St Mary's church - Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire - Anglican and Episcopal Churches on Waymarking.com

"The church of St Mary in Fen Drayton is a grade 2* listed building with a long and interesting history. The present church is mainly of 14th- and 15th- century pebble rubble construction, but stands on the site of earlier church buildings perhaps dating back to before the Norman Conquest. An interesting outline of the history of St Mary’s is revealed in the List of Rectors which hangs in the south aisle. These records date from 1232 but there must have been other priests before then whose names are unknown.

In 1232 the patron (the person who appointed the Rector of the parish) was the King, though by 1272 patronage rested with the Abbot and Convent of Bon Repos in Brittany. In 1343 the crown had recovered the rights of patronage on account of The Hundred Years’ War in France and for reasons of state this arrangement was made permanent by Act of Parliament in 1415.

In 1447 the advowson (the right to nominate the parish priest) was transferred by letters patent to Godshouse (later to become Christ’s College), Cambridge; and to this was added the benefice (the right to receive the tithes of the parish) in 1520. The college was not required to endow a vicarage and for most of the time from then until the 1930s, the parish was served (if at all) by curates appointed by the college and only rarely licensed by the bishop of the diocese. Meanwhile, the college retained the whole of the rectorial tithes.

Today Christ’s College retains the patronage although from 1933 St Mary’s, Fen Drayton was in a united benefice with St Mary’s, Conington. The parish now forms part of the United Benefice of Fen Drayton with Coningon and Lolworth and Swavesey, although the vicar of this benefice still lives in Fen Drayton. Christ’s College takes turns with the patrons of the other parishes in appoint the parish priest."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Active Church: Yes School on property: No Service Times: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/2835/service-and-events/events-regular/ Website: [Web Link] Date Built: Not listed

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