The Church stands some 35Oft. above
Tunstal
or Dunestal as it once was means “the walled
clearing, or homestead on the hill” It is mentioned as a manor held by Walter
de Douai in the Domesday
Book. Townstal is a Saxon word. The manor was
previously held by Ansgar in the time of King Edward
“it paid geld for half a hide”.
The church may stand on
the site of an even older Anglo-Saxon or Celtic church.
It is dedicated in honour of St. Clement,
Bishop of Rome, whom the Emperor Trajan sent to
martyrdom with an anchor round his neck in the year 96 A.D. He is the patron
saint of hat-makers, blacksmiths and anchor makers.
St. Clement is pictured
in the stained-glass window to the right of the North door. His symbol, an
anchor, is on the banner in the St. Francis chapel.
HISTORY
The church is mentioned
as “the parish church of St. Clement, Townstal” in
ecclesiastical deeds as early as 1200 A.D. when it was granted to the Chapter
of the newly founded Premonstratensian abbey of Torre by William FitzStephen
(Lord of the Manor of Tunestal and Norton) for “the
welfare of his soul and Isabel his wife, and of the soul of William de Berchelee’’;
It is interesting to note
that the gift of this church forms a part payment of the ransom of Richard I,
imprisoned in central Europe on his way back from the crusade, as the
Premonstratensian order had been instrumental
in effecting his release.
The gift is endorsed in 1224
and 1226 when the Bishop of Exeter makes it clear that the Abbot of Torre must “maintain suitable Vicars, subservient to the
Bishops of Exeter in matters spiritual, and in matters temporal to the Abbot
and Convent of Torre.” The advowson
remained in their hands until the dissolution.
In 1224 it is laid down that
the vicar shall receive ‘‘seven marcs annually and reasonable bequests willed
to him
In 1245 the stipend of the
vicar is still seven marcs yearly from small tithes, i.e. 23 shillings and 4
pence at each festival of Christmas, Easter, St. John the Baptist, and St.
Michael as well as his “Mass Pence and other emoluments which he is fortunately
able to obtain’’. Not one feels a very princely sum, even allowing for the difference
in the value of money in those days for “Hugh the Chaplain,” vicar of Tounstall.
The parishioners of the lower
town had complained of the distance of the parish church from their homes, and
gave “the very great fatigue of their bodies and of the miry ways’’ as the
excuse for not climbing the hill to church. In February 1286 Edward I who with
his queen Elaenor had spent Christmas at
Nothing seems to have been
done for some years, however, and it is not until 1372 that the agreement was
drawn up, permitting the people of Dartemouth to
worship in the new church of Holy Trinity, provided that they honour the mother church once a year on the feast of St.
Mary Magdelene, by attendance at Townstalle
church and the offering of “a penny or half-penny as is customary”. In1431 Holy
Trinity became known as St. Saviour’s.
On September 13th, 1329 the
Vicar, Richard de Wydecombe, was found drowned.
Suicide was suggested, but Bishop Grandisson, of
On Christmas Eve the ban was
lifted to allow midnight Mass with the ringing of bells and open doors, but in
the following January the Interdict still held.
Unfortunately there does not
seem to be any record of the end of the story, but presumably the mystery was
cleared up and the church life resumed as usual.
In 1405 the Vicar’s stipend
was increased to 20 marcs, about £13 6s. 8d. In
addition he is entitled to House, garden, and “Courtlage,”
Funeral Offerings, and “on anniversaries, one penny, also the Tithe of cheese,
butter, milk, geese and pigs.’’ In return, however, he has to repair all desks
and seats in the chancel at his own expense and provide books for Morning
Service—no small item in those days.
As his income was
also subject to what was due to the Rural Dean and payment of “Peter’s Pence”
to the Archdeacon, possibly the Vicar was not much better off than his
predecessors.
The last Abbot of Torre, Simon Reede, became Vicar
a few months before the dissolution of the Abbey in 1539 and lived here until
his death.
