St. Mary the Virgin, Bishops Nympton, Devon

Description

The church of St. Mary is an ancient building of mixed styles, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch and an embattled western tower, with pinnacles, containing a clock and 6 bells, restored in 1883 at a cost of £100: the tower was restored and the clock regilded in 1913 at a cost of £130: on the south side of the tower is a canopied niche containing a figure; the east window is stained, and there is a memorial window to the Rev. Canon Heberden: the font is Norman and has a square basin placed on a circular shaft, with others at the angles: on the north side of the chancel is an altar tomb, with quatrefoiled sides, but withont any figure or inscription; probably erected to Sir Lewis Pollard kt. born about 1465, King's Serjeant in 1507 and subsequently a Justice of the Common Pleas; he died in 1540: the church was entirely restored in 1869 at a cost of £1,500, and in 1877 £1,090 was expended on various improvements: in 1889 a stained window was erected to the late W. Keates esq. to whose memory a stone pulpit was also placed in the church at the same time by his tenants and friends at a cost of £80: in 1895 an organ chamber was built, and the organ was completely renovated at a cost of £200 in commemoration of the 60th year of the reign of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria: there are 400 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1556.