A Church stood on the site in North Crawley since before the Norman Conquest.
The Doomsday Book of 1086 mentions that:
In the same (village of Hardmead) Baldwin holds one hide of William as one manor…Of this land half a virgate (about 15 acres) belongs to the Minister (“monasterio”) of St. Firmin of Crauelai (North Crawley) and it belonged to it in the time of King Edward.
ST FIRMIN’S CHURCH, NORTH CRAWLEY- By Nick Freeman
The villagers of North Crawley have been worshipping on this site, probably for some one thousand years. An entry in the Domesday Book of 1086 refers to a “monasterio of Craulai”. This suggests that there was a Saxon monastery, possibly founded during the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042 to 1066) and that the church formed part of the monastery at that time. The Saxon building has since gone but it is likely that some of the stonework may well have been used in the earliest part of the present building. The church is listed in Simon Jenkin’s well known “England’s Thousand Best Churches”.
Nobody is sure who St Firmin, after whom the church was named, was. St Firmin was the Bishop of Amiens and he was martyred in about 287 AD. He was said to have been born in Pamplona in Spain. The famous Pamplona Bull Run and Pamplona’s cathedral are named after him. He is the patron saint of bull fighters. There is only one other church in England dedicated to St Firmin. This is in Thirlby in the county and diocese of Lincoln. As North Crawley fell, at one time, within the diocese of Lincoln, it is possible that there might be some connection. So far as is known, there is no connection between St Firmin and the church in North Crawley. Another possibility is that St Firmin was an Abbott at the monastery and was a local saint.
The present church building dates back to the 12th century. It is reasonable to suppose that it is on the site of the Saxon church and, possibly, the monastery. Only a tiny part of the church dates back this far. The thickness of the Norman west wall of the nave between the third and fourth columns of the south arcade is one sign of this.
In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the church was enlarged by the addition of the south aisle. The nave and aisle were extended and a western tower was added. The first three stages of the present tower are 13th century.
In the late 13th century the chancel was rebuilt. Outside, under the east window, is an inscription that is largely illegible today but it can still be seen. It is known to have read “Petrus cancellum tibi dat Firmine novellum cum laudens Deo Patri memoreria” (Peter gives to you, O St Firmin, a new little chancel, in order that, when you praise God, you may remember Peter). Previously it was believed that this inscription was by Peter de Guildford. He was said to have been Rector in 1294. However, in 1999 Dr Hegarty of Aylesbury argued that Peter de Guildford was appointed Rector of Crowell in Oxfordshire and that there was a muddle in the medieval spelling. He considers that “Peter” was Peter de Wintona, the Rector of St Firmin’s from 1249 to 1289. Peter de Wintona was an important royal servant in the reign of Henry III. It is possible that the master mason
responsible for the building of the chancel was the same person who was responsible for the building of the chancel of Westminster Abbey. The double piscina in the south wall is thought to date from the original building of the chancel.
In 1298 a Mandate was served on the Rural Dean of Newport Pagnell by the Bishop ordering him to stop his parishioners, under pain of excommunication, from travelling to the church in North Crawley for “superstitious reasons”.
Since the 13th century, various alterations and rebuilding have taken place, right up to the present day. During the 14th century a north aisle with an arcade of four bays was added to the nave. Towards the end of the 15th century the clerestory was built, the south aisle was widened and the chancel arch was rebuilt. Early in the 19th century a north porch was added and the whole building was covered externally with cement. Internally much was plastered and whitewashed. Some signs of the highly coloured medieval paint can be detected on the first two columns of the south aisle. The north porch was rebuilt in 1912.
Fortunately, the plaster has been removed from the roof of the nave, the chancel and the south aisle, revealing the splendid example of 15th century woodwork. This was particularly mentioned by Simon Jenkins.
There are various items within the church which are of particular note. One of these is the oak Rood Screen. The screen comprises a waist-high dado. It is richly decorated, in panels, with Gothic arches of open screen-work. The panels were painted in the late 15th century. Originally there were figures of Christ on the Cross, St Mary and St John on top of the screen. These are now missing. The figures that are there today are twelve prophets and four saints. Reading from north to south these are: Jeremiah, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, St Blaise, St Martin, St Edward the Confessor, St Edmund, Zephaniah, Joel, Micah, Malachi, Daniel and Ezekiel. This is a very rare, if not unique, example of a fully painted rood screen in England. Until the 1970s these figures were obscured by 19th century varnish. A team of experts led by Clive Rouse painstakingly removed the varnish and we can now see the figures with their medieval colouring. If you look at the saints on the door into the chancel you will see that St Blaise is holding a wool carding comb, St Edward a ring and St Edmund an arrow. Clive Rouse observed that the figures on the door seem to be of a different hand to the others. In a study of the screen carried out by David Critchley in 2022 confirms this opinion, pointing out that the pedestals in panels 7-16 are treated differently to those in panels 1-6. Scrolls in panels 1-6 and in panels 11-16 contain texts which each illustrate an article of the Apostles’ Creed. Mr Critchley’s detailed study can be read in Records of Buckinghamshire Vol 63 2023.
