| History of St. Mary's |
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| We believe that there was a
Saxon church on this site as early as the ninth century. There has certainly
been a Norman church here since 1080, and a Norman font survives that is
still used for baptisms. There were extensions in the 13th and 14th centuries
and the existing tower was erected in 1450: there have been bells in the
tower most of the time since then, and the present clock dates from 1759.
Major changes were introduced in the 20th century. The church was virtually doubled in size by extensions completed in 1915; 2 extra bells were introduced in 1959 making a peal of 8; the rebuilt organ of 1926 was finally replaced by a totally new instrument in February 2000. There are several interesting monuments in the church; the most famous being that of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore. |
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