CLIFTON HUNDRED 



CLIFTON 



the north chapel, and below it is a squint from the 

 chapel and a square recess in the wall. To the west 

 is a wide moulded arch of good fifteenth-century 

 detail, the inner order springing from modern 

 corbels carved as angels, and the outer orders dying 

 out above the springing line. 



The chancel arch, of two richly-moulded orders, 

 has been designed to throw the full width of the 

 chancel open to the nave ; it is indeed of wider span 

 than the chancel, whose walls are splayed off at the 

 western angles to the moulded face of its inner order. 

 It is a very uncommon treatment, managed with 

 great skill, the splayed face, which is worked with 

 shallow mouldings, being carried up vertically to stop 

 against the soffit of the inner order of the arch. The 

 jointing of the stonework shows that the arrangement 

 is original and not an afterthought. In the jambs 

 are engaged shafts with moulded capitals, and the jambs 

 themselves have been cut back about 7 ft. from the floor 

 line of the nave to form recesses with flat sills 4 ft. 6 in. 

 from the floor for the fitting of the nave altars. In the 

 south wall of the nave is a large three-light window with 

 trefoiled ogee heads and net tracery, part of the original 

 work. Below it is a blocked four-centred opening of 

 fifteenth-century date, intended to light the south nave 

 altar. Externally this opening had a square head with 

 tracery, still to be seen on the wall face. Under this 

 corner of the nave is a small charnel. The second 

 window in the south wall is west of the porch, and is a 

 fifteenth-century insertion, of two cinquefoiled lights 

 under a square head. 



The south doorway is original and has three con- 

 tinuous wave-moulded orders with a scrolled label, 

 and the internal jambs have the same detail as those 

 in the chancel. Modern dripstones representing a 

 queen and a bishop have been inserted. Over the 

 doorway is a contemporary cinquefoiled niche for an 

 image, with a crocketed label and flanking pinnacles. 

 The porch has small windows on east and west, 

 and a moulded outer arch of two orders with moulded 

 capitals, all of original date, but the shafted responds 

 are modern. Above the arch is a niche containing a 

 modern figure. The north arcade Is of three bays 

 with moulded arches of two orders, of good fifteenth- 

 century detail, separated by a wide hollow containing 

 a filleted roll. The piers have engaged rounded 

 shafts at the angles, with filleted shafts in the middle 

 of each face, and the moulded capitals are octagonal 

 above, with rounded bells. 



The north chapel Is lighted by a three-light window 

 on the east, atid the aisle has three north windows, 

 the middle one of two lights and the others of three 

 lights, all being modern ; there is no west window. The 

 ea;t arch of the tower has responds with three engaged 

 rounded shafts with small rolls between, moulded 

 capitals and bases, and an arch of two moulded orders 

 with a label, all being of the same date as the nave. 



The tower Is of three stages with diagonal buttresses, 

 perhaps of late fifteenth-century date. The west 

 window, in the ground stage, is of three uncusped 

 lights under a low four-centred arch ; and the belfry 

 windows are of two lights below an embattled 

 parapet. At the north-east angle is the stair, entered 

 from within the tower by a four-centred doorway. 



The roofs of the church and all the wood fittings 

 are modern, and a low screen of masonry across 



67 Feet of F. Beds, 3 John, No. 5. holdings in Clifton 



"8 Abhre-v. Flac. (Rec. Com.) 6jh. 



69 Ibid. Hugh and Robert had small 



279 



virgates in 1197 ; the latter i virgate in 

 1 21 8. (Feet of F. Beds. 9 Ric. I, No. 



the chancel arch, and a marble pulpit have been set 

 up in modern times. The font is older than any 

 part of the building, having an octagonal bowl with 

 two shallow-pointed arches on each face, and dates 

 from the beginning of the thirteenth century. 



In the north chapel, the west half of which serves 

 as an organ chamber, is the fine alabaster altar-tomb of 

 Sir Michael Fisher, 1549, and his wife, with their 

 recumbent effigies. The sides and ends have arcades 

 with crocketed gablets over, each containing an angel 

 bearing a shield. The tomb is not in Its original posi- 

 tion, being, In thoroughly utilitarian fashion, crammed 

 Into the north-east angle of the chapel, its north side 

 having been taken off and set on the wall above the 

 tomb. All the shields have been painted, and are still 

 fairly clear, bearing arms as follows : — South side, from 

 the west: l. Three luces ; 2. Barry of six ; 3. ?A 

 lion rampant In a border ; 4. Barry of ten ; 5. A 

 cinquefoll ; 6. A fesse between six ? roundels. North 

 side : i . A cross with a martlet in the first quarter, 

 and charges indistinguishable in the other quarters ; 

 2. A lion rampant ; 3. A stag's head cabossed quar- 

 tered with Barry a bend ; 4. A fesse between three 

 demi-lions, the upper two confronted. East side : 

 I . Quarterly, I and 4 defaced, 2 and 3 An eagle. The 

 effigy of Sir Michael is bareheaded, the head rest- 

 ing on a helm with a llon's-head crest, a torse and 

 mantling. He wears plate armqur with a mail 

 hauberk, and has a sword in a jewelled belt, and a 

 dagger, and at his feet, which are in round-toed 

 sabbatons, is a lion. His lady wears a jewelled 

 wreath on her head, and a long mantle, under which 

 is a sleeveless cotehardi. At her head are two angels, 

 and two lions at her feet. In front of this tomb on 

 the floor Is a brass to John son of Sir Michael Fisher, 

 1528, with indents of four shields in the corners on 

 the slab. Under the tower is another slab with in- 

 dents of a man and his wife and two children, with 

 two shields below. 



There was formerly here the brass of William 

 Haryson ' late parisshe prest of this Churche, 1 5 16.' 



There are eight bells, besides seven smaller ones not 

 used for ringing in ' peal The sixth, seventh, and 

 tenor are by William Watts, 1590, the fourth dates 

 from 1 83 1, and the other four from 1867. Before 

 1867 there were five bells only. 



The plate is modern, consisting of a chalice and 

 paten of silver, a parcel-gilt silver flagon, and a plated 

 paten. 



The first book of the registers is incomplete, its 

 entries ranging between 1546 and 1600. The second 

 contains all entries for 1654-1733, and the third all 

 for 1733—83. The fourth book has the baptisms and 

 burials, 1 783-1 8 12, and the marriages between 1783 

 and 1 8 1 2 are contained in two more books. 



There is no mention of the church 

 ADVOWSON of Clifton in the Domesday Survey 

 and the first record appears in 1 201 

 when the moiety of the advowson was in the gift of 

 Robert of Sutton.^' Robert's mother, Ollmpas, had 

 been in the custody of Henry of Sandy, who on this 

 account had presented to the church and Henry's son 

 Hugh, in 1202, laid claim to the moiety of the 

 advowson, which however, was decided to be the 

 right of Robert of Sutton.*' Hugh revived his claim 

 in I2og, but apparently without success.*' There is 



the former had 4J 22) and (Feet of ' F. Beds. 3 Henry III, 

 No. 47). 



