CHURCH.
The earliest evidence for a church at
Enmore is the late Norman south doorway. The
benefice, a rectory, was united with Goathurst in
1956; the united benefice was further united with
Spaxton and Charlinch in 1981. (fn. 41)
The advowson was held by Baldwin Malet, lord
of Enmore manor, in 1329 (fn. 42) and descended with
that manor until 1833, (fn. 43) although the Crown
appointed by lapse in 1570 (fn. 44) and kinsmen of the
previous rector presented a relative in 1678. (fn. 45) The
patronage was not sold with the Castle estate in
1834 and may have been retained by the earl of
Egmont. (fn. 46) Between 1861 and 1902 it was held by
John Levien, rector 1860-75, and after his death
by his trustees. (fn. 47) It was bought, probably c. 1904,
by William Broadmead and descended with Enmore Castle until c. 1954. (fn. 48) In 1957 the archbishop of Canterbury presented by lapse (fn. 49) and
between then and 1981 the bishop of Bath and
Wells presented on alternate vacancies. The
bishop in respect of Enmore presented jointly to
the united benefice from 1981. (fn. 50)
The church was valued at £4 in 1329, (fn. 51) £8 in
1414, (fn. 52) and £8 14s. 8d. gross in 1535. (fn. 53) About 1668
the benefice was said to be worth c. £70 (fn. 54) and was
augmented in 1819 with £100 given by Mrs.
Pincombe's trustees and £100 given by the rector. (fn. 55) Average income 1829-31 was £242. (fn. 56) Tithes
were commuted for £224 in 1837. (fn. 57)
The glebe was valued at £1 1s. 6d. in 1535. (fn. 58) In
1620 it consisted of a house, buildings, and 19 a. (fn. 59)
The land, mainly south of the church but also east
of the village in the later park, was exchanged in
1806 and 1828 for 24 a. at Lexworthy. (fn. 60) It had
been sold by 1978. (fn. 61) A priest's house was mentioned in 1319. (fn. 62) In 1620 the house lay south-west
of the church near the southern end of the lake. (fn. 63)
It was described as ruinous and unfit in 1806 when
it was exchanged for a house at Lexworthy built
by the earl of Egmont for the rector c. 1803; the
old house was demolished. (fn. 64) The house was sold
c. 1956 and divided into two dwellings.
The deanery chapter met at Enmore in 1195
when Gocelin, chaplain of Enmore, was present. (fn. 65)
John of Drayton, rector in 1327, was described as
worn out and a coadjutor was appointed. (fn. 66) There
was an anniversary chaplain in 1450. John Roche
or Ryche, rector 1463-7, was a canon of Wells. (fn. 67)
There were both a rector and a stipendiary priest
c. 1535, and the parish supported a fraternity,
known as Our Lady's service or the brotherhood. (fn. 68) Thomas Rawlins, rector in 1554, was
incapable because 'distracted of his wits'. (fn. 69) His
successor, Justinian Lancaster, rector 1558-70,
was later archdeacon of Taunton. (fn. 70) The church
was served by curates in the 1570s, including two
men who were not even deacons and another who
had no licence. (fn. 71) Henry Atwood, rector 1601-13,
failed to preach and the church bible was said to
be faulty. (fn. 72) His successor, Bartholomew Safford,
was accused of preaching afternoon sermons
which did not finish until 5 p.m. and of failing to
wear a surplice. He also altered the form of
services. (fn. 73) Late 17th-century rectors were resident
but the parish was served by curates in the early
18th century. (fn. 74) There were only 20 or 30 communicants in the time of the pluralist Thomas
Milward, rector 1778-9. (fn. 75) In 1789 the church
band needed reeds and strings and in 1800 the
principal inhabitants paid for a bassoon; an organ
had been installed by 1826. (fn. 76) John Poole, rector
1796-1857, who lived at Over Stowey until the
new rectory was available c. 1803, augmented the
living, and established a school. Poole held two
Sunday services in 1815 and was then resident
although by 1835 he also held Swainswick rectory. (fn. 77) In 1840 communion was celebrated four
times a year but John Levien had increased
celebrations to six a year by 1870. (fn. 78)
A church house, recorded in 1546 (fn. 79) and in 1696,
probably stood south of the church. (fn. 80) It may have
been used as a poorhouse but it continued to be
maintained by the churchwardens until 1811. (fn. 81) It
may have been demolished shortly after. (fn. 82)
The church of ST. MICHAEL, so dedicated
by 1348, (fn. 83) comprises a chancel, a nave with north
aisle, including vestry and organ chamber, and
south porch, and a west tower. Before 1872, when
all but the tower was rebuilt, the church comprised a 14th-century chancel, a nave whose south
wall included a 12th-century doorway, (fn. 84) and a
tower, possibly built in 1455 when a crane was
hired from Bridgwater, (fn. 85) apparently designed for
a narrower nave. The north nave wall may have
been rebuilt in the 15th or early 16th century at
the same time as a new, panelled chancel arch, a
narrow, transomed south window for the rood
screen, and a rood stair on the north were inserted.
After 1783 the rood stair was destroyed to make
an entrance to a north vestry, and a south porch
was added. (fn. 86) A singing loft was recorded in 1756, (fn. 87)
lit in the 1780s by a high-level domestic-style
window. (fn. 88) The rebuilding in 1872-3 was to the
designs of Benjamin Ferrey. (fn. 89) The south doorway, the Jacobean pulpit, and the panelled chancel
arch were retained but the screen was sent to
Huish Episcopi (fn. 90) and the rood screen window
blocked up. Battlements were added to the tower.
In the church are a medieval chest and two early
17th-century helms and a chair from Enmore
Castle. The font, possibly of the 13th century,
replaced a Victorian font in 1937. (fn. 91) The statue of
St. Michael was placed in the tower niche in 1979. (fn. 92)
There are six bells: one by William Purdue
dated 1647 was recast in 1739 by Thomas Bayley
who recast two others in 1752. Two were recast
in 1796 by George and Thomas Davis, and the
tenor was installed in 1897. (fn. 93) The plate includes
a cup and cover of 1618, a saucer of 1727, and
a tankard given by James Jeanes of Barford in
1751 and engraved with the arms of himself and
his wife. (fn. 94) The registers date from 1653 and are
complete. (fn. 95)
The churchyard cross dates probably from the
15th century and consists of a headless shaft in a
square socket carved with blank shields standing
on three octagonal steps.