The parish of Churchover

may have derived its name from an early owner of the “Manorial Possessions” hereabouts named ‘Waga’.

During the Norman Survey, the village was listed as ‘Wara’ and later became ‘Waure’, possibly connected with Robert-deWaure, owner of the lands and Monastic Grange during the reign of Henry II.

Aerial view of Churchover village from the West

The nearby Parish of Brownsover was also called ‘Waure’ and the name Church, may have been added to the village nearest to the Monastic Grange to distinguish it from the other ‘Waures’ or ‘Overs’ in the area.

Robert-de-Waure is recorded as having a son named Rogerus-de-Church-Waure who gave lands in the parish to the Abbey of Combe.

The Monastic Grange, which existed until the Dissolution stood on or near to the site of the present Coton House, and parts of the Old Moat can still be seen. During the reign of Henry VIII, the lands and Manor passed into the hands of Mary Duchess of Richmond, and subsequently, in the reign of Edward VI, to William Dixwell Esquire.

Coton House

After several generations of the Dixwell family, Churchover and Coton passed by marriage to the Grimes family and then in the early 19th Century to the Arkwrights.

Coton House finally became the private residence of Mr. & Mrs. Arthur James. The James’ financed some of the building of the Hospital of St. Cross, Rugby, and also provided the means for the repair of Churchover Church towards the end of the 19th Century.

In 1948 Coton House was sold to the British Thomson Houston Co Ltd. for use as an apprentice Hostel. The House is now owned by the Post Office who use it as a management College.

“Far from this little village altar, be the hands of the modern contractor”

Thus wrote A.E. Treen, a mid-19th century Historian after his visit to this Church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity to see “A relic of early Hanoverian Pewing”.

The “modern contractor” was soon to move in however, for in 1896 the Bishop of Worcester granted to the Reverend Francis Walter Thoytes, M.A., Rector of Churchover, and to his Churchwardens, Thomas Alfred Ivens and Richard Clarke, a Faculty to restore and enlarge the Parish Church of Churchover viz:- to take down the Chancel, the North Wall of the Nave and the Vestry, and to erect a new Chancel, Vestry and organ Chamber on the South Side thereof, and have a Nave with the North aisle corresponding with the South aisle.

To take down and rebuild the porch. To take down and remove the galleries and pews in the body of the Church, and to re-seat the Church with open pews.So the ‘Hanoverian Pewing’ made way for a Victorian restoration, but the faculty further directed that the old pews, being made of deal and oak, should be used in the repairs.

Churchover Rectors dating back to 1160AD

View inside the Church from the Altar

The Church was entirely re-roofed with stout good quality timbers and red tiles. Despite the restoration, there is much to be seen of earlier work spanning the centuries.

The inner South door, which is early English, and the Norman tower, now much restored, are perhaps the oldest parts of the present building. The tower contains four bells of varying dates inscribed as follows:-

No.1 God save the King 1622

No.2 I.E.S. Nazerenus Rex Judeorum Fili Dei Miserere Mei 1622

No.3 J.Bryant J.C. Over Hertford Fecit 1803

No.4 S.Johannes

Number 4 bell was cast before the reformation, and is believed to date from the 15th century. It still tolls the passing hours.

The Church Clock, built by Thwaites and Reed of London in 1862, and presented by Miss Mary Christian Benn, replaced an earlier clock erected in 1671. A tablet in the tower records this. Beneath the tower is a small room, into which the clock weights descend at the end of their run.

View to the North on entry

There is also an old fireplace and heating duct suggesting that some form of under floor heating was once used. Stonework on the North Side of the tower indicates that an outer stone stairway gave access to the clock, and was no doubt also used by bell-ringers, since the lower part of the tower is believed to have contained an organ gallery.

Built into the West Wall of the Nave is a stone coffin lid and two stone capitals, discovered when the North aisle was build in 1896.

Two monuments, showing figures in Tudor dress, are fixed to the West Wall and commemorate members of the Dixwell (1607 –1689) was one of the signatories of the Death Warrant of Charles 1st.

At the Restoration of the Monarchy, he was forced to flee the country and became one of the founding fathers of Newhaven, Connecticut, New England.

A photograph of his tomb may be seen alongside the Dixwell monument. A stone tablet, erected to the memory of Mr. Arthur James is also fixed to the West Wall.

To the memory of Mr. Arthur James.

The font, which now stands in the centre aisle, is Norman and the front cover bears the initials RB & WP, together with the date 1673.

The scene of the Nativity carved in English elm was presented to the Church in 1976 by Canon Godfery Gilbert. Canon Glibert was born in the village and emigrated to Australia as a child.

Although in his eighties when he completed the carving, he was able to return to this country for a brief visit and to see his gift in its place in church.

There is also a monument on this wall, commemorating the work of Mr. & Mrs. George Hirons, caretakers of the Church for 46 years. A stone, with the date 1896 carved upon it, was placed on the pulpit side of the Channel arch, to mark the date of the rebuilding.

Above the pillars on the South side of the centre aisle, ancient stone carvings of Peter the Fisherman and others have survived the various restorations and are said to be about 700 years old.

The Church Organ

The two oak pews on the right hand side of the centre aisle were reserved for King Edward VII and his party who frequently visited Coton House.

The Chancel Screen, erected in 1951, is dedicated to the memory of the late Mrs. Arthur James, Godmother to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

The two manual organ was a gift of Mr. Arthur James and was played by his wife. Evensong on Sundays has traditionally been fixed for 6pm for many years instead of the usual 6.30pm. legend has it that this was to allow the Arthur James time to return to Coton House for dinner at 7.30pm.

If the Rector’s sermon happened to be a little longer than usual, it is said that the final hymn was played at a spanking pace!

The East Window, depicting Christ in Glory, with the angels of mercy and Justice to his right and left, was installed in 1918 in memory of the late Mr. Arthur James.

The stained glass window in the South wall of the Chancel, showing Mary recognising the risen Christ, is in memory of the Honourable Charles Lennox Butler and his wife.

The Dixwell Family

Vaults, now sealed, beneath the Chancel, contain the remains of some of the Dixwell, Harcourt and Sandys families. The commemorative tablets on the floor of the Chancel, immediately before the altar rail, were placed there during the rebuilding.

The floor of the Nave was also re-laid and many ancient tombstones were placed in the aisles. An interesting phenomenon occurs in certain temperature conditions when parts of the stone of Alexander Dixwell become so wet that the water fills the indentations and carvings in the stone.

Church treasures include one modern silver chalice and paten, presented in memory of the late Mr. Harry Cotterill. On special occasions, the other silver chalice, made during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st is still used, together with a silver paten dated 1690, inscribed with the name of Brent Dixwell. This paten shows marks made by a knife, used to cut bread for Holy Communion. The Elizabethan Chalice, doubtless used by the errant John Dixwell, was recently taken to America. Where it was used during a service of Holy Communion in Centre Church Connecticut, his final resting place.

photo shortly

A silver Pyx, the gift of Mr. & Mrs. F.W. Green, is used when taking Communion to the sick. A pearl baptismal shell was given by Mrs. N. Clowes in memory of her husband. The processional cross is the gift of Mrs Dunning in memory of her mother. Among the more recent gifts is a flower stand, given in memory of Mr. Albert Lamzed and Mr. Tony Crossfield. The Bible on the Lectern was given in memory of Mr. Walter Pattison, who was for many years Clerk to the Parish Council. This replaces an earlier Bible dated 1862.