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 | England |
| 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 belongs to the Church of England and is a Grade I listed building. This means it's a special historical place. The church was first built around the time of the Norman Conquest, over 900 years ago! It still has many original parts from the Middle Ages, including a famous tomb. This tomb holds the remains of a person named Sir William de Tracy.
History of St Mary's Church
The oldest parts of St Mary's Church were built during the time of the Normans. Over the years, more sections were added. The bell tower, the carved pews (church benches), and the de Tracy tomb are all from the medieval period. This means they are hundreds of years old.
Some newer parts of the church were added in the 14th and 16th centuries. The beautiful mosaic above the chancel arch and the "archangel" window were designed by an artist named Selwyn Image. The carved ends of the church benches are from the 13th century. The wooden roof of the main part of the church (called the nave) was built in the 15th century. The stone tomb of William de Tracey, who was a priest at Mortehoe, is from the year 1322.
The Tomb of Sir William de Tracy
Inside the church, in the south transept (a part of the church that sticks out), there is a special tomb. It has an inscription that says "Sir William de Tracy." The top part of the tomb is a dark stone slab. On it, there is a life-sized carving of a priest wearing his special clothes. He is holding a chalice (a cup) close to his chest.
The words carved on the tomb are very old and hard to read now. But a historian named Tristram Risdon wrote them down long ago. They were in old French and might have meant "may God have mercy on his soul."
On the north side of the tomb's base, there are three carved shields. These shields used to have colors, but they are faded now. They show symbols that represent different families:
- The first shield has three lions walking. This might be for the Camville family.
- The second shield has two bars. This might be for the FitzMartin family.
- The third shield has a cross shape with five round circles on it.
Another shield, shown in a nearby stained glass window, has two red diagonal stripes and a black scallop shell. This represents the Tracy family.
At the west end of the tomb's base, there are carvings of two figures. These might be Saint Catherine, who is shown with a wheel, and Mary Magdalene, who has long flowing hair. The south side of the tomb's base has seven decorated sections. At the west end of this side, there is a carving of the Crucifixion. This shows Jesus on the cross with two figures standing beside him.
Some historians, like Lord Sudeley, believe this is the tomb of William de Tracy who was a priest at this church. He helped set up a special prayer service in Mortehoe in 1307 or 1308 and died in 1322. He was called 'Sir' because this was a common title for priests in medieval times. It's not clear if this William de Tracy was related to another famous William de Tracy. That other William de Tracy was involved in the killing of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.
Gallery
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St Mary's Church Morthoe, outside view.
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The Crucifixion scene carved on the west end of Sir William de Tracy's tomb.
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A clearer picture of the figure carved on the tomb, showing the chalice and priest's clothes.
