St. Mary, Amersham, Buckinghamshire
Description
The parish church of St. Mary, is a structure of flint, about 125 feet in length, chiefly of Perpendicular date, and consists of chancel with north aisle or Drake chapel, nave of four bays, with clerestory, aisles, richly groined, south porch and, an embattled western tower with pinnacles, surmounted by small spire and contraining a clock and 6 bells: the nave and aisles are divided by arcades of five pointed arches of Late Decorated work: the stained east window was removed here from the chapel of Lamer Manor House, Herts, on its reconstruction by Sir Bennett Garrard, 6th bart. M.P. for Amersham in 1761: there are also in the Drake monument room other memorials to the family of Drake, including a mural monument, by Bacon, to Thomas Drake Tyrwhitt-Drake esq. of Shardeloes, M.P. for Amersham, d. 1810; a monument to William Drake esq. M.P., LL.D. d. 8 Aug. 1796; and in the vestry a mural tablet to Dr. Thomas Drake, rector of Amersham, 1775, and Elizabeth, his wife, 1765: on the north side of the chancel is a monument, with demi-effigy, placed in a niche, to Sir William Drake bart. d. 1669, and on the south side, also in a recess, between pilars of the Doric order, a cenotaph of black and gold, above which are medallion portraits of Montagu Drake esq. M.P. for Amersham, d. 1698, and Jane (Garrard), d. 1724: the mortuary chapel of the Drake family, on the north side of the chancel, has on the north side a magnificent tomb, by Peter Sheemaker, consisting of a sarcophagus of black marble, with figures in white marble, beneath an elliptic arch, supported on pilasters, to Montague Garrard Drake esq. M.P. for Amersham in 1713, 1715 and 1727 and for Bucks in 1722; he died in 1728; in the south side of the chancel is a brass, with the effigy of a child, and some quaint rhyming couplets, to John, son of the foregoing, d. 1623: in the chancel is an altar tomb, with fluted pillars supporting a pediment, beneath which are kneeling figures of a lady and gentleman, and below an inscription to Elizabeth, widow of William Bent esq. of Corby, Leic. 1730, and to George Bent, her son, 1714; near which is a mural tablet, with an account of her bequests to the town by will, dated June 25, 1728: in the north cross aisle is a mural tablet to James Rumsey M.D. 1824, and various memorials to the family of Eeles, 1727-1815: in the south aisle are inscribed stones or mural monuments to Edward Childe, 1676; Philip Ayres esq. 1712 and the Rev. John Drake LL.D. 50 years rector of Amersham, d. 26 June, 1860; and in the vestry a mural tablet to the Rev. Benjamin Robertshaw. rector of Amersham, 1728-43: in the south cross aisle are brasses, with effigies, to John de la Penne, 1537, and Elizabeth, his wile, 1521; and to Henry Brudenall esq. 1430 and Alianora, his wife: in the north aisle is a brag effigy and inscription to Thomas Carbonell esq. 1439 and Elizabeth, his wife 1438; there is also a mutilated brass, c. 1440: on the north side of the chancel is a chapel, formerly the burying place of the Brudenell end Proby families: in the 18th centnry it was closed up and used as a mausoleum, and continued to be so used until 1874: the personas there deposited, about 60 in number, have since been interred in the churchyard; the restoration of the chapel was competed in 1908: the exterior of the church was substantially restored in 1890: there are 600 sittings.
Church Records
The parish register dates from the year 1561