify and reconstruct for the benefit of the public the fabric of St. Mary's church, it's monuments, fixtures, fittings, furniture, stained glass, ornaments and other chattels and it's churchyard. Responsibility for the building lies with the incumbent, church wardens and the parachial church council, the Friends role is primarily fund raising.
Membership is open to anyone interested in the objects of the Society who has paid annual subscription, which is currently £15 for individuals and £25 for a family.
Please visit their website for more details on fundraising and gifts.
www.friendsofstmarysnewport.org.uk
Chairman: Ben Cowell. Treasurer: Neil Hargreaves. Secretary: Berenice Smith.