St Peter's Church, Barnstaple

History

Its oldest parts probably date from the 13th century. The building was enlarged, probably in 1318 when three altars were dedicated by Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter. To the nave, chancel and tower were added north and south aisles in the Perpendicular style were added later to transform a cruciform church into one of rectangular shape. These aisles were rebuilt in about 1670, but retain mural monuments of earlier date. The church has a lead-covered broach spire, said by Hoskins to be the best of its kind in England.

Advowson

The advowson and rectory were long the property of Barnstaple Priory (Priory of St Mary Magdalene), of the Cluniac order. Ancient charters were quoted from by Dugdale (d.1686) in his Monasticon Anglicanum (1718 edition in English) thus:

"The charter of King William the Conqueror grants to St Peter of Clugni under the obedience of St Martin des Champs, or in-the-Fields, at Paris, for the souls of himself and his ancestors and of Jubellus, the donor of this alms, the Church of Barnstaple with all its appurtenances and several other donations of the same founder. William Bishop of Exeter by two several charters confirms to the monks of St Mary Magdalene at Barnstaple the Church of St Peter there and all other grants made to them".

Dodderidgian Library

The two-storied Dodderidgian Library (Latin: Bibliotheca Doddridgiana) with wooden mullioned windows was built in 1667 in the north-east corner of the chancel. The Dodderidge Library was founded in 1664 by the widow of John Dodderidge (1610-1659), of Barnstaple and of Bremridge in the parish of South Molton, MP for Barnstaple in 1646 and 1654, who donated or bequeathed her husband's library to the Corporation of Barnstaple. He was the son and heir of Pentecost Dodderidge (d.1650), thrice MP for Barnstaple, the younger brother and heir of Sir John Dodderidge (1555–1628), Justice of the King's Bench and Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1589. The books were removed to the North Devon Athaneum in 1888 and from there in 1957 on permanent loan to Exeter University Library.

Mayor's Pew

In the north transept is the ceremonial pew of the Mayor of Barnstaple, in the form of a large wooden armchair with heraldic beasts to each side.

Organ

The organ, one of the largest in Devon, was made by John Crang in 1764 and was donated by Sir George Amyand, 1st Baronet (1720–1766), MP for Barnstaple 1754-1766. It is decorated with his armorials: Vert, a chevron between three garbs or with an inescutcheon of unidentified arms, overall the Red Hand of Ulster.

Monuments

Inside the church are many mural monuments to 17th-century merchants, several of whom served as Mayor of Barnstaple. These reflect the prosperity of the town and its port at that time. Monuments include those to:

Elizabeth Delbridge (d.1628), wife of the merchant John Delbridge (1564–1639) six times MP for Barnstaple and thrice Mayor of Barnstaple.

1634 monument to the nine-year-old son and other children of Rev Martin Blake (d.1673), Vicar of Barnstaple, who notably suffered much for his adherence to the Royalist cause as related in John Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy (1714). He rebuilt "at his own great charge" the Vicarage House at Barnstaple, which largely survives today, at the entrance of Barnstaple Priory, originally erected on that site in 1311 by the Prior and Convent. The monument is "as much in allusion to his own position and sufferings", and was described by Chanter (1882) as "perhaps the most noteworthy and interesting monument in the church", "not only a work of art, but of allegorical literature and imagination, telling its tale as fully in its medallions, cartouches and sculptured mottoes as if written - an actual instance of 'sermons in stone'".

Raleigh Clapham (died 1636),

Richard Beaple (1564-1643), Mayor in 1607, 1621, 1635

George Peard (died 1644)

Richard Ferris (d.1649), Mayor 1632, 1646

Walter Tucker (d.1653), Mayor in 1639

Thomas Horwood (1600-1658), Mayor in 1640 and 1653.

Gilbert II Paige (d.1669), son in law of Walter Tucker and son of Gilbert I Paige (d.1647), of Crock Street, twice Mayor, in 1629 and 1641. Paige's Lane in Barnstaple is named after his family.

Richard Harris (d.1688)

Victorian restoration

The interior received a heavy Victorian restoration by George Gilbert Scott from 1866, and then by his son John Oldrid Scott into the 1880s, which left it "dark and dull", according to Hoskins. However, Scott refused to demolish the tower, as had been proposed by his patrons, and retained the 17th century large straight-headed and transomed windows of the north aisle.