The Church Building
A Short Guide
to
St. Mary's Church, Shaw cum Donnington
by
Alfred E Shadlock (updated 1997)
Pre-1841 Church
The original Saxon church was built around the year
1000 AD. The church was in the Dioscese of Salisbury until 1404,
when it was transferred to the Warden and Fellows of St. Mary's
college, Winchester. In 1836 it was transferred to the Dioscese
of Oxford, to which it still belongs. Prior to the completion of
Shaw House (which adjoins the church) by Thomas Dolman in 1581,
the village of Shaw was demolished and the inhabitants dispossesed
by Thomas Dolman. The church, however, survived. It also survived
the Second Battle of Newbury in 1644-46. In 1840 the then
Rector, the Reverend Samuel Slocock, saw a church in the Isle of
Wight that he liked, and on returning to Shaw sought the
permission of his Patron to pull down the old Saxon building
and rebuild a modern, less cold and draughty church! Gun powder
was used to remove some of the old stonework.
The Present
Church
The original font, memorial tablets, and bells were
transferred to the new building; the nave was built of sandstone,
and slate roofed. On September 5th 1842 the present church was
consecrated. In 1878 a flint wall, tile roofed chancel was added,
together with organ chamber and vestry. There are no noteworthy
architectural features in the present building, except for some
ornamental stone designs on the west face of the spired tower.
There are six bells, with the oldest dating from 1631.
The Font
This is undoubtedly the most ancient furnishing in the
church. It is a circular and plain Norinan font. It has an unusual
cover. Made of oak, it has thirteen triangular designs and a
cunningly devised wrought iron handle.
The Gallery
Behind the font are stairs leading up to the
gallery. Originally the octagonal tower gave access from the
outside. Here you will find two boards, on either side of the
belfry door, on which are recorded some of the many charities
connected with this ancient parish.
Nave Monuments
Some of the more interesting are, (starting on the north
side) two sorrowful tablets:-
1. This foretells the impending
extinction of the Cowslade family.
2. The Cotes' monument, in
memory of a devoted wife who died shortly after giving birth to
an infant daughter.
3. The oldest monument in the church to a
former Rector, Henry Pierce, who died in 1668.
4. The Andrews
tablets. The Andrews family lived at Shaw House from 1751 to 1822.
The Ist and 3rd Sir Joseph Andrews' tombstones are now to be
found on the exterior south wall facing east between the nave and
the chancel.
5. A marble tablet to the memory of the Reverend
Samuel Slocock who was the Rector responsible for the demolition
of the old church.
6. A much ornarnented tablet to the memory of
Sir Thomas Dolman and his wife. This Thomas Dolman was the last
of the Dolman dynasty at Shaw House. Another Dolman tomb stone is
now to be found on the exterior south wall facing east, between
the nave and the chancel. He it was who so gallantly defended the
person of King Charles 1 when he was besieged in Shaw House on the
eve of the Second Battle of Newbury in
l644.
7. (Continuing on the
south side) A marble tablet in memory of Rear Admiral
Thorpe-Fowke and his wife. The Admiral was a man of eccentric habits,
and he enjoined that the pall bearers at his funeral should
consist only of females!
8. (Further up the nave) A memorial to
Philip Bacon Esq. who died on his passage to England from India
in Lat. 3 130 'N., Long. 201 50 'W. One of his descendants, the
Reverend J. M.Bacon, was curate at Shaw in 1881 and later, when
he was Vicar of Cold Ash, became well known for his experiments as a
balloonist in 1898.
9. In the south porch there is a marble
tombstone to the Terrestrial Pastor.
10. A monument on the
exterior, east facing wall of the south porch is to Lydia
Catherine, Duchess Dowager of Chandos. Her husband was an eccentric
gentleman who purchased Shaw House in 1711. She was his third
wife, and
widow of Sir Thomas Duval. The Duke was undoubtedly attracted by
her charms as well as her fortune!
Nave windows
There
are nine stained glass windows depicting St. Christopher, The Good
Shepherd, St. Bartholomew, a Roman Soldier, a female figure in white
bearing a green palm, a figure holding the Scales of Justice, St.
Nicolas, Dorcas, and St. Birinius.
Chancel
This is the most
beautiful part of the interior. The new chancel, organ chamber and
vestry were built in 1878. The new additions to the church were
due to the generosity of the Patron, Henry Richard Eyre of Shaw House,
and the inspiration of the Reverend John Horatio Nelson, who was
the Rector from 1872 to 1909. He was a great nephew of Admiral
of the Fleet, Lord Nelson. A tablet to his memory is on the north
wall, near the vestry door. The chancel is enriched with colour.
The ceiling has a repeated fleur-de-lys and acanthus pattern on a
light blue background. On the north wall is a painting of the
presentation of our Lord in the temple. On the south wall are two
mural paintings; one of St. John the Baptist meeting the Lord,
and the other, near the altar, of Christ and his disciples. There
are two stained glass windows of two panels each, behind the
southern choirstalls, depicting the marriage feast in Cana,
the feeding of the five thousand, the raising of Jairus's daughter
and the healing of the blind man. Sanctu The east window
above the altar is a 19th Century reproduction of an early English
(13th Century) window. The central figure of the Ascension
don-dnates the whole window. Below these three panels feature
(left to right)
1. The Annunciation of the Virgin Mary;
2. Mary visiting her sister, Elizabeth;
3. The Babe in the manger.
The window was given in memory of H.R.Eyre whose family occupied
Shaw House from 1851 to 1905.
On the east wall are two figures,
one on each side of the altar window. The one on the north side
is St. Mary the Virgin to whom the church is dedicated, and the
one on the south side is St. John. The south sanctuary window
bears two panels; one, depicting Jesus in the temple, and the
other, the wise men.
The south sanctuary window bears two panels; one depicting
Jesus in the temple, and the other of the wise men.
The Organ
This was installed by Messrs. Bevington & Sons of
Soho, London in 1879, shortly after the present chancel
was built. In 1984 it was completely overhauled and restored,
and the console turned 90 degrees to its present position.
The Church Centre
This was built adjoining the vestry in
1995. Designed by local architect Phillip Bevan, it is a two
storey building and consists of 2 main rooms, a counselling
room, toilets, kitchen and storage facilities. The two rooms
can accommodate up to about 150 people at one time.
Re-roofing and interior redecoration in July 1991
The church was re-roofed during March-April 1992.
the interior of the nave was completely repainted,
and the chancel, with its decorative wall paintings,
was cleaned and restored by a specialist firm from Oxford
An illustrated brochure, recording a much fuller history of
the church, and of those persons whose names are found on the
memorial plaques and windows, is available for purchase. This
brochure was first published in 1992 to commemorate the 150th
Anniversary of the consecration of the present building.
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