Tipton church windows

In the new year Rev Mark Ward posted on his facebook page a photograph of one of the windows in Tipton Church. It was the window that shows 'Jesus The light of the World', a beautiful scene originally painted by William Holman Hunt, (pre raphelite painter) in 1854. The painting was inspired by Jesus' words in the book of Revelation. This inspired me to call into the church whilst out walking to have a closer look at the stained glass windows.  I noticed that each window is a memorial, with various names displayed on each one. 'The Light of the World' is dedicated to G J King a gentleman and shareholder who owned property in London and lived in Beach House, Sidmouth. This beautifully crafted window was made in 1889 by Ward and Hughes of Soho, London. There is a signature confirming this in one of the small coloured panes. Its amazing that this precious window would have been transported all the way from London, most probably on the train.
The next pair of windows 'Suffer little children come unto me' and 'Feed my sheep' is a memorial to a Tipton vicar, Rev Augustus Archer Hunt who came to St Johns in the early life of the church, 1849 , until his death in 1889. It is dedicated to him by his parishioners and friends, he was reported to have been a very popular vicar, perhaps this scene was chosen particularly to show how he loved and cared for his congregation. These windows look as if they could also be by Ward and Hughes, the work and colouring is very similar, although I  can find no signature
The altar window, 'The Crucifixion of Christ on the Cross' was installed in 1903,  in memory of Rev Hunt, his wife Sarah Emily and his father Major Richard Burgess Hunt (as mentioned in previous Tipton Times 'Sundial' article)

The two sets of  windows on the other side of the church are older .The first set show 'The Resurrected Christ and St John the Evangalist' on his right hand side, these windows are made by Wailes of Newcastle. They are a memorial to   Helen Rose, who died in 1865, from her husband John Benson Rose.    Helen was the sister of Sarah Emily Hunt and although born in Devon she  lived with her barrister husband in London.
The final set of stained windows St Peter and St James the Great, are a memorial to George Frederick Powell. George was a bachelor, who lived in Budleigh, with property in London. He is registered as a 'fundholder', with shares in the railways, including some in India. In his will he left a substantial amount to Tipton church, the school and an allowance for the poor of the village.

It seems that all the windows are dedicated to great friends of the Rev Augustus Hunt, benefactors to 'his' church. His influence on our church has created much of the beauty we see today. These benefactors that all seemed to have been very influential in their day, have left a lasting legacy of beauty for future generations to enjoy, lighting up the church with rainbows of colour.
Next time you are in the church take a moment to enjoy the love and memory of those people left to us over 120 years ago

Acknowledgements to Rev Mark Ward, Ancestry, The British Newspaper Archives

Poem..The Ghost of Venn Ottery

To be read with a strong Devonshire accent...

The Ghost of Venn Ottery  ( written by William Welsman 1900 ish)

Venn Ottery is the parish where
Once liv’d a man named Marshall Hare;
Against the church wall stands a stone
Recording that the flesh and bone
Of Marshall Hare their resting have
Inside the church in vaulted grave.
There is no record left that would
Show if his life was bad or good;
But one thing sure when he deceased
His spirit did not rest in peace;
For after Marshall was interr’d
Dim lights were seen and noises heard
Inside the church, and soon it spread
That Marshall Hare rose from the dead.

In that old church’s ivied tower
There is no clock to strike the hour;
But when the noise and lights were on,
’Twas in that hour from twelve to one.
And through the churchyard there’s a way,
Much us’d by people night and day;
To pass that way none were afraid,
For peaceful lay the mould’ring dead.
But one night there when some one pass’d,
A huge black thing was on the grass;
When passant it was like a hog,
When rampant it look’d like a dog.

The sexton, late in church one night,
To dust the seats and put things right,
He saw a coffin, spic and span,
Tugg’d down the aisle by unseen hand.
His thoughts were these he told the same
That Marshall’s spirit that night came,
And from the church its corpse it stole
To in it reinstate his soul;
And live again in that estate,
Ere it was sever’d by stern fate.

These tales were to the Vicar told,
And he resolv’d at once to hold
In church a solemn conclave, where
He’d lay the ghost of Marshall Hare.
He search’d  -  four holy men he found
Who in ghost mysteries were profound,
They all agreed and met one night
Outside the church, each robed in white,
And through the doorway in the tower
They went in church at midnight hour,
And knelt upon the stone slab there
Which caps the vault of Marshall Hare.
Most fervently these good men pray’d
For Heav’n’s protection and its aid,
Then cited Marshall to appear
And show the cause of his career.

But Marshall was not in the mood
To be by men of earth withstood.
Most fervently they pray again
That Marshall’s ghost be now arraign’d;
At once deep darkness fill’d the place,
Which strictly hid each form and face;
By this they knew the ghost was there,
In answer to their fervent pray’r.

Then tap, tap, from the good men’s side,
By taps the ghost of Hare replied;
By taps the converse was convey’d
Between the living and the dead.
The purport of the taps were this  - 
That Marshall’s soul, not being in bliss,
Had fled from where they prod and burn,
With no intention to return;
But meant to spend on earth each night,
And vanish with each morning’s light.
To this replied these sainted men,
“The dead can ne’er return again,
Or not until that awful day
When man to judgment wakes from clay;
And we are here this night to ban
Your spirit from our christian land.”

