Parish Church
When the Earl of Shaftesbury built a new country house close to St Giles, the writing was on the wall for All Hallows. In 1672, Sir Anthony wrote to the Keeper of the Great Seal, offering to give King Charles II a living of his choice in exchange for being allowed to close down the living of All Hallows and concentrate worship at St Giles, following the opening of the newly rebuilt in 1732. The 1st earl's request to the king was granted in 1733, at which time, the St Giles and All Hallows parishes were merged.
The newly combined parishes of St Giles and All Hallows took the name of Wimborne St Giles. The name is derived from the meadow stream which flows through both villages, from Old English winn and burna. St Giles and All Hallows refer to the respective dedications of the churches, Saint Giles being an eighth century hermit of Provençal origin and All Hallows meaning all saints.
In 1742, All Hallows church was demolished, leaving only the lychgate and churchyard. While the parish was centralised in Wimborne St Giles, the churchyard at All Hallows continued to be used for burials up to the end of the 19th century, because there was no room for a burial ground at Wimborne St Giles church, which was restored in 1852. In the early 20th century a new cemetery was opened on the opposite side of road to the All Hallows graveyard.
Read more about this topic: Wimborne St Giles
Famous quotes containing the words parish and/or church:
“When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls, and the stars begin to flicker in the sky,”
—Mitchell Parish (1901–1993)
“Seeing their children touched and seared and wounded by race prejudice is one of the heaviest crosses which colored women have to bear.”
—Mary Church Terrell (1863–1954)