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Oake Church HistoryA History of St Bartholomew’s Church, Oake , Somerset Compiled by Pat and Lucy O’Reilly The Church Although, at first glance, the church may appear to have few distinguishing features, when we look more closely there are several which are well worth further study. The oldest parts of the building are the chancel, the north wall of the nave and the base of the tower, all of which have been dated as 13th century work. But it is the plan of the church which is unusual, in the relative positions of the tower and the porch. Originally, the lower part of the tower formed the porch, with an entrance in its east side, probably into a small chapel. In the 15th century, the south aisle was built, with its arcade of two bays with octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches into the chancel and nave; the old entrance was blocked up (although it can be seen in the vestry) and a new porch was built to the west; at the same time there was a gallery, but this was pulled down in 1975 and the church was further restored in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries.
The windows, which represent mostly 14th and 15th century work, are remarkable in that every one is different. The large, six-light north window is of particular interest; obviously out of proportion with the rest of the building, it is said traditionally to have been brought to Oake from Taunton Priory after the Priory Church had been dissolved in 1535. There it was probably a cloister window, but when brought to Oake, it was installed the wrong way round, with the outerface of stone and bars on the inside. In the window are fragments of 15th century stained glass and much of the plain glass is also of great age. Look for a glazier’s inscription in beautiful copper-plate, halfway up on the right-hand side. The font is formed by a perfectly plain tub in Ham stone, standing on what may be another inverted stone tub of a much earlier date; it is difficult to assess the age of the font, but one authority has described it as ‘undoubtedly Saxon’, and it is probably the oldest thing in the church. The pulpit is Jacobean, and is a fine example of local work of that period. Other work, albeit more modern, by local Somerset craftsmen can be seen in the beautiful Crucifix in the south aisle, which is by Tom Preater of Taunton, and the processional and altar crosses by R B Higgs of Wrantage. Both of the crosses are made from oak which came from an old pew that had been in North Curry church for more than 100 years. The chancel walls date from the 13th century, although the roof was restored in the late 19th century; the carvings on the corbels are Flemish and probably the work of a band of Flemish wood-carvers who travelled through this country in the16th century; there is more of their work in Milverton Church. Also in the chancel will be found two fine 17th century coffin stools and a 16th century oak chair (of which more anon). There is a piscina in the south wall of the sanctuary. The Altar
The altar replaces that which was stolen in June 2004. It is handmade from oak by Richard Shirley-Smith and was blessed and dedicated on 13th March 2005 by the Rev Alison Norris.
Memorials The canvas memorial on the west wall of the south aisle reads: ‘FRANCIS PROWDE, Rector of this Parish, Gave forty shillings by the year, For Ever, to educate six poor children of this Parish and charged his Estate called Rossiters with payment thereof. (HE DIED IN 1722). Erected 4th April 1808. ‘ Rossiters’ is now known as Oake Green Farm, and the forty shillings was recently commuted into a capital sum, that now provides an annual school prize. Francis Prowde was Rector from 1694 until his death in 1722, and his tombstone is one of several in the floor of the church. As these are covered by carpet, In front of the altar are three stones, only two of which are legible. The first reads: The second stone has been completely defaced, but the third reads: HIC SUBTUS IACET FRANCISCU PROWDE HUIUS ECCLESIAE NUPER RECTOR, QUI OBIIT 17 DIE SEPTEMBRIS ANNO DOM 1722 AETATIS SUAE 70 which translated, means: ‘Beneath here lies Francis Prowde, once Rector of this Church, who died 17th September, AD1722 in his 70th year of age.’ Under the carpet in the Nave are two 17th and one 18th century tombstones. One end of the stone nearest to the altar is very worn, but it belongs to Gertrude Sandwood(?) Widow who died on 24th July 1622 aged 67. The blazon on the stone is shown on the left. The other end of the same stone is in a better state of preservation and reads: The second stone is damaged, but appears to belong to William Sel-eeke, who died in 1660. The third reads ‘In memory of Edmund Seaman of this par: who depar: this life 5th January 1705, aged 63.’ The Bells The Tenor weighs 9cwt 1qtr 7lb in the key of G. Inscriptions (Treble) John Warner & Sons London 1911. Two bells were given by Lillie L Broughton in memory of her mother Louisa Broughton. Died 20th January 1911. R.I.P. (2) Cast by John Warner & Sons London 1911. (3)Mr John Stephens and Mr John Bond Churchwardens (4)ANNO DOMINI 1639 I L (Tenor) RP-MH-IP-EL-IC-HB-HB-MW-1608 Outside On the wall of the porch can be seen a very worn scratch-dial and a consecration mark. There are also some interesting carvings on the jambs of the porch entrance, but with the passage of time these are difficult to interpret. Some Mysteries Now you may remember that, in the chancel, you saw a 16th century oak chair, bearing a plate reading ‘Restored to Oake Church 1895 J R Broughton, Rector’, but that was five years before the archaeologists visited Wellington – so were there two such chairs, and if so, where is the other one? The quatrefoil frieze on the porch is, to quote Pevsner, ‘unusual in so modest a church’; it contains a very much worn coat-of-arms and the monogram ‘IP’ – which presents us with another mystery. It has been surmised that the initials referred to a member of the Broadmead-Palfrey family, who were large landowners in the district, but there is another possible explanation: the frieze on the tower of Hillfarrance church is of similar design, and it is known that the building of that tower received help from John Peryn of Wellington in his will of 1509; so it seems more than probable that he also helped, during his lifetime, when the porch at Oake was built in the late 15th century, and that his monogram was incorporated in gratitude. Plate Registers Before you leave…
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