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the year 1725, October 10th, the followincf resolution appears in the Churchward- 

 ens' books-"'Resolved that the steeple shall be taken down as conveniently as 

 it can, it being so much out of order that it cannot be repaired ; " and in the year 

 1727, July 14th, an agreement was made v^-ith - Wilkinson, mason (who built the 

 Worcester spire), "for the new erecting a stone spire of hundred feet in height," 

 above the present stone work. A subscription, to meet the cost, was set on foot, 

 also a " brief." These being insufficient, the liability was transferred to the rate- 

 payers for on the 20th day of February, 1734, there is the following entry, " at a 

 vestry meeting, it was ordered and agreed that the Churchwarden be allowed to 

 make a book towards paying the debt that was borrowed for building the spire 

 and goin- forward with the work and defraying his charges by a book not 

 exceeding fourty months, and also that the Churchwardens do their endeavour to 

 borrow money to pay what money was borrowed towards building the steeple." 

 The tower was raised one story, in which the bells were re-hung, and the present 

 spire was built, a passable work, considering the time of its erection, though the 

 Corinthian cornice underneath the battlements, and the upper windows m the 

 tower, ill accord with the graceful outline of the Early English windows and door- 

 way beneath. The height of the tower and spire is 202 feet. 



About this time (1736) a vial of parochial wrath was poured on a self willed 

 churchwarden, as appears from the following extract from the parish books ;- 

 "Whereas John George, one of the Churchwardens of this parish, has wilfully 

 and unadvisedly against the consent of the parish signified to him at a parish 

 meetin- fixed up the bells in the new steeple before it was finished whereby con- 

 siderable damage has already happened: the greatest bell being since broke. 

 Therefore it is agreed that in case the said John George does not at his own proper 

 cost make the said bell as good an usefull as formerly, we will prosecute him by 

 what method shall be thought most advisable in order to recover the dammages 

 which are or shall be sustained by the parish on that behalf." Jhe tenor or 

 "greatest" bell was re-cast at this time, with extra met.il. at a co>t of £43 l<s. 7d. 

 It weighs 1 ton 3 cwt. 2 qrs. 17 lbs. 



In the year 1771 the mutilation of the timber roofs commenced. A resolution 

 in the churchwardens' b<,ok for that year is as follows-" 1771, Sept. 5th. _ Mr. 

 Bridg the present Church warding shall .seele the midle lie of the Church. No 

 doubt the men of that generation were so well pleased with their perforinance, 

 that the north and south aisle.s were also " seeled," and in carrying out this un- 

 fortunate work, the mouldings on the timbers and wall-plates, and the stone 

 cornices were recklessly destroyed. These ceilings have disappeared, and the 

 original roofs are again brought to light. . , , r 



°The roof of the south aisle, constructed entirely of Enghsh oak of massive 

 dimensions, is an exact restitution of the original. On its being -P^jd * few 

 years ago, every feature of the old roof was retained. I have little doubt that the 

 settling of the south wall from the perpendicular took place immediately after it 

 was built ; as it was found, <,n careful examination and measurement of the pnn- 

 cipals of the roof, that they had been fitted to the expanded form of the walls 

 The panelled roof of St. Anne's Chapel, at the east end of the aisle, is an exact 

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