St Oswald's Church is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

parish church located in Ashbourne, in the county of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

, England.

Background

The church is named after

Oswald of Northumbria Oswald (; c 604 – 5 August 641/642Bede gives the year of Oswald's death as 642. However there is some question of whether what Bede considered 642 is the same as what would now be considered 642. R. L. Poole (''Studies in Chronology and H ...

. A brass plaque in the chapel on the south side of the church commemorates its dedication on 24 April 1241 by Hugh de Pateshull, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. Architecturally, it dominates the small town with its 212-foot spire which was referred to by

George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wrot ...

as the "finest single spire in England". It is said to have been started in 1240 by Bishop Hugh de Pateshull. Construction probably lasted until the early 14th century. It replaced an earlier Saxon church, and possibly a second Norman one. (A Norman crypt was discovered during excavations in 1913.) From 1837 to 1840, it was

restored ''Restored'' is the fourth studio album by American contemporary Christian musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004, by BEC Recordings. Track listing Standard release Enhanced edition Deluxe gold edition Standard Aus ...

Lewis Nockalls Cottingham Lewis Nockalls Cottingham (1787 – 13 October 1847) was a British architect who pioneered the study of Medieval Gothic architecture. He was a restorer and conservator of existing buildings. He set up a Museum of Medieval Art in Waterloo Road, Lon ...

, and then in the 1870s by

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he ...

, who added the battlements to the chancel. Until Ashbourne Hall was partially demolished, it and St Oswald's were the town's major monuments, standing at either end of the main street. The entrance to the hall's grounds continued the main street through high gates. What remains of the hall houses a retail unit and some unrelated offices. As they were before the 18th century when the Boothby's rebuilt and refurbished their home, St Oswald's and its tower are once again the major landmark, and the church is the town's main attraction. The church is a Grade I listed building.

Stained glass

There is much stained glass in the church and these include a

Christopher Whall Christopher Whitworth Whall (1849 – 23 December 1924) was a British stained-glass artist who worked from the 1880s and on into the 20th century. He is recognised as a leader in the Arts and Crafts movement and a key figure in the moder ...

window dated 1905. It was given to the church by Mr and Mrs Peveril Turnbull of Sandybrook Hall and it commemorates their daughters who died in a local fire. The window consists of three lights and contains representations of the Martyr Saints, St Cecilia, St Monica and St Dorothea. St Cecilia is seen falling asleep to the sounds of celestial music; an exquisite symbol of death. Girls play the organ dressed in medieval clothes with flowers and crowns in their hair and the celestial city is visible in one panel, viewed through a thicket of thorns. Whall's signature on this stained glass was his own thumbprint. File:East window in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne.jpg, East window by

Charles Eamer Kempe Charles Eamer Kempe (29 June 1837 – 29 April 1907) was a British Victorian era designer and manufacturer of stained glass. His studios produced over 4,000 windows and also designs for altars and altar frontals, furniture and furnishings, lychg ...

File:South transept window in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne.jpg, South transept window by Hardman and Co File:West window in memory of Revd Francis Jourdain in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne.jpg, West window by

File:The Benedictus window in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne.jpg, North transept window showing the Benedictus by Hardman and Co. File:Memorial window to the Turnbull daughters in St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne.jpg, Memorial to the Turnbull daughters by

File:Ashbourne sleeping beautys palace.jpg, Detail of the

window

Memorials

Each of its transepts houses a chapel dedicated to leading local families. In the north transept, the Cockaynes, and the Boothbys (who bought their home Ashbourne Hall in the early 18th century). In the south transept is the Bradbourne's chapel. These chapels contain funerary monuments which have contributed greatly to the church's renown. One in particular stands out; the Boothby monument to

Penelope Boothby Penelope Boothby (11 April 178513 March 1791) was a girl who has become one of the most famous child characters in British art. Her image inspired the paintings by Joshua Reynolds, Henry Fuseli, John Everett Millais, a sculpture by Thomas Banks ( ...

, daughter of

Sir Brooke Boothby, 6th Baronet Sir Brooke Boothby, 6th Baronet (3 June 1744 – 23 January 1824) was a British linguist, translator, poet and landowner, based in Derbyshire, England. He was part of the intellectual and literary circle of Lichfield, which included Anna Seward ...

