We have 9 Images Above Photograph(s)
Copyright of John Williams/Rosemary Lockie

St Mary & Corpus Christi Church,
Down Hatherley Lane,
Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire.

Cemeteries

This Church has (or had) a graveyard.

Note: any church within an urban environment may have had its graveyard closed after the Burial Act of 1853. Any new church built after that is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Church History

This Place of Worship was founded in the 15th century, and we understand it is still open.

St Mary & Corpus Christi Church is a Listed Building - see the British Listed Buildings website for details.

According to Kelly's Directory of 1923, "Down Hatherley" was anciently "Athelai". There is no mention under their entry for "Up Hatherley" of it having the same derivation, so I wonder if they have different roots? <p> Down Hatherley Church (St Mary & Corpus Christi) is described as "an edifice of stone in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, north aisle, north porch, and an embattled western tower containing one bell". There is a mural tablet to William Gibbs esq. d.1785, and two hatchments with the arms of Sir Matthew Wood bart. Alderman, and twice Lord Mayor of London, d.1843 and Maria (née Page), his wife, d.1848. In 1921 a bronze tablet was erected in the church as a memorial to the four men of the parish killed during the Great War. A lych gate was erected at the east end of the churchyard in 1909 as a memorial to Canon H.W. Maddy, rector here 1856-1907. Miss Maddy [presumably his daughter], and "the farmers" are mentioned as the chief landowners.

In the graveyard, and included as one of our photographs, is the memorial to Rev. Samuel Gwinnett and his wife. They were the parents of Button Gwinnett (1735-1777) who emigrated to the USA and is one of the signatories of the American Act of Independence. The Rev. Gwinnett M.A. was vicar here from 1727-1775, according to a list provided by Ralph Bigland in his record of Historical, Monumental and Genealogical Collections relative to the County of Gloucester in 1786. There is also, on p.495 of that publication, a record of the inscription on his tomb, which is lengthy, and in latin, so I do not intend to transcribe it. However the details are that his wife "Annae" died in 1768 aged 74, and Samuel died aged 75 in 1775, "Vicariatus" 48 years. It is described as a "Raised Circular Tomb", with Arms, "on two Escutcheons; 1. a Chevron between three Spear Heads, for GWINNETT. 2. On a Fess a Lion issuant". It can also be seen on several of our graveyard photographs in situ near to the south east corner of the building - in May 2011, without its ivy! The "well" is in the field adjacent to the path leading to the church.

The parish records date from 1563.

Denomination

Now or formerly Church of England.

If more than one congregation has worshipped here, or its congregation has united with others, in most cases this will record its original dedication.

Maps

This Church is located at OS grid reference SO8677122481. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• St Mary & Corpus Christi Church, Down Hatherley shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Down Hatherley shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)

Resources

I have found many websites of use whilst compiling the information for this database. Here are some which deserve mention as being of special interest for Down Hatherley, and perhaps to Local History and Places of Worship as a whole.

• Learn more about Buildings of special or historical interest on the British Listed Buildings (null) (verified 2018-09-19)

The above links were selected and reviewed at the time I prepared the information, but please be aware their content may vary, or disappear entirely. These factors are outside my control.