The box pews are comparatively modern, probably dating from 1827. The pews at the rear are early 16th century, although they have been repaired in places with 17th century panelling. Three benches are in the south aisle. These have been rebuilt fairly recently from early pews. One of these has lettering engraved, reading “THOMS NASH AT THE CHARE OF THIS SEATE ANNO DOMINI 1634” After this the letters “TL” are appended. A small hole probably marks the spot where the engraver noticed that he had missed the letter “A” from “THOMS”! It is interesting to note that the same “TL” is engraved on the castellated cover of the font.
The church silver is very fine. Included is a chalice and paten of 1663, in memory of the Hackett family. Roger Hackett was Rector from 1590 to 1621. There is a Hackett Place in the village.
The font dates from the 14th century. It consists of an octagonal bowl, upper and ledge moulded, a central octagonal stem, surrounded by four small detached shafts, with moulded capitals and bases. The wooded castellated cover is 17th century and on one side is an inscription reading “Ano Domini 1640. T.L.” It is apparent that TL’s spelling was not of the highest order!
The hexagonal pulpit dates from the 18th century. The oak chest, situated on the right hand side to the entrance to the belfry is 16th century.
There are six bells, including three from the 17th century. The tenor bell is inscribed “Newcombe of Leicester made me. A 1613”. The treble is inscribed “God save our King 1638 IK”. IK was James Keene. The third bell, dating from 1652, was made by Anthony Chandler and is inscribed “Chandler made me”
On the south wall of the nave is a replica of a very important brass. In 1986 work was carried out on the Latimer Brass. An inscription is above the brass. During the restoration work an earlier brass was discovered on the reverse side. This is of a young woman dressed in late medieval style. It is possible that this lady was either Juliana, daughter of Thos, Earl of Warwick or Elizabeth, daughter of Guy Beauchamp. In any event it has been described as one of the earliest, if not the actual earliest known in the country. The original has been exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The nave and chancel roofs are particularly fine. They are wood panelled with moulded beams and elaborate bosses and angels on junctions. The trusses are supported on tall brackets formed of carved figures of twelve apostles standing on birds, thought to be partridges. The roofs are believed to date from the 15th century.
The east window above the altar was made in 1932. The subject of the window are the symbols of Matthew and Luke, Christ in Majesty and the symbols of Mark and John. There are four other windows in the chancel. In the nave there are
three windows on each side and five mullioned windows on each side of the clerestory.
Work, involving enlargement, repairs and improvements has taken place, more or less continuously since the earliest 12th century beginnings of the present church. I n recent years the organ has been moved form from its former position in the south east corner of the nave. The box pews in the north and south aisles were in very poor condition and were removed. A side chapel, in the space left by the former site of the organ has been installed with a fine crucifix constructed from yew wood taken from the churchyard. A retaining joist in the chancel was discovered to be rotting and in a dangerous state. This joist was said to have been from the 13th century, possibly taken from Salcey Forest. This joist has been replaced. The church clock has been repainted. A water supply has been installed. Plans are in hand for the installation of a kitchen and toilets and for the restoration of damaged stonework over the south door.
These repairs and improvements, together with the ongoing maintenance of the existing structure, cost a great deal of money. Thanks are due to all those, past and present, who strive to preserve and improve this fine medieval building and its wonderful contents.
In the preparation of this booklet, thanks are due to Andrew Pinder for an earlier guide, Christine Stapleton, who has amassed much information about the Church.
A list of Rectors of St Firmins North Crawley from 1294 follows the link.
In his September 1995 book “The Crawleys” Peter Jeffrey sheds more historical light on St Firmins as follows:
In the Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, there are references to only three churches existing in Buckinghamshire prior to the Norman Conquest. These were St Rumbold in Buckingham, St Osyth, Aylesbury, and St Firmin, North Crawley, all associated with local saints. St Firmin’s owes its foundation to a small religious house at Hardmead which had been built by monks from France and dedicated to St Firmin, the first Bishop of St Amiens. This dedication was carried on by North Crawley Church. There are only two churches in Britain dedicated to this little known saint who was martyred in AD 287. Unfortunately there is little information on the reason for his martyrdom.
The Church stands on the south side of the village. The walls are entirely covered with cement, except the tower which is of stone rubble. All the walls have embattled parapets. The roofs are covered with lead. The nave existing in the 12th century was probably of three bays. The south aisle was added in 1210 and a little later the nave and aisle were lengthened two bays westwards and the three lower stages of the tower were built.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1295, and early in the 14th century a north aisle with an arcade of four bays was added to the nave. Late in the same century the fourth stage was added to the tower. Towards the end of the 15th century the clerestorey was built, the south aisle widened and the north aisle and the chancel arch were rebuilt. Outside is a bell-cote for a sanctus bell. Early in the 19th century a north porch was added, and the whole building covered externally with cement, and internally with much plaster and whitewash. The north porch was rebuilt in 1912.
