THE CHURCH

IS situated on a rising ground, and when seen from the Market-Place seems to overlook the town. A broad well flagged causeway leads up to the gates by an easy ascent, through an avenue of ancient trees, some of which are gone to decay: this is the more to be lamented, because it is extremely difficult to get others to grow in the same place. The Tower is a good well proportioned building, of ashlar stone, and contains a ring of six bells, which were cast and hung in the year 1814; the largest bell weighs twenty-four hundred weight, and bears this inscription, " Revd. Caley Illingworth, D. D. Archdeacon of Stow, Rector, 1814." At the north-west angle stands a sycamore, now going fast to decay, which was planted by the famous John Wesley; and its mutilated boughs shew that many of his followers have been as anxious to possess portions of it, as even their ancestors were to obtain a bit of the wood of the true cross or the toe-nail of a saint.

The

The Nave and Aisles of the Church are of plain gothic architecture. There is nothing remarkable about it but the arched entrance to the north Porch, which is richly ornamented by trefoil flexures; and within, on the west side, are the arms of Sheffield, and on the east those of Mowbray. This Porch seems to have been built at the same time with the wall of the north Aisle, and was probably an improvement, which was added on some partial re-edification of the fabric, undertaken by the joint munificence of both those noble families, and which took place prior to the year, 1479, when the Mowbrays became extinct. All the churches which I have inspected in this part of Lincolnshire have, to a greater or less extent, been rebuilt: this is evident from stones ornamented with crosses of different kinds having been inserted in the walls, which in the more antient fabric formed part of the pavement, and marked the spot where a corpse had been interred.

The arch at the east end of the Nave has given way, and is very low and unsightly. The erection of a new arch, much loftier and lighter, would greatly improve the Church, and be a very proper use of the fabric funds with which it has been so well endowed. The Chancel is a very good substantial building, of ample dimensions, and in a better style of architecture. On the south side are two well proportioned windows, with pointed arches, the stone work being divided into three circular compartments, finished in the inside with elegant quarterfoils. It is doubtful whether the east window has ever been carried beyond the spring of the arch. The addition of the upper part, corresponding in elegance of style with the south window, would be a work well worthy of the present liberal and munificent Rector. On the north side of the Chancel is a Chantry, on the ceiling of which is a fine old corbal in alto relievo. There was also in the Roman Catholic times another Chantry in this Church: one of these Chantries was founded by the Marquis of Berkley, who married the last female descendant of the fa mily of Mowbray, and who alienated the ancient property of that family in the Isle of Axholme. "He willed that his executors should purchase land to the value of ten marks yearly, therewith to find a perpetual Chantry at the Altar of Our Lady at Epworth, to pray for his soul, the souls of his father, mother, wife, and son."

*See Dugdale's Baronage.

In

In this Church there are the following sepulchral Memorials.

On a marble monument, at the east end of the Chancel :

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF

PETER BARNARD, GENTLEMAN,
WHO DIED ON THE 16TH OF JAN. 1808,
AGED 80 YEARS;

AND OF MARY HIS WIFE,

DAUGHTER OF JOHN MAW, GENTLEMAN,

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE 17TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1795,
AGED 62 YEARS,

BOTH OF WHOSE REMAINS ARE INTERRED
NEAR THIS PLACE.

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF MARGARET, THE WIFE

OF JOHN HENRY MAW, ESQ. DAUGHTER OF
THE LATE RICHARD STOVIN, ESQ. OF WITHERN, IN
THIS COUNTY, WHO DIED ON THE 31ST DAY OF JULY, 1797,
AGED 34 YEARS, WHOSE REMAINS ARE INTERRED
IN A VAULT NEAR THIS PLACE.

On a marble monument, on the south wall of the Chancel:

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF

HENRY JOHN MAW, ESQ.

OF BELLVUE, NEAR DONCASTER, IN THE COUNTY OF YORK,
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE JUNE 23RD, ANNO DOMINI, 1826,
IN THE SIXTY-SEVENTH YEAR OF HIS AGE.

THE SWEET REMEMBRANCE OF THE JUST

SHALL FLOURISH WHEN HE SLEEPS IN DUST.

}

PSALM CXII.

ALSO, IN MEMORY OF JAMES STOVIN MAW,

SON OF JOHN HENRY MAW, AND ELIZABETH HIS WIFE,
WHO DIED APRIL THE 15TH, ANNO DOMINI, 1812,

IN THE TENTH YEAR OF HIS AGE.

On

On a marble tablet, on the north wall of the Chancel.

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF

WILLIAM BARNARD, OF GAINSBRO', GENTLEMAN,
WHO DIED THE 9TH DAY OF AUGUST, 1824,

AGED 69 YEARS.

ΤΟ

THE MEMORY

OF

URRY HAWKSLEY, LATE OF THIS PLACE, GENT. WHO
DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY,
1774, IN THE 25TH YEAR OF HIS AGE.

HE WAS THE ONLY SURVIVING ISSUE OF MR. WM.
HAWKSLEY, OF NOTTINGHAM, BY ANNA
MARIA HIS WIFE, THE SOLE HEIRESS OF

JOHN URRY, FORMERLY OF THIS PLACE, GENT.
JOHN URRY AND ANNA MARIA HIS DAUGHTER, WITH THEIR
PREDECESSORS, BEING OF THE PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS,
WERE INTERRED IN THE FAMILY DORMITORY AT EPWORTH.