CHURCH.
Fiddington church was first recorded in 1272. (fn. 28) The living was a sole rectory
until 1964 and from that year it was held with
Stogursey. Since 1976 the benefices have been
united. (fn. 29)
The advowson probably belonged to the lords
of Fiddington manor but in 1272 Henry of
Fiddington's title was challenged by Richard
FitzBernard of Bonson. (fn. 30) Henry gave the advowson to William of Edington, clerk, who granted
it to John de Columbers and his wife Alice. She
presented in 1316 but in 1319 the advowson was
settled on her son Philip de Columbers and his
heirs. (fn. 31) By 1340, however, it had been recovered
against Philip de Columbers and Simon Furneaux by Geoffrey of Stawell who claimed that
Alice de Columbers had given it to him and that
he had secured a release from Philip. (fn. 32) It was
later bought by Simon Farway who sold it to
Robert Crosse, and Robert enfeoffed Sir Thomas Fichet c. 1383. (fn. 33) The advowson descended
with Spaxton manor until 1756 or later. (fn. 34) By
1776 it was owned by William Yorke who later
became rector. (fn. 35) Thereafter the advowson was
held by successive incumbents or their relatives. (fn. 36) Since 1939 it has been held by the
Diocesan Board of Patronage. (fn. 37)
The church was valued at £8 in 1414 (fn. 38) but at
only £6 10s. 2½d. net in 1535. (fn. 39) By 1668 it was
valued at c. £60 (fn. 40) and in 1765 at £90, (fn. 41) but by
1831 had risen to £215. (fn. 42) In 1837 tithes were
commuted for a rent charge of £200. (fn. 43)
In the later 13th century Henry of Fiddington
gave 4 a. of arable with the advowson to William
of Edington. The land, later described as 14 a.,
was said to be the glebe but was let by the patron
in the later 14th century. (fn. 44) It had probably been
given to the rector before 1535 when the glebe
was worth 43s. (fn. 45) In 1613 the glebe measured 35
a. (fn. 46) and in 1837 nearly 39 a. (fn. 47) The land remained
church property in 1978. (fn. 48) The glebe house was
recorded in 1613 and in 1815 it was said that it
had not been occupied by the incumbent for a
century. (fn. 49) It was described as unfit in 1835 and
was let in 1837 but it had been repaired by 1840
when it was occupied by a curate. (fn. 50) The house,
east of the village street, was sold in 1968 (fn. 51) and
later demolished.
The first recorded incumbent, Richard Anselm, had licence to study in 1317 and to serve
Philip de Columbers in 1319. (fn. 52) Matthew Cote,
appointed in 1342, had only received the first
tonsure. (fn. 53) Thomas Abendon, rector 1452-64,
was an Augustinian canon and theologian and
by 1463 had left the parish in the care of a
chaplain. (fn. 54) Thomas Puffe, instituted in 1516,
was charged with superstition for having used
earth from the graveyard on his fields. (fn. 55) In 1557
the churchyard was insufficiently enclosed and
the chalice had been taken out of the church.
The church was still without a communion cup
in 1576. (fn. 56) Richard Reeks was ejected from the
rectory in 1642 but was restored in 1660. (fn. 57) Most
rectors were non-resident in the 18th century
and the parish was served by curates. Matthew
Hole, rector 1709-11, was vicar of Stogursey and
a fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. (fn. 58) John Woolcott was rector for 53 years; his successor in
1765, Richard Lewis, lived at Honiton and failed
to provide a curate. The one Sunday service was
held at 1 p.m. which the parishioners described
as 'unseasonable, improper and an inconvenient
hour'. (fn. 59) There were between 10 and 15 communicants in 1776. (fn. 60) In 1815 the curate was
living at Charlinch. In 1827 the rector lived at
Staplegrove and the curate was vicar of Over
Stowey; there was only one Sunday service, held
alternately morning and afternoon. (fn. 61) By 1840 a
resident curate provided two Sunday services
and celebrated communion at least three times
a year. Celebrations had increased to six by 1870
when there was a resident incumbent. (fn. 62) In 1891
there was a bible class and a Sunday school
besides two Sunday services. In 1951 there were
three Sunday services and the average number
of communicants was 5. (fn. 63)
The church house, probably called the parish
house, had been let to the overseers by 1684. (fn. 64)
The church of ST. MARTIN, so dedicated by
the early 14th century, (fn. 65) comprises a chancel
with north vestry, nave with north aisle and
south porch, and a west tower. Despite a planned
rebuilding of all except the tower in 1860 the
church retains older fabric. The south walls of
the nave and chancel appear to be medieval and
include an area of possible herringbone masonry,
the chancel arch is 14th century, and the roofs
are probably 16th century. Much work was done
between 1727 and 1732, partly as a result of
storm damage in 1729. Coloured screens were
placed under the chancel and tower arches. A
door beside the pulpit was walled up and a new
window was put in the south wall. (fn. 66) At the
restoration in 1860, for which John Norton was
the architect, a north aisle was added, the south
porch was rebuilt, and most of the windows were
renewed. A west gallery was removed and the
south doorway into the chancel was reopened. (fn. 67)
The tower was rendered and the church restored
in 1977.
There is a sheela-na-gig in the external south
wall. (fn. 68) Internal fittings include early 16th-century bench ends and a Jacobean pulpit. The
shaft and base of an early 14th-century cross
remain in the churchyard. Part of a figure
survives in a canopied niche on the east side of
the shaft.
The plate includes a cup of 1765 by
'J.F.' (fn. 69) There is a late medieval bell from the
Bristol foundry. (fn. 70) The peal was increased
from four to six in 1979. The registers date
from 1706 but there are many gaps in the
first volume. (fn. 71)