St Everilda's

The church consists of a mediaeval stone tower and brick nave and apse of the 18th century. The tower is all that remains of the mediaeval church which is pictured in a small drawing on a map of the Constable estate in 1753. This shows the tower, nave and chancel and a porch on the south side: remains of the porch were uncovered several years ago.

The base of the tower dates from 1100, the arch inside is about the same date but rests on some finely carved 13th century columns. The upper part of the tower, above the finely carved diamond string course moulding, was rebuilt in the 15th century.

Notice the two heads on the west side. The stone on the south side with the lettering IR 1588 may record further rebuilding, but it may be a local commemoration of the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the initials standing for Isabella Regina [Latin for Queen Elizabeth]: this is unusual because generally ER was the abbreviation. 

A similar stone, now upside down, on the right of the porch has MR: this may record the reign of Queen Mary [Maria Regina].

Other relics of the original building are the mediaeval grave slab with a part of an incised cross of the north side of the tower and, inside, the grave slab in the floor which formerly had a brass, just on the right of the entrance and the brass tablet to Dame Jane Constable buried here in 1558 under the east window on the north side of the church. This tablet had been removed from the church in the 18th century and has kindly been restored in 1963 by his grace the Duke of Norfolk among whose manuscripts it had been preserved.

There was a chantry here in the Middle Ages but no trace of it remains: it was probably within the building.

There are three bells. The oldest is of the 14th century and has the inscription SUM ROSA MARIA MUNDA PULSATA JOHN WALD FECIT, which may be freely translated I resound Mary the pure rose John Wold made me. The other two bells are by Godfrey Heathcoat of Chesterfield and date from the 16th century. The Wald bell is one of the oldest in Yorkshire: there is another at Westow near Malton. Perhaps it was one of his relatives, Thomas, who made bells at Bielby, East Cottingwith and Millington, all villages in this neighbourhood. The bell frame and wheels are of curious shape, they are probably exact copies of a previous mediaeval set made by the local joiner in the 16th century.

In 1743 the churchyard wall was repaired, as we see from the date stone on the wall below the church entrance. Twenty years later in 1763 the rector Edward Plumpton applied for a faculty to rebuild the church. It cost £1,100 and he collected £280 on a brief ie a circular letter  sent around to many churches inviting subscriptions: the parish of Sculcoates contributed 3/9p

There is a possibility that John Carr [1723 – 1807] was the architect for this rebuilding as he had been employed on the erection of Everingham Park at about this time. The tower was left but the nave was rebuilt in brick (cf Wheldrake) and made six feet wider. The application for the faculty says ‘to make the church more commodious for the inhabitants and parishioners resorting thereto’. Brick was used at other churches rebuilt in the area at about this time, East Cottingwith 1780, Wheldrake and Seaton Ross 1789. What was left of the previous mediaeval walls, the faced stone in particular, was used as the foundation around the church.

The new church presented an elegant, if simple, exterior. 

There is evidence that there were originally sash windows as originally at Seaton Ross church (see William Watson's notebook 1848). There was little ornament save the rather attractive pinnacles at the four corners and a cross over the East End. The present cross is a 19th Century replacement, the broken pieces of the original adorn the Rector’s rockery.

Inside it would have been furnished in the style fashionable at the time; a plaster ceiling, box pews, a small holy table in the apse and a ‘three-decker’ pulpit nearby - a small version of Whitby parish church.

At the same time the clock was installed. It originally had only the hour hand – the minute hand was added in about 1890.

In 1773, according to the board on the West wall of the church, the Commandment Boards, Lord’s Prayer and Creed and Royal Arms were set up. The Commandment Boards were previously on either side of the altar and the Lord’s Prayer and Creed above. This was in accordance with the Canons of 1604 which ordered that they be ‘set up on the East End of every church and Chapel where the people may best see and read the same’. 

For centuries, the priest used these as a blackboard to teach his candidates for confirmation. They were moved to the tower in 1964. On the back of these six boards is the name of the original painter, Thomas Beckwith. He was the son of an attorney from the West Riding and settled in Pavement, York in 1758. He had great skill in drawing and painting and took out a patent for hardened crayons that could be sharpened to a point like a pencil. A great antiquarian, he was much sought after to compile the genealogics of famous people. Unfortunately, in 1854, the lettering of the boards has been painted over and re-done by a local painter B Johnson jnr who signs himself on the back.

