St Mary's Church, Mortehoe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Mortehoe |
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St Mary's Church, Mortehoe
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| 51°11′06″N 4°12′33″W / 51.18506°N 4.20929°W | |
| Location | Morthoe |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Norman, Early English |
| Years built | Eleventh Century |
St Mary's Church, Mortehoe is a very old and important church in Mortehoe, Devon, England. It is a Grade I listed Church of England church, which means it's a special historic building. Its story goes all the way back to the time of the Norman Conquest (around 1066).
The church still has many parts from the medieval period, which was a long time ago. One of its most famous features is a special tomb. This tomb holds the remains of a person named Sir William de Tracy.
Church History
The oldest parts of St Mary's church were built during the Norman period. Over the years, new sections were added to the church. The tall bell tower, the beautifully carved pews (church benches), and the de Tracy tomb are all from the medieval times.
Later, in the 14th and 16th centuries, more parts were built. The carved ends of the benches are from the 13th century. The special "wagon roof" in the main part of the church (the nave) was built in the 15th century. The large stone tomb of William de Tracey, who was a priest (Rector) of Mortehoe, is from the year 1322.
The colorful mosaic artwork above the chancel-arch and the "archangel" window were designed by an artist named Selwyn Image.
The Tomb of Sir William de Tracy
Inside the church, in the south transept (a part of the church that sticks out like an arm), there is a large stone tomb. On top of the tomb is a flat stone slab made of dark granite or marble. It has a life-sized carving of a priest wearing his special church clothes. He is holding a chalice (a special cup) close to his chest.
The writing on the tomb is very old and hard to read now. But long ago, someone wrote down what it said. It was in old French and meant something like "May God have mercy on his soul."
On the side of the tomb, there are three carved shields. These shields used to have colors, but they are gone now. Each shield has a different design:
- One shield shows three lions walking.
- Another shield has two horizontal bars.
- The third shield has a cross shape (called a saltire) with five round shapes on it.
These shields represent different important families connected to the church's history. There is also another shield in a nearby stained glass window. This shield shows the special design of the Tracy family.
Also on the side of the tomb, under small arches, are carvings of two figures. They might be St. Catherine, who is shown with a wheel, and St. Mary Magdalene, who has long, flowing hair.
The other side of the tomb has seven sections with beautiful gothic tracery (fancy stone patterns). At the end of the tomb, there is a carving of the Crucifixion. This shows Jesus on the cross with two people standing beside him.
Some people, like Lord Sudeley, believe this is the tomb of William de Tracy who was a priest at this church. He helped start a special prayer service (a chantry) in Mortehoe around 1307 or 1308 and died in 1322. He was called 'Sir' because that was a common way to address priests in medieval times. It's important to know that this William de Tracy was a priest and is not the same famous William de Tracy who was involved in the death of Archbishop Thomas Becket long ago.
Gallery
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A carving of the Crucifixion scene on the west end of Sir William de Tracy's tomb.
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A clearer picture of the carved figure on the tomb, showing the chalice and the priest's clothes.