To this it had objections strong,
It thought its visits nothing wrong,
And would agree to spend each night,
Not to be seen nor none affright;
In argument the Ghost was skill’d,
And to these good men would not yield.
The argument began with taps,
By now ’twas got to rowdy raps.
At last a compromise, to wit,
Down in a mead in stagnant pit  -
They gave to Marshall’s ghost the right
Whene’er it would spend a night,
Also a clause that it should come
Each year one cock’s stride nearer home
With taps this awful deed was sign’d,
Which to the pit the Ghost confin’d.

And when it flew to take its place
The old church trembl’d to its base;
The pulpit seemed to dance about,
The seats were all in rabble rout.
At last, when order was restored,
And all was silence and accord,
Slowly arose these sainted men,
Down through the aisle their way they wend;
They issued at the tower door,
’Mid lightning’s blaze and thunder’s roar;
With trembling limbs and faces white,
They shook hands round and said “Good-night.”
And all express’d how pleas’d they were.
To know they’d lay’d the ghost of Hare.

The Ghost of Venn Ottery

                       .......but was it the Venn Ottery ghost?? In defence of Marshall Ayer....

There is indeed a memorial to Marshall Ayer (Hare) and his family at the back of Venn Ottery church next to the font. The Ayer family go back to the 1600's in Venn Ottery with many of them being baptised, married and buried in the church. Marshall Ayers is described as a ' Devon gent' who was a respected landowner. He owned Minors, a  beautiful thatched house, which is near to the road entrance of the church. In the 15th/16th centuries Minors was associated with the church.
Marhsall died a wealthy man but in his will he left money not only to all his family and his workers, but also to the poor of Venn Ottery.
                       " to the parish of Venn Ottery for ever in the hands of the parish to
                          be lent to any poor housekeepers not recieving alms of the parish"
The poem of The Venn Ottery ghost ( which MUST be read with a broad Devon accent!) talks of strange noises and tapping coming from the stone slab memorial of Marshall Ayer and a priest was brought in to lay the ghost to rest.
But...the twist in this tale is that in the 1930's a gravedigger fell through the bottom of a freshly dug grave into a tunnel below. This tunnel appeared to run from the memorial stone in the church to the neighbouring house Minors, apparently coming out by the fireplace.
So, was it the ghost of Venn Ottery  creating havoc or someone playing tricks in the tunnel.  Unfortunately no trace of the tunnel has been found to date, but it certainly sounds intriguing, maybe it was some sort of priest tunnel.....well ...I can imagine!!
Now when I lock the church at night I am mindful of the ghost, black dogs, Marshall Hare and the tunnel, and it all makes for a very exhilarating walk!

Judith Taylor     Please email any correspondence to vennottery@hotmail.co.uk

Sundial

                                      The secrets of the Sundial.
In the grounds of Angela Court stands a sundial.
Majestically it has stood on the front lawn of the house from the days when it was a vicarage,  standing firm as the estate became a private house, then a children's convalescent hospital and  up to the present day.
Over this time the reason why it was originally sited there has long been forgotten but having spoken to a few people whom were curious to find out, I started digging around for any information about its past..
Mr M Jenkins ( our local sundial guru) with his expert knowledge of sundials informed me that the brass sundial face was made pre 1854 by Dollund of London and that it is quite unique as it sits on a square stone plinth. 
On each side of the stone are latin inscriptions. On the North it reads 'sole', East - 'necasti', South - 'quare' and West - 'splendidius'.. Many people have tried to translate the latin. -
         "  Why did you kill more splendidly than does the sun"        John Shilke
         " Why did you kill the sunshine? Why did you kill the brightness of the sun?
             Why did you extinguish the glory of the sun?"     Rev Clinton Crawshaw
In context another translation could be  "thus the brightness of the sun is extinguished" meaning a grief so profound, the sun seems to shine less brightly.
My thoughts were that this sundial was a memorial to someone, (maybe your knowledge of latin can tell me different?)
The vicarage was first occupied by the Rev Augustus Archer Hunt MA and his wife Sarah Emily. He lived there from 1844 until 1889, whilst serving as Vicar of Tipton St John church. His father was Major Richard Burges Hunt  R. Art. and A.D.C. who was highly respected in the British Army and a magistrate of Devon . He served at Hanover in 1805, Copenhagen 1807 and The Battle of Ciudad Rodrigo, ( his medal from this battle sold online, in 2002 for £1500). The altar window in Tipton St John church is dedicated to him and also Augustus and Sarah were added at later dates.
The Major died in Devon in 1849. As the sundial had to have been made at this time I believe it to have been made as a memorial for Major Burgess Hunt from his wife (who lived at the vicarage after his death) and his son the Rev Augustus Hunt.
The sundial has been standing, silent and majestic for over 150 years. You could almost say that it is one of Tipton's oldest monuments. I am so glad that we were able to tell it's story again - that of a Tipton vicars bereavement and love of his father.
                                Long may it continue to tell the 'Tipton time'!

Acknowledgement to Martin Jenkins, Ann Knight, Rev Clinton Crawshaw, Ancestry, British Newspaper Archives and Angela Courtv