Parish Church
The Church of England parish church of Saint John the Baptist seems to have existed by 1252, when it was a dependent chapelry of Coleshill parish church and was granted to the Benedictine Markyate Priory. The south wall of the nave and possibly the north wall date from this era. Two windows in the north wall are early 14th century in style. The nave was extended 9 feet (2.7 m) westwards in the 15th century for the addition of a bell-cot. The south porch is another addition that seems to date from the 15th century.
In 1876-77 the chancel was rebuilt and the north-west tower was added. The tower has three bells, the oldest of which was cast by John Rudhall of Gloucester in 1791. The other two were cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough in 1855 and 1873. The church contains numerous monuments to members of the Adderley family, including one from 1784 made of Coade stone.
Rev. Thomas Bray was briefly vicar of Lea Marston in about 1693. Bray founded the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in 1699 and the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts in 1701.
Read more about this topic: Lea Marston
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)
“In my dreams is a country where the State is the Church and the Church the people: three in one and one in three. It is a commonwealth in which work is play and play is life: three in one and one in three. It is a temple in which the priest is the worshiper and the worshiper the worshipped: three in one and one in three. It is a godhead in which all life is human and all humanity divine: three in one and one in three.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)