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| Exton
Parish Church |
History of the Church and its contents
(This is a greatly shortened version of the booklet
on sale in the church building)
1. Church History
2. The Noel Family
3. Stained Glass
4. The Monuments
5. The Banners
History.
The De Brus family, who had owned
land in Exton since the Norman Conquest, gave land
here to the monks of St Andrew's Priory at Northampton
some time in the mid-twelfth century. The first mention
of a Vicar at Exton occurs in 1225 so there was some
kind of a church here then.
The present church dates from the 13th and 14th centuries
but was much restored in Victorian times -
indeed, the whole external appearance makes it seem
all Victorian. The cause of the restoration was a
hailstorm on 25 April 1843, when the spire was struck
by lightning. Masonry fell through the roof of the
nave, destroying much of the west end of the church.
The Vicar at that time, (the Honourable and Reverend
Leland Noel, brother of the Earl of Gainsborough),
set restoration under way, first with the architect
RC Carpenter then in 1851 with JL Pearson. Old parts
of the church were reused, but often not in their
original place, so it is difficult to say what is
original and what is Victorian restoration.
The Noel family.
The dominant land-owning family at the present time,
and for three centuries or so earlier, is that of
Noel. The head of the family is the Earl of Gainsborough.
His eldest son and heir is Viscount Campden (a connection
here with Chipping Campden, Glos, where there are
Noel monuments).
Stained glass
There are only three stained glass windows in the
church, all commemorating members of the Noel family
and dating from 1860 to 1871: in the east window of
the chancel in memory of the first Earl of Gainsborough
of the second creation; in the south side of the chancel
in memory of Louisa Hoare, eldest daughter of Sir
Gerard Noel Noel, and in the west window of the tower
in memory of the Honourable and Reverend Leland Noel.
Bells Five bells were cast by Tobias Norris in 1675
and the tenor bell by Joseph Eayre in 1763. All were
recast in1895 by Taylors of Loughborough and rehung
in 1934.
The Monuments
These are the most striking feature of the church
and most people come primarily to see them. On this
plan of the church (also given in the booklet)
Exton Church Plan. Double
click on image for larger version
these are numbered 1
to 9 clockwise from the altar but the order following
is chronological.
1.(north of the altar in the east end of the
chancel). Nicholas Grene. Late 14th century. He married
Johanna, one of the two heiresses of the De Brus family.
A great-grand-daughter of Nicholas Grene married John
Harington and brought the estate into that family.
5.(west end of the south
aisle). John Harington (the second), died 1524, and
his wife Alice.
2.(outside the altar
rail on the north side of the chancel). James Harington,
died 1592, and his wife Lucy. They had 18 children
and lived to be over 70. Their sixth daughter Mabel
married Sir Andrew Noel of Brooke - the start of the
Noel/Exton connection.
4.(south transept) The
"Kelway" monument to John Harington, eldest
son of James and Alice, his wife Anne and her father
Robert Kelway. John was created Baron Harington of
Exton by James I in 1603 and for a time looked after
the King's eldest daughter Elizabeth, who was to become
the Queen of Bohemia.
7.(west end of north
aisle). Anne, wife of Lord Bruce of Kinloss. She died
in 1627.
 8.
(east end of north transept) The most impressive
of all the monuments is that to Baptist, Viscount
Campden, his four wives and his nineteen children.
It is the work of Grinling
Gibbons - one of the few works carved in stone by
one better known for his woodcarving. His son, Viscount
Campden, was the first Earl of Gainsborough (of the
first creation).
9. (west wall of the
north transept). James Noel, a son of the prolific
Baptist, Viscount Campden.
3. (south side of chancel).
This monument, to Baptist Noel, fourth Earl of Gainsborough,
died 1751, is by Nollekins. His widow Elizabeth, of
an Exton family (perhaps an unusual marriage) later
married Thomas Noel, Baptist's cousin. All three are
shown in portrait medallions.
6. (west wall of north
transept). Lieutenant-General Bennett Noel, died 1771.
The second monument by Nollekins.
There are many wall tablets
commemorating the contribution of the Noel family
to the village community, to Rutland and to their
country. A walk through the churchyard shows the many
monuments to village people and tells the stories
of those who lived and worked here.
Some of the monuments described above are showing
the effects of age: the Exton Monuments Restoration
Fund has been set up and when you visit you
may well find 'work in progress'.
The Banners.
Since mediaeval times articles of apparel and insignia
of noble families were carried in their funeral processions
and afterwards hung in the church where
they were buried. Until 1991 funereal and armorial
banners of the Noel family were hung in the nave but
for years they had been disintegrating and eventually
the remainder were taken down, photographed and carefully
stored.
In 1996 Mrs Judy Swinfen, of Exton, decided that as
a gift to the church she could make replicas, working
from photographs of the originals. These had been
painted, with oil paint on silk (not a good combination),
but the replicas employ modern materials and should
last! The finials on the ends of the poles were created
by eight woodworkers in the village. The replica banners
were hung and dedicated in March 1998 and are shown
in this photograph.
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This
page is edited by the Churchwarden Patricia Hagger
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