All Hallows Church

The Church was almost certainly built in the years immediately after 1086. The right to name the priest was actually transferred from the de Pitres family to St. Peter's at Gloucester in 1104.

The Norman south doorway is believed to be the oldest part of the church. Its weathered condition shows it must have been an exposed entry. In 1862 it was moved to the present position and protected by a porch. The carving has Saxon and Danish characteristics as well as Norman.

13th century - clustered column pillars of the nave; the piscina in Holy Trinity chapel; south aisle arches at the entrance to the tower, about 1200.

14th century - the whole of the chancel; the font; some windows, including the big west window which was moved there during the 1861-2 alterations; the spire, now destroyed.

15th century - the south door.

l9th century - In 1862 big alterations were carried out. The mediaeval chapel which had formed a transept was incorporated into a new south aisle; the north aisle and the nave were lengthened by an additional bay; the two rear pillars were moved to the new west end; they were replaced by new pillars, and pillars to match the three remaining on the north aisle were built along the south; the roof was rebuilt; the big west window of the old nave was moved to the new west wall, and the glass was given as a memorial to Mrs Ann Edwards; south doorway was put into position and the porch built.

1857 - lightning struck the spire, which was badly damaged and not rebuilt. The weathercock was removed to the church flagstaff.

1887 - memorial glass was put into the east window.

Head and Foot These are almost certainly part of the oldest wooden carved figures ever found in England. They were discovered in 1912 during repairs to the wall of the nave near the tower arch. They had presumably been hidden there for safety and, save for these fragments, the rest of what was probably a crucifixion and part of a rood, had crumbled to dust.
	There is doubt as to date and origin. They may be English but more likely came from Flanders or Spain. They are probably 12th century but could be earlier. The originals are in the British Museum but even these excellent replicas convey what one expert has described as their 'exquisite beauty' (Prof. Michael Oakeshott)

Cutts Tomb The tomb is both very old and rather curious. Even the name, relatively recently applied, relates to no one to be found in the extensive village records of early times. The tomb shows a man and woman, carved from a massive stone slab, lying under a blanket with their heads on pillows. The lady's headdress dates the tomb to c. 1370. Inside churches effigied tombs are not unusual: no one has yet identified another such outside and recent work has confirmed that the tomb has almost certainly stood in its present spot since it was made. On brasses women shown under a blanket are those who died in childbirth. A stone couple so depicted is extremely curious.

Thus the inaccurate name, the location, and the effigies are all rather odd or unique - but the tomb is undoubtedly very fine and a treasure. (Prof. Michael Oakeshott)

There are also a Roman coffin and two carved late Norman coffin lids which were brought to the churchyard from the site of a Saxon burial ground in South Cerney.

(Mr B. Hibbett)

Instructions received by Mr H. Chandler to sell by auction (in consequence of the restoration of the parish church). All internal fittings - whole of the pews, flooring and sleepers; galleries with sittings, boards, joists, beams, wrought-iron pillars, window glass, iron-rods, whole of roofing, old lead.

(6 April, 1861. W. & G. )

In 1893 an organ was put in the church. David Powell, who kept a shop in Dollar Street, Cirencester, rode a bike with a cushion tyre every week to play it. In those days there was no surpliced choir. Later the organ was turned sideways so that it could be heard better.

(Mr R. Stait)

"During divine service at the parish church on Wednesday evening last, as the Rev. J. P. Foster was reading the prayers, the congregation were much alarmed by the falling in of one of the windows over the organ, owing to the violence of the wind. It fortunately happened that no accident occurred, though several persons sitting in close proximity to the place where the window fell, had exceedingly narrow escapes."

(W.& G., February, 1852)

HINTON - Epitaph on tombstone in South Cerney churchyard, variously deciphered.

As I was riding in the night
O'er a moor for want of a light
Off my horse I was tossed
Into the mill tail my life I lost.

The Bells in All Hallows Church

The Bellringers do not appear to have been paid, except for special occasions; e.g. in 1852 for the funeral of the Duke of Wellington; in 1856 for the celebration of peace at the Crimean War; the marriage of the Prince of Wales 1863.

New bell ropes seem to have been purchased regularly and often. This may infer that there was an enormous amount of ringing, that the rope's were of poor quality, or perhaps, they were discarded more readily inasmuch as worn bell ropes became the property of the Churchwardens!!

On Sundays it was the custom to raise the Tenor and ring it for twenty minutes, (10,20 - 10.40 a.m.) and (5.20 - 5.40 p.m.) to denote there was to be a sermon.

In the evening Bells Nos. 1 and 2 (nowadays these bells are Nos. 2 and 3 on account of the Treble Bell that was added in l921) were raised and rung for 20 minutes in the following order:-

1 - 2     2 - 1;        1 - 2      2 - 1;   and so on.

At a death the Tenor Bell was chimed 3 times 3 for a man, 3 times 2 for a woman, 3 times 1 for a child. The bell was then raised and tolled for 20 minutes, then lowered and chimed again as before. This custom was carried out until the1939 war. The Old Year's passing was always marked as it is now. This custom has survived, except for the second war years when bells were banned.

The Bell Ringers

The Bell Ringers used to have an annual supper on December 31st; it is remembered back to the early 1900’s when William Garne owned the Manor House and gave the supper there. The evening ended with the men going to the Tower and ringing out the Old Year with the bells half muffled; then having unmuffled the bells, rang the Tenor Bell at midnight, this being followed by a short "Touch" to ring in the New Year. On a still frosty night the peals from five or six neighbouring parish towers could be distinctly heard: Ashton, Siddington, and Down Ampney.

The Clergy

On Tuesday died, after a short illness, the Rev. John Alleyne B.D. Vicar of South Cerney in this County and fellow of University College, Oxford (N.B. the Rev. John Alleyne is not on the list of clergy for the parish of South Cerney.)

(Gloucester Journal, 12 Dec., 1792)

W. E. Hadow, Vicar, 1870 - 1907. His children were (Sir) Henry Edgecumbe, who helped to establish the Reading Room in the Village, and famous for his slow dramatic reading of the lessons in church. Margaret (Mrs Cornish), Constance, Grace (the suffragette), and Gerald.

Hadow's Award - In connection with teacher’s salaries, which each county had to decide, he recommended that they should be raised considerably, which they were.

Mrs Mary Lang Hadow, wife of W. E. Hadow, died in February 1917; althoug an invalid she organized the Sunday School at the Vicarage, and founded one of the first Women’s Benefit Clubs in England. A great friend and frequent visitor was the Rev. Sabine Baring Gould, novelist and hymn-writer ("Onward Christian Soldiers"), to whom her husband was tutor before his ordination.

(W. & G., February 1917)

Extract from the Vestry Book (Cirencester), quoted from a paper read by Mr S. E. Harrison before the Cirencester Naturalist and Archaeological Club.

"Aug.26 1667. Item, it was ordered at this genrall meeting that Richard Remington shall have a lease of the 2 grounds at South Cerney belonging to the poore for seaven years from Or Ladyday next at 20 pounds p.ann. to be payd half yearly, the feoffees to beare and alowe all lawful taxes and payments out of the rent and the said Richard Remington to give a bucket to the Church at the sealing of his lease. Richard Remington and his father to give bond upon the lease and the said Richard Remington to pay £5 for every acre he shall plough kare or sowe every year over and above the yearly rent and to leave the same at the end of the said term well mounded and foured at his oune cost and charges."

(W.& G., April 1914)