STOCKTON WARD 



EGGLESCLIFFE 



by an arcade of two pointed arches of two chamfered 

 orders springing from an octagonal pier with moulded 

 capital and dying into the wall at each end. The 

 east wall of the chapel is in the same line as that of 

 the nave, and there are two windows of two cinque- 

 foiled lights with four-centred heads on the south 

 side. The end walls are blank, the porch being 

 built up against the west wall. Between the windows 

 is a recess with flat four-centred chamfered arch, 

 containing a recumbent stone effigy of l.ite 13th- or 

 early 14th-century date, probably commemorating 

 Sir William de Aislaby, who established a chantry 

 at his manor-house in I 3 I 3, or Thomas Aislaby, who 

 fought at the battle of Lewes. The figure is that 

 of a man in chain mail and long surcoat. The 

 head rests on two cushions and the feet on a lion. 

 The right hand grasps the hilt of the sword and the 

 left holds the scabbard. Over the left arm is a shield 

 with the arms of Aislaby suspended from the right 

 shoulder by a belt, and a winged monster is represented 

 biting the bottom of the shield. Another effigy, very 

 similar in type, but much worn and weathered, is 

 preserved in the porch. The arms on the shield are 

 obliterated, but the figure probably represents a 

 member of the same family. 



The south doorway has a late pointed arch intro- 

 duced below the 12th-century semicircular opening. 

 The original arch is composed of fifteen plain 

 voussoirs springing from angle shafts with large 

 carved capitals and chamfered imposts running back 

 to the wall on each side. The shaft on the west 

 side is octagonal in section, the other circular, and 

 the capitals are 15 in. deep with volutes at the 

 angles and a face below. The porch is 8 ft. 6 in. 

 square internally and of late date with a very low 

 plain outer arch, above which is a wooden sundial 

 dated 1779 with the motto, 'Memento mori,' and 

 the names of the churchwardens. It was renovated 

 in 1881. 



The tower is of three stages with embattled 

 parapet and angle pinnacles, and has a projecting 

 vice in the south-east corner stopping at the second 

 stage. There are diagonal buttresses of three stages at 

 the north-eastern and western angles finishing below 

 the belfry, the windows of which are pointed. The 

 mullions have been cut away and the openings filled 

 with wooden louvres. The pointed west window is of 

 three cinquefoiled lights, and there is a modern single 

 light with trefoiled head in the middle stage above. 

 The two lower stages north and south are blank. The 

 tower arch is of two chamfered orders dying into 

 the wall at the springing. The opening is the full 

 width of the tower. The vice is entered from a 

 doorway in the south-west corner of the nave. 



The font is of late i zth or early i 3th-century date 

 and consists of a plain circular stone bowl moulded 

 on the edge, on a moulded stem and base. It stands 

 below the tower and has a i 7th-century oak pyramidal 

 crocketed cover." 



The woodwork and fittings are chiefly of Cosin's 

 time, but the pulpit, altar rails, and pewing in the 

 chapel are about a century later. The chancel screen 



has five openings, and is of mixed Gothic and 

 Renaissance detail. The lower panels and the heads 

 of the openings are of late Gothic type, the cornice, 

 turned balusters and carved posts being of Renais- 

 sance character. The work, if not equal to that of 

 the same date in other parts of the county, is interest- 

 ing, and the same characteristics are prevalent in the 

 stall work and wainscot of the chancel. The 

 sanctuary walls are panelled to a height o( 6 ft. 9 in., 

 and there are four stalls on each side to the west of 

 the priest's doorway with canopies and cornice sup- 

 ported by turned balusters, and two others on each 

 return against the screen. In the wainscot the 

 Gothic feeling predominates as at Brancepeth and 

 Sedgefield, but in the stalls the detail is chiefly 

 Renaissance in character. The fronts of the seats 

 have semicircular-headed panels, and the bench ends 

 have poppy heads and swags of fruit and flowers. 

 The nave is filled with good 17th-century oak 

 pewing with open backs and doors filled with short 

 turned balusters, and with turned knobs to the pew 

 ends. The pulpit, which stands in the north-east 

 corner of the nave, is of pl.iin but good 18th-century 

 design and has a canopy. 



In the porch, in addition to the fragments and 

 the effigy already mentioned, are a mediaeval grave 

 slab with raised cross, and the upper part of a stone 

 crucifix. Copies of Jewell's Apohg'j and the Works oj 

 Charles I are preserved in the chapel. 



There is a ring of eight tubular bells hung in 

 1897, but two old bells still hang in the tower. 

 The oldest is of mediaeval date, probably about 

 14.00, and bears the inscription, ' Sancta Maria 

 Ora Pro Nobis,' some of the letters being reversed. 

 The other is dated 1665 on the waist, but has no 

 inscription.^^ 



The plate consists of a 17th-century chalice 

 (c. 1664) made by John Wilkinson of Newcastle ; 

 a paten made by William Ramsey of Newcastle, 

 inscribed ' Dec. 6"" 1687 ' ; and a set of two chalices, 

 two patens, a flagon and an almsdish provided under 

 the will of Robert Henry Allan of Blackwell Hall, 

 D.irlinglon, in 1889. There is also a modern flagon 

 of Britannia metal, Sheffield make. A chalice, paten 

 and flagon of 1863, given by Mrs. Maltby, wife of 

 the rector, are now in use at the church at Haverton 

 Hill." 



The registers begin in 1539. There is a gap 

 between the years I 550 and I 374. 



The Bishops of Durham had the 

 ADFOIVSON patronage of the church down to 

 1859, but the king presented at 

 various times during a vacancy of the sec.'^ The 

 patronage was transferred to the Bishop of Manchester 

 in 1859,'^ but was afterwards exchanged for an 

 advowson in Lancashire. Col. Mackenzie was patron 

 about 1885, and Sir Hugh Bell, bart., now has the 

 presentation. 



The appearance of Gille, clerk of Egglescliffe, among 

 ecclesiastical witnesses to a charter in 1085 "" indicates 

 probably that there was then a church. The earliest 

 distinct mention of the church is a century later, 



** The font cover is illustrated in Proc. 

 Soc, Antiq. NezucaitU (Ser. 3), iv, 252. 

 For font see Trans. Dur. Arch. Soc. vi, 251. 



" Proc. Soc. Antij. Newcauli, iii, 196. 

 A third old bcU was sold to Yarm Church 

 about 1 81 5 fnr /'ii- 



"Ibid, iv, 152. When Mrs. Maltby 

 gave this plate to Egglescliffe, the old 

 chalice and paten and the Sheffield flagon 

 were sent to Haverton Hill. They were 

 recovered in 1906 and Mrs. Maltby's 

 vessels loaned instead, 



231 



" The calendars of the patent rolli 

 afford a number of examples. 



^* Land. Gax. 5 Aug. 1859, p. 2998. 



" Hii:. Dunelm. Serif r. Trts (Surt. Soc), 

 p. XX. 



