St Andrews History

Ranulph

Ranulph, born in France in about 1030, was considered to be one of the Duke’s most distinguished followers at Hastings in 1066, which could be the reason for his promotion and the vast number of estates given to him when William became King. The records show that Maud de Ingelrica and Ranulph ( having previously had 5 children between them) married in December 1072, the same year as Ranulph’s death

Recompense

The story goes that in order to pay recompense for her earlier life with the Duke, Ingelrica founded in Hatfield Peverel a college of secular canons dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen, and spent the rest of her days until her death (around 1100) here in Hatfield Peverel and was buried in the church.

During the reign of King William Rufus (1087-1100) son of the Conqueror, William Peverel, Maud’s  first child, (the one born in France) converted the foundation into a Priory of Benedictines, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and subordinate to the abbey of St Alban in Hertfordshire. William also gave to the Priory much land, his own mansion and housing for the monks. He also provided two marks of silver to be paid yearly to the church of St. Alban, in recognition of the subordination of the Priory to that great Church

Destroyed by fire

At some time between the 14^th / 16^th March 1231, during the reign of King Henry III, the greater part of the Priory was destroyed by fire. The presbytery, with the vestments, chalices and books and the barns and granary were saved. The Church tower, the offices and all the utensils were lost, the bells and other metal objects being melted. However afterwards the damaged buildings were re-built and later in that century around 1280 an aisle on the North side of the nave was added. This appears to have included, at its western end, a small turret supporting a single bell. This aisle was widened early in the 15^th Century with the re-building or alteration of the two western bays. An original “Norman” window can be seen in the northern arcade.

Chantry

In the reign of King Edward II the eastern part of the north aisle was formally divided from the rest of the building by a screen of traceried oak. (This is now to be found within the eastern most arch of the Northern arcade). In 1317 the Abbott of St Albans Hugh de Everisdine and the prior of Hatfield Peverel Peter de Maydenford granted to one Thomas Ultyng, a chantry in the new chapel of St. Mary the Virgin. The Chantry was built by him in the form of an aisle within the church, so that one of the monks should celebrate divine service daily for him, his wife Maud (another one) and his ancestors, and tenants of the manor of Ultyng. For this, he provided new cloth for the monks, worth half a mark, and a further half a mark of spices, to be distributed by the sub prior to all the monks, except the prior. For this Thomas gave them a mark yearly rent.

New owner Giles Leigh

On the 5^th February 1537, following the dissolution,  Giles Leigh became owner of the Priory of Hatfield Peverel which also included other possessions, including the Rectories, Vicarages and Advowsons             (Right of presentation to a benefice) of Hatfield Peverel, Acton and Assington in Suffolk. The Leighs had two daughters who married two brothers of the Alleyn family of Thaxted. All of this remained in the Alleyn family for some two hundred years, until in 1762 when Arabella, sister to Sir Edmund Alleyn Bart, last of the family and sole heiress died leaving two children, a son and daughter, both minors, which meant that her estates were put under the direction of the chancery, and subsequently sold.

Priory changes hands to John Wright

In 1764 the priory (the Alleyn estate) came into the possession of  John Wright, a London coachmaker. He repaired the fabric and also added a small western porch. On the southern side of the church, from a lofty chapel, a door opened into the old priory house and it was this chapel that John Wright converted into a family pew. He also had a window of old painted glass inserted to illuminate the chapel, and the floor was paved with locally made red and white round bricks, possibly the hexagonal tiles outside the West Door?

He also had two stone slabs inserted into the outside of western wall, either side of the west door. We are fortunate to have the wording on these slabs, as they are now weathered beyond readability.

“Ingelrica, the beautiful daughter of a Saxon noble, wife of Ranulph Peverel, lord of this village, connected with William 1. by certain close and friendly ties, having grown weary at last of the tender delights of love and re-calling herself to a more holy rule of life founded this building for pious uses and was buried in the same about the year 1100”

“This building was made more splendid and beautiful and the country seat close by was built altogether on a new foundation for the social purposes of human life (and it was quite a happy event) by John Wright, into whose possession the lordship of all these things passed in the year 1764.”

Restoration

The history books tell us that there were two timber towers with Spires one on each side of the church at the west end. Built in the early 18th Century, the southern most of these towers decayed and fell down, a century later , the northern most tower being removed during the 1872 restoration. The restoration being supervised by Mr. George E. Street, R.A. of Cavendish Square.

We are fortunate to have two water colours painted during the period of the Rev’d. Thomas Debary 1868 – 1872. these pictures show the interior of the church. They show that there were high box pews, a superb multi-layer Pulpit on the southern side of the nave.

The traceried screen, now within the eastern most arch of the north aisle, is shown across the north aisle, with pews to the east side, possibly forming the Chantry built by Thomas Ultyng? At high level across the west end of the church a tiered gallery was installed and it was from this that members of the village band formed the church orchestra providing musical accompaniment during Services . The names of some of these performers are on record; Viz.: John Tavener; —Ellis; —Eve; and —Turpin. their instruments being Flute; Violin; and Base Viol. The village band gave way to an organ, this also was placed in the gallery, but in the middle of the 19th century this too was superseded by an organ at the east end of the north aisle, as can be determined from the Debary painting. This organ in its turn gave way to the present instrument, given by Mrs. W. M. Tufnell in 1891, this instrument has a total of 952 pipes.

The clock, made by Thurles and Read of Clerkenwell, was erected “To the Glory of God and in commemoration of the Golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Tufnell by the Parishioners of Hatfield Peverel, 11th May, 1891. Rev’d F. B. Toulmin; Vicar and C. W. Parker; and A. N. Shoobridge were the Churchwardens.