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Twinstead...
One of 15 churches in North Hinkford
within the Chelmsford Diocise
Chelmsford Cathedral
North Hickford Deanery
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A Guide to
Twinstead Church
St John The Evangelist
All your generous donations are put to the maintenance
of the building enabling future generation to appreciate
its importance as part of the fabric of our village as well
as a place of worship and a place of quiet respite from
the busy world we live in.
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Pictures from as it was in
1800(From a picture to be seen at the rear of the church)
to as it is 2012 ....
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful and we offer a huge thank you to
parishiners for their support and help in putting this
Guide together.
A combined effort by all
.. for the photograghs
... for the proof reading
....for the Printing
... for the layouts
and also to
Margaret King (Mrs Vicar !) for her guidance
Welcome and enjoy !!
For more details of our village look up
www.twinstead.org.uk or
Revd Margaret King 01787 269385
Revd Val Gagen 01787 371787
vcn 20120531
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1322 Hen. De Kynsmesford
1309 (sic) Hen. De Turmecester
1330 Hen. De Waymouth
1336 Ric. De Chadderlegh
1337 Hamelinus de Godelegh
Phil. Youngman
1372 Rog. De. Hardingham
1391 Joh. Norton
1392 Tho. Bradenholm
1396 Joh. Newman
1398 Rob. Fille
1398 Joh. Pykworth
1400 Joh. Sudbury
Walt. Newman
1428 John Harwood
1432 Tho. Waghen
1437 Nic. Kesteven
1437 Joh. Smith
1440 Tho. Turner
1443 Thos. Bolton
1447 Joh. Laseby
1448 Joh. Justyce
1451 Joh. Stevens
Pastusius Martyn
1464 Joh. Hammerton
Will. Lincolne
1476 Joh. Marchall
1483 Tho. Ennock
1491 Ad. Wynn
1493 Edm. Short
1503 Edw. Potter
Chr. Serle
1511 Donaldus Magre
1516 Ric. Knight
1528 Tho. Mannering
Chr. Newton
1555 Roc. Holywell
1567 Chr. Johnson
1581 Will. Carr
1615 Gamal. Carr
1663 Andr. Weston
1679 Nat. Reeves
1699 Hen. Wind
1703 Edward Collins
1739 John Carr
1780 George Marriot
1793 Robert Gray
1838 H.V. Shortland
1878 Thos. Myers (49th)
1913 A.H. Manning
1914 A.R. Murray
1915 H.M. Shuttleworth
Priest-n-charge until
1930 Rector Wickham &
Twinstead
until 1933
1933 T.H. Evans
1944 W.J. Fleming
1952 J.F. Haynes
1958 G. Howard-Davies
1959 A.V.G. Cleall
1963 W.D. Kerr
1975 B.A. Carew
2005 Margaret King
Eoin Buchanan
ROLL CALL OF INCUMBENTS
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The Wyncoll Effigies
The family of Wyncoll held the Manor of Twinstead in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The effigies of the second Isaac Wyncoll, his wife Marie and his five daughters (but not
his son Isaac, which has been lost) are engraved on brass and are fixed to the north wall of
the church. Underneath them the following is inscribed on brass :-
‘Here lyeth buryed Marie Wyncoll the wife of Isake Wyncoll Esq. Daughter unto
Sir Thomas Gaudy of Gaudy Hall one the Judges of the Kings bench who deceased the 4th
daye of January anno domini 1610 who had issue one sonne and five daughters.
“Vivit post funera virtus’.
It was the second Isaac Wyncoll (d. 1638) who built an earlier Twinstead Hall, which was
greatly improved by Sir James Marriott at the end of the eighteenth century in a Georgian
style and eventually pulled down in 1900.
His great grandson, the fourth Isaac Wyncoll, who died in 1681, made the following
bequest in his will :-
‘ISAAC WYNCOLL, of Twinstead in the County of Essex Esqr. By his will
dated the 1st of March 1681, amongst other things Declares his mind and will
to be as Followeth uits; Item my will is, that Such person or persons as from the
time being shall enjoy the premisses meaning Twinstead Hall, or receive and take
the rents and proffits thereof shall yearly and every year for ever, Cause to be
Killed upon the premisses at Christmas time in every year one good Bull in good
plight and case to be Killed upon the premisses, and give out all thereof Except
the Hide, with assistance and derection of the church wardens and overseers of
the poor for the time being of Twinstead, aforesaid, and the poor people of the
severall parishes of Great Henny, Pebmarsh, Lamarsh, and Alphamston, in the
Said County of Essex’.
This bequest is written out on a large board and is fixed to the West wall of the church.
