St. Peter's, Dunchurch, c. 1845
Frontispiece to Sandford's "Parochialia"

John Sandford (1801-1873) came from a typical upper-middle class family which included university professors, bishops, archdeacons, military men and holders of civil posts in government and education at home and abroad. Both the men and the women of the Sandford family published books and pamphlets, a number of them being on education, religion, and about women in society. A graduate of Oxford University and ordained in 1824, John served in Northumberland and London before becoming vicar of Dunchurch near Rugby in 1833, where he served for the next 21 years. He left Dunchurch in 1854 to become rector of Alvechurch (Worcestershire), and died there on his 72nd birthday. Archdeacon of Coventry During his time in Dunchurch he was also appointed an Honorary Canon of Worcester Cathedral in 1844 and Archdeacon of Coventry in 1851, which involved him in visiting many other parishes in Warwickshire and preaching in a number of the parish churches. If anyone still reads his books today, probably the best known are the 1837 biography of his father Daniel who had been Bishop of Edinburgh, and his 1845 publication Parochialia; or, church, school, and parish – which is actually more interesting than it sounds, especially for educational and social historians. John Sandford believed that it was not only his duty and calling to save the souls of his parishioners, but to care for their bodily and educational needs. Some chapters of Parochialia are devoted to the provision of parish schools for the children, and to ensuring that their health was promoted along with their learning. Many of his illustrations are based on what was then available in Dunchurch – such as space in classrooms, playgrounds, and lending libraries. Beginnings of a welfare system True, much of this book is concerned with matters such as church services and ecclesiastical furniture, but there are the beginnings of a welfare system providing a loan fund for the poor, and benefit societies for medical aid in sickness. He was certainly a product of his time, but also had visionary flashes of what could then be done on a local scale to care for the people of his parish. It is easy for us to denounce our ancestors for what they neglected to do, but so will our descendants denounce us.

St Peter's Church History
Standing Room Only?

Like other very early churches, the nave of our church probably had an earth floor, strewn with straw or rushes. There would have been no seating and the only furnishings existing then were likely to have been the baptismal font and a large, simply made chest. Gradually, the church would be rebuilt, enlarged and a tower added. Seating began to be added with ornate furnishings filling the space. Many of the medieval pew ends were carved with scriptural scenes, moral folk tales and portrayals connected to specific donors. Dunchurch church became very well known for its richly carved furnishings. A gallery was erected above the north aisle providing for the residents of Cawston and another built over the south aisle. Permission was granted in 1767 for the erection of a gallery at the west end of the church for staff and pupils of the Boughton Endowed School. A portion of the expense was borne by Rev. Bromfield, then Master, with a view to accommodating his own boarders. This gallery reached far into the nave, probably as far as the aisle crossing. A singing gallery was built behind this with an organ installed above it, completely blocking the west window. Galleries, it seemed, were the way forward. A total of 4 galleries then existed around the church and they must have stolen considerable light from the building. The church was filling up! Many of the early, beautifully carved pews were taken out and burned in the late 18th/early 19th century and replaced with high-backed, deal, box pews. (However, three of the original carved bench ends survived and still exist today, two on the priest's stalls and one on the lectern.) The accumulations of galleries and box pews were gradually removed by major restorations in 1840 and 1907 and the result is basically what we see today, with only a few minor changes. In 1908, an extension to the east end of the north aisle was built to better accommodate the organ. A slight rearrangement in 1972 was made to correspond with the position of a new organ in the south aisle, the space left by the old organ being used as a meeting room. In recent years, permission was granted for the removal of pews in the north aisle to enable more flexible use of that space. For larger congregations, chairs fill the space; for music groups it can be emptied and for social occasions tables can be added.

THE TENOR BELL

We often hear the bells toll at St Peter's Church and we are pleased to be able to bring you some information and history about them, starting with the Tenor Bell.

The Voice of the Clock.

This bell is the heaviest of our peal of six bells and was cast by John Briant of Hertford in 1792.

It carries the following inscription:
I to the church the living call
And to the grave do summon all.

It is 46 inches in diameter and weighs just over 17cwt. (The weights and sizes of bells are still quoted in Imperial measure.) The bell strikes the hours only and has been doing so since this clock was installed in 1910. Next time, we will have a look at the clock and its striking mechanisms. The photos show the tenor bell and the clock hammer.

Memorial Window's at St Peter's Church

Dunchurch Lodge and Dunchurch Hall School

Three-light stained glass window with a figure in each light. St. Michael, St. George and St. Gabriel. Angels look down upon them from the upper tracery lights. Two-line inscription across base of lights.
The inscription reads:
This window was erected to the Glory of God, and in memory of those whose names are inscribed on the plaque, who gave their lives in / defence of King & Country in the Boer war & Great war, all formerly pupils of Dunchurch Lodge and Dunchurch Hall between  AD1868 & AD1900.

 
Adjacent to the window is an associated, wall mounted, landscape orientated engraved brass plaque.
Killed in the Boer War.(5 NAMES) / Killed in the Great War. (25 NAMES)