St. Mary, South Luffenham, Rutland

Description

The church of St. Mary is an ancient building of stone, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled tower with crocketed spire, containing a clock and 4 bells, two of which were recast and the whole rehung with chimes in 1866: the nave and aisles are separated by arcades of three arches, the north arcade being Norman and the south Early English; the lofty chancel arch is also of this period: the Perpendicular east window was filled with stained glass in 1852 by the Very Rev. Robert Scott D.D. a former dean of Rochester and rector here 1850-54: in the south aisle is a memorial window to the Ven. G. H. Hodson M.A. d. 1855, and his son. Major W. S. Hodson, commandant of Hodson's Horse, who was killed at Lucknow in March, 1858; there is another to the Misses Wingfield, and one in the north aisle to the Rev. Alexander Rhind Webster M.A. curate of this parish 1841-3, d. 1889, and to his wife: there is a tablet in memory of Julian David Eaton Richards B.A. who was killed at the battle of Loos in 1915, son of the rector: a new organ was provided in 1903, at a cost of £300, as a memorial to Col. John Collinson, d. 1892: the church was restored in 1861 by the Rev. Constantine Estlin Pritchard M.A. formerly Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and affords 250 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1678.