RESTORATION OF DARFIELD CHURCH, YORKSHIRE.

THE ancient Parish Church of All Saints, Darfield, bears evident traces of having been the work of successive generations.

The oldest portion now remaining, is the lower part of the Tower, which is probably of the date of 1140, or 1150. A perpendicular window and doorway have at a subsequent period been inserted into the western point, but the real date of this portion is sufficiently explained by a small roundheaded window in the north and south sides, and by the obtusely-pointed arch, opening into the nave, which has evidently about it more of the Norman, than of the early English characteristics.

The bases, also, of the present pillars of the chancel arch, appear to rest upon an ancient Norman plinth, and a portion of an early English doorway, still remaining in the wall between the chancel and its south aisle, plainly attest that a more ancient structure, of nearly similar general dimensions, once occupied the site of the present church; but chancel aisles (and possibly nave aisles also), seemed to have formed no part of the original plan.

The general mass of the present structure is of the decorated period, probably about the date of 1350, with, however, some additions and insertions at a later time.

The church consists of a chancel and clerestorial nave, each with a north and south aisle; a porch towards the western part of the south aisle, and a tower at the west end of the nave.

The last window of the chancel, the eastern part of the north aisle, the upper stage of the tower, and probably the battlements of the nave and chancel, are perpendicular; the rest of the church, as before stated, is almost entirely decorated.

The south aisle, as was not unfrequently the case in ancient churches, has evidently been considered of greater importance than the northern. Its windows have all been of three lights, with pointed heads, and its roof has had a separate gable, while the north aisle has only a lean-to roof, and in its decorated portion, two light windows, square-headed, except the west window, which is a pretty two-light window, under a pointed head.

Each aisle has also had a doorway towards its western portion, but that only of the south aisle was furnished with a porch.

The western end of the south aisle is surmounted by a small bell gable, which doubtless originally contained the Sanctus bell. This situation for the Sanctus bell, thongh very singular, is not quite unique. The much more common position, however, being over the east gable of the nave. The use of this bell was to give notice to all who were in the fields, as well as to those who were in the church, of the elevation of the Host, and at the sound of it, all who were within hearing were accustomed to

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perform acts of devotion. A square opening* in the east wall of the nave by the side of the chancel arch, gave the sacristan, when standing at the west end or the south aisle, a view of the altar, so as to enable him to ring the bell at the precise period of the Elevation.

Like too many other churches, this interesting one at Darfield had suffered most grievously from the neglect and occasional misdirected attempts at improvement of the last two centuries. Four unsightly galleries blocked up the interior of the edifice. The tower arch had been built up, and the lower part of the tower made the receptacle for coals, dirt, and rubbish of all kinds. Square pews of all heights and colours, had been allowed to deform the uniformity of the sittings. The whole of the walls, pillars, and arches had been plastered internally and whitewashed. The roofs had been underdrawn and furnished with ceilings, which were more fit for a ball-room than for a place of Christian worship.

All the windows of the clerestory, and all but on the south side, had deal sashes, and had lost all remains of their original tracing; and the stonework of almost all the others was in a most dilapidated condition.

The earth of the churchyard had accumulated for some feet above the level of the internal ground line, and consequently the church was sadly troubled with damp, and most of the floors were rotten. A vestry had been built out at the east end, which much interfered with the effect of that front. An erection had been put up at the north side of the tower, which served as a hearse-house, and which blocked up the west window of the north aisle; and numerous other barbarisms had been committed, which it would be too long to enumerate.

The state of the church very much interested the late George Skilbeck Maude, Esq., of Middlewood Hall; and for some time previous to his death, he had contemplated the restoration of the edifice. His premature decease, however, prevented his taking any active part in this measure; but by his will he left the sum of one thousand pounds for the object, and to this, nearly another thousand pounds has since been added by his uncle, John Maude, Esq., of Moor House, near Wakefield, a gentleman of refined taste, great public spirit, and true Christian benevolence. With this sum much has been done to restore the church to its pristine state of beauty. The four galleries have been removed, and the tower arch opened out so as to allow of a view of the full length of the church. The plaster ceilings have been destroyed, and the timbers of the roof exposed to view, and oiled. The plaster has been scraped off the pillars and arches. The clerestory windows and those of the south aisle have been filled with new tracery of the decorated style, and the stonework of most of the others has been removed. The west window of the north aisle has been opened out and the hearse-house removed. The vestry also, which projected inconveniently from the east end, has been taken away, and a new one erected on the north side. The level of the churchyard has been considerably lowered, and the church, in consequence, effectually freed from damp. All the square pews have been destroyed, and the old oak sittings of the nave repaired. A new handsomely carved pulpit has been erected; and the east window, and the heads of all the other windows of the church

*This opening has since been enlarged and altered, to allow of an entrance through it into the pulpit.

have been fitted with richly stained glass, executed by Mr. Wailes, of Newcastle. The east window, which is a large perpendicular one of five lights, contains figures of St. Paul and the four Evangelists in the lower lights, and representations of ten Apostles, each bearing his appropriate emblem in the tracery lights above.

The following coats of arms which are mentioned by ancient heralds as having formerly existed in the windows, and which, doubtless, commemorated ancient benefactors to the church, have been placed in the west window of the tower, and the last window of the north aisle. Quarterly argent and sable a bend gules.

Argent a fess lozengy gules, in chief a label of five points charged with pellets.

or.

Or, a saltire vair, argent and gules.

Gules, two bars and nine martlets argent.

Gules, three martlets pierced, or, a canton ermine.

Lozengy argent and gules a fess sable.

Lozengy argent, and gules, on a bend azure a martlet.

Lozengy argent, and gules, an inescutcheon vert.

