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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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St Margaret's Church, Leicester
St Margaret's Church is an ancient Anglican prebendal and parish church situated on St Margaret's Way in Leicester, England. Described by John Leland as “the fairest parish church in Leicester” it is notable for its large and well lit 15th century chancel, and the imposing west tower with its peal of 14 bells. Nicholas Pevsner noted that the fan vaulted south porch and tower's stair turret are unique examples among Leicestershire churches. It is a Grade I listed building.

History

Parish

First recorded in the Doomsday Survey in 1086, the parish community is at least nine hundred years old and dates back to before the Norman conquest. The church is situated just outside the northernmost corner of the ancient Roman city of Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum). The now completely lost city walls are marked by today's Churchgate and Sanvey Gate which met in front of the church before the construction of St Margaret's Way. At its height the Parish of St Margaret covered most of north Leicester and held the chapelry of St Mary Magdalene, Knighton. Both the medieval parish Guild and the post-reformation St Margaret's Vestry Committee were responsible for many of Leicester's earliest charitable and welfare provisions. When the advowsons of the churches within Leicester's walls were granted to the Augustinian Canons of Leicester Abbey sometime after 1143, St Margaret's alone remained in the hands of the Bishop of Lincoln. This perhaps reflects an earlier arrangement where the patronages of the city's churches were held by the Earl of Leicester rather than the Diocese of Lincoln. St Margaret's was a Prebendal church and its vicar a Prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral at least as early as 1220. In 1541 during the reformation the prebend passed to the Diocese of Peterborough and it was finally dissolved in 1878 at which time a vast swath of its territory was divided into new parishes.

Architecture

Parts of the transept date from c. 1200, and parts of the aisles from the late 13th century. Most of the church was rebuilt in Perpendicular style c. 1444, under William Alnwick, the Bishop of Lincoln. The west tower, which is 108 feet (33 m) high, was built at that time. It contains a ring of 14 bells including a flat sixth. There was a Victorian restoration by George Gilbert Scott in 1860, and another in 1881 by George Edmund Street.

The church contains stained glass by Thomas Willement dating from the 1840s, and William Wailes of 1864.

St Margaret's Church, Leicester - High Altar and East End Window flanked by niches containing statues of St Margaret to the left and St Mary Magdalene to the right.

Tombs

The alabaster effigy of John Penny dates from 1520, although his original tomb was replaced in 1846. He was the abbot of Leicester Abbey from 1496 to 1509, and subsequently Bishop of Carlisle.

Rollo's tomb in the churchyard

The churchyard contains the 1765 tomb of Andrew Rollo, 5th Lord Rollo. The Doric, Grade II* listed structure is faced with slate relief sculptures.

Organ

The organ dates from 1773 but is now much enlarged. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

List of Rectors, Prebendaries, and Vicars

Earliest Rectors

Prebendaries

Prebendaries and Rectors (St Margaret's a vicarage from 1277)

  • Roger Martival (Archdeacon), 1294 (afterwards Bishop of Salisbury)
  • John Maunsell, 1295
  • Adam of Limbergh (?Limbury, Lincolnshire), 1339
  • John Comenges, Cardinal, 1339-43
  • John of Edington, 1349
  • Thomas of Estesle, 1365
  • John of Appleby (previously Prebendary of St Paul's, London), 1367
  • Thomas Brightwell (Dean of Leicester college), 1380
  • Thomas Barnett or Bennet, LL.D., 1390
  • Richard Younge, LL. D., 1391 (afterwards Bishop of Bangor)
  • Thomas More, 1399 (later Dean of St Paul's 1406–1421)
  • Thomas Barnsley (Archdeacon), 1421
  • Reginald Kentwode (Dean of St Paul's, London), 1437
  • John Walpole, 1441
  • William Biconell, 1445
  • John Wardhall, LL. D., 1448
  • Roger Rotherham (Archdeacon of Rochester), 1472
  • John Blackhall or Blackwyn, M.A., 1473
  • Geoffrey Simeon, 1484 (afterwards Chancellor of Lincoln)
  • Simon Stallworth, 1485
  • Robert Money, Moine, or Mome, 1491
  • John Cutler or Cotteler, 1502
  • Richard Dudley, M.A., 1508
  • Henry Morgan, LL.D., 1536 (Bishop of St David's, 1554)
  • John Lound(e) or Londe, LL. B., 1560
  • Thomas Todde, 1578
  • Henry Ince 1581
  • John Robinson (Precentor of Lincoln), 1581-97
  • George Eland (afterwards Chancellor of Lincoln), 1604
  • Richard Clayton (Master of St John's, Cambridge; Dean of Peterborough; Archdeacon of Lincoln), 1605
  • Thomas Turner (afterwards Dean of Canterbury), 1612
  • John Walcot, M.A. (Rector of Keyston, Huntingdonshire), 1618
  • Nathanael Ward, 1660
  • Edward Boteler, M.A. (Rector of Winteringham, Lincolnshire), 1668
  • Nicholas Stratford (afterwards Bishop of Chester), 1670
  • John Gosling, M.A. (Royal Chaplain; Vicar of Littlebourn, Kent), 1689
  • Thomas Geary, M.A., 1733
  • Andrew Burnaby, M.A. (Rector of Asfordby), 1737
  • Robert Burnaby, LL.B. (Andrew Burnaby's son and brother of Andrew Burnaby, Archdeacon of Leicester), 1767
  • John Palmer, 1807
  • J. Hobart Seymour, Bart., 1827-80 (last Prebendary who was incumbent of the living)

