St. John the Baptist, Eldersfield, Worcestershire
Description
The church of St. John the Baptist is a building of stone, in the Norman, Early English and later styles, consisting of chancel, nave, with chantry chapel on the south side, north aisle, and a tower, with fine spire, containing 6 bells, cast in 1705: the existing chancel arch is Norman, and there is part of a doorway of this date in the south wall: the structure was much enlarged and nearly rebuilt in the Early English period, and the lines of this reconstruction are still for the most part preserved: the lower portion of the tower is Early English, the upper stage and spire Early Decorated; the latter was partially rebuilt in 1839 and 1862, again in 1867, at a cost of £290, on account of injuries caused by lightning, and again in 1891: the chantry chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is a Perpendicular work, added by one Thomas Holford: the font is octagonal, and bears on all its sides carved shields of arms of families connected with the parish: there still remains in the church a shield of de Clare, impaling de Spenser, with the inscription "Ricardus de Clare, Hugo de Audley, comites. Gloucestriae fuerunt, annis Domini 1262-1347;" and the arms of Berkeley of Coberley, 1200; Brugges (Bridges), 1593, and Spiller, 1629: in the north aisle are mural monuments, quaintly inscribed, to members of the Brown family of Coss, 1661-1712, and including the Ven. Richard Brown B.D. fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and rector of Hendred, Berks, 1700; and there are other memorials to George Thompson, vicar, 1714, and John Cowcher, forty-five years vicar, 1777: in the church is also the tomb of William Underhill, gent. of Rew Green, whose benefaction to the parish is noticed below; he died 21st August, 1647: the church was partly restored in 1852, at a cost of upwards of £800, when the whole of the nave was reseated, chiefly with old material, after ancient examples remaining in the church; a further and more complete restoration was effected in 1876, at a cost of £970 when a new nave roof was put up, the south wall with its buttresses rebuilt and an organ added: there are sittings for 400 persons: in the churchyard are tombs to Capt. Richard Dyer, 1722; Thomas Halsey, 1678; Richard Delamere, 1612; John Jakeman, gent. M.A. professor of physic, and Job Carter, gent. chirurgeon, 1706: there is also a very ancient stone coffin lid, bearing two crosses, and possibly Saxon, disinterred in 1876.
Church Records
The registers date only from the year 1718, the earlier one being lost.