St Nicholas Church
The church of ST. NICHOLAS, which stands within the park about a quarter of a mile north of the mansion, was erected on a new site about 1803 at the sole charge of Mr. John Kipling, in place of an older building which was then pulled down. The old church stood in front of the former manor-house and consisted of chancel, nave, north aisle and embattled west tower. No adequate record of it has been preserved, and the belief that it belonged to the Decorated period is based on insufficient data.
The present building consists of chancel, 15 ft. 6 in. long by 19 ft. 6 in. wide, with vestry on the north and organ-chamber on the south side; nave, 30 ft. 6 in. by 10 ft. 3 in., south aisle, 11 ft. wide, and west tower, 11 ft. 4 in. by 8 ft. 2 in., all these measurements being internal. There is also a porch on the north side of the tower. The chancel and nave are under a single slated eaved roof, and the tower is of three stages with embattled parapet and pinnacles. As originally built, the church consisted only of chancel, nave, and tower, with west gallery and squire's pew on the south side of the chancel. It was in the Gothic style of the day, faced with Kingsthorpe stone, and the interior was described in 1849 as being 'emphatically neat'. In 1903 the building was restored, the south aisle and organ-chamber added, the gallery removed, and the interior remodelled. All the fittings, including the font and pulpit are modern. There are mural tablets from the old church to Frances, wife of Henry Stratford and daughter of Thomas Penruddock (d. 1717), Edward Stratford (d. 1721), and Elizabeth, wife of the Rev. Paul Ives, rector (d. 1792): later ones commemorate John Kipling (d. 1830), Harriet, Lady Overstone (d. 1864), Lord Overstone (d. 1883), and Canon E. J. Birch, rector 1857–1900. In the east window is some late medieval German glass, with figures of our Lord and St. John the Baptist.
There are three bells: the first an alphabet bell by Hugh Watts 1609, the second by Henry Bagley 1676, and the third by Taylor & Co. of Loughborough, 1903.
The plate consists of a bread-holder of 1689 inscribed 'The gift of Paul Ives, rector, to the church of Overston 1704'; a cup and paten of 1735, the former inscribed 'Overston. This cup and Paten were exchanged at ye expence of Doctor Paul Ives, Rector, for ye use of ye Communion Table, 1736'; and a flagon of 1735 given by Dr. Ives in the following year.
The registers before 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1673–1812, burials 1680–1812, (ii) marriages, 1754– 1812.
Advowson
The advowson of Overstone Church, first mentioned in 1223, was appendant to the manor until the end of the 17th century when it was sold by Edward Stratford to Robert Ives, in whose family it remained until 1743 when Paul Ives conveyed it to Sir Thomas Drury, bart.It was thus re-united with the manor, and descended with it until 1923, when the rectory was united with that of Sywell (q.v.), the patronage of the united benefices being exercised alternately by the Duchy of Cornwall and Mr. G. E. Stott.
In the reign of Henry III and in 1291 the church was valued at 12 marks, while by 1535 its value had risen to £13 6s. 8d.
Congratulations to Bevaren for the FTF
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
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