St Eustachius' Church, Tavistock is a

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

parish church in the

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, ...

Diocese of Exeter in

Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

History

The church was established on this site as early as 1193 but certainly by 1265. Abbot Robert Champeaux of

Tavistock Abbey Tavistock Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. The Abbey was surrendered in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monaste ...

rebuilt it in 1318. There was further building work in 1352 and 1380. It was largely rebuilt in the 15th century when a new chancel was added at the east end. The south aisle was added between 1445 and 1447 as a bequest from Constance Coffyn. There was a major restoration between 1844 and 1845 by the architect John Hayward when the Caen stone pulpit by Knight of Exeter, a new reading desk, an oak organ screen and carved pew ends were added. The gallery was removed. A new organ bay in the north aisle was added, along with vestries south of the chancel. It reopened for worship on 26 June 1845. In 1896 the font was moved to the west end of the south aisle. Another restoration was undertaken in 1902–03. The choir stalls were removed from the chancel and new marble flooring was installed. The nave and aisles were re-floored and the roofs were overhauled when rubs and wall plates were made good, and new figures of angels restored to the positions occupied previously by similar figures. New brass lighting pendants were suspended from the roof and the seating was re-spaced. The contractor was J.A. Dennis of Tavistock, and the architect

George Fellowes Prynne George Halford Fellowes Prynne (1853–1927) was a Victorian and Edwardian English church architect. Part of the High Church school of Gothic Revival Architecture, Prynne's work can be found across Southern England. Biography Early life George H ...

. The new reredos with riddels (curtains) to the design of A.S. Parker was carved by J.R. Hunt and dedicated on 19 May 1929.

Vicars

*1309 Sir John de Cameleforde *1311 Sir John de Ockhampton *1318 Sir Robert Bodyer *1349 Richard de Bolham *1360 John, vicar of Boyton *1361 Baldwin Langdon *1382 David Bagatorre *???? Simon Tony *1391 John Hykedon, vicar of Landkey *1400 John Lucas *1416 Roger Sturt *1416 John Borneslo *???? John Baker *1427 Edmund Rawly *1434 William Mede *1439 John Kene *1443 John Skynner (or Shynner) *1460 Richard Haukeden *???? William Davy *1403 John Sargynt *1534 William Lawnder *1554 John Perins *???? Robert Knight *1584 Ralph Taylor *1585 Timothy Fisher *1587 Laurence Prychard *1592 Walter Ware *1600 Richard Adams *1603 John Ellistone *1612 Edward Elyott *1632 John Blythman *???? Tristram Cleake *1638 George Hughes *1649 Thomas Larkham *1661 Samuel Brown(e) *1662 Thomas Glanvil *1673 Jasper Cann *1690 William Hame *1697 John Rennell *1701 Nathaniel Beard *1731 William Brown *1747 Thomas Salmon (later

Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in the Province of Dublin. The diocese comprised all of counties Wexford and Carlow and part of counties Wicklow and Laois in Ireland. The Ep ...

) *1758 John Jago *1796 Richard Sleman *1812 Edward Atkyns Bray *1857 Osborne John Tancock *1872 William John Tait *1883 Daniel Pring Alford *1895 Henry Godfrey Le Neveu *1918 Hugh Leslie Bickersteth *1946 Basil Tudor Guy - 1956 (later

Bishop of Gloucester The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester, England, Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Gloucestershire, County of Gloucestershire and part ...

) *1956 George Hodgshon *1966 Roy Wyndham Stevenson *1973

Richard Gilpin Richard Gilpin (baptised 23 October 1625 – 13 February 1700) was an English nonconformist minister and physician, prominent in the northern region. Life The second son of Isaac Gilpin of Strickland Ketel, in the parish of Kendal, Westmorla ...

*1992 John Rawlings *2007 Michael Brierley (priest in charge) *2015 Christopher Hardwick *2022 Matt Godfrey

Organ

The first mention of an organ is in 1538/9 when it was noted that repairs were needed. By the 1790s there was a barrel organ in a gallery. In 1802 this was replaced, and the 1802 organ was replaced in 1825. The current organ was built by J.W. Walker and Sons. It was opened by

Samuel Sebastian Wesley Samuel Sebastian Wesley (14 August 1810 – 19 April 1876) was an English organ (music), organist and composer. Wesley married Mary Anne Merewether and had 6 children. He is often referred to as S.S. Wesley to avoid confusion with his father Sa ...

on 25 June 1846. The carved statues on the organ case were added in 1879. There were later modifications and additions by Hele and Company of Plymouth and Lance Foy which has resulted in a three manual organ with 51 stops. A specification of the organ can be found in the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

Initially the salary of the organist was funded by the Duke of Bedford, but by 1875 the salary had reached £61 10s per annum () and

Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford Francis Charles Hastings Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford (16 October 1819 – 14 January 1891) was an English politician and agriculturalist. Life Known as Hastings, the 9th Duke was born in Curzon Street, London, the son of Major-General Lord ...

decided it was time for the congregation to fund it. At the time, the pew rents generated £120 per annum, with expenses of running the church at £118 per annum. *

1846 *John Frederick Thynne 1846 - 1877 *Alexander Luke Vingoe 1877 - 1878 *Charles John Vincent 1878 - 1883 (formerly organist of St Mark's Church, Sunderland, afterwards organist of

Christ Church, Hampstead Christ Church, Hampstead, is a Church of England church in Hampstead, London. It is a church with particular connections to the old village of Hampstead and the Heath. Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Clement Attlee ...

) *John Tomlinson 1883 - 1906 *William Clotworthy 1907 - 1942 (formerly organist of

St Mary Magdalene's Church, Launceston St Mary Magdalene's Church, Launceston is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Launceston, Cornwall. It is unusual for its carvings; the entire exterior of the original part of the church is built of carved granite blocks. T ...

) *Harold Charles Lake 1942 - 1956

Bells

The tower contains a peal of 10 bells The eight bells of 1925 by John Taylor and Company of Loughborough were expanded to 10 in 1998 by the addition of two new bells by the same founder.

References

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