By C. E. Porting, F.S.A. 209 



John Bartlett and John Robins 

 were killed by the fall of the 

 Steeple of this Church, on the 15th 

 and were buried in one grave, in 

 the North Isle below the Porch, 

 on the 17th day of October 1670. 



The latter part is corroborated by the registry of burials. 1 also by 

 an old parish book which, under date 1606, states that : — 



" In this yeare y e fanne vppon y e top of y e steeple being consumed w h rust 

 fell down, and was repaired and set vp again by for the valew of ten 



shillings. 



" This yeare likewise the steeple was pointed by the same 

 for the valew of xl s . 



The same tyme The hight of the tower and steeple was measured and found 

 by measure to be thus in hight . viz . from the ground or fondation vp to the 

 tower are in full measure . 30 . yeards and better, and from the top of the 

 tower to the top of the steeple are in full measure above . 32 . yeards." 



But there is great discrepancy in the evidence of the construction 

 of the spire — whether of stone, or of wood covered with lead. The 

 village tradition is in favour of the latter, and Dr. Stukeley states 

 that it was of lead ; on the other hand Leland, who actually saw 

 the spire, says " the spired steeple of stone is very fayre and high," 

 and the entry in the parish book above quoted as to pointing would 

 bear out this statement. It was, at any rate, intended that a stone 

 spire should be erected, for there are ample squinches corbelled out 

 for it in the four angles of the tower. There is a gap in the 

 churchwardens' accounts extending from 1669 to 1739, that is to 

 say, from about ten years before the fall of the spire to considerably 

 past the time during which the damage would be made good. The 

 effect of the fall of the spire is clearly traceable in the south aisle, 

 where a portion of the vaulting of the west bay is of a different 

 stone from the rest, and the initials on the bosses " I.S " and " I.T " 

 are those of the churchwardens recorded on the brass plate. 



The tower aisles appear to have been added to the tower, and 

 to have had lean-to roofs ; the base mould and plinth are on a 



1 The parish register of Steeple Ashton has the following entry under 1670 : 

 " John Bartlett and John Robins were killed with the fall of the Steeple on 

 the 15th day of October and were buried the 17th day, boath in one grave in 

 the north Isle of the Church below the porch." 



