Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed church in Stevington,

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

, England. It became a listed building on 13 July 1964. It is the Anglican

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of Stevington, and is part of the

Diocese of St Albans The Diocese of St Albans forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England and is part of the wider Church of England, in turn part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese is home to more than 1.6 million people and comprises the hi ...

The first church on this site, as recorded, was started in about 880 AD and the tower is the surviving part of this; the rest of the building was added later, and completed in about 1480. The church underwent significant rebuilding in 1872, sponsored by the

Duke of Bedford Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) is a title that has been created six times (for five distinct people) in the Peerage of England. The first and second creations came in 1414 and 1433 respectively, in favour of Henry IV's third so ...

who was Patron until 1971. The church has been without permanent clergy since the early 1980s and has relied upon Non-Stipendiary ministry ever since. It is currently in interregnum, the last Priest In Charge, Rev David Hunter, a New Zealander having resigned the post in 2006. It is believed that the body of

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

's valet from his exile on St Helena is buried in the churchyard, however, parish records are incomplete and the brick vault is too weathered for identification. The interior of the church boasts some particularly intricate Tudor carved pew ends as well as a fine rood screen now moved to the tower.

References

External links

St Mary The Virgin Church website
Church of England church buildings in Bedfordshire Grade I listed churches in Bedfordshire {{England-church-stub

See also

References

External links