WYMERSLEY HUNDRED 



WHISTON 



of five subdivided bays, the main principals placed, as 

 already described, over the pillars of the arcades, and 

 the intermediate ones supported by shields carved with 

 various devices. 



The tower is the most highly ornamented part of the 

 fabric, full use having been made of the contrast in 

 colour between the deep yellow of the ironstone and 

 the silver grey of the oolite. It is of four main stages, 

 with clasping buttresses terminating at the top of the 

 second stage in elaborate traceried and crocketed 

 gables, over which they are continued in different 

 form, first square and then diagonal, ending above the 

 parapet in lofty pinnacles. The bottom stage is in 

 alternate courses of yellow and grey stone, with a string 

 at mid-height going round the buttresses, at the angles 

 of which are small carved figures. There is a band of 

 quatrefoils above the moulded base and on the west side 

 a four-centred elaborately moulded doorway, the 

 original square frame or hood-mould of which has 

 been cut away. Over the doorway is a four-centred 

 window of three lights, but on the north and south 

 sides the bottom stage is blank. The second stage is 

 wholly faced with ironstone except for a single course 

 near the bottom, and has a cusped lozenge-shaped open- 

 ing on all three sides, that facing west having in the 

 middle a shield with the arms of Catesby quarterly. 



The bell-chamber windows in the upper limestone 

 stage are wide four-centred openings of four trefoiled 

 lights under a square hood-mould with unpierced 

 spandrels, and the merlons of the elaborate battle- 

 mented parapet are panelled, the string below having 

 four carved bosses and a gargoyle on each side. Beneath 

 is a band of quatrefoils and trefoils set diagonally. 

 There is a vice in the south-west angle. The tower 

 arch to the nave is rather sharply pointed and is of three 

 chamfered orders without a hood, the two outer orders 

 continuous and the inner one on half-round responds 

 with moulded capitals and bases. The tower floor is 

 one step below that of the nave. 



The east ends of both aisles are screened off: on the 

 north side for a vestry, on the south for the organ. The 

 screens arc modern. 



The font is contemporary with the church, and con- 

 sists of an octagonal panelled bowl and pedestal on two 

 square steps. It has an interesting Jacobean oak cover 

 with twisted balusters supporting a small canopy. 



There are good oak Jacobean baluster altar rails, 

 and the altar table is of approximately the same period, 

 with curved legs. In the nave are a number of plain 

 open fixed seats with good mouldings and ornamented 

 at the ends with small buttresses: though in part much 

 restored they appear to be contemporary with the 

 building. The pulpit dates from 1855. 



There is a scratch dial under the window west of 

 the porch.' 



On the north wall of the chancel is a marble monu- 

 ment to Thomas Catesby (d. 1699) with busts of him- 

 self and wife, and in memory of Sir John Catesby (d. 

 1485) and his succeeding heirs,- and there are inscribed 

 floor-slabs to the same Thomas Catesby and to George 

 Catesby (d. 1658), and Margaret widow of Clifton 

 Catesby (d. 1662). There are also memorials in the 

 chancel to George Irby, ist Baron Boston (d. 1775 ^f"^ 

 here buried), and his wife' (d. 1769), and to the Hon. 

 Edward Methuen Irby, killed at Talavera 1809; and 

 in the aisles to members of the Irby family and others 

 ranging from 1792* to 1883, including Frederick, 2nd 

 Baron Boston (d. 1825), Paul .-Anthony Irby, rector (d. 

 1865), Florancc George Henry, 5th Baron Boston (d. 

 1 877), and Charlotte Isabella, Countessof Orkney, and 

 daughter of the 3rd Lord Boston (d. 1883).' 



On the south wall of the chancel outside is a stone 

 panel in memory of Edward Martyn (d. 1620) and 

 his wife Winifrid Say, who 'lived together 54. years 

 as patterns of religious and vertuous life', and had issue 

 six sons and four daughters.* 



In the north aisle, on a painted board, are the royal 

 arms of one of the Hanoverian sovereigns before 

 1801. 



There is a ring of five bells, the first by Thomas 

 Russell, of Wootton, Bedfordshire, 1729, the second 

 an alphabet bell by Hugh Watts of Leicester 161 1, 

 the third inscribed 'S. Anna' and bearing the mark of 

 Thomas Newcombe of Leicester {c. i 567-8), and the 

 fourth and fifth by Hugh Watts II of Leicester dated 

 respectively 1635 and 1638.^ 



The plate consists of a cup of 1570 and a 17th- 

 century paten inscribed 'Whishton'. There is also a 

 pewter plate.' 



The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) all 

 entries Dec. 1700 to Sept. 1731; (ii) baptisms and 

 burials 1740-1812, marriages 1740-54; (iii) marriages 

 1755-1812. 



Pope Alexander III in 1178 con- 

 JDrOlFSON firmed the church to Ramsey Abbey," 

 which had probably already granted 

 it to William de Whiston with the manor. His suc- 

 cessor Sir William de Whiston was patron in 1231, 

 when he presented William de Whiston, sub-deacon, 

 to the church.'" He presented Roger de Whiston, sub- 

 deacon, ten years later and was patron in 1248;" but 

 the advowson would not have been alienated with the 

 manor to Moses and so to the Earl of Gloucester. 

 Agnes de Byfield apparently owned it in 1277, when 

 she was sued by the earl; she did not appear,'- and he 

 presented, therefore, in 1278;'^ but Alice daughter of 

 Michael de Muncore of Whiston in 1301'-' presented 

 and afterwards, 1304-5, granted the advowson with 

 half a virgate of land to Robert de Byfield and Alice his 

 wife and his heirs.'* Hugh,Earlof Gloucester, revived 



' Another, on the parapet of the porch, 

 is of doubtful authenticity. 



' Bridges, Hitf. of NortAan/t. i, 389. 

 It has a pediment on Ionic columns, with 

 shield of arms above, and a good bas-relief 

 at the bottom. 



' The monument to Lady Boston is by 

 Nollekcns and has a female figure with 

 extinguished torch leaning on an urn. 



♦ The earhest is a monument by Nolle- 

 kcns to Mary wife of William Henry Irby 

 (d. 1792): it shows a cherub weeping by 

 >n um. 



» The east window, by O'Connor of 

 London, was put in in 1858 in memory of 



the 3rd Lord Boston; and the west win- 

 dow, by Mayer of Munich, in 1884 in 

 memory of the 4th Lord Boston : ex inf. 

 the Rev. H. J. Smalc. 



' The panel was erected by their eldest 

 son. Edward Martyn died at the age of 

 ninety-6ve and was buried at Whiston; 

 his wife, aged eighty-six, was buried at 

 St. Martin's, Leicester. 



' North, C/i. Belli 0/ Norihanii. 444, 

 where the inscriptions are given. In 1551 

 there was one great bell and one sanctus 

 bell. A local tradition about the bells is 

 given. 



• Markham, Ch. Plate 0/ Norlhanls. 



314. The date letter of the paten is un- 

 certain, but it may be i56;. The pewter 

 plate is of London make. 



» Cariul. Mon. de Rames. (Rolls Scr.), 

 ii, 136. 



■» Rot. Hug. de Wellei (Cant, and York 

 Soc.), ii, 155, 240. 



" Rot. Roherii Groiielette (Cant, and 

 York Ser.), 203, 231. 



" De Banco R. 24, m. 64. 



" Ret. Ric. Crjveiend (CiM. and York 

 Soc.), 135. 



'♦ Bridges, op. cit. 390. 



" Feet of F. Northants. 33 Edw. I, no. 

 486; De Banco R. 346, m. 23. 



IV 



291 



P2 



