St Peter's Church is the

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 activitie ...

of the town of

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, but ...

North Devon North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. North Devon Council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and ...

, England. Parts of the church date to the 13th-century with much restoration during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edward ...

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he starte ...

and later by his son

John Oldrid Scott John Oldrid Scott (17 July 1841 – 30 May 1913) was a British architect. Biography He was the son of Sir Gilbert Scott (George Gilbert Scott) and his wife Caroline (née Oldrid). His brother George Gilbert Scott Junior and nephew Sir Giles Gi ...

which changed the atmosphere of the building, although many fine wall monuments and tablets remain. The church comes under the

Diocese of Exeter The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Provinc ...

History

Æthelstan Æthelstan or Athelstan (; ang, Æðelstān ; on, Aðalsteinn; ; – 27 October 939) was List of monarchs of Wessex, King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and List of English monarchs, King of the English from 927 to his death in 939. ...

is said to have granted Barnstaple its first Charter in 930 AD and it is believed a church may have existed here then. The town received subsequent Charters in 1154, 1189, 1201 and 1273. The first recorded Rector was Walter Treasurer of Exeter (1257) and the first stone church probably dates from this time.David Spurr, ''Devon Churches: Bideford, Barnstaple and the Hartland Peninsula'' Vol 1, Merlin Books (1983) pg 15-16 Fragments of the tower are late 13th-century, as are parts of the chancel, although the latter was raised and widened when the north and south aisles were added (or rather were formed out of three then existing chantry chapels) after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the Perpendicular style to transform a cruciform church into one of rectangular shape. These aisles were rebuilt in about 1670, but retain mural monuments of earlier date. The building was enlarged, probably in 1318 when three altars were dedicated by

Walter de Stapledon Walter de Stapledon (or Stapeldon) (1 February 126114 October 1326) was Bishop of Exeter 1308–1326 and twice Lord High Treasurer of England, in 1320 and 1322. He founded Exeter College, Oxford and contributed liberally to the rebuilding of Ex ...

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.

. There is a record of a steeple being erected in 1388 but the present lead-covered

broach spire A broach spire is a type of spire (tall pyramidal structure), which usually sits atop a tower or turret of a church. It starts on a square base and is carried up to a tapering octagonal spire by means of triangular faces. File:Leicester Cathedra ...

dates to the late 17th-century and is said by Hoskins to be the best of its kind in England.Hoskins, p.329

Advowson

The

advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a ...

and

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically o ...

were long the property of

Barnstaple Priory The Priory of St Mary Magdalene in Barnstaple was a priory in Devon, England. It was founded in about 1107 by Juhel de Totnes, feudal baron of Barnstaple, who had earlier founded Totnes Priory in about 1087 at the ''caput'' of his former feuda ...

(Priory of St Mary Magdalene), of the

Cluniac The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement began w ...

order. Ancient charters were quoted from by Dugdale (d.1686) in his ''Monasticon Anglicanum'' (1718 edition in English) thus: :"The charter of King

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, ...

grants to St Peter of Clugni under the obedience of St Martin des Champs, or in-the-Fields, at

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

, for the souls of himself and his ancestors and of Jubellus, the donor of this alms, the Church of Barnstaple with all its appurtenances and several other donations of the same founder. William Bishop of Exeter by two several charters confirms to the monks of St Mary Magdalene at Barnstaple the Church of St Peter there and all other grants made to them".

Features

Dodderidgian Library

The two-storied Dodderidgian Library (Latin: ''Bibliotheca Doddridgiana'') with wooden mullioned windows was built in 1667 in the north-east corner of the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. ...

.Pevsner, p.151 The Dodderidge Library was founded in 1664 by the widow of John Dodderidge (1610-1659), of Barnstaple and of Bremridge in the parish of

South Molton South Molton is a town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole. According to the 2001 census the civil parish of South Molton had a population of 4,093, increasing to 5,108 at the ...

, MP for

in 1646 and 1654, who donated or bequeathed her husband's library to the Corporation of Barnstaple. He was the son and heir of

Pentecost Dodderidge Pentecost Dodderidge (died c. 1650) of Barnstaple in North Devon, was three times Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1621, 1624 and 1625. Origins Dodderidge was a son of Richard Doddridge, merchant, of Barnstaple. His elder brother was S ...

