All Saints Church, South Elmham

All Saints Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of All Saints' South Elmham, one of a group of villages jointly known as The Saints, in Suffolk, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2] It stands in an isolated position at the end of a lane adjacent to the moated Church Farm.[2][3]

All Saints Church, South Elmham
All Saints Church, South Elmham, from the southeast
All Saints Church, South Elmham Location in Suffolk
OS grid reference	TM 330 828
Location	All Saints' South Elmham, Suffolk
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	All Saints
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	1 September 1953
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Flint with freestone dressings

History

All Saints is included in the district of South Elmham. "This district includes nine parishes and forms a subdivision of the Hundred of Wangford, anciently called the liberty, manor, or township of South Elmham. It was granted by Sigebert [Sigeberht], King of the East Angles [Anglia], to Felix the Burgundian, his first bishop, who fixed his see at Dunwich in 630 A.D.."[4] Several parish churches were founded here in Saxon times, All Saints being one of them.

During the reign of Henry VIII the seat was seized in exchange for other lands. In the Cotton Manuscripts, Nero C. ix, is an indenture between Henry VII and Edward North, Esq., Treasurer of the Court of Augmentations, dated 4 December 1540, where in exchange for land in the county of Buckingham, North was given rights to the manor as well as the parish churches of Saint James, Saint Peter, Saint Margarette, Saint Nicholas and All Saints of South Elmham. The land was possessed from the thirty-second year of the reign of Henry VII until the reign of King James I by the North family. It was then conveyed to Sir John Tasburgh, Knight, 20 May 1613, the manor with the rectories and all the demesnes. The descendants of Sir John retained the lordship of South Elmham until the male line died out and it was passed to the Wybornes. The estate was then purchased about 1753 by William Adair, Esq.[4]

All Saints dates from the 12th century.[1] The south aisle was added in about 1250, or slightly earlier.[5] Further additions and alterations took place in the 14th, 15th and 17th centuries. The church was "considerably restored" in 1870.[1] The churchyard is currently cared for by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.[2]

All Saints was frequently called All-Hallows. It was consolidated with the parish of St. Nicholas on December 8, 1737, totaling 1620 acres. The population of All Saints, in 1841, was 224 persons.[4]

According to Reverend Alfred Suckling the history of Rectors for All Saints, South Elmham are:

Rectors	Date		Patrons
Adam Chastayn	1312		The Bishop of Norwich
Galfridus de Mourdone	1319		Id.
Richard de Cleye	1323		Id.
Joes do Wymbotsham	1331		Id.
Thomas de Dallyng	1331		Id.
Robt. Fil: Joes de Brunham	1331		Id.
Robert de North Elmham			Id.
Elias de St. Edmundo	1342		Id.
John de Acra	1349		Id.
John de Shaftebury	1353		Id.
Richard Bush, de Hoxne	1360		Id.
Joes Lovell	1392		Id.
Joes Ramm, de Gosbercherch	1395		Id.
William Brigham	1424		Id.
Richard Foukys	1426		Id.
Jacobus Multre	1457		Id.
Simon Mayster	1471		Id.
Joes Peny	1483		Id.
Henry Williamson	1502		Id.
Joes Gayles	1511		Id.
Nicholas Welden			Id.
Radulphus Grigson	1534		Id.
William Biel	1538		Charles, Duke of Suffolk
Henry Ringer	1554		Edward, Lord North
Robert Mauknolls	1580		Assign of Roger North
John Sagar	1593		Assign of John North
Thomas Wood			North
Roger Skipper	1661		Will Lisle Esq., p.h.v.
Richard Sadler	1663		Id.
Francis Booty	1683		Sir William Godbold
John Birch	1705		John Tasburgh, Esq
Samuel Birch	1706		Bald. Conyers, Esq.
Thomas Fuller	1737		Dr. Ellys, p.h.v.
Francis Turner	1743		Grace Britten, widow
Thomas Paddon	1790		Alexander Adair, Esq
John Holmes	1820		Id.
George Sandby, jun.	1831--		Id.

[4]

Architecture

Exterior

The church is constructed in flint with freestone dressings, and has a lead roof. Its plan consists of a continuous nave and chancel, with a south aisle which runs along the whole length of the nave and chancel, a south porch, and a west tower. The tower is on three stages, and is round in cross-section up to its summit.[1] At one time the top stage was octagonal, but in 1846 it had been "recently removed".[5] In the bottom stage is a west Norman window, and in the middle stage are small round-headed windows. In the top stage the bell openings are also round-headed and have louvres. The parapet is battlemented. Along the north wall of the body of the church are three single-light Norman windows, three 13th-century two-light windows, two 14th-century single-light windows, and a blocked doorway.[1] The 14th-century windows contain Perpendicular tracery.[5] The east window has three lights. On the south wall of the aisle are three windows with Y-tracery. The porch dates from the medieval period, but the south doorway is Romanesque Revival from the Victorian era.[1]

Interior

The arcade between the nave and the south aisle dates from the 14th century. In the chancel is a piscina in Early English style which has been much restored. The font dates from the 12th century. It consists of a large square bowl carved with blank arches, supported by a central column and four smaller columns, standing on a rectangular base. There is a variety of benches. Two of these date from the 15th century, are carved with poppyheads and animals. They were originally in the porch, and consequently are weathered. Others, also dating from the 15th century, are carved with poppyheads only, and the rest are 19th-century reproductions.[1] The single-manual organ is at the east end of the south aisle. It was built in 1884 By Eustace Ingram.[6]

See also

• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in the East of England

References

1. Historic England, "Church of All Saints, South Elmham (1031997)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 27 June 2013
2. All Saints' Church, South Elmham, Suffolk, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 2 December 2016
3. All Saints, South Elmham, Streetmap, retrieved 15 January 2011
4. Suckling, Alfred Inigo (1846-01-01). The history and antiquities of the county of Suffolk. [With] Index.
5. Suckling, Alfred (1846), "South Elmham, All Saints", The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk, British History Online, University of London & History of Parliament Trust, 1, pp. 183–189, retrieved 15 January 2011
6. Suffolk, Elmham, South, All Saints (D02245), British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 15 January 2011