Stained Glass Windows, St Michael - Woolverstone, Suffolk
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SMacB
N 52° 00.149 E 001° 11.378
31U E 375729 N 5762861
Some Victorian stained glass in St Michael's church, Woolverstone.
Waymark Code: WMPTNY
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/19/2015
Views: 1
Some Victorian stained glass in St Michael's church, Woolverstone.
"The church is dedicated to St Michael the Archangel and was undoubtedly in existence well before the Domesday Book record. Nothing of that early building exists though it was probably built of wood with a thatched roof. It has experienced many re-buildings and renovations during its history and we pick up a record of these in wills of the 15. century. These include bequests for images to be made for the candelbeme (rood beam); for repair of a 'certain vault' for a pine of St Jerome; for a 'new stepyll' (tower) and for the making of a new porch.
Also datingg from this period is the Font. Much of the decoration done at this time was destroyed by the Iconoclasts during the reign of Edward VI, in an attempt to rid the church of idolatry and superstition. Cromwell and his men completed the job removing the angels who held up the Font.
A close association between the Church and the estate can be traced back to the time of the manor. In 1546 Philip Wolverston sold two of the three Church bells together with two sets of vestments. When brought before the Royal Commissioners, his defence was that they were not worth very much and that anyway, he had supposed that "ye sayd church to be heys oune chapel" — he was fined £20!
In the 19th century, Woolverstone Cchurch showed a strong inclination in worship to Anglo-Catholic spirituality. This was encouraged in no small part by the Bemers finnily. In the considerable re-building that was undertaken, it is clear that the Bemers family were both motivators and providers. In 1832, a transept, vestry and chancel aisle were added to the north side. In 1866, the chancel was rebuilt with the addition of a sedilla and piscina and a new east window.
In 1888 the last major re-building work took place to create the building we have today. An entire new nave was built with chancel and vestry, removing previous re-building.
This new nave and chancel became the main worship area and was furnished along the thoughts and patterns of the Oxford movement. The original nave was relegated to a south aisle. The cost of this work was £5765.16s.3d and was paid for by the squire, Captain Hugh Berner. This enlargement of the Church shows the concern that the squire and his family had for the spiritual needs of their workers. It shows concern that was both religious and practical."
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