by Jon Malings


The following notes are taken from the Oxfordshire Family History Society's transcriptions of the Deddington Parish Registers which are available, on CD, from the Society.

Register of Burials 1813 - 1845 

(Inside front cover) 


The Pillars & Arches of the Church were restored to their original Condition, the old pulpit removed & a new one with Reading Desks was placed in its present situation, & a complete Service of new Communion plate together with the present altar piece & tablets etc. were supplied at the joint expence of the Vicar & his Wife in the years 1836 & 1837, with a new Communion Table & Covering. The roof of the Chancel was completely releaded & restored with two new Beams, & very many new Rafters & the windows which had been partly closed up, were all reopened with entire new glass throughout under the superintendence of the Vicar at the joint Expence of the Windsor Chapter & himself in the year 1838, & divers other alterations & improvements made in the Church at his own Expence.


(Inside back cover)

The new Inner Door of the Church covered with Cloth etc. was put up at the sole Expence of the Vicar in the year 1837

Another new Inner North Door covered as the other was put up at the Vicar’s Expence in 1840 or beginning of 1841

The Organ was erected by voluntary Contributions in 1840 & opened for Divine Service on Sunday Sept. 20th in the same year – The Case was presented to the Parish entirely at the cost of the Vicar. Part of it was manufactured from the Timber of the famous Chesterton Oak near Bicaster, felled in 1835, containing more than 1200 solid ft. of Timber — purchased by the Revd. Mr. Risley for £124-12-6 when standing.

The 3 Chairs within the Communion Rails were purchased by the Vicar previous to the Bishop’s Visitation in May (24th) 1842.

The Roof of the Nave of the Church was taken down & a new one put up, of oak, & the Lead all recast in the months of August & Sept. 1843.

 

Register of Burials 1845-83

(Inside, back cover) 

Deddington Church 

March 1851:  A large Oak Chest, the Gift of the Rev. W. C. Risley was placed in the Vestry for the Reception of Parish Books. The Award etc. etc. — There were three keys = one for the Vicar, & one for each Churchwarden 

Easter Day, April 20, 1851: A velvet crimson coloured Communion Cloth was presented by Mrs. Risley and Hangings etc. for the Pulpit Reading Desk by the Revd. W. Cotton Risley, formerly Vicar of this parish 

Ascencion Day, 1851: The Church at Hempton was opened for divine Service this day —The Corner Stone was laid on Monday, September 30, 1851 by Rev. William Wilson of Over Worton House at whose sole expense the Ground for the site has been purchased & the Church erected. The Church is dedicated to St. John. Rev W. Wilson Jr., Architect. Robt. Franklin, Builder. James Hopcraft, Mason

Monday, September 8th, 185l: The Corner Stone of the Church being erected at Clifton was laid today by the Rev. W. Cotton Risley, formerly Vicar of Deddington. The Church is dedicated to St. James. Messrs Buckler & Sons, Architects. Robt. Franklin, Builder. James Hopcraft, Mason.  The Site was given by Mr.Gardner, Farmer of Clifton. Most of the Stone was dug at Aynho, the Gift of W. C. Cartwright Esq. — a very large portion of the Cartage was done free of expense by the Farmers and the Rev. W. C. Risley undertakes a very large proportion of the expense of building etc. The whole of the woodwork is of oak, given by Dr. Risley:  the Communion Table, being made out of some of the old oak beams of Deddington Parish Church which were removed when a new roof was placed over the Nave in 18__

Friday, June 10th, 1853:  The Church (or Chapel) at Clifton was this day consecrated by Dr. Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford, as a Chapel of Ease to the Parish Church of Deddington

James Turner, B.A. appointed Vicar, April, 1864

New portion to Church Yard Consecrated Oct. 1874

Thomas Boniface, M.A, was publicly instituted to the Benefice by Dr. John Fielder Mackarness, Lord Bishop of Oxford in the Parish Church on April 3rd. 1878 — and was included by the Ve. Edwin Palmer, Archdeacon of Oxford on April 6th 1878

A new Altar, the gift of Holford Cotton Risley, Esq. was placed in the Chancel July, 1878

A Brass Cross was presented to the Church by W. Kinch, Esq.in 1879 and a pair of vases by the Rev.& Mrs. William Cotton Risley in the same year

A New Heating Apparatus by Messrs. Haden & Son, Trowbridge, Wilts was put in at the commencement of the year 1881 at a cost of £53-9-10 defrayed by voluntary contributions vz £16 from the Church Restoration Fund

A pair of Brass Candlesticks with Candles were presented to the Church for the Altar in April, 1891 by the Rev, Vernon & Mrs. Holt

 

Memoranda from Register of Baptisms, 1836 — 1863

(Inside — front cover) 

1857: A pair of four light Candlesticks for the Communion Table [“Altar” deleted] were presented to the Parish by the Revd. Wm. Cotton Risley. Also a Prayer Book & Bible, bound in blue Morocco for the Lectern, and a large Gilt Almsdish. In this year also an Oak Lectern was presented to the Church by the Revd. John Hugh Burgess, Curate

[Note added: “There is no Altar in the Church of England, nor any other Christian Church.  There are things called Altars in the Roman Idolatrous Temples & in Heathen Temples.  (signed) Jas. Turner vicar of Deddington”  James Turner was Vicar from 1864 to 1877.]

1853: The Restoration of the Parish Church was commenced under a Faculty granted to the Revd. John Hugh Burgess and the Churchwardens for the time being, according to plans prepared by George E Street, Esq., Diocesan Architect.

The Church was provided with eight Gas Standards of nine lights rack, by Subscription, together with a Crossley’s Patent 50 light Meter and Gas Pipes laid on to the Company’s Main

The Church was fitted with a Patent Hot an(sic) and Hot(sic) Water Apparatus with Furnace, Boiler, Cistern & Pipes, throughout the Church complete — the Gratings laid over the Pipes in the Body of the Church & Chancel, and provided for remainder. A New Vestry was also built on site of an old one at the North side of the Chancel. 

1859: The Middle Aisle from the Porches, Eastward, the North side Aisle and the North side of South Aisle were provided with new Oak Seats according to plans, and the place for the children’s seats at the East end of the North & South Aisles was prepared & provided with temporary benches. The Chancel Arch was repaired, an inner rib & an outside label being restored.

The Walls of South Aisle S Chancel were scraped & pointed, and the East Window of the Chancel and two other of the Chancel Windows repaired with new Stonework 

1859: The New Vestry was fitted with a Brass Gas Bracket, an Oak Case for Surplices with drawer, and an Oak cover for Cistern & Gas Meter, with a deep (?)ch.,....,  3 locks & Keys.