Welcome to the ancient and historic church of St. Michael at Bray
Please feel free to enjoy this space where for almost 900 years people have worshiped and prayed in an ever changing world. If you start at the font on the left of the main door and wander clockwise around the building there are a number of features you may find interesting.
The Font
In the south west corner of the church stands the font. An entry from the churchwardens’ accounts at the time shows that “the new phannt cost £3 15s. 9d. Including carving, painting, gyldeing the lid and setting up”. This font was described in J. W. Walker’s History of Maidenhead (quoted anonymously) as “the latest bit of pure Gothic in England before the Victorian revival”.
“The Judge” Brass
To the left of the west door is the brass known as ‘The Judge’, which is to Sir William Laken (1475), Justice of the King’s Bench; that to his wife, Lady Sybella, daughter of Sir John Syfrewast, Lord of Clewer, is lost.
Ancient Coffin Lids
On either side of the west door are ancient stone coffin lids with inscriptions around the edge.
The Brasses of St Michael’s Church
For the convenience of would-be rubbers of the brasses, a set of the main examples in the church is placed at a convenient height along the side of the choir vestry at the west end of the north aisle. Reference will be made to the originals as we move around the church.
The Benefactions Board
This is fixed against the east side of the choir vestry, and provides a list of benefactors to the parish, and an account of their good deeds. Commemorated among others is Archbishop Laud, who was beheaded in January 1645. He once owned an estate in Bray and, although his name is no longer associated with that estate, he left it, just before his execution, to Reading, where he was born, to apprentice twelve poor boys and to provide a marriage portion for six poor maids.
The Foxley Bracket Brass (1378)
This bracket brass was made in London and is a fine example of the craft, mounted on its original slab. It is to Sir John Foxley and his two wives, Mand Brocas and Joan Martin. The brass used to lie in the floor of the Foxley Chapel (All Saints Chapel) on the other side of the church, where the family members were buried, before it was moved to its present location on the north wall opposite the south door.
The Hangar Memorial
This memorial, the first you approach on the north wall, commemorates an early governor of the Bank of England, and includes some interesting spellings by the stonemason. A memorial to his wife and daughters by Peter Scheemakers, and this may be seen on the same wall after the next monument to William Paule.
The William Paule Monument
Originally on the south wall, this monument of 1685 used to be near the paving stone which is now situated at the west end of the north aisle. 9. The Page Brass
On the pillar of the chancel arch beside the organ console is the brass to Arthur Page (of Water Oakley) and his wife Sessely (1610).
William Norris Memorial
On the north wall in the Norris Chapel is the monument to William Norreys (1591) in black marble (also often called brass). He was Usher of the Black Rod, and the Most Noble Order of the Garter. It shows (rather indistinctly) a knight kneeling with six sons, and his wife and six daughters. Below there is a worthy tribute to a much-loved man.
The East Window
Above the altar is the beautiful east window, designed by G.E. Street, executed by Wailes, and erected by John Hibbert, of Braywick Lodge, in memory of his father. The window was used in 1972 as a design for Easter stamps of Anguilla, and again for stamps of Montserrat.
The Goddard Monument
On the north wall of the Sanctuary is the fine alabaster moment to the memory of William Goddard, founder of the Jesus Hospital, and his wife Joyce Maunsell. It was erected after their respective deaths in 1609 and 1622 (You will have seen their name on the Benefactors Board). This thickly studded door to the left of the monument leads to the vestry, but is no longer used.
The Memorial Window to Charles Pascoe Grenfell
This window on the south side of the chancel is by Henry Holiday, and was made by Powell in 1868, at the request of Grenfell’s daughter.
Minton Tile-work
All the tiles in the area of the choir stalls were produced by the Minton factory.
Kelke Brass
In the south-east corner of the All Saints Chapel is a small brass to Clement Kelke (1593) a “cytycen of London, merchant ventver free of the Haberdashers”.
The Arms of James I
Surmounting the screens at the entrance to All Saints Chapel is a fine double-sided carving of the royal arms of James I (1604), which was hidden by the villagers of Bray during the Commonwealth period, and returned to the church at the Restoration.
The Rixman Brass
On a pillar alongside the above-mentioned screen is a brass to John Rixman (died 1620) and his wife, with three shields set in an alabaster frame. Written below the figures is a contemporary verse.
William Smythe Brass
This brass in the south aisle is to William Smythe and his two wives, Agnes and Matilda. Amusingly, smaller representations of his seven sons and five daughters appear below.
St Michael Window
This window is the work of W.G.Taylor who joined the firm of O’Connor in 1873, and ultimately took over the firm in 1877. The window, whose subject matter shows St. Michael and Jacob’s dream, was presented by friends, in memory of the vicar, William Brassey Hole, who died in 1887. All the stained glass in St Michael’s was set in place within roughly thirty years in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Brasses to Wm Dyer and Thomas atte Lude
Two small brasses, which may have even been coffin plates, can be found on the wall between St Michae’s window and the south door. Dyer was vicar in 1296, and Lude a one-time chaplain.
The Plumbers Mark of 1738
On the south wall beside the entrance door to the church will be seen the Plumber’s Mark. A note about its finding is attached below the mark.
The Tower of St. Michael’s Church
The massive, embattled tower was built in four stages, the ground stage being the porch and main entrance to the church. The worn stone benches in the porch suggest that in earlier days it was a meeting place for the village. The material used in building was hard chalk, known as clunch, which contrasts to the Bath stone used in the nineteenth century alterations. The second stage is the ringing stage, and the third consists of upper chambers that contain the bells that have a combined weight of nearly five tons. The original six bells were:
Note B at 7 cwt. plus 1678
Note A a 8 cwt. plus 1612
Note G at 9 cwt. plus 1613
Note F sharp, at 13 cwt. plus, may be of Saxon origin, melted down in 1812 and recast in 1915
Note E at 16 cwt. plus, 1771
Note D at 24 cwt. plus, 1656.
The other two bells, Note D at 6 cwt. plus, and Note C sharp at 7 cwt. plus, were cast in 1948, and presented as memorials to two parishioners. All were re-tuned and re-hung in a new frame in 1985 The fourth stage is the clock, installed in 1840 by J. Whitehurst of Derby.
May the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
For a more detailed account of St. Michael’s Church and the village of Bray, see the book
Bray Today and Yesterday - The history of a Thames-side Village
by Nan Birney (ed. Richard Russell) ISBN 0 9533106 0 4