Stokeham
St Peter

History

St Peter’s, Stokeham is not mentioned in Domesday Book. Much of the church building dates back to the 13th century, including masonry and the lancet widows. It also contains a 12th century Norman font, with original iron staples, and a possibly 13th century chest. A 13th century, separately listed, stone coffin is in the churchyard.

St Peter’s, Stokeham, has long been linked with St Peter’s, East Drayton. The patronage of Stokeham church, along with East Drayton and Askham was held by the Chapter of York at least by the 12th century. Geoffrey Fitz-Peter, Earl of Essex, renounced all rights over East Drayton and its associated chapels in favour of the canons of York around 1199-1213.

There is no mention of Stokeham in the 1291 taxation of Pope Nicholas IV, most probably because its annual value was too low. Similarly, there are no records in the 1341 Nonarum Inquisitiones, nor in the 1428 subsidy of Henry VI.

In 1242/3 Nigel de Lysures held in Fledborough, Normanton, Stokeham, and Staythorpe, two Knight’s Fees of the Bishop of Lincoln in an ancient enfeoffment. At an inquisition in 1302/3 John de Lysures held half a fief (Knight’s Fee) in Stokham of the Bishop of Lincoln (but it is unclear if Lincoln had any interest in the church itself at these times).

In 1472, the York Fabric Rolls record a visitation that cited both Stokeham and Askham as having defective boundaries, but mention no other faults, so presumably all was otherwise well with the fabric at that date.

The Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1534 records that Edward Herlying was the vicar of East Drayton and the parson of Stokeham which, along with Askham had an annual income of £9 3s 2d which included, amongst other items, a sum of 10s 2d paid annually from the Chapter of York, pigs and eggs 3s, chickens and pigeons 3s, and eggs 1s 8d.

In his will of 1542, John Bassett of Fledborough left to Drayton and Stokeham the sum of 6s 8d. Stokeham church is mentioned in records of the 1559 visitation to the Diocese to ensure the adherence to Elizabeth I’s Act of Uniformity and other new regulations. Parishioners of Stokeham presented the vicar of Drayton, linked to Stokeham parish, for neglect of the church. The visitors ordered the vicar to serve the churches alternately up to the ensuing Easter, then to supply Stokeham with a curate at his own cost. The parishes of East Drayton and Stokeham remained annexed until the 1980s.

Stokeham’s first parish register began in 1618.

In the church floor there is a tombstone to Originall Byron, dated 1684. He seems to have been a gentleman from the area. Originall Byron ‘of Stokeham’ is mentioned in a 1623 charter which made him trustee of the lands of William Reason of Askham. Thoroton’s Antiquities of Nottinghamshire mentions ‘Originall Byeron’ as one of the owners of Stokeham town in 1612.

A south aisle of the church appears to have been pulled down in the 17th or 18th century. The arches from this aisle can be seen in the south wall.

Thomas Herring, Archbishop of York, toured the diocese in 1743. The visitation report includes details of St Peter’s, Stokeham. It records 8 families in the village and no dissenters. The Curate, Walter Pallisser, resided in the parish and read a public service every 2 Sundays in 3.

For the 1764 visitation of Archbishop Drummond the curate gave no return for Stokeham.

The church contains a monument to George Brown, dated 1784.

A listing in White’s Directory shows that by 1861 the village contained 10 houses. In the 1851 census the population of Stokeham is given as 60 people. The parish was endowed with a tithe worth £120, a glebe worth £20 and tithes 1 or 2 shillings. The church could accommodate 60 people, but the average attendance at Sunday morning services was 4-5 and at evening services 10-12 people.

By the mid-19th century the church building was in a very bad condition and was largely unused. It seems that most of the population of the village were Methodists. A Wesleyan chapel was built in the village in 1856. Also villagers who attended church travelled to the neighbouring church in East Drayton.

However restoration work began in 1862, led by Rev J. Goodacre. White’s Directory for 1864 describes how restoration work was done on the chancel at the cost of £20. The 1894 White’s Directory describes later restoration work on the chancel in 1881 at the cost of £120.

Cox, in The Churches of Nottinghamshire, wrote of Stokeham church in July 1911 ‘Everything in grievous plight’ and that the chancel was boarded off for an occasional service.

An article in the Sept 1911 Church Times also highlighted the dilapidated condition of Stokeham church;

The church of Stokeham is in a condition which is an absolute scandal to all concerned. There is a good deal of interest in the fabric and its fittings, including a circular Norman font, but the small building is in an appalling state of dilapidation: a small portion of the chancel being boarded off for occasional service. The churchyard is rank with weeds and grass, whilst the building itself is choked up with overgrown elder trees, touching the walls and as high as the eaves.

In c. 1912 Sir Edward Hoskyns, Bishop of Southwell, toured the diocese. In the visitation report the bishop cites ‘The ruin of Stokeham church’ as one of the ‘outward signs of the changes which are coming upon us in agricultural districts’. He described how the burden of church upkeep used to be shouldered by large landowners, but increasingly larger properties were sold and small communities of farmers and labourers became responsible for their church buildings. So ‘a serious difficulty arises from the strain thrown upon a tiny parish in preserving the fabric of the church building’. The visitation report also records that Stokeham church was able to accommodate 25 people. The vicar, shared with East Drayton, was Rev A F L Wilkinson.

A plaque in the church was dedicated to the fallen in WWI. A commemorative west window was dedicated in 1930.

In 1921 villagers received a grant of £100 to rebuild the west wall and repair the chancel windows. In 1924 the Rev J Wardle settled in East Drayton, but took weekly services in the chancel of St Peter’s. He supported fund-raising to complete the restoration. The February 1928 issue of Southwell Diocese Magazine listed Stokeham church as one that the Church Extension Society had not been able to assist. The parish had applied for aid in restoring the nave at the cost of £150.

However, by October 1928 funds were available for a full restoration of the church. This included installing four new cross beams to the nave, rebuilding the south porch, repointing the walls, re-flooring the nave, re-glazing windows and installing new seating. Before the restoration the church contained box pews. The work cost about £500 and was also assisted by volunteers. A rededication service was held in October 1928, with an address given by the Archdeacon of Newark.

In 1929 the church was presented with two oak Sanctuary chairs in memory of Mrs Miller, by Mr Miller and Mrs Dodsworth, his daughter.

In 1940 the 17th century altar rails were restored and the newer half of the rails were replaced with a reproduction of the 17th century ones. Also two extra panels were fitted to the altar table.

In celebration of the millennium a plaque was installed in St Peter’s naming all villagers in residence on 1 January 2000. Also the church participated in countrywide bell ringing at midday.