Lozengy argent, and gules, a label azure, on each pendant a fleur-de-lis,

Besides these, the arms of the ancient family of Maude, to whom the church now owes so much, have been placed in the centre window of the south aisle.

It certainly is very surprising that the church contains but few memorials of the powerful families who once inhabited the parish. A small shield charged with a lion rampant over the doorway of the south porch, possibly refers to one of the ancient lords of Great Houghton.

In the north aisle, in removing some cumbrous paving, an ancient tomb, recessed in the wall under a segmental pointed arch, was discovered. It bore no inscription, but simply shewed a floriated cross, on either side of which were represented a chalice and missal, and doubtless marked the resting place of one of the former rectors of the parish.

Under this ancient tomb was found a stone coffin containing a perfect skeleton, but no date or other indication could be discovered.

A little to the eastward of this, in the same aisle, is another recessed tomb, under a cinquefoiled arch with ogee wood; it likewise has no inscription, but simply a foliated cross incised in the stone slab. Beneath this it it is very probable that the ashes of the founder of this portion of the church have been interred.

Besides these, portions of several other tombstones bearing floriated crosses, were found in different parts of the church, none of these, however, bearing any inscription; and in re-leading the gutter of the roof of the south arch, this gutter appeared to have been built or laid with a number of these flag-stones, with floriated crosses incised on them.

Towards the east end of the south chancel aisle, is another uninscribed monument of great interest. This consists of an altar tomb, surrounded by blank shields, on which is laid the figure of a knight, in plate armour, with mail about the neck, with his hands clasped in prayer. By his side is a lady, who has a beautiful netted head-dress. The knight has a collar about his neck, and a piked cap upon his head, and his feet rest upon a lion. The individuals represented are generally supposed to be John Bosvile, and Isabel Dronsfield, his wife.

Near this, in the same aisle, is a large blue flag-stone, from which have evidently been removed the brass effigies of a man in armour, with a female on each side, and four shields of arms. This is usually assigned to John Bosvile of the next generation, and his two wives, Mary Barley, and Isabel Cresacre. By will dated 1441, he directed his body to be buried here.

Near the altar are two shields of arms, which have been inserted in the wall. The first, gules an inescutcheon and orle of martlets argent: impaling or, a chief indented azure and bend sable.

The other, on a fess between three falcons, a leopard's head between two mullets; impaling per fess a pale counterchanged on each part of the first, a talbot passant. The former of these commemorates Chadwick, one of the rectors, who died in 1631.

On the north side of the chancel is a remarkable monument, having twelve shields of the arms of Willoughby and their connections, surrounding the following inscription :

"Here lyeth the body of Katharine, the daughter of William Willoughby, Esq., eldest son of Charles Lord Willoughby, of Parham, wife to Joseph Godfrey, of Thorrock, in the county of Lincoln, Esquire, 27 years 1 month and 21 days; his widow, 28 years and 2 days; died the 15th of August, anno Domini, 1658, aged about 75. Willoughby Godfrey, of Edderthorp, son to her, having decently seen her interred, did erect this, as his last duty, with her due armories."

Besides these, the church contains tablets in memory of Sir Edward Rodes, Knight, of Great Houghton, A.D. 1666.

Mary, his daughter, wife of John Wordsworth, of Swath, gent. 1673. Lady Rodes, wife of Sir Edward and Lady Rodes. 1681.

Godfrey Rodes, Esq., son of Sir Edward and Lady Rodes. 1681.

Ann, daughter of Sir Edward Rodes, Knight. 1740.

William Rodes, of Great Houghton. 1740.

Mary Rodes, of Great Houghton. 1789.

Martha Busk. 1777.

William Wombwell, of Wombwell, Esq. 1695.

Elizabeth Wombwell, his widow. 1742.

William Wombwell, of Wombwell, Esq. 1716.

Catherine Wombwell, spinster, daughter of William Wombwell, Eq, sole representative of the family. 1795.

Robert Ashton, of Bradway, Derbyshire, Gent., 1716; and Dorothy his wife, 1721.

Nathaniel Pearson, Esq., of Tyers-hill.

1785.

Mary, wife of George Walker of Middlewood-hall. 1761.

George Walker, Esq., her husband. 1772.

Margaret Walker, their daughter and heiress. 1798.

Mary Walker, second wife of the above George Walker. 1803.

Sarah, wife of Richard Dearman, of Barnsley. 1805.

John Calvert of Rufford, Gent. 1681.

Ann, daughter of William and Dorothy Green, of Middlewood. 1718. Hannah Shemeld.

1786.

John Micklethwaite, of Ardsley, Gent. 1753.

Benjamin Micklethwaite, of Birkhouse, Esq. 1782.

Randolph Marriott, D.D., Rector. 1782.

In the wall eastward of the south doorway, a tablet has been erected in memory of the late George Skilbeck Maude, Esq. It bears the following inscription:

Mr. Maude's remains were interred in the churchyard, in the centre of a piece of ground which had been given by himself. The spot is marked by a neat monument surrounded by an iron railing, and bearing the following inscription :—

(On the South side.)

This
Monument

is erected

over

The mortal remains
of

George Skilbeck Maude, B.A.,
who died

on the 5th day of September,
1844,

At his residence,

Middlewood Hall,

in the 26th year of his age.

(On the North side.)

George Skilbeck Maude,
was the Son and Heir of
Daniel Maude,

of Middlewood Hall,

who died there

on the 21st of September,

1838, Aged 65 years, and was buried at Wakefield.

The inscription to Mr. Lonsdale in the chancel is as follows:

"Beneath this stone lie interred the remains of the Rev. John Lonsdale, B.A., 39 years Vicar of this Parish, who died the 10th day of July, 1807, in the 70th year of his ag."

This worthy divine's son, Dr. John Lonsdale, is now Lord Bishop of Lichfield.