. It is an exquisite and highly realistic sculpture made from

Carrara marble Carrara marble, or Luna marble (''marmor lunense'') to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara ...

(Italian) in the form of a sleeping child. It is considered to be the masterpiece of the artist Thomas Banks, and was commissioned by Penelope's father. There is an inscription on the tomb from Dante, one in French, one in Latin. That in English reads "She was in form and intellect most exquisite. The unfortunate Parents ventured their all on this frail Bark. And the wreck was total." Other monuments and inscriptions in the church recall the generations of Boothbys buried there. Sir Brooke Boothby was a minor poet, now known mainly for the sonnets which he wrote after his daughter's death – " Sorrows Sacred to the Memory of Penelope", which was illustrated with engravings of pictures by

Fuseli Henry Fuseli ( ; ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman, and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain. Many of his successful works depict supernatural experiences, such as ''The Nightmare''. He pro ...

and Glover. During his life he published several times on the church's inscriptions. It was said that he never recovered from the loss of his daughter and he died in poverty in

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

in 1824. The churchyard contains

war graves A war grave is a burial place for members of the armed forces or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. Definition The term "war grave" does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to b ...

of two soldiers of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and an army officer of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Breakdown obtained from casualty record. File:Boothby-monument.jpg, The Boothby Monument File:Penelope Boothby, St. Oswald, Ashbourne.jpg, Another view of the tomb of Penelope Boothby File:John and Anne Bradbourne, St. Oswald, Ashbourne.jpg, Memorial to John and Anne Bradbourne

Vicars of Ashbourne

Organ

A new organ by Valentine of Leicester was installed in 1710. An organ was obtained in 1826 by the builder Parsons. It was enlarged in 1840. The current organ dates from 1858 when it was installed at a cost of £800 and may contain pipework from an eighteenth-century instrument. It has had several restorations, including by Hill and Son in 1858, Hill again in 1876,

Hill, Norman and Beard William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Limited (commonly known as Hill, Norman and Beard) were a major pipe organ manufacturer originally based in Norfolk. History They were founded in 1916 by the merger of Norman and Beard and William Hill & So ...

in 1950–51, 1982 and 2011 by Henry Groves & Son. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists and music directors

*Mr Binnell (c.1746–unknown) *Edward Simms (c.1797–1832) *George Frederick Simms (c.1832–34) (formerly organist of

St Mary's Church, Wirksworth St Mary the Virgin is a parish church in the Church of England in Wirksworth, Derbyshire. It is a Grade I listed building. The existing building dates mostly from the 13th–15th centuries, but notable survivals from the Anglo-Saxon period indic ...

) *Andrew Loder (1834–38) (formerly organist of the Octagon Chapel, Bath) *Robert William Henry Burrage (1840–44) (formerly assistant organist at

Norwich Cathedral Norwich Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Norwich, Norfolk, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Norwich and the mother church of the dioc ...

) *Andrew Alleyne Loder (c.1846–1859) *Benjamin Parkin (c.1856–1904) *J. Scott Allen (1904) (formerly organist of Disley Parish Church, Stockport) *George Frederick Handel Kemp (ca. 1906–36) *Chris Daly Atkinson (c.1944–92) *Michael Halls (c.1946)

Cultural associations

St Oswald's bells inspired lines in ''

Lalla Rookh ''Lalla Rookh'' is a romantic work by Irish poet Thomas Moore, first published in 1817. The title refers to the fictional heroine of the frame tale, depicted as the daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It consists of four n ...

'' by

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852), was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist who was widely regarded as Ireland's "National poet, national bard" during the late Georgian era. The acclaim rested primarily on the popularity of his ''I ...

, who lived in the area for four years: Those evening bells! Those evening bells! How many a tale their music tells Of youth and home and that sweet time When last I heard their soothing chime. Those joyous hours are passed away: And many a heart that then was gay Within the tomb now darkly dwells And hears no more those evening bells. And so 'twill be when I am gone: That tuneful peal will still ring on While other bards shall walk these dells, And sing your praise, sweet evening bells.

References

External links

Information about the church
from derbyshire.uk, a guide to Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashbourne, St Oswald's Church Church of England church buildings in Derbyshire Grade I listed churches in Derbyshire English Gothic architecture in Derbyshire St Oswald's Church