CHURCH.
There was presumably a church in the
parish by c. 1200 when a chaplain of Blaisdon was
mentioned, (fn. 58) and in 1262 the Crown granted three
oaks for the repair of the church there. (fn. 59) The benefice
was a rectory in the late 13th century (fn. 60) and has
remained one. In 1922 it was united with the
vicarage of Flaxley. (fn. 61) The advowson belonged to the
lords of the manor: in 1272 Walter of Blakeney and
Ralph of Abenhall agreed to make alternate presentations, (fn. 62) and their successors to the two divisions of
the manor continued the arrangement. (fn. 63) In the early
18th century the advowson was shared by the Wades
and the Hayles (fn. 64) but from 1778 it remained with the
successors to the Wades' estate. Mrs. MacIver's
right to the advowson, which after the union of the
benefices was exercised alternately with the CrawleyBoeveys of Flaxley, was retained by her trustees until
c. 1959 when it was acquired by Mrs. D. F. Place. (fn. 65)
The rector owned all the tithes of the parish. (fn. 66)
There was some glebe in 1291, (fn. 67) and it totalled 22 a.
in 1679. (fn. 68) The rectory was valued at £4 in 1291, (fn. 69)
and £5 1s. in 1535. (fn. 70) In 1679 the tithes were
valued at £20 while the glebe was let at £9; (fn. 71) the
value of the rectory had risen to £50 by 1750. (fn. 72) The
tithes were commuted for a corn-rent of £195 13s.
in 1839, (fn. 73) and the living was valued at £200 in
1864. (fn. 74) In 1572 there was a rectory house with four
rooms and a barn and stable. (fn. 75) The house, which
stands at the bend in the main village street, (fn. 76) was
rebuilt c. 1850; (fn. 77) it is a large Tudor-style building
of two stories and gabled attics. After the union of
benefices it became a private house, the rector
residing at Flaxley.
Before 1280 the rectory was sequestrated for a
time because of the rector's non-residence and
failure to appear for ordination. (fn. 78) William Berkeley,
a monk of Flaxley Abbey, was instituted in 1476,
having had a papal dispensation; he was presumably
the monk of that name who became abbot. (fn. 79)
William Marten, the rector in 1518, was enjoined
penance for immorality. (fn. 80) Henry a Fowle was found
barely satisfactory in doctrine in 1551; (fn. 81) he was
deprived, presumably for being married, in 1554. (fn. 82)
His successor Henry Hooper was a former chantry
priest of Mitcheldean. (fn. 83) Roger Parsons, who was
also Vicar of Brockworth, was non-resident in 1563
but had provided a curate who was said to serve
diligently. Thomas Cooke, rector from 1570, (fn. 84) was
censured in 1576 for failing to preach quarterly
sermons and to teach the catechism and for playing
cards in low company; (fn. 85) in 1584 he was described
as neither a graduate nor a preacher. (fn. 86) In 1650
the rector, Richard Hyett, was described as a preaching minister. (fn. 87) Long resident ministries were served
by John Jelf (1728-78) (fn. 88) and William Black (1798-
1846). (fn. 89) A single service alternating between the
morning and afternoon was held each Sunday in
1750; (fn. 90) in the early 19th century two services a
Sunday were held. (fn. 91)
The church of ST. MICHAEL, (fn. 92) rebuilt with the
exception of the tower in 1867, comprises nave,
chancel, north aisle and vestry, south porch, and
west tower. The old church had no aisle; it was
apparently built mainly in the 13th century, and had
a large east window, thought to have been of the
14th century, a south door to the chancel, and a
western gallery. (fn. 93) The tower is of three stages with
battlements and stone water-chutes and apparently
dates wholly from the 15th century; it is capped by a
low, tiled pyramid. The rebuilding of the rest of the
church, which is in the Early English and Decorated
styles, was carried out to the designs of F. R. Kempson of Hereford, and the cost, £2,000, was borne by
Henry Crawshay. (fn. 94) Some 16th-century pews with
ends carved with linen-fold design survive in the
aisle and back of the nave. A wooden chest bears the
date 1709 and the name of John Hayle. There were
four bells in 1680, (fn. 95) which were recast by Abraham
Rudhall in 1732; another was added then or later
and one of the five was recast by John Rudhall in
1829. (fn. 96) All five were recast, a sixth added, and the
tower repaired by Mrs. MacIver in 1912. (fn. 97) A
pewter flagon was given by Gabriel Bourchier of
London in 1628 and there is also a silver chalice of
1720. (fn. 98) Incomplete registers survive from 1635. (fn. 99)