This Isaac Wyncoll Charity (or Bull Money) is now administered by the Charity Commis-
sion. Instead of a bull being killed, a small sum of money is distributed to the needy at
Christmas.
The Third Church
Fixed to the West wall is a coloured sketch of the third church in 1858, shortly before it
was pulled down. It is a copy by Mrs. Shortland, wife of the Rector at the time, and shows
some of the dilapidation. The original which she copied appears to be signed ‘S.M.C.
1839’. See back cover.
Robert Gray
A marble stone to Robert Gray is on the north wall. He was Rector for 45 years.
1792-1837. (End)
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Brass Rubbing and Arms of
Issac Wyncoll Esq 1638
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History
Twinstead Church is the fourth to be built on this site. It is known that the first was a
venerable old church which by 1790 had become a ruin. Sir James Marriott of Twinstead
Hall constructed a building in a classical style to be used both as a church and for musical
purposes, but the Bishop refused to consecrate it. This second church was pulled down
and the materials were used to run up a third church. The foundation stone of this church
is now mounted on the wall of the Walled Garden which once belonged to Twinstead Hall.
The Rector in 1858 described the third church as ‘a very inferior structure with no
ecclesiastical character attaching to it, which became so dilapidated that to rebuild it was
a necessity.’ It was replaced by the present church in 1859. It was consecrated on 20th
October 1860 by the Right Reverend Joseph Cotton, Lord Bishop of Rochester. At that
time there was no Diocese of Chelmsford, and Twinstead came within the Diocese of
Rochester. The Rector at that time was the Reverend Henry Shortland, who was rector for
40 years (1838-1878).
Details of Construction
The architect was Henry Woodyer, and Sir Nikolaus Pevsner has described the building as
follows :-
‘Red brick with a wild admixture of black and yellow brick decoration outside
and with bands and trellis inside. It is all very much in the style of Butterfield.
The large, low, pointed window in the chancel, almost like a triangle, is also a a n
oddity.’
The strained glass in the east window is by Hardman, and it has splendid rich blues and
purples, which Sir Nikolaus Pevsner has described as remarkably good.
In the vestry is a Register of Burials dating back to 1813, and on the fly leaf of this register
are details of how the money was raised to build the church and how this money was
spent.
The parishioners unanimously agreed to a Church Rate of 5 shillings in the pound, and
later added a further 8 pence in the pound with which to build a wall to enclose the
churchyard on the south and east sides. The landowners and tenants and other inhabitants
of the parish also contributed donations. There were also other grants and subscriptions.
The total raised was £2050 and in addition the value of the materials taken from the old
church was £350.
Messrs. Elliston of Ballingdon was the building contractor and was paid £1323. The
architect was paid £118 and Hardman (stained glass) £231. The Faculty and Consecration
cost £49. There were many other specialised craftsmen’s expenses.
The addition to the churchyard was consecrated by the Bishop of Colchester on 25th
August 1954.
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Points of Interest
It is thought that this church is one of only four of this type to be built, and that this is the
only one in a rural setting.
Vestry
In the vestry are two items of interest :-
A carved chair of about 1700.
A scroll of the Glebe land dated 1794.
The latter is a coloured survey of eleven separate pieces of land, varying in size from ¼
acre to nearly 3 acres, in the parish of Twinstead, by John Kingsbury, Land Surveyor of
Melford. The total acreage was 14½.
Organ
It was built by Henry Jones of Fulham, London. 1865-70. The pedals were added by
Speechley of Dalston. It was demoved from East Bergholt Congregational Church in
1967 and presented to Twinstead Church by Gerald and Hugh Flower and Doreen
Dawson in memory of their parents Clement and Helen Flower.
Chair in Chancel
This chair was made for the use of the Chairman of Halstead Rural District Council. On
re-organisation in 1974, the Council gave it to Mr. Kenneth Nott of Pelham Hall. He was
the last Chairman of the Council 1965-1974, and he donated it to Twinstead Church.
Bell
The bell was probably by John Bird in the early 16th century and was rehung in 1976 at a
cost of £295.
Graves
There are two gravestones of special interest :-
(a) Lucy Norman
She was the wife of Peter Norman, gardener, to whom she bore 17 children. She
died 10th April 1791 aged 53. Sir James Marriott of Twinstead Hall placed this
gravestone which reads ‘Respect the dead and imitate her virtues’. One of her
children was a boy who was blind, but learnt to play the organ.
(b) 4 Harrington Brothers
Eric (18), Dennis (16), Gordon (12), Norman (10) were accidentally killed on 3rd
September 1944. They died playing with bomb detonators taken from the bomb
dumps alongside the roads in the Pebmarsh – White Colne area.