List of Vicars

  • Robert Grosseteste, 1225
  • John of Winton, 1235
  • Walter of Bornington, 1276
  • Robert of Kareby, 1284
  • Walter of Brompton, 1286
  • William of Aston, 1297
  • William of Leghton, 1305
  • William of Covele, 1325
  • Ralph Attwell of Shulton, 1349
  • Alexander Chace, 1359
  • John Warrock, 1400
  • Richard Chubb, 1405
  • Richard Streynsall or Styngethall (?Strenshall), 1427
  • Robert Bytham, 1428
  • John Bower, 1430
  • Nicholas Hungarton, 1433
  • John Lewin, 1433
  • Robert Power, 1438
  • John Bayhawe, 1475
  • John Sywell, 1481
  • Richard Ovendon, 1483
  • John Aynsworth, 1498
  • Thomas Gasgylle, 1501
  • Nicholas Goodyere, 1407
  • William Gilbert, D. D., 1424
  • Thomas Cysson, 1504
  • Thomas Nesson, 1534
  • William Bailey, 1543
  • Harry Fisher, 1546
  • Nicholas Harwar, 1548
  • John Lounde, 1568
  • Michael Wickham, 1575
  • Henry Ince, 1602
  • William Rudyard, 1603
  • Edward Gatley, 1604
  • Edward Blount, M.A., 1615
  • Edward Mackernes, 1645
  • Mr London, 1646
  • John Dutton, 1650
  • Seth Wood, 1653
  • Young Dixie, 1657
  • Mr Inge, 1658
  • John Newton, 1663
  • William Simms, 1669
  • Thomas Stanhope, 1669
  • Nicholas Stratford, M.A., 1670
  • Francis Sawyer, 1674
  • Samuel Sherwyn, 1683
  • Thomas Thirlby, 1690
  • John Kilby, 1702
  • Joseph Kilby, M.A., 1730
  • Andrew Burnaby, M.A., 1738
  • Robert Burnaby, LL.B., 1763
  • Thomas Burnaby, M.A., 1789
  • Andrew Irvine, 1830 (recommended by Duke of Wellington; housemaster, Charterhouse school, Chaplain to the Tower of London 1829)
  • William Anderdon, 1846-50 (followed his uncle, Cardinal Manning, into the Roman Church; noted preacher and writer)
  • Timothy Jones, 1852
  • Lewis Clayton, 1875 (Suffragan Bishop of Leicester, 1903)
  • James Thomas Hayes, 1888 (afterwards Bishop of Trinidad)
  • Arthur Bendell, 1889
  • Ambrose Lethbridge, 1908
  • Francis Payne, Canon, 1911
  • Thomas Arnold Lee, 1923
  • Harold Hurst, 1927
  • Louis George Buchanan, 1931
  • Kenneth Parsons, 1933
  • Eric Ducker, Canon, 1938
  • Douglas Nudds, 1968
  • Osmond Shirley Bennett, 1972-1992
  • Ian Phelps, 1992
  • Peter Naylor, 1993
  • Michael Peers, 1997
  • David Berryman, 1998-2000
  • Interregnum, 2000-2002
  • Barry Naylor, 2002

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Margaret's church, Leicester.
  1. ^ Nichols, John. History and Antiquities of the County of Leicestershire.
  2. ^ Pevsner, Nicholas. Buildings of England:Leicestershire and Rutland. p. 24. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  3. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Margaret (1074072)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  4. ^ "The ancient borough: St. Margaret's, A History of the County of Leicester: volume 4: The City of Leicester (1958)". British History Online. Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  5. ^ Historic England. "LEICESTER CHURCH GATE SK 5805 (east side) 4/27 St Margaret's Church (1074072)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  6. ^ Rounds and Call Changes on 14 at Leicester St Margaret; Youtube
  7. ^ Dove, R. H. (1982) A Bellringer's Guide to the Church Bells of Britain; 6th ed. Aldershot: Viggers; p. 65 (records 13 bells including a flat 6th)
  8. ^ Cocks, T. Y. "Penny, John (d. 1520)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  9. ^ Hoskins, W. G.; McKinley, R. A., eds. (1954). "Houses of Augustinian canons: Leicester abbey". A History of the County of Leicestershire: Volume 2 (Victoria County History). London. pp. 13–19. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Tomb of Andrew Lord Rollo to the north east of St Margaret's Church (1250247)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  11. ^ "The National Pipe Organ Register - NPOR". Npor.org.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  12. ^ Kroeger, Karl (2001). "Valentine, John". In Sadie, Stanley (ed.). New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. 26. London: Macmillan. pp. 207–8. ISBN 0-333-60800-3.

See also

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