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Broad Hempston

from

Some Old Devon Churches

By J. Stabb

London: Simpkin et al (1908-16)

Page 38

Transcribed and edited by Dr Roger Peters

Full text available at

https://www.wissensdrang.com/dstabb.htm

Prepared by Michael Steer

Between 1908 and 1916, John Stabb, an ecclesiologist and photographer who lived in Torquay, published three volumes of Some Old Devon Churches and one of Devon Church Antiquities. A projected second volume of the latter, regarded by Stabb himself as a complement to the former, did not materialize because of his untimely death on August 2nd 1917, aged 52. Collectively, Stabb's four volumes present descriptions of 261 Devon churches and their antiquities.

BROAD HEMPSTON. St. Peter and St. Paul. The church is Perpendicular, and consists of chancel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch, and an embattled tower containing six bells, five of which were cast in the churchyard by John Christopher and William Pennington in 1781; the sixth was added in 1887 as a memorial of the Jubilee of Queen Victoria [r. 1837-1901].

The rood screen [plate 39], of oak, at one time was painted in various colours; it was restored in 1902 at a cost of £500 by Herbert Reed, when the groining was replaced. All traces of the paintings of saints on the lower panels have vanished. There are north and south parclose screens. In 1879 the chancel was thoroughly restored and re-roofed, and in 1896 £1,1000 was spent in the restoration of the nave and aisles. The tracery of the windows in the nave and the aisles is Perpendicular, the north and south windows of the chancel are said to date from the 13th century. There are three sedilia in the chancel and piscinas in the chancel and aisles. In the chancel is a tablet with arms to Robert Warreying, and Elinor his wife, 1656.

There is some old glass in the window in the west wall of the south aisle.

The date of the first vicar recorded is 1266.

The registers date: baptisms, 1681; marriages, 1678; burials, 1678.