However the Royal Coat of Arms, dated 1773, is a very fine example of Beckwith's workmanship. This shows the arms of King George III which are those of the House of Hanover born by the Sovereign 1714 – 1800. Notice the treatment of the Lion and Unicorn, the stand for the arms, and the cherubs. This coat of arms is of some interest for it shows, not merely the heraldic symbols for England (Three lions passant), Scotland (lion rampant) and Ireland (a harp), but also the three Fleur de Lys of France and the arms of Hanover, in the centre of which is the crown of Charlemagne which is the emblem of the Archtreasureship of the Holy Roman Empire - which office was held by the electors of Hanover.

In addition to the repainting of the boards in 1854, the ceiling was removed in the 1870s, a higher pitched roof was put up and the trusses and uprights ornamented. In the same decade, the Georgian sash windows were removed, the openings were made smaller and stained glass windows inserted on the north side. These represent, west: the birth of Christ, centre: the crucifixion, east: the resurrection, and were put in memory of Philip le Maistre rector of Saint Lukes, Trinidad and Dean of San Fernando by his various nephews and nieces .

The east window commemorates Sir Charles and Lady Dodsworth, one of whose daughters, Frances, married Doctor James le Maistre in 1857. It represents The Ascension (?Transfiguration) and probably dates from this time also. One may compare this window with a modern treatment of The Ascension by Mr Harry Stammers 1958 in the east window of Seaton Ross church.

But it was in 1900 that a major reorganisation of the church took place. The parish acquired, from the old parish church at Bishopthorpe next to the palace, all the woodwork, pews, reading desk, pulpits, lectern and communion rails for £24. This church had been restored with new oak woodwork in 1842 and new seats in 1872 but, with the building of a parish church on a new site in the village, the old building was left to decay and is now in ruins. 

The altar was raised on a number of steps and the wording of the Laybourne gravestones, now concealed, was recorded by a brass tablet. From having been a typical Georgian church it was now completely Victorian.

In 1964 the interior of the church was re decorated and reorganised to the plans of Mr George G Pace of York. The organ was moved from the East End to the West where it can be seen as a fine example of Victorian organ building. The boards on the east wall put in the porch and the Royal Arms restored. Among other things of note:- other pewter plates 1709 and 1787; the brass Candelabra; the wrought iron candle sconces by the altar; the 18th century York-type safe; the marble altar stone; the lectern Bible bound 1953; the mortar in the holy water stoup by the door which serves for a font (it is possible the original church font is now in the Roman Catholic Church),the coffin stools 1818; the Victorian copy of a mediaeval monks’ chair; the chalice is inscribed ‘Parish of Everingham Edward Templeman churchwarden 1817. It was made in York in 1817 by Barber and Whitwell. The servers’ candlesticks were made by the rector 1963.

The registers date from 1653 and contain much information about the Recussants (Roman Catholics) at Everingham in the 17th and 18th centuries, including the record of the burial of one recussant priest John Potts who acted as agent to the Constable estate in the 1740s. The Communion rail carpet, of typically Victorian design, was begun by the Rector’s grandmother and completed, for this church, in 1964 by members of the parish.

There are a number of interesting gravestones in the churchyard eg Father Thomas 1704 and MC1733 and an altar stone has been reused at the East End (the hollow was for relics).

The Howe stones show lettering at its best and one can trace the gradual decline in lettering quality on the Templeman graves.

There are several quaint inscriptions for instance:-

Jane Ward 1789

Here lies a Maid to ev’ry Good inclined

Lov’d by her neighbours, to her parents kind

Trusting for Bliss in Christ, she's gone before

Changing her British for Emmanuel's shore,

Being too good to live with earthly vice

She's gone to feast in Blooming Paradise

there are reminders of pain suffered by those who died

Thomas Easingwood died 1832 age 67

Afflictions sore long I bore

Physicians were in vain

Till God did please to give me ease

And free me from my pain.

Elizabeth Kendall died 1867 age 68

This world is vain and full of pain

With cares and trouble sore

they the blest that are at rest

With Christ forever more.

There are the admonitions to the mourner 

William Holmes died 1779 aged 66

Mourn not dear friends for my decease

I hope with Christ I've made my peace

Life is uncertain, death is sure

Sin gave the wound and Christ the cure.

Reader, prepare to meet thy God

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