Leighton-Linslade Past Times

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	Contents & photos © copyright Kevin Quick

St. Michael & All Angels, Eggington

Contents:

History & Description

The church at Eggington was originally a Chapel of Ease to the parish church of All Saints, Leighton Buzzard. In 1837 Eggington became an Ecclesiastical Parish in the Diocese of Ely.

The church consists of a chancel (20 ft. 10 in. by 14 ft. 6 in.) with a north organ chamber and vestry, and a nave (44 ft. 6 in. by 21 ft.) with a south porch.

References to a church in Eggington were made as early as 1277, but the earliest parts of the current church, which includes the walls, date from the 14th century. Extensive damage was inflicted on the church in a fire in April 1876, and it was subsequently restored.

The roof of the church is tiled, and on the west end of nave roof is set a tiled bell-cot containing two bells of 17th century date. One bell, of 18.5 inches diameter, has the inscription "ZAVE OUR KING 1622 + GOD" and the other bell, of 22 inches diameter, is inscribed "ANTHONY CHANDLER MADE ME 1677". The latter bell is cracked and therefore not used, but was made by the famous local bell founding family of Chandler from Drayton Parslow.

The chancel windows are modern, consisting of tall trefoiled lancets. The only remaining old features in the chancel are the image brackets, either side of the east window, and a square locker in the south wall. The chancel arch is in two chamfered orders with a label, springing from responds with 14th century capitals and modern bases. The two north windows in the nave, consist of two trefoiled lights with tracery and they contain some old stonework in their jambs. Between these windows is a blocked north doorway moulded with a double ogee and containing much old stonework. The south doorway is similar to the north and is partly old, but is under a modern porch. There is a trefoiled piscina with an ogee head at the south east of the aisle.

The west angles of the nave have diagonal butresses with a square one in the centre of the west end, above which, in the gable of the roof, is a modern circular window with tracery.

The font, at the west end of the nave, consists of a circular bowl with four shafts round it, having moulded capitals and a base of 13th century type; it is built in stone with horizontal joints, the middle section is original and of 13th century date, but the top and base are modern and made to match. The font is believed to have come from an old chapel in Clipstone.

Incumbents

	1749	Pott Davies, Clerk
	?	Samuel Clark
	1798	John Wilson, B.A. Curate on his own petition as Vicar of Leighton Buzzard
	1800	Humphrey Drape, B. A. Curate on the nomination of the Churchwardens, Overseers and Inhabitants.
	1811	John Wilson, Perpetual Curate per the inhabitants. He resigned in 1841.
	1843	John Cumberledge, licenced to perpetual curacy on the resignation of John Wilson per the Queen by lapse
	1859	John Hurnall, M.A. Died in Jersey 1892 aged 89
	1881	James Sunderland, M.A.

Photo & Picture Gallery for St Michaels & All Angels - click here to view the photos