St Helen's Church, Abingdon
Encyclopedia
St Helen's Church is the parish church in the town of Abingdon
on the banks of the River Thames
in Oxfordshire
(formerly Berkshire
), England
.
The spire of the church dominates the skyline of the town. The church dates from the 13th century, with major remodelling in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was also updated in Victorian
times.
In earlier Anglo-Saxon
times, Helenstowe Nunnery
was probably on the site of this church.
in the form of a tree
in memory of William Lee (1545-1637) and his descendants (see http://genealogy.ianskipworth.com/pdf/lees.pdf)
, Dry Sandford
, Radley
, Kennington
and Drayton
, as well as Abingdon itself. In 1372 the parish of St Nicolas
was carved out of the parish, so that Abingdon was divided between two ecclesiastical parishes until they were reunited in 1989. Radley (with Kennington) and Drayton, although nominally in the parish until the 19th century, were for practical purposes independent. Shippon and Dry Sandford became separate eccleiastical parishes in 1865 and 1867 respectively.
When civil parishes were created in the 19th century, Radley and Drayton became separate civil parishes. In 1894 St Helen's civil parish was divided. The part within Abingdon joined the civil parish of St Nicholas to form the civil parish of Abingdon, and the rest of the parish became the civil parish of St Helen Without
.
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
on the banks of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
(formerly Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
), England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The spire of the church dominates the skyline of the town. The church dates from the 13th century, with major remodelling in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was also updated in Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
times.
In earlier Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times, Helenstowe Nunnery
Helenstowe Nunnery
Helenstowe Nunnery was an Anglo-Saxon nunnery at Abingdon in the English county of Berkshire .Helenstowe is said to have been founded by a certain Lady Cilla in the 670s. It was probably the nuns' part of a double monastery along with her brother’s abbey on Boar's Hill. It is believed to have stood...
was probably on the site of this church.
The William Lee Memorial Painting
This is a large family treeFamily tree
A family tree, or pedigree chart, is a chart representing family relationships in a conventional tree structure. The more detailed family trees used in medicine, genealogy, and social work are known as genograms.-Family tree representations:...
in the form of a tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
in memory of William Lee (1545-1637) and his descendants (see http://genealogy.ianskipworth.com/pdf/lees.pdf)
William LEE of Abingdon was a grazier, five times mayor of Abingdon, and a Governor of Christ's
Hospital (refer Appendix 6). His memorial tablet in St Helen's Parish Church, West St Helen's
Street, Abingdon, in the form of a family tree, depicts the 17 children, 78 grandchildren and 102
great grandchildren descended from him at the time of his death on 5 Nov 1637. However it was
not just his fecundity but also his longevity that was remarkable for the time, for he lived to the
age of 92. This memorial is referred to, somewhat light-heartedly, in Jerome K Jerome’s Three
men in a Boat Chapter 18:
“................ and in St. Helen's Church, it is recorded that W. Lee, who died in 1637, "had in his lifetime
issue from his loins two hundred lacking but three." If you work this out you will find that Mr. W. Lee's
family numbered one hundred and ninety-seven. Mr. W. Lee — five times Mayor of Abingdon — was, no
doubt, a benefactor to his generation, but I hope there are not many of his kind about in this overcrowded
nineteenth century.”
Image of St Helen's Abingdon at http://www.parishes.oxford.anglican.org/abingdon/sthelens/index.htm
Interior view of church showing Lee memorial in gold frame to the right of the right hand pillar:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stephen.l.thomas/dir4/church7.jpg
Refer also to Appendix 8 page 43 for additional material about this painting.
Parish
The parish of St Helen's was a large parish, which extended well beyond the town of Abingdon. It included the villages of ShipponShippon
Shippon is a village in Oxfordshire, England, 1 mile west of Abingdon. It is the largest village in the civil parish of St Helen Without, in Vale of White Horse District. It was in Berkshire until transferred to Oxfordshire in 1974....
, Dry Sandford
Dry Sandford
Dry Sandford is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse about north-west of Abingdon. It is one of two villages in the civil parish of St Helen Without. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
, Radley
Radley
Radley is a village and civil parish about northwest of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
, Kennington
Kennington, Oxfordshire
Kennington is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. The village occupies a narrow stretch of land between the River Thames and the A34 dual carriageway...
and Drayton
Drayton, Oxfordshire
Drayton is a village and civil parish about south of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred to Oxfordshire.-Parish church:...
, as well as Abingdon itself. In 1372 the parish of St Nicolas
St Nicolas' Church, Abingdon
The Church of Saint Nicolas is an Church of England parish church in Abingdon in the English county of Oxfordshire .-History:...
was carved out of the parish, so that Abingdon was divided between two ecclesiastical parishes until they were reunited in 1989. Radley (with Kennington) and Drayton, although nominally in the parish until the 19th century, were for practical purposes independent. Shippon and Dry Sandford became separate eccleiastical parishes in 1865 and 1867 respectively.
When civil parishes were created in the 19th century, Radley and Drayton became separate civil parishes. In 1894 St Helen's civil parish was divided. The part within Abingdon joined the civil parish of St Nicholas to form the civil parish of Abingdon, and the rest of the parish became the civil parish of St Helen Without
St. Helen Without
St Helen Without is a civil parish in the Vale of White Horse district in the English county of Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire. It is immediately west of Abingdon and includes the villages of Dry Sandford and Shippon. A large part of the parish is occupied by Dalton Barracks...
.