Ecclesiastical History.
THE PARISH CHURCH.
This ancient fabric, though having no pretensions to beauty of architecture, externally or internally, yet, from its size and the massiveness of its ivy-mantled tower, has a venerable and somewhat imposing aspect. Girded on the west side by noble elm trees, and on the north by an avenue of limes, its tower presents on every side an object of much interest in the surrounding country. The eye even of the casual observer cannot fail to remark how much the fabric has suffered in former times, little probably of the original structure remaining. The different styles of architecture in the present building might enable the antiquary to decide with some probability when each particular part was restored. The only windows possessing any architectural beauty are those in St. Mary’s chancel, and it is to be lamented that, when the south side of the chancel was restored some years ago, the new windows were not made uniform with these. At present nothing can be more incongruous than the different styles which present themselves on every side.
There are perhaps few churches, in a parish so large and important as Oswestry, which contain so meagre a collection of records relating to it. Doubtless many of the books belonging to it were lost during the disturbed times which ended in the establishment of the Commonwealth. The old Vicarage House is supposed to have been burnt down, either at this time or in some former incursions of the Welsh. It stood on the north side of the church-yard, and when this site was exchanged with the late Mr. Lloyd, of Swan Hill, by the then Vicar, for what is now the New Church-Yard, and which then became the Vicar’s Croft, the row of trees forming the north side of the avenue, though separated by a wall from the church-yard, was expressly reserved as belonging to the church; and the present owner of that property has no right to cut down, or even to lop, the trees; whilst the Vicar has at all times power to enter upon the premises to plant new trees, if any of the present ones should be blown down or injured. The croft which became the Vicar’s, by the above exchange with Mr. Lloyd, was again exchanged by the late Lord Powis for what is now the Vicar’s land in Salop Road, and Lord Powis then gave the croft thus obtained as a free gift to the parish for a new Burial-ground. This, however, is already nearly filled, and as the Old Church-yard ought unquestionably to be shut up and disused for burials, another and a larger Burial-ground is much needed.
In the year 1748 Mrs. Margaret Godolphin endeavoured to remedy the loss of the old Vicarage House, by leaving to the Vicar and his successors for the time being a small tenement at the back of Cross-Street, as a residence, but coupled with this proviso, that if the Vicar should not occupy it himself, then it was to be let by the Churchwardens, and the rent appropriated in putting out apprentices from amongst the poor. It does not appear that the house so given by Mrs. Godolphin was ever occupied by any Vicar, and it consequently fell at once under the second provision of the will, and became a sort of Poor-house for the town. This continued till the year 1823, when the house was exchanged for more desirable premises in Brook-Street, which were for many years occupied by the present Vicar; but in consequence of his non-residence, through ill health, the property has been given up by him, and has once more reverted to the second purpose of the charity.
The antiquity of the church, as we have already intimated, is not clearly defined in any of the books relating to the history of the county. In the records of the Augmentation Office the following minutes are made in reference to the Rectory and Vicarage of Oswestry:—
“The Church of Oswestry is doubtless of great antiquity. There was certainly a vicarage here antecedent to the formation of the Valor by Pope Nicholas IV., A.D. 1291; for in the record, the original of which is preserved in the Exchequer, Oswestry is thus recorded:—
“ST. ASAPH. SPIRITUALITIES.
DEANERY OF MARCHIA.
Church of Oswalstræ:
| £. | s. | d. | |
| Rectory | 26 | 13 | 4 |
| Vicarage | 8 | 13 | 4 |
“From this it is evident that the vicarial endowment of Oswestry must be of a date prior to 1291; and in all probability, therefore, so ancient as to preclude the expectation of its being extant,
“The Church of Oswestry was, in early times, given to the Monastery of Shrewsbury, and afterwards appropriated thereto, and the rectory and tithes converted to the uses of the said monastery. They continued to belong to the monastery until, as one of the great religious houses, Shrewsbury was, by force of the statute of 31 Henry VIII., dissolved, when its tithes and other possessions came into the hands of the crown.”