(d.1650), thrice MP for Barnstaple, the younger brother and heir of Sir John Dodderidge (1555–1628),

Justice of the King's Bench Justice of the King's Bench, or Justice of the Queen's Bench during the reign of a female monarch, was a puisne judicial position within the Court of King's Bench, under the Chief Justice. The King's Bench was a court of common law which modern a ...

and Member of Parliament for

in 1589. The books were removed to the

North Devon Athenaeum North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''no ...

in 1888 and from there in 1957 on permanent loan to Exeter University Library.

Mayor's Pew

In the north transept is the ceremonial pew of the

Mayor of Barnstaple The Mayor of Barnstaple together with the Corporation long governed the historic Borough of Barnstaple, in North Devon, England. The seat of government was the Barnstaple Guildhall. The mayor served a term of one year and was elected annually on t ...

, in the form of a large wooden armchair with heraldic beasts to each side.

Organ

The organ, one of the largest in Devon, was made by

John Crang John Crang (1710-1774) was a maker of keyboard instruments and pipe organs in London in the mid eighteenth century. Personal life John Crang was baptised on 4 July 1710 at All Saints, North Molton, Devon, son of John Crang and Grace Pulsford. C ...

in 1764 and was donated by Sir George Amyand, 1st Baronet (1720–1766), MP for

1754–1766. It is decorated with his armorials: ''Vert, a chevron between three garbs or'' with an

inescutcheon In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the ...

of unidentified arms, overall the

Red Hand of Ulster The Red Hand of Ulster ( gle, Lámh Dhearg Uladh), also known as the Red Hand Uí Néill, is a symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster and the Northern Uí Néill in particular. However, it has also been used by other Ir ...

Monuments

Inside the church are many mural monuments to 17th-century merchants, several of whom served as

. These reflect the prosperity of the town and its port at that time. Monuments include those to: *Elizabeth Delbridge (d.1628), wife of the merchant

John Delbridge John Delbridge (1564 – 24 June 1639) was an English merchant from Devon who was elected six times as a Member of Parliament. Early life and education He was the second son of Richard Delbridge (d. post 1595), a merchant of Barnstaple, by his ...

(1564–1639) six times MP for

and thrice

. *1634 monument to the nine-year-old son and other children of Rev Martin Blake (d.1673), Vicar of Barnstaple, who notably suffered much for his adherence to the Royalist cause as related in John Walker's ''Sufferings of the Clergy'' (1714). He rebuilt "at his own great charge" the Vicarage House at Barnstaple, which largely survives today, at the entrance of Barnstaple Priory, originally erected on that site in 1311 by the Prior and Convent. The monument is "as much in allusion to his own position and sufferings", and was described by Chanter (1882) as "perhaps the most noteworthy and interesting monument in the church", "not only a work of art, but of allegorical literature and imagination, telling its tale as fully in its medallions, cartouches and sculptured mottoes as if written - an actual instance of 'sermons in stone'". *Raleigh Clapham (died 1636), *

Richard Beaple Richard Beaple (1564– 30 December 1643) of Barnstaple, Devon, was a wealthy merchant, ship owner and member of the Spanish Company, and was three times Mayor of Barnstaple in 1607, 1621 and 1635. His elaborate mural monument survives in St Pet ...

(1564-1643), Mayor in 1607, 1621, 1635. His monument has a roundel depicting Penrose's Almshouses, built 1624–1627 in memory of his son-in-law *George Peard (died 1644) *Richard Ferris (d.1649), Mayor 1632, 1646 *Walter Tucker (d.1653), Mayor in 1639 * Thomas Horwood (1600-1658), Mayor in 1640 and 1653. *Gilbert II Paige (d.1669), son in law of Walter Tucker and son of Gilbert I Paige (d.1647), of Crock Street, twice Mayor, in 1629 and 1641. Paige's Lane in Barnstaple is named after his family. *Richard Harris (d.1688)

Victorian restoration

In 1811 and 1825 galleries were added resulting in the loss of many wall memorials and tablets. The interior received a heavy

Victorian restoration The Victorian restoration was the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. It was not the same proce ...

from 1866, and then by his son

into the 1880s,Pevsner, p.150 during which the unsightly galleries were taken down but which left the church "dark and dull", according to Hoskins. However, Scott refused to demolish the tower, as had been proposed by his patrons, and retained the 17th century large straight-headed and transomed windows of the north aisle. During the restoration many memorials were salvaged and put into the Lady Chapel on the south aisle. The Lady Chapel itself was restored in 1911.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Peter's Church, Barnstaple Buildings and structures in Barnstaple