Little Wittenham, Berkshire

St. Peter (parish church)

The church of St. Peter is an edifice of stone in the Early English style, consisting of chancel and nave and an embattled western tower containing 5 bells: the east window is a memorial to the Rev. Frederick Joseph Hilliard, for 40 years rector here: in the church are brasses and other memorials to the Dunch family, some of which, until the restoration of the church in 1862, were contained in an old mortuary chapel, belonging to this family, which stood in the churchyard, but this structure, a building of some size, was then pulled down and several of the monuments destroyed, the present representatives of the family being unwilling to repair it: in the tower below the west window is an altar tomb of marble and alabaster, with recumbent effigies, and shields of arms and Latin inscriptions above, one to Walter Dunch esq. son of William Dunch esq. and Mary, his wife, ob. June 4, 1594, erected by his mother; and the other to Sir William Dunch kt. ob. Jan. 22, 1611, erected by his parents, Edmund and Anne Dunch: on the floor of the tower is a stone with arms and inscription to Mary, eldest daughter of Edmund Dunch, wife successively of William Winchcombe, of Bucklebury, and Sir Edward Clarke kb. of Ardington, ob. Oct, 18, 1846: and another, with arms and inscription, "bestowed" by her to her first husband, William Winchcombe, ob. July 29, 1614: in a recess on the north side of the chancel is an altar tomb with brass effigy and inscription to the Kidwelly family; there are also other brasses to this old family on the floor of the chancel, and the brass effigy of a priest vested, with inscription to John Churmound, rector 1433; on the north wall of the tower are brasses to John Barnes esq. "gentleman porter of the Towne and Castle of Guysnes in ffraunce," ob. at London, 1588, and to his sister Mary, wife of William Dunch esq. with effigies (himself in armour) and inscription below: there is also a tablet to Henry Carter M.A. 50 years rector, and Anne Wilhelmina, his wife, with their daughters, Mary Ann and Elizabeth, wife of the Rev. William Palmer, vicar of Yarcombe, Devon, 1819, and memorials to John Sheen, d. June 1, 1783, and to the Cozens family, who still reside in the parish and neighbourhood: in 1894 a stained window was placed on the south side of the chancel by the late Rev. J. A. Stafford Hilliard B.A. vicar of Tidenham, and rector here 1861-84; and in 1902 a vestry and organ chamber were added on the north side of the chancel: there are 120 sittings.