Church Micro 2235 - Blessed Mary, Upham Traditional Geocache
Church Micro 2235 - Blessed Mary, Upham
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Size: 
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“If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication. There is also a Church Micro Stats page found via the Bookmark list”
It is not known precisely when this church was built, but the Domesday Survey records two churches in the Manor of Bishops Waltham, of which one is thought to be Upham. In 1132 it was referred to as an “ecclesia” (“church”) in the Charter of the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester, and again in 1284 in the Letters Patent of the Prior and Convent of St Swithun. The first known Rector of Upham was Robert de Borghaise in 1304, and we have a continuous list of his successors down to the present day, which can be seen on the wall to the right of the font. During the Civil War, in the year 1642, Cromwell's soldiers stabled their horses in Upham Church, and there is an entry in the churchwarden's accounts of a sum of money being paid for cleaning the church after "use" by horses. A later churchwarden, when Cromwell's regime ended, added the letters "ab" in front of the "use", thus making it clear whose side he was on! During this period, the then Rector, Myrth Wayferer, was removed, and Mathew Stocke, described as an intruder, was installed. In due course he disappeared, and Myrth Wayferer was restored in 1663. This can be seen on the list of rectors, as can the name of Edward Young, sometime Prebendary and Dean of Salisbury and Chaplain to King William and Queen Mary. His son, also Edward, who was to become a well-known poet in his day, was born at Upham Rectory and christened in Upham church on 3rd July, 1683. Virtually forgotten today, he was honoured as "a great man" by Dr. Johnson, and his satires were said to rival those of Alexander Pope. His best known work was "Night Thoughts on Life, Death and Immortality", from which comes the well known line “procrastination is the thief of time". He was educated at Winchester College. The bells have always been of great importance in the life of Upham church. There was a peal of bells in the original tower in the 16th century, which were replaced in 1761 by six bells cast by Thomas Swaine in a field near Alresford. These were rehung in 1850. The names of some of the workmen employed in installing the bells are in the bell chamber. In 1978 the frame had to be replaced and, as the result of an appeal. Enough money was raised to re-tune the six original bells and to add two new bells to improve the chime. There is a plaque giving details of this work behind the font.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
ZGG gb fvqr bs tngr (Zhygv-Gehax Gerr)