WEST DERBY HUNDRED 



south-east angle, which ends with a flat top at the 

 level of an embattled parapet at the base of the spire. 

 The spire is of stone, and has two rows of spire lights, 

 and the belfry windows are of two trefoiled lights with 

 quatrefoils in the head. All the work belongs to the 

 first half of the 14th century, and in the ground 

 story is a three-light west window with modern net 

 tracery, flanked by two empty niches, with below it 

 a four-centred doorway with continuous wave-mould- 

 ings. The tower arch is of three continuous wave- 

 moulded orders. On the west face of the tower, to 

 the south of the niche flanking the west window on 

 the south, is a small and very weathered carving of a 

 pig with a bell round his neck, known as the Winwick 

 pig. His story is that, like other supernatural 

 agencies under similar circumstances elsewhere, he in- 

 sisted on bringing all the stones with which the church 

 was being built on another and lower site to the pre- 

 sent site, removing each night the preceding day's work.' 



The roof of the Gerard Chapel is modern, but 

 that of the Legh Chapel has heavily-moulded timbers, 

 ceiled between with plaster panels having moulded 

 ribs and four-leaved flowers at the centres. Below 

 the beams, at the wall plates, are angels holding 

 shields with heraldry.* 



The roofs of the aisles have cambered tie-beams and 

 braces, with panels between the beams divided into 

 four by wood ribs. Neither roof is set out to space 

 with the arcades or windows, the south aisle roof 

 being of seven bays, that in the north aisle of six ; 

 they belong probably to c. 1 5 30. 



In the vestry is a very fine and elaborate i Jth-cen- 

 tury carved beam, found used up in a cottage. It 

 has eleven projecting brackets for images, that in the 

 middle being larger than the others, and may have 

 been the front beam of the rood-loft. It is 15 ft. 

 long. An altar table in the vestry dated 1725 is 

 inlaid with mahogany, with a ' glory ' in the middle 

 and initials at the corners, and a monogram AT. 



In the Gerard Chapel is the fine brass of Piers 

 Gerard, son of Sir Thomas Gerard of the Brynn, 

 1485, and in the Legh Chapel is a second brass, now 

 set against the east wall, with the figures of Sir Peter 

 Legh, 1527, and his wife Ellen (Savage), 1491. Sir 

 Peter was ordained priest after his wife's death, and is 

 shown on his brass tonsured and with mass vestments 

 over his armour. Below are figures of children. 

 There is a brass plate in the chancel pavement to 

 Richard Sherlock, rector, 1689. 



Later monuments in the Legh Chapel are those of 

 Sir Peter Legh, 1635, and Richard Legh and his wife, 

 1687. On the south side of the chapel some ala- 

 baster panels with strapwork and heraldry, from a 

 destroyed Jacobean monument, are built into the wall.' 



There are six bells, re-cast in 1711. 



WINWICK 



The church possesses two chalices, patens, and 

 flagons of 1786 ; two chalices, four patens, and two 

 flagons of 1795 ; and a sifter and tray of the same 

 date. Also a pewter flagon and basin, two large 

 copper flagons, red enamelled, with gold flower paint- 

 ing of Japanese style, a gilded brass almsdish and two 

 plates, designed by Pugin, and an ebony staff with a 

 plated head, the gift of Geoffrey Hornby, rector, 

 1781-1812. 



In the chancel hangs a brass chandelier, given by 

 the Society of Friends of Warrington. 



The registers begin in 1563, the paper book not 

 being extant. The first volume contains the years 

 1563-1642, the entries to 1598 being copies. The 

 next volumes in order are 1630-77, 1676-95, 

 1696-1717, 1716-33. 



The octagonal bowl of a 14th-century font found in 

 1877 beneath the floor of the church now lies outside 

 the east end of the chancel, in company with the 

 piece of an early cross-head described in a previous 

 volume.'" It is much worn, but has had four-leaved 

 flowers on each face, with raised centres, and must 

 have been a good piece of work when perfect." 



' St. Oswald had two plough-lands 

 JDVOIVSON exempt from all taxation ' in 1066, 

 so that the parish church has been 

 well endowed from ancient times." Possibly the 

 dedication suggested to Roger of Poitou the pro- 

 priety of granting it to St. Oswald's Priory, Nostell," 

 a grant which appears to have been renewed or con- 

 firmed by Stephen, Count of Mortain, between 1 1 14 

 and 1 12 I." In 1 1 23 Henry I 

 wrote to the Bishop of Ches- 

 ter, directing that full justice 

 should be done to the prior 

 and canons of Nostell, whose 

 clerks in Makerfield were de- 

 priving them of their dues." 

 From this time the prior and 

 canons presented to the church, 

 receiving certain dues or a fixed 

 pension ; but beyond the state- 

 ment in the survey of 1 2 1 2 '" 

 nothing is known until 1252, 

 when Alexander, Bishop of 



Lichfield, having been appealed to by the prior and 

 the canons, decreed that on the next vacancy they 

 should present ' a priest of honest conversation and 

 competent learning ' as vicar, who should receive the 

 whole of the fruits of the church, paying to Lichfield 

 Cathedral and to Nostell Priory a sum of money as 

 might be fixed by the bishop. In the meantime the 

 annual pension of 50/. then paid to Nostell from the 

 church of Winwick was to be divided equally, half 

 being paid to the church of Lichfield." A century 



Nostell Priory, 

 Gules a cross befween 

 four lions rampant or. 



7 Lanes, and Ches, Antlq, Soc. xxiii, zi3. 

 The niche may have held an image of 

 St. Anthony. 



^ These shields have been repainted, 

 and it is evident that this has been done 

 incorrectly. They seem, however, to be 

 intended for the arms of the following 

 families : — Butler of Merton, Croft of 

 Dalton, Legh of Lyme, Boydell, Boydell 

 and Haydock. 



^ The inscriptions on the various monu- 

 ments are given in Beamont, Winiukky 

 119-25 ; see also Thornely, Brasses, 6i, 

 169. Notes of the arms, &c. found in 

 the church in the i6th and 17th centuries 



are printed in Trans. Hist, Soc, (new 

 ser.), vi, 265 ; xiv, 210. 



" V.C.H. Lanes, i, 262. 



^^ Local Glean. Lanes, and Ches. ii, 113 ; 

 Trans. Hist. Soe. (new ser.), xvli, 69. 



For a traditional rhyme — * When a 

 maid is married there the steeple gives 

 a nod' — see Lanes, and Ches. Hist, and Gen. 

 Notes, iii, lo. " V.C.H. Lanes, i, 286. 



^ Lanes. Inq, and Ext. (Rec, Soc. Lanes, 

 and Ches.), i, 72. 



" Farrer, Lanes. Pipe R. 301. 



^^ Ibid. 300. 



^^ Lanes. Inq. and Ext. loc. cit. 



^' Lich. Epis. Reg. v, fol. 6ii. It may 



125 



perhaps be inferred from the notices of the 

 rectors that the prior and canons had 

 farmed out the church to a family of here- 

 ditary ' clerks ' ; and when this arrange- 

 ment was terminated, opportunity was 

 taken to secure a certain payment to the 

 priory, and also an equal sum to Lichfield 

 Cathedral. In future the actual holder of 

 the rectory was to be styled a * vicar,' 

 though he received all the revenues ; and 

 for a century and a half accordingly he 

 was usually so called, though ' parson ' 

 also occurs frequently. The poverty of 

 both priory and cathedral was alleged as 

 the reason for the pensions. 



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