After the Reformation years
it is difficult to find reference to St. Clement’s
beyond the list of successive Vicars and the record of Baptisms and Burials. We
do know, however, that in the civil war Sir Thomas Fairfax, en route from Totnes to
THE
BUILDING
The building has
many interesting and unusual features. The present fabric dates partly from the
13th century with some Norman traces. The transepts are of great length, that
on the North being 33ft., and that on the South 3lft. The window
in the North transept has a fine internal arch and in the East wall a
complete shelved and arched Piscina, showing that an
altar must have stood there in early times. The present modern chapel and altar
are dedicated in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, and
recently a stained glass window of the Saint was installed in memory of the
Rev. F.R.B. Simpson, for many years a vicar of this parish.
In
1981 the South Transept was fitted out as a chapel of rest, the cost of the
work being defrayed by the Rendle family in memory of
their son Alan Thomas Rendle.
In 1983 it was
decided to complete this as a Lady chapel. The
enclosing screen was made by Mr. S.G. Scardifield as
were also the carved altar rail and lectern. The chapel was duly dedicated to
Our Lady Saint Mary and All Souls.
Beneath the window
of this transept is a deep recess with a beautifully moulded
arch containing a recumbent effigy in purbeck stone,
somewhat wasted away but of great antiquity, probably representing Isabella de Linguire, mother of Richard and widow of William FitzStephen.
The Nave is
separated from the Aisle by a lofty arcade of three arches formed with two
chamfered orders of alternate red and white freestone and springing from two
piers of the decorated style. All the foregoing can be dated about 1318 AD,
also the South entrance and Porch of the church.
The roofs are of
later date, of cradle construction and were restored in the late 19th century.
At the East end of
the church can be seen under glass, part of the original stonework, and in the
North wall of the Sanctuary is a small opening in what was the outer wall of
the church. This opening is carved and decorated and must have provided a view
to the original altar from the outside, possibly a “Lepers Squint’’ for
lepers were not allowed in among the congregation for services. It is unusual
in that it is shaped like an eye.
To the South of the Altar is
another shelved Piscina similar to that in the North
Transept.
The Altar is unique. It dates
from James I and may have replaced an older stone Altar dedicated in May 1318
AD by Bishop Stapledon of
In the Chancel and Sanctuary
can be seen memorials of the Whitney, Limbrey and Hollond families and the Roopes
of Mount Boone; in the aisle Pallmer and Goldsmith;
and in the South Transept Gibbs. Several of these families were engaged in the
In the Sanctuary are memorial
stone slabs marked Thos.Boone 1679, also Searle and Teage. These, no doubt, had the figures inlaid with brass
but at sometime the metal has unfortunately been removed.
The memorial to Robert Hollond consists of a slab of dark marble 8lin. x 44in.
with the effigy of a man in civil dress, a foot inscription and a shield above
his head, all inlaid in white marble. This is almost certainly
“Here lyeth buried the bodie of Robert Hollond who departed this life the
16 of November 1611 beinge of the age of 54 yeares 5 monthes and odd days
Here lyes
a Breathless body, and doth showe
What man is, when god Clames what man doth owe.
His soul a guest, his Body
but a Troub!e
His tyme an instant, and his Breath a
Bubble Come Lord Jesus. Come quickly.”
The font is of Purbeck stone and dates from the 13th or possibly early
14th century. The lid is of wood and modern.
It would appear that at one
time there was undoubtedly a rood beam in the fine chancel arch.
A modern carved wooden
crucifix painted and gilded hangs in the chancel
In the 19th
century the church was in a deplorable state of dilapidation and was restored
in 1881 at a cost of some £2,000, by Mr. Edward Ashworth, Architect of Exeter.
Much of the original oak was retained in the roofs and the memorial stones in
the floors retained in their original positions.
The church was
closed for repairs from May 1882 and reopened on the 9th of January 1885.
St. Clement’s owns an interesting chalice and paten, dated 1764
(George III) of
The vestments and
linen of the church are all modern. In the records it is stated that in 1549-1552 Townstalle
owned “one suit of vestments one cope of tissue and cloth of gold.” These being
goods of such great value that, on their removal, they had to be signed for by
all four Commissioners of the Crown.
To the West of the Church is
a very lofty arch opening on to the base of the tower. This is of perpendicular
character and of typical