Kentisbeare

from

Some Old Devon Churches

By J. Stabb

London: Simpkin et al (1908-16)

Page 137

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.

KENTISBEARE. St. Mary. The Perpendicular church consists of chancel, nave, south aisle, north porch, and embattled west tower containing six bells.

There is very fine rood screen of early date [plate 137], and it is probably the type from which many other screens were copied. It is complete with groining and cornice, but the doors and cresting are missing. It is supposed that the screen was made in the time of Henry VII [1485-1509] by artificers from Tavistock Abbey. There is an altar tomb in the south aisle on which were formerly male and female brass effigies, and there is an inscription to John Whytyng, died March 15th 1529, and Anne his wife, and shields with arms of Whytyng, Clevedon, and Pauncefoot; the arms of Whytyng also appear on the screen between this aisle and the chancel; on one of the piers of the arcade will also be found the same arms and a merchant's mark and the initials "W." In the south aisle will be found the tomb of Mary, wife of Sir Gawen Carew, died September 13th 1558.

The register dates from 1695.