During the last 25 years the plaster has been removed from the roof of the nave, the chancel and the south aisle revealing a splendid example of 15th century woodwork. The figures in the nave below the tie-beam probably represent the Apostles, as one bears the symbol of St James, another the chalice of St John, a third a boat, probably St Andrew.
The chancel is 36ft by 17ft and has an incised inscription under the sill of the east window outside the Church. It is in Lombardic characters: Petrus cancellum tibi dat Firmine novellum ut cum lauderis Deo Petro memoreris (Peter gives Firmin a new chancel that when he praises God he may remember Peter). The Peter in question is no doubt Peter de Wintonia, who was instituted as Rector in 1294.
The east window itself is late 13th century, a memorial to the Selby-Lowndes family, though the glass is modern. Its subject “Christ the King” and its position links up with the Christian Churches of the east, where a representation of Christ in glory is nearly always to be found in the apse over the altar. The windows on the north and south sides belong to the 13th century.
There is a 14th century priest’s doorway on the south side, no doubt used very often by medieval rectors when they went into the chancel to say the Divine Office, or to carry the Blessed Sacrament to the sick.
There are two brackets, semi-octagonal moulded and foliated, either side of the east window which supported figures of saints.
A double piscina of the 14th century has been uncovered on the south side of the altar. It was usual to wash the sacred vessels in the piscina in medieval times.
A small aumbry (cupboard) with a modern door is to be found on the north side. This may have housed the church plate when not in use.
The altar is of oak with twisted balusters, moulded upper and lower rails, and is dated 1700. The plate consists of a chalice dated 1665 and a paten with a foot dated 1663. The registers are complete from 1558. There are two silver flagons of a later date.
On the south wall is a brass in memory of John Herks, alias Garbrand, Rector of the parish from 1566 to 1589. He is represented as habited in a gown and ruff kneeling before a small altar.
The brasses to the memory of Thomas Hackett 1689 and to Elizabeth Nicholls 1690, on the floor, have inscriptions only. The rood screen, the chief treasure in the church, belongs to the late 15th century. The rood itself consisted of the great crucifix with attendant figures of Our Lady and St John and was taken down, no doubt, before 1550 as a “momument of superstition.” The rubric, ” and the chancels shall remain as they have done in times past,” was actually put in the Prayer Book in 1559 to stem the tide of pillage which swept over the country. In many places a gaily painted copy of the Royal Arms was set up over the chancel arch in place of the rood. The lower part of this screen which survives bears close study. There are 16 panels on the lower part of the screen, including two each side of the doorway. They represent from left to right: Jeremiah, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, St Blaise, St Martin, St Edward, St Edmund, Zephaniah, Joel, Micah, Malachi, ?, Ezekiel. The last three figures are so scratched that it makes their identification very difficult.
In the nave there are the remains of some early 16th century seating with linen panelling. At the back of the south aisle one seat bears the inscription “Thomas Nash is at the charge of this seate 1635 T.I.>” He was a churchwarden here.
The font, dating from the 14th century, consists of an octagonal bowl, upper and ledged moulded, central octagonal stem, surrounded by four small detached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. It is surmounted, when not in use, by a beautiful wooden cover inscribed on one side “Anno Domini 1640 T.L.” That it should belong to this particular period is interesting as it shows the influence of the Laudian revival to improve church furnishings.
There are six bells, the second by James Keene 1638, the fourth by Anthony Chandler 1652. The tenor bell was recast just after the 1939-45 war. The area encompassing the site of St Firmin’s was originally a Minister Chapel, including the following closes: Caldwell Pightle, Newton Piece, Church West Farm and Church End, under the jurisdiction of Ramsey Abbey.
In 1298 the Bishop of Lincoln, during his campaign to suppress unauthorised practices in his diocese, directed the Dean of Newport Pagnell to go to the Church of Great Crawley and find out whether superstitious pilgrimages were being made, on account of miracles which had not been accredited, and put a stop to them. It would appear some of the English remembered St Firmin of their ancestors and still came as pilgrims, at times unknown during the year, to the miracle-promising site of his monasterium at Crawley which had a Holy Well in the Churchyard.
The villagers of Little Crawley resisted attempts in the early 16th century to become part of the neighbouring parish of Chicheley. They proved they truly belonged to St Firmin’s. They had paid their tithes and took a large share in repairing the Church wall. They had registered their burials there and had rights to Church seats. There existed (and still does, Footpath 25 ) a warded footpath to carry the coffins from Little Crawley to St